Ten days before our wedding I received a life altering phone call.
The Plan: We were going to start our marriage living in Georgia. We had already found a wonderful place to live, that I had moved into the day I received the phone call. Our honeymoon was booked * Jamaica* 10 days all-inclusive resort. Outdoor country wedding set for August 20th 2011. All the plans were in order. However junk happens at a moments notice.
The phone call: Aaron was stopped at the border for a three hour questioning. He was not let through, but to add to that he was banned from the States for 5 years. This was the first of many tearful conversations.
Action Plan to have my groom for our wedding: Hire immigration lawyers who deal with this sort of thing all the time to help us. They were able to get Aaron in for our wedding on parol. Which is a temporary 10 day stay. Enough time for us to have our wedding and leave for the honeymoon. Our wedding went on just as it was planned. We had a massive set back, but we made it through. Only took Aaron two days to get to Georgia. Rough two days for Aaron.
Key Point: My husband is no criminal, but man are they treating him like one. This is very upsetting to anyone that knows him.
The wedding that almost did not happen: AMAZING. We had rented out Briar Rose Plantation (located in White Plains GA) for the weekend. 120 guests, and hours of dancing. Great southern fried chicken and for dessert cheesecakes and mississippi mudd pies. Best day of my life. All our family and friends rolled into one place to celebrate our love and commitment to one another.
Honeymoon: Wonderful. At the same time horrible. Everyone goes on their honeymoon expecting to start their lives out with one another after. Not us. We had to fly home separate ways from Jamaica. I flew to Georgia and Aaron flew to Calgary. That was a tear filled day. As much as we were so ready to "get back to reality" our reality did not look so pretty. It involved lawyers, paper work, and a hole lot of "what should we do now?"
Decisions: I had to quit my job in order to have to freedom to visit my husband as often as needed to maintain a healthy marriage while his paper work is being filed. We (us and the lawyers) have been working hard to overturn the ban that was placed on him. This is not an easy process. Hours of paper work and searching for documents and having friends and family write multiple letters for us. We had the apartment in Georgia which is our home here. Obviously Aaron is still in Calgary so we had to get an apartment there as well. God has graced us with amazing Landlords that have helped us out tremendously.
The *new* plan: Get to Georgia as soon as possible. In the mean time, work hard and get this lawyer stuff behind us and look forward to a bright future. Life has not been easy, but this is to be expected. Nothing prepares you for the unknown, you just have to take it one day at a time. They say the paper work process can take 2 months to 18 months which is better than five years. We have no idea when we will start our new life down in Georgia together but we are praying it is soon.
Thank yous: To all who have been praying for us and to everyone who has written letters for us. We appreciate the support and love from everyone. It is amazing to see friends and family fight together for your relationship. Most important thank you to my husband for working so hard to support us both. I love him more than words can express.
To the man than banned him: May God be with you sir, because you have no idea the heart ache you have caused this family. If you cared to know Aaron a little better and realize our relationship is as real as ANY true relationship, you would not have wished what you did on him/us.
Traveling alone sucks. I look forward to the day my husband can fly with me again.
Until next time, your prayers are appreciated! Hope to have an update sooner than later!
December 7, 2011
June 24, 2011
Our Wedding Website
We are so excited for this up and coming adventure! Life is about to change drastically and in 8 weeks I will no longer be Amanda Parker. I will let you know what I think about that in about 9 weeks! :)
Just wanted to invite you all to check out the details on our wedding! Hope to see all our friends there!
www.uruskiparker.ourwedding.com
Just wanted to invite you all to check out the details on our wedding! Hope to see all our friends there!
www.uruskiparker.ourwedding.com
April 17, 2011
Love and SO much of it!
August 21st 2010 I met a man that would change my life forever.
At a Franklin Graham crusade, in Calgary (Canada), I was introduced to Aaron Uruski. I was flown to Calgary by a friend's, at the time boyfriend, so not only did I receive a free trip to Canada to visit a dear friend but I also met my future husband! A wonderful trip I would say. Never thought I would end up in a long distance relationship that would turn into THIS! On August 20th, 2011 is our wedding! The significance is wonderful, a year after meeting Aaron I will walk down the aisle and say "I DO" to him!
When I think of who I want to marry I think of someone similar to my dad; patient, kind, respectful, funny and always making me smile and laugh; a man after Gods heart towards others. Aaron is all these things and more. He was telling me how he remembers that first meeting he thought I was cool because I laughed at all his dumb jokes. It was love at first site I must say! haha! Our relationship has been built since day one on trust and honesty. It is a wonderful thing to be open about all your problems and short comings in the beginning so you can work through it all together. Aaron has challenged me in many ways to be the best possible version of Amanda I can be. I must admit I like to be that girl.
