SIMPLY ME

A Quick Little Update.....

2011-05-14T10:30:00.007-05:00

I thought it was time I give you all a little update on the happenings of my life the last 7 months.....
well, it was a longgggg COLD winter with more snow then we could ever wish for!! It's May 14th today, and the temp today is mid 30's. ugh.

My son's senior year of high school is quickly coming to an end. We are trying to finalize all the graduation party details, and doing a little baking for the big event. He has made the decision to stay in North Dakota to continue his education. He will be about 3 hours away from home, which will be great for him, bad for me!! ha!! The next couple weeks will be crazy at our house.....awards night, concerts, senior quilt night, baseball games, track meets, preparation......oh and also a full time job!! This too shall pass, and will be over before we know it.

Two weeks ago, I spent four fabulous days in the Riviera Maya. The following are pics from my short, but awesome trip!!

That's all I have for now......I'm on call this weekend, so will have to write more later. Hope you all have a great week, and the sun is shining in your neck of the woods!!
Please send me some sun!!

Happy Halloween 2010

2010-10-31T19:38:00.003-05:00

Since I don't have anyone that dresses up for Halloween, I thought I would share a couple pictures of my great nephew Brooks.......

My Niece Kasey and her son Brooks, love the look on his face!!

Our little lion....

Hope you all had a great Halloween weekend, here's to another week closer to the holidays!!

Happy Fall....Let It SNOW......random post!!

2010-10-29T22:55:00.008-05:00

Well, well, well, I have made it back to blog land. I'm once again not making any excuses, just have not had much interest in blogging lately!! Pure honesty!!
This week has been a not so steller week!! We got our first snow storm/blizzard of the season. Had I been scheduled to work in the morning, as usual, I would not have made it in!! However, I was on call and made it with no problem, and better yet, NO TRAUMAS from the storm!! Not sure how we got so lucky.....??
Last week, I was home sick for 3 days, and the remainder of the week I took my son to the 2 largest Universities in North Dakota to meet with admissions and have a tour of the college. It was alot to take in, but I think we had our questions answered. Now to make a decision as to where to go......hmmmm, UND or NDSU?? Oh and I am still not feeling well, throat hurts most the time, and still coughing.
While touring colleges, I got to spend some time with my Great Nephew, Brooks. Wow, hes getting big and is such a good little boy!! My sister is his full time daycare, so she gets to see him daily, it's good to know he's in good hands.

This past week we had to say goodbye to one of my favorite physicians.....Dr Fischbach passed away unexpectedly on October 22. It was not a good day, and has not been a good week at work for anyone. We all knew he wasn't in the best of health, but never did think he would leave us.....at least without a heads up!! I was out of town, and was crushed!! He just recently had learned how to do robotic surgery, which was so nice for him, as he was able to sit at the surgeons console and do his work, rather then the long hours on his feet. (yes, he was not very healthy!!) He was so proud of his accomplishments, and how well his patients did after surgery. However, not as proud as we were of him. He was simply amazing and is missed so much already. Below is a picture of my friends baby and Fisch, he delivered her on October 6th, 2010. He also delivered my son, however, I never did get a picture with him, sadly!!

That's all I have for now.....hope you all have a wonderful weekend!! I'm going to leave you with one of Alex's senior pictures..........

Happy Birthday Brooks Taylor!!

2010-07-05T23:26:00.011-05:00

My Great Nephew was brought into this world at 847pm on July 3rd, 2010!!!
Brooks Taylor weighed 8lbs 11oz, and was my nieces 1st baby. Both Mom and Brooks are doing well. Tonight is his first night at home, so we'll see how that goes........

Here he is......

Mom Kasey, Dad Taylor and Brooks

My Nephew Tyler holding little Brooks......

His 1st picture......

Along with all of the baby excitement, we also had a big celebration in my town for the 4th of July!! I had a party that started at my house around 4pm on the 3rd, that was followed by a street dance 1/2 a block from my home. I had many friends here for the fun.......and it was a ton of fun and they cannot wait til next year!!! We also had a 5k run/walk that morning, 6 of my coworkers took part in that.....was awesome that they supported such an awesome event. I'm hoping to participate in it next year...........I was at the registration table this year, ugh.

Here's a few pics from the weekend......
friend D'Ann and son Gunner (she cuts my hair)
Velva High School Football & Baseball Team
State Champions

Little Art was decked out in his 4th of July gear......he loved the parade, fire trucks and of course the candy that was thrown out into the street!! ha!!

That's all I have.......hope you all had a GREAT holiday weekend, back to work tomorrow, ugh!! This weekend, we plan on a trip to meet my Great Nephew Brooks and also watch my nephew Tyler play in the Shrine Football game. Our weekends have been crazy, and doesn't look like its going to slow down anytime soon!!!
Have a great week!!

Finally a Post....mostly pictures!!

2010-06-22T10:58:00.013-05:00

Sorry for the lack of/or absolutely NO Updates!! I guess Facebook has taken over, and blogger has been put on the back burner. I've been wanting to show you all some of my pucs from the past 6 months, so her you go......enjoy!!

This is where I spent my 40th Birthday.....way back in December!! I am so ready to go back!! Just a little taste of heaven for you all...........oh my!!

We stayed at the Iberostar Grand in the Riviera Maya, absolutely gorgeous, great staff, nice pools, beach was awesome, adults ONLY, I could go on and on, but I won't.

ME, on my birthday!!

Nice view from the pool area.....love it!!

This was my favorite view of all!! Eder!! He was just the cutest little thing, with a fun personality, would have loved to bring him home with me!! ha!!

OK, now back to the mainland.........

My Niece Brittany graduating in May......she's also my Godchild, so proud of her. She plans on attending college locally, not sure what for though. She lives 30 miles from us, so we get to see her often.

My Nephew Tyler (red) and son Alex. Tyler graduated in May, as well. He is also my Godchild and will be attending NDSU, and also playing football for them.

This helecopter has become my worst nightmare.......I was working in the garage last night when I heard a bunch of noise......walked outside, and this is what I saw, only it was still in the air, almost touching my house!! It landed 1/2 a block from my house, and was just on display for our local ambulance squad for about 15 minutes. It's the helecopter for the hospital that I work for, and is frequently bringing us traumas.......ugh.

My front door. This spring I decided to paint my front door. I went with a blue, I like it. I see pictures of what it looked like prior, and this is so much better.

Another little project.......I think it turned out quite nice.

Lastly, this is Alex in front of the Ralph Englestad Hockey Arena on the University of ND campus. Alex is thinking about college at UND, so we were driving around the college after my nephews graduation.

OK, this is about all I can handle/or have time for today. Please leave my a comment and let me know that you did not completely forget about me!! ha!! It's been crazy here, and the next few weeks will be even crazier!!
Take care, and hope you're enjoying the summer!!

I'm Back......kind of!!

2010-01-20T20:59:00.002-06:00

I just spent the last hour updating my blog/background, added a ton of pics and went to publish it and blogger said, I had some illegal characters......UGH!! So, I'm am leaving you with nothing, as I have to get to bed!! Hope you're all doing well, and I promise to get back into this blogging habit real soon. I'm hoping to add some weight watchers ideas/recipes real soon!!

Have a great weekend, will try again tomorrow night!!

Christmas 2009

2009-12-23T19:46:00.013-06:00

Merry Christmas from OUR home

to YOURS!!!

Wishing you every blessing of HIS love the Christmas

and in the New Year!!!

Here's a few pictures from around our house this Christmas Season.....

Our little mini tree.

Our not so mini tree.

Our dining room tree.......love this one!!

Lastly, this is me in Mexico 2 weeks ago.......needless to say the weather around here looks a little more like the picture below........and as I am typing this we are in a winter storm warning!!!!

I will have more pics from Mexico after the holidays...........it's been a little crazy around here............

Merry Christmas and God's Blessing for a Happy New Year!

A Recipe Post - Apple Juice

2009-10-25T11:54:00.005-05:00

If you are wondering what to do with all those apples, how about trying some homemade apple juice?? It's real easy, and tastes delicious!!

Here's what you need......

Enough APPLES to fill a 5 qt pail, cut in quarters, no need to core or remove the seeds.

2 T CREAM OF TARTAR, & 5qts of WATER
Boil the water and cream of tartar, and pour over the cut up apples.
Cover and let sit for 24 hours.

It should look something like this. Next you will want to drain the juice from the apples. I like to use a flour sack towel to drain, it gets all the little particles from the apples. Drain into a large kettle, add 1-2 cups of SUGAR, depending on how sweet you like it. Bring to a boil, and walla, you have APPLE JUICE!! I have canned the juice in the past, but recently, I have started putting in water jugs that I get from work and freezing them. Works great.

and.....here's the finished project!!

Very simple, and you only need apples, cream of tartar, water and sugar!!
That was my project for the weekend, amongst many other little projects around the house....

Last night I attended a wedding of a wonderful couple whom I babysat while growing up. The wedding was gorgeous, and alot of fun. Such a sweet, young couple, I wish them the very best!!

That's all for today, hope you all have a great Sunday, and enjoy the new week!!

FREE CHECKING

2009-10-09T20:41:00.004-05:00

This picture was taken outside one of our hometown banks on Thursday morning around 5:30!! Thought it was pretty funny. The crazy part is that this is our main street, that has been dug up and under construction all summer, so theres pot holes, different levels, etc. Unfortunately, they come from my Cousins farm just outside of town.....

It's Beginning to Look Alot Like........

2009-10-09T19:25:00.002-05:00

Yep, it's beginning to look alot like Christmas!! We had our first snowfall today.....nothing that is really staying on the ground, and nothing like our first snow fall last year that left us 6 feet of snow!! The wind is nasty, and just plain cold here in ND!! I'm actually missing a home football game tonight, and I love going to FB games here in Velva...it's like a social event for me. Oh well, there will be more FB games!!
My Uncle is recovering from his surgery very well. He had a few setbacks, nothing major,but is doing well now. I visit him a couple times a day, as he's in the same building!! So, thats been cool. Not sure if the nurses appreciate me, but I'm making sure they are on their toes taking care of him!!
Not much else is going on......will hopefully get another post up here before the weekend is over. Enjoy your weekend!!
Rita

Happy Fall!!

2009-10-04T09:17:00.002-05:00

It is feeling like fall here!! The temps have been close to freezing, and it's been drizzling for 3 days!! I do love this time of year, even though we have winter that follows.......

Alex leaves this morning for the FBLA Fall Leadership Conference. Short trip, only 100 miles away, and will be home tomorrow sometime. Alex is excited for the event, as he and the rest of the officers are the ones that plan it and put it on....so, it's a BIG thing!! Earlier this week, Alex was chosen to be on the National Executive Board for FBLA for the Mountain Plains Region. Again, one of the many goals Alex has wanted and now has accomplished. The kid amazes me somedays!!!!!!

I will be spending my day catching up on housework....I may run into town for some shopping, and.....I will get to watch Desperate Housewives without interuptions!! Woohoo, who could complain about that??? Anyone want to join me??

My Uncles surgery was postponed last week due to his cardiac issues, but has been cleared and he's ready for surgery tomorrow at 2pm!! Looking forward to having this behind us, so he can move onto the next step to his recovery. Please keep him in your prayers!!

Hope you all have a super SUNDAY!!!

Prayers Please.....

2009-09-27T19:21:00.003-05:00

I have a few extra minutes before Desperate Housewives starts, so thought I would post a few prayer requests......

First off, my Uncle Bob will be having a thoracotomy on Tuesday, he has lung cancer......he is having this done where I work, so I will be sure he is VERY well taken care of. He has an excellent Dr, and I have hand picked his OR staff. (not to mention the private room he will get on arrival to the hospital!!)

Please pray for my friend Ann. She lost her beloved Oreo (puppy) last week and is having a very difficult time. Oreo had cancer throughout his whole body, so was put to sleep on Wednesday. Please pray for her!!! I cannot imagine her loss, and typing about it brings tears to my eyes........my little Art must never leave me!!

Oreo, rest in peace buddy.

Also, keep in your prayers Angie. I have been following her Caringbridge website for over a year now, and she FINALLY will be recieving the heart transplant she's been waiting for.....here is the link to her site, www.caringbridge.org/visit/angelaneidererstaub if you wish to visit her. Also keep her donor family in your prayers.

That's all I have right now.....I have had a busy weekend, I'm excited to sit down and watch one of my favorite shows, less then 30 minutes!! woot, woot!!

