A Not So Fun 4th and Tough Week for Faith

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The other day Faith and I were standing in line at the pharmacy, and someone asked her, "How was your 4th of July?" She responded quite honestly, "Terrible!"  Yes, it was definitely not a very fun 4th. In fact, this whole week has been one challenge after another. The only thing we really did for the 4th was go to Art in the Park in Mandan, which was last Friday. Faith found a new tie-dye t-shirt, and I enjoyed a yummy root beer float.  Art in the Park in Mandan on the 3rd I had actually gone with the goal of getting an Indian taco, but it was so humid, I didn't feel like eating anything hot. Because it was so warm, we only stayed for an hour before heading back to Bismarck. That night, I noticed that Faith seemed uncomfortable in her chair, almost like she was having pain. She told me she needed to get out and lie down. I thought maybe being out in the high humidity had been too much for her or that she was having muscle spasms. After she lay down for a bit...
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A 40th Wedding Anniversary Celebration

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On June 3rd of this year, my parents celebrated their 40th wedding anniversary. It wasn't until this past weekend, however, that they were able to celebrate the momentous occasion with their five kids, eight grandchildren, and a few of their siblings as well.

The festivities began on Friday when my family arrived from Nebraska, Montana, parts of North Dakota and from across town right here in Bismarck. My youngest sister and younger brother fed the large group at a picnic at Sertoma Park with grilled burgers, hotdogs, homemade potato salad and lots of other goodies.

On Saturday, we all reunited where the celebration continued on the Lewis and Clark Riverboat on the Missouri River. Unfortunately, due to the high winds, the boat was unable to go anywhere but it was nice, nonetheless. It did not escape anyone's mind that last year around the same time the very parking lot on which we all parked our vehicles had been well under water.

Faith loved her first time on a boat, even though it wasn't going anywhere!

The family took advantage of the opportunity of all being together by taking lots and lots of photos. Amber, my sister-in-law said that before marrying Mark she never knew of such a crazy picture-taking family.

The highlight of our time on the riverboat was my parents renewing their vows. It was a very sweet moment and us girls and maybe even a few of the guys were all in tears. My brother Todd did a great job officiating and stating what a rarity 40 years of marriage was in today's society.


Mom and Dad are definitely to be commended for raising their five kids in times of hardship and some of the challenges that they faced, including a few near-death experiences in the oilfield for my dad. They serve as a great example for me, my siblings and our spouses that no matter how tough it gets, it is best to stick it out together!

The Lawlars and their wonderful, great-looking spouses!

Dad and mom with the whole family.

After the riverboat experience, we all went our separate ways to get ready for the 40th wedding anniversary dinner held at the Bistro. We had a beautiful private room, delicious food, great conversation and a fantastic slideshow that Amber so beautifully put together.

The slideshow took us all down memory lane from the time my dad was a little boy riding a Shetland pony to he and my mom's high school prom. There were lots of photos of us kids growing up and of course photos of the eight grandkids who are already growing up way too fast. An added bonus was that we all received a copy of the slideshow on DVD as a parting gift!

Enjoying a great dinner in honor of my mom and dad

It was a wonderful weekend, and we will all have many memories to take away from this celebration. I'm sure it will be a time that is instilled in the hearts of my parents for many years to come.

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A Not So Fun 4th and Tough Week for Faith

-
Image
The other day Faith and I were standing in line at the pharmacy, and someone asked her, "How was your 4th of July?" She responded quite honestly, "Terrible!"  Yes, it was definitely not a very fun 4th. In fact, this whole week has been one challenge after another. The only thing we really did for the 4th was go to Art in the Park in Mandan, which was last Friday. Faith found a new tie-dye t-shirt, and I enjoyed a yummy root beer float.  Art in the Park in Mandan on the 3rd I had actually gone with the goal of getting an Indian taco, but it was so humid, I didn't feel like eating anything hot. Because it was so warm, we only stayed for an hour before heading back to Bismarck. That night, I noticed that Faith seemed uncomfortable in her chair, almost like she was having pain. She told me she needed to get out and lie down. I thought maybe being out in the high humidity had been too much for her or that she was having muscle spasms. After she lay down for a bit...
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Last Wednesday I had my yearly doctor exam and when she said I should get my tetanus shot updated, I didn't think twice about it. The nurse said my arm would be sore for a couple of days, gave me a handout and stuck the needle in my arm.  The next day my arm was sore and although I found it a little harder to pick up and carry Faith, I was glad the pain wasn't going to last long. Boy was I wrong! But not only was my arm sore, my whole body was. I felt achy and extremely tired. According to a medical site on the Internet, these were mild side effects of the Tetanus shot. If these were only mild side effects, I would really hate to have them at a moderate or severe level. My arm is still red and sore on day 2 after my tetanus shot. On Friday, two days after getting the shot I felt so tired that I took a four-hour nap after getting Faith off to school. Then on Saturday I took a three-hour nap up until 7 o'clock, but still felt tired and was able to go back to sleep around 10. ...
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