Vida Loca De Los Parkers

2011-04-05T19:52:00.000-04:00

Hey!! We're over HERE!

Goodbye

2011-03-22T20:13:00.000-04:00

Well, it looks like we don't have an technically gifted people that read this blog. We tried to get around this whole, "You have to buy more storage" problem, but we couldn't. Does blogger not want to support the common folk?

Some of us have a hard time saying goodbye to things. Old sneakers. Papers. Houses. Pets. Blogs. Yes, even blogs. Which sounds incredibly pathetic to even type out. A lot of life has been documented on this blog. Don't worry, we'll spare you the "Life that Happened on this Blog" list.

On the flip side, maybe it is time to take the rug out and give it a good beating. Ya know, switch things up a bit. Spring cleaning. Looking forward, not back. And whatever deep, poetic idea that you want to give it..

We're at an interesting time in our family life with the possibility of our mentors moving to a place that requires a puddle jumper plane to get there.

Please follow along with us here.

BUT, if you want to end your journal with us here, we totally understand. No hard feelings. Really, how many fuzzy pictures can you look at?

The new blog is like a new pair sneakers. Or a new haircut. You gotta get used to it and make it feel homey. It's a work in progress.

So, GOODBYE blog.

(How can we say goodbye to parents when we can't say goodbye to a blog? We're doomed.)

PS: We've learned to post a little less pictures over the years. But if we're around in another 4 years, we need to win a badge or gain an advertisement on the sidebar. Who's rich?? Any takers?

Three Statements

2011-03-20T21:03:00.000-04:00

3 (Life Changing) Statements

1. Mom & Dad signed up for cable. It's basic cable with only 10 channels (the channels that are normally free for people that live in normal areas), but it's still cable and for the first time in 29 1/2 years of marriage, they can say, "I have cable."

2. After some searching, this group is willing to consider teaming up with Mom & Dad. That's if they pass all the tests and interviews and if the group decides that Mom and Dad are sane and stable. (That's a big IF).

3. After 4 years of blogging, this blog is coming to an end. Jokes. Well, maybe. Blogger automatically saves all the pictures on this blog into a Picasa Album. This blog has about 2,000 pictures saved up and they want us to fork out some cash money to add more storage. We can't/won't buy more storage (See life changing statement #2). We are unable to upload anymore pictures until we figure this out. So, to all the technologically gifted people out there...please send comments and ideas on how to fix this. Until then, posts will be few and will be all words and no pictures (b-o-r-i-n-g).

Sunday Snoozers

2011-03-14T13:20:00.000-04:00

Cable Guy

2011-03-13T21:20:00.000-04:00

There are a lotta changes that have come about because of THE MOVE. One change is that Chuck & Shelly can no longer bank on free TV. They now live in um, how shall we put it...a less populated area, and they can only pick up 3 TV channels on cloudy days. It must be cloudy, they must sit in a specific spot and hold their hands just right.

When it's not cloudy and there's something important to watch (Super Bowl, ACC Basketball Championship), they go to their neighbor's house. Their neighbors, the Suits, have basic cable. Cable that costs $13 and gives you all the free TV shows and the TV Guide channel. What a rip off!! (They got tired of waiting for cloudy days and holding their hands just right.) The deal is that the Suits provide the house and TV and the Parkers provide the food. It's worked out so far!

Here are the men watching UNC lose to Duke today.

Caption Please

2011-03-13T11:16:00.000-04:00

"Hey Anna, watch me slap him into next week"

"Hey Kent, train your dog"

"Patch, check out my karate/dance moves"

"Sorry guys, I didn't have any clean black pants"

"Can I have just one chocolate chip, white chocolate chunk cookie?"

"Are you sure we can't squeeze 3 on that couch?"

Girls Night

2011-03-12T23:10:00.001-05:00

The only requirement for this Girls Night was you had to wear tight, black pants..and everybody who showed up did so a good time was had by all. We let Patch slide twice (1. A male 2. No tight, black pants. It's been a long week & we weren't ready for the fight. Maybe next time?)

R & R

2011-03-12T13:07:00.000-05:00

Guess who's on Spring Break...

Career Day

2011-03-11T23:07:00.000-05:00

For Career Dress Up Day students thought that Mrs. Suits was just a Doctor. They didn't know that she actually wants to BE Dr. Chuck Parker. Don't you? And after knowing him for a solid 24 years, she's close to perfecting the Dr. CHP look.

Also known as the..."Gretta!!! Gretta, get Shelly on the phone. Is it 1PM? I need a nap. I just ate fiber cereal from a Styrofoam cup while walking to the hospital. Gretta!!! Is that a Drug Rep? Are my rooms full? I guess I'll take time to breathe when I retire. Retire? I need sugar. I can't eat sugar. Gretta!!!" look.

Choice 2

2011-03-11T14:11:00.000-05:00

Or would you rather have a Skype date with this guy? He talks with an Italian Mobster/Rocky Balboa accent. Like, "Yo, Adrienne..." or "Leave the gun, take the cannoli..." Tempting, right?

Skype Invite

2011-03-10T18:10:00.000-05:00

Would you like to Skype with us? It would make your day. Just ask Anna...

