Back in the USA and Healthy

Hi - Just a quick note before bed tonight, to let you know that we arrived home on Monday evening to Minneapolis from Mexico...and we are all well. We are not worried about contracting the Swine Flu. I was following it in the news while we were there. The customs official in Mpls, told us there was no worry about us "coming into the states", that "all is under control". I thought perhaps we'd have to answer questions as to "how we felt"...etc. but we didn't. We stayed over with our daughter, and drove home yesterday. I took today off, so I would be well rested from the trip. It is good to be back in the USA! (Even if it is only 43 degrees here today!) The wedding was beautiful, beautiful, beautiful! And, we all had a wonderful time. It was VERY hot there, too hot for me. I am not a beach person, so I didn't get sunburned, but most every one else did...even though they used sun screen! It was a beautiful place and the wedding was very beautiful. I've posted some wedding photos.

More - wedding reception

First Dance

The Wedding Reception

Cutting the Cake

Wedding Photos - The Ceremony

The wedding of our son and his girl Sarah was held on April 24, 2009, 5 pm - at the Palace Spa Resort, Riveria Maya, Cancun, Mexico.

It was attended by 28 persons, who traveled there from Minnesota. Scott's family, brother Rob, Sister Dawn, Brother in Law Bob, Mother and Dad (Linda and Bob). Sarah's brother Brian, and her parents Cindee and Dan. The other guests in attendance were the wedding party and friends of both Scott and Sarah.

The Bride Arrives

Our Boys

The Groomsmen

The Groom's Brother and Sister

The Ceremony

The Gazebo is by the water

The Wedding Site - Maya Riveria, Mexico

One of the photos after the wedding

Her youngest brother is getting married

Sarah's Attendants

It was a beautiful ceremony. Music by a violinist. A dinner followed, with us all being seated on the outside veranda of a great steak house. The bride and groom and all their young friends, completed the evening dancing at a disco until the wee hours of the morning. The parents of the groom didn't make it much past midnight!

Back in the USA - AND Healthy!

Hi - Just a quick note before bed tonight, to let you know that we arrived home on Monday evening to Minneapolis from Mexico...and we are all well. We are not worried about contracting the Swine Flu. I was following it in the news while we were there. The customs official in Mpls, told us there was no worry about us "coming into the states", that "all is under control". I thought perhaps we'd have to answer questions as to "how we felt"...etc. but we didn't.

We stayed over with our daughter, and drove home yesterday. I took today off, so I would be well rested from the trip.

It is good to be back in the USA! (Even if it is only 43 degrees here today!) The wedding was beautiful, beautiful, beautiful! And, we all had a wonderful time. It was VERY hot there, too hot for me. I am not a beach person, so I didn't get sunburned, but most every one else did...even though they used sun screen!

To The Wedding We Go

Rob, Bob and I are in Hudson with our daughter and son in law. We drove down this afternoon. We are all packed and ready to fly out of the Mpls. airport tomorrow morning for Cancun, Mexico. The "big event" happens at 5 pm on Friday evening. The bride and groom flew down with her parents on Sunday, so by Friday they should be all relaxed and ready to tie the knot. I have my dressy Mother of the Groom dress and Bob has his fancy tuxedo, Father of the Groom - the jacket is white with black pin stripes. We have to carry it, as it won't fit in our suitcases.

Our daughter and son in law, Bob will be flying with us. It's a four hour flight... I'm going to have to get up and walk around in the plane, or I won't be able to move if I sit that long! I brought a book or two to read.

Looks like it may be rainy here by the weekend, so it will be nice to be away from Minnesota.

Well, so long until our return on Monday. I'll post wedding pictures when I get back (of course I have my camera along!!!)

Hoping you all have a good week!

Evening of Hope (For Breast Cancer) May 7th

http://www.acseveningofhope.org/

Check this site out. It is about our FIRST GALA ever in Duluth, fundraiser for Breast Cancer. It is going to be a great event, lots of fun, a 4 course dinner at the Top of the Harbor, Radisson. "Cure is in the Bag" silent auction, mystery keys, pink martinis, entertainment. It is May 7th, consider attending, you won't be sorry. You can buy your ticket through the web site, http://www.acseveningofhope.org/ or call our local American Cancer Society Office.

