Meet The Parkers : Dave

Have you had enough of us yet?! Today is the third day in my week long series, Meet The Parkers! A series to give you a peek inside our little family! Yesterday was all about our pup Maya and today I'm super excited to share with you my husband!If it's not obvious yet I love this guy! I count myself lucky to be able to call myself his wife! He's pretty special and now... I'm starting to gush... So instead of listening to me blab away, check out  my interview with him below. Every wonder what's happening inside the brain of an engineer? Wonder no more...

1. First up babe, tell us a little bit about yourself?

I am a beer brewing, bacon loving, mountain climbing engineer. I grew up in New Hampshire, went to undergrad at the University of New Hampshire and then got my Masters at MIT. Oh, and I love my wife!

2. What is your idea of a perfect vacation?

A week in the woods in Alaska.

3. If you weren’t in the profession you are, what would be your other dream profession?

If I wasn't building jet engines I'd be a pilot. 'Cause my wife likes her Top Gun.

4. What is your favorite movie of all time and favorite scene in it?

Empire Strikes Back. The scene where Luke takes down the AT-AT. (what the heck is that Dave lol!)

5. Bacon or sausage?

Oooh, bacon. I love sausage, but bacon any day, every day...

6. What is one of your favorite memories?

Eating at a restaurant in the middle of the city of Puerto Vallarta, complete with tamales, cerveza, margaritas, a parrot and my beautiful wife. (That was a good day, minus the rain and running barefoot through the streets of PV!)

7. Do you have a secret talent?

I'm kinda proud of my tikka masala. (yeah it's goood)

8. Would you rather have super strength or super intelligence?

Super intelligence.

9. What is something you cannot live without (other than your lovely wife)?

Beer.

10. What is the best thing you have dressed up as for Halloween?

Peter Parker as Spider Man. (you can thank me for that lovely costume:))

Thanks babe for sharing your deepest thoughts ;) Make sure to back tomorrow for the final post in the Meet the Parker series and read all about our love story!

Meet The Parkers : Our Love Story

Today is the last day in the Meet The Parkers series! It has been so fun sharing my family with you this week! As many of you know I'm married to the amazing Dave. But you might not know about our story. So I wanted to end out this week sharing with you a peek into how we met and how far we've come:) It's funny how some people can enter your life and completely change the direction in which you were headed.

Eight years ago I never expected to meet a man who would change my life. A man who would show me the good in the world. A man who, above all else, would love me, just as I was.

And yet, despite whatever future I had planned, God stepped in, placed this man in my path and my life would never be the same.

Eight years later I can't remember what life was like with out him. He is the yin to my yang, my perfect fit. He was created for me.

We have promised to take on this life, come what may and I stand taller because we walk through life together.

I hope we never stop kissing at red lights. I hope we never stop speaking our language. I hope we never stop squeezing each other's hands: I. love. you. I hope we never stop laughing.

Babe, if it's not obvious yet, I'm grateful for you. You build me up and make me a better person. Through God's love and wondrous plan He brought us together and I'll never be the same.

Dave and I met while I was at Northeastern University and he was getting his Masters at MIT. We had the same circle of friends and so it wasn't long before we connected. The picture below is the first night I realized that I had feelings for Dave. He however, did not feel the same about me! This night started a year of cat and mouse, me playing coy and Dave pursuing, until I decided to be his girlfriend;). (and dontcha worry Dave has been teased thoroughly for that tie;)).

2004 was a special year for us! It was the year that we officially started dating and also when the Red Sox beat the curse and won the World Series! We first bonded over our love of the Sox and so we are VERY sentimental about 2004:)

2005 was a year of transition as Dave graduated from MIT and started a new job. For a large part of the year, the future of our relationship was uncertain as Dave wasn't finding any jobs in the New England area. But right at the last minute, he received an offer for his current job! I couldn't have been more proud of my boyfriend and all he had achieved!

2005 was also the year that we became engaged!! I kinda knew it was coming. When your future fiance makes trips to New Hampshire on a weekly basis to look at "kayaks" your mind starts to wander;) And in a typical Debbie moment, I may have sworn at him the night of our engagement. I thought for sure it was all over, but that man sure is persistent and he still proposed! It ended up bein an amazing night and we look back on it fondly:)!