Tiny Abode

2011-03-07T21:58:00.000-05:00

LIFE UPDATE

The House on Yachting Road (Moment of Silence, please...) sold in about 4 weeks as For Sale By Owner. It was during the chaos of Christmas that the buyers started to look at it. We've already established that it was like God dropped an anvil on our heads as a big ol' sign. They closed on the house at the end of January.

From there, Charles & Michele moved into a 698 sq. ft. apartment. They're now neighbors of Kent and Kaitlin (about a 3 minute drive) Their rent is c-h-e-a-p. The kind of rent that poor college kids would drool over. We'll just say that it's less than $501 dollars.

There's no dishwasher.

There's no ice maker.

Jokes! (Sorta) Here are some pictures when they were first moving in. This is the kitchen, dining room and laundry room.

Also the kitchen

Bathroom

They rigged a mirror for the bathroom eventually

Living Room

Their bedroom. That's pretty much the width of it. There's a 2ft space around the bed to walk around.

They debated between different places to rent, but there were 2 things that finally sold them on this place...

The first thing was the Intercom system, that no longer works, from the 70's. It gives it the antique feel that Ma loves. Yes, the 70's is considered antique now.

And the #1 thing was.....bada bing bada boom....the built in fish tank!!! When they saw this they said, "Stick a fork in us. The search is over."

*This fish tank is no longer able to carry fish.

Their first visitor!

Our two wild love birds... following Jesus & learning how to squeeze 10 lbs of sugar in a 5 lb bag (The answer is storage units. Or, as Robin likes to call them, sheds).

Conversations

2011-03-04T17:01:00.000-05:00

2 (hypothetical, totally made up, don't sue us) conversations between a (hypothetical, totally made up, don't sue us) 3rd grade teacher and a (hypothetical, totally made up, don't sue us) 3rd grade student....

#1 Setting: In the doorway of the classroom

Boy Student: Can I take my book to the bathroom while I poop?
Teacher: No
Student: But it's my book!
Teacher: No

#2 At the lunch table

Girl Student: Do you have any kids?
Teacher: No, just a husband and a dog.
Student: Do you want kids?
Teacher: Yes. Do you?
Student: Yes
Teacher: You will be a good Mom someday
Student: Well, let me ask you a question
Teacher: Okay
Student: What are some jobs that don't acquire you to do division? 'Cause my Mom says EVERY job requires division.
Teacher: Wow, every job?
Student: Yeah, even being a Mom
Teacher: Yeah, like if you have 4 kids and 20 muffins. How many muffins would each kid get?
Student: (panicked) I DON'T KNOW!!!
Teacher: Your kids are going to starve!

A Letter

2011-02-28T20:11:00.000-05:00

Dear Parker Family,

Ten and a half years ago, you bolted through my doors. You were a family made up of awkward teens and preteens, a hard working Mom and a Dad ready to start flying solo with his medical profession. You drove many hours to reach me. A family from the North relocating to the sunny South.

When you saw my empty rooms, backyard and pool you exclaimed, “This place is TOO nice for us!” over and over again. It didn’t take long for you to settle right into me. You filled each one of my rooms with your stuff. You slept in my four bedrooms. One in particular you painted blue, then pink, then yellow. Thank you for the change of scenery.

I felt the piles of laundry build up on those floors. The rooms were a place for doing homework, talking to friends and prepping for spontaneous fashion shows. I saw the excitement as you got ready for proms, graduations, concerts, games and weddings. My walls heard sermons being prepped. Secrets being told.

You filled my dining room with countless meals. Meals with family and with friends. You sat and ate for hours as I listened into the conversations. At times they were fun, sad, angry, confused, deep conversations. You filled this room with balloons and streamers for every birthday.

Thank you for the smell of delicious food in my kitchen. I watched as meals were whipped up in five minutes. Other times crock pots ran all morning and novice chefs dissected recipes. My sink felt heavy with dishes, my island was covered in mail. You filled my kitchen walls with sadness early on when you heard of Grandpa Jack’s death. You made my kitchen one of the main meetings spots.

You gathered for holidays. I heard you sing Christmas carols in the dark of my living room with only the tree to light up the room. You exchanged gifts. You scattered wrapping paper on my floors. You devoured turkey and mashed potatoes. You stuck heart stickers on my windows.

You filled my garage with toys, cars and tools. You worked out and hid Christmas presents there. Your dog greeted people with a wagging tail and fat lump. In the Fall, leaves and dog hair blew across the floor. Please tell Chuck that the messy garage was always okay with me. It was a sign of family and of busy lives. Four new drivers drove into my driveway.

I held my breath.

Above the garage, you watched countless hours of TV (Please tell Shelly that was okay too), cheered for football teams and played on the computer. I heard you fight for computer and phone time. I listened as the newly engaged couple crept up the stairs at Midnight to tell everyone the big news.

My yard gave you time in the spring and summer to relax and have fun. You ran around, attacked fire ant hills and called for your dog to come back. In my pool you raced, floated and talked. I felt hair clippings drop on my porch and felt the tug of the porch swing.

Parker Family, I have watched you grow for ten years. Thank you for filling my walls with memories.

Love,

Your House on Yachting Road

Pretty Woman

2011-02-22T16:36:00.000-05:00

Introducing...Kenny & The Hebrew Scholars
Singing...Pretty Woman
Starring...Kent Suits on drum

*This video falls under the "You know you're in seminary when..." category.