Have a great week, it's starting to feel like fall here, so I'm sure we'll be doing some outside projects this week preparing for the inevitable.....SNOW!!

Is it September Already??

2009-09-13T14:13:00.009-05:00

Once again, I have been missing in action. No good excuses, just not making the time to blog these days. We've been extremely busy at work, which leads to one tired blogger by the end of the day!! However, I am always greeted by little Arthur when I walk in the door.....this is Art on Alex's first day of school. He was a little confused as to why Alex was up before noon and leaving the house looking all handsome.......(you will see that pic at the end of the post)

The following pics are from our trip to Minneapolis. We took very few pics as it was hot and humid the whole time we were there.....mainly scenery pics and of course, my favorite.......

My favorite and one of the many reasons I like going to Komo Park!! Isn't he just the cutest, I love this picture......he looks a little annoyed at all the visitors!!

I tried making pickles this year with some of my cukes......they look good, but I am not impressed as to how they taste. They are OK, just not what I had hoped for. I also made spaghetti sauce, love the Mrs. Wages mix, very good!!

Here's Alex in his FBLA gear.....he has been working on sorporate sponsorships and has not got all of his!! The officers need to get 3, and he got his last one this week.

Here he is on the first day of school. A junior this year, hard to believe....he's been keeping busy with school work and FBLA stuff. He was elected Local Secretary this week, so was happy about that.

As I approach the final 3 months of my 30's, I am realizing that I am not enjoying getting old!! I was hoping for a non-eventful 3 months, but I guess when you are as old as I am, thats not an option. This past week, my favorite Uncle was diagnosed with lung cancer, not sure what type, he's still undergoing some testing, my cousin tried to end her life, I have another cousin in treatment for 90 days for depression/alcoholism, and my friends husband was diagnosed with brain cancer, stage 4, and has 6-12 months to live. So please, keep these people in your prayers!!

My vacation to Cancun cannot come any sooner!!! I leave on December 5th......cannot wait!! I would love to start packing now, but I think I do have time for that later!!!!!

Hope you are all enjoying your weekend. I am headed down to my crawl space to find my little tree to decorate for Fall.

Have a great week!!!

Rita

Simply August

2009-08-16T19:18:00.005-05:00

It's hard to believe that August is in full swing, and in 11 days Alex will start his Junior year of high school. Earlier this week the temp was 100 degrees, today it's 69. We really have not even had much of a summer, but I am prepared to get this school year started!!

So far, we've been busy this month:

* we were in Minneapolis for 4 days this past week.
* Alex celebrated his 17th birthday on the 9th.
* my nephew Tyler turned 18 on the 5th.
* my sister will have a birthday tomorrow - not sure how old, just know that shes older then ME!!
* my nephew Taylor left for college, he's now part of the NCAA!!
* my 2 friends from high school were here this week to cool off at our home town pool!! they brought their little people and we all had fun!!
* Alex purchased his first laptop with his own money!!
* I've been busy outside trying to trim up some of my flowers....they are overgrowing my flower bed!!
* the list goes on.

I am back to work tomorrow after having the past week off. ugh. I love being at home, but miss the social aspect of work.

Hope you all enjoy the week!!

North Dakota State Fair 2009

2009-08-01T22:20:00.011-05:00

Just thought I would share a few pictures from the fair....Alex and I went there yesterday, I swore I would not go this year, but I did, and I did enjoy myself. Alex was off with friends, and I was alone.....it was GREAT!!!
Here we have Sally the Camel......I believe you could actually have a ride on Sally for a small fee. I was riding on the tractor when I took this pic, so did not get any details.

Here is a pic looking down the midway where all the rides are at, for big people. I used to like some of the rides, but I have no interest in them now. I would rather spend my money on fresh squeezed lemonade, corndogs, etc...... This is also where all the scarey carney folks hang out trying to get you to play there dumb games to get a life size stuffed Sponge Bob.....just what I wanted!!??

This is where the little people hang out. They have a nice assortment of rides for little ones, and of course all the cheesey games, and scarey looking carnival workers.

You will also see many booths that look like this one.......from cheese curds, to hotdogs, corndogs, indian tacos, slushys, donuts, deep fried oreo cookies and candy bars.....the list goes on and on......I had a corndog, some curly potatoes, and a lemonade, and I was happy.

With the State Fair, also comes the livestock. I was in the sheep/swine barn, so took a few pictures while there. (hope I don't get the "swine flu")

Here are the not so small pigs!!! Wow, what a life!! To think they are so tiny when they are born, and they grow up to look like this or in many cases larger!! Yikes!! That's about all I could take in the barn, the smell was about enough to knock me out!!

I hope you enjoyed the State Fair, as I did. For the record, this was the largest State Fair in ND to date. and....Taylor Swift had the largest crowd at our State Fair then any other concert she has performed at. How cool is that??

I have some recipes to post, so hopefully tomorrow I will find some time. I got my housework done today, and if I can get my yard work done, I will post again tomorrow!!

Enjoy the rest of the weekend.

Is It Really July 25th???

2009-07-25T08:55:00.006-05:00

It's hard to believe that the summer has gone by so quickly. It has just started warming up here in North Dakota, we had our first 90+ degrees here this past week. I sure wish our winters would go by this quickly!!

Alex and I have both been keeping busy. Alex has been working on his State Officer reports for FBLA, and getting his brochure ready to run for yet another office.....not sure what yet, but time will tell. He's been keeping the grass cut around town, and occasionally will mow our grass, as well. He is also still working at the grocery store here in town, but will be ending that in the next couple weeks. He has some tough classes this year in school and wants to keep his grades up, so is joining the unemployed.
I have been busy at work. Seems like the place never slows down. I have picked up some extra call this summer, and I am happy to report that I'm done with that!! My flowers have been suffering lately, as I just have not had the time or energy to pull any weeds...but, they still look good!! I have recently started finding stuff for a garage sale......I need to have one real bad, and real soon.

Alex and I will be going to Minneapolis the 2nd week of August for a little mini vacation. We plan on meeting up with my brother and his family, Mall of America and IKEA. Will be sure to take many pictures.

Not much else is going on here, I will leave you with some pictures from Alex's trip to California!! Have a great weekend!!

Alex & Mickey @ Disneyland

Michael Jackson's STAR on the Walk of Fame. Alex was in Anaheim the week that MJ & Farrah passed away. Anyone tired of hearing about Michaels death?? I am!!

I guess thats all the pics I have from his trip on my user....I will have to scan a few more and post them later. Enjoy!!

We Have Another Trophy in the House

2009-06-28T22:50:00.002-05:00

Just a quick post to let you all know that Alex placed 9th at the National FBLA Conference!!! I was able to watch the awards ceremony on the internet, so it was a little tense at my house tonight. He was the LAST finalist called. I'm pretty sure I had an anxiety attack!!!

I just talked to him, and they had their pictures taken, and he was ready for some dippin dots. I think he's had a good time in LA, has spent some time at Disney, today, he relaxed and even took a nap.

Tomorrow they go to Universal Studios Hollywood, Hard Rock Cafe', and a tour of LA, Beverly Hills, Hollywood, Rodeo Drive, and the Walk of Fame. Can't wait to see pictures!!

Have a great week everyone, my week is off to a great start and can only get better from here. I have a 3 day work week!!!
I will update more when Alex returns!!!!!!

Have Fun & Good Luck!!

2009-06-24T09:27:00.002-05:00

Sorry I've been missing in action for a few weeks!! I've been busy, working hard, and exhausted by the time it comes to blogging!!

My Alex left this morning for Anaheim, CA. I took him to the bus at 4 am, and he should be taking off, as I type this. (they had a 2 hour drive to the airport) Flying the friendly skies!!

I will update more as I know more. He's been studying hard, so lets hope and pray he does well.

Seriously, Snow, It's JUNE!!!

2009-06-06T17:27:00.002-05:00

Yep, you read right.....it is snowing in North Dakota today!! It has yet to snow where I live, but about an hour away from us, they had snow on the ground. Hope it stays there. I'm sure it won't be here for long, it's just the concept.....haven't we had enough?? We still have farmers that have not finished seeding their crops for crying out loud, due to all the snow we had this winter!!

I am off to a benefit for my cousins son, Casey. Have a great night everyone, stay warm!!

June, Finally!!

2009-06-02T20:31:00.012-05:00

Thank God it's June!! I have been waiting for this month since, uh, last see.....um, November when we had our first snow storm??? It was the longest winter I can remember, and I would hate to have to repeat it ever again!!

With, June, brings the planting of many flowers!! The is one of may favorites, and I cannot wait til it fills out more. I have several other pots, but are not looking that great right now, I'm going to give them some time before snapping pics!!

Here's my nephew at his high school graduation. He's the only one looking at the camera. Thanks Taylor for the pose!!

Here's my Alex (in the suit) with Taylor at his open house.

This is a photo Taylor's received as a gift. Taylor's classmate Katlin passed away in a car accident the end of March, the photo shows his friend Katlin in the crowd, and Taylor playing basketball. Very nice keepsake for him.

Here is my nephew Nick from Minneapolis. I think he played pool the whole time during the open house.

And....sister Gillian. That's what Nick calls Gillian, Sister.

Here is Alex and his friend Anna. Alex is a little sleepy, and my camera would not cooperate for another pic. Oh well, they have a week in Anaheim to catch up on photos efore shes off for college. Anna is a very nice girl, she thinks alot of Alex. Anna's sister Anita was tragically murdered 2 years ago tomorrow. It's been a tough 2 years for her family, as the killer still has not been found.

Next up.....the Three Stooges!! This is me and my 2 classmates from highschool. We were together to celebrate Jodi's (shes the one in the front.) graduation from Nursing school. It was a fun night, the weather was awesome!! (and the food was great!)

That's all I have for now......hope you all enjoy the rest of the week.

Graduation Day, 2009

2009-05-24T08:18:00.002-05:00

Today, we will celebrate the Graduation of my nephew Taylor. He is my brothers son, and the 2nd to graduate of my nieces and nephews. Taylor just returned from the State Track meet, where he qualified in many 5 events, and made it to the finals in 3. Not sure of the outcome yet, way too much going on last night to get details.

Last night, I had 2 Graduation parties to go to.....my sons friend Tyler, he is also a neighbor to my parents and has been great help to them when needed. Tylers a great kid, moved here 3 years ago, has excelled in academic, music and sports. We were very lucky to have him as part of our community. He will also be joining Alex on his trip to Anaheim for the FBLA Conference in June.

One of my good friends from high school also graduated from college. It was actually her 2nd time with a degree, the other being many years ago. This year, she got her nursing degree!! YEAH Jodi !!! We had a surprise party for her at a friends house, and boy was she surprised!!

My oldest brother and family are here from Minneapolis. It was fun to see them. They have the youngest children in our family, and man, are they growing!! We have no more babies. :( They wil be here through tomorrow. They are still in school, so have to get back.

Alex finished his sophomore year on Thursday, and is now a JUNIOR!! Can't believe that. He's now preparing for the FBLA Conference, studying, studying, studying......he will be gone the 2nd week of June for leadership training, and will be leaving the 24th for Anaheim. He has a busy month ahead of him.

I have been staying busy at work. I just bumped up my hours, so now will not have a day off during the week. ugh. I am also picking up some extra call over the summer. With vacations, mat leave, and staff shortage, theres always a need. We've been getting quite a few applicants at the hospital from all over the US, due to cuts in other hospitals. I think right now, we have 10 openings for nurses, which is very unusual, it's normally 10 on each floor!! So, yeah for us!!

I better get going, was going to get outside and plant the few flowers that I have purchased. It's been too cold to plant anything, so have only purchased a few plants. I think we are in the clear for planting now.....at least I hope to.

Hope you all enjoy your long weekend. Will hopefully have pictures to post tomorrow!!

Rita

Special Day!!

2009-05-10T13:15:00.006-05:00

Just wanted to wish all my FAVORITE MOMS out there a

Very Happy Mothers Day!!

We went out for a breakfast buffet this morning, now we're busy

with yard work and washing clothes. Typical day as a mother.

After 3 weeks at Saint Marys Hospital, (Mayo) in Rochester, my cousin Tim's son Casey is on his way home today!!! Casey went into heart failure on the 15th of April, and was flown to Rochester for further evaluation. His heart was the size of a football, and he was diagnosed with cardiomyapathy. (enlarged heart) He had open heart surgery to put in an LVAD, left ventricular assisted device. This will remain in him until he can recieve a heart transplant. Please keep him and his family in your prayers as they start this new chapter in their lives. Welcome home Casey!!!