2006 marked the start of our life together. It's the year we committed forever together and finally our separate lives started to align:) I graduate from Northeastern, started my first real newspaper job, moved and got married (all within the span of two months!) It was intense, but I was happy to have everything happen at once! It so fun to look back on this time in our life. We were young and in love. We had no idea what the future held, but we were ready to jump in!

We've been together for eight years. And as we've changed over these eight years so has our relationship. We've become best friends, we've fallen deeply in love, and become one. Our story is not a love at first sight story. Our story is one of growth. But as we've shared in life together our love for one another has grown. With each year that passes our relationship changes and matures. Who we are as a couple today is not who we were as a couple last year. And I wouldn't want it any other way. I'm so grateful to have this man and to share in life with him!

Meet The Parkers : Maya

Today is the third day in the week long series Meet The Parkers! Read more about me here and our cat Jasmine here! If you've been following the blog for any amount of time in the past year, you've probably heard me gush about our pup Maya . She's our baby, a rescue dog from Tennessee who we took home last February. She's the office mascot, my daytime companion and I'll fully admit that I probably love her a bit to much. I never thought I'd become that person, but what can I say, I'm a dog mom!

This little nugget brings a lot of joy to my life and this series would not be complete without her! Yes, our family consists of a dog and cat. And if you didn't think I was too crazy yesterday for interviewing our cat, then you're in for a treat. Yup, you guessed it, we interviewed our dog :-P

1. Omgosh, I'm so excited to be here. Omgosh, Omgosh, woof, I can't contain myself!

2. Biggest fear?

Dave. Just the thought of him has me quivering in my little white boots.

3. Milkbone or dried duck?

Life's to short to choose just one! I'll sit, lay down and give you paw all at the same time just for one of those tasty treats!

4. What's your favorite time of the year?

WINTER! Something about running in the snow makes me go a little crazy. Ok, ok, a lotta crazy.

5. Dave or Debbie... And go!

Duh, Debbie.... you know I'm her BFF.

6. You have the house to yourself for three hours, what do you do?

First I would run around to every room in the house. Then I would sit at the window and bark at every person that walked by. Then I would run around again. Then I would chew my blanket to pieces. Then I would chew on that pen over there that's just been lying on the floor. Then I would eat all my food. Then I would run around the house again. Then I might sit and nap for a few. Then I would run around again. Then I would eat. Again.

7. Favorite getaway?

Easily my vacation home in New Hampshire. I mean it's right on the lake plus I have two people who wait on me hand and foot!

8. If you could be a super hero which one would you be?

I'd totally be the Flash. Zoooom.

9. What is the best noise in the world?

Oh that would most certainly have to been the sound of the whip cream can.

10. If you could know the answer to any question, besides “What is the meaning of life?”, what would it be?

When can I eat next?

I hope you're having fun getting to know a little bit more about this crazy family of ours:) Tomorrow Dave shares his thoughts on life and bacon, it's not to be missed!

Meet The Parkers : Jasmine

Today is Day 2 in the week long series of Meet The Parkers! Yesterday you got a peek inside MY brain. Today, it's an all out Jasmine love fest:)! I talk about our dog Maya a whole bunch, so you might not even know we have a little cat! A little grey diva! But yet despite her rock star attitude and tendency for dramatics, we love this little fur ball! Want to know all about her? Well then check out our interview below (yes, yes, we're crazy!)

1. Jasmine, could you tell us a little bit about yourself?

I'm a 12 inch long Sagittarius with a free spirit and soft belly, who likes to take a long naps on the couch. I do not however, like to dance in the rain.

2. Favorite Food?

Potato chips. Lays preferably. That stuff is like kitty crack.

3. Life, before Maya or after?

Is this a serious question? Paahhhlease!I never knew how good I had it before that dog arrived. I had my days to myself, I wasn't chased around the house, I didn't have to fight for attention. When is she leaving again?

