Weiler Ice Cream ** Now featuring flavor!! **

Okay folks, let's play a little Family Feud.

If the Mark and Marjean Weiler family were a flavor of ice cream, the No. 1 answer on the board would be .............. survey says.........! Vanilla.

Harsh? Not at all. Who doesn't like vanilla? It has a recognizable taste, appeals to the masses, complements other desserts, and always comes in the super-size, super-savings bucket.

The downside: it leans heavily on the safe and predictable side and lacks in pizzazz.

But after our August 20 wedding, that all changed. We added a delicious, fruity, colorful swirl to our bucket. And I'm not talking about Kim Kardashian.

Just to be clear, Natalie is not a total wild card. She clearly has the Weiler organization trait.

How could you not have an awesome wedding with a binder that fat? Her recipe book was full of new ingredients that kept us in a taste-testing mood all night.

• Bride takes a back seat during her big moment to a pre-schooler. Classy

• A quiver-lipped and misty-eyed Kevin? Awesome.

• Color and style from head to toe. Eye candy.

Cool

Cooler

Coolest

Show-off

• Mad Libs-style well wishes for the bride and groom. Count me in.

• Photo booth for a guest book. Leave it to me to turn luggage into a football and my wife into a linebacker.

All this partying even gave us the gumption to play hooky to Subway.

And a flash mob to top it off!? Might be pushing my limits, but what's the worst that could happen?

Kinda tough to find me in these pics, but I'm kinda tough to miss in the video on my sister's blog. So glad she made you-know-who front and center. The fates truly were smiling at me that day.

You can't go wrong inviting Hall & Oates to your wedding, but the same cannot be said for inviting your brother in-law to your flash mob. I tried Nat. I really tried, but you can't expect vanilla to turn into cherry chocolate chip overnight. If it's any consolation, I taught Katie the dance, and she nailed it.

Welcome to our party, Natalie. You are the perfect finishing touch for our generation of the family, and we are thrilled about the little man leading the way for the next generation.

Universal Truths

Earlier this month we went with Katie's family to a Carr family reunion at the Colter Bay cabins in Grand Teton National Park.

I was glad to meet more of the extended family I've married into. The vacation also verified a few universal truths about spending time in the outdoors:

1. Bugs .... bug.

Every night we waged war with the mosquitos. We won some battles - as evidenced by Katie's finger after taking out one of the buggers - but the mosquitos definitely won the war. Just ask the empty can of OFF! in the trash and my itchy legs.

2. Throwing rocks.... rocks.

Age is not a factor. Skill is not a requirement. As long as you can create a splash, you're qualified and capable of having a grand time.

3. Cards are a big deal.

You know you're playing with pros when it takes a half hour to define and debate the rules before starting, which makes the Carrs a family of Hall of Famers. I'm glad I have a wife who knows her way around a card table, but I wouldn't mind if she got lost once in a while either.

4. Balls make a great catch.

Kayaking would have been a fun activity on its own, but add the element of passing a football from one boat the the other and BAM!!!! Now we've really got something.

5. The worst thing that can happen on the water? Getting wet.

No picture for this one, but I find it ironic how uptight we all get when someone sprays us with water while we're surrounded by the stuff. It seems like something Jerry Seinfeld would have used as part of his standup routine.

Oh wait. He pretty much did.

Can't wait for Carr Reunion 2013!

July twenty fore-th

Less than three years ago, I belonged to a family of six. In three months, that number will be doubled.

Pioneer Day weekend turned out to be a great time for the newer members of our family to become better acquainted with a large part of Weiler history:

Golf.

We first tried this the summer after my sister in-law Leslie - who is currently carrying Weiler member #12 - joined the family. We later learned it didn't go so well. (But it's good to know she can be honest with us.)

So we changed our tactics this time, and I think it went much better.

Change#1 - Bring more beginners. Leslie and Fetus were excused this time around, but Katie, Natalie and Michael had each other to laugh/cry/experiment/scream with.

On just our second hole, Natalie hit the best tee shot and Katie drained an 8-foot putt to save our bogey. Yeah, they're keepers.

If a nobody like Wayne Gretzky can transition from hockey to golf, Michael is certainly capable.

Technically she's not a beginner, but kudos to Michelle for playing too. There's definitely some good Weiler genes in that sweet swing.

Change#2 - Stroke play out, scramble format in. Rather than have each player play his/her own ball from tee to green for nine holes, we played as a team and kept score as a team. Golf is a much more recreation-friendly activity when only the best shots count.

And just like our pioneer ancestors, we walked (and walked, and walked, and walked .....).

Only time will tell if the end result is another Weiler golf outing, but it went well enough to peak my partner's interest in a night at the driving range.

Still smiling at the last hole. A very positive sign.

John Daly called. He wants his insanely-past-parallel swing back.

"A Whole New (Disney) World"

As I've alluded to previously on this blog, Katie comes from a family well versed in the gospel of Walt and very familiar with his Magic Kingdom. There are a million memories for her tucked into that massive property in Florida, and I knew this was going to be a part of our future as well.

(And, just to avoid any confusion, it's a part of our future I'm happy about. Any place that uses a gigantic golf ball to welcome its guests is all right in my book.)

This month, we had our first chance to experience Disney World (and any theme park for that matter) together. Though I'd been once before with my family, I knew I was going to be a rookie on a team of seasoned veterans this time around and came ready to learn from the pros.

In no particular order, here are some of the strategies for Disney success I gleaned from the Jorgensens:

1. DRESS TO IMPRESS

Wide-eyed and tie dyed on our first day.

St. Louis Cardinals theme. Yeah, I messed this one up, but we fixed that problem before leaving Florida. And yes, our whole crew is in this picture.

