A Day in the Life...

What would you do if....

2009-06-21T17:21:00.003-05:00

What would you do if you won a million dollars??

We all have dreams and I am sure that everyone has thought of something. We would pay off debts, give money to our parents, siblings, invest some, save some, but most importantly I would give a majority of it to find a cure for Diabetes!

It’s not often that I complain about this stupid disease, but this weekend has been a rough one.

I have good control of my diabetes. I check my blood sugars, and watch what I eat, and I am so very lucky that my parents fought to get me on an Insulin Pump at a young age. I have so much freedom – for a diabetic. I had a really high blood sugar on Saturday because my tube on my Insulin pump wasn’t primed correctly (which happens from time to time with technology), and I wasn’t getting the correct amount of Insulin for about 4 hours. We were enjoying the movie “The Proposal,” so I didn’t really feel it until we got home.

My Saturday and Sunday were wasted with feeling sick. I had to correct the problem – which took about 6 hours to do, and now I am dealing with the aftermath – severe headaches, loss of appetite, drowsiness, and now - frustration.

Frustrated that there isn’t a cure yet. Frustrated that it takes so long to snap out of a high blood sugar. Frustrated that I spent my Saturday night (which was our date night) feeling sick. Frustrated that I had to wake up every ½ hour to re-check my blood sugar. Frustrated with the headache that I have. And frustrated that it’s 5:18 p.m. on a Sunday night and I don’t feel better.

Okay. That's it. I apologize for this "venting post," but I had to share my frustrations...

There is a lot of fun events to attend this summer that will directly go to finding a cure for this disease. I know Parish and I will be attending a few. Check out the link above and if you are interested - I encourage you to attend. I think I can speak for thousands in Minnesota alone when I say - we would greatly appreciate it!

Jackson is 3!!

2009-06-03T18:29:00.004-05:00

Our little yorkie turned 3 today!! Here is a video of him opening his present. :) What did he get - you ask? Only his favorite T-bone treats and a new bone.

More 2009 pictures

2009-05-30T10:47:00.002-05:00

Our little Haylee Bean...
Parish and Chaston, our nephew who is now walking!! We can't believe it!

This is my best friends daughter - Brynn. She is going to be a big sister at the end of August/beginning of September. Parish and I went to her Dora Fiesta birthday party and this was her present from her mom and dad! She is so cute!

Spring 2009 pictures

2009-05-30T10:29:00.004-05:00

Brooklyn and Hannah at her spring dance recital

Brookie - I can't believe how grown up she is getting!!

Gavin and I - we have a family trait of "big eyes" so every time we take a picture - we do a "big eye" picture

This is the before picture of our dining room/kitchen

This is the after shot - Parish and his grandpa did such a great job!

Parish and I at Benihana in Maple Grove - celebrating Ashley's commencement and Lindsey's completion of her Masters!

Here's the rest of the fam! What a fun night!

Lindsey and her "date" - running joke in the family. :)

Parish

2009-05-28T20:51:00.003-05:00

When I started blogging, I had no idea what our blog was going to be about. At first, I thought it was a good way to let our friends and family know what was going on in our lives – and I think that I do an okay job at that – but I am certainly not consistent.

I think part of the reason why I am so inconsistent is that we don’t have any kids yet. Well, besides Jackson – but we can’t really post a whole entry on how adorable he is everyday when he steals P’s socks while he is in the shower, or how at night when we say “let’s go to bed”, he grabs a baby (his stuffed animals) and when we wake up we have about 10 more in bed with us, or when he wants to cuddle – he comes right up to you curls under your neck – like a fur collar. Maybe, I could write a whole post on how darn cute he is, but I thought we would do something different this time.

I am the main author of this blog, and after surfing the many other blogs that I view daily, I came up with a plan (well, I am borrowing this idea). I am going to have P take over this post! So, here is it, straight from the mouth of the man of my dreams, the one and only – Parish William Barten…

What is your favorite thing about your life?

Life in general is good. I love my family and friends.

What did you think when Sarah told you she was starting a blog?

I thought it was typical - she's my busy little bee.

If there is one thing that you could say to your “readers” what would it be?

Smile. I am a one-word answer type of guy. It's what I do.

What is your favorite memory of you and Sarah?

Everyday. It seems to me that we laugh about something new everyday.

In your words, how did you ask Sarah to marry you?

Actually, it was in my own words, I prepared a note and with a drop of a knee and a few paragraphs later - I asked her if she would marry me. And she said yes.

In a typical day, what do you do at work?

Preventative maintenance of a water and sewer infrastructure.

Why did you choose the profession that you are in?

I did it while I was in high school for a part time job. And I am a third generation public works employee.

Where would you want to retire?

Grand Rapids, MN

Would you let Sarah get another dog? Why?

No way, they are too much work. Plus, we want kids.

What is your favorite thing about your home?

The chance to finally be able to see my wife, my TVs and I am partial to the hardwood floors that I installed with my grandpa.

Any fun summer plans?

To go North as often as possible.

What is the best trip that you have ever been on?

Probably, our trip to Michigan last year, because it was the first trip we experienced as a married couple.

What do you love about Sarah?

Her kindness, her personality, her ability and desire to achieve more. And I love just her.

Who is the person you look up to the most?

Grandpa Walter. His work ethic is astounding. The way he loves my grandma is priceless and his personality.

What do you like to do when you are not working?

I love to spend time with my wife and dog, watch Gopher hockey, and lay on my ass.

What would you do if you won the lottery?

Oh, boy...nobody set their alarm clock.

###

There you have it. Parish. And his one-word answers. :)

A new found love...

2009-05-23T14:11:00.002-05:00

We are finally back in the land of technology. We just got a new laptop (our old computer was infested with the WORM), and we now have the pleasure of surfing the web while curling up on our couch - it is fantastic!

While we were on break from the internet - we managed to pack in tons of fun these last few weeks! Here is a recap...

- We spent three weekends in a row with the McDonald family. We did everything from spend time with the godchild, playing "over the fence" volleyball with our little JJ, and Parish helped Josh build a rock wall at the cabin - which ended up falling back into the lake. At no fault of their own, of course.

- I started to get back into photography a little bit and had the pleasure of shooting my first wedding of the season on May 16. Congratulations to Kris and Dan Lavigne. I am especially excited because Parish bought me design programs for our new laptop for my birthday. Now I can edit, create slideshows, and doing pretty much everything I want to make all of our memories that much better. After this post, I plan on starting up the program and taking it for a stroll.

- I had the opportunity of getting a personal tour (with my boss) of the new gopher football stadium. I was so impressed with the locker room - it is in the shape of a football, 65 yards long, 25 yards wide - it is incredible. I just might become a football fan now...

- We ended up snagging a GREAT deal on a new cuddle chair for our living room. It matches the couch that we bought last year perfectly, so we did a little rearranging...

- And speaking of that, Parish and his Grandpa put hardwood floors in our dining room and kitchen and it looks like a brand new house! It is so beautiful and I am so lucky that Parish and grandpa are so talented.

- Finally, today was an awesome day. I rediscovered how much I like shooting a bow and arrow. Parish and I were slightly bored this morning, so we went out and explored the town of Princeton and discovered Whitcombs. What a great place. I used to do archery back in the good ole days, and loved it - but never took it any further than deer camp. I picked up a magazine and am looking at bows to purchase. I think it might be a great new hobby for me. Who knows - I could get really good at it.

Once I find the connection for our camera I will post updated pictures! I hope all is well and we are glad to be back in the world of technology!

Through the storm, there is light.

2009-03-31T11:52:00.001-05:00

Sounds ironic to post this today, especially since we are covered in blowing snow in April. No, that’s not a typo – I said blowing. And snow. In the same sentance. But, I am not talking about that kind of storm. I am talking about the “bad weather” that my mom has been facing for almost a year.

It was May 1st last year when she found out that there was something spotted on her mammogram. Days later, she received the diagnosis that no woman wants to hear – you have breast cancer. GULP. Cancer? That word hasn’t been spoken too often in our home and never did we think it would affect us directly. But it did. It has been a long road – full of many rain clouds, heavy storms, blowing wind, and sunny days full of twists and turns. Through her journey, we had unforgettable 7 day forecasts that predicted what the outcome could be, quickly followed by the possible unforeseeable cold front that could move in and totally change the outcome.

Until now.

The forecast given yesterday was warm, sunny, and clear. “She looks fantastic,” the nurse said. “Your scans were clear.” There has been no reoccurrence. This was a breath of fresh air for our family, especially for my mom. This check-up was probably the hardest that she has been through because it was so close to the 1-year mark. But she made it. She is in the clear!

We can pack away the umbrellas, store the rain boots and dance in whatever rain may come our way, because we are done.

Yes, she will still have check-ups (yearly now), and will continue to meet with her oncologist, and get her results the day of her mammogram for the next 4 years, but that’s all standard procedure.

It’s terrific news and even though we are facing this winter storm in April, our family can see the light. And it’s a great thing to see.

Prayers for Stellan

2009-03-26T15:54:00.002-05:00

I have followed Stellan's story since before he was even born, like many other bloggers. He needs our prayers - this poor little baby is back in SVT, where your heart beats so rapidly it is in danger of stopping. His McMama is by his side, keeping us all updated. Be sure to check out her site for updates (www.mycharmingkids.com) and make sure to view the Stellan Name Gallery. You will see what I mean - prayers are coming in from all over the world!

Not Me Monday!

2009-03-02T10:37:00.002-06:00

This will be my first installment of “Not Me Monday!” It’s really quite clever really, check it out at (www.mycharmingkids.net). I will try to post this each Sunday night for you Monday readers – this is your chance to check out what I haven’t been doing over the last week.

This week, I did not run out of checks, pay all of our bills by phone (with some additional fees), because I was too preoccupied to reorder our checks two weeks ago when I saw we were getting low. That would be ridiculous. I am always on top of the ball and things never slip my mind. Nope. Not me!

Because of my newfound interest in politics, I haven’t missed an important Presidential speech for the last year and a half. So I totally did not skip over the President’s speech last week to stay up watching movies with my sister until 11 p.m. and miss all of the information that I was waiting to hear, partly because I was annoyed our regular programming wasn’t on for the evening. Nope. Not me!

I did not jump for joy because of the snow that we received last Thursday because I knew that Parish had to go to bed early to get up and plow (at 2 a.m.) and I could actually get some cleaning done. No way would I have done that. And obviously, there was NO WAY that after I got our whole house cleaned, dusted, vacuumed, that it was a complete disaster on Saturday morning. Nope. Didn’t happen here.

On Friday night, P and I went to a Chamber Gala in the cities. I was excited for a fun night away, with great company and a delicious meal. You could imagine my surprise when I found out that the dinner option was steak and shrimp. I did not forget that that one – it was Lent (and took a few bites of my steak) and two – my allergies to shrimp before moving the shrimp to the side (after it was laying on top of my steak). I also did not have to give myself medicine for the hives I had on my face and arms when I got home. Nope. I wouldn’t forget those things.

P and I spent the weekend at Josh and Kris’s house – we were all planning on going to the Science Museum on Sunday. I most certainly did not wake up Sunday morning only to realize that I didn’t pack any undergarments. So I didn’t make my husband travel to the store to buy new underwear for me. Nope. Oh, and my husband definitely did not return from the store with granny panties for me to wear. Nope. Totally didn’t happen.

I wasn’t just as excited as a child is on Christmas when we all arrived at the Science museum. Nope. I didn’t run around (with our friend’s 3-year old) pulling every lever, turning every crank, and pushing every button in order to see how science works. Nope. After all, I am an adult. And I certainly didn’t step in front of other children so that I could experience it first. WHO does that in public? Not me.

Hi! I'm Sarah, What's your Name?

2009-02-20T16:19:00.002-06:00

I spend countless hours a week after work perusing the internet in hopes that my favorite blogs (see side panel) have been updated, I get so excited to see what else is happening in their lives and when I realize its not updated, I get a bit sad…and then it hit me. I HAVE A BLOG! What in the world am I doing not updating mine? As usual, it’s a combination of we’re busy with this, and busy with that, but I am not going to bore you with those cockamamie excuses – let’s just get down to business, shall we?

Where do I start? January 11 was Parish and my 5th year anniversary of our first date. Some may think it’s elementary to keep track of that stuff. It may be, but not with the story that we have. Milestones like this are meant to be celebrated. We’ve accomplished so much together (more than we could have without one another) in those 5 years and are only looking forward to what else we have in store for us in the future.

Here are some fun facts about us (and I promise to keep this short, because I could go on and on)

- On January 2, 2004 we saw each other at Buffalo Wild Wings and literally smiles just peered on both of our faces. I had never felt butterflies like that before, still do.

- On January 11 we went on our first date (Bri, you might remember this) – he serenaded me to “You’ve Got That Lovin’ Feeling” by the Righteous Brothers, had the women in the bar in hysterics, and we received endless compliments about our chemistry – on a first date? Who knew?

- In the first Valentine’s Day card he gave me, he wrote – “who would have thought we’d go from playing basketball with Ben to a romantic evening on Hwy 10. He used to come over to my parent’s house (on rollerblades) and shoot hoops with me, then we had a poor man's getaway in St. Cloud at an establishment on Hwy 10.

- The first time he ever said, “I love you” to me was the day after St. Patrick’s Day. He drove to my house at 7 a.m. and caught me before I left for work. What a day that was!

- The first time I ever said I love you to him was a slip up. We went to a Gary Allan concert, and we were on our way home. I meant to say that I loved it when he wore his hat backwards, but I slipped and looked at him and said “I love you.” I said it first.

- Parish was my 8th grade crush, and promised my parents that he would be back in 10 years to marry me. We got married 10 years, 2 months and 14 days later.

So 5 years after our first date, and 2 years and 3 months into our marriage – he surprised me with an upgrade of my wedding ring! I am still in awe of this wonderful man that I am proud to call my husband.

In other Barten news –
We have a new cousin!!
Clayton Lawrence Reintjes was born at 8:30 a.m. on Thursday, February 19, 2009 to my cousins Dan and Lisa. He was 8 lbs, 8 oz, 22 inches long. His siblings are Gavin and Brooklyn (you may remember those little cuties from our wedding).

We had a pretty low key Valentine’s Day. We went to a wedding (our old neighbor Sherri and her fiancé Mike tied the knot) for a little while and then headed home to snuggle up and watch some movies. The night before that, Parish and I watched JJ and Kallie McDonald – how sweet are they!

Parish is looking forward to Hockey State – he and his buddies are planning on painting the town for a night in Minneapolis. I am looking forward to relaxing as much as possible this weekend – we had WAY to many people sick at work and I am so thankful that I have fought it off and haven’t caught this bug yet – I know, can you believe it?