*Kent's disclaimer is that at the beginning he's not off beat. The music is.

*Kait's disclaimer is that she has tried to get rid of the shiny Nike running jacket, but hasn't had any success yet.

Enjoy.

Ishah Yafah from Brooks on Vimeo.

Dinner for 3

2011-02-15T08:00:00.001-05:00

Mom & Dad adopted Kait for Valentine's Day while Kent was at class. Check out Mom's fancy table setup. HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!!! Go hug someone you love.

The After Party

2011-02-14T22:53:00.001-05:00

Dad opened presents

Oliver hung out with the us

We laughed

Ben thought about life

Dorks

2011-02-14T19:52:00.000-05:00

More "Let's not look like dorks when we take pictures in the restaurant" Pictures

Dinner

2011-02-13T20:34:00.000-05:00

Friday was Father Charles' birthday. We got together that night at Carrabbas for dinner (thanks to Mom and Dad's gift card.. woot!) The After Party was held at the Parker II's House (Cake, Games, Tours of the House). Mom took most of the pictures, but she can't find her camera cord so we have to settle for this one. It's the "Let's not look like a dork in the restaurant by letting the camera flash go off" picture. It's also only part of our table- Birthday Boy and Anna. So, a big HAPPY BIRTHDAY to the Renter of a 698 sq. ft. house and our great Dad. We love you!

Math

2011-02-09T17:41:00.001-05:00

2(Girls)+Redbox Movie+Ice Cream(Bunny Tracks + Berry Me Please)=Girls Night

Play date

2011-02-08T17:39:00.000-05:00

The cousins got together for a pre-game play date on Sunday. Oliver (the Gentle Giant) plays so nicely with his younger cousin, Patch (the Mini Menace).

They got nice and muddy

Oliver says, "What the heck, you're giving up already?"

"Okay, I'll join you."

Patch says, "Sike!! I'm a mini menace!!!"

They wanted to know if the game was over yet.

"Mom? Dad? Really...."

"I can hear youuuuu"

House on Yachting Road

2011-02-06T22:31:00.001-05:00

It's days like today that make us miss the House on Yachting Road (which is what we call it now) very much. We'll all miss it at different times and for different reasons. For different lengths of time. The House on Yachting Road still belongs to Mom and Dad for the next few days, but it sits empty (and lonely). It's hard to have a Super Bowl gathering in an empty house. Today would've been the day where we came over for lunch, slept all afternoon, and then we would've woken up and watched the game. Instead we did lunch (potluck style) at Kent and Kait's and then some of us crammed into their FROG and watched the game. But of course it's different than sprawling out like we used to. It's an adjustment.

2011-02-06T20:48:00.000-05:00

We're back with more blogging in REAL TIME. We know you're watching the Super Bowl and then the commercials so you're not checking blogs, but we wanted to let you know that....we're doing the same thing!!! Sara is especially into the game this year.

Please excuse the photo quality. And the fact that Dad is wearing a $3 Alabama sweatshirt from a thrift store.

Real Time

2011-02-06T17:31:00.000-05:00

Thanks to modern technology (laptops that take pictures) we're able to blog in REAL TIME. As in, as this blog is posted, this is what we look like! Do you feel like a part of the Parkers? If you do, don't you feel loved and special? Set apart maybe? We're used to it.

Wes and Shelly are resting up at the Suits Casa for the big game tonight. Who are you rooting for?

Put Me In Coach...

2011-02-05T13:58:00.000-05:00

Coach Parker and his Eagles finished their basketball season this morning. They made it to the playoffs this year! This is Wesley's first year as assistant coach. He was made for coaching (can someone say "competitive"?) but he might need a towel to bite on to keep from yelling too much.

The team

The middle school guys on his team are just so precious!

AKA

2011-02-03T20:47:00.000-05:00

Big Mama Camera and Baby Camera

....

Also known as Sara's camera and Anna's camera

Shout Out

2011-02-01T21:58:00.001-05:00

Hop on over here to see Sara's first photography workshop!

Greetings

2011-01-31T09:41:00.001-05:00

Ben and Victor say, "Happy Monday."

Slumber Party

2011-01-30T13:12:00.001-05:00

In the midst of the chaos, The Grandparents kindly had granddoggy, Patch, over for a slumber party. He came with a backpack full of toys.

"Yo, I'm ready to play"

Grand Total

2011-01-29T23:12:00.000-05:00

It has been Ma's dream to have a yard sale for awhile and she did it! Her total sale amount was.....drum roll please....about $500!!! She could've made more on furniture, but we pretty much put dibs on everything in the house. Details are coming about Chuck & Shelly's Grand Adventure in life, but things are starting to settle back down now and we're catching our breath.

Last Sunday

2011-01-29T17:10:00.000-05:00

Packing up a

house can

really wear

you out.

Manly Bonding

2011-01-24T18:00:00.001-05:00

Here are the handsome men in our life. They were bonding.

Surfs Up

2011-01-24T14:57:00.000-05:00

Anna took her mattress out with style...mattress surfing!!

24

2011-01-23T18:50:00.001-05:00

Kait turned 24 today and we had our last Sunday lunch together in the house.

We ate lots and lots of chocolate

Snazzy decorations for the last b'day party!

