Merry Christmas!!!

Merry Christmas Everyone!! Hope you all have a joyous holiday season and all the best for the upcoming New Year!!

Love,

Rita, Alex and Arthur

It's a Girl!!!

FINALLY, it's official!! It's a girl!! She was born this morning weighing in at 7lbs.4oz!! Lots of blonde hair, will post a pic, when I get one. (hopefully, won't be too long...)
I am rejoicing for my friends, as they enjoy their new little bundle. What a precious gift!! Please keep them and the birth mother in your prayers, as the next few days can also be quite difficult in this situation.

Just Believe,
Rita, Alex and Art

Thursday funny............

Gotta Love Little Boys
Two young boys walked into a pharmacy one day, picked out a box of Tampax, and proceeded to the checkout counter.The man at the counter asked the older boy, "Son, how old are you?""Eight," the boy replied.The man continued, "Do you know what these are used for?" The boy replied, ”Not exactly, but they aren't for me. They're for him. He's my brother. He's four. We saw on TV that if you use these you would be able to swim and ride a bike. He can't do either one."

It's a...............boy or girl??

Good Afternoon blogger friends!! This just in...........my friends Emily and Mel are anxiously awaiting the arrival of their baby girl/boy sometime today. Please keep them in your prayers, as they are very nervous/excited. (they are adopting this precious bundle) I would love to be with them right now, or near them, but that's not an option, and its killing me!!! Hopefully before I turn in for the night, I will have some awesome news!!!

This pic is of my Alex 10 years ago!!

Nice weekend, coming to an end :)

Hey there fellow bloggers!!! Just thought I would stop by here and wish everyone a wonderful week!!! The week before Christmas......the hustle, the bustle, so much to do, so little time. I myself feel pretty good about the upcoming week. The gifts are almost wrapped, a few cookies baked....(as long as Alex stays out of them, I'm good!) the house, well, it will need a good cleaning sometime this week, when the spirit moves me.

Last week when Alex and I were shopping, we came across some mens suits. Alex has always wanted a "business suit" and now with FBLA, he will need one. I'm also hoping he will slow down on the "growing front" and will hopefully be able to wear this more then once. I think he cleans up pretty good for a 15 yr old!!!

Today, Alex and I made a quick trip to Minot (about 20 miles from our home). Our last stop was to Chocolatopia to pick up some Chippers, chocolate covered potato chips. I hope all you faithful readers have experienced Chippers, as they are the ultimate best treat ever!! Nothing else can top Chippers.

Here's hoping you all enjoy the week before Christmas. During this time of year, we take the time to remember and be thankful for all the blessings in our lives.

Thank you for frosty mornings, like today.

Thank you for "business suits".

Thank you for Chocolatopia!!

Have a great week, will post more later this week.

Favorite Foto Friday.......

Here are some pics from past Christmas's.........always a fun time in our home!!! Alex is 15, and in the 9th Grade. Arthur (wiener dog) will be 4 in January. They are both a joy to have around. Arthur is my faithful little bed partner, who will take up as much of the bed as he possibly can!!!

I found the following scripture on another blog site, thought it was fitting for this time of year....

"So I recommend having fun, because there is nothing better for people in this world than to eat, drink, and enjoy life. That way they will experience some happiness along with all the hard work God gives them under the sun."Ecclesiastes 8:15

Hope you're all enjoying this wonderful time of year!!

Rita, Alex & Arthur

Christmas Photos..........

Just thought I would post a few pictures from the weekend. Had Alex and Arthur pose for a few. Still no good outside pics. We now have snow, which I am sure some of you would think thats real cool. However, we North Dakotans don't think too highly on the snow front. I have seen way too much snow in my life, I think I could live without for a winter.

Hope everyone is enjoying the Holiday Season, I have yet to finish my shopping, but intend to on Thursday.

Have a great week!!

Rita, Alex and Arthur (woofwoof)

It's Beginning to Look alot like Christmas!!!!

Hope you all survived Black Friday Shopping. I was out at 4 am, as that's when Kohls opened. Well, won't be doing that again. I will wake up early to shop, but I will never wait in line to pay for purchases for over 2 hours. Nope, can't do that!! I did get to a few stores, bought a few gifts, and a few things for Alex and I.

