Christmas

Jordyn just loves to hold newborn babies. Doesn't she look proud?! She is already so grown up. The little guy is Bobby - the most recent addition to the Anderson family. His parents (chad and laura) are amazing!

End World Hunger

Go to www.FreeRice.com

FreeRice has two goals:

1. Provide English vocabulary to everyone for free 2. Help end world hunger by providing rice to hungry people for free.



“Every grain of rice is essential in the fight against hunger . . . FreeRice really hits home how the Web can be harnessed to raise awareness and funds for the world’s number one emergency.” - UN World Food Program

The ceremony

Angela Louis Charles Pappas and Richard Ryan Caputo were married on Sat afternoon at the Greek church in Uptown. They were all smiles walking down the aisle....Chuck Pappas looking very proud of his little girl. It was special to have Ryan's daughter Gracie as the flower girl. She looked nervous at first but then started dropping the rose petals and ran to hug her dad. It was a precious moment!

Cocktail Hour

Bridesmaids in their gorgeous black dresses!


These guys clean up real nice...

Courtney looks fabulous 2 weeks after giving birth to little Mason Scott Stephens. Her dressy sling was perfect and Mason seemed to enjoy the white lights that decorated the entire rotunda.

My mom and Ginny were able to catch up

The cake

The dance floor

This was by far the most creative and entertaining time on the dance floor. I don't think Angie or Ryan knew what was coming...


Baby, baby, I get down on my knees for you...
We had a love, a love, a love you don't find everyday.

So, all the groomsmen were instructed to put a paper bag on their head for a little dance contest (they were not supposed to steal any moves from the other guys). Turns out the joke was on Ryan. All the others except for the groom removed their bag and enjoyed the show. Angie and the rest of us were loving it!

The Burmeisters

Family of the Bride

Guests

More from the Carlson Towers

It was so much fun to celebrate and show our support for Ryan and Angie. There wasn't a dry eye in the place during the toasts. I feel like it was just yesterday that they came to the Christmas Party and shared the news about their engagement. Some of us were talking about our tradition of getting all the girls together for the holidays. It sounds like our best option is to plan something right away in 2008!

GoodSearch

Many of you know that I'm a supporter of live|stbernard, a non-profit organization started by my friend Greg (You can learn more at www.livestbernard.org)




An easy way to help this organization or any other cause you care about is through a new Yahoo!-powered search engine and online shopping mall called GoodSearch.com.



The more people who use this site, the more money will go to those in need. So please spread the word to your friends and family.

World AIDS Day

World AIDS Day is observed every year on December 1st. Established by the World Health Organization in 1988, World AIDS Day provides governments, national AIDS programs, faith organizations, community organizations, and individuals with an opportunity to raise awareness and focus attention on the global AIDS epidemic. The Facts: In 2007, the estimated number of persons living with HIV worldwide was 33.2 million and there were 2.1 million AIDS deaths. Learn more:

www.joinred.com


www.46664.com



It is hard to believe that one year ago I was working with the MN Department of Human Services - HIV/AIDS division. I miss the experience my internships provided and hope to find other opportunities to be involved in the community.

Trip to Greece/Turkey

I went on a 10 day trip to Greece and Turkey earlier this month...here are some highlights.

Arrival in Athens

We arrived in Athens and decided to head straight for the beach across from our hotel. It was exciting to be right on the Aegean Sea. The hotel had a great place for us to lounge and relax on the roof and there was a decent view of the local scene.


There was a very long line in the morning for breakfast, so of course my dad found a way to sneak a few cups of coffee for our group.

The Acropolis and Parthenon

It was amazing to see these architectural splendors of the world. The ancient city comes to life when you stand above this Theatre and walk along the columns and large structures. The Parthanon is magnificant in size and beauty. I was surprised by the number of tourists, especially since we were there during the off season. The sun was shining and we had a perfect day.





Great views of Athens! Jean and Michelle (above) and Terry (below) traveled with my parents to Italy a few years ago. It was great to hear them reminisce about their trip...even better to experience this together.

Olympic Stadium

Our bus tour of Athens included the Olympic Stadium, where the modern Olympics began and the games returned in 2004.