Resurrection People

In the nervous silence of our doubts,
we are aware of nothing but your absence, Jesus,
and we begin to wonder whether the rumors of your death are true;
Then suddenly, you are among us,
your presence so real we can almost touch you
And we realize that there is nothing to fear,
that the worst that the world can throw at us
is insufficient to suppress the inexorable rising of resurrection.
We offer our praise, Jesus, and our thanks
for your life that cannot be quenched,
that fills us now,
and that calls us to be resurrection people.

Fundraiser for Josh

Duluth East senior Josh Sorvik was in a bad skiing accident a few weeks ago that has left him currently paralyzed from the mid-back down. Bridgeman's owners, Jay and Emily Broman are having a fundraiser for him the next two Sunday nights (April 19 & 26) from 6-9 PM at Bridgeman's! Please stop by for FREE FOOD! That's right - free! All they ask is that you give a donation to the Sorvik family to help with expenses incurred from Josh's accident. Josh has been a server at Bridgeman's.

We do not know Josh or his family, be we feel compassion for them. Bob and I are getting ready to head to Bridgeman's. This fundraiser is also next Sunday from 6 - 9. If you live in Duluth or our Duluth area, please consider helping this family.

Our Preoccupation with "Proof"

Today's message at Hope UMC was about the Apostle Thomas, when he first saw the resurrected Lord. A reminder that we are to trust our spiritual sight.

Lord, we confess our pre-occupation with Proof.
Too often we muffle faith and hand the microphone to Proof.
We'll move if Proof says so.
We'll act if Proof gives the okay.
Lord, as you did not abandon Thomas to his unbelief,
Do not abandon us to our unbelief.
God, you hear our cries for help and answers.

God, you know how we struggle to believe what we can't see or touch.
God, we believe that you are at work in our lives even where we cannot see.
Help us to trust our spiritual sight more each day.

My Son...Married?

But, my in writing about Scott getting married....I still can't believe that my baby boy could actually be taking the big step. It makes me have to accept now, that my children are all grown and are all adults. That is often very hard to do, especially for us Mothers. Almost NINE years, he and Sarah have been together, I had to know it was coming...but now it is here!

Treated Myself

So, in getting ready for the wedding I just wrote about, today I treated myself...or should I say, I gave my feet a treat. I always heard raves about "pedicures" and how wonderful they were...but never had one until last summer. It was wonderful. It was my first one, and today I had my second one. I was sitting in the chair that gives an automatic massage on my back, as my feet were soaking in nice hot water spa, and wondered to myself why I waited so long to get my second one. Especially when she started to massage my feet and my legs. It felt so so good! It was really a luxuious feeling! Now, my feet are all ready for the sandals I will be wearing this week, and my red toe nails look pretty spiffy!

One luxury I allowed myself this past year, after getting my first in February a year ago - nails, manicure... my nails never looked so nice, and I decided after 39 years of marriage and 3 kids, I would allow myself to have nice nails! Tuesday is the day I get them fixed for the wedding. Thursday I had a "fix" on my hair color, so now all I have to do is pack. (AND get through one more hectic day at the office! (Monday). Bob picked up his tux yesterday. The guys got haircuts, we are all about ready for the big day!

You Didn't Know?

Did you say you didn't know we are going to Mexico this week? Some of you may not know, as I have really not written about it. We have known since last August that we are going. You see, our youngest son, Scott is getting married, they are getting married next Friday at the Maya Riveria Resort in Cancun, Mexico! Any of you that have been around me for that last few months do know about the wedding though. It sounds like it will be a lovely wedding, very formal. The Fathers have to wear tuxdeos, (Bob is going to try to cram his into our suitcase, I tell him I don't think that will work...) . I guess even though it's on the beach, it's not beachy wear. I've heard from many these past few months that the "young" are having "destination" weddings, and even if they are on the beach, they are "Very Formal" events. One of my friends was at a resort earlier this winter and she said there were at least 5 weddings while they were there, and they were all on the beach, and very formal. So, that is what's in now.

