Sally Brown Takes the Stage

Kudos to Mariah who made quite a splash as Sally Brown in her very first MCA musical production, "Your a Good Man Charlie Brown." She seemed to have a natural talent for playing Charlie's twerpy little sister. I wonder where she learned all that? Regardless, with Mariah still in the eight grade, I think this may be the first of many MCA productions for us. Find below a couple bootleg video excerpts I scrapped from the troupe's final performance. The first is a vignette titled "Coat hanger Sculpture" and the second is the musical number, "My New Philosophy" with Schroeder. The final clip, "Rabbit Chasing" is from MCA's official video feed. Congratulations to Mariah, Kara, the directors, and the rest of the cast and crew. A special thanks to all the parent volunteers. It was a terrific show.

Nothing Like a Beach

We are grateful that after all the busyness of this past year, we were able to return once again to Perdido Key for ten days of Spring Break inaction (yes inaction, with the biggest event of the day typically involving rolling-off a lounge chair and driving to yet another restaurant). The entire area has now recovered nicely from 2004's hurricane Ivan and most of our old haunts are back in shipshape. Kara was our special guest again this year and Jordon was able to join us for several days. My parent’s ably coordinated the event and my sister and her son were able to attend as well (my in-laws and Jim and Dee attended earlier in March). Thank the Lord for our family and His goodness. Wanna see some photos of our "inaction?" Check-out 2009 Perdido Key.

The River is Rising

Steve and Jim lent a hand as we attempted to save my sister's home from the rising waters of the Mississippi. With the river level rising above her basement, things looked pretty bleak. The pumps could barely keep-up with the onslaught of water. Miraculously, the ice flow in front of her house released later this same day and the water level declined dramatically.

More Wedding Highlights: Brieanna & Michael

Just a few more photos being highlighted by SoulCam on their wedding blog. They have also included a terrific little video presentation at the bottom of the post. Check it out here.


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"Snow = Life" A New Anthem for America

Our Mariah and her friend of the same name penned this snappy little anthem to the joys of having fun in the snowbelt. Great job girls ... and terrific production Brian. Love that big-time chorus. Go girls!

25th Wedding Anniversary

This past October, Starr and I celebrated our 25th wedding anniversary. Between all the weddings, the credit crisis, Christmas, and the Homecoming, we just couldn't get away sooner. Now that we are here, it certainly was worth the wait. To be here is indeed a blessing of which we are very thankful. Ten days on Maui ... a veritable Garden of Eden. Here is Starr and I just outside our hotel in Wailea. Four kids, two weddings and three dogs have past since our Honeymoon on the Islands, all told I think we are holding-up pretty well.

Homecoming 2009

Despite the current economy, Scorpion Homecoming 2009 may have been the largest yet. Several hundred Scorpion fans were in attendance and we all had a lot of fun enjoying the decent weather and meeting friends both old and new alike. We had people come from as far away as California, Florida, Tennessee and Alaska. If you'd like to know more, click here to link the this year's web page. Again in 2010? I don't know ... I'm feeling pretty tired at the moment. It's been the craziest twelve months of our lives. I think I need to go some place warm.

2008 in Review

Wow! What a year. 2008 will for us, forever be the year of celebration. First, our second son Jordon graduated from Maranatha Christian Academy. Secondly, our oldest son Brandon married Jenna in September and then our first-born daughter Brieanna married Michael in November. What a whirlwind it was. Yes, there was some stress involved but God provided a way. We also got a ton of help and support from friends and family … we love you guys!

We did a little traveling in 2008, with forays to Montana, New York City and frequent outings "up north." As for me, I continue at SunGard in business development and product management. Starr works part-time at a local dental office. Brie works part-time at our church and is finishing her MnTC credits – she plans on attending the University of Minnesota next fall. Her new husband is busy running his own outdoor servicing business. Brandon is creative director for Go Ministries, and Jenna assists him ably in these efforts. Jordon is on the road with Go Ministries as well. He’s doing a terrific job and really learning about life in the Spirit. Mariah is in the eight grade at Maranatha and just won a lead role in the spring play. We still have two dogs in the house - I'm not sure why.

We are so grateful for our children, their spouses and the extended family we’ve been blessed with. In the things that truly matter, God has given in abundance. Starr and I wish you and yours the very best in 2009.

“And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:7”

Happy Holidazzle!

One of our longest standing Christmas traditions is the annual trek to the Holidazzle parade (and my personal favorite ... the obligatory warming stop at Caribou). The parade doesn't seem to change much but the family sure does. Here are all the kids (the 2008 edition includes two new ones) after a brisk round of boot skating at the Orchestra Hall rink. Thanks again Bill and Mariann for being a part of this celebration for so many years. Let's get home and eat some miniature wieners!