6 Months

2011-01-23T09:48:00.000-05:00

In a mere 6 months we'll all be back together again for the Annual Parker Beach Trip. The house is reserved. We can't wait to relive moments like this jumping picture from last year. 6 months is also 1/2 year, but saying "6 months" sounds like a whole lot less time. It gives us something to look forward to!

And if we could just zoom in on the picture for a second and butcher Sara's photograph (Sorry, Sara!)... you will see pure J-O-Y on Dad's face. When all is said and done in the world, this is how we should all remember Dr. Chuck Parker. Frame it. Put it on your fridge. This guy is fun. And he's ready for another week at the beach. Love you, Pops.

2011-01-22T09:07:00.001-05:00

Let's face it...moving sucks

Packing Pics

2011-01-21T21:06:00.000-05:00

Click

2011-01-20T18:10:00.000-05:00

Click here to find out about the best yard sale you'll ever lay eyes on!! Come buy stuff, carry stuff away when we're not looking, say hi and possibly bring food. Rain or shine!

Genes

2011-01-20T09:07:00.000-05:00

Although we're busy throwing away every memory that we've ever had (is that a little on the dramatic side?) We made sure to stop when we saw this total hunk highschooler. Ma, how did you get so lucky? Dad, thanks for the good genes and nice hair.

MIA

2011-01-19T20:52:00.001-05:00

This post should really be another Wordless Wednesday because the following pictures speak for themselves. But, we'll explain some events that go along with them. We've been MIA because...

1. The first week of December, Chuck & Shelly put a sign in their (beautiful, large, welcoming) yard that goes along with their (beautiful, large, welcoming) home. The sign read "For Sale by Owner."

2. And 4 weeks later they had a contract on their house (Merry Christmas). This is the part where everybody says things like, "Wow, think about the economy, housing market and the price of milk these days"

In the past 6 weeks God has done everything but open the skies and shine a glorious light over Chuck, Shelly and their house. It's a God Thing.

3. The kids went through the house and made a list of anything that they wanted or needed from the house. It was all fair game. Wes was the last to submit his list. Who's surprised? We love you, Wes. It was a semi-creepy feeling to walk through the house and call dibs on the things that your healthy and relatively young parents were just using a week ago.

4. Yesterday they rented a 700 sq. ft. house that is 15 minutes from their house. The rent is...well... a whole lot cheaper.

5. The closing date on their house is January 28th.

6. The current state of the house is summed up in the pictures below. And that's why we've been MIA.

Wordless Wednesday

2011-01-12T16:29:00.001-05:00

The State Newspaper

2011-01-07T22:34:00.000-05:00

MA IS FAMOUS. First she meets Willie Nelson (The video is no longer online. Lame!) and now her comment is in the newspaper. If you don't the background about the Speedy Senator Bauer, do some research, but here's her comment from The State Newspaper on Thursday. Ma, you're spunky and we like it!

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Editorial - Letters

Thursday, Jan. 06, 2011

Thursday’s Letters to the Editor

Bauer interchange gets fast reaction

I see that the Interstate 77-Interstate 26 interchange in Cayce has been renamed “Lt. Governor-Senator Andre Bauer Interchange.”

Will there be new speed limit signs for 100 mph for this section of the road?

Michele Parker

Taking Requests

2011-01-06T13:50:00.000-05:00

If you really want something. Really, really want something. Need something. Gotta have something... Get Chuck to pray for you. Get him to pray for you by name- even if he gets your name wrong when he prays. Then watch out. God answers kneemail (Shout out to cheesy church signs! Woot!) More updates to come, but for now, Chuck is taking prayer requests.

Snow

2011-01-05T18:48:00.000-05:00

Ben & Oliver's snow picture

2011-01-05T18:43:00.003-05:00

and Anna's snow pictures

A Story

2011-01-04T20:43:00.001-05:00

We went to visit Grandma

and tried to avoid Lucy. The end.

Shop till you Drop

2011-01-04T16:42:00.000-05:00

The gals (Mom, Robin, Kait & Anna) always go post Christmas shopping the day after Christmas. This year we waited until Monday, but there were still some Christmas things to look through. Of course we had to stop at Chickfila to refuel.

We started our day with the rented minivan, but switched to a smaller car later in the day. We didn't take into account the smaller car when we bought loads of stuff! Hi Anna!!

We stuffed Mom in the backseat with a drum on Black Friday and then a bucket. What a trooper!

2010

2010-12-31T23:55:00.001-05:00

In 2010 we...

-Celebrated 8 birthdays

-Took 1 beach trip to Edisto

-Finished 1 year of teaching (Wes and Kait)

-Celebrated 3 wedding anniversaries

-Enjoyed 1 SC Blizzard (and another mini blizzard last weekend)

-Finished 1 year of college (Anna)

-Hosted 1 old friend, Bub, from Philadelphia

-Buried 2 dogs

-Took 1 camping trip

-Held 1st ever (and probably only) Parker Costume Party

-Ran 1 marathon (Wes & Sara)

-Took 2 trips to Africa (Dad, then Dad & Mom)

-Bought 1 house (Kent & Kait)

-Worked on 1 family house

-Put 1 house on the market

Are we missing anything?

