Road trip to the Upper Peninsula

Here's a video from our trip up to see Pearl's family.

Christmas Road trip from Matt Parks on Vimeo.

Best of Weddings – oh my goodness….

The “best of weddings” bridal show was held this year at the Lancaster Convention center downtown. This is where as the name describes the best in weddings come out to showcase their creative abilities, and showcase they did. The displays where mind blowing and truly showed some of the incredible talent that resides with in Lancaster County.

Pearl and I were asked to stand with one of our new friends, Jeremy Hess, at his photography booth just to help field questions and mingle on his behalf with the brides and families coming through. He really had to twist our arms but after about .45 seconds of thinking about it we said we would. When I arrived Jeremy tossed me a camera and asked if I wanted to document some of the room, I thought this time for about .42 seconds and skipped away to see what I could see.

Here’s a couple images of what I saw. I was really impressed with the venders and would gladly recommend any of them. So if you’re ever in need of production company, linens, cake extraordinaire, invitation able to work magic with anything paper lady, or a great photographer I have a couple of names for you.

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The world's greatest nephew.

This was written while Pearl and I drove to through Virginia on our way to surprise my mom for Christmas, a couple of weekend's ago.

So this blog has been a long time coming. For example I took this pictures back in October and I’m just now putting my thoughts towards it. The reason for the delay… I just didn’t know what to say, believe it or not I, Me, Matt Parks, was at a lost for words.

Well, to be honest I’m still at a lost for words so here it goes.

The pictures below are of my little nephew Gabe. He’s a great kid, full of energy, respectful and sweetness, yet just enough rowdy, roughness and one could say just plain ol’ Boy to be lots and lots of fun. Pearl and I simply love the kid.

The thing with Gabe is that he’s growing but not at a normal pace. Not slow enough to cause worry, yet not fast enough to call normal. He also bruises really easily, I would say I got that from Pearl, but since he’s my nephew from my sister, that’s just not possible and even though I’m from the south I’m not from that part of the south.

Another thing is that he’s “tummy”, which I’ve learned is baby language for gut, was always sticking out, like he’s got a little beer gut, but once again I’m from the south but we don’t nurse on bud, at least not most of us, and why am I saying us, I’ll never nurse unless God has a really crazy trick up his sleeve.

Last thing, Gabe’s liver and Spleen were always a little large. Once again, each thing by themselves the doctors where able to explain away, it was just when all were together that caused some questions to start being asked.

Those questions led to a year that turned at least 2 of my brother-in-laws 3 gray hairs their snowly color, and caused my sister to shed more then a couple of hand fulls of stress-anxiety induced tears.

After a year of testing, year of probing, year of worrying and coming up with some of the funniest stories ever told of a 3 year old in a hospital gown Gabe was finally diagnosed with Gaucher disease.

Gaucher disease is a disorder where your body is missing the enzyme necessary to break down the fatty substances in one’s blood. The fat then builds up over time in an organ, that organ fails and as of 10 years ago they would have simply removed that organ, scratched their head in bewilderment, then a couple of years later removed the next organ, and this would continue until they removed your very last organ for burial. Great process… NOT.

But we live in an amazing time in history, a time where we have enough freedoms and knowledge and all the other glorious things that make the world good for scientist to have enough time to stop making bombs and test hamsters. Chinese hamsters in fact, and in this testing of Chinese hamsters they discovered that their ovaries carry the missing enzyme to correct Gaucher disease.

So now, my nephew instead of building up fat in his organs till it kills him around the age of 30 he can go to Atlanta every two weeks for a 3 hour infusion of this missing enzyme and live, live a normal life and be a normal kid.

So the pictures below tell of our journey. Of leaving early in the morning, forgetting shoes, fighting traffic, arriving at the center, Gabe starting the infusion, us walking around, putting together puzzles, and watching movies while he’s attached to his little backpack-enzyme-infusing-life-giving machine full of Chinese Hamster Ovaries magic.

We finished this treatment with a nice round of Indian food and then watched Gabe’s little eyes finally give out during his car ride home. I’m amazed at our bodies and how wildly they are created, finely tuned and put together. I’m disgusted that the brokenness of the world extends past the selfishness and hate of grown ups and some how finds it’s way into little boy’s body’s, yet I’m humbled that God loves us so much to not leave us in the middle of this broken mess called humanity but gives us creativity, intellect, and insight to be able to correct some of the wrongs we see around us.

Here’s the pics, hope you enjoy.

Created with Admarket's flickrSLiDR.

Snow, Snow, Snow...

I love the snow!

Seriously, I do. Being from Georgia snow was an invitation for all of life as we knew it to stop, heck even the slightest possibility of snow was a cause for all the local grocery stores to sell out of milk, bread and eggs and the real reason to celebrate, for us to skip school! What makes me laugh is that the people mainly buying these things hadn't eaten them in years, plus what are they making? french toast? Is that a tradition I'm unaware of?