Trans-Siberian Christmas

A bit of a Christmas tradition for us, we journeyed once again to the Xcel Energy Center for the phenomenon that is the Trans-Siberian Orchestra. Courtesy my cell phone, here is Andrew Ross belting-out the evening's first vocal selection, An Angel Came Down. The fourth-row seats were a treat (although guitar hero Al Pitrelli kept winking at Starr). It was such a delight to have Dave and Mary with us this year ... the future is bright my friends! Three hours of non-stop Beethoven hits Broadway and signs-up Metallica. This show just keeps getting bigger, better, and more bombastic every year. Fire, fire everywhere! The evening's highlight was definitely Broadway veteran Bart Shatto's rendition of Old City Bar (he had us in tears). This second photo is a promotional shot that better shows-off some of the band's hardware. Absolutely amazing! The bootleg YouTube video of Mad Russian's Christmas found below was shot on another leg of the tour but it does give you a decent feel for the event.

Thanksgiving 2008

We are so grateful for God's many blessings this Thanksgiving. In the space of only a couple months, we've been given a wonderful new daughter and a terrific new son. Wow! That is so cool ... thank you Lord. Here is the ever growing crew at grandma's house (and our very special guests, Brandon and Missy - don't worry, we'll be doing it again before you know it!).

Classic Wedding

Brie and Michael’s wedding day was stunning. A classic blend of sophistication and simplicity … just like she wanted. The Living Word chapel was subtly lit in lush rose hues and gorgeous florals. Pastor Jim Hammond gave a message that was practical, personal, and funny, stressing daily times of prayer together and quality, two-way communication. My brother contributed a heartfelt prayer of blessing. After the ceremony, hundreds of attendees were treated to a cupcake reception featuring Glenn Miller and Count Basie swing tunes and a photo montage by yours truly. Those coconut cupcakes were amazing. After mingling with the celebrants, the wedding party visited the Walker Art Center conservatory for more photos and then on to the Semple Mansion for an intimate dinner reception with family and friends. The Semple certainly lived-up to its reputation as “the” classic Twin Cities wedding venue. The attendees enjoyed dinner and dancing in the ballroom and mingled through this historic building’s four levels. The coffee bar in the reception room was a monster hit and Mark Yanni’s small big band orchestra provided swing standards well into the evening. The band’s smooth jazz was a delight to all! The pink chocolate fountain was very popular. Photography by SoulCam (UPDATE: To view the proofs, link here and enter a password of 'Harrison'). At evening’s end, the new couple made their way to the Saint Paul Hotel for a little “we” time (thanks Brandon/Missy and Brandon/Jenna for making it happen). A romantic 5-day Caribbean cruise to Key West, Cozumel, and Belize will commence on Monday morning (lucky skunks). The couple will be making their home in Plymouth, Minnesota.

For me, it was a day of mixed emotions but above all I’m thankful for God’s rich blessings - I'm the luckiest guy in the world. A wife that I respect and adore. Great kids, with hearts for ministry ... the sky is the limit! Kudos to all the great volunteers who made this a relatively easy day for Starr and I ... especially Bill and Mariann, the ushering staff, Laci, Christine, and the Go Ministries gals. Mike and Kristy ... we love you and so look forward to watching these kids blossom before us. God has so much in store of them. In the meantime, I think I'll take a little break from weddings.

Anyone want some photos? Select the slideshow immediately below or link to my Picasa album and check-em out (you might like the Slideshow mode). You can view em on-line or download them directly to your PC (and you don't even need to be a member of one of those fancy social networking things).

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Texas Ho-Down

Following Brie and Michael's rehearsal, Mike and Kristy treated the wedding party to a good old fashioned Texas Ho-Down. With great southern-style comfort food and a professional line dancing team in attendance, a root'n toot'n hee-haw was had by all. Thank you guys!

Two more days and I give my daughter away. I think I need to write a speech. For more photos, link to my 2008 Wedding Two Picasa album.

Fairytale Wedding

A glorious cloudless sky and warm temperatures provided the backdrop to Brandon and Jenna's romantic wedding celebration this weekend. Jenna was absolutely stunning and the event (held at Weddings of Wayzata) seemed to go-off without a hitch. Great food (loved that buffalo cheese dip), great memories, wonderful friends and a glorious start to their new life together. Pastor Steve Munds provided an uplifting charge to the attendees, and my brother, Pastor Steve Harrison provided a number of components as well. Later, Brian Brink and crew treated the celebrants to terrific outdoor music well into the evening and who can forget Brandon’s surprise wedding song to Jenna – what a moment that was! Not a dry eye in the place (I mean amphitheatre). The subtle candlelit walkways were particularly stunning as the evening fell over this lovely property. The layout, the atmosphere, was absolutely magical.

Kudos to Jim and Dee for hosting such a fabulous event. You guys are the best of friends - we love you and look forward to the future that we now share together. Many thanks to Go Ministries for helping with set-up and tear-down, long into the night. Fantastic imagery by Michelle's Photography. After an evening at the Saint Paul Hotel, a honeymoon week on Madeline Island is planned. The couple will be making their home in Mora, Minnesota. See more photos here. For Starr and I, one down, one to go.