Our church is gone.

Long day and too tired to write much about this. But it’s a super sad thing. I just loved that building. Now it’s gone. All that aside, the new friends and community we’ve found there remain. And so do we.
Here’s a real good story in our paper

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*Almost* all Minnesota cousins represented.

Last weekend, while Ben was still in North Dakota, I took the kids over to my Uncle Dick’s house for his 70th birthday gathering. 70!? I can barely believe it. I think he is permanently 60 and change in my mind. He may not realize it but I love him a lot. I hope I’ve told him often enough. I love you, Dick Parker! And I STILL have the bear you gave me on my BIRTH day!

Anyway, for a rare moment all the Minnesota cousins of the Parker clan were together with all their offspring. We got some pics! And then, just when we dispersed because of multiple crying babies we realized Hannah, our youngest Minnesota cousin was sitting in a patio chair 10 feet away! She thought it was for the mom cousins. Time to get out the clone tool, Dick!

Look at all those beautiful ladies! And a few young gents, too…

Volition.

Lewis often runs inside while I’m still getting the girls out of the car and immediately starts doing something before I even get to the door. It’s as if he’s had some kind of idea and been itching to try it out those last few blocks home in the car. The other day he had raced in and jumped onto the couch,  pulling a bunch of covers over himself to hide. And a week or so ago I could hear the toy electric guitar jamming as I neared the back door. When I finally got into the kitchen I found this:


“Momma, don’t I look like a rock star?”