Not much else has been going on......we continue to fundraise for Alex's trip to Anaheim. So far, we have sold pizzas, had a breakfast, and of course, my favorite, concessions at baseball games and track meets.(hence the reason, I am so busy) The kids sold over $10,000 in pizzas!! They should be sitting pretty good as far as finances. We have our last track meet & baseball game on Tuesday, which should bring in over $2000.

Alex recieved his State Officer suit in the mail on Friday. It fits him perfect!! I was a little afraid after seeing some of the officers at the conference this year. They all looked so big. He looks good in it..........

Thats all for today. Hope all you mothers enjoy your day!!

Rita

Finally, an Update!!

2009-04-13T19:42:00.006-05:00

Hope you all had a fabulous Easter. I spent my holiday at work. Was not too busy, but a very weird weekend. Happy it's over.....and look what I came home too........

My day lillies are coming out like crazy!!

and FINALLY, we have grass!!! We still had snow when I left on Friday, but after temps in the 50's the past couple days, I can finally say that our snow is GONE!!! Bye, Bye snow!! I still have a little snow in the back yard, but it is no longer a 6 foot drift.

We have been busy here with spring activities. My mother and I went to see my niece and nephew at the prom 2 weeks ago. Here is my Niece/Godchild Brittany with her date/boyfriend.
Lastly, we've had some exciting news in our house the past couple weeks. My son Alex, was recently named North Dakota FBLA's Parliamentarian. He is now a State officer and cannot be happier!! He will represent ND at the National Conference in Anaheim, CA in June.

Here he is after the awards ceremony.

and accepting the new Officer Position.

It was an exciting day for us. My parents and I were able to attend the awards ceremony, so we got to experience the whole picture. It's a very professional organization, and you can sure tell by the way they had the awards. Very formal. (very long, as well)

With the nice temps we have been having, we have also been experiencing alot of flooding in the area. Alex was out of school today to sandbag some homes, and will most likely be sand bagging tomorrow, as well. Our home should remain safe.........cross your fingers.

That's all for today!! Hope you all have a great week!!

Rita

We Live in a Crazy Place

2009-04-05T09:55:00.004-05:00

You all remember my last post where the topic was flooding. Well, the flooding is still being watched and noone is out of the woods yet. However, last Monday, March 30th, Mother Nature blessed the State of ND with yet, another snow storm. This was most likely the worst of the season for parts of the State. (this storm seemed to have missed us, Thank God!) The following are pictures from a rural area about 3 hours from where I live. Enjoy!!

Isn't that crazy?? Yes, ND is a crazy place to live at times. If you don't like the weather, wait 10 minutes and it will change. However, I would not trade living here for anything.

Hope you all had a great weekend. I have much more to share with you all, but am short of time right now. Will try to get another post out early this week. It's been an exciting week at our house, so be on the watch for another post.
Please post a comment if you stop by!!

Welcome Back Mr. Flood - 2009

2009-03-27T21:10:00.004-05:00

The first two pictures are in Grand Forks, ND. My oldest sister lives here, they are just waiting to see what happens. What a nightmare!!

This is the bridge seperating North Dakota from Minnesota. Notice the walls that will hopefully keep the Red River from flooding??

This is the same bridge......very high waters!!

This is my other sisters home, in Bismarck, ND. She was evacuated earlier this week and is now back in her home, that was not flooded. Yeah!!
It is amazing how people have come together to help everyone out during these tough times. My mother called me at work today to tell me that Northwest Airlines sent 2 of their largest planes to Fargo, ND to transport Nursing Home Residents to Bismarck. They are being housed at the University of Mary, and some were transported to the hospital/nursing home in Minot. They were in need of volunteers to help at the University, and I just heard from my sister that they have more help then they need. Isn't that great?? and then we have all the employees at the hospital/nursing home in Minot that are working extra to help out. The weather in ND may suck for 5 months out of the year, but we sure have GREAT people!!
Hope you all have a great weekend!!
Thanks for all the prayers.

Rita

Flood Update

2009-03-27T15:30:00.002-05:00

My sister in Bismarck was able to go back to her house yesterday afternoon and her house was

DRY!!!!

My sister in Grand Forks, is waiting......they will have flooding at some point, but let's hope it's not as bad as 1997. (they are thinking it's going to be worse)

Gotta run, will post pictures tomorrow!!

News Updates

2009-03-26T09:32:00.002-05:00

If anyone of you are interested, you can go to www.bismarcktribune.com to view pics of the flooding in the Bismarck area. (this is where my sister lives) My sister lives in the Fox Island area and there are some pretty devestating pics posted of her neighborhood.

I am on call this evening, so will be back tomorrow, hopefully for a much better update..Have a great rest of the week.

North Dakota Headlines........

2009-03-25T22:00:00.002-05:00

Only in ND will you see these headlines in the local papers in the same day.......

*Blizzard Blasts State*

*The Red River Still on the Rise*

*SW Bismarck Residents Evacuating*

*Sanding bagging in the Blizzard*

*Crews try to Blast Ice*

This is what is going on. Yesterday we had another Blizzard, (ice, sleet, heavy snow) which has now spread over the whole State of ND. Three of our major cities are fighting huge floods, along with several of our smaller rural communities. It's not good. We have yet to flood where I live, but it's coming, we still have too much snow that needs to melt. My sisters home is most likely under water, noone knows, as they are not allowed back, because the roads are all flooded.

Please keep the State of ND in your prayers!!!

Enjoy the rest of the week.

Blizzard, Flooding, Raining, Thundering, You Name It...........

2009-03-24T11:29:00.007-05:00

You name it, we got it!!! Yesterday, I was worried about my sisters home being flooded, as they were evacuated from their home in the afternoon. Today, my main concern is getting to work in this horrible blizzard that we are having. It's no longer a concern, I am not going. I ventured out and it was not so nice, and I value my life more than that.

So, you can only imagine how I am feeling. I have been locked in my home since Thursday night. I was out for a Dr appt on Friday, went to get my meds and then home again. Now today, we cannot go anywhere due to the blizzard that we are having. I have always said I would love to be a stay at home mom, but I do need to get out of the house periodically. I am going a little stir crazy.

Of course, school was cancelled. So Alex is home, as well. He was home all last week, and was only out yesterday to go to school. He's going a little stir crazy too.

Our yard was looking to nice without the snow......my flowers were starting to pop up, now they are covered with yet another snow drift. I hope they survive!!! (huge sigh)

Enjoy the pics......I'm sure there will be more to come, as this is just the beginning.

This is the highest this snow drift has gotten this year. It was almost 1/2 gone from the past snow storms. Welcome Back Mr Snow Drift. (yes my garland is still up.....was planning on removing it last week when the snow was melting, but was sick in bed.)

This was my front yard last week, when it was 40 degrees. All the water had actually dried up, so was looking pretty good......

until this.........more snow. ugh.

I hope you all are having a great week.

Rita

A Little Under the Weather........

2009-03-21T11:34:00.003-05:00

The weather outside here is looking up.........(we were in the mid 40's yesterday) However, things on the inside are not so hot.
We started off the week with Alex waking up Monday morning with a temp of 104, coughing, sore throat, achey, fever, chills, etc. He was off to the Dr, and was positive for Influenza B. I've had Influenza A, so I knew what we were up for. (a very long week) Between my mother and I we were able to tend to him, as needed. There was not much we could do, as all he did was sleep. We had to wake him for meds, that's about it. He was a very sick boy.
I, however, was not left out on the illness. I started the whole coughing, sore throat, achey, etc on Thursday. I was to the Dr on Friday, and my test was negative. I just hope it all goes away sometime soon. I hate feeling sick like this and have been sick so much this winter. Yuck, yuck, yuck!!!!
Sorry for such a short update. I just wanted to let you all know that we are still around....just not feeling so well.
Have a great weekend.
Rita

Baby It's COLD Outside

2009-03-10T20:23:00.002-05:00

Just thought I would drop you all a quick note, and let you know I am still alive, just been busy and not really in a blogging mood!!!
It's freezing here this week, and storming in the eastern part of the state. We're hoping it stays there, as we do not need anymore snow.
My nephew is playing in the semi finals of the Regional BB Tourney as I type this. They are winning. If they win, they play for the championship, and have a chance to go to the State Tourney. He's an awesome player, love hearing is name on the radio. (it was too cold and crappy weather to venture out tonight.) We will have one more chance to see him play on Thursday, possibly his last game.
I am off to go hibernate. I will try and post more later this week. I am off Thursday and Friday, so will have a little extra time on my hands.
Stay Warm,
Rita

Walk On

2009-02-20T21:53:00.002-06:00

After almost a year of constant foot pain, I finally found a pair of shoes that fit my needs. I purchased a generic pair of MBT Shoes. They are a multi-layered, curved sole that accomplishes a natural but uneven walking surface. This technology is meant to make the core strengthening muscles more active, creating better posture and increasing shock absorbtion for all of the joints. It also makes wearing the shoes quite a unique experience, and a bit of a workout. For me, it really takes the pressure off my heals, where I experience most of my pain.
The generic shoe comes from K-Mart, for the small price of $25. The original MBT shoes are sold for around $200!!! They are quite ugly, but I guess I can have ugly shoes, as long as I can walk without too much pain.
So, for you health care workers out there, I would highly recommend trying them out. Google them and do some research, you will be amazed.
Alex is off to another Speech Meet tomorrow and I am off to spend some time with friends, and watch my nephew play his last home basketball game.
Have a great weekend!
Rita

Happy 40th Birthday Jerry!!

2009-02-15T15:40:00.002-06:00

This week marks the 40th birthday of my friend/classmate Jerry. Jerry was diagnosed with Lou Gerhigs disease/ALS in 2002. He has managed to outlive his life expectancy, and is living at home with his parents, his Mother being his full time caregiver. He is still breathing room air during the day, and is on oxygen at night.

A bunch of us stopped by to see him during our reunion this summer. He was so happy to see everyone. When we left, he told his Mother, "that was so good for my heart".

The following is a scrapbook that I made for him of pictures from our Reunion. Hope you are all able to view it. (I've never done this before)

Hope you are all enjoying the day!! Please say a prayer for my friend this week, it will be greatly appreciated!!!

Rita, Alex & Arthur

New Recipe

2009-02-08T13:49:00.003-06:00

Everyday I get a recipe on my email from All-Recipes.com. Some days the recipes look awesome, other days, not so much. Today was a good day!! Alex and I just finished dinner and we both loved it. OK, I loved it, he said it was OK......he's sixteen and would much rather have pizza/pasta for every meal.
Here's the recipe........

Swiss Chicken Casserole
6 boneless/skinless chicken breasts
6 slices of swiss cheese (I used shredded, as thats what I had)
1 can of cream of chicken soup (i used the low fat)
1/4 cup milk
2 cups of herb seasoned stuffing mix (I used stove top, chicken)
1/4 cup butter
Directions:
-Preheat oven 350
-Arrange chicken in a greased pan, top with swiss cheese
-Combine soup, milk, stir well, pour over chicken and sprinkle with stuffing. Drizzle butter over crumbs.
-Cover and bake for 50 minutes. (oops, I did not cover it....I don't think I would, as I like how the stuffing was crunchy, your choice.)

Hope you all try it.....I know you will love it!!!!!!

Not too Shabby........

2009-02-01T13:57:00.003-06:00

For those of you anxiously waiting, I'm sorry it's taken so long to post the results of Alex's speech meet. Alex placed 4th in his event, and also was awarded the Best Effort award. He was pretty pumped to place in his first speech meet!!! We are so proud of him!!! They had to leave prior to the awards ceremony, (weather related, of course) so he has not recieved his trophy yet. Alex actually had to do 3 speeches yesterday. He drew the topics, had an hour to write the speech, and then presented it. He had to do that 3 times......I think it was a long day for him!!! I know it was a long day for me!!! Waiting.......waiting......

Well, I am off for a quick nap before the super bowl. I was at our work Christmas party last night, so I'm a little tired.

Have a great Super Bowl Sunday.

GO CARDINALS!!!! Make us PROUD!!

Simply Amazing.......

2009-01-31T09:49:00.005-06:00

My son Alex has always struggled with a speech disfluency, stuttering. Which has also been linked to anxiety/nervousness. He has spent countless hours in speech therapy, at school, medical professionals, and a nearby college. He has also been on medication for anxiety, seen therapists in the past. He is no longer on any medication. Being a teenager, you can only imagine how hard this is for him. Talking on the phone is a major ordeal, participating in class, going to social events, its all been a huge challenge for him.