Our Thanksgiving was good. Good food. Was great to see my brother and family from Minneapolis. We actually see them more then we see my family that lives close to us, but thats just fine. Nick loves Alex, and is so much like my Alex when he was younger. Gillian is growing up so fast. Kind of sassy, just like the rest of us!!

I am slowly getting things ready for Christmas. Most of my decor is up, and collecting dust. Things are looking up around here. I love the Holidays, and never seem to have enough decorations.

Alex is at a party at a friends house, so its kind of quiet here. I am very much enjoying it!! I am off to clean up some of my decorating mess.

Have a great weekend!!

Keep Believing,

Rita

Happy Thanksgiving!!!

Hello friends,
I absolutely LOVE this time of year......yep, you guessed it, the Holidays!! I love the food, the decorating, spending time with family - and this year...... going Christmas shopping the day after Thanksgiving!!! This time of year is simply magical and I just want to savor each day. We will be in Grand Forks at my sister's house for Thanksgiving. My whole family will be there, as we are also celebrating my oldest brothers 50th Birthday.
I have so much to be thankful for this year. I am thankful for my wonderful son. Always willing to help me out when I need it, letting me take a nap after work, without waking me to make supper, even though I had every intention of making it. He's pretty self sufficient, and can make his own dinner!! I am thankful that he does well with his studies......it amazes me that he is so smart, and knows so very much about life, and whats going on around us. I am thankful for Alex's speech program. Dr. Savokeul has taught him so much in the last 5 months. His speech has not only gotten better, he's also learning about communication, and the importance of it. I am thankful for Alex's school. This week they had quite a scare and I think they handled it pretty well. They took action and took care of the problem. I am also thankful for our local law enforcement. They not only spared our school from a disaster, they also arrested 2 murderers who were in our area this past fall. (FYI: I live in a small town, we don't get much action around here.....)

Lastly, I am thankful for my family and friends. Without them, life would not be as fun!!! I love my work family, they are the greatest and I am very grateful for the friendships that I have made with all of them the past 2.5 years. I am thankful for my parents. They take such good care of Alex and I.

I hope you all have a very HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!

Giving Thanks,

Rita, Alex and Arthur

Fly Murray, Fly..........

I just visited my friend Murrays caringbridge site and found that he passed away early this morning. Please keep his wife Mary and their 3 children, Matthew, Megan, and Macy in your prayers as they continue life without their Murray. This passed Thursday, Murray was able to be at Megans final volleyball game, which I am sure was an honor for both of them.
Thats all I have for tonight.............not a great way to end my weekend or start my week for that matter.
hugs,
Rita, Alex and Art

Happy Halloween!!!

Good Morning Blogger friends!!! Not much going on here......getting the boy ready for school, making breakfast for him, and catching up on the computer. Typical day when I am home in the morning. It was wonderful to sleep in today. Yesterday, I had to be at work by 5:30AM!!! Yuck, only 30 minutes earlier, however, I lay awake, wondering if I'm going to make it on time!!! Too much stress for me............

We don't have alot of plans for the Halloween holiday. Alex has speech therapy after school, so when we're done with that, we'll run a couple errands, and then come home for our trick or treaters. Hope we don't miss too many.

Thats all for now........have a great Halloween, and enjoy the rest of the week.

Keep Believing,

Rita

Hump Day........again!!!

Happy Wednesday. I have been kind of been a slacker blogger lately. I've been busy working on details/blogsite for my 20 yr Class Reunion. Everything is coming along very well. Hopefully, things keep going smoothly, and come July we can all get together and have a great time.
Alex is doing well. He had church school this evening, so was gone most the night. He just got his report card and has once again made the A Honor Roll. I am very proud of him, and hope he never finds my report cards!!!! LOL
My parents are in Fargo for the rest of the week. My Dad has a procedure tomorrow to eleveate the pain he has in his back. Hopefully this will help him, so he can be a little more mobile. Please pray that this is the miracle we've been waiting for.
Not much else has been going on here. Been busy at work, so the days fly by.......but makes for one tired Rita!!!!
Goodnight Friends,
Rita

Prayers Needed...........