In a Nutshell

2010-12-31T20:47:00.001-05:00

You've seen our Christmas pictures, but this really captures....

The Joy of Christmas

and the

The Peace of Christmas

Road Trip

2010-12-31T15:47:00.000-05:00

Christmas afternoon we made the trek to Gran (Dad's Mom) and Uncle Ron's house. Mom rented a minivan so we could take fun pictures like this one. Sure you can take these pictures in a regular car, but it's not as much fun. We never had the honor (Oh yes, honor) of owning a minivan. We drove these. And we longed for a minivan.

We met Toby, Gran's 6 month old poodle.

Aunt Martha showed her brother how to use The Droid.

Here we have Chuck (the Baby of the family!!), Aunt Martha, Uncle Ron (who looks a whole lot like Tom Coughlin, the Giants coach) and Gran. Uncle Mike (the oldest Parker) lives in California so we don't see him much (like, ever).

So This is Christmas

2010-12-31T13:45:00.001-05:00

We always have breakfast together after we open our gifts. Ma makes the best breakfast casserole EVER. She used to make it in a 9X13 dish, but this year the dish was smaller...what's up with that, Mom??

K & K's 2nd Christmas together. 3 cheers for festive PJ's!! (Not Kent...lame)

A mini homily/bible reading from the Pastor

Ahhhhhhhh

The kids

Feel the love

Ma & Pa

Dad got Mom an African dress & camping hat. We can tell where his thoughts are these days...

Presents

more presents

and more presents

the presents just keep coming

Let's take one more good look at the dress. It's one size fits all.

Mom got Dad a laptop! He took it right to his room and put in on his dresser for safe keeping.

The dress in action! Saaweeeet.

Christmas Eve

2010-12-31T11:45:00.000-05:00

Ben did the honors of carving the turkey for our Christmas Eve dinner. Mom invited our church friends, Jim & Charlotte. We ate and then sang some Christmas songs by the tree. It was precious.

Patch has male bonding time with Grandpappy.

Ma has cool glasses for the 12 days of Christmas, but when she bought them (or trash picked them? Not sure), there were only 11 days. So, the most people that we can have on Christmas Eve is 11 :)

Christmas Christmas Christmas!

No Joke

2010-12-28T19:33:00.000-05:00

And you thought we were kidding...

Eagles

2010-12-28T18:37:00.000-05:00

We were ready for the Eagles game on Sunday, but it was postponed because of snow (Lame). Anna was decked out with her socks, pants, t-shirt, fleece and blanket. We're pulling it all out again tonight for the game. GO EAGLES. The plan is to cheer and eat Ma's (delish) sausage dip.

Togetherness

2010-12-28T13:23:00.000-05:00

We got together last Tuesday and decided it JUST WASN'T ENOUGH. So, we got together again on Wednesday. Note: the pictures are in random order...

Here we have 4 on a couch.

We played a game after dinner and Anna learned that Bon Jovi and Bono are 2 different guys. Check out Dad's expression in this picture... yikes. Please note: Sara just came from work. She doesn't usually sport such a snazzy outfit.

Finished sugar cookies! YumO.

The first Suits fire. A fire and shorts... it's December in SC!

Anna iced cookies by herself.

Cookies in the making

Dad came to read his bible and show people clips of the Marshall Tucker Band.

Making cookies! Told ya these were in random order.

Away in a Manger

2010-12-28T10:22:00.000-05:00

We found our Baby Jesus on the tree skirt last night. It gives new meaning to the song "Away in a Manger"...

He usually sits in his nativity scene which is really a laundry scooper. Gotta love homemade ornaments! Thanks, Anna. We had a lovely Christmas & we hope you did as well. The pictures are scattered in 3 different cameras. They'll be posted soon!

Pre-Christmas

2010-12-22T22:54:00.000-05:00

You usually only see the finished product of a family picture. Like this one. Parker Christmas 2010. Everybody stand behind their date!

What you don't see is the "Everybody get ready to take a picture" picture. Like this one.

Robin's in town and she brought her famous candy and chocolate covered pretzels. Woot!

Ma wears snazzy Christmas sweaters!

Wes roots for Carolina!

Dad was on call and was around for only 1/2 of the Pre-Christmas Party. Hey, somebody's gotta fund the party. Thanks, Pops.

They're off to Sara's side of the family!

Shots

2010-12-21T15:26:00.000-05:00

Here are some Christmas shots from around the house. Tonight we will enjoy a family gathering as we celebrate pre-Christmas with the Parker II's before they head to Sara's family.

From top: Ben, Kent, Kait, Sara, Wes, Anna & Robin

Anna's one of the many chefs for the "snacky dinner" tonight.

Chili for Chile

2010-12-19T16:21:00.000-05:00

A group of men from our church are going to Chile in January for a missions trip. They're going to work with a family that we knew up in Philly (it's a small world). Today, after church, the men in our church had a Chili for Chile cook off. A bunch of the men made chili and there were 2 judges. Look at all those crockpots! Neither Dad, nor Kent won, but it was fun times and we got to sample a whole lotta chili. A love offering was taken up and the team gained about $1,800 for their trip. PTL. Here's Dad checking out the chili that Ma chose. And yes, Charles wears jeans and a Phillies hoodie to church. You gotta shake these churches up. Actually, some churches need to be shook up, but ours is already pretty shaken :)

PS: The lady in the blue shirt doesn't normally wear sunglasses to Chili Cook Offs. She just had eye surgery.