This morning, I put my son on the bus to attend his first speech meet. I never thought in a million years that my son would be attending speech meets!!! He did not seem one bit nervous, has been talking fluently about it all week. (normally, events like this would trigger the stuttering)

Here he is, ready for the meet.

Last year, he attended the State FBLA Conference, and placed 3rd in his event, from there, attended the National FBLA Conference, and placed 6th in the Nation for his event!!! This year he will be running for State Parlimentarian, with hopes to attend the National Conference again.
The cookie cake they had made for Alex at the Nat. Conference.

On top of all the Glory, the Cardinals will be playing in the Super Bowl tomorrow. It's been a long 2 weeks anticipating this game.....it's almost made ME crazy!!!

My Cardinal Fans :)

Please keep Alex in your prayers, as he continues to add new chapters in his life. He is proof that miracles really do happen, and the power of prayer is a wonderful gift.

Have a great Saturday, I will update on the speech results as I get them. Alex is scheduled at 10:36 am.

Pot Luck Thursday

2009-01-22T22:11:00.003-06:00

Today at work, we had a kind of going away party for one of our CRNA's. He's leaving for Iraq next week, should be back in 4 months. So, of course, we had a pot luck. We had a ton of food, but the big hit today was.....

I thought this was cool, a cheese ball made into an igloo. My friend Lori made it. She's so creative!! The olives are penguins, I love it, way too cute.

I am off tomorrow, hope to run some errands, however, the weather sounds cold, and there is a weather advisory out. Story of our lives around here!!!

Have a great Friday!!

A Day to Remember

2009-01-20T21:25:00.004-06:00

One year ago today, Jon, our favorite dentist/friend passed away unexpectedly, at the young age of 42. Left his wife, 3 kids, parents, sisters and their families and a community heartbroken. It was a day that nobody will ever forget. I still remember laying on my bed watching a What Not to Wear marathon, when my mother called and told me that Jon Florence passed away. It's an aweful memory. His dental office has been revamped, new floors, new paint, new furniture....the only thing left of him is the wildlife photos hanging on the ceiling, and the new equipment that he had recently purchased and had only used a few times.

Now today, we have a new President of the United States. Another memorable day. We've been watching the events off and on since I got home from work. I found this photo online, and would like to share it with you all......

Out with the OLD, in with the NEW.

Lastly, we are overly excited in our family that the AZ Cardinals are in the Super Bowl!! Never in a million years did I think this would happen. My son started cheering for them 2 years ago, and now here they are, Super Bowl bound!!!
We will definately be having a party this year!!!

That's all I have for tonight. I worked well over 30 hours this weekend on call, and am still dragging. I need some sleep!!! I am off Friday, so looking forward to a 3 day weekend.

Enjoy the rest of the week!!

Rita

Here's a Fun Fact (or not so fun)

2009-01-15T10:51:00.003-06:00

Our local Super Walmart has been closed indefinately due to way too much snow on the roof, that the structure of the building was being questioned. Beams were starting to bend on the inside of the store, making it a hazard for employees and us shoppers. So, they closed the doors on Sunday, in hopes it would be opened in a couple days. The latest I heard was it is now closed indefinately........until all problems are taken care of.

There are also other malls in the state that have closed to remove snow from the roofs. Isn't this just crazy?? Walmart is closed??? We are now down to 3 grocery stores, from 5!! I think I will get my groceries in town this week. (and pay the price of small town groceries!)

Please see my last 2 posts, I have been a little post crazy this morning, however, I am getting my housecleaning done!!

Have a great day!!

Wish You Were Here??

2009-01-15T09:18:00.004-06:00

Don't you wish you were here????

The Cold Saga Continues.........

2009-01-15T08:29:00.002-06:00

It's 40 below ZERO today blogger friends. The good new is that it is too cold to SNOW!! Woohoo, no shoveling for a day!!

I am off today, and will try to stay in and stay warm. Have a couple errands to run, but thats it. I will also be driving my son to school. I hate to see him walking when its this cold.

Have a great day everyone!!

Sneezy, itchy, watery eyes....

2009-01-10T20:34:00.002-06:00

I can honestly say, its been well over 1.5 years since I have been sick with a bad cold such as the one I have right now. I was pretty sure it would only last a couple days, (started on Wed). However, last night, I was starting to feel warm, had a sinus headache, the whole works!! Not even sure what I took for meds last night, but I am pretty sure it didn't work, as I tossed and turned all night.........I couldn't breath, my head/face hurt so bad I thought I was going to die. I drove myself to the convenient clinic this afternoon and I do have a sinus infection. Got an antibiotic, and was on my way home.

As I was driving to town today to go to the clinic, I was checking out all the snow. I had some extra time, so was taking it all in. Holy crap, there's alot of snow here!! I have come up with a list of the GOOD and BAD of the fluffy white stuff. First, we will start with the good.

the GOOD:

**Snow looks very pretty after a new snow fall.

**It's fun to play in. (snowmen, Angels, sledding, making forts, snowmobiling) Which right now, if you were to lay in the snow to make angel, you will sink down about 12 inches.....at least. And if you want to build a snowman, (you could actually make MANY snowmen here) your legs will sink so far into the snow, you would need help getting out. My brothers huge Lab was here yesterday and got stuck in the snow. LOL

**The moisture will be awesome for my green grass this summer. However, it will probably be a huge lake in my front yard through July. I may also have an indoor pool in my crawl space, that should be a huge hit with the neighbor kids...... The farmers I am sure will love the moisture, as well.

**The deer that like to frolic across the highways are also getting their poor legs stuck in the snow, making it hard for them to cross the roads. Good for me, bad for them.

**Snow days with NO school!! (which is also bad)

the BAD:

**TOO much shoveling, I'm tired of it, my sons tired of it, and I'm tired of paying for it.

**Makes for a very dirty car (after all the sanding)....and it's too cold for a car wash.

**Makes for crappy driving, icey roads, poor visability, snowbanks are blocking intersections, just very dangerous driving conditions.

**Many mail boxes on the road are either damaged or missing due to the snow plows, which leads to no mail.

**The poor deer are not getting much nourishment this year, as its hard to get around in all the snow.

**Cancellations like crazy!! We still have not had our Christmas program at church this year. Was planned for tomorrow, but not sure if its still on.

**Up until today, its been too cold to even be out and somewhat enjoy the snow. However, we are in for another cold front. -35, woohoo.

**Missing work cuz you cannot get out of your garage.....or the roads are closed. Good for me, bad for my paycheck.

**Cabin fever!!! I am lucky enough to be able to get to work. However, my parents for example, don't get out much due to all the snow, it's hard for my Dad to get around the snow with his scooter, so they just stay home. It's been a long winter for them. and we have a few months left.

**Theres nowhere to park on the streets, as it is filled with snow, and some streets are one lane traffic right now. We are running out of places to move snow to, so the cities are really having a hard time with all the snow. If anyone wants a truckload, come and get it!!

**Lastly, we are going to have one hell of a mess when all of this starts melting. I cannot even begin to imagine. ugh.

So, there you have it. My thoughts exactly on the snow we have been having this winter. Just think we only have 3 months left.

I am home alone tonight. Alex and Arthur are at my parents watching the AZ Caridnals on the big screen, and the University of ND Hockey game. Both teams are winning!! Yeah! The silence is beyond enjoyable. Noone barking, talking, I even have the TV on mute. It's great. Now, I am thinking it might be time for bed.

Hope you all enjoy the rest of the weekend.

Feeling better,

Rita

More SNOW!!!!!

2009-01-09T14:56:00.010-06:00

We're walking in a winter wonderland..........

The side of my house...........

Big snow bank on the east side of my house.

The front of my home.......snow is approximately 3-4 feet all the way around the house, more in certain areas. I'm dreaming of very green grass this summer.

There is a little 3 foot Christmas tree under this snow....the poor thing has been beat up this winter, I can't even count the number of times I have cleaned the snow off......

My back yard. We do have a sidewalk/patio back here that I have also shovel several times this winter.........This is Crazy!!!

I miss this......
and this.........

It's been another crazy week here in our household. I got over the flu and got the crud that Alex had last week. Sore throat, sneezy, itchy, watery eyes, sinus pressure, etc.

School was cancelled again today, due to the 12 inches of snow we got last night. Thankfully I rode with my friend to work, or I would not have made it to town. We drove in one lane of tracks to work. We leave for work so early the snow plows are never out before we leave, so thats great.

Alex is at work, and I'm thinking little Art and I are going to take a little napsky. I'm freezing, I just got in from shoveling/taking pics of the snow.

Hope you all have a great weekend!! We will be snow bound.

Tired of snow,

Rita, Alex and Art

* Insert SIGH here*

2009-01-09T14:13:00.001-06:00

Just thought I would let everyone know that we got 12 more inches of snow last night. I'm off to shovel some more.

Does this Sound Familiar??

2009-01-04T13:29:00.002-06:00

Diary Of A Snow Shoveler ~
December 8: It started to snow. The first snow of the season and the wife and I took our cocktails and sat for hours by the window watching the huge soft flakes drift down from heaven. It looked like a Grandma Moses Print. So romantic we felt like newlyweds again. I love snow!
December 9: We woke to a beautiful blanket of crystal white snow covering every inch of the landscape. What a fantastic sight! Can there be a more lovely place in the Whole World? Moving here was the best idea I've ever had. Shoveled for the first time in years and felt like a boy again I did both our driveway and the sidewalks. This afternoon the snow plow came along and covered up the sidewalks and closed in the driveway, so I got to shovel again. What a perfect life.
December 12: The sun has melted all our lovely snow. Such a disappointment. My neighbor tells me not to worry we'll definitely have a white Christmas. No snow on Christmas would be awful! Bob says we'll have so much snow by the end of winter, that I'll never want to see snow again. I don't think that's possible. Bob is such a nice man. I'm glad he's our neighbor. December 14: Snow, lovely snow! 8" last night. The temperature dropped to -20. The cold makes everything sparkle so. The wind took my breath away, but I warmed up by shoveling the driveway and sidewalks. This is the life! The snowplow came back this afternoon and buried everything again. I didn't realize I would have to do quite this much shoveling, but I'll certainly get back in shape this way. I wish I wouldn't huff and puff so.
December 15: 20 inches forecast. Sold my van and bought a 4x4 Blazer. Bought snow tires for the wife's car and 2 extra shovels. Stocked the freezer. The wife wants a wood stove in case the electricity goes out. I think that's silly. We aren't in Alaska , after all.
December 16: Ice storm this morning. Fell on the ice in the driveway putting down salt. Hurt like hell. The wife laughed for an hour, which I think was very cruel.
December 17: Still way below freezing. Roads are too icy to go anywhere. Electricity was off for 5 hours. I had to pile the blankets on to stay warm. Nothing to do but stare at the wife and try not to irritate her. Guess I should've bought a wood stove, but won't admit it to her. I hate it when she's right. I can't believe I'm freezing to death in my own living room.
December 20: Electricity's back on, but had another 14" of the stuff last night. More shoveling. Took all day. Snowplow came by twice. Tried to find a neighbor kid to shovel, but they said they're too busy playing hockey. I think they're lying. Called the only hardware store around to see about buying a snow blower and they're out. Might have another shipment in March. I think they're lying. Bob says I have to shovel or the city will have it done and bill me. I think he's lying.
December 22: Bob was right about a white Christmas because 13 more inches of the white thing fell today, and it's so cold it probably won't melt till August. Took me 45 minutes to get all dressed up to go out to shovel and by the time I got dressed, I was too tired to shovel. Tried to hire Bob who has a plow on his truck for the rest of the winter; but he says he's too busy. I think he is lying.
December 23: Only 2" of snow today. And it warmed up to 0. The wife wanted me to decorate the front of the house this morning. What is she...nuts??? Why didn't she tell me to do that a month ago? She says she did but I think she's also lying.
December 24: 6" Snow packed so hard by snowplow, I broke the shovel. Thought I was having a heart attack. If I ever catch the guy who drives that snowplow, I'll drag him through the snow for sure. I know he hides around the corner and waits for me to finish shoveling and then he comes down the street at a 100 miles an hour and throws snow all over where I've just been! Tonight the wife wanted me to sing Christmas carols with her and open our presents, but I was busy watching for the snowplow.
December 25: Merry Christmas. 20 more inches of the !=3D3D@x@!x!x1 snow tonight. Snowed in. The idea of shoveling makes my blood boil. I hate the snow! Then the snowplow driver came by asking for a donation and I hit him over the head with my shovel. The wife says I have a bad attitude. I think she's an idiot. If I have to watch "It's a Wonderful Life" one more time, I'm going to kill her.
December 26: Still snowed in. Why did I ever move here? It was all HER idea. She's really getting on my nerves.
December 27: Temperature dropped to -30 and the pipes froze.
December 28: Warmed up to above -50. Still snowed in. This is driving me crazy!!!
December 29: 10 more inches. Bob says I have to shovel the roof or it could cave in. That's the silliest thing I ever heard. How dumb does he think I am? December 30: Roof caved in. The snow plow driver is suing me for a million dollars for the bump on his head. The wife went home to her mother. 9" predicted.
December 31: Set fire to what's left of the house. No more shoveling. January 8: I feel so good. I just love those little white pills they keep giving me. Why am I tied to the bed?