Oh - and Parish's mom and grandparents are coming the first weekend in March. We can't wait to spend some time with them.

Have a great weekend!!

50 Nifty Facts

2008-12-30T12:31:00.001-06:00

Okay, so I can’t promise they are nifty, but I just thought I would share.

1.) My favorite color is blue.
2.) I love when I come across old books from my childhood.
3.) I used to snoop at my grandparents house, hoping I would find something spectacular. After they both passed away I realized that everything I found was what I was always looking for. And everything was spectacular
4.) I have wonderful parents who have always gone to the ends of the earth for me.
5.) I have two sisters that are my best friends.
6.) My sister in-law is so great – we have become really close over the last few years, and I cherish that.
7.) I married my 8th grade crush.
8.) The summer I turned 15 was the summer that forever changed my life.
9.) I dislike diabetes, but I hate cancer.
10.) I was destined to be a dog owner.
11.) I love my dog Jackson so much.
12.) I love my husband’s family.
13.) I read the obituaries, scanning them for unusual causes of death or people who led interesting lives, but were never recognized in the newspaper until their deaths.
14.) I am drawn to historical stories of tragedy – like the Kennedy Curse.
15.) My Grandma Ruth lives in Michigan and is going to be 91 in 2009. She is an amazing woman who I love so much.
16.) I wish my husband wouldn’t have lost his father so young.
17.) I love shopping for gifts for other people.
18.) My favorite books are Tuesdays With Morrie and Marley and Me.
19.) I plan on providing my children (someday) with the best life possible.
20.) I love my job and the company I work for. I feel rewarded and blessed.
21.) I love learning new things, but really didn’t like school.
22.) I am more of a hands-on learner.
23.) I love to dance. And sing. Even though I am good at neither.
24.) Target is my vice. If I am bored, that’s where I will be.
25.) I am scared of losing the people closest to me.
26.) When I was younger, and my sisters and I played house – we always started our “playtime” with a theme song. That’s how they did it on sitcoms – I thought that’s how you were supposed to do it.
27.) I love helping my dad with anything and everything around the house.
28.) I love my annual trips with my mom to Duluth – even when they haven’t held the best of news in the past.
29.) I am so proud of both of my sisters for all they have done in their life.
30.) I love my niece and nephew so much.
31.) I used to be scared of thunderstorms, but now I am a certified storm spotter. Once you understand the beauty of a storm – they are not so scary anymore.
32.) Parish and I find happiness in the simple things in life – a good meal, a nice movie, a good nap, and our sweet dog who shows us so much affection.
33.) I am proud of Parish and I for all that we have done together.
34.) I am excited to be a mom (and no, I am not pregnant…yet).
35.) I love the feel of clean sheets.
36.) My best friend Sara, I swear was my sister in another life. I am so blessed to have her in my life.
37.) I love to cry at sappy movies.
38.) I love getting mail – even if it is bills.
39.) I think my husband has the sexiest legs I have ever seen.
40.) Writing is a hobby I truly enjoy.
41.) I love creating wedding invitations.
42.) I have yet to start my treadmill regimen on a regular basis.
43.) I pray to God almost every single day.
44.) I love the Chronicles of Narnia series.
45.) I like to volunteer my time to help others.
46.) My college experience was incredible.
47.) I wish we could travel more, and someday – we hope to.
48.) I don’t believe in New Year’s resolutions, probably because I haven’t ever fully followed through with one.
49.) I love reading other people’s blogs.
50.) I have a list of goals that I want to accomplish in my life, which I revisit every few months.

It's almost here!

2008-12-22T11:21:00.003-06:00

Wow, nothing like leaving you hanging for over a month! Sorry about that. I have found myself worn out, exhausted, excited, happy and a bunch of other emotions over the last month and I should have been writing about them - but I somehow didn't have the time!

Here's a update of what we have been doing:

1.) Christmas is this week! YES!! I am so excited, and yet a little sad, as this is our first Christmas without Gooner. I know he will want us to focus our efforts on the true meaning of Christmas and enjoy each others company - so that's what we'll do. He has never asked for anything in the 6 years that I knew him, but before he died he did tell us that he wanted a scanner this year for Christmas. That is one purchase I wish we had made.

2.) Parish is off call today! Poor guy has been on call for the last 2 weeks - don't get me wrong, he loves his job and everything that comes with it, but it gets to be a long night - especially with all of the snow we will be getting. I think we will celebrate tonight by enjoying a nice, cold beer!

3.) I am done shopping!! I have wrapped everything and I am so excited about giving everyone their gift. I know this holiday is so much more than giving/receiving gifts - but I love bringing smiles to everyone's faces! We'll be sure to post pictures after the Holidays.

4.) Ashley is done with college! Congratulations to her for graduating a semester ahead of time! I know you will be a success!

Nothing too much is happening on the home front. We are just excited and ready for a happy and healthy 2009 - that hopefully will have a lot in store for us!

Oh, and to all who gave us Christmas cards - thank you! Our cards will be sent out after the Holidays. We were a little late getting on the ball!

Happy holidays - much love.

Sarah and Parish

Halloween Pictures - Better late than never!

2008-11-11T20:55:00.004-06:00

Fun night, LONG morning. Ha!

Parish and the Freshman 15

Mea. My Wayne.

Bada** Bednar Bridesmaid

Pippi Longstocking is coming into your world...

My sweet and sexy logger.

And here we are!

My dad, the Fisherman

2008-11-11T14:20:00.000-06:00

Good Catch!

The Bucket List

2008-11-11T14:08:00.001-06:00

I got this survey off of another blog that I frequent quite often. Feel free to copy and paste it to your blog or email it off to your friends.

The Bucket List
Place an X by all the things you've done and remove the X from the ones you have not, and send it to your friends.

This is for your entire life!

Gone on a blind date. X
Skipped school. X
Watched someone die.
Been to Canada.
Been to Mexico.
Been to Florida.X
Been on a plane. X
Been lost. X
Been to New York.
Gone to Washington. DC X
Swam in the ocean. X
Cried yourself to sleep. X
Played cops and robber.
Recently colored with crayons. X
Sang Karaoke. X
Paid for a meal with coins only? X
Done something you told yourself you wouldn't? X
Made prank phone calls. X
Laughed until some kind of beverage came out of your nose. X
Caught a snowflake on your tongue. X
Danced in the rain. X
Written a letter to Santa Claus. X
Been kissed under the mistletoe. X
Watched the sunrise with someone.
Blown bubbles. X
Gone ice-skating. X
Been skinny dipping outdoors. X
Gone to the movies. X

1. Any nicknames? Lovey, Sadie
2. Mother's name? Barb
3. Favorite drink? Diet 7-up or Riesling Wine
5. Body Piercing? Ears. Used to have navel pierced
6. How much do you love your job? I feel very blessed to have my job. The company that I work for takes great care of its employees and I love what I do.
7. Birthplace? Duluth, MN.
8. Favorite vacation spot? Florida, but I am open to new suggestions.
9. Ever been to Africa ? No
10. Ever eaten just cookies for dinner? yes
11. Ever been on TV? yes12.
Ever steal any traffic signs? Do old license plates count?
13. Ever been in a car accident? yes, just this year.
14. Drive a 2-door or 4-door vehicle? 4-door
15. Can you drive a standard car? Assuming that standard = manual, then yes.
16. Favorite pie? Pumpkin pie WITH whip cream or Blueberry pie
17. Favorite number? 14
18. Favorite movie? 13 Going on 30
19. Favorite holiday? Christmas
20. Favorite dessert? Pie or a dilly bar.
21. Favorite food? Italian
22. Favorite day of the week? Saturday
23. Favorite brand of body soap? Dove
24. Favorite toothpaste? Crest with extra whitening
25. Favorite smell? cinnamon
26. How do you relax? I read books. Sometimes the same ones over and over.
27. How do you see yourself in 10 years? I hope to be a mom by then, living in a bigger house and doing exactly what I am doing now.
28. Furthest place you will send this message? I am posting this on my blog, so anyone can read it.

Kathryn Louise Rae McDonald

2008-11-07T10:55:00.002-06:00

Congratulations to Josh and Kris McDonald on their beautiful, healthy baby girl!

Kathryn Louise Rae McDonald was born at 6:08 p.m. on Thursday, November 6, weighing in at 7lbs, 11 oz and 19 in. long.

We haven't met her yet (hopefully really soon), but we are told that she is absolutley perfect, little blond hair and cute as a button. (no doubt!)

Her older brother JJ is very proud of his new sister too. I believe he was already telling her how much he is going to protect her. Awww...

I will post pictures soon!

CONGRATULATIONS! We couldn't be happier for you guys!

What to get a person who has everything...

2008-11-07T10:45:00.004-06:00

There is only 46 more shopping days until Christmas, and if you are anything like me, there is always that one person that you don't know what you can buy them. Jewelry is something that everyone loves and Premier carries the most diversified line and carries everything from Gold, Silver, Two-tone, Bronze, beads, bling, elegant, chuncky - pretty much every type of jewelry you can imagine. Plus, our Golden guarantee is fantastic!

If you are interested in seeing a catalog, or hosting your own Home Show (and receiving free jewelry) - please email me at bartenjewels@gmail.com.

Here's a sneak peek at what I am doing for my hostesses in January - so if you are interested in doing something in January, please let me know!

Thanks and have a great weekend!

Amazing miracles and the love of family...

2008-10-31T09:14:00.002-05:00

So sorry for the lack of updated posts. I am not trying to make excuses, you know how it is this time of year. I know you want to get straight to updates so let's take a look at what has been going on and what we are planning in the coming weeks, shall we?

First and Foremost...Happy Halloween! I love this Holiday! Normally, every year, Parish and I spend the night at our house with Jackson, handing out candy to all of the little ghosts and goblins of our neighborhood. This year, since Halloween lands on a Friday we are skipping our normal tradition and heading out for a costume party at the Bednar's! I am not going to reveal what we are planning to be (I will post pictures on Sunday or Monday).

I've been doing a lot of thinking the last week or so about things. Its no secret that we've had a strange year...with many ups and downs. Most recently, we both experienced a death of a close family member within the last 2 weeks. It's kind of surreal how when you are faced with a life-altering event some families become closer, and others - well they drift apart. I never understood how you could do that.

I am so thankful that our family, stuck together and is able to become stronger because of the love and support that we show each other. If I have learned anything this year, it is family is [can be] stronger than anything. When my mom was diagnosed with cancer - our whole family talked almost 4X's a day, sometimes even more. When Parish's dad passed away, even though our loss didn't seem fair, we were all supportive of each other and understood that no matter the role that you played in his life - you were hurting too. I have been following a blog, that I have mentioned several times before - that proves that family is number one.

I just wanted to share that with you again...

What an amazing miracle that has happened for “MckMama” and her sweet little boy. As I mentioned in previous blogs, if you haven’t had a chance to review their site – please do. The link is: http://www.mycharmingkids.net.

Here is an excerpt from her blog…

MckMuffin is our sweet newborn son S! In the womb, he was diagnosed with heart failure: premature atrial contractions at 20 weeks; supraventricular tachycardia, hydrops, and intermittent advanced secondary heart block at 23 weeks; and enlargement of the heart at 32 weeks. When the doctors told us at 24 weeks that our very ill baby would surely die, we chose to give our son completely to God, for He alone knows best. We have not stopped praising our Lord since then, for MckMuffin was healed and was born a well and whole full-term baby!!

And this from one of her entries…

"We can't find anything wrong with his heart at all!" After a barrage of tests, Stellan's heart has proved to look like nothing but a perfectly healthy newborn heart. "I would never have known anything was wrong with him!" The head NICU nurse who attended Stellan's delivery couldn't stop talking about how glad she was to have come to a birth where she ended up not being needed!!!

That is amazing!! I am so happy for that family! If you haven't had a chance to read it - I highly recommend it!!

We are looking forward to some family pictures soon (haven't booked the date yet), and my favorite time of year is coming up...Xmas shopping! I love searching for that perfect gift...

Haylee, our niece turned 3 (although, I can honestly say she is 3 going on 6). Her quick wit and smarts are so impressive! Every time we see her, she amazes us more.

Brooklyn, our cousin - who is pretty much like our niece, turned 4 on the 24th and I spent almost a whole day with her singing the Apples and Bananas song - I love those precious moments.

And lastly, Parish turned 31 on October 16th! He now is the proud new owner of a surround sound system in our living room. He now has the perfect combination for viewing his weekly football games.

Have a Happy Halloween and be safe!

Update.

2008-10-28T16:15:00.003-05:00

http://www.mycharmingkids.net When you get a chance, please go to this site, and pray for this family! Their baby will be born tomorrow and they need all the extra ones they can get.

On another note, our great uncle Rod passed away last week and his funeral is tomorrow. Please keep their family (and ours) in your thoughts and prayers. We know all too well how hard it is to lose someone you love dearly. May the memories of Rod bring peace and comfort in the coming months.

Halloween is Friday and we are celebrating with our friends - I will update you once I get some pictures taken! Stay tuned to what Parish and I are going to be!

Happy Anniversary Honey!

2008-10-14T10:39:00.003-05:00

Happy Anniversary Parish. Two years ago today you swept me off my feet when we said "I do" and I love you more than anything in the world!

Can't wait to celebrate 100 more anniversaries with you! :)

Another SNL classic

2008-10-10T09:49:00.001-05:00

Congratulations Kintigh's!!

2008-10-10T09:43:00.002-05:00

It is wedding season for us right now - and as you can clearly see - it is tiring Parish right out!

The other weekend when we were home we went to my parents house - it was a Saturday night and Parish and I had talked about heading out to Zorbaz later that night. My mom, sister and I ran to Target to pick up a few things and when we came home...this is what we found...

Needless to say we stayed in that night and watched Sex in the City. He slept until 6:30 a.m. the next morning. Ha!

On October 3rd - Parish and I went up to Giant's Ridge for my friend Melissa's wedding. We had such a fun time dancing the night away - beautiful rooms too!

Congratulations to Melissa and Andrew!!

Next on deck - Lindsay and Gary's wedding in St. Paul this weekend (October 11).

Happy Anniversary to Josh and Kris too! Hope your little one will meet the world soon!

SO FUNNY!

2008-10-07T08:57:00.001-05:00

I am posting this for you Dad, incase you didn't see this one yet! If you have 10 minutes - take a looksy...pretty hilarious!

For all you blog lovers!

2008-10-02T08:56:00.001-05:00

I have been going home at night and checking these blogs, and I thought I would share the wealth. They are always good reads and there are some fantastic pictures too!