My daughter and I have our "formal" wear. I'm worried about the oldest son, he is not a
"formal" guy and is resisting me when I keep questioning what he is wearing. I wish he were in the wedding then I wouldn't need to worry...it would be a tuxedo! However, Scott has so many friends, that he probably had a hard time narrowing down that he probably didn't think of brother! However, he is an adult - so don't feel I can harrass him too much about what he wears. He is "his own man". He doesn't have a girl he has to answer to either. Well, like so many other things about the wedding, I guess I just can't worry, and I just have to "let go". I plan to relax and take everything in stride and have a wonderful time.

SPRING IS HERE!

Spring IS coming....yesterday it hit 70 in Duluth, it was a most welcome day for all Duluthians! Coming home from work, it seemed like everyone was out working in their yard, sitting on their porch or walking! The snow is finally disappearing from even our Woodland neighborhood. Yeah! We see grass...not green grass, but alas - it IS grass! Now in Duluth, when we have nice days we have to really take advantage of them because we don't know if the NEXT day will be the same. And it wasn't. Today's high might have been 45. No sun, very cloudy. Maybe rain tomorrow? The weatherman says it has been too long since we've had rain, that it's been very dry. So, guess we do need rain. It will wash the icky stuff away, and bring out the green. Although, I do hope that it rains while we are in Mexico so that when we come back things look cleaner and a bit greener.... is that too much to hope for?

Easter at Grandma's

We always had Easter dinner after church at Grandma's house (Grandma on my Mother's side). This is a photo of my cousin Bev and my sister Julie and myself. She always had the best dinner. We would see our cousin, Pam from Lancaster that we didn't see very often. The cousin in this picture I was able to see almost every Sunday, as they came to the same church as us. She and I were always close. My other cousins on my Mother's side all lived in Arizona, so it was always special when they would come, usually in the summer, for a visit. (I've written about some of those visits). I have no photos of them at all. My uncle was always taking pictures, and all his photos are with his oldest daughter, and she promises that she and her husband are going through them, and I hope to get copies some day.

In Fairness to my Younger Siblings

Ahhh in fairness to my younger siblings, I'd better add this photo of us three older siblings when we were little. The darling blondie is the brother we lost in '03.

Easter Memories

Tim, Julie and Mark

I was age 13, 14 and 15 when our youngest siblings were born. I owned a brownie camera then too, that I bought with strawberry picking money earned. So, I have quite a lot of photos of them when they were young. Here is one that is labeled Easter, 1965. I would have been in Senior High then. I also have a few others that I will post... that were taken on Easter Sundays...

My baby sister Julia, would have been 3 in this photo. And, tomorrow she has a birthday, she reads these posts, so I won't say her age, but I think it would be alright to say she is over 40 and as her big sister, I absolutely can't believe that she is over 40 or that my baby brothers are over 40...you know what age bracket that puts their big sister and brothers in don't you!

Happy Easter to All!

This morning's sermon at Hope UMC was "God's Day". Easter IS God's Day. We thank God for this Easter Day, with its promise of new life and new opportunities. We thank God for giving us his "only begotten Son", for our eternal life. (John 3:16) Alleluia!

Christ Is Risen!

On this day, we celebrate resurrection, Christ is risen.
Christ is risen indeed!
Friendship once killed by frosty misunderstanding,
Blooms again in warm reconciliation.
Hopes glimmering and gone are rekindled,
By expressions of caring.
Faith, dulled by lack of exercise,
Dances again to God's everyday rhythms.
We come to worship the God whose resurrection power lives,
for Christ is risen.
Christ is Risen indeed!

-- "Because He lives I can face tomorrow....because I know He holds the future....and life is worth the living, just because he lives!"