The Last One

2010-12-14T13:59:00.001-05:00

This will probably be our last Christmas at the Parker Homestead. Hold the tears or let them flow.... Anna took this lovely picture of the living room. Take a second and soak in the holiday warmth. Then come and buy the house so that you can have your own warm, cozy Christmas there. There's room for you too.

Mixed Breed

2010-12-13T14:49:00.000-05:00

This guy is part giraffe.

Sunday Snoozers

2010-12-12T20:07:00.000-05:00

O Christmas Tree

2010-12-12T14:49:00.000-05:00

Now that Anna's home from college, the tree is home for Christmas.

Dad said the process of picking a tree (that was once long, painful and fun) goes by quickly now.

All it needs is lights and ornaments!

'Staches

2010-12-09T13:25:00.001-05:00

** This post is not for the faint of heart. Please avert your eyes if you have a weak stomach...

No Shave November gave way to Tis the Season for 'Staches.

Ew. ew. ew. ew. You will never look at them the same again.

Birthday ParTAY

2010-12-08T20:24:00.000-05:00

Sunday was Anna's 20th birthday so we called the fam together for lunch, cake and presents! Here's the gang. Anna's roomie, Chelsea, came for the weekend.

Kait carrying Ma's lemon cake with care.

Make a wish!!!

Her big gift was a fancy hair straightener. She also got a hat...maybe for bad hair days? Happy Birthday Anna! Welcome to your 20's!!!

Magnet

2010-12-06T20:33:00.000-05:00

A mandatory magnet for any house with kids.

Tomorrow

2010-12-04T21:22:00.000-05:00

Tomorrow will be the first day that Mom & Dad have 4 children who are all in their 20's. 20's?? Time flies when you're having fun...

Alliteration

2010-12-03T13:48:00.000-05:00

Ben's

Big

Boots

*Watch out for your toes.

Cheese Touch

2010-12-02T19:46:00.000-05:00

	From Urban Dictionary: Definition of Cheese Touch:
	"When someone touches a rotten moldy cheese, and is therefore contaminated forever by it." If you have read Diary of Wimpy Kid, if you've seen the movie, if you are a kid, if you have a kid, if you step 1 foot in an elementary school.... you are familiar with The Cheese Touch.

Kent found the Cheese Touch Parker Edition in the Parker Fridge. Ew. ew. ew. ew.

Click here if you believe in YouTube and would like to see a video clip explaining The Cheese Touch.

Black Friday Schedule

2010-11-29T18:12:00.000-05:00

2:30 AM Alarm clock goes off (twice) in Ben's old room

2:45 AM Kait leaves for Khol's

2:59 AM Kait arrives at Khol's and sees a lady coming OUT of Khol's with a bag. Khol's opened at 3AM....supposedly. Liars :)

4:00 AM Mom calls Kait. "Where are you?" "At the mall" "Oh my goodness. Let's meet up" "OK".

4:00 AM Mom wakes Anna up

4:40 AM Anna comes downstairs (looking fab).

5:00 AM The girls all meet up at Khol's (Where we buy things from liars).

6:00 AM Refuel at Bruegger's and talk to Wes and/or Sara.

6:15 AM Anna eats an egg & cheese sandwich that she says is to die for.

7:00-9:00 AM World Market, another store we can't mention (*Santa's work), meet up with Wes & Sara (no picture, it was raining), swap cars, return cars, continue shopping.

*We underestimated Kent's car capacity with his large drum (pronounced duh-jim-bay) and after a few secret purchases. So every time we got in and out of the car, we had to grab the drum, sit Mom down, give her the drum, grab the drum, get Mom out, put the drum back in. She was a trooper.

Back to Work

2010-11-28T17:46:00.000-05:00

We had a great Thanksgiving Holiday & we're looking forward to Christmas! Next, we'll share our Black Friday experience.

Take a Guess

2010-11-28T12:42:00.000-05:00

Guess who splurged and bought a fancy, new car.........

* Our 85 year old Grandmother! She bought it about

a year ago so it's not exactly new :)

Cousins

2010-11-27T20:34:00.000-05:00

The cousins, Oliver and Patch, played and played on Thanksgiving. Oliver did such a nice job playing gentle with his little cousin. Because yes, he could've fit Patch's entire head in his mouth...but he didn't!

This was the best picture we could get with them staying still.

Thanksgiving

2010-11-27T12:34:00.000-05:00

We gathered at the Parker Casa for Thanksgiving this year. Dad's Mom, Gran, and his brother, Ron, joined us. We ate around 1PM. Everybody chipped in and the meal turned out great! Kent cooked bacon.

Dad made stuffing

Kait and Ben prepped cupcakes and a veggie tray

The table

Cool aprons!

Anna & Sara chatted. Anna's pictures will have to be posted. She got some good ones.

Gran helped Mom cook turkey

Sisters, sisterssss...

They played Scrabble (against cheaters somewhere in the world)

We shot basketball and watched the "kids" play.

Needy

2010-11-26T06:29:00.001-05:00

Khol's must really want us this year. 3 of the same thing in 1 newspaper. OK Khol's, we'll see you on Friday, but probably not at 3AM...

