family news...

Apparently I don't post anymore. Hmph. I keep starting posts and never finishing them. Maybe I am bored? Too lazy? Too A.D.D.? Probably all of the above.

I really have been up to lots of fun adventures in the last couple of months. But this last week is really worth posting.

My Grandma Kemm, who is almost 85, has had some back problems lately. So bad that she can't do her day-to-day cleaning, cooking, crafting, and everything else she always does. They didn't really know why her back was in such pain, but turns out she had fallen a couple of times and a few discs in her back slipped and a couple were stuck in her spinal cord! After weeks of horrible pain (and no meds!) she finally had surgery this week.

During this time, my 89-year-old grandpa has been doing all her chores including running errands, bills, going to the bank and post office. He has been running himself ragged due to her injury.

So, my mom and I flew to Tulsa to help them out for about 5 days. We left Wednesday and got back this afternoon. We cooked, cleaned, laundred, trimmed bushes... My grandma can barely stand or walk which makes dressing, using the restroom, and bathing very difficult, so we obviously helped out with her and made her as comfortable as possible. Her serious pain meds and muscle relaxers helped a ton.

I fell so good about helping them out knowing they have taken care of so many people in their lives including me. I love spending time with them and they truly appreciated it. I did get to see almost all my family there as well as my sis who came for the whole weekend. Although it was a rewarding trip, I am exhausted and really glad to be home.

road trip, wedding, birthday, national parks and family time...

All in one week!!

Starting Wednesday, September 23rd at 5:00am we are heading to the great north. To Eau Claire, Wisconsin for the Strozinsky-LaFollette Wedding. Our great friends, Phillip and Alicia are getting married and my husband is a groomsman. Matt and Carly are flying out to WI while we are driving and they are road trippin back with us.

This morning we were planning on running errands when the car wouldn't start. Yes. The very car we are taking TOMORROW for a 15 hour road trip! JEEZ! But, thank goodness for AAA and their roadside assistance for jumping our car and getting us back up and running (literally) for the big day!!!!

Today, I stocked up on great road trip snacks: trail mix, beef jerky, fruit, water, and other sundries. We already got The Lost Symbol (the new Dan Brown book), Animal Farm, Fahrenheit 451, Utopia, and The Great Gatsby all as books-on-CD. We are gonna be getting our read on, or listen to, while we drive.


9.23.9
We are starting in Denver (obviously)
EAST through ALL of Nebraska
NORTH through Iowa
to Bay City, WI (really Red Wing, WI) to visit Matt's (Carly's husband) parents.

9.24.9 - 9.27.9
NORTHEAST to Eau Claire, WI for the wedding and all that entails. Dinners, wedding celebrations, breakfasts and Phil's b-day!

9.27.9 - 9.28.9
WEST to Minneapolis, MN for some IKEA time!!!
Then WEST to Brookings, SD to see my mom for the night. Pork tenderloins, Geoffrey, and homemade sugar donuts!!!

9.28.9
WEST to Rapid City, SD to visit the Black Hills, the Badlands, and Mt. Rushmore. I have been to all 3 places but Tony, Carly and Matt have not!

9.29.9
WEST to Wyoming
SOUTH to DENVER!!!

WOW! Its gonna be a really long week with too much car time, but it will be so great! I must say that I truly love road trips. ANYTHING to get me off a plane every once in a while!!

More than anything I am soooo excited to spend the entire week with my husband. Sadly it has been a while since we have had a week together and it will be fabulous.

Here's to wedded bliss, great friends, family, and a safe car ride. CHEERS!!!

Breckenridge or Bust...

This weekend is the big Barrett family reunion! FRI, SAT, SUN, MON, and TUE!!! Thank god for a weekend off!!!


All the aunts, uncles, cousins, siblings and parents are coming in from Oklahoma, Colorado, Oregon, and California. There will be 17 in all in one very large house. Luckily there are 6 bathrooms!

We just happened to plan this on the 150th anniversary of Breckenridge as a town! There will be street fairs, fireworks, bands, time capsules, and much much more. I cannot wait!

My sister, Liz, came in town last night so I thought I would throw a dinner party! We had some other friends in town, Nic, Kirsten and baby Daphne, so they were also invited. And like always Matt and Carly were here too!

We had grilled shrimp, grilled corn on the cob, lemon-butter pasta, and angel food cake with strawberries for dessert. We ate every bit of the food with no leftovers. The marinade for the shrimp was fantastic! Way to go Food Network!

Today, my dad comes in at 2:30 and then we are off to the mountians. He is bringing me his old Pentax K1000, (a film camera if you remember those) to replace the one that was stolen, and some lenses! Tony got his new camera yesterday, a Minolta Maxxum 9. We are so anti-digital. I feel like this weekend we will take SEVERAL rolls of film (too bad our hobby is so darn expensive). But we may get some beautiful shots in the mountians, on a hike or just in town.

I will report of the weekend activities once its all done...