Oktoberfest 2009

This year, my in-laws' annual Oktoberfest party felt more like Kidfest. I think there might have been two kids at the first one they threw, whereas this time there were easily thirty-two. And you never saw such happy kids, all of them enjoying the music, ball house and jumpy tent so much, while the adults drank responsibly, of course.

One of my main objectives at last Saturday night's Fest (in addition to sampling the German beer, gorging on as much roasted chicken, spaetzle, and Black Forest cake as possible, and avoiding the kazoos) was to get a good group shot of S 'n' B (aka Matilda and Dashiell) and their baby cousin, Kaylie.I got a cute shot of Snook.A couple sweet ones of Bubs in his lederhosen, which are big enough to last him for the next three or four Oktoberfests, I would think.And an unbelievably adorable shot of little Kaylie.I even got two really charming poses of the girl cousins together, wearing their matching pink and black polka dot outfits.But the group shot proved to be much, much more difficult. It's a wonder they're all in the same frame.

So after throwing in the towel on the cousin photo, I focused instead on taking some party-people pictures.My friends Reen, holding her precious 14-month-old Jayden, and Marcy, holding her handsome 20-month-old, Marcus.A close-up of Jayden.My SIL and BIL, Karen and Pete.My friend Krista's husband Gil, holding their beautiful almost-two-year-old, Maia.My friend Nina with her darling almost-one-year-old, Sophia.Karen, holding her girl.The H and Bubs.Marcy and me.

Want to see Marcy and me at the 2007 Fest, both about six months pregnant, both stuck drinking near beer?Sure, why not! Please don't kill me, Marc!

I wanted to take more photos of this year's festivities, but someone mistook me for the event photographer, so I decided to give it a rest. As always, it was a great, great party!