Prep

2010-11-25T08:28:00.000-05:00

A few prep pictures from yesterday...

How To

2010-11-22T15:28:00.000-05:00

How to store small ham (*Can also work with large ham).

1. Wrap ham tightly in tinfoil

2. Find a sharpie

3. Put fun face on flat part of ham

4. Store in fridge until next person opens fridge

5. Watch for reaction

Mac-N-Cheese

2010-11-21T15:21:00.000-05:00

Dear Mrs. Shelly Parker,

Eat your heart out.

Sincerely,

Mrs. Kaitlin Suits

Counters

2010-11-20T15:21:00.000-05:00

These were taken right after the guys came to work on the counters. More work has been done, but you can kinda see the new look.

We're now accepting prediction dates for when the FOR SALE sign will go up. The winner gets the first chance to do a walk through (and buy it!)

Any takers?

The End

2010-11-18T23:12:00.000-05:00

We had a fun camping trip and Wes sported his CHS socks. Whose "RoboLancers" just happened to take 1st place at the Philadelphia Robotics Competition (Who knew?) We had fun, but.....

We missed you, Sara!! Looks like Dad is trying to find his inner Russell Crowe or Sean Connery in this picture.

Costume Party

2010-11-18T18:11:00.000-05:00

Are we still blogging about camping? Yes. Do we have anything better to blog about at this moment? No. We ended our camping trip on October 31st so a costume party was a must!!! Some wienies didn't pack a costume (In alphabetical order they were: Anna, Ben and Wes). BUT thanks to our fun youth director, Kent, we had enough masks to go around. Like the one that Ben sported here. This was creepier in person, trust us.

This is probably the best Parker Photo in about 10 years. Forget weddings and graduations. For everyone who went on the trip, wanted to go on the trip or is reading this blog...you should print this photo out and stick it on your fridge. When you walk past it, you'll smile about 75% of the time. I mean, just take it in for a second.

Story characters: Clifford and Curious George.

3 Scary Guys

A ladybug (thanks to Sara!), George and a Dinosaur.

And the winner was......SHELLY AS CURIOUS GEORGE!!!!!!!!!!!

Definition

2010-11-14T21:54:00.000-05:00

In light of previous blog post photo comment...

Definition of:

Hallelujer
	Hallelujer is the ebonics version of hallelujah. The word is usually credited to Madea (and often used by Oprah Winfrey) a character portrayed by black film maker Tyler Perry in his numerous plays and films. For example: "Lucky for me - the po po didn't catch me speeding to wednesday bible study - hallelujer!"

Scenery

2010-11-14T21:49:00.000-05:00

Fire sparks

Patriotism

A Prius. Everybody and their Mom drives a Prius in Montreat, NC. Do you drive a Prius? Do you live in Montreat, NC? Are you a hippie? Do all hippies drive Priuses? Is it Priuses or Priusi?

Looks like a painting.

A lot of the pictures are BIP. Better-In-Person.

Hallelujer!

Paparazzi

2010-11-13T15:10:00.001-05:00

Anna brought her fancy camera....and it survived! Here are all of our photographers.

Mom popped out of her sleeping bag looking like a French artist.

Pops caught a memory.

Anna gettin' artsy

Groups

2010-11-13T09:10:00.000-05:00

*Disclaimer: this was the Camping Group, but we were one short (Sara!) so, we were missing a wheel from a car. Or a finger from a hand. Or whatever analogy you want to use. Here are the kiddos!

Bro and Bro-in-Law. Ben's wool sweater was 2 sizes too small.

The handsome men

The dashing ladies

The original ~~sexy~~ six.

At base camp and ready for our day hike!

Wes and Anna....the curly hair twins!

Flashback Friday

2010-11-12T21:02:00.001-05:00

Look what 5 weeks will do...

Bingo Caller

2010-11-12T17:01:00.000-05:00

We need to pause for a moment and celebrate the fact that this blog has reached 600 posts!!! Thanks for sticking around. Please enjoy this short clip from the Parker Beach Trip 2010. We didn't make the cut for the Island Bingo Night so we went back to the house for some Sponge Bob Bingo (in honor of Ali's visit). Listen closely as Dad is the Bingo Caller. It's moments like these that make this blog a reality (cue sappy music) Thanks for sticking around for 600 posts and we'll see you in 600 more (Maybe....but we're not promising anything!)

Food

2010-11-11T13:08:00.001-05:00

Just to remind all the readers, this was a super easy, non-wilderness camping trip. So, we enjoyed some awesome grilled chicken in the dark.

and had potato wedges

All the boys passed Dad's Egg Cracking Test with flying colors. No pressure.

The early birds (actually, just Mom and Dad) enjoyed a wheat wrap, provolone cheese and Vienna sausage lunch. Yes, you can throw up now. Also, we remember Grandpa Vann. Vienna sausages mean plumbing days and potted meat.

Meals always taste better around a camp fire.

Even when it's rice, bean and chicken mushmush.

Jiffy Pop!!! It's all fun and games until....

Kait burns a hole through her nice, wool gloves.

Dad remained the coffee guy (Makinnnnn Coffeeeeee) during the trip with his fancy coffee press.