1.) Julie Gobel’s JAG Photography - http://jagphotography-jag.blogspot.com/ This is our cousin Julie on Parish’s side – she has a fantastic talent in photography!

2.) www.mycharmingkids.net - This blog I happened to fall on by accident, and I am sure glad that I did! This is a beautiful blog about “mckmama” and her charming kids. The one spot on this blog that caught my eye was about their unborn child Stellan…They were told at 24 weeks that he would surely not make it, but he is still alive and will be delivered on the 29th of October. They asked for prayer requests and they received a great response. Be sure to check out Stellan’s name gallery on the left hand side. Such creative people!

Hope you all enjoy! Parish and I are heading up to Giant's Ridge this weekend for our friend's wedding - we are so excited!

Congrats Melissa and Andrew!

Mayonnaise Jar and 2 Beers

2008-09-25T11:14:00.001-05:00

I got this in an email today and thought I would share...

When things in your life seem almost too much to handle, when 24 hours in a day are not enough, remember the story of the mayonnaise jar and the 2 Beers.

A professor stood before his philosophy class and had some items in front of him. When the class began, he wordlessly picked up a very large and empty mayonnaise jar and proceeded to fill it with golf balls. He then asked the students if the jar was full. They agreed that it was.

The professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured them into the jar He shook the jar lightly. The pebbles rolled into the open areas between the golf balls. He then asked the students again if the jar was full. They agreed it was.

The professor next picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar. Of course, the sand filled up everything else. He asked once more if the jar was full. The students responded with an unanimous 'yes.'

The professor then produced two Beers from under the table and poured the entire contents into the jar effectively filling the empty space between the sand. The students laughed.

'Now,' said the professor as the laughter subsided, 'I want you to recognize that this jar represents your life. The golf balls are the important things---your family, your children, your health, your friends and your favorite passions---and if everything else was lost and only they remained, your life would still be full. The pebbles are the other things that matter like your job, your house and your car.

The sand is everything else---the small stuff. 'If you put the sand into the jar first,' he continued, 'there is no room for the pebbles or the golf balls. The same goes for life. If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff you will never have room for the things that are important to you. 'Pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness. Spend time with your children. Spend time with your parents. Visit with grandparents. Take time to get medical checkups. Take your spouse out to dinner. Play another 18. There will always be time to clean the house and fix the disposal. Take care of the golf balls first---the things that really matter. Set your priorities. The rest is just sand.'

One of the students raised her hand and inquired what the beer represented. The professor smiled and said, 'I'm glad you asked.'

The beer just shows you that no matter how full your life may seem, there's always room for a couple of beers with a friend.' Please share this with someone you care about. I just did!

Polite little man, and the scammer!

2008-09-19T08:51:00.007-05:00

I want to share with you an example of GREAT parenting and then an example of the not-so-great. Remember, these are personal observations and I am the farthest thing from being experienced in parenting - but, you'll get the jist...

We have these super close friends – Josh and Kris, and they have a son (and are expecting a daughter on November 12) that completely warms our hearts. He is 3 years old – going on 15 and is the most polite little man I have ever met.

Take for example when I talked to him on the phone this week. I was planning on going over to their house on Wednesday night for a Tupperware party (which I ended up making), but I didn’t know if I would be able to because of other work commitments that I had originally planned. When I talked to JJ on the phone he was so cute and polite – I just had to share the conversation with you:

Now remember – he’s 3!

JJ: “Sarah, are you coming to the party?”
Me: “I don’t know honey, I am going to try to make it.”
JJ: “You’re going to try?” [in a questionable, sweet tone]
Me: “Yes, I have a work meeting in the cities and I am going to try and stop over after that, but it might be kind of late – okay?” [yes, I realize that I am talking like an adult to this 3 year old, but seriously – you can do that with him!]
JJ: “Okay, well I miss you and you know what? The weather is not bad and you can probably make it – okay?”

It took everything in my power to not get in my car and drive over to his house that night! Needless to say – Ashley and I made it to the party and he was certainly the life of it! He is always so considerate. When Parish and I watch him he looks at his parents and says, "Don't worry mom and dad - I've got Sarah and Parish here. Drive carefully!"
I only hope that our kids some day leave that effect on the people that they meet in their lives.

Then there's the little scammers in our neighborhood. CUTE as can be, but scammers.

Two days ago, Parish and I were making dinner when the doorbell rang. It was two little girls who had been selling food for a fundraiser. They both show up at the door with books - the SAME fundraiser, different elementary schools. So, we couldn't buy from one and not from the other - so we made two purchases of the same/equal value so the other wouldn't feel left out.
They stayed for about 10 minutes playing with our dog - they asked us our names and we paid them and they went on their way.

WELL, last night. One of the little girls came back to our house with her grandma. I wasn't home at the time, but Parish was. The little girl, CUTE as can be rang the door bell once again and asked Parish to buy something. Parish looked at her and said, "didn't we buy something from you yesterday?" He was obviously polite when he asked that question - but the little girl LIED to Parish in front of her grandma saying, "No, I didn't come here and you didn't buy anything."

PLEASE. We spent 10 minutes with you guys answering your million questions about why the sky was blue, why my name was Sarah, and what our dog eats. Parish recognized her and called her out on it and she lied. Now, to me - that's an example of bad parenting. Start your kids off early by allowing them to lie. Now I know it's not that big of a deal but when you are surrounded by polite children who are just so fun to be around - you can't help but drop your jaw at other kids like that. I will be surprised if she even still has our check or our order. HA!

Like I stated above, just my opinion.

New Adventures in Saving Money!

2008-09-19T08:51:00.002-05:00

Sorry it’s taken me so long to post a new entry – we’ve had a lot of things going on in the last few weeks that we’ve had to adjust to and to be honest – I just didn’t have time.

First let me tell you about my latest adventure. There has been a lot that has happened in the last 8 months. Parish and I have had a lot of medical bills this year (to most of you – that is not a shock, nor was it to us!), we are saving for a trip (destination unknown), we are starting to think about having kids (daycare costs scare the you-know-what out of me) so we are trying to constantly add more to our savings account (given this horrid economy).

It’s pretty funny how your priorities change as you grow older, but those are the things that we are excited about saving money for! So, in order to save it, you have to make it right? RIGHT! We do pretty good for ourselves with our careers, and save regularly each month, but I wanted another opportunity to save even more. I knew that I didn’t want to get a part-time job, because my time outside of work is already so precious, the last thing I wanted was another schedule that I had to rearrange around.

I went to a jewelry party about a month ago and hosted one for myself (in which I received over $400 in FREE jewelry). Now, in my profession – accessorizing is a necessity. I love jewelry – so, I thought to myself,“Why not sell it and make some extra money on the side?” “Why not have the biggest jewelry box that you’ve ever owned in your life with tons of options to choose from each day?” and “Why not give someone else the opportunity that was given to me by receiving all that FREE jewelry?” So, that’s my new adventure! I am now an independent distributor with Premier Designs high-fashion jewelry!

Here comes the pitch (you didn’t think I would leave this out did you?) Premier offers a wide array of beautiful, affordably priced jewelry to suit a variety of fashion styles. From classic elegance and contemporary, to vintage romantic and naturally simple. Plus – Premier also backs each item of jewelry with an exceptional Golden Guarantee.

If you are interested in seeing a catalog or hosting your very own Home Show – please give me a call!

Craigslist and Scams - I am getting irritated.

2008-09-09T09:00:00.003-05:00

I have a huge complaint about Craigslist. Well, maybe not the actual site – but the idiot scammers that frequent the website, trying to purchase the item(s) that you have posted by sending you a fraudulent cashiers checks. Oh - I am so annoyed.

So, Parish and I are trying to sell our living room furnutire. Nothing is wrong with it, we are just looking to change our décor. So - we thought we would post it to Craigslist.

Right on the Craigslist website it shows examples of emails that scammers send – so you can be aware to NOT sell them your items. Here's the advisory:

** CRAIGSLIST ADVISORY ** Avoid: wiring money, cross-border deals, work-at-home** Beware: cashier checks, money orders, escrow, shipping** More Info: http://www.craigslist.org/about/scams.html

So here’s the email that I get from Mr. Rick Coly the other day –

Date: Sat, 6 Sep 2008 17:26:45
From: rickcoly13@gmail.com
To: sarah_parish@msn.com
Subject: Re: Beautiful Furniture FOR SALE - $999 (Princeton, MN)

Thanks for the prompt response i have instructed my account officer to mailing (overnight) a certified check, while you hold on my behalf. once you receive this, my mover will come pick up at your place. I will be needing the following information to issue out the payment . .
1.Your full name
2.Your mailing address(Physical)
3.Your phone number.

** Please note that the payment will be overnight to your address and it will be delivered within 2 days. I have taken a close look at the ADand am satisfied. I appreciates you saving this for me. Kindly delete the posting as am definitely buying it from you and it would be sad for me to have the payment in the mail only to be informed of the it ssale. I will also wait for the check to clear before i have my movercome for pick up Thanks.

NOW – MIND YOU - HE HAS NEVER SEEN THE FURNITURE, NOR DOES HE EVEN KNOW WHERE I LIVE, NOTHING!!!!
___________________________________________________________________

So, this was my response back to him…

Nope. Sorry. I know you are running a scam. The only way that I will accept this is if you come and look at the furniture yourself. Are you serious? Come on. Why don't you do a little research on the scam emails that Craigslist already posts so you can see that the words you are using in your email are the SAME words that are in the scam emails. What is sad is that your pathetic self will probably never be caught - ever. I am forwarding this email to Craigslist so that your name - Rick Coly is flagged. If that even is your real name.

I really hope that someday these idiots will learn. It really makes me mad – we have had previous luck on Craigslist, but lately all that seems to happen is you get responses from these d-bags. Ugh.

So to all posters on Craiglist - beware.

Crazy Busy

2008-08-22T09:58:00.003-05:00

Sorry for the lack of updated posts…Things have been crazy around the Barten household lately! I am having a garage sale – and I tore my house apart to try and gather up items to put up for sale – thankfully, I was able to de-clutter in a major way.

Here are some highlights of what we’ve been doing for the past few weeks:

The best news is that my mom is done with her radiation treatments! It's been a long road for her and we couldn't be happier that this part of her journey was a success and is complete. She has a good prognosis, so please continue to keep her in your prayers. She has to go back in 3 months I believe - to be rechecked. That's a little nerve racking, especially when you've been seen by a nurse or a doctor practically every day since May 4.

While I was slaving away de-cluttering our house (just kidding, I really had a good time), Parish was able to go up North to Two Harbors with his friend Dave. They enjoyed a weekend of fishing, golfing, campfires and good food. He had a blast and I am so glad that he did.

I went shopping for the first time in a long time and actually found some great clothes. I always have a problem shopping – either it’s too small or too big, it never fits just right – but I lucked out this time, which I am happy about.

Work related, things have been busy, but I am enjoying my job more and more each day. This is truly what I was meant to do! Parish is still enjoying St. Francis and he gets to go to 4 – 10s in September, so he’s really looking forward to that.

We are headed to the State Fair tomorrow (8/23) with Josh, Kris & JJ – should be a great time. I can’t wait to see JJ – its been too long and I am sure he’s even more hilarious and polite. He makes me want to have kids – so well behaved. Kris is moving right along with the new baby - I think she had 11 or so weeks left, so we are really looking forward to meeting their new, healthy baby girl!

We are looking forward to Parish’s mom and grandparents coming on August 29. Thankfully, they will be here to help me with the sale…so that’s good!

Happy 22nd Birthday to my sister Ashley! She was just offered a really good position with American Medical Systems – so that when she graduates, she doesn’t even have to stress about finding a job. She’ll be 22, making great money, living in Minnetonka and so independent. We are proud of you Ash!

My Grandma’s sister, Aggie, isn’t doing too well. She’s been a surrogate Grandma to us, along with Anna since our Grandma passed away. Please pray for her strength and healthy recovery. She’s 94 years young and has lived a great life – but she’s a fighter, and I don’t think she’s ready to give up just yet.

Hope you have a great weekend! TGIF!

It's ALL fun and games!

2008-08-01T12:53:00.003-05:00

About 5 days ago, our bulb in our flat screen TV went out and we had to order a new one. That's fine and dandy, but we are realizing that we watch WAY too much TV! It's not like we sit down in front if it all of the time, but we watch the news and our weekly rituals (Grey's - in season, Axmen, Ice Road Truckers, Deadliest Catch - and my favorite HGTV) - it's our time when we relax and talk with each other, and a lot of times the TV serves as background noise - not always, but sometimes...

The first day, we felt out of place - I mean what were we to do with no TV? We have one in our bedroom, but that's lame to go in there at 5 p.m. and stay for the remainder of the night - so we have made EVERY NIGHT....GAME NIGHT!

I have dominated in 4 games of Phase 10 and 2 games of LIFE. I forgot how much I love that game!

It's even better now that we are older and we actually understand that life can throw you curve balls - or broken $200 TV bulbs...it's just too bad that we don't go through the "real life" by eventually ending up at milllionaire mansion, turning over our life cards and end up winning $655,000! ha!

So, now that we've been without for a while, I hope we continue to make time to dive into fun board games. It's one thing to have found your soul mate, but it feels like quite the total package when you've found the BEST board game competitor ever!!

Hope you all enjoy your weekend...

Gladys is a HOOT!

2008-07-29T14:30:00.001-05:00

http://www.boreme.com/boreme/funny-2007/ellen-gladys-hardy-p1.php?emf=1

If you have 6 minutes - you have to watch this crazy 88 year old talking to Ellen. Gladys Hardy loves Jesus but likes a drink!

It made me laugh out loud a few times...

Enjoy!

Month in Review

2008-07-28T08:48:00.006-05:00

I love the month of July - not only because my birthday is in July (7/27), but because it's historically been a month filled with fun, sun and time with family and friends. The pictures posted in this particular entry will show what we've done this month.

I became a certified storm spotter in April and have had a lot of fun - especially this last month - tracking storms, determining what cloud is which - and I have even had the chance to call in some rotation!

Here's a cloud that Parish and I spotted in between Princeton and St. Cloud. I placed arrows on the clouds that I was watching - pretty soon, we were under a tornado warning and the sirens actually went off on July 19. This day went from being sunny to wind gusts of 50 + mph in a matter of an hour.

This picture - is from wdio.com - but I wanted to post it because of the obvious cloud that was hovering over Grand Rapids on July 14. I couldn't believe this. It is so beautiful yet so dangerous looking all at the same time. Luckily, this cloud didn't cause as much damage as it could have. Thanks goodness. You can see more pictures of this cloud at www.wdio.com under Weather Photos.