Good Evening!! I come to you all tonight to ask for prayers. My buddy Murray went to Rochester yesterday to be evaluated for a new drug study. (he has terminal cancer.) Rather then ending up at the Mayo Clinic, he ended up in the ER at Methodist Hospital very weak and in alot of pain. He has been admitted there and will remain there until he is strong enough to make the trip back to Fargo. They drained 7 liters of fluid out of his abdomen today, so I am sure that gave him some relief.....could you imagine, 7 liters?? Yikes!! As for the drug study, it most likely won't be happening. Please pray for some relief from his discomfort, as well as a miracle!!! Things aren't looking too good for Murray. Also pray for his wife and children, this has been very hard on all of them, and will continue to get harder. (oh, forgot to mention, his 15 yr old daughter faught melenoma cancer for a year and won!!)
Thanks for your prayers!!

Just Believe,
Rita

What a Day......

Today, I go into work late, as I am on call. As I try to locate my little Arthur to take him for a quick walk, I notice him all snuggled into my bed. Now, Arthur spend a majority of his life on my bed, sleeping, all day, all night. However, he does spend some time taking everything in on the outside....see pic!! He can sit there for hours watching every little movement outside. (as well as barking at every little movement!) He's quite the little character.

Alex is at school. Mornings at home with him are quite stressful for me. I am not sure how he gets to school on time when I am at work. But, he does it, and has never been late, so kudos to him for being responsible!!! He's been getting himself up and to school since hes been a 4th grader, I think. Maybe 5th grade?? I normally go to work at 6 am, when he's still sawing logs.

Thats all for now, hopefully, I can another blog out this weekend. Take care, and stay well!!

Enjoy the rest of the week!!!!! It's almost Friday!!!!!!!

My Son, My Writer..........

Wow, Alex has really become a talented writer. He's always had the gift, but recently has been journaling and writing essays for his English class. The following is the latest essay.................

What are the differences between a parent who is controlling and a parent who is guiding? That is the question that throughout this essay I will attempt to answer in my opinion. In my life my mother has guided me by taking me to church. I believe that my mom made this decision because; she wanted me to have religion in my life. Another way my mother has guided me is always encouraging learning not just to get good grades but also for personal development. I believe that my mom made this decision because; she knows that the development of the brain and the development of continuing to improve yourself leads you to a better, more successful tomorrow. Some of the controlling aspects that my mother has used in the raising of me are setting rules that I need to obey. I am pretty sure that she has done this because she wants the best in the future for me. While I was typing this essay I was trying to answer the question that was stated in the first sentence. I have came to the conclusion that a common similarity between a controlling and a guiding parent is that they both want the best for their child. The difference is that a guiding parent controls their kid by implying what they want their kids do, but they present that idea by giving their children the option to make that choice. That was my essay on differences of a controlling parent and a parent who guides. I hope you enjoyed this essay and have a nice day.

I guess maybe I am doing some things right in raising my son. I have always tried my best, been there for him as much as I can, and have always encouraged him to do his best.

Have a great night everyone!!

Happy Almost October.......

Hey there.....

Tomorrow begins a new month, October. Wow, seems like yesterday I was taking down my Christmas decorations. Well, I guess its never too early for that......ok, ok, I will at least wait until November. :( Those of you that know me, know that I enjoy decorating for the Holidays, even Halloween, a little. This year, I have 3 more trees to decorate, small, med and a larger one. Can't wait. Right now, I have one decked out with Halloween decor, and orange lights.

I just spent the last hour watching Desperate Housewives. I love that show, but find it gets weirder (is that a word?) every season. I will continue to watch it, as I have been a faithful follower since the beginning and I can't stop now.

I spent the weekend cleaning house, as usual. Seems like there is never an end to housework, and there is only 2 of us. Yikes!!! This afternoon, I paid my respects to my bus driver that I had as a child. He passed away unexpectedly on Wednesday. Jerry was such a friendly guy, always had a smirk on his face, but said very little. I often wondered what he was thinking.......he will be missed be all who knew him.

I have managed to keep up with my daily walking. I walk at least a mile a day, sometimes 2 or 3, depending on if I have a walking buddy. Hoping to get up in the morning to walk, I am on call tomorrow night, so will not have a chance to get out.