Day Hike

2010-11-10T19:07:00.000-05:00

Here are the late-comers ready to go to the top of the mountain. Wes-a-ley looks a little cold...?

Here's an early bird ready to take it easy and turn back around.

Let's all take a moment and admire Ben's beard. Those Parker boys can grow some nice beards. Ben's beard is red, just like Wes'!

Anna, looking very college-y

Goofy boys (*Rock was much steeper than photo shows)

Anna and Mom talking about life (college days, school, callings in life)

Parker guys talking about life (sports, plumbing, sports)

With these two as our tour guides, who knows where we could end up!

Although, Wes gets all of our trust since he spent 3 weeks in the same mountains. Wes, we would follow you anywhere. As long as it's "just a stones throw away."

The day hike had some steep climbs. Some of us were huffin' and puffin' at some points.

Kent telling Mom a joke.

Mom holding fists on sides to help breathe easier.

Back in Action

2010-11-06T15:48:00.000-04:00

We know that many of you have spent sleepless nights this week waiting for the blog to be updated. You can rest easy tonight. Please enjoy Camping'10 Part 1.

The following picture could really just sum the whole camping trip up and we'd be done with posts. This is Shelly. She is our camping founder. She's been out of the camping loop for a couple of years (~~she~~ we blame it on bad knees), but we're happy to announce that she's back!!! She was ready to rock and roll...and here is her excited face to prove it.

There were two car loads of campers. Thursday night: Chuck, Shelly & Kait. Friday night: Wes, Ben, Kent & Anna. Here' the truck. Packed and ready!

Caught this on the way up. Beautiful!

The original camping spot fell through on Thursday night, but thankfully it did. We actually woke up with all of our fingers and toes still intact at the backup camp site. Close call.

Fall was ready to greet us on Friday morning

C-O-L-D and any sense of fashion goes out the window.

Ready for a day hike!

Chuck and Kait = camping BFF's.

Friday night we waited and waited by the fire.....

until this car load of Chumpos arrived!

We ♥ Martin Luther

2010-10-31T10:07:00.000-04:00

Happy Halloween (and Reformation Day to all the Presbys) from Pumpkin Patch & the rest of our crew. We ♥ Martin Luther.

See Ya

2010-10-29T15:26:00.000-04:00

We'll see ya when we get off the trail...

2 Days

2010-10-27T18:25:00.000-04:00

Hopefully we won't relive moments like this....

Or see things like this....

Hopefully we'll have happy times like this (last trip in May '09).

Bust a Move

2010-10-24T20:16:00.002-04:00

She SAYS she studies while at college, but she really has dance parties in dorm rooms while wearing a crochet hat. Bust a move, Anna.

Do or Die

2010-10-23T17:10:00.000-04:00

GO PHILLIES. Nothing like a little pressure to help you play....

Kitchen

2010-10-23T10:25:00.001-04:00

This is the current state of the kitchen. View from the dining room.

Corner by the bathroom

The island

The sink and dishwasher

The lazy susan cabinet and the coffee station for Dr. I-drink-8-cups-of-coffee-before-I-walk-out-the-door Parker.

Stove area. Looks like it'll be take out dinners for a while.

The Grass....

2010-10-22T22:24:00.000-04:00

The grass is always greener at the Parker Casa!!! These pictures might not be monumental to you, but to us, it's a big deal. The work of recent landscapers has covered up evidence of teenager drivers, baseball batting nets, a big tree, garbage cans and (moment of silence) a pet dog. They replaced those things with beautiful, lush grass.

Ma & Pa haven't seen their new yard, but it'll be a nice surprise for them on Sunday! When you come by to see the house (and buy it), be careful when you drive up the driveway!

Fill in the Blank

2010-10-21T16:44:00.003-04:00

Pumpkin Pie, Anyone?

2010-10-17T19:55:00.000-04:00

This pumpkin took home 1st place in the pumpkin contest.

Warning! DO.NOT.SCRATCH.

Congrats, Randy!!! 380 pounds of pumpkin....now that's a lot of pumpkin pie!

Vida Loca De Los Parkers

Goodbye

Three Statements

Sunday Snoozers

Cable Guy

Caption Please

Girls Night

R & R

Career Day

Choice 2

Skype Invite

Tiny Abode

Conversations

A Letter

Pretty Woman

Dinner for 3

The After Party

Dorks

Dinner

Math

Play date

House on Yachting Road

More

Real Time

Put Me In Coach...

AKA

Shout Out

Greetings

Slumber Party

Grand Total

Last Sunday

Manly Bonding

Surfs Up

24

6 Months

Packing Pics

Click

Genes

MIA

Wordless Wednesday

The State Newspaper

Thursday, Jan. 06, 2011

Thursday’s Letters to the Editor

Taking Requests

Snow

A Story

Shop till you Drop

2010

In a Nutshell

Road Trip

So This is Christmas

Christmas Eve

No Joke

Eagles

Togetherness

Away in a Manger

Pre-Christmas

Shots

Chili for Chile

The Last One

Mixed Breed

Sunday Snoozers

O Christmas Tree

'Staches

Birthday ParTAY

Magnet

Tomorrow

Alliteration

Cheese Touch

Black Friday Schedule

Back to Work

Take a Guess

Cousins

Thanksgiving

Needy

Prep

Menu

How To

Mac-N-Cheese

Counters