4. What is your favorite day time activity?

Napping in the sunny spots. Might make a cat a little loopy, but I sure do love a warm belly.

5. If you could change one thing what would it be?

Dog, gone.

6. Pick one, Dave or Debbie. And go!

That's an easy answer, Dave! He's the tallest. His shoulders are the perfect place to perch and observe that menace they call Maya.

7. Scratching post or chair?

Their bed actually. It's my favorite spot to get a good scratch in. And it's upholstered so they love it when I use it!

8. Favorite spot to sleep?

I like to find a good bag to dig around in and park my behind. Debbie's purses are perfect for this, just thre right size for my fluffy self.

9. Introvert or extrovert?

Extrovert! But don't even think about coming near me. Ick, hands petting me and touching me and holding me. There could be nothing worse!

10. If you could go anywhere in the world....

It would be outdoors!

If you don't think we are officially crazy yet for interviewing our cat, stay tuned for tomorrow where Maya makes her way to the blog!

Meet The Parkers : Deborah

Today marks the start of a week long series, Meet The Parkers! I am so excited to spend the week sharing with you the family that I love so much! I talk about them often here on the blog, and if you're following me on Instagram (@deborahzoe) you've probably seen one to many pictures of them as well! And in case you were wondering, a family in this case DOES consist of a dog and a cat:)) So in an effort to help you get to know all about them I decided to dedicate a week to all things Parker. First up: ME! Let me tell you, trying to write about yourself is no easy task! So I've enlisted the help of the hubster, Dave, to give me a quick interview and give you lovely readers a peek inside that red head of mine!

 1. Hey babe! First up, where are you from?

Massachusetts born and raised! I love the ocean, the rocky cliffs of the New England coast and pretty much everything this area of the world has to offer! I went to school in the city (Northeastern) and live just 10 minutes away from downtown in the city-burbs. I love the hustle and bustle of the city and the (relative) peace and quite of our little neighborhood.

2. What meal was your mom's best?

OMG. Here chocolate chip cookies. For real. They are legendary amongst all my friends and family. I take my cookie making abilities very seriously and while they are not nearly as good as hers, I'd like to think mine are a notch above the rest;) Her cookies are so good I wrote a post about it here.

3. What three adjectives best describe you?

Relational, quirky and type A. I value deep, meaningful relationships, dance to my own beat and am very particular about my to do lists;)!

4. Ice cream or pastry?

Ice cream all the way! I could eat that stuff for breakfast, lunch and dinner.  With breaks for ice cream snacks in between. Ben & Jerry's is considered single serve, right?!

5. What was your first car?

MAX!! As in Maxima:) Technically it wasn't mine but my Dad let me drive it to high school and part way through college. That car saw me through my first boyfriend, countless trips to school early in the morning, my summer jobs, and my freshman year in college. When it finally bit the dust I cried and cried.

6. Did you play a high school sport?

Ooh yeah! My freshman year of high school I thought I'd try out for the high school track sprint team. Did I mention I was also about 60 pounds over weight? When I eventually realized that WASN'T going to work out, I moved promptly to the weight team (ya know, the kids that throw shot put and discus). That coupled with a few years of field hockey, I lost that 60 pounds plus some and found some confidence I never knew. Being a part of a team was one of the best things that I experienced in high school. And it's given me a joy for running that is still a part of my life:)

7. If you could vacation anywhere, where would it be?

My amazing husband took me to Hawaii in 2010. It had ALWAYS been a dream of mine to go there and once we landed at the airport in Maui, I knew there was no going back. I was hooked. I can't wait for the day when we board a plane again and our destination reads: Kahului.

8. If you could speak for 10 minutes at a high school what would you speak about?

Gooood questions hubster! Mhmmm, I think I talk about relationships and self worth.

9. Sweet potato fries or regular fries?

Sweet potato with lots and lots and LOTS of malt vinegar:)!

10. On a scale of 1-10 how amazing is your husband?

Duh, 100.

Thanks babe for asking me some fun questions:)!

Remember to come back tomorrow! Jasmine will be sharing all about her love of catnip and cat naps!