We celebrated my great aunt anna's 90th birthday on July 12th. It was so nice to see all of our family again. Pictured here is my mom (doesn't she look great?) and my cousin Colleen - who is more like an aunt to us.

And here is the birthday girl - Anna - 90 years young. Anna is my Grandma Caddy's sister - the only people left in my grandma's immediate family are Anna (90), Aggie (95 or so?) and Tom. What a fun group!

Here's Parish and I yesterday, on my birthday. We went golfing, had a nice dinner and spent most of the day relaxing. The bulb went out on his flat screen TV, so we ordered that yesterday and are just waiting patiently for it to arrive. In the mean time - we'll be playing lots of Yahtzee or electronic monolopy!

Here's Jackson on July 3 - we are very lucky to be able to watch Princeton's fireworks from the comfort of our own deck. It's nice not to have to drive over to the fairgrounds, find parking, etc. Last year - Jack didn't know what to think, but this year - he loved being outside with us!

Finally, on July 17 - I had the chance to meet some of my old roomies in Maple Grove for dinner and drinks - it was so great to catch up with them! (LtoR: Natalie, me, Janelle). Can't wait for next month!! :)

It's been a great month so far - I just can't believe July is almost over! Where has the time gone?

How cute is this?!?!

2008-07-16T15:47:00.002-05:00

Kee Kee sent this to me - I thought it was adorable and I had to post! You couldn't set this up better!! Newborn Chaston with sister Haylee - just laying around on the 4th of July. How cute!!

Other random notes:

Congrats to Jacquelyn and Brian Senske on their beautiful baby boy - you can check him out in the blog portion of her website - http://jacquelynsenske.wordpress.com/

Happy 90th Birthday Aunt Anna - hope you enjoyed your party!

Please keep my friend Nicki and her family in your prayers - her uncle died unexpectedly earlier this week due to heart problems. It's been a rough week for her.

Happy Birthday Melissa on Friday - hope you enjoy your day and sorry I won't be able to be at work to celebrate with you!!

To see sweet pictures of a storm that hit the Northland - check out wdio.com - as a storm spotter - I love to see pictures like this! It amazes me the beauty and danger of a storm. Perfect mix.

Have a great week! Tomorrow is my friday!

Tisk, Tisk - microphones are HOT!

2008-07-11T11:14:00.000-05:00

I don’t usually like to comment on things that happen in the news, I have to surround myself with it 8 hours a day, and so I usually keep my professional opinion to myself.

In regards to the upcoming Presidential election – I have actually enjoyed sitting back and taking in all of the information that each candidate has to offer. I think this is the first year where I have taken such an active interest in it. Maybe it’s because a woman was campaigning, or an African American, or maybe it’s because I want to really know about this election when and/or if this is the year that will forever change history books.

What I know for sure is how appalled I was at Reverend Jackson’s comments. The comments he made in what he thought was a “private conversation.” If you are ever hooked up to a mic – there is a potential of it being HOT! As a public figure he should already know that if you are wired – don’t say anything that you wouldn’t want to disclose to thousands of listeners.

Rev. Jackson spent most of his day yesterday apologizing for the rude remarks that he made about Senator Obama. Being in PR myself – I know first hand how damaging one little comment can be and just how long it will take the media to forget about it. His message has always been consistently, KEEP HOPE ALIVE.

I think the moral of the story is “Keep hope alive, and all personal attacks to yourself.”

What's on tap...

2008-07-10T11:01:00.001-05:00

My mom is doing very well, she started her radiation treatments on Monday, July 7. Even though she doesn’t really like to waste her summer running back and forth to Hibbing 5 days a week, she only is there for at most a ½ hour. Things are looking positive for her – we just keep hoping and praying for her cancer journey to be over with soon.

My good friend Sarah and I have a lot in common, but something else we have in common is that our mom’s were diagnosed with cancer this year, albeit, different cancers – but it’s nice to talk to someone who is going through a similar thing. Sarah’s mom Sandy has a Caring bridge site – her website is: http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/sandykarasch

Pray for her as well, she has a long road a head of her – but she’s a fighter and is doing extremely well.

My sister Ashley is having surgery as well on July 18 to remove a lump in her breast. She found it a few years ago, and has been monitoring it, and the doctors don’t seem too alarmed, but with everything that has happened with my mom – she doesn’t want to take any chances. I took the day off of work to go with her, because my mom has treatment that day. So Ashley will be resting in Princeton after her surgery.

I have such a wonderful husband. For my birthday, he is remodeling our bedroom – it looks beautiful! He will have it complete within a week and I can’t wait to enjoy it. I will post pictures, as soon as it is finished.
It’s pretty stormy here today – we need the rain, but I hate bad weather.

4th of July weekend

2008-07-07T12:09:00.002-05:00

Hope everyone had a great 4th of July! We had a busy weekend - so busy that we weren't able to see everyone we had hoped!

Just wanted to share with you a picture of our new nephew - this is from our cell phone, so the pictures didn't turn out as great.

Look Twins! haha.

Parish will be such a great dad - when the time is right for us! Our project this week is completely redoing our bedroom. We bought everything yesterday and are painting tonight! I will post pictures of the remodel when it is completed.

Hope you all had a great weekend!

Magazine cover (magmypic.com)

2008-06-24T12:31:00.001-05:00

Create Fake Magazine Covers with your own picture at MagMyPic.com

Michigan Trip

2008-06-19T10:02:00.004-05:00

What a fun vacation! Parish and I arrived at Grandma Ruth’s on Thursday, June 12 – it was a long day, so before we headed over to see Grandma – we took a nice (very much needed) 3 hour nap.

The flight went well – Parish loved it (as I knew he would). Here are some pictures from Parish's window seat...

I can’t believe that our vacation is over with. We learned so much about our family, got to know our cousins a lot more and made priceless memories – some too funny to even mention (you guys know what I mean)...

I wanted to introduce the loyal blog readers to my cousins. By the way – we couldn’t stop talking about all of you!!

CUZIFICATION....

Benny and Skyler – the most talented long boarders that I’ve met. Skyler does these “pretty” moves that look so awesome and Benny can walk across his board like there’s nothing to it. It was so much fun to sit and listen to them – their brotherly bond reminded me of me and my sisters – they can find fun where ever they go.

Grant – We are so glad that he was able to make it. Talk about a mature guy – so down to earth, beautiful smile and great goals in life. He’s going to be a huge success someday and we can’t wait to watch him grow. I don’t even know the last time I met Grant, but we made some memories this last weekend. I was his side-kick dish dryer – we all make such a great team!

Tim – Parish and I got a chance to get to know Tim pretty well. The last time I saw Tim was years ago – I think it was before I turned 10, so it was really nice to spend some time with him. He has a new appreciation for things in life that also is contagious. Parish and I wish him nothing but the best and we can’t wait to see him again next year!! Below is a picture of most of the cousins on the dune ride...

Here's a picture of Parish and I on Lake Michigan.

Rachel (and Mike) – We had a chance to spend some QT with them (Quality time) – not only did Rachel and Mike make us laugh with their funny one liners, but we made plans for the future (since they only live about 1.5 hours from us – if that). Rachel has a unique spice for life that is contagious and I am so glad to not only call her my cousin, but my friend.

Hannah – like another sister to us! It was so much fun to go shopping with her, her mom, Donna – my mom and Rachel, Marsha and Jenny. She shares a love for Hannah Montana (yep, we rocked out to the theme song) and she also introduced me to a few new songs too. We had so much fun with her this last weekend too.

Danny (directly to the left of me in white shirt) – Probably one of the funniest people that I have met – the kind of guy that says what’s on his mind, and yet is so caring. Parish and I had a blast with him on the sand dunes, side bar conversations on Grandma’s patio. When he walked into grandma – we knew we’d instantly love that guy! Big smile, just loves life (oh, and Hannah, his girlfriend, of course)!

Garrett (the far left) – I can’t believe that he is 12 (well actually 12 and ¾) ! Seriously, my cousin Garrett looks like he is 17 or 18. I totally would have guessed that he was entering high school. What a nice guy too – bringing Grandma tea in the morning…he was also our tour guide as he led us to the sand dunes. Again, we had an absolute blast and can’t wait to see them again. Garrett told us not to sit where he was sitting because you would get really wet. Apparently, I was "safe" in my spot. Ummm...not so much! :)

Jenny – Wow, are we twins? Jenny shares the same clumsiness that I have – it was her (not me) that left with a fractured foot – and I was almost willing to put money down on the fact that I would have been the one to hurt myself. She attempted long boarding with Benny and Skyler and ended up landing on her foot wrong. We shared so many laughs about our tumbles and ER trips that we’ve done in the past and realized that we have more in common than what we thought. Jen – hope your foot heals fast!!

This is all in addition to our fabulous aunts and uncles that we haven’t seen in ages either! Plus - Herbert and Judy and Jim and Diane, it was an absolute treat to meet you guys.

We love them all and can’t wait for next year. What do we got – like 360 days left? Can’t wait!!

Oh, and thanks to Grandma - who is 90 years young!!

Love you all and thanks for a great weekend.

Chaston William Finckbone

2008-06-11T11:07:00.002-05:00

We have a new nephew!

Yesterday, Parish's sister, Nicki, had a beautiful baby boy (by C-section) at 7:47 a.m.

Chaston William Finckbone was 5 lbs. 11 oz. and 18 inches long! He's just a little peanut!

Proud parents: Nicki Barten & Chad Finckbone
Sister: Haylee Autumn Finckbone

Both mom and baby are doing well and expected to go home on either Thursday or Friday. Parish and I haven't had a chance to meet him yet, but when we get back from our trip and we get a chance to get up to Grand Rapids - I will post pictures!

Congrats Nicki and Chad!!!

Today's my last day of work for a while. I am leaving this afternoon a bit early to finish up a few last minute errands!!!

Hope everyone has a great week!

Memorial weekend pictures

2008-06-09T12:20:00.003-05:00

Our aunt Kee Kee just sent me these pictures last week and I thought I would post them. This is the 2nd annual memorial weekend get together of Parish's family. Parish's dad LOVED things like this, so it's really important for all of us to continue to get together like this. Unfortunatley, I couldn't attend this year, because I had to help my sister move in, but it looks like it was a blast!
What a great group - can't wait for next year...

Here's a picture of our beautiful neice - Haylee!

Uncle Rick, Parish, Uncle John and Chad

The other Chad and Parish

Sandy, Brandy, Nicole, Kee Kee, Shirley and Shannon

Group shot - beautiful weather

In other news...my sister in-law, Nicki will be having a baby tomorrow (C-section). She goes in at 7:30 a.m., so stay tuned for an update on our beautiful new addition to our family!

Weekend Review

2008-06-09T10:41:00.003-05:00

We had a great weekend.

On Friday, we bought a new car - 2008 Chevy Cobalt to replace my cavalier - we got a good deal on it, and the settlement that we received help us a lot. Then, right after we signed the papers, we headed to Grand Rapids for our friend's wedding reception. Below are some pictures from the night...

This is a picture of Parish and I taking a break from dancing. The next day, we were so sore and wondered what the heck happened to us! It's so funny what a few beers can do - we always laugh the next day because at the time (we think we are so good) haha!!

Tasha and Andy - I love the "Yes" gesture she's making.
Again, what the heck are we thinking? We look like puppets. Hey, at least we can laugh about it!
Kristin & Michael (and Judd) rocking out
Then, the next day we woke up early, struggled on our ride home to get to Gavin's birthday. I can't believe that he is 5!! It's so amazing. I just love those kids to pieces. He had a transformer birthday party - and he probably got all of transformer toys that were ever made!!

Here's a picture of the birthday boy -

We leave for our trip in 3 sleeps! I can't wait to just leave MN for a while and relax. I will be sure to upload pictures - it's Parish's first time in an airplane. It's so cute how excited he is!

Have a great week.

S&P

My Poor Car

2008-05-30T14:51:00.004-05:00

On May 27 (Tuesday) I was on my way to a Grand Opening at Grand Casino Hinckley. I was stopped at a stoplight on Hwy 48 - right before you cross over I35 in Hinckley...when all of a sudden BAM! I got rear-ended anywhere from 25 - 35 mph. Below is the damage...

Obviously the car that hit me is blue...

Hinckley Collision (who I would highly recommend) is taking care of the repairs. We do not know at this time if it is totaled, but the frame is slightly shifted/bent, so it very well could be. If it is not - we are looking at around $3,000 in damage they said. So now - I am driving around a rental car for who knows how long. The unfortunate storms that occured a week ago in Hugo have caused claims adjusters to be very busy. I can wait for the repairs, now that I have a reliable rental car to get me from A to B (and the occasional C) - I just hope that the people in Hugo who suffered damage from the tornado are getting the help that they need.

I did seek medical treatment after this accident because about 2 hours after it happened I started to hurt pretty bad. I have muscle spasms, internal bruising and whiplash - the normal injuries/aches/pains when you get a jolt like that, hopefully it will get better within a week or two - if it hasn't, then I go back in.

In other news...my mom had her 2nd surgery today. They had to go back in because 2 of the 5 "margains" that they tested were positive for precancerous cells, and to be sure that we get all of this, my mom opted to have them go back in and clear it up. We DO NOT want to go through this again. It's really taken a toll on all of us. So, keep her in her prayers. I hope and pray that this time all the margains will be clear and they don't have to go in a 3rd time. I just spoke with her and she is on the up and up - probably a little bit drugged still but at least she was laughing and smiling.

We leave for our vacation in 12 sleeps - I can't believe that Parish is actually going to get on a plane! We have everything organized, our park and fly, our home for Jackson for the week (thank you Josh and Kris!) and I am going shopping this weekend for the last odds and ends. For those of you that don't know - it's my grandma's 90th birthday and our whole family is heading to Michigan for this celebration. Parish and I are taking about a week off and relaxing. It is much needed right now. You can bet that I will document everything from the airport terminal to our safe landing on the 17th. I just know that Parish will love flying - I hope I can get him on the plane! :)

Parish's grandparents and mom are coming down this weekend. It will be really nice to see them. We have a graduation party for Max Bowers (Keith and Janelle's grandson) on Sunday. I am excited because it is supposed to be super nice.

Lastly, Nicki and Chad are moving into their new house this weekend. Man, has Chad done a great job with it. I know he is tired and ready to just relax, but I will post pictures as soon as we head up there again. And Baby Chaston will be born on June 10th!

We are so excited to have a little nephew - I can barely stand it. SO much to look forward to this summer...

Now, if only we could catch a break! Have a great weekend. Happy Friday!