After 8 months of dating long distance he proposed to me, and I said YES. :) I loved his proposal almost as much as him asking me that wonderful question. He talked to my dad on the Tuesday before he asked me on the Saturday so my parents had to keep this secret for 5 days and if you know my mother at all, you know this was killing her. We were in Panama City Beach for a few days on vacation with my parents and brother (Matthew). The boys disappeared for a few hours to supposedly go "shopping." They came back to the condo took showers and cleaned up to get ready for a YUMMY dinner at Salt Water Grill! Little did I know before dinner my life was about to change drastically! We all pile in my dads white truck to head off for the night. Dad pulls into a Helicopter tour place and I'm a bit confused. Aaron tells me he wants to go see the shark tour. I have no interest in going to see sharks, however somehow he talks me into it. I'm saying all these excuses of why we should not do this, but I did not realize this was my destiny! haha!
So up up and away we go. I'm already a little shaky being in a helicopter, but the shakes really started when Aaron shows me something written in the sand to my left. It read: "AMANDA, MARRY ME?"! So the boys "shopping" trip was more like a Home Depot visit to buy shovels and dig in the sand. Four foot letters, ten inches deep so we would be able to see it from our view in the sky!! SO ROMANTIC, and if you know me you know I am a hopeless romantic so of course my heart melted and I said YES. When I turned around to look at him he was holding the GORGEOUS ring and put it on my left hand! We tried to enjoy the helicopter ride as much as we could with out thinking OH MY GOSH we are ENGAGED!
After we landed we were greeted by my parents and brother who knew all along! My sister was not in the loop so I called her ASAP! We then got in contact with Aaron's family to share the good news, and the next day onto informing friends! We are so supported and loved by so many people. I'm so excited to spend my life with this man.
Aaron has kindly decided to move to GEORGIA! My family and friends are ecstatic yet his family and friends are a little bummed! This is rightfully so, BUT we have plans to visit Canada a few times a year and of course opening our home to whoever may want to come visit us! Also we have no set plans, if the Lord wants us to move to Canada, or the USA government decides to go bonkers then we will head to Canada! :) I've heard British Columbia is a beautiful place to end up!! Who knows in years to come what may happen!
So living in two different countries makes things a little challenging with all the paper work and green cards/citizenship junk that comes with it. These next four months will not be easy on us there is so much to do, but with the Lords help we know it can be done. As long as its Him we are looking to for help, I believe with all my heart the money will come in and all this is possible!! Aaron will be selling a lot of stuff and filling out a lot of paper work in the near future! He is giving up so much to be with me, and I never want anyone to think I take that for granted. He is more than I could ask for when I think of my future husband. God has put us together for many reasons, one of those being we are good together and can make it through whatever life throws our way.
Thank you Aaron for everything you have done and will do for me. I've never been more excited for a date in my life. (And you know how much I love Christmas so this says a lot!!)
At a Franklin Graham crusade, in Calgary (Canada), I was introduced to Aaron Uruski. I was flown to Calgary by a friend's, at the time boyfriend, so not only did I receive a free trip to Canada to visit a dear friend but I also met my future husband! A wonderful trip I would say. Never thought I would end up in a long distance relationship that would turn into THIS! On August 20th, 2011 is our wedding! The significance is wonderful, a year after meeting Aaron I will walk down the aisle and say "I DO" to him!
When I think of who I want to marry I think of someone similar to my dad; patient, kind, respectful, funny and always making me smile and laugh; a man after Gods heart towards others. Aaron is all these things and more. He was telling me how he remembers that first meeting he thought I was cool because I laughed at all his dumb jokes. It was love at first site I must say! haha! Our relationship has been built since day one on trust and honesty. It is a wonderful thing to be open about all your problems and short comings in the beginning so you can work through it all together. Aaron has challenged me in many ways to be the best possible version of Amanda I can be. I must admit I like to be that girl.
After 8 months of dating long distance he proposed to me, and I said YES. :) I loved his proposal almost as much as him asking me that wonderful question. He talked to my dad on the Tuesday before he asked me on the Saturday so my parents had to keep this secret for 5 days and if you know my mother at all, you know this was killing her. We were in Panama City Beach for a few days on vacation with my parents and brother (Matthew). The boys disappeared for a few hours to supposedly go "shopping." They came back to the condo took showers and cleaned up to get ready for a YUMMY dinner at Salt Water Grill! Little did I know before dinner my life was about to change drastically! We all pile in my dads white truck to head off for the night. Dad pulls into a Helicopter tour place and I'm a bit confused. Aaron tells me he wants to go see the shark tour. I have no interest in going to see sharks, however somehow he talks me into it. I'm saying all these excuses of why we should not do this, but I did not realize this was my destiny! haha!