Another "We're from St. Louis" shout out. Still waiting for my first taste of Ted Drewes frozen custard, but I've already got the T-shirt to prove it.

Typical Utah Ute fans. Always looking for chances to rebel.

To the common man, the M's on Mom and Dad's shirts are for the M&M candies, but for those hip to Roman numerals, you'll know these are exclusive Club M shirts for guests who have been to the park 1,000 times :)

2. KNOW WHEN TO CLOSE 'EM, KNOW WHEN TO POSE 'EM

This family never passes on a Kodak moment, and they knew when that oh-so special moment comes on every ride.

Me? Not so much

Eventually I caught on

3. ANY AIR-CONDITIONED ATTRACTION IS A WORTHWHILE ATTRACTION

Nowhere was this principle put to work more than at EPCOT, where the folks at Disney stretch the definition of an amusement park by attempting to disguise education and learning as "rides" and "games."

We made two visits to EPCOT on our vacation, and both times we began that visit right after lunch .... during the hottest part of the day. While some of the "rides" were tougher than others not to sleep through, the afternoons weren't a total bust.

http://www.thinkingofyoupostcards.com/runtime/play?Guestcode=KQCQCFRVRXCC5Q

4. ALWAYS KEEP ONE BLADDER EMPTY

Thanks to Camelbacks, staying hydrated at the park is not an issue.

Thanks to Disney, finding a women's bathroom is not an issue either.

Katie's Dad once created a "name that restroom" game with pictures of bathrooms around the park. Makes perfect sense to me now.

5. LINES ARE FOR AMATEURS

There are only two lines the Jorgensens wait in: the one before the park gates open and the one to get on the bus after it closes.

We were up and at 'em early every morning, hit all the popular rides at the start and grabbed fast passes for a second go-round before lunch. The one downside to this strategy is that you only get two cracks at your favorite ride that day, but in most cases it's a small sacrifice in order to conquer more of the park and avoid standing in line.

The longest line we probably stood in was an evacuation line in the EPCOT ball. Just as we were approaching the invention of Egyptian papyrus on our historical journey, the ride stalled for 10 minutes until they shut it down and escorted us back through time towards the exit.

6. THE MOUSE IS EVERYWHERE IN WALT'S HOUSE

Ever been on a ride at Disney World and seen something on the wall that resembled a pair of Mickey ears? Chances are you were right.

I was fully invested in the "Hidden Mickey" game from the start, so much so that by the middle of the week the duty of lugging the Hidden Mickey Bible became my responsibility. However, the more vague and subjective some of the hidden Mickeys became, the less interested I became.

7. GET LOST IN THE MAGIC

Disney World is no place for a 30-year old male with no children and a healthy dose of cynicism in his head. But I showed up ready to push those two facts aside for a week and enjoy it for what it is.

How do they grow thousands of different plants in swampy Florida? What makes people to stand in line for 30 minutes to ride "It's a Small World?" How is Mickey Mouse in 17 places around four different parks at once?

Magic, I tell you. It's simply magic.

Of course, not everyone cares to sprinkle on the pixie dust and buy into this idea.

People of Earth, meet The Butts Family. A word of advice to any of you who run into the Butts' down the road: They love parades, and they enjoy a clear view of those parades.

We never quite figured out what showed up moments before the start of the Main Street Electrical Parade and apparently forced them to stop SITTING ON THE CURB and stand up for the entire show. Surely if there was a way the Butts could have SAT ON THE CURB to help the four rows of people SITTING BEHIND THEM ON THE SIDEWALK see the parade they would have. After all, they told us their heart-wrenching experience from the previous night, arriving two hours in advance for the parade and still struggling to see most of it when the people in front of them decided to stand up for the parade.

Somehow we still managed to have a fun evening together and enjoy a good view of the lights show on the castle and fireworks, with Heidi and Teri providing the music. Was it the tryptophan from Heidi's turkey leg that kept us in good spirits? Try again.

8. THE REAL FUN COMES FROM WITHIN THE FAMILY

Meet the crew

Mama Jorgy aka "Shooter"

A whiz on the Toy Story-themed rides, Mom also has an affinity for the G-forces on Mission: Space. And she always has a hair clip when you need one.

Papa Jorgy aka "Marathon Man"

This is the only time Dad looked worn out the entire week. Pretty good for a guy who supplemented the 8.5-11 miles of walking through the park each day with a morning run.

While Dad was kind enough to make the extra effort and collect fast passes for everyone, none of us were able to move fast enough to return the favor and get him good seats for the Herman's Hermits concert.

Teri aka "Sugar Mama"

Not one to brag about her awesome life, Teri let us all take advantage of her Disney employee/cast member perks and didn't show the least bit of disgust on her face while being stalked by her family on the job. Not only did entertain us, she also made it a special day for a certain NBA champion's kids

Oh, and did I mention she went on a cruise the week before our trip?

Heidi aka "Happy Feet"

Every good crew needs a trigger-happy camera person to chronicle the week's events, and Heidi nailed that role without even having to be talked into it.

It probably explains why we didn't give her much grief about her other talent that is equally a necessary evil to the equation: the kid who walks out of every show singing the songs and mimicking the dance moves until the cycle starts anew at the next show.

Katie and Rob aka " The Newlyweds"

We made a great team. Screamed on rides when necessary. Avoided getting soaked on water rides. Snuck food to each other during shows. Only took one afternoon off, and spent if watching "Beauty and the Beast." Loved Toy Story's Midway Mania so much we bought the home version.

P.S. The Weilers have a vacation principle of our own which was not to be denied. If your hotel is within shouting distance of four golf courses, you better find your way inside the fence.

Check.