Update on my mom

2008-05-23T13:33:00.004-05:00

My mom is doing good - she is really sore. She went into surgery at 1:45 p.m on May 21 and was in recovery at around 3:15 p.m. My dad and I were extremely pleased with the outcome of her surgery.

In addition to her lumpectomy, she also had sentinel node biopsy - which is an important indicator of the potential spread of cancer - all 4 of her sentinel nodes were clear, according to the prelimiary report. They also removed the cancer as well as the surronding tissue. She won't receive the final oncology report until Thursday at her appt. That's when we find out her treatment plan. We were just all relieved.

They did mention that getting "clear margins" around the tumor is important and that is why a bit more than the cancer was removed and they won't be able to identify the "Fingers" until they receive the oncology report. Since a tumor is typically bumpy or has speculated surgaces (which may be trying to branch out and spread) the surgeon will want to be sure that when the tumor is removed, no bits of the tentacles our outer bumps AKA fingers are left in the breast tissue, only to cause another occurrence of cancer.

So, I will be totally relieved when we get the oncology report back. She is very tired and sore, but on the mend and smiling, laughing and being her usual self when I left- which is SO nice to see.

I am helping my sister move this weekend - she is moving into her first apartment by herself this weekend in Minnetonka. Parish is actually going to be going up North to be with his mom and family - I wish I could be with him too, but since my mom just had surgery, I figured I would be most helpful lugging boxes so that my mom can fully recover.

I am so proud of Ashley - she landed this sweet apartment, a wonderful internship, will be graduating from Carlson early and not to mention the fact that she bought the cutest furniture for her new place...it's just so fun to watch her become so successful. She's really not my little sister who colored outside the lines anymore.

Hope you all have a safe memorial weekend!

Happy Birthday Gooner!

2008-05-12T10:34:00.003-05:00

Gooner’s (Parish's Dad) birthday is today, May 12. He would have been 57 years old this year. Our whole family misses him and we do feel this huge void.

The fact that one of your parents has passed away is hard to accept on days like this – not that you don’t accept it, just that it’s hard not to wish him a Happy Birthday today, face to face like we've always done.

It's funny, because every year when we'd ask what he wanted for his birthday he would state, "oh, it doesn't matter - just having you here is a gift enough." But this year, right after Christmas he pulled me aside and told me what he wanted for his birthday - that NEVER happens, especially 5 months in advance! He wanted a police scanner. That's totally Gooner...he loved listening to that kind of stuff. I just wish we would could have had the chance to give it to him.

But, I am sure that he's got the best scanner in the business now - he's able to see all (from a birds eye view)!

As each day passes by, you realize that time continues to go on with or without him. Everyone goes on with their normal, daily lives and we are continuing to move on with our “normal” lives.
We think about him daily, sometimes hourly...

Today will still be his special day. We will honor him by remebering him, his previous birthdays, the funny things that he used to say and talking with Cindy. I know this day will be hard on her...

Please keep my mom in your prayers...

2008-05-08T21:35:00.003-05:00

We received some horrible news today...mom my was diagnosed with breast cancer. CANCER. I hate that word. The doctors say that we caught it early, so please pray thats the case...

It's going to be a long road, full of ups and downs - I can only imagine...so we need all the positive thoughts, prayers and strength we can get.

Pictures from my dad's banquet!

2008-05-02T11:38:00.004-05:00

My dad with Rochelle V., Greenway Sup.

My dad with Joe Silko and members of the ISD 318 School Board

Our family
Dad and Joe Silko

Again, congratulations Dad!!

SO proud of my dad!

2008-05-02T11:00:00.004-05:00

Yesterday was probably one of my most memorable days (besides my wedding) that I will cherish and remember for as long as I live.

Let me give you a little backgroud first...

My parents are both hard working and loving people - they always provided us with the things we needed and taught us the importance of working hard for the things that you want.

My dad has been the ISD #318 business manager for as long as I can remember (sorry dad, don't know exact years). I told this to one of his co-worker's yesterday, but as hard as my dad has worked throughout these last 30+ years - us girls have NEVER felt that his work came first. When we were growing up, when it hit 5 p.m. I never can recall my dad being "buried in his work"(and believe me - he easily could have been). I always remember family outings like boat rides on Pokegama, car rides when it was stormy, my dad teaching us all about how to care for his lawn, the spring cleaning of the Garage and the winterizing of the snowblowers, etc. He always had time for us. Always. And my mom, she was always there, even though she worked hard herself. Always helping us with our homework, life problems, lending a listening ear and waking us up EVERY MORNING signing "Rise and Shine," a song I used to think my mom collaborated with Cher, because to me - she sounded just like her!

My point is, our parents always tried their best to be the greatest parents - and they were. Even though life is SO extremely busy with work.

I guess, I have always known what my dad has done for a job, but a basic general idea - and now that I am in my own career, I love talking budgets or fiscal years with him, because it's a common interest. My dad is VERY talented at what he does and I am so proud of him.

Yesterday, at the 58th Annual Spring MASBO (Minnesota Association of School Business Officials) at Breezy Point Resort, my dad, Ben Hawkins, was named 2008 Minnesota School Business Official of the Year.

An award, that you can only win once in your career, an award that I am SO proud of him for achieving. He has worked for this honor for 30+ years and deserves every bit of recognition he gets.

During his acceptance speech, I listened whole heartedly to what my dad had to say. He was deeply honored and thankful...and a bit nervous.

He thanked PMA financial services for sponsoring his award and thanked past and current members for their trust and support. He expressed his appreciation for the MASBO organization and the open lines of communication with the Department of Education and recognized the importance of networking with other area superintendents and other business office staff.

As I watched and listened to my dad speak, I felt the biggest sence of accomplishment for him and my heart filled with complete joy. This is something that I will take with me for as long as I live. My eyes filled with tears, and I was in awe over my dad's accomplishments.

He has served under 11 Superintendents, over 150 + school board members and as he so eloquently put it..."no one has died yet, as a result of my work." That's my dad's humor for you.

When he introduced our family, he said that we were the more important things in his life (not like I doubted that or anything). But it's true. And my parents have proved that all along, as I look back at our lives growing up. Family comes first. And all the while my parents were raising us by teaching us right from wrong, celebrating our successes and helping us learn from our failures, all the times that they didn't BLOW UP, because we needed more money during college, all the times that we laughed, cried, screamed with anger or sat in the comfort of a quiet house - my dad was achieving this success in his career. He should be so proud. I know I am!

Congratulations Dad - you mean the world to me and it was truly an honor to be able to watch you receive this award, you truly, TRULY deserve it!

Also, a special thanks to Superintendent Joe Silko - for nominating my dad. Thank you so much!

I am having a hard time posting pictures - but they are coming soon!!

OUR NEW WINDOW SEAT!!

2008-05-02T10:49:00.002-05:00

My very talented husband, and his VERY talented grandpa made us a beautiful window seat! Below is a before picture, kind of an odd waste of space, so I thought it would be perfect spot for a window seat! I was right!!

Grandpa Walt is unbelieveable! Parish has learned almost everything he knows, when it comes to wood working from Grandpa. What a great team!

The before picture!

Grandpa hard at work - oh and did I mention that this window seat has storage!!
Jackson loving the fact that he can actually see out of the window
the almost finished product - prestain and total assembly.
It has easily become my favorite part of our house! I will take a picture of the final product once Parish finished the last coat of poly!

Thanks Grandpa and Parish! I love it!!

By the way - if anyone has any inexpensive ideas on how to construct a window seat cushion - please feel free to share! I am all ears...

Luck of the something...

2008-04-21T14:58:00.003-05:00

What is Luck? Is it defined as the force that seems to operate for good or ill in a person's life, as in shaping circumstances, events, or opportunities. Did you hear that part...OR ILL?

Well, I know it sounds cliché, but with my luck...anything can happen!

This past few weeks I have had a few instances where I thanked my lucky stars, and made note to myself that something happened to me because it was Just My Luck.

On Monday of last week, I was fine, felt healthy - was energetic, got things done around the house, then it hit me - major headaches. I felt the back of my head and I npticed a small bump. That bump over the next three days grew to be the size of a golf ball - on the back of my head. Gross you say? Darn right it's gross. I felt so self consious, but what's more is I felt scared. Immediatley the thoughts ran through my head....Cancer...tumor...God only knows what!
So, thanks to a little convincing of my friend Melissa, I went into the good ole Isle clinic.

I was diagnosed with MRSA.

MRSA, generally start as small red bumps that resemble spider bites. These can quickly turn into deep, painful abscesses that require surgical draining. Sometimes the bacteria remain confined to the skin. But they can also burrow deep into the body, causing potentially life-threatening infections in bones, joints, surgical wounds, the bloodstream, heart valves and lungs.

Serious?!?! Who would get MRSA on their head? Me. That's who. That's just my luck! Ugh. So, they put me on meds and 5 days later - it's still very painful, but at least it's not life threatening anymore.

What about my good luck you ask? Well, for every down there is an up and I had a pretty successful week last week at work. Our Entertainment Director has booked some amazing acts for our casinos and we brought in Martin Short, the comedian. One of his requests was to find a loved, local celebrity to come in to do the "Jiminy Glick" skit.

For those of you that aren't familiar with Martin Short and this hilarious skit...he transforms into a 300-pound, talk-show host alter-ego “Jimmy Glick” (from Comedy Central) and he interviews celebrities.

In fact, Martin Short, as “Glick,” has interviewed some of the biggest stars in Hollywood such as Jerry Seinfeld, Tom Hanks, Regis Philbin, Diane Keaton, Jamie Lee Curtis, and David Schwimmer. He asks irrelevant questions, spreads misinformation, and often doesn’t pay attention long enough to hear his guests’ answers. Pretty much hilarious...

So, the local celebrity I chose was....none other than Dave Ryan from 101.3 KDWB. He is the ever-popular morning show host in the Twin Cities - I think pretty much everyone has heard of him. And he was absolutley perfect for the skit! They meshed so well and the audience loved it!
Here are some pictures from the show...oh and if for some reason you have been living on a remote island for the last 14 years and don't know who Dave Ryan is...check him out at www.kdwb.com - you won't be disappointed.

Martin Short is obviously the one in the fat suit...

Night out in Zimmerman!!

2008-04-15T13:20:00.004-05:00

Last week was a tough week.

Parish, my sister Ashley and I all had reasons to celebrate and reasons to let loose...so, we decided to head to the big town of Zimmerman for dinner and drinks.

It was so much fun, we made new friends, worked on our dance moves...and I have the pictures to prove it!

SUPERMAN

Recent Pictures

2008-04-07T08:38:00.002-05:00

My sister, Lindsey, turned 24 on March 27. We had a little family get together that following weekend. Here she is cutting her cake!! :)

NICE!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY LINZ!

Jackson had a busy week last week. He got all of his shots, plus a fantastic new hair cut!

He LOVES to be outside, so yesterday, as it was pouring rain, we dressed him up in his rain gear.

Good visit, great dessert!

2008-04-07T08:25:00.005-05:00

Parish's mom and grandparents came to visit us this weekend - we sure had a nice time. They left this morning and I am sure they are not anxious to get home. While we were all relaxing, listening to the rain and watching our green grass soak up the added moisture - Grand Rapids and Dora Lake were getting pounded with 23 feet of snow! Cindy, Grandma and Grandpa got to stay an extra day, which was really nice.

The ladies went and played Bingo in St. Cloud on Saturday - no winners, unfortunatley...but we all made out like bandits at Sam's Club. Parish and Grandpa put up our new screen door. We are SO excited about that!! (Funny what you get excited about when you are a home owner).

Also, I made a to die for dessert last night. It is only 2 points for a piece in Weight Watchers too! Talk about hitting the jackpot!!

It's been a while!

2008-04-03T16:18:00.003-05:00

Sorry for the lack of updated posts, life around the Barten household has been VERY busy. It's budget season at work, which means the Marketing Plan is due right around the corner, which means I have been staying late at work to get it done and ready for our presentation in June.
Parish has been doing great, he's lost 12 lbs already (wish I could say the same), but he's worked out every day, running at least 3 miles. I am so proud of him and the work he has done to get himself healthy.

We had a great Easter, we spend it with Cindy up in Grand Rapids. We got to decorate Easter Eggs with Nicki, Chad and Haylee. I don't know who was more excited - Nicki and I or Haylee. She is such a riot. I am trying to plan a weekend for us to head down to Mall of America so Haylee can see Dora (who she LOVES).

I was going through my computer this last week and I found a picture that I have been meaning to find for a long time...

I will set the scene for you...

Cindy was at work, so was Nicki and Chad was working on the house. We (Gooner, Parish, Haylee and I) spent the whole afternoon playing the Hokey Poker, Ring a round the rosie, "Dotties" (which is like playing restaurant to Haylee) and singing "Santa Claus is coming to town." We were all so tired, but little Haylee kept laughing and smiling and so we kept playing and playing. I think this picture shows just how hands on Gooner was a grandpa. As Parish and I look back, we are so grateful for this day and the wonderful Christmas that we had with him.

Hope you all enjoy!

News Article...

2008-03-21T09:10:00.000-05:00

http://kstp.com/article/stories/S385480.shtml?cat=206

KSTP ran a story last night about our friends. Please continue to pray for this family.

Prayers Needed...

2008-03-20T10:23:00.003-05:00

Parish's grandparents live in Dora Lake, a nice, quiet community where everyone knows everyone, everyone is so close and its a perfect community for his grandparents to be. It is home to them. We love it too - fresh air, trees, wild animals, good fishing, and great friends.

We've experienced severe heartache over the last few months, but nothing compared to what the Dan and LaDonna Adams family is going through right now. To put it simple, please, please say a prayer for them.

Dan and LaDonna are dear friends to our family. Parish's grandparents are with them almost every week. Dan was the Pastor at the Dora Lake church. He baptized Parish and Grandpa and keeps us in his prayers almost daily.

In fact, those of you who were at Gooner's memorial service, would remember Dan. He gave a sermon about how Gooner used to come up to Dora Lake and shuck corn...he was always filled with positive words of hope and faith.

This story that I am about to tell you is what we have heard from our family and friends. I am not sure if this is how it exactly played out, but regardless...this family needs our prayers.

Last Sunday, Dan and LaDonna's son Barney passed away. I am not too sure on the details, but I do know that he had influenza (or at least that is what we were told). Barney was 46 years old, and left behind his wife Julie, daughter Amber, son, Brett and grandson, Odin Adams along with many other relatives. This came as a shock to us who knew of the Adams Family. It was just over 2 months ago that he was at Parish's Dad's funeral...