So up up and away we go. I'm already a little shaky being in a helicopter, but the shakes really started when Aaron shows me something written in the sand to my left. It read: "AMANDA, MARRY ME?"! So the boys "shopping" trip was more like a Home Depot visit to buy shovels and dig in the sand. Four foot letters, ten inches deep so we would be able to see it from our view in the sky!! SO ROMANTIC, and if you know me you know I am a hopeless romantic so of course my heart melted and I said YES. When I turned around to look at him he was holding the GORGEOUS ring and put it on my left hand! We tried to enjoy the helicopter ride as much as we could with out thinking OH MY GOSH we are ENGAGED!
After we landed we were greeted by my parents and brother who knew all along! My sister was not in the loop so I called her ASAP! We then got in contact with Aaron's family to share the good news, and the next day onto informing friends! We are so supported and loved by so many people. I'm so excited to spend my life with this man.
Aaron has kindly decided to move to GEORGIA! My family and friends are ecstatic yet his family and friends are a little bummed! This is rightfully so, BUT we have plans to visit Canada a few times a year and of course opening our home to whoever may want to come visit us! Also we have no set plans, if the Lord wants us to move to Canada, or the USA government decides to go bonkers then we will head to Canada! :) I've heard British Columbia is a beautiful place to end up!! Who knows in years to come what may happen!
So living in two different countries makes things a little challenging with all the paper work and green cards/citizenship junk that comes with it. These next four months will not be easy on us there is so much to do, but with the Lords help we know it can be done. As long as its Him we are looking to for help, I believe with all my heart the money will come in and all this is possible!! Aaron will be selling a lot of stuff and filling out a lot of paper work in the near future! He is giving up so much to be with me, and I never want anyone to think I take that for granted. He is more than I could ask for when I think of my future husband. God has put us together for many reasons, one of those being we are good together and can make it through whatever life throws our way.
Thank you Aaron for everything you have done and will do for me. I've never been more excited for a date in my life. (And you know how much I love Christmas so this says a lot!!)
January 6, 2011
NEW YEAR * * 2011
In the new year, we pray
that You will guide us each new day
in paths that are pleasing to You.
Lord, the new year gives us another chance
to rededicate our lives to You,
to study Your Word
so that we know right from wrong
and to act in accordance with Your commands.
Thank You for the sense of
direction, purpose and peace we get
from aligning our lives with Your will.
We pray for the strength and the will to obey You
each and every day of the new year,
and when we fail, we pray for Your mercy,
Your compassion, Your grace and Your love.
Help us in the new year to be Your faithful servants.
In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.
November 17, 2010
The 3rd annual SCARF SOME SWEETS BENEFIT!
You could help rescue a beautiful girl like this one Im holding. Wonderful heart, precious little girl rescued by Destiny Rescue. 
3rd annual Scarf Some Sweets!
Christina Jones and Jessica Stewart are going to Thailand to work with Destiny Rescue. Destiny Rescue works to remove young girls and women out of sex trafficking and to teach them skills and crafts, so they are not forced back into prostitution and have a way to make money for themselves and their families.
Jessica and Christina are going to teach the girls to crochet scarves! They will then bring back the scarves that the girls and women have made for us to buy. When we buy the scarves, this will support the women and girls. It provide an hourly wage for them.
Steen & Jessica-Scarf Some Sweets 2009
I am so proud of my sister and her vision for this company. It's been a long time waiting but now the time has come to up and start COLORS. She is following her dream to help change this world! Now the time is come to support her in this dream!!!!
This is where YOU come in, we need you to help us get Jessica and Steen to Thailand. Jessica and Steen will be selling earrings, hair clips, scarves, and some other things.
This event is just in time for Christmas. When you come out and purchase these items, you are giving to something bigger than we can comprehend. We know God is going to use this night in the lives of people around us and to help lives of people all around the world.
ALL money raised goes straight to plane tickets and buying yarn for Jessica and Steen to take with them!
SO…
December 10TH @ 7:30PM
River Park Clubhouse
166 River Park Crossing
Woodstock, GA 30188
$7 @ the door.
$25 for VIP access which includes front row to the fashion show & FIRST pick over all items!
*Cash and Checks will only be accepted.*
Please come out on December 10th for free desserts, live music, a fashion show, ALL for a great cause.
3rd annual Scarf Some Sweets!
Christina Jones and Jessica Stewart are going to Thailand to work with Destiny Rescue. Destiny Rescue works to remove young girls and women out of sex trafficking and to teach them skills and crafts, so they are not forced back into prostitution and have a way to make money for themselves and their families.
