Flu

A major part of my blogging break was due to the dreaded flu.  Despite getting my flu shot, the bug that's ravaging through the country this season hit me hard.  I cannot remember the last time I was so sick.  Thankfully, my doctor is awesome and put me on Tamiflu, a pain med and Rx strength cough syrup so I was only down for the count for 4 days. 

Jason and Eva stayed as far away as possible and I was that crazy mom who made her kid wear a face mask around the house so that she didn't catch anything. I don't need my angel having to go through what I did!

16,000 Views

I've been so bad lately I didn't even realize we flew past 16,000 views! Now I really feel guilty :-(

I promise to be better in the coming weeks- we have a Wisconsin trip and lots of fun activities coming up so check back often for some good ol' Parks Family awesomeness.



Duluth!

We are back!!! So sorry for the absence but the blog was acting up and we've just been really busy lately.

As promised, here are the photos from our girls weekend in Duluth. Eva and I went with my Auntie Linda to stay at my cousin Jen & Ben's place. They have a fabulous house up in the hills and their kids- August (6) and Violet (2)- are perfect playmates for Eva.  We hit the harbor, grabbed some pizza, played lots of games, watched the Packers beat the Vikings and had just an awesome weekend overall.

The ocean?? No, just Lake Superior :)

Looking out at their yard from the living room!

Eva made a new 4 legged BFF as well

Fort time

Co Pack Go!

The sad Vikings fans watching their team choke! haha

Remember to cherish the small things, for one day you will look back and realize they were the big things.

Zonked out on the ride home

Checking In

Just wanted to let everyone know that I have not forgotten about you!! There is a problem with the photo upload function on the blog right now and since I know you don't all come here for my poetic writings and philosophical ramblings, I'm waiting until I can upload the ever popular photos of Eva doing whatever it is that she does everyday :)

Stay tuned!

Merry Christmas

Christmas is over- I'm a wee bit sad- but it was so wonderful and relaxing that I really can't complain.  We were greeted with lovely zero degree weather, had 16 family members over to our new place for Christmas Eve dinner of Swedish pot roast and ham and the spent Christmas daily entirely in our PJs- not doing a single productive thing!

This year we did "no batteries" for Eva's gifts so everything she received was pretty simple, but she loved them all. Tons of puzzles, things for arts and crafts, clothes and- of course- candy in her stocking.

I pray everyone had a joy filled Christmas as well and is looking forward to 2013 as much as I am!

Christmas is not a time nor a season, but a state of mind.

To cherish peace and goodwill, to be plenteous in mercy, is to have the real spirit of Christmas. ~Calvin Coolidge 

Pretty dress + holding Mommy's hand + listening to Pastor Eric during the Children's sermon

The season is not complete without watching A Christmas Story!

mmmm breakfast

wearing the scarf Baba knit her as a hat- silly girl!

Holiday Cheer

MIA Birthday Week

As many of you know my birthday celebration usually lasts a whole week and I take tons of photos and I blog about it and it’s just a really fun time of the year (for me).  Last Wednesday I spent with my dad- we went to the Cafeteria in Uptown and then saw a really cool documentary about global warming.  Thursday was fabulous, I went to Benihana with 7 of my bestest girlfriends in the whole wide world and then hit up a local bar afterwards. And then Friday came.

I was on my way to south Minneapolis for training when the announcement came on MPR that the shooting they’d be covering in Connecticut had fatalities.  26 fatalities. 20 of them little children.  It felt like someone punched me in the stomach.  I had to slow down and breath deep and once I was off the freeway I called my mom, Jason, my friend LaRae and my best friend Maria and I just cried on the phone with each of them.

I don’t know if it’s the fact that we’re deciding kindergarten for Eva right now (and by right now I mean literally right now, this week we are filling out the paperwork) and the children killed were in kindergarten or if I would have been this affected if they were older but this whole, sad story has really shaken me. I cried a lot the first few days and I've cried at least a few tears every day since.  I'll get back to my normal, post happy self soon enough, but for now I'm just so sad.

And the NRA proposal today that all schools should have armed guards would be laughable if people weren't so quick to sign on.  There was an armed Sheriff at Columbine- he had worked there for over 2 years- and well, we all know how that turned out.

Rest sweetly little angels, you will be missed dearly...