Happy New Year!!

2009-01-03T20:28:00.007-06:00

I was planning on a New Years post, actually on New Years, however, I was in bed with the stomach flu. My whole world was turned upside down for a few days, and I did not like it one bit. I hate being sick, especially when you can't take any meds!!

The past week has been kind of a blur. I do know that I did watch endless episodes of Two and a Half Men. I purchased Season 3 over the holidays, and love it!! I seriously think I could watch it 24/7, if I didn't have a life. Unfortunately, I am forced to work, be a Mom and several other odd jobs around the house.

We also celebrated Christmas with my family last Sunday, the 28th. A great time was had by all. My niece didn't get engaged, as my sister expected. My brother was here for 5 days, and left on the 30th. It was great to see him and his family.

Alex was at my parents house this afternoon watching the Arizona Cardinals vs Atlanta Falcons in the first round of playoffs. The Cardinals won!! woohoo. Alex was beyond excited, and has been talking nonstop about the game since he got home. It's great to see him so happy!!! (he's been sick with sore throat, coughing, nose crud) FYI: he's been a little crabby lately.

Two happy Cardinal fans!!

And............ just in case you have not seen enough snow pictures this year, here's a couple more from the last week. Funny thing though, we got more last night, so just imagine a few more inches of snow on top of what you see here.

The little grey area you see there, is my propane tank. Yep, I had the privilage of shoveling that out twice in the last 2 days. (along with a path leading to the tank.) I love it here!!

I'm pretty sure the snow will make it to the top of the fence sometime real soon.

I'm not sure what I am going to do when spring comes and I can no longer here the sounds of the snow plows outside my window all night long. I probably won't be able to sleep. (some people need fans to sleep, I need snow plows...)

Not much else going on here. I have been keeping busy putting Christmas decor away, cleaning out closets, shoveling snow, cleaning out closets, shoveling snow, the story of my life!!

Have a great week and a Great 2009!!

Happy New Year!!

Rita, Alex and Arthur

It's Time.........

2008-12-30T09:34:00.002-06:00

Yes, my friends from blog world, I think it is time I remove ALL of my holiday decor with the words.......LET IT SNOW on it. Too bad the garbage man was already here, or I would have sent it with him. We are in for yet, another winter snow warning, so far, as of 8:30 AM, we've had 6 more inches of snow, and have more to come.

When they say.........the weather outside is frightful around here, we really do mean it!! Will post pics tomorrow, as I am hoping to make it to work sometime today.

Good Day everyone!!

Memories of Christmas 2008

2008-12-28T20:49:00.006-06:00

The following are pics from the past few days. We had a great Christmas, ending it today with a Christmas celebration with my family. Our whole family was there, so my mother had a house full. The weather here has warmed up some, however the white stuff keeps finding itself back here!!! I finally had a tractor come and clean out my driveway/yard today, (driving into my driveway was like driving in a tunnel....) and now it's snowing again. I don't think we are expecting much.

Alex with his camera I gave him.....

Arthur watching Alex shovel snow......a daily event at our house. Arthur is wearing the FB jersey that Alex gave him for Christmas, he loves it!! Go Cardinals!! (they are in the FB playoffs)

More gifts..............

Arthur waiting to open gifts on Christmas Eve.

Alex and Arthur before opening gifts...........check out that smile. Funny how when I need a picture for Christmas cards, I can never get a decent one.

I hope you all had a very nice Christmas. Alex and I found time on Christmas day to go to Marley and Me. If you want a fun night out, take your kids to this, it's a must see. I think we will be making "going to the movies" a Christmas tradition in our family.

Well, I am back to work tomorrow. We have been pretty slow at work, so been slacking off some. Hopefully it picks up so we can get our hours in this week.

Have a great week!!

The Stockings ARE Hung........

2008-12-24T12:47:00.004-06:00

Merry Christmas from Our Home

to Yours!!!!

Love,

Rita, Alex and Arthur

2008

In Need of Some HELP!!!

2008-12-22T21:02:00.002-06:00

Ok, I hate to sound like a broken record, but you guys seriously have to start sending us some WARM weather!!! Ask Santa, pray, send me a one way ticket to WARM, do whatever it takes!!! This morning the temp was -30, that does not include the wind chill. I will save you from that misery. And to top that all off, I just let me little Arthur out and all of our footprints were covered in MORE snow!!! My drive way, is snow compacted, we get out and shovel the drifts, however, its too damn cold to stay out and get rid of it all. ugh. I hate winter. I do love new white fluffy snow, but am tired of the pretty stuff. You can all have it for your white Christmas that you are dreaming of.

I have opted to take tomorrow off from work. We are kind of slow this week, and many want Christmas Eve off, so I will stay home tomorrow and finish shopping, and will work on Christmas Eve til 230. No big deal......that's why I actually moved closer to home, so I did not have to travel for the holidays. It's sure been nice, especially with all the crappy weather we've had. So, Alex and I are off to finish shopping in the early AM. Hope it's a quick trip, but I'm afraid it will not be.

Hope you all enjoy the next couple of days, will update before Christmas!!

Rita

The Good News is....

2008-12-18T12:47:00.006-06:00

Well, the good news is it is warming up. We are up to minus 10 right now. However, the bad news is that it is going to get colder!! Now, some of you I am sure are wondering....can it get any colder?? Oh yes, it can!!! (we just hope it does not!) and of course, we also have more snow in the forecast. ugh. We will definately be having a white Christmas.....no dreaming of it here, as it has become a nightmare!!

One of my favorite stories that I used to read to Alex is The Christmas Story. Well, Alex really does not enjoy sitting with me and listening to me read anymore, but guess who does.........

Yes, my little Arthur loves being read too. Excuse my hair, I wear a hat all day at work, so not very attractive when I get home.....

and look what else he loves to do.........invade the Christmas tree!! What I don't understand is, he only bothers the tree when we are right there watching him. He has all day long to destroy the thing, but he just sleeps.

Unfortunately, if he's looking for gifts for himself, he will be sadly disappointed. Have not done any Arthur shopping yet.

I am off today, and have gotten a few Christmas things done. I need to get my house cleaned and then focus on the holidays the rest of the weekend. We have some more shopping to do and would like to do more baking, but that's not a high priority right now.

I will leave you with one of the pics on our Christmas card.....

Doesn't Alex look happy?? Christmas pics gets more fun every year!!!

Hope you all have a great rest of the week. Please keep Miss Kayleigh in your prayers, her prognosis is not good, they got a little glimmer of hope today, but still is not good.

The Frozen Tundra.......

2008-12-15T10:37:00.004-06:00

I thought I would stop by and let you know we survived the horrible blizzard that was forecasted. It was not as bad as they expected in our area, however the temps have dipped down to MINUS 23!!! Last week, we had melting snow, now we are freezing!! Along with all of this, come the furnaces that quit working, the water that freezes up, cars that don't start, etc. We have been fortunate to not have any of these, so far.

This was my poor wreath yesterday morning.

Here's little Art ready to go have his pic taken with SANTA, however, we did not make it...my mother called and said there was about 65 kids in line when we were leaving to go up there.

Arthur wishes you ALL a great week. Stay warm, and if you can, send some warm air up this way. We need it, real bad.

Rita, Alex & Arthur

Oh, the Weather Outside is Frightful......

2008-12-13T10:28:00.008-06:00

Yes, my dear blogger friends, we are in for a HUGE blizzard this weekend, again!! The forecast does not sound good. I have many things planned for the next couple of days, so will be kept busy. Stocked up on some baking items, so will probably do a little baking. Please pray that the forecast is very wrong.....we do not need anymore snow!!!

I will leave you with a few past Christmas pics...........

Have a great weekend!!

Rita, Alex and Art

What a Joyous Day....

2008-12-11T21:19:00.006-06:00

Today I left work with an aweful migraine, however needed to fill up with gas before driving 22 miles to get home. The pain of getting out of my car in the nasty ND wind was unbearable. However, the price of gas made it worth it...........yes, my friends, I paid $22 to fill my almost empty gas tank!!! $1.64 a gallon!! Can you believe it?? Kind of makes me want to buy a huge gas tank and keep it for future use, as I know it will not be that cheap for long.

I got home from work, got my ice pack for my neck, took my headache regimen, 4 Motrin, 2 Excedrin for Migraine with a little diet coke, put the Gilmore Girls in the DVD player, and fell asleep. I was out....I think my friend Randy may have called, I remember it some. It's been a long week with call Monday, working all night, my sleep schedule is jacked up some.

I am feeling pretty good right now. Hopefully, the worst is over, I hate feeling like that. I will close with a few pics from around the house.

I am hoping to take some pics of my boys this weekend, so I can create a Christmas card. Alex gets his hair cut tomorrow, so will go from there.

Hope you all have a great Friday.

Rita

A Little About ME

2008-12-09T21:26:00.003-06:00

Beth from Outnumbered, Three-to-One tagged me!!! Please read, and pass on to others.

CHRISTMAS MEME
1. Egg Nog or Hot Chocolate? Hot chocolate
2. Does Santa wrap presents or just sit them under the tree? they are wrapped.
3. Colored light on house/tree or white? Clear lights inside and out.
4. Do you hang mistletoe? Nope...
5. When do you put your decorations up? The weekend before Thanksgiving is when I START. I usually arrange and rearrange decorations throughout the Christmas season.
6. What is your favorite holiday dish (excluding dessert)? My Christmas Salad, recipe to follow, later.
7. Favorite holiday memory as a child? Wow, so many here. Snowmobiling, sledding, Christmas with my Mom/Dad's family, decorating the tree, etc.
8. When and how did you learn the truth about Santa? Can't remember when, however I am the youngest of FIVE, so that's where the truth came out.
9. Do you open a gift on Christmas Eve? Yes, Alex and I usually open gifts after dinner on Christmas Eve.
10. How do you decorate your Christmas tree? Clear lights, family ornaments...a little bit of everything! It's a very happy-looking tree.
11. Snow. Love it or dread it? love the fresh snow, hate the dirty snow, which we have alot of!
12. Can you ice skate? YES!!
13. Do you remember your favorite gift? yep, Baby Alive....however, when cleaning up the Christmas wrap, her food was thrown away, so kind of defeated the purpose.
14. What is the most important thing about the holidays for you? It's all about Jesus! Having the opportunity to show God's love by giving to others.
15. What is your favorite holiday dessert? homemade oreo cookies.
16. What is your favorite holiday tradition? Baking and delivering cookies to special people in my life.
17. What tops your Christmas tree? A white star
18. Which do you prefer giving or receiving? GIVING
19. What is your favorite Christmas song? Let there be Peace on Earth, oh Holy night....
21. What do you want for Christmas? LCD TV
22. Do you attend an annual Christmas party? work party after Christmas
23. Do you dress up for Christmas Eve or wear PJ's? We dress up for church, then Christmas jammies the rest of the night.
24. Do you own a Santa hat? Yes
25. Who do you normally spend Christmas with? My family. However, what we do changes by the year. This year we are going to a movie on Christmas Day.

Now, I'm supposed to tag five others. I always cheat on this part, though. I am inviting everyone to participate. :o) Have fun!

More Holiday Cheer

2008-12-06T10:56:00.006-06:00

A few more pics from around the house.........

My Grandfather made this for me. This is one of the most memorable ornaments he made for me.....maybe it's because he spelt my name wrong?? I love sleds/sleighs, so many memories of my childhood.

My father made both the reindeer and sleigh that you see here. And Farmchick made the candle that you see there, as well. I added the greenery.....looks ok, I think??