What's worse, is that Sunday morning Dan was feeling ill. He preached his sermon, stayed his distance from others at the church and went home. He was greeted with the worst possible news ever that his son had passed away. Numb, in shock and still sick, Dan was brought to the hospital and was quickly taken by ambulance to Duluth. Dan was very sick and God had bigger plans for him, because sadly, he passed away yesterday afternoon. I still can't believe that he is gone.

What is EVEN worse, is that LaDonna, Dan's wife/Barney's mother is now in the hospital with pneumonia.

Losing one person is hard enough, but to lose a brother, a father or a son and a husband within days of each other is almost unbearable. The Adams are strong in their faith and I know they will rely heavily on faith, family, friends and prayers to get them through this. Please keep them in your daily prayers...

We don't know if this sickness is contagious (I can only assume that it is), so Parish and I are not going up to Dora Lake, but rather staying in Grand Rapids with Parish's mom. Grandma and Grandpa are up there now, so please pray that this sickness is done and that they, or anyone else in that tightnit community doesn't catch whatever this is.

It's so scary, so very sad and Parish and I just hope and pray that they can make it through this okay.

We will miss you Dan...

Signs of Spring...

2008-03-14T08:31:00.003-05:00

There is rarely anything that excites me more than the thought of Spring coming. That means, spending nights outside on our deck - eating dinner, enjoying a glass of wine, walks around the neighborhood, grilling - almost every night, planting flowers, and leaving the windows open.

I am a huge fan on Summer, Fall and Winter too, don't get me wrong, but it's the "in between" seasons that can really put a damper on things.

Take me for example...for the last two weeks I have been battling a sinus infection - an infection so troubling that I have had three rounds of medications, four trips to the doctors - that's $100 in copays, $90 in Rxs, about $360 in doctor fees and that doesn't even include testing that has been done. That's my spring shopping bill right there!

This is about the time that I start to walk outside. We bought a treadmill, and I love it (although, I haven't been able to use it lately because of these headaches), but it's not the same as being able to walk somewhere. The fresh air, the fact that I can get home at 6 or 7 p.m. and still be able to walk in the daylight, and the feeling of not being cooped up in my house is what I love. We love being outside, and I am so anxious for that!!

So, I think it's safe to say that I have been moping around the house, not feeling well, being bored, just itching to get outside and take in all that Spring has to offer.

Parish has noticed and he doesn't like to see me sick, or tired/exhausted. He is such a great husband, its almost like he knows what I need, even before I do. Yesterday was day 16 of this terrible infection, so when I got home, he surprised me with this beautiful bouquet of flowers! Not only that, but he took me out to dinner and gave me a backrub before I went to bed. I was completely relaxed and so thankful and just wanted to share!

My Little Dancer...

2008-03-04T13:52:00.002-06:00

There he is...the love of my life. Pretty impressive - wouldn't you say? Parish didn't believe that he was on the dance floor EVERY SINGLE SONG, until we got proof from our friend Michelle...so funny! He always swings his arms out, infact, he hit the bride's brother right in the face in the middle of a Michael Jackson song. Oh Parish, you never cease to amaze me!

My little dancer is going to be gone for a few days - he is at a Water/Wastewater conference in St. Cloud, so it's just Jackson and I for the next few nights. I really don't like being alone, but I am looking forward to having the whole bed, cooking stir-fry (which Parish isn't too fond of), watching soapnet (after American Idol of course) and getting laundry done while he is away.

I remember as a kid, whenever my dad had to go out of town for a meeting, my mom always made it a girls night - TV dinners, McDonalds, pancakes for supper whatever we wanted, plus we all got to share a bed with her (which I am sure she would have rather opted out on). It was fun - even though we missed our dad.

This is hell week at work, I am so busy juggling two jobs right now and can't wait until we hire a copywriter!

Talk soon,
SB

Signs from Above

2008-02-29T10:06:00.002-06:00

One more thing that I think is worth mentioning...I truly believe that once our loved ones pass...there are signs that they send to us letting us know that they are okay. I have experienced a few with my grandparents...and more recently Gooner and I just wanted to share them. Some may think that these are coincidence, and they may be, but I like to think that they are watching over us! :)

Grandpa Reintjes - My Grandpa was a funny guy who endured so much in his life. He lost his leg in WWII, but that didn't slow him down at all, infact - I think it made him stronger. He died of a heart attack (or something of the like), and for years before his final days he was never allowed to eat pickles (because of the sodium). I was living with my parents and one night I awoke from a deep sleep and saw him sitting on my dog, Maggie's kennel. He had both legs and was eating a pickle! Normally, I would think that this was a dream, but my dog Maggie started to bark...I wasn't scared, in fact - I felt a sense of happiness come over me. I knew he was safe, happy, health and...eating pickles.

Grandma Reintjes - My Grandma had a very hard time after my grandpa died. We became very close and to this day I think of her often. When I was in college at SCSU, I lived off campus at this old brick house. My diabetes wasn't the best, so I was tired often. After my 2 p.m. class, I went home and took a nap. I set my alarm because I knew I had to make it to Affinity Plus (my bank) before it closed at 4 p.m. otherwise I wouldn't have any money for the weekend. By mistake, I set my alarm for 3:30 a.m. - so when I woke up, I was completely panicked that it was 3:50. Finding a parking spot on campus was complete hell - but I jumped in my car and raced there all the way saying, Please God, let them be open - PLEASE! I parked my car outside the door (in a no parking zone) and ran inside to the credit union in Atwood. To my surprise, the door wasn't closed yet, I raced in there and said, "Can I please cash this check?" Out of breath and about ready to cry, the lady behind the counter asked, "Sure...you must be Sarah Hawkins." I stopped instantly. "Yes, I am, how did you know?" Now...mind you - I was alone at my house, my parents had NO idea that I was running that low on money and to my knowledge I didn't place any calls that afternoon. The lady said, "Oh, your grandmother called and said you were on your way." Hmmm...my grandmother? The lady responded, "Well, I assumed it was your Grandmother - she was an older lady." At any rate, I was able to cash my check and be okay for the weekend. As I was leaving the bank I checked my cell phone, maybe I called and said I was on my way when I was just waking up (It takes me a bit to focus and if my voice was raspy...well, I could be mistaken for an older lady) Nope - call log was clear. I called my Grandma Ruth in Michigan to ask her if she called. Nope, she didn't. All that I can think of was that my angel Grandma Caddy was looking over me and somehow was able to get the message across to Affinity Plus.

Gooner...He has only been gone for a few days, but here's some interesting happenings...First, just to give you an idea...Gooner is the kind of guy where he would want us to go on with our lives, he wouldn't want us to dwell on his death or the fact that we miss him so much, he would want us to move on with our lives.

#1 ) On February 14, I was at home sick. To pass the time, I thought about Gooner, which led me to our caller ID. I would often look at the call log and remember the times that he called and just smile. One other call on our log was the call on January 24 at 12:30 a.m. - the call we received to let us know that he had died. All other calls were there, except for that one! I thought, maybe Parish erased that call - so I called and asked him. Nope. He didn't. Then that same day, I remembered that Parish's watch he got for Christmas from my sister needed its battery changed, and since I was already going to the drug store, I could pick up a battery too. When I looked at his watch, my mouth dropped open. It stopped on 10:38 - that's exactly the time that Gooner died...10:38 p.m.

#2) Then, this last week...Parish and I went to the doctor on Tuesday night. Parish is the only person that I know of that has the first name "Parish." As we were checking in and they were reading Parish's blood pressure a guy stepped up to the check-in desk and said, "I work for a trucking company and hurt my arm tonight at work." The nurse said, "Okay, can I get your first name" The man answered....you guessed it - PARISH. Weird!! I think that it was Gooner's way of letting us know that he was with us.

When little signs like that pop up in my life, I smile...It's comforting to me and I hope I continue to see these signs for as long as I live...coincidence or not.

TGIF

2008-02-29T09:57:00.002-06:00

That's all I can say - all week long I have been looking forward to this day..FRIDAY! Parish and I are in desperate need of a R&R weekend. This week has been hell, from working extra hours for me and confronting another phase in our grieving process...We have been missing Gooner a lot this week, but we made it through, so that's a good thing.

My mom was a huge help, she gave us a piece of advice that we have repeated quite often..."Instead of dwelling on how he died...why don't you focus on how he lived." That has helped us out a great deal. He did live a great life and we are proud to have known him and to be a part of this great family. His memory will live on forever in our hearts! Thanks mom...

On a lighter note, we have huge plans for this weekend...and I don't think that we have been so excited to just lay around and be bums in a long time.

Saturday morning - I look forward to our Saturday mornings which usually consist of delicious coffee, fishing shows and then a jaunt down to the local cafe for some breakfast. The weather will be beautiful, so we are looking forward to that. We are also going to organize the mound of paperwork that has piled up on our kitchen table (you know you are getting old when that excited you). I think we might even head to Home Depot/Menards to search for a new front door. Ah...the joys and excitement of being a homeowner. :)

I also have to mention that I plan on starting my spring cleaning (a little early), but I feel that we need some sunshine in our house, I always feel good when I can walk into our house and it is so clean...so I am looking forward to that too. But to every up, there is a downside and...I am NOT looking forward to the laundry. :)

Whatever you decide to do this weekend, I hope it's a great one. I am just excited to spend QT with Parish, Jackson and my favorite blanket (once my housework gets done).

Happy Leap Day!

SB

Tulek Wedding Weekend

2008-02-25T12:24:00.003-06:00

What a memorable weekend. Seriously, I can't remember a weekend (in a long time) that we had so much fun with all of our friends together. It was perfect.

Thursday night - we all met out at Zorbaz's in GR, we danced the night away, sang a little Cher during Karokee and left for home with a bit of a buzz. Parish and I stayed with Cindy, so that was nice.

Friday - Us girls spent a majority of the day decorating Wendigo for Molly's reception. It was beautiful, but there were a few bumps in the road. Wendigo is a beautiful place, but if I ran that joint I would get rid of whoever books weddings. That girl from my own experience and from what I have heard from others is a complete nightmare to work with. She left for the day a little after we started decorating and screwed up the table arrangements. Good thing Molly and Judy were on top of it and could figure it out, but seriously...that woman needs to go! Friday night was also the rehearsal...as Molly and her dad came walking up the aisle, the whole wedding party (including Father Jerry) started singing, "There she was just a walking down the street singing, Do A Diddy Diddy Dumm Diddy Do" It was so cute. Molly and Terry hosted the rehearsal dinner out at their place - it was so beautifully decorated. They did such a good job and it was the perfect setting for everyone to enjoy. Food was great, Company was better - it was just a great night overall.

Saturday was the big day - Molly looked absolutley beautiful! The day went off without a hitch and it was the party of the year!! I am so excited for the two of them as they start this special journey.

I will download a few pictures that I took from my camera later. If anyone else has any - please send them onto me at sarah_parish@msn.com. I would greatly appreciate it (Rowell...this means you!)

Sick on Valentine's Day

2008-02-15T11:35:00.003-06:00

Bless my husbands heart - he means so well. Yesterday was Valentine's Day, the night before Parish got his present - HDTV in our living room on our big screen TV, I was feeling a little under the weather, but nothing a little cold medicine couldn't cure I thought... Boy, was I wrong. I went into the clinic and I found that I had a sinus infection, a fever and bronchitis! Ugh. They sent me home with a RX and away I went. I woke up, on Valentine's Day, thinking that I was going to go to work. I shot that idea down right away when my head felt like it was going to explode!

Parish was so sweet, he sent flowers to me at work (which I didn't get until this morning) and a gift certificate for a pedicure. He also made us a delicious dinner - parmesean crusted chicken, garlic twice baked potatoes and pasta salad - I enjoyed it, and I am sure it tasted pretty good - although I have completely lost my taste or sense of smell! He means well. I am hoping that I feel better this weekend, so we can at least treat ourselves to a romantic dinner...

I am leaving work early today to go home and rest. Although I don't have a fever today, I could pass for Ruldolph, I can barely breath and I am sneezing all over the place. So, I am just going to do everyone else a favor and head home!

Hope everyone has a great, safe weekend.

Sarah

Less Than Two Weeks...and Counting!

2008-02-11T14:49:00.001-06:00

I remember the two weeks before our wedding - it was the most exciting, nerve wrecking time of my life. We had just bought a house and moved in, dealt with our scum of a landlord, and still managed to throw a beautiful wedding ceremony and one hell of a reception! My friend Molly's wedding is less than two weeks away and I am so excited for her! I am in the wedding, and am of course excited for that as well, but thinking back to the two weeks before our wedding, I am hoping that her transition goes more smoothly. Who said buying a house, starting a new position in a company and getting married all within two weeks was hard? Ha! :)

Parish and I went up to Grand Rapids this weekend, I was originally just going to go by myself for the day on Saturday, but since Parish's dad is gone now, we want to spend lots of time with his mom and sister - so we decided to make a weekend of it. It was fun, we got to see our families and be in the place we both enjoy so much.

Cindy, Parish's mom, is doing remarkably well. I hope and pray every day that the journey that she now has to face alone will be easy for her. She's got a good start and she is such a strong woman - we feel comfortable knowing that she will be just fine. Of course it's tough and we all go through our little moments, but like I said before - we are finding comfort and laughter knowing that Gooner is in a safe place watching over us. I admire Cindy, for her courage, strength and ability to be a good mother at this time in her life. Losing someone is very difficult, but she talks alot about Gooner a lot, crys when she needs to and most importantly laughs every chance that she gets - just like she did when Gooner was around.

Yesterday our ride home from Grand Rapids was the first time since he died that we actually felt normal. Maybe it was the good night sleep we got the night before, maybe it was the good feeling of going to our own home, maybe it was the bright smile that Cindy gave us when we left, whatever it was - we felt good. And that's important.

I hug Parish a little bit tighter every day, say I love you to my family more, cherish memories that normally I would have just shrugged off, and appreciate every little thing in our life. That's what this whole experience has taught me. Live life like Gooner did - to the fullest and you'll have no regrets!

Thank you!

2008-01-31T15:57:00.001-06:00

It is with a heavy heart that I write this entry. As most of you know, Parish's dad, Gooner passed away last week on Wednesday, January 23. It was an unexpected death, a life that was took too soon. We had a chance to talk to him on the Tuesday before he passed and we had a chance to express our love to him, so we are grateful for that opportunity. It's been a little over a week and it's still hard to imagine that the world continues to move on, but amazingly our family has made it through this horrible grief and started laughing again. That's exactly what Gooner would have wanted.

We will miss him a ton - he was an amazing husband, brother, brother in-law, son, son in-law, father in-law, father, friend, co-worker and grandpa or "bumpa" as Haylee would say. We find comfort in the memories and all of the kind words we have received.

