Happy Birthday Sarah

Dad and I wish our oldest daughter the best birthday ever, today, while packing to head to one of her favorite places in the world, the day after her 10th wedding anniversary, with a house filled with treasured loves.  

No, she doesn't sleep in the car on long rides.

Yes, her personality changes every time she gets her hair cut.

Yes, she's a last minute person who pulls things together and out of her hat in amazing ways.

Yes, she's competitive and a gambler, with a smile.

Style, hers is amazing and so comfortable.

No, she never wanted to learn to cook from me.

And yes, she is a delicious cook on her own, with a little help from her mother-in-law, friends, the Pioneer Woman and her grandparents.

Yes, she's a great sister, there for her sister and brother always.

Yes, she's a very caring person and an awesome daughter.

Yes, she gets excited about all new ventures in life, all stepping stones.  It is invigorating and amazing to see her joy.  

She's the first to apologize or explain herself if she says something wrong, calls you right back to say she's sorry.

Sarah is an amazing mother and wife and her family shows it -- you can feel it when you are around them.

Sarah has taught us, her parents, lots about life along the way and inspired us to be better people ourselves.

Hope you had a special day.

Love, Mom & Dad

Summerfest 2012

Had the chance to walk the walk to Summerfest from our parking spot at Cass & Wells.  Met up with Paul & Betty, 3 rock stages and then we found country singer Whitney Duncan (*see below) at the Briggs & Stratton Big Backyard Stage.  Comfort set in and we liked the crowd and her music.  Still, walked round trip the length of the grounds and more, saw the new BMO Harris Pavillon - cool place - and Lucille's Dueling Piano venue, no tables available at JoJo's Martini Lounge, then back to the Briggs stage and ate on center bench seats while listening to Chasin Mason perform.  The wind was blowing and I didn't even have a purse.  Betty and I ventured over to the Marcus around 9:30 pm thinking we could sneak in to sit on the grass and listen to Steven Tyler and Aerosmith, but we couldn't get in :-(   Back to Paul & Bob and our bench seats for Phil Vassar - what a show!  People watching is amazing at Summerfest.  Men holding their woman's purse, standing on benches for hours bopping to the tunes, cowboy hats, cow girl boots, cute sundresses, everyone knowing the words to the tunes, food lines, beer lines, smiling faces, and yes, crowds everywhere.

Long ride home to Google Whitney Duncan and Phil Vassar to clarify just what we were listening to.  It was a great summer day after an easy going family picnic up North and a little car shopping too.

 *Survivor: South Pacific

Beginning September 2011, Whitney Duncan appeared as a contestant on the CBS reality television series, Survivor: South Pacific, as part of the Savaii tribe. Duncan formed a very close, romantic bond with Keith Tollefson, and the two teamed up with Jim Rice and another romantic pair, Ozzy Lusth and Elyse Umemoto, early on within the tribe. At the urging of Rice, Duncan cooperated in the elimination of Umemoto to limit Lusth's power.

At the merge, Duncan and the rest of the old Savaii tribe were betrayed by former tribemate John Cochran, leading to the voting out of the entire former Savaii tribe; Duncan herself was voted out on Day 27. Losing a Redemption Island duel the next day against former tribemates Lusth and Dawn Meehan, Duncan placed 9th and was part of the Jury.^[5]