I found this sled last summer at a garage sale. Alex bought me the kissing bears a few years ago. Little Arthur likes to attack those Bears any chance he gets!!

I found the JOY words at the Big One craft show last year. Looks great on my Cathedral shelf, I'm thinking.......

Well, Santa is in town right now, so I better get Arthur up there for a quick picture with Jolly Old Saint Nick, I hope I make it in time.

Have a great weekend.

Rita

A Little Holiday Cheer

2008-12-04T12:33:00.009-06:00

As promised, a few pics from around our home.........the halls are decked, and I am ready to face the holidays.....which means, shopping, very little baking, and wrapping gifts. I am out of my bad week mode, and ready to spread some holiday cheer!!

Yes, we still have snow. I had to dig this sign out to add the Holiday greenery.

This is one of my favorite ornaments, had it for years, and is proudly displayed at the top of the tree. (near the star)

Our living room tree. This is where you will find the gifts, provided I have purchased some. There is one under the tree, and plans for more to come, real soon.

A couple of pencil trees that I started decorating last year. The large one I keep decorated year round, with the appropriate holiday theme.

This tree is in my dining room, and is my WORD tree. Over the last couple of years, I have purchased various holiday theme words, the following pic is a close up of a few of the words.

More words..........enjoy!!

That's all for now, I will post more later. Enjoy the rest of the day!!

Happy Holidays!!

Another Day........

2008-12-03T20:11:00.002-06:00

Well, well, here I am. It's been well over a week since I have posted. It's been crazy around here, and frankly it has not been a good week. However, I am off tomorrow, so things are looking up. Early last week (prior to T-day) I was sick with a stomach bug, that went away, felt great on Wed and Thursday. (I was at work for the holiday) While at work, we were just getting prepared for our next case, when I was burnt by one of our autoclaves. (sterilizes the instruments) I was actually a patient in our ER on Black Friday.....I had to wait to be seen, as they had a patient in there that was having an asthma attack from her Black Friday shopping, and another that hurt her arm shopping at a local dept store. It is by far a small burn, and after a week, the pain has subsided some, it still looks bad. I have not been able to scrub into any cases all week, and have been just helping out where help is needed, which after 3 days, gets very long and boring. My mind needs much more stimulation then cleaning, stocking, paperwork, etc. ugh. Oh and to top this all off, I have a little bit of a cold, that I think I caught before it got real bad, AND......as I was driving to work today, was stopped by a highway patrol. Apparently, he thought I was driving too fast. ugh. Well, he made the mistake of asking if everything was OK....(BIG mistake) so, I unloaded on the poor guy, about my weeks happenings, my burn, etc. I am pretty sure he won't be pulling me over anytime soon. (much less his colleagues) I drove away with a warning. (smile)
I have finally finished the Christmas decorating. I will be posting some pics tomorrow. I have not really made a dent in my Christmas shopping, I attempted on Black Friday afternoon, however, a crabby Rita and a ton a people don't do well together. So, I called it a day, came home and started watching the Gilmore Girls, Season 4. I am now onto Season 5. It's been cold here, so it's nice to stay home where it's warm.
On Saturday, I will be having another birthday. We will be going into town for my free dinner at Up the Creek, and then I am not sure what I have planned. I don't get to crazy on my b-day, so an evening at home would be great.
I am off to start my day off cleaning, so I have less to do tomorrow!!
Have a great evening, will be by with pics tomorrow.

Having a better day,
Rita

Thanksgiving Week 2008

2008-11-23T18:08:00.003-06:00

With Thanksgiving just a few days away, I thought it would be appropriate to post about what I am thankful for.

I am Thankful for......

My son.....Lord only knows where and what I would be doing without him. He's the light of my life, even though at times that light is not so bright, he's my everything!!!

My parents.....oh my, where do I start?? They have always been there for me and my son. When I need a vacuum that works real well, my Mom brings me hers. When I need a little celery for some soup, shes right there, celery in hand. They always seem to have what I need, even $$, sometimes. (that has not happened in many years.......) They have always been around to help me with Alex, and now that Alex is a big boy, he helps them!

My friends.....not sure where to start here. Over the years I have met so many people, some that still remain friends, that I keep in touch with and some that are just friends whom I will never forget. Today, I must say that I am VERY Thankful for Tania (farmchick to you bloggers out there) and my friend Michelle. Not sure what I would do without either of the two. They both are handy to have around. (did I just say, handy??) I have known Tania for years, met as a family friend. (she was my sisters BFF) Michelle, I met during my employment at Herbergers Dept Store. We both have boys around the same age, and both loved Happy Joes Pizza at the time we worked together, so I think thats what brought us together. We still enjoy lunch/shopping together when time permits.

My little Arthur.....hmmmm, he has brought so much joy to our lives, as well, as a little frustration. He's my little buddy that will whine every night at 10 pm, if I am not in bed. (he is ready for bed by then, if not earlier) He will pull the covers down just enough to crawl underneath all the blankets. So precious.

My co workers......I so enjoy my job, most days. However, if it wasn't for some of the staff that I work with it would not be as enjoyable. We have a fun group of employees, and come Monday, I am almost excited to see them!!

Days OFF.......I love my days off. I could so be a stay at home Mom. If I would someday win the lottery, that's what I will do.

My Health.....I am very thankful for my health!! I have had a few issues this year, but nothing I couldn't handle. Heck, I don't think I even had a flow blown cold this past year.

My BLOGGER Friends.....you guys are the BEST!! Anyone that I can get to read my blog, is by far AWESOME!! Yes, I know I am not very timely with posts, but that only means I have been busy, and that is good. I also enjoy reading about all of you and your families.

Mostly I am thankful for a happy life. I know that I don't have a perfect life, however, I do have a good job, a roof over my head, a fabulous son who works hard in school, a car that gets me to work and back, what more could I ask for???? (someone to wash my car would be good, but I'm ok with that....)

I hope you all have a Wonderful Thanksgiving. Unfortunately, I am on call this year, so I will be staying at the hospital, dining at the cafeteria, having a great time, I'm sure.

Very Thankful,

Rita, Alex and Arthur

Prayer Request!!!

2008-11-19T20:30:00.002-06:00

Once again, little Miss Kayleigh is in desperate need of prayers. She was due to go home this weekend after 5 months in the NICU, and now has suffered yet another setback. Her parents are heartbroken. http://kayleighannefreeman.blogspot.com/

It's Beginning to Look Alot Like Christmas

2008-11-15T11:59:00.004-06:00

Alex and I went to town last evening, out to supper and to the mall for a bit. It's really beginning to look like Christmas in the mall. All the vendors that line the center of the mall, the decorations, holiday items, and my most favorite item of the season...........

I allow myself one box the beginning of the season, and then one closer to the Christmas. Alex obviously likes them this year, as well.

And we couldn't forget our little Arthur.......he asked for the shirt, and he got it!! It was in the $2.50 section at Target. He went to bed with it on last night, but it was off this morning.

Hope you all enjoy your weekend. I am off to the Pride of Dakota Show. It's all crafty, food, wine, products made in North Dakota. It's really neat.

Still Here......

2008-11-11T21:53:00.003-06:00

This is one of my purchases from the Big Craft Show I went to. Thought it was pretty cute. Of course, I gave it as a gift.

Just wanted to write and let you all know, we made it through the snow storm. I made it to work Saturday, finally. It was a rough weekend. I was on call for 48 hours and worked 37 of them. I'm still trying to get back to normal, I've given up on catching up on the sleep that I missed. Good news, we have another storm this week forecasted. Hooray!!

My Uncle from Clifton, Virginia is here this week. He flew in on Friday in the storm. Thank goodness we found a way to get him to my parents house. (it took a farmer and his payloader to make a path for him to get through town.) We have numerous snow banks all over town, it's crazy. The roads are horrible, I hate it.

That's all I have tonight. I have to get to bed, it's an early day tomorrow.

Enjoy the rest of the week!!

Rita

Another Blustery Day

2008-11-07T06:36:00.005-06:00

Today, we have no school, no travel advised, roads actually closed, it's just bad!!! I would love to get out and actually take a photo of ALL the snow, however, there is no way out, so we have to just take pics from the door, and this is what I have today.

The snow up against my front window, nice, huh??

This is what I found when I opened my garage door this morning....you can almost see my chair.

I think I am way beyond shoveling the snow myself. and its way beyond a snowblower, we need big stuff, hope I am able to find it today.

My Poor Chair

2008-11-06T22:23:00.002-06:00

Yep, that's my chair. It's still holding strong as the snow continues to pile on it. The snow that you see on the side of the house, is what the entire house looks like. The snow is so heavy, sticks to everything.
Tomorrow, my son and I will go out and try to make a path so I can get to work. Thank good- ness I don't work until 1230 pm. So far, no school cancellations. However, Alex will be staying home until the path is clear. There is no way I can do this myself.
Have yourselves a great day.

Snowbound,
Rita

Let is Snow Somewhere Else, please

2008-11-06T17:07:00.006-06:00

Enjoy my new photos, please check the earlier post to see morning and afternoon photos. The snow just won't stop today. I think we have enough now. Shoveled 7 inches this morning, now we're measuring in feet. ugh. It has not snowed like this in a few years, and I really have not missed it.

Have a great rest of the day.

Let is snow somewhere else,

Rita

Let it Snow, Let it Snow........

2008-11-06T09:23:00.004-06:00

This is what we woke up to this morning.........

My chair that was recently the home of one of my plants.......

Our back yard......which is the catch all for alot of snow.

I just got in from shoveling the driveway and porch in the back yard. So far, we had about 6-8 inches, with alot of drifting. The bad news.......it's still snowing, and blowing. ugh. Now with my son having a job and all, I am the only snow shoveler in the house. (this may require finding a boyfriend.) Or better yet, perhaps I need to find someone with a snow blower, that I can pay to clean my driveway.

Hope you all enjoy the rest of the week!!

Rita

Surprise!!

2008-11-03T18:41:00.008-06:00

I thought I would surprise you all and actually do some blogging......I'm not going to make excuses, as I have many. I am just going to say, I've been busy, been out of town and completely exhausted lately!! ( I actually posted last week, but blogger said I had an error and I had no time to mess around with it.)

Alex's Confirmation went well. His party was good, too much food, of course. Below are some pics of the big day. When we got home from the church, everyone was crowded in the kitchen, so I hurried up and fed everyone, and then forgot to take pictures!!! I was so rushed, so I'm a little upset that I did not get many pics. I did get one of Alex and the cake, so thats good.

Halloween was fun...........there was a Huge Craft Show, so attended that, and got home in plenty of time for trick or treating. Alex had to work, so it was Arthur and I answering the door. (arthur is not fond of the door bell, so went crazy everytime someone came to the door, ugh)

On Saturday, Alex, my parents and I drove to Grand Forks (about 4 hours from here.) to attend my nephews Confirmation. The weather was awesome, (in the 60's....this is North Dakota!!) would have been a great day to stay home and put up Christmas lights. I'm hoping we will have a few more nice days to come. Alex and I did a little shopping in Grand Forks, I bought some ear buds for my Ipod that my fabulous friend Michelle gave me. (she won one) Yes, I am now hip and very cool with an Ipod.

Can't think of much else to report. Please keep little Kayleigh in your prayers as she has her heart surgery tomorrow morning. Poor little thing has been through so much.

Enjoy the pics!!

Some past Halloween Photos
Mr. Potato Head

Dr. Alex

Confirmation Photos............

Have a great week every one !!

Rita

Urgent Prayers Needed

2008-10-24T19:00:00.002-05:00

I have been following Kayleighs blogsite since she was born, and she needs prayers now more then ever............please pray for this little one, as her parents were hoping they would be able to bring her home next week. http://kayleighannefreeman.blogspot.com/

A Little Spare Time is What I Like

2008-10-21T15:32:00.005-05:00

Hey there blogger friends!! Yep, another post, can you believe it?? Actually, this is my 100th post, and I was going to plan something big and exciting, but have not done so yet. I did want to write and tell you that I had a little extra FREE time today where I had nothing planned, so this is what I did............

Took a little fabric that looked like this........used a lil iron on heat bond, and......

GOT THIS!!! A table runner!!

I've been looking around for a table runner, and found none that I liked. Everything was a little too foofoo for me, or were covered with turkeys, and I like things simple. So, after working all night on call, I slept a little this morning, woke up and created this little piece. Took all of 30 minutes. I may even have to make one for the Christmas Holiday!!!