This week should be a quiet week, not much going on until the weekend. On Friday night, my nephews FB team will be playing against us, in Velva. I would love to see Taylors team win, however, having a hard time thinking that will ever happen. On Saturday, I am taking my mother to a couple craft shows. She's excited, even has someone lined up to stay with my Dad. woohoo for her!!

That's all for now, hope you have a super week.

Favorite Foto Friday.......

Happy Friday!! Hope everyone had a great week and will enjoy the nice weekend. I had a pretty decent week. Went to the BAR after work today...(FYI: I NEVER go to the bar, much less after work!! LOL) Needless to say, was there for 2 drinks, came home, made a quick dinner, and was in a coma (sleep) for almost 2 hours!! Hence the reason I can't go to the bar after work, as it knocks me out...........So, have manage to get absolutely nothing done this evening, as intended. Guess its up early for me tomorrow for a full day of housework.

Both of my nephews had football games this evening. Both teams were getting their butts kicked, last I heard at half time. These 2 nephews are great FB players, just not on real good teams. ugghh, too bad for them, maybe they should come here and play for a good team. (ok, we are not that good this year, however....took State Champions the past 4 years!!) So, maybe everyone could benefit from making a change.

Gotta run, enjoy the pics!! Enjoy the weekend.

Hump Day....

Today is hump day.......I think most people like hump day, I on the other hand, dislike the day!! It starts out way too early for me, (5am) and does not end until 8pm, when we are done with our church activities. Then its off to bed for me, and up early again Thursday.
Today, I had the opportunity to care for a young man that I once cared for as a child. (I was his summer babysitter...) First off, this made me feel extremely OLD, Secondly, I was very happy to have been there for him. I could see the sense of relief that he had when I told him that I would be in the OR with him today. He presently lives in the Fresno, CA area, so to actually see a famliar face, was a huge relief for him...(at least he appeared to be relieved, perhaps, he was frightened??)
While Alex was at speech therapy today, I went to Target to get light bulbs, and walked out with the Knocked Up DVD!! Good movie, been watching it off and on since I got home. Maybe someday I will be able to sit and watch the whole movie.

"Here is a simple, rule-of-thumb guide for behavior: Ask yourself what you want people to do for you, then grab the initiative and do it for them."Matthew 7:12

Enjoy the rest of the week!!
Rita, Alex and Arthur

I almost forgot....

I totally forgot to introduce everyone to our little Arthur. He's a miniature daschund that has been in our family since February 2004. He is almost 4 yrs old. Arthur enjoys life to its fullest, and spends most his time sleeping, but will jump at the chance to go for a walk. (this happens daily, for the most part....) He loves barking at all the cats outside, going for rides and staying at his Grandparents. He truly is a joy to have around, we would be lost without him. Here's to Arthur..........our great pal!!

A little about me.......

This whole blogging thing, blows me away....who would have ever thought we would be blogging?? I never even knew the word exist, til this past year!

Here I am, 37 yr old, single mother of a wonderful 15 yr old son, Alex. The light of my life, heck, he is my life!! I spent the evening tonight at parent/teacher conferences. I know from past experiences, that some parents walk away from conferences confused, furious, not sure what to do with their child.....(sorry Mom) I, on the other hand, walked away, knowing that I have an awesome son who's going to make something of himself someday!!! All of his teachers could not quit talking about how wonderful, respectful, kind, caring, considerate, smart, enthusiastic, fun kid that I have. He truly is a nice kid, and for others to tell me that, makes me one happy Mom. And to think that I raised him all myself.............

More about the happy Mom.....I have been a surgical scrub nurse for over 10 years. I love my job most days, and enjoy taking care of others. In the past, I have work in Labor and Delivery, Neurosurgery, and presently, I work in general surgery and orthopedics.

In my spare time, I like to shop/shop online, garden/yard work, hang out with Alex, scrap book, and mostly enjoy life. I like to think that I have a stress free life, and like to keep it that way.

Right now, Alex is LIVE on his Xbox 360, that he purchased this summer. (with his own $$) First time he's been live, so he's pretty excited about it. His homework is done, so he's having "Alex" time.

Thats all for now blog friends, hopefully will be about to update later this week.

Have a super week,

Rita