Well, for whatever reason whenever it snows now I revert back to being 12; pubescent squeaky voice and all and find myself jumping up and down wanting to go play in it.

My toys have changed a little over the years. So now instead of grabbing anything I might be able to slide on, lunch tray, cardboard box, whatever, I find myself picking up my camera and heading out (and trying really really hard not to slide on them!)

So here's a couple of pictures of tonight's tromping. After being out for ten or so minutes, tired of trying to hold an umbrella and shoot, and the fact my fingers where in too much pain to press shutter button, I had to head back in.

enjoy!

And if you happen to find yourself with some snow this season, let your bad self cut loose and have some fun!

Merry Christmas! Only 20 days to Christmas!!

Advent... pause

The Advent season is upon us. This is a tradition that for thousands of years has rhythmically called the Church to step out of the rush of life and to pause, to reflect, to remember and savor what makes it’s Faith tradition so rich. The liturgical calendar calls upon two season of slowed reflection, Advent and Lent.

Pearl and I have decided to observe Advent this season. You will find at the center of our table a collection of 5 candles and you hopefully will also find us each morning sitting down in front of them, Pearl with her random bowl of cereal and me with my yogurt. We are trying to spend these opening minutes of our day reflecting, reading passages from the Bible, and basically trying to sync our lives, desires, fears, worries, passions, etc to the teachings of Jesus. During Advent there are traditional passages the Church has reflected upon, passages that highlight certain themes leading up to the celebration of the birth of Jesus.

A friend recently gave Pearl and I a book that has collected these passages and then provided a little commentary on how they apply to this season of reflection.

A sentence from today’s reading stuck a cord with me:

“the Greatest thing a human soul ever does in this world is to see something… To see is poetry, prophecy, and religion, all in one… Seeing is a difficult art, as is hearing.”

As I walk through this season, remembering and reflecting on the cornerstone tradition of my Faith, I hope I can see clearly. To not see what I want to see or what I’m prejudice to see, but to see the truth around me, the love around me, the joy and warmth around me. I recently had a professor ask us if we will force what we see to “fit” what we already thought, or if we would allow what we think to be shaped by what we see.

This season… I want to see the holidays a new. To not just see an empty passing of yearly rituals, but to see the beauty and wonder of this amazing time of year. May I continue to pause each morning and allow my thoughts, desires, fears, and worries to bend to the way of love, joy, peace, and hope.

A little Decorating and dinner with Friends

This past Sunday held a tradition that Pearl and I love! The tradition of decorating the house, putting up the tree, and busting out the Christmas CD’s. This year friends joined us in the festivities. I now find myself cozily sitting next to our tree enjoying it’s delightful presence. I simply love having Christmas lights up, there’s something about those tiny white lights welcoming you to the living room. Welcoming you to slow down… to be with those you love, to tell stories of old, and to make some new ones as well.

I love it!

Ps – I asked Pearl to marry me at a Starbucks down in Georgia. After she said yes we purchased that years’ “Starbucks’ Christmas ornament” and have each year purchased another. So when you see the picture of us kissing putting up a red coffee cup ornament, that’s way. It’s silly, but deeply meaningful for us, and just so you know, we now have 6 cups hanging on our tree!

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Tree Lighting 2009

Friday night Josiah and Abigail Conrad joined Pearl and I for the lighting of the downtown Lancaster Christmas tree. It felt like winter was upon us for a couple of hours. The cold air whipped around the square, we packed tight into the crowd for coverage, sang Christmas tunes, listen to tubas do they’re tubaing, as well as hand bell choirs ring their chimes, Santa made a brief appearance, and a massive tree was lite. The thing we laughed about the most was how the tree was turned “on” all night and then turned “off” to light it up, I think someone mislabeled the switch. We loved it! The night ended with some ice cream, hot cider, and a movie. Simply delightful!

Thanksgiving… what a day.

Pearl and I had a delightful Thanksgiving celebrating with an old friend, Jason Mitchell. When we arrived at Jason’s house I asked what his Thanksgiving traditions were, to which he simple replied, “we only have one, to be untraditional.” He held true to his word and cooked one mean rack of pork, so no turkey this year. He also cooked cranberry carrots and green peas with goat cheese, sounds weird but they were great! Pearl and I then added the mash potatoes and of course the staple of my Thanksgiving meal, sweet potato soufflé.

It was really a great day.

Jen (Jason’s wife) was in Georgia visiting her sister who had just delivered her first child, but she surprised Jason by leaving at 4am and drove straight from south Georgia, took one bathroom / gas brake (yes only ONE!) and walked in the door around 3. It was crazy cute seeing Jason’s eyes jump at the delightful sight of his wife’s voice. Plus Silas and Siena (they’re two little kids) could not be more happy to see mama.

The rest of the day was filled with great conversation and of course board games and lots oh dessert.