My sons party is coming together. I have found some recipes that I am going to try of things that I was going to purchase. (Thanks for the advice Farmchick) So, we'll see how that all goes.

Hope you all have a great rest of the week.

Enjoying MY day,

Rita

A Quick Update

2008-10-15T08:54:00.008-05:00

Just a quick post to let you all know that I am still alive!!! It has been crazy here, and it's not looking less crazy for quite some time. My son Alex is being confirmed next weekend, so we are preparing for an Open House. Which consists of..........REALLY cleaning the house, the garage, fall cleaning stuff outside, (which needed to be done anyway) planning the food, baking, extra table, chairs, etc...........I have not even thought about what I am going to be wearing!! That will be this week with all my spare time. ughh.
The good news is that when all the craziness is done, which won't be for another 4 weeks.........(we have something every weekend til Nov. 21st) I will get to bring out the Christmas decor!!! Woohooo!!!! I cannot wait. I love to decorate for the Holidays, it's my favorite time of year.
The following are pics that I had to scan for a video that the class is making for Alex's Confirmation. Alex was such a cute little thing...........still is, however, he's 16 now!!

1st Christmas Program

1st day of Sunday School

Another 1st day of Sunday School
3rd Grade Bible Day
Hope you all have a great week. My next post will be my 100th, so will have to make it a good one!! Time for Desperate Housewives........

Rita

It's a Farmchick Give Away!!

2008-10-13T15:59:00.002-05:00

Hey there all you blogger friends, just wanted to let you in on a give away that's happening over at Farmchick's site. Check it out.........she makes some awesome candles!! Good Luck!!

I'm a Blog Slacker.........

2008-10-06T09:21:00.007-05:00

I had many plans to blog this weekend, but the time went so fast. We were so busy the last couple days. Went shopping Saturday out of town, Sunday, I woke up and started cleaning out the garage in preparation for my sons Confirmation party. Was out there most the day, and have a huge pile of garbage!! I guess I am a last minute blogger before I head off to work.

Enjoy the following pics!!!!

I received my sign from Kindra the other day. I love it, and I know our Christmas will be much brighter this year because of it!! Head on over to her site and check out her creations.

Thought I needed a Fall wreath this year, so I made one. However, when I was cleaning the garage yesterday, I found one that I had made last year!! LOL Can you say..."I'm losing it??"

This is by far my favorite pumpkin this year. It grew on its side. Closer to Halloween, I will carve something creative in it.

Ahhh, homemade spaghetti sauce is what kept me busy last weekend. I am hoping to make more, as I have quite a few tomatoes left. (they are still green) The sauce it great, my son loves it.

This weekend, I started messing around with my photo options, editing, etc. This is a pic of my friends son. Thought it turned out pretty cool. I made her a copy and framed it.

That's all for today. I need to get going and get ready for work. Hope you all have a great Monday!!

Make it a Great Week,

Rita

It's Almost Friday!! Woohoo!!

2008-10-02T19:46:00.002-05:00

Man, I have been waiting for Friday all darn week!! I think only working 2 days last week, made this week kick my butt!! I have been sooooo extremely tired all week. The weather here has been awesome, so I don't know what's up with me. (maybe it was too much house cleaning last week?)

I will try and update tomorrow sometime, or maybe even tonight if I can keep my eyes open.

Have a great Friday!!!

Homecoming Week 2008

2008-09-26T19:47:00.002-05:00

For the past week, my sons school has been celebrating Homecoming. This was always my favorite time of the school year. We used to have 50's days....now they have 70-80's days, not sure what they had against the 50's??!! Tonight is the football game, and the dance to follow. Alex is at the game, will be going to the dance, and then to a friends house if it's not too late. A nice quiet evening for his mother. I was planning on going to the game, however in the 1st quarter the score was 29=0. So, thought I would save $5 and stay home.

The past 2 days, I have been doing some fall cleaning. I'm very tired of cleaning right now. For those of you that invited me into your home to clean, I am going to have to decline. I still have 2 bedrooms, part of the bathroom and laundry room left. Oh, and the garage, that has to get cleaned/organized. ugghh.

In the midst of all the cleaning, I did find time to have lunch with my friend Carrie yesterday. She had surgery 3 weeks ago, so was off from work. It was great to see her, she's doing well. She's not looking forward to coming back to work. (who would be??)

Arthur is doing pretty well. I'm still a little concerned about him, but I think he will be ok. As for Alex, he has improved over the week with the nasty crud that he had. Hopefully that crud stays away for a really long time. (I don't do well with being sick.)

That's all for tonight!! Hope you all have a great weekend.

Enjoying the day,

Rita

Little Art

2008-09-26T08:55:00.002-05:00

For those of you concerned about Arthur, he seems to be feeling better today. I was not up all night with him, as I was before, so thats a good sign. He's still barking at everyone that walks/runs by our house...more so today then yesterday. I never did call the Vet, as I know where that would go. We spent a fare amount of time snuggling, which I think that was the best medicine ever!!

Have a great day everyone!!

Another peaceful day at home,
Rita

Sex and the City, the Movie

2008-09-25T08:08:00.002-05:00

Last night, I rented Sex and the City, the movie!! It was awesome, highly recomend it. Even if you didn't watch the series, I think one would still enjoy it.
I am off for the next four days. I cannot even tell you how excited I am to not have to go into work until Monday morning. I have a huge list of things to do. (fall house cleaning) Shampooed my carpets last night, so go that out of the way. This morning I have already washed 2 loads of clothes, washed dishes, and put dinner in the crock pot. Would like to get the inside stuff done so I can get outside. (that will be never.)
My little Arthur is sick. He has a bad tummy, not real sure what brought that on, so keeping a close eye on him today and will be making him some rice and boiled hamb. mmm, mmm, mmm.
To all those that voted for Chad, he won!! WOOHOO, go Chad!!
Hope all is well with everyone. Have a great day, will post more later.

Happy to be at home today,
Rita

Have a Great Weekend!!

2008-09-19T09:27:00.006-05:00

Not much time to post here, just wanted to leave a few pictures. I am on call the weekend, and will return Monday afternoon sometime. Hopefully its a pretty nice weekend, as far as traumas are concerned.

Arthur and I spent some time outside this morning. He was very interested in the flowers, tomatoes, and the cats in the area. Enjoy the pics!!

Arthur sporting a lei from my class reunion.

Stopping to smell the flowers. (actually, I think he's sniffing out "cat crud")

And, a little Halloween Decor that I put up/out this morning. I am off next Thurs & Friday, so there will be more to come.

Hope you all have a super weekend!! If you have not read my post below about Pediatric Cancer, please do and remember to VOTE FOR CHAD!!!!
I appreciate all the comments that I've been getting, keep'em coming!!!

Pediatric Cancer Foundation

2008-09-17T21:07:00.001-05:00

VOTE FOR CHAD!!!

Hello friends,
I have a special favor to ask of all of you! Chad Harrod, one of the board members for the Pediatric Cancer Foundation was nominated for the . . .GQ Magazine Gentleman of the Year Award.He is in the top 5 and it now all comes down to online voting. I am encouraging you all to vote for Chad. He is just an amazing person and has done so much for the pediatric cancer community. If he wins, the Pediatric Cancer Foundation receives $10,000 for the Sunshine Project and a full page story in GQ Magazine!

PCF now has 2 clinicals trials open with children on these new treatments developed by our Sunshine Project Dream Team and funding is needed more than ever before. They are paying $18,305 for each child enrolling in their first trial and their researchers are hard at work looking for other compounds to combat pediatric solid tumors including brain tumors.

Please consider helping us in this voting as the national exposure of the Sunshine Project could open some new avenues of funding and awareness for childhood cancer. Thank you for taking the time to vote!
Vote Here for Chad Harrod!

Not Sure What Happened There......

2008-09-14T09:42:00.001-05:00

Like I said, not sure what happened, but I hit something on my keyboard and WALLA!! my blog was posted!!! Not what I had intended. I did not proof read it or anything, so what you see is what you get today.
Hope you all have a great Sunday!! Have a fabulous week.

Rita

Off to the Rodeo.......

2008-09-14T09:01:00.003-05:00

OK, I am not off to the rodeo, let's get that straight. However, we have a High School Rodeo in town today, and the route to get to the rodeo grounds is right outside my front window. I have lost count to the HUGE pick ups, pulling HUGE horse trailers that have passed by my house in the last 45 minutes that I have been awake. It's amazing........Some are like RV's/horse trailers combined and I am sure cost a HUGE pretty penny. That's not including the horses inside the trailer, the entry fee for the rodeo, the "rodeo clothes", the gas to get to the rodeo, the food, the beer, YIKES, that could be one heck of a good day of shopping for me!!! My brother used to rodeo back in the day....however, we drove an old pickup and pulled a rusty ol' horse trailer behind. My, how things have changed..........this is a pic of me with our horse Nodak Candy Pete, we called him Pete for short.

OK, back to my world. The past few days, I have been waking up with a stuffy head, sore throat, kind of cold like feeling. I tried to drink airborne yesterday, only to find out that it only upset my stomach........man, was that disgusting!!! Today, was the same thing. I'm even going to skip church this AM. Oh, and to top the cold off, our cable TV is out. Yep, the whole town is without cable. Hope it comes back on before Sunday Football. Thank goodness we got our netflix movie yesterday so we can watch that again. Have any of you seen What Happens in Vegas ?? If you are in for a good laugh, its a must see. I laughed so hard my little weiner dog started barking at me.
My son started his first job this week. He worked 6 hours yesterday. Man was it quiet here!! I almost kind of missed him. I had done most my house cleaning on my day off, so I was a little bored. I made lasagna for my friend who just had surgery, went to visit her and was home before he got home from work. So, I started watching that movie again. It wasn't long before he got home though and I was able to hear about his 6 hour work day. Warmed him up some lasagna, and watched the movie, Again!!! It was rainy and nasty all day, so was a good movie day.

Where Were You.......

2008-09-11T11:06:00.002-05:00

Where were you when the world stopped turning?? 9/11 a day to remember, and a day none of us will ever forget.

I was working with Dr Thomas in the operating room when we heard of the happenings in New York. I thought Dr Thomas was going to have to leave, as his sister had worked in the Trade Center. Thank goodness our case was almost finished, so he was able to call and make sure she was OK. She answered the phone when he called!!!! Praise the Lord!!

On a sad note, my cousin Beckys (my cousin Todds wife, no relation to me) brother was in the 2nd tower and was never found. Please keep her and her family in your thoughts today.

God Bless OUR America!!

Make it a great day!!

Awesome Game

2008-09-06T21:36:00.003-05:00

Last night, my son and I traveled to Bismarck to watch my nephew Tyler play high school football. It was fun, saw a few people we knew from my hometown, saw my sister and family from Grand Forks (her son was the one playing) my brother in law and boys from Bismarck were also there. As well as my parents. (we drove them there)
The game was awesome. Well, the last minute of the game was awesome. Grand Forks was behind 14-0 throughout the whole game, til the last minute. They scored 2 touchdowns, as well as got the extra points in the LAST minute to win the game!!! Grand Forks 15-Bismarck 14. In the midst of the game 2 of the GF players went by ambulance to the ER. I was the only one in the Grand Forks section who knew where the hospital was, so I drove one of the Dad's to the ER to be with his son. It was a crazy night. Both boys are doing well and back in Grand Forks.
Today I met with a family for Make a Wish. (I am a volunteer for Make a Wish) It was fun, really enjoyed visiting with them. Their son is adorable, and was so happy to see us!! They live in an Extreme Makeover house, so we got to see the house first hand, which was very cool.
Thats all for tonight. I have one messy house to clean, so I better get to it before my son gets home. Good night!!

Happy Labor Day!!!

2008-09-01T13:52:00.003-05:00

Hope this post finds you all enjoying your Labor Day holiday. This has been a crazy weekend in North Dakota. Yesterday at 5 pm, the temp here was 96. Last night at 730 pm, it was 66. Today, it's 50 something, cold and rainy. I love the rain though, no complaining here, as I love my grass nice and green. Nothings better then rain.

We've had an uneventful weekend. Did some shopping, cooking, yard work, and more cooking. Right now, I am making a batch of breakfast egg rolls. They are nice to have for Alex to grab in the morning before school. Later, I will be making another batch of homemade eggrolls with a mexican twist. (thank you Tania, Alex loves them)

Was hoping to make and can some salsa this weekend, but my tomotoes seem to only ripen 1 tomato at a time. I need quite a few for canning. So, I will put it off til this coming weekend.