Jessica and Christina are going to teach the girls to crochet scarves! They will then bring back the scarves that the girls and women have made for us to buy. When we buy the scarves, this will support the women and girls. It provide an hourly wage for them.
Steen & Jessica-Scarf Some Sweets 2009
I am so proud of my sister and her vision for this company. It's been a long time waiting but now the time has come to up and start COLORS. She is following her dream to help change this world! Now the time is come to support her in this dream!!!!
This is where YOU come in, we need you to help us get Jessica and Steen to Thailand. Jessica and Steen will be selling earrings, hair clips, scarves, and some other things.
This event is just in time for Christmas. When you come out and purchase these items, you are giving to something bigger than we can comprehend. We know God is going to use this night in the lives of people around us and to help lives of people all around the world.
ALL money raised goes straight to plane tickets and buying yarn for Jessica and Steen to take with them!
SO…
December 10TH @ 7:30PM
River Park Clubhouse
166 River Park Crossing
Woodstock, GA 30188
$7 @ the door.
$25 for VIP access which includes front row to the fashion show & FIRST pick over all items!
*Cash and Checks will only be accepted.*
Please come out on December 10th for free desserts, live music, a fashion show, ALL for a great cause.
October 27, 2010
The Holiday Season
2008 Christmas in Thailand
Since 2007 I have not been home for the Holiday season and I am beyond excited to be home this year. Yes it's a few days before Halloween and I already have my little Christmas tree up in my bedroom. I find it super comforting and relaxing to come home to a little bit of Christmas after work. There are so many things I am looking forward to this year. The shopping, the baking, and the family surrounding you all the time! Drinking egg nog while listening to Christmas music and decorating the house!! Thinking about it is getting me even more stoked. As much as the Holiday season is taken to the extreme, it's all about our savior being born so why not celebrate in a the biggest way possible!
Since 2007 I have not been home for the Holiday season and I am beyond excited to be home this year. Yes it's a few days before Halloween and I already have my little Christmas tree up in my bedroom. I find it super comforting and relaxing to come home to a little bit of Christmas after work. There are so many things I am looking forward to this year. The shopping, the baking, and the family surrounding you all the time! Drinking egg nog while listening to Christmas music and decorating the house!! Thinking about it is getting me even more stoked. As much as the Holiday season is taken to the extreme, it's all about our savior being born so why not celebrate in a the biggest way possible!
2008 Christmas I was in Thailand with 3 other girls that I did not know very well at the time. It was a hard Christmas but I made it though, however who wants to just "make it though" the holidays. I hate thinking aboutthe people that dont really enjoy the holiday season. My heart breaks for them. JOY is something that must remain in our lives if we want to be happy while living though it. 2009 I was in Mozambique Africa, celebrating with a group of 12! This was another hard Christmas. Probably 110 degrees out and eating a fish head for dinner! Sometimes I get angry I am American and feel the need to cook an extravagant meal for Thanksgiving and Christmas BUT on the other end I am SO SO thankful and blessed to have the family and life style I have. These past two C
hristmases were extremely humbling for me. No presents under a tree.. no meal with your mom and dad, sisters and brothers.... Just you and God..... alone..... As much as it was a different Christmas experience for me, an American, it is their African every year tradition. Fish head for Christmas dinner. I love how all over the world "traditions" are all different. Non are better than others, but I am extremely thankful for mine.
hristmases were extremely humbling for me. No presents under a tree.. no meal with your mom and dad, sisters and brothers.... Just you and God..... alone..... As much as it was a different Christmas experience for me, an American, it is their African every year tradition. Fish head for Christmas dinner. I love how all over the world "traditions" are all different. Non are better than others, but I am extremely thankful for mine.September 8, 2010
Thank you God
I wish I had the capability to track my every thought, written on paper. I have a feeling it would probably freak me out just a little bit. Lately I have had these thinkings I have not really ever had before. Good thoughts, happy thought, crazy thoughts! I always say how I love it when something happens to change your way of thinking BUT what if its something you thought you would never change your way of thinking on. I have been proven wrong. What?! This is nuts..
1 THESSALONIANS 5:18 NKJ
"In everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in
Christ Jesus for you."
I just want to thank you God for your mercy and grace. Thank you for your faithfulness. Thank you for defeating the devil and setting us free in Christ. Thank you for loving me and taking good care of me. In everything I will give thanks to God for what He
is doing. All God does is for my good.
1 THESSALONIANS 5:18 NKJ
"In everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in
Christ Jesus for you."
I just want to thank you God for your mercy and grace. Thank you for your faithfulness. Thank you for defeating the devil and setting us free in Christ. Thank you for loving me and taking good care of me. In everything I will give thanks to God for what He
is doing. All God does is for my good.
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