With that said...we are so grateful for all you have done for us. The cards, letters, phone and email messages, prayers, and visits meant a great deal to us as we struggled with our heartbreaking loss. Along with the emotional support you gave us, the meals, chores, and other gifts of your time and energy helped sustain us day to day.

This week is much better, and though we know that grief takes its own time outside of our control, we are feeling grateful for the years we all had with Gooner and for the time we have with friends like all of you right now.

He was so looking forward to come and "dogsit" for us this weekend, but God has bigger plans for him now. Keep us in your prayers.

On another note - we just found out that we are going to have a nephew arrive in June. Parish's sister Nicki and Chad are expecting a boy! You know what they say, when one life ends - another begins!

Thank you all again. We appreciate all of you!

Weekend of Reviews

2008-01-23T08:43:00.000-06:00

Sorry for the lack of posts lately, Parish and I have been very busy between work, seminars (water/wastewater for him), insulin pumps breaking and trying to plan for our busy weekend coming up!

Last weekend was a nice change of pace, I got our whole house cleaned, laundry done, read an entire book and saw a good and not so good movie in the theater.

First off - a MUST read! Loving Natalee by Beth Holloway, seriously one of the best books that I have ever read. Everyone knows about Natalee Holloway who disappeared on a senior class trip in Aruba. I heard about it, followed it for a while - until Hurricane Katrina swept over the media and lost touch. I had NO idea how uncooperative the Aruban authorities were in this case, and to this day - her killers remain free. So sad, no justice at all. One thing that I thought was amazing about this story is how Beth, Natalee's mom turned this horrific experience into one that could save many others. To learn more about what I mean, visit: http://www.internationalsafetravelsfoundation.org/MS/MS37/page.php?p=418

It's Beth's organization website that explains what you can do to have safe travels. This book is a must read - I would recommend it to anyone. It's been a while since I have read a book that moved me like that.

Next, let's move to the NOT SO GOOD movie...I am Legend. I am a huge fan of Will Smith, and don't get me wrong - he was amazing in this movie and it did do very well in the box offices, but it's what they didn't show you in the previews that got to me. I even felt the urge to leave in the middle of it, almost like I had anxiety - okay, I was scared. Weird, I know, but I think it's safe to say that we won't be renting or buying this movie.

P.S. I Love You - Wow, this movie had tears rolling down my face before the opening credits. I recommend all of you to go watch this movie. I know I will buy it when it comes out. Everyone needs a good "crying" movie on hand, and besides - it had a great message and happy ending. And...since I am a huge Grey's fan, it didn't hurt that "Denny Duquet" was featured in this movie.

This weekend, Parish and I have big plans. First, I have Molly's Bachelorette Party - 30 girls getting together - you know that's going to be memorable. Parish is in the Brainerd Jaycee's fishing tournament. It's his 3rd year participating and he goes up with friends, stays the weekend and does what he loves best. Fish and drink. Ha! "Grandma and Grandpa" Barten are coming over to our house for the weekend to babysit Jackson. :)

Have a safe weekend, the temperatures look like they are on the rise!

Happy New Year!!

2008-01-01T10:50:00.000-06:00

Happy 2008!! We had an uneventful New Year's Eve...as usual. Parish was on call and I, as always, had to work. It comes with the job, and as each new year approaches, I just automatically expect that I have to work, but I am lucky that I work with such a fun group! It would be nice to celebrate with friends sometime though - our friend Lindsay throws a kickin New Year's party (I believe this is her last year) - you can check out past pictures and this year's pictures of her 80's themed party (soon to come) at http://www.go2crew.com/.

We celebrated New Year's on December 29 at our friend's house (Shaun and Tammy). It was a great time with all of our St. Cloud friends that we don't get to see too often. It was quite the interesting evening! Oh and the best part - Parish, Shaun and I were asked to be Godparents of our friend's baby boy Odin - we are so excited about that!

Here's some pictures from the evening...

Lydia, Sarah, Tammy and Jess...

Parish and a few of his St. Cloud buddies...

Sarah and Tammy

Shaun and Sarah
I received this link earlier today and thought it was interesting. It is the top ten resolutions people make for the New Year...if you haven't made one yet, maybe this list will be helpful!

1.) Spend more time with family and friends! Polls conducted by General Nutrition Centers, Quicken, and others shows that more than 50% of Americans vow to appreciate loved ones and spend more time with family and friends this year. Make plans to meet up with friends for an evening of comaraderie at favorite restaurant or organize a fun game night!

2.) Fit in Fitness - the evidence is in for fitness. Regular exercise has been associated with more health benefits than anything else known to man. Studies show that it reduces the risk of some cancers, increases longevity, helps achieve and maintain weight loss, enhances mood, lowers blood pressure, and even improves arthritis. In short, exercise keeps you healthy and makes you look and feel better. Check out specials at your local exercise gyms - a lot of them offer New Year's specials (We are definatley looking into this one!)

3.) Tame the Bludge! Setting reasonable goals and staying focused are the two most important factors in sticking with a weight loss program, and the key to success for those millions of Americans who made a New Year's commitment to shed extra pounds.

4.) Quit Smoking! If you have resolved to make this the year that you stamp out your smoking habit, over-the-counter availability of nicotine replacement therapy now provides easier access to proven quit-smoking aids. Even if you've tried to quit before and failed, don't let it get you down. On average, smokers try about four times before they quit for good. Start enjoying the rest of your smoke-free life!

5.) Enjoy life more - Given the hectic, stressful lifestyles of millions of Americans, it is no wonder that "enjoying life more" has become a popular resolution in recent years. It's an important step to a happier and healthier you! Just get out and try something new! Take up a new hobby or try your hand at skiing. Go to a theater performance or head to the local spa.

6.) Get out of debt - Was money a big source of stress in your life last year? Join the millions of Americans who have resolved to spend this year getting a handle on their finances. It's a promise that will repay itself many times over in the year ahead.

7.) Learn something new! Have you vowed to make this year the year to learn something new? Perhaps you are considering a career change, want to learn a new language, or just how to fix your computer? Whether you take a course or read a book, you'll find education to be one of the easiest, most motivating New Year's resolutions to keep.

8.) Help others - a popular, non-selfish New Year's resolution, volunteerism can take many forms. Whether you choose to spend time helping out at your local library, mentoring a child, or building a house, there are many nonprofit volunteer organizations that could really use your help.

9.) Get Organized - On just about every New Year resolution top ten list, organization can be a very reasonable goal. Whether you want your home organized enough that you can invite someone over on a whim, or your office organized enough that you can find the stapler when you need it, these tips and resources should get you started on the way to a more organized life.

10.) Create a Plan - Setting a goal without formulating a plan is merely wishful thinking. In order for your resolution to have resolve, (as the word "resolution" implies), it must translate into clear steps that can be put into action. A good plan will tell you A) What to do next and B) What are all of the steps required to complete the goal.

Well...Happy New Year!

Merry Christmas!

2007-12-26T09:04:00.000-06:00

Parish and I arrived home last night at 9:30 p.m. from our Christmas weekend up North in Grand Rapids. It was a jam-packed weekend, but it was great to see everyone. I got to try on my dress for Molly's wedding - it is absolutley beautiful! I can't wait for February!! It's all coming together and I am so happy for her!

Here are some pictures...

The Hawkins/Barten 2007 Christmas Snapshot...

We opened our presents on the Barten side on Sunday night. Our neice Haylee LOVES, I mean LOVES Dora - so, what did we get her? You guessed it - everything Dora. We got her this Dancing Dora game (with interactive DVD), Tons of books (mostly Dora) and a Dora backpack. Little did we know - that's exactly what she had asked Santa for (a Dora backpack)! We were tickled pink when she realized that we had gotten her the backpack. I had to capture her expression...

Next, we celebrated Christmas eve with my family. We have a tradition every year - we go to church at 5 p.m., come home - eat appetizers, drink wine and then take all night to open our presents. Everyone takes their turn - then, when we are finished, we clean up - organize our gifts and get ready for Christmas morning. This year - Parish's big gift was an HD DVD player - he also got a new watch, DVDs, Movie certificates, boot dryer plus much more. I got a new winter jacket (very much needed), an electric griddle, movie certificates, new clothes, decorative things for our house and money. A VERY good Christmas! We also got tons of gift cards for various places...which is the perfect size and color! :)

We spent Christmas day with Parish's family (Grandma, Grandpa, Rick, Brenda, Cindy Gooner, Chad, Nicki, Haylee, Brandon & Jamie, Aaron and Holly and Derrick) ...unfortunatley, I had the flu, so I only stayed a breif while before I went back to my parents house to rest. It's bad enough when you have the flu, but on Christmas - come on!

First Annual Christmas Dinner

2007-12-17T09:49:00.000-06:00

We had a great weekend surrounded by a few friends. On Saturday, we had the first annual "Friend" Christmas dinner with Josh and Kris and Brook and Cyle. Great food, festive decorations and a few bottles of wine - my kind of evening. We also brought our "child" Jackson, which I have to admit made me a bit nervous, he doesn't have a whole lot of recent social experience being around other dogs...but it all turned out great!
Here's a few photos from the weekend...

Right before dinner. Right after yummy appetizers and about 4 bottles of wine...

Brook, Sarah and Kris...

This might explain just how delicious the food was!

Jackson's new friends - enjoying breakfast in the morning.

The lovely host couple!!

The dads with their "kids"

I can't believe (and I know I have said this before) that Christmas is next weekend! WOW. Hope to see some of you while we are in Grand Rapids! If not, have a wonderful Christmas!!

Pictures!!

2007-12-17T09:37:00.000-06:00

Here are a few of the pictures that I promised to post - about 2 months ago...Enjoy!

Parish, Ashley and Ashley's boyfriend - Rick.

Mom and Ashley - taking a rest with a glass of wine before the next round of catch phrase...

Parish and Gavin...

Here's a picture of Brooklyn (our cousin) and Parish, man do we absolutley love these kids!

Brooklyn, myself and Gavin at the Reintjes Thanksgiving feast...

Linz and Gavin...Me and Lisa
Sarah and Brooke

New Do!

2007-12-14T09:49:00.000-06:00

We finished up our Christmas shopping last night, but before we did that, Parish took me to my hair appointment. I am pretty lucky, not too many husbands would wait around while their wifes were emersed in chatty girl talk with their hair stylist.
Here's the finished product...well sort of, I have some work to do to get it right.

Still Recovering...description might be graphic

2007-12-13T11:19:00.000-06:00

Well, I am pretty much over the hump of my painful recovery. If I would have known just how bad this healing time would have been, I honestly wouldn't have had the surgery. When people told me how painful it was, I brushed it off - I mean come on - I've had tonsillitis 7 times since June/July - how "painful" could it be?

Well, I take it all back. They don't stitch the area where they remove the tonsils - they used something called Electrocautery, which burns the tonsillar tissue and assists in reducing blood loss through cauterization. The heat of electrocautery (400 degrees Celsius) results in thermal injury to surrounding tissue. Imagine the stages of a normal surface burn, you get the blister, then it pops and your nerve endings are exposed...same thing - except this is in my throat. YIKES. Good news is...I haven't had one ounce of pain meds today. That's a first in 11 days! :)

I will post some pictures soon.

This weekend, Parish and I are going to a Christmas dinner with some friends (and Jackson). We will be sure to share our pictures soon. Hope all is well!

Take care,
Sarah

2007-11-30T09:50:00.000-06:00

Monday is my surgery. I was really nervous about it, but after talking to several people who had it done - I know I'll be just fine. I wanted to update our site today - because I don't know how much I will be able to do next week.

Our weekend in GR was so fun, but we were ready to come home by the end. Parish and I got a chance to go out twice this last week - which hardly never happens. Wednesday night we went to Zorbaz - which was packed and is always fun to see people you went to school with. I was the DD - of course - but Friday, Parish and I let loose and called upon my father in-law to drive us home (Thank goodness for him!).

Thanksgiving was nice - we went up to Dora Lake and had dinner with Parish's family and the community of Dora Lake - it was a nice time and Jackson was the hit of the party! He laid on my shoulders while playing scrabble - what a crazy dog.

Friday night was Terry's surprise party - he was so surprised too! I will have to post pictures of that night soon - in fact, I have to post pictures for a lot of blog entries that I have done these last few months. I got a chance to reconnect with my good friends Natalie and Matt who recently moved back to MN from Arizona - I missed them so much - glad that we reconnected.

Speaking of reconnecting - my best friends from college are going to dinner with Parish and I tomorrow night - I am so excited for that!!

Well, I hope we all don't get snowed in this weekend - I am really not digging this cold weather.

Until next time - have a great weekend.

Happy Turkey Week!

2007-11-20T11:15:00.000-06:00

I think I can speak for many of us when I say that I am so glad that we only have a three day work week. Ugh. I have been SO busy trying to plan out the week that I will be on "vacation" that I can work 9 or 10 hours with little or no breaks! Oh well, I love to stay busy, so I guess I got that going for me.

In other news...we are leaving tomorrow immediatley after work to head to Grand Rapids for Thanksgiving. This year we are headed up to Dora Lake with Parish's family. I always think it is so nice what his grandparents do...we all gather at the Dora Community Hall and Grandma makes a big feast for everyone, so that no one has to be alone. After the big meal we usually dominate in Yahtzee and phase 10. Good times, good times. Then after that - us three amigos (Jackson, Parish and I) will head to my parents house for games, food and drinks.

Things I am excited for this weekend:
- I got Molly's wedding invites printed - and she'll be home from Cali, so I can't wait to show her.
- Going to GR
- 4th street get together on Friday
- assembling invites
- seeing everyone

I hope you all have a great Thanksgiving and travel safe!

Sarah and Parish

Hunting, Car Accident and a new couch...

2007-11-07T08:58:00.001-06:00

Parish is leaving tomorrow to go deer hunting until Sunday - I love his passion about this "sport," but I must admit, I am not a fan of deer meat. Maybe I just haven't had it cooked right for me - I don't know, but if he does shoot a deer - we will have alot of meat! I will keep you posted on his status.

Last weekend was fun, we bought a couch for our basement (very comfy, I might add), spent some time with the Clairmonts and went to Dan in the Real Life on Sunday - good movie...more of a girly movie.

On Monday, I found out that I have to have a tonsillectomy. It is scheduled for December 3rd. Although I am nervous about the surgery, I am looking forward to not having my throat hurt once a month. I have had tonsilitis 7 times since July - and it is painful. Last month, I even lost my voice for a week and a half! So, wish me luck as I go "under the knife" - even though I think that they laser your tonsils out.

