Denver Getaway

Hi!

I am feeling like I want a separate place just for family and friends where I can post our more personal pictures.  Some stories and videos I may not want the whole world to view, and yet with our move overseas, I want to keep even more connected than I am now.  So, shhhh  . . .  I am resurrecting this site.  Do me  favor and don't post the address on your blogs, but feel free to come back and check it often. It will be a quieter site.  (I tried to do this one other time, too, "Parker Family Journey" . . . sorry for the confusion on that.  Just go ahead and delete that one!)

So, go ahead and feel free to leave lots of comments.  I am not going to give this address out to many people, so it will be a bit more private. You can totally share the link with family/friends, but I won't be posting it on the other, more public site, Life Overseas.   :)

And for our first little post, here's a slideshow I put together with Kelty of our family getaway a few weeks ago to a hotel in Denver. . .  Enjoy.

Love you guys. 

Parker Family Christmas

Front:  Mia, Kelty, Shannon, Bryce, Chad, Kaitlyn

Back:  Matt, Ava, Laura, David (Papa), Cade, Cynthia (Nana)

We made so many memories with Matt's family over Christmas break.  The five cousins (ages 6, 4, 3, 2, and 1) played tremendously together.  I can just see Bryce and Kaitlyn and our kids becoming good friends over the years, and watching them play was one of the highlights of the trip.  We enjoyed the Parker-traditional sirloin tips for our Christmas evening meal after opening presents, and no one fought (too badly) over all the new toys.   Chad and Matt got to steal away for a mountain bike ride on another afternoon, and we were able to make a trip to the NC mountains to visit with the Smelser side of the family (also a blast) where we met another cousin for the first time, little Britton.  We hadn't seen many of those precious folks for several years, so it was nice to have time to catch up with them . . . and play games, of course, complete with prizes.  Connection with family is such a gift . . .

Cade "feeling the music" with his new "rock guitar" and Kelty's microphone.

Nothing quite like a Grandmother's hugs and love.

And some more favorites from the trip . . .

(click to enlarge)

. . . and Mom Got the Flamingo

Living a 24-hour drive away from family, the 10 days we spent over the holidays with our families in NC were precious. There really is nothing like family . . .

Front:  Kelty, Michelle, Grandma, Mom

Back:  Matt, Cade, Ava, Laura, Steven, Cassie, Amy, Will, Dad

Napping and Not Pictured:  Gannon

Quick Snapshots of Time with the Ragan/Abels/Stewart/Parker Clan:

1.  Dance-Offs in the Living Room, including a choreographed number to "Battlefield" by Amy, Kelty, and Myself.

2.  In true Southern fashion, shooting the ol' gun off the back porch at targets in the field behind the house.

3.  Smore's with a firepit and Christmas lights.

4.  Reading Amy's middle school love letters, including the now-famous quote:  "Please don't hate my gutes."

5.  Girls-Day Out.

6.  An epic meltdown from my kids on Christmas night.

7.  Playing with Gannon, our first cousin on my side of the family.

8. After gun-shooting, classic rummy, a fast spoons game and several rounds of "Time's Up", Mom took home the treasured Pink Flamingo  . . .

until the next family competition.

9.  A meal (that only took three hours to cook) from Julia Child's cookbook, thanks to Amy and Cassie.  And, yes, it included real hollandaise sauce.

10.  Squirrel-stories.  That's all I need to say about that.

The Sisters:  Me, Amy, Cassie

Some more . . .  Click to enlarge.

Each time I walk away from time with my family, I am reminded of how good it is to be known by a group of people who love you anyway and who will stick with you for the long-haul.  As I've gotten older, I see that no one is thrilled with your own kids like your own parents and siblings, and I have grown to appreciate how much I just laugh when I get to go home.  And that's a gift enough in itself.