Recent Pictures

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!

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!

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...

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...

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...

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...

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