Last night, as Parish and I were setting up our living room with our new couch, I got a phone call from my mom telling me that my sister Lindsey got into a car accident. I couldn't believe it - before I continue, please know that she is okay, however we are still waiting to hear how the car is. I just wish she had better luck. This summer, she was held at gun point and her purse and car were stolen by some idiot that should be locked up for the rest of his life if you ask me. Now, she gets into an accident with my mom's vehicle. They just can't catch a break! I feel bad for Lindsey and my parents and I am just praying that things go good for them from now on.

Weird Cravings!

2007-11-02T12:12:00.000-05:00

So, we all know how much of a talker Parish can be in his sleep(see Sleeping with a Dreamer entry)...and I just had to share this gut-busting moment.

So, the other night, Parish was (big surprise) snoring. In an attempt to roll him over, I must have caught him while he was in the middle of a REM. I asked him (quite irritated, I might add) if he would roll over so that his snoring wouldn't be so loud. His response? "Honey - do you know where I can get a hot dog covered in oysters and clam chowder?" I laughed so hard that I started snorting in the middle of the night.

Oh man, what a funny sleeper.

I can't believe it's already November, but my favorite part of this time of year is we all get an extra hour of sleep! PERFECT TIMING! I don't know what it is lately, but I have been sleeping so hard and then waking up feeling like I didn't get much sleep. I am hoping that this extra hour will be just what I need.

Parish and I had a great Halloween night. We bought $30 worth of candy and we don't have a lick of a piece left. We had so many cute trick or treaters! Probably my favorite was a little 2 year old "skunk" who traveled up our stairs, inside our house! He must have been cold. At any rate - he was stinkin cute - no pun intended. Jackson was a bumblebee and loved his first Halloween with us. I had to have him in one hand and candy for the ghosts and goblins in the other. Parish dressed up as a ghost for about a minute and he also attempted to place fake scars on his face...pretty interesting.

This weekend is the opener and Parish is on call. I know he would really love to get up there, but I think he is planning on heading to GR on Thursday of next week. Hope he does well.

No big plans for this weekend...really. Still it should be a good one. Tonight - I think is date night. We will probably go out to a movie, but we have our heating guy coming over to make sure everything is in working order for the winter. Oh - and we finally sold our couches downstairs so on Saturday morning - we are going couch shopping! Then we can finally get our basement the way we want it. And to top it all off - Guy, Heidi and Kate Clairmont will be staying with us on Saturday - we are looking forward to that! So, I guess, we do have some pretty big plans this weekend.

Hope everyone has a great (and safe - for all the hunters) weekend!

Weekend up North

2007-10-29T15:02:00.000-05:00

This weekend was almost perfect - besides the fact that we didn't get home until 9 p.m. last night. Parish and I headed up to Grand Rapids for our neice's 2nd birthday - pictures will be posted soon. On Saturday though, we got to spend a lot of time outside helping my parents winterize their homefront...what did we do you ask? Well, we picked up leaves, exchanged the lawnmower for the snowblower, put the deck furniture away, hung Christmas lights, and cleaned leaves out of the gutters. A full days work, but it feels really good helping out when my parents did so much for me as I was growing up. They made a delicious steak dinner for us that night and topped it off watching movies until 1 a.m.

Then, Haylee Autumn turned 2 over the weekend and made everyone smile at her birthday party that was held on Sunday. We don't get to see her too much, but when we do - it's always a treat. What's even cooler is that this weekend, she really seemed comfortable with us, even calling us Auntie and Uncle.

Great weekend! Hope yours was wonderful as well.

SURPRISE!!

2007-10-22T09:25:00.000-05:00

The look on Parish's face was priceless this weekend! I threw him a surprise birthday party and his long-time friends came up to Nisswa on Saturday to help celebrate.

On Friday night we went to our friends house in Pequot Lakes (thanks Jess for helping!). Parish thought we were going up there to go out with Jess's friends on Saturday - we had it all planned out. We rented cabin 775 and when we arrived - Josh, Kris, Pup, Michelle, Ashley, Dave & Jamie all yelled surprise - he was so shocked. He told me on the way home that this party was probably one of the best days of his life...that's the best feeling ever - when you do something for someone and it mean so much!

Thanks to everyone who made it great! Ashley - you are the best!

Carol Brady did it!

2007-10-18T10:34:00.000-05:00

So begins my second phase of illness this year...I once again - have something wrong with my tonsils and finally my doctor is referring me to a specialist, who I hope will tell me that everything is okay and that I DO NOT have to have my tonsils removed. This is the 7th time that I have had tonsilitis since June! Ugh. But, how bad could it be? Carol Brady did it! Whenever I think of a tonsillectomy, my mind wonders back to an after school episode of The Brady Bunch. I remember thinking - wow, I'd love to have mine removed - they get to lay in bed and eat ice cream all day. Obviously, not the case anymore...wish me luck and hope that I don't have to get my tonsils removed!!

Parish and I had a nice anniversary/birthday weekend. For Parish's birthday - we went to the Xcel center and watched two games of hockey - Gophers won (of course) and we spent the whole afternoon together. The following day was our anniversary, we exchanged cards and went out for a late lunch and saw the movie - We Own The Night, which was very good.

In other news...my friend Trisha had her baby - Claire Alexis Reilley - cute as a bug! Congrats to her. My friend Molly is home for the weekend and she just turned 27 - wish I could spend some time with her! And finally - our friend Bri had to have her appendix removed the other day - I hope she has a speedy recovery!

Until next time... have a great day!

Sleeing with a Dreamer

2007-10-12T09:31:00.001-05:00

I wrote this story before Parish and I got married and just wanted to share it with you...I swear...I could write a book about him!

After the first 2 years of our relationship I came to the conclusion that I will be forever, sleeping with a dreamer.

The person I fell in love with is a wonderful man. He is kind, considerate and hilarious – even in his sleep. That’s right. I am marrying a wildly hilarious dreamer. He keeps me entertained with his witty charm, his loveable laughter and his steadfast humor as much as he can. That is Parish – that has always been Parish, ever since I met him 12 years ago.

He was always the type of guy, to me, that I could see myself with, the type of guy that I deserved. He was handsome, charming, witty and he always knew the right thing to say to make your heart melt.

Parish was always the guy that I would think of, especially when a relationship of mine ended. He always knew what to say when I got my heart broken and he always knew how to make me smile. He was my “untouchable.” You know, the type of guy you would love to just grab and hug and hold hands with, the person that made you feel special.

My crush on Parish started in 9th grade, and it was always in the back of my mind throughout my high school years. I never acted on it because we were just good friends. When I saw him the first thing that attracted me to him was his personality, he was outgoing, always smiling and saying hi to everyone – even if he didn’t know their name. Shortly after that I realized not only was he funny and so sweet, he was also very cute!

Never in a million years did I expect that I really would be spending the rest of my life with him. If someone had told me that he was the one I was going to marry – I would have died laughing. I always thought I never had a chance with him.

To Parish, I was always “kiddo” or “Hawk” and always a friend. Growing up, we lived about a mile from each other, he was older than me, but we did have a lot of mutual friends. Then, he had been living in St. Cloud for about a year when I moved in to my dorm at St. Cloud State University.

We did flirt casually when we would see each other in St. Cloud – harmless really. Then we would go our separate ways and I would have a severe case of “Parish on the mind” for days and days later.

It was January 1, 2004 that changed the rest of my life. It’s funny how things work. The night before was New Year’s Eve. My friend Sara and her husband Paul and I went out on the town with some other friends and my “love interest” at the time. Let’s just say things didn’t work out between me and the other guy and I was once again considered a better friend than anything else.

The next day I was determined to stay in bed. I needed to take some time and think about my life. Maybe I was just needing to drown in my sad love life – or lack there of. One thing’s for sure – I needed to snap out of my funk.

My roommate at the time said that she wasn’t leaving the apartment unless I went with her. She was meeting some of our friends at Buffalo Wild Wings and wanted me to join her. The last thing I wanted to do was get ready for a night out, much less think about drinking another sip of alcohol. But I figured, why not! Things couldn’t get much worse than they already were, so I literally threw my hair in a ponytail and pulled on the first outfit I could find. I didn’t care what I looked like – I didn’t care who I saw and I really didn’t care too much to even be there.

When we arrived at Buffalo Wild Wings – I ordered my favorite drink of all times - a Diet Coke. As soon as I started sipping my drink and chatting with some friends again, I got this feeling that someone was looking at me. I glanced over across the bar just to see a friendly face smiling at me. I immediately got butterflies – oddly enough and stood up to meet him half way. It was Parish, and I knew he was coming over for a hug. I couldn’t bear the thought of smelling like last night so I reached into my purse and sprayed myself with perfume. So glad that I did! Not only did I get a hug, but I also got a kiss on the cheek.

That was different. We had never kissed before, not like that was a “real” kiss or anything, but it was definitely a new experience with Parish. I introduced him to my friends sitting at the table, Mariah, Carrie and Jamie. Of course, quick-witted Parish made them laugh right away. He said, “Oh, Mariah and Carrie – I bet if we put you two together you’d sing one hell of a song.” I didn't say it was good humor! Haha.

From that moment on, I had forgot about the night before, pulled myself out of that silly sorrow I was wallowing in and started smiling again. Just from that one comment (and kiss on the cheek) he made. It was always like that with Parish and I – he always knew what to say to make me smile and forget whatever it is that was bothering me.

Like I said before, something was different about seeing Parish this time. When he was leaving to go back to his friends, he gave me his phone number. He told me to call him everyday for two weeks, and if I missed one day – the two weeks would start over. The last thing he said to me was, “You look great!” and then he gave me another hug. I looked great?!?! Are you kidding me? I hadn’t showered in 24 hours, was wearing the same jeans from yesterday, didn’t have any make up on and I looked great?

The next day I started my mission – I was going to call him everyday for two weeks. I finally was going to take a chance at the thought of Parish and I becoming more than friends. But he was so hard to get a hold of!

My graduation party from college was on January 10 and I left him a message asking him to come. He was out of town at the time and couldn’t make it, but he called me the next day asking if I would want to come to H.R. Pesty’s, a bar in Waite Park and meet him for a drink. I, of course, accepted the invitation (and was very surprised that he called me).

I made my friend Brianna come with me to Pesty’s so that it wouldn’t be awkward. I knew that I started to have feelings for Parish and yet I was hopeful because he actually called and asked me to meet him somewhere.

When I got there, Parish met us with a hug. Later, Bri would comment to me that she could tell something was different between us. She would be the one to notice too since she hung out with us before just as friends. Before I knew it – Bri had to leave and she kindly asked Parish if he would give me a ride home, needless to say he happily accepted! In my mind I was thinking, oh my gosh – what am I going to do? How should I act?

That was January 11, 2004 and we have been together ever since. We have had our share of good times, bad times, sad times and happy times and I wouldn’t trade him for anything in the world. He is my soul mate, and I truly believe we are meant to be together.

So there is the story of Parish, it will give insight into why I say that I will forever be sleeping with a dreamer. Now, even though he is my perfect match – he does have some faults. Parish snores. He snores a lot. There are sometimes I wish I could wave a magic wand and ship him off to anti-snore camp so that I could get a better night’s sleep. He sleeps hard and sometimes drifts off into his own little dream world.

Everyone laughs when I tell my stories about Parish’s dreams. He has done everything from trying to save ants while swearing to saving himself (and me) from King Kong or flushing hydrants to “taking a poop” in his sleep (not really, but that is what he told me). As tiring as it can be to try and sleep with a dreamer (and a snorer) I often wake up giggling. If I could be in his head one night – or if he could trade me places just once, I think we would both learn a lot from each other. But, until then, every night that I go to bed, I am always on stand by for the next dreaming adventure we will take together.

Parish is my soul mate, my sweetest laughter, my most memorable moment, my one and only and my dreamer.

One Year Already!

2007-10-12T09:11:00.000-05:00

This weekend marks our first wedding anniversary - already! I loved the whole planning phase of our wedding - from the hall to the dress to the music to the wedding favors - every minute I loved it! So, you can only imagine how I was after our wedding - some could call my emotions, the "wedding blues" I spent much of my extra time on doing things for our wedding - planning, designing the invites, making the flowers/decorations that I literally didn't know what to do - my true calling in life might just be a Wedding Planner. Maybe that's what I will be when I grow up. :) But I can't believe a year has gone by already!

Luckily, I am able to relive all the planning details through my friend Molly's wedding. She probably thinks I am nuts offering to help her all of the time, but honestly and truly I love doing it! Her wedding will be absolutley beautiful! More details on that to come later.

Our wedding anniversary is two days before Parish's birthday - and this year he turns the big 3-0! He loves gopher hockey, so for his birthday present, I bought him tickets to the Ice Breaker tourney this Saturday. So, that's our plans for this weekend. You should have seen his face when he opened up his present - like a kid in a candy store - smiles for miles! That's one of the best feelings in the world when you give someone a gift that makes their day. Parish is so appreciative as it is - and so fun to buy for.

We aren't doing much for our anniversary - maybe go out to a nice dinner - attempt to eat our wedding cake, maybe watch our wedding on video - a date night. It is on a Sunday afterall!

We have had a lot to celebrate over this last year. Parish is doing very well in his job, he passed his test and obtained his C-license in water treatment, I got promoted and enjoy my job very much, we received one of the best gifts ever - our yorkie Jackson - who has made us laugh every day! I am doing very well with my diabetes and we got news that my doctor is okay with us having a baby (next year - not anytime soon!), we have a great home, and are surrounded with wonderful family and friends. We really do feel blessed.

Photography

2007-10-09T14:21:00.000-05:00

This summer I have really been able to add to my photography portfolio. For 3 years now I have been shooting weddings, graduation pictures, engagement pictures and family portraits. Here are some recent pictures I did for a family friend...

Tis' the Season...Ugh.

2007-10-09T14:04:00.000-05:00

And so it begins...the flu/cold season! I had my first bout with illness last week. I really thought I was done for. I swear - if someone says cold - I catch one. What I can't get over is how I can have the worst flu bug and Parish won't even catch a sniffle. He has an amazing immune system - I hope that when we have children, they get that from him.

So after I became sick - I decided we needed a change in the house, something that would make us walk into our beautiful home again and say - "YES, no wonder why we bought this house!" So we rearranged. Our living room is really awkward shaped, so there really isn't much to do with it - but we found an arrangement that not only works for the shape of our house, but adds so much more room!

As I was sitting watching TV last night - I looked over to Parish and said..."I really feel like we have everything." In the almost one year that we have been married and living in this house - that is really the first time that I have said that. Not because I felt like I needed more, but because I feel so content...content with my house, my family, my job, my friends - just everything. It's a great feeling...

I am feeling SO much better than I did last week - and who would have thought? All I needed to do was just rearrange!