Hope all is well with you all. If you are in the area of Gustav, please stay safe!! We're praying for you all.

Words, Words, Words......

2008-08-24T20:04:00.011-05:00

Words, words, words, and more words!!! Yes, I have words in my home!!! It's almost like reading a book when you come to my house. No use to come and visit, you can just come and READ!!! OK, it's not really that bad.

Here are a few of my favorites.

This is hanging on the door of the laundry room. I do get help, however, it's never enough!!

This is a favorite of mine.....the first song Alex sang was "You are mine Sunshine", so I thought this was appropriate to hang on the wall with all his photos over the years. I was so happy when I found this sign.

I think every home must have this one..........

Sadly, this is soooooo TRUE!! Thank you Arthur!!!

This is hanging in the hallway by our bedrooms. We've actually have had this for a long time.

Encouraging a good nights rest.

I actually bought this for my mother, but I thought my father would be offended, so I kept it for myself. His way is the only way, you know.........????

I have a few more, but these are the ones that I have pics of, so far. The rest are up too high, so the pics did not turn out that well.

That's all for now. Please be sure to leave a comment, so I know you stopped by!!

Have a great week!!!!!!!!

Friday Garage Sale Finds........

2008-08-24T13:32:00.007-05:00

Happy Sunday!! Hope everyone is having a great day. I had to write and tell you all about my great garage sale finds this weekend. A couple of my friends were having sales this week, so my friend Amber & I went looking Friday night.

First off, I found this knock off Prada bag for $1.00!!

Was looking for a backet for my gourds.....thought this would be perfect.....50 cents

Not sure what this metal basket will be used for, but I had to have it!! $3.00

I loved this little item (not sure what to call it) I think for now, I will use it for fruits & veggies that I find in my garden. However, can be used for many things.......$3.00

I have been looking for something for this part of my wall....well, I think it fits well here, now just have to find a candle or something for the top shelf. The greenery was also a garage sale find. I actually got quite a bit of greenery for around the house. $3.00

I also purchased a 7 ft Christmas tree for $10.00. I was kind of looking for a replacement for the one I have, as mine has to be put together branch by branch. This is all on hinges. Hope I like it when it's out of the box!!

That's all for now. Enjoy whats left of the weekend!!

First Day of School

2008-08-20T08:39:00.005-05:00

My Alex started school today!! He's a sophomore, and have been told I will not post his picture from this morning!! Apparently the whole picture thing was not cool. So, I will just post some pics from previous first days of school. How's that..........now I just have to find them. Be right back!!

OK, I only found a couple. The rest I already have scrapbooked.

Here he is ready for school....(not sure which grade, my bad!) I do know that it was when we lived in Fargo.

And another in Fargo. Again, not sure which grade.

Look at him now!! This is not a first day of school, but was taken this summer when he was in Atlanta for the Nat FBLA Convention.

Now he's driving, has his own car, and doesn't really even need me around much anymore. However, I did have to wake up this morning and make him coffee. So, he does still need me!! He even walked to school today......rather then drive his car!! ( we are only a few blocks from school.)

That's all for today, I am off this morning, but will be on my way to work in a bit. (I'm on call)

Have a great day, and will be back later this week!!

Thanks for all the great comments!! Keep'em coming!!

Vacation, Coming to an End

2008-08-16T21:45:00.006-05:00

Sadly, my 10 days off is quickly coming to an end. I cannot even tell you how much I enjoyed not being at work since August 8th!! Not that I got anything accomplished....had plans to clean out closets, organize things, clean the garage, etc. I am happy to say that none of that got done!! The following are pictures from my week away from work.

Alex taking is easy fishing.

C is for cucumber!!
Alex and my nephew Nick at a Baseball game. Alex's 16th Birthday!!

Mini golfing on Alex's birthday.

Alex and Nick mini golfing.

I have actually posted these pics and others 2 different times, and it would not post. I am hoping that this will post, or I may just give up!!

Hope you all enjoy the rest of the weekend. We start school here on Aug 20th, so our days will be changing, real soon. (no more sleeping in for Alex) This is probably the first year that I am not excited for him to go back to school. (I'm anticipating harder classes this year and more homework) He does very well, so I shouldn't worry.

Thanks for stopping by and
please do make my day and leave me a comment!!

Happiness at Our House..........

2008-08-04T17:23:00.008-05:00

Happiness in our home is more then just getting a car, working 24+ hours of overtime, taking a week off of work for a little vacation.

Here's what makes Alex and I happy..............

Fresh from the garden...........mmm,mmm,mmm. I am impatiently awaiting my tomatoes to turn red. I have a ton of green ones, so I spose they will all turn red at the same time.

I was surprised to see these 2 new lillies when I got home today.....they are a different color then the previous ones, and I like them!! They have many potential blooms, so looking forward to more pretties.

And my Gladiola bloomed while I was away at work this weekend.

From our home to yours.........Hope you all have a happy week.

Alex's First Car..........

2008-07-31T20:34:00.004-05:00

Yes, I said Alex's first car!!! It was just too good of a deal to pass up. (it ended up that I knew the owner) We've been looking for a couple months now, and everything was a piece of crap for too much $$ and a million miles. The nice ones we found were way too much $$$.

So, here it is, my Alex's first car..........

That's all for tonight.......just had to post and share another first of Alex's life!!

Happy Hump Day!!

2008-07-30T19:27:00.004-05:00

I love hump day, it's the half way mark to the weekend!! However, this weekend, I am on call, so will leave home Friday afternoon and not return until Monday afternoon. uughhh. Makes for a long weekend, but it also makes for one nice paycheck!!! I have fun Drs on call with me, so it will be a good weekend. I am off now until Friday afternoon, so will enjoy it to the fullest!! I heart days off!!!

My little Arthur (mini doxy) got into a little trouble this week. He thought it would be cool to eat a pound of lunch meat that my son left on the end table (he went to answer the door) This resulted in diarhea for the past 2 days........thankfully, most of his has been outside!! Right now he's mutilating (sp?) a breath mint rawhide. He loves those things, and I think his breath is better. Thank goodness. (I hate dog breath)

I was so excited today when leaving work.......I have been looking for a car for my son. (old, cheap, etc) Well, found one today. 98 Chevy Cavalier, 4 door, low miles, and only $2000!! BUT...talked to the owner tonight, the car does not have an air conditioner. :( Have not totally decided against it, however..........I guess we'll have to sleep on it. I was kind of disappointed. Where we live, it is more important to have a heater, but it is nice for a little AC.

Below is yet another pic of flowers.......enjoy, hope you all have a great night!!

Happy Sunday

2008-07-26T22:30:00.007-05:00

I am a little early with this post, as it is Saturday night. Had a busy day today.....spent the evening at my parents house and now I should be in bed, but had a late afternoon nap, so not tired!!
I was able to get out and take a few pics outside today. We had some rain this week, so everything is growing like crazy. My cucumber plants have doubled in size, and we'll soon have cukes!!

This is a Gladiola in the making.....it should bloom within the next week. I was surprised to see it today, as it has not been looking good all summer.

Not real sure what this is....it's been growing behind my shed every summer since we've moved here. It's very pretty but grows very tall.

One of my daisies....in full bloom. (it's the only one blooming today.....)

This is my back yard.........needed something to take up space, so planted some chocolate mint. That also has gone crazy since the rain we had this week. Not real sure what choc mint is used for, but it smells good, and takes up space in a shaded area.

Lastly, my cute little cucumber!! We actually have several, this is just the biggest. It's about 2 inches long. We are looking forward to many cukes.

That's all for tonight!! Hope you all have a great Sunday!!

Another Day........

2008-07-25T22:05:00.002-05:00

It's Friday. Not much is going on here, just having a quiet evening at home. Doing a little cleaning, washing clothes, trying to make my list for tomorrow smaller!!

We've had a good week. However, I found my self extremely tired....not sure if it was the heat, or me just working too damn hard at work!! Hmmm......we were very busy at work, as well. :)

Not sure what tomorrow will bring. We may possibly go back to the State Fair, go into town for some shopping, or we've also been invited to my friends lake place. Before we do anything, I will be cleaning house!!! It has been ignored for a few weeks now.

Please keep my friend Mark in your prayers this week. He had a tumor removed from his voice box this week. Still waiting for pathology reports........I'm sure he's going crazy by now, as he cannot talk for 4-6 weeks.

That's all for tonight. Hope you all enjoy my "new look". Please be sure to leave a comment so I know you stopped by!!

Have a great Saturday!!!

Note to Self & Others Who May Listen

2008-07-21T21:46:00.002-05:00

This past weekend, my son and I went to the ND State Fair. I haven't been to the fair for 2 years, so thought I better get there, just in case something at the fair had changed....(nothing has changed....) Same shit, different year. Anyway, I was so hoping to have an indian taco. Well, come time to have something to eat and the line to the indian taco place was about 15 people deep. (I won't wait in line to use the rest room, much less to get a calorie filled treat) So, I opted for a homemade corndog. (normal size, not the footlong) The cheese curd line was very long, as well, so cancelled that out of my plans, as well. Back to the indian taco. I told Alex when we left, we would go to WalMartha and get a few groceries on the way home. Still craving the indian taco, I bought the ingredients to make them. Yes, I purchased ground beef from WalMartha!!! That was by far the largest mistake, waste of money I have ever spent. The meat was horrible.....reminds me of something I would see on Hallies website. DO NOT buy meat products at WalMartha......I never have and never will again, I promise. I was just too damn lazy and tired to stop at a real groc store.

Not much else is new here. My son & I took my mother to Bismarck last week for the day.....went to see my sister and watch her kid play baseball. Enjoyed the afternoon on the pontoon, which was enjoyable. Also got some school shopping done for the Alex. Jeans, the dreaded jeans.........he wore the ones I bought him last year all year, so that must mean his growing is slowing down a bit......and his shoe size is still the same. Size 12.

I am off to bed. Was up late last night and up way to early this morning, and looks like I am replaying it tonight.

Have a great day everyone!!

My Growing Garden

2008-07-13T20:31:00.008-05:00

Here are some recent pics of what you will find in my flower garden......and around my house.

This first pot, is by far my favorite!! It's a Black Eyed Susan Vine. Easy to grow, however

is thirsty all the time, it likes to play dead if I have not watered it.

Next, I have some Day Lillies. These are the ones the I replanted from my friends garden. I really did not think they would flower this year, but they have, and they look great!!

I planted this Day Lilly last summer, its a smaller version then the others. Very cute, first

time with flowers!!

Here is a close up of one of my Lillies.......very pretty. They are so easy to grow, not starving for water like my climbing plant. They are very easy to please, and will grow anywhere.

That's it for my Lillies this time. I am sure their days are numbered......I have some hostas I would have liked to post, however, I must have deleted them off the camera. I will post about them later this week.

We have had an OK weekend. Did not accomplish much, but did get some resting . We had horrible winds on Friday and Saturday to the point that we could not be outside without being completely annoyed. Today of course, was a nice day, however spent 1/2 the morning at church, from there went to town to go to the walk in clinic (ear problems, I'm fine now), then we went out to lunch, and then to Target to pick up a few items. By the time we got home, it was hot, and I had lost interest to everything I needed to get done outside today. I did get out this evening a little, so I don't feel completely useless. I also prepared a roast for dinner for tomorrow night........now I just have to remember to put it in the crock pot before leaving for work in the morning.

Hope everyone has a great week.

Great News!!

2008-07-09T20:34:00.002-05:00

First off, my son Alex made the local paper for his achievements at the National FBLA convention. That was pretty exciting. My friends daughter Rylee actually made the front page for 4th of July activities. I'm sure Alex was impressed with that!!

A few posts ago, I told you about my friends daughter Megan. She had suspicious lymph nodes on a recent PET scan. The biopsy they did on the 3rd, came back NEGATIVE!!! Woohoo, she is still recovering, however, is doing well. Angel Murray is watching over his little girl. :)

I have been sorting photos on my computer tonight. Yikes, what a time consuming job!! I think I am done, for now. I will post some pics of the Lilly Pad this weekend.

Have a great week!!

A Day at the Zoo.......

2008-07-07T09:44:00.008-05:00

After a crazy weekend, and not much time spent with my Alex, we left from home around 4 pm, went out for pizza, and went to the Zoo. We have such an awesome zoo, we both love it. The following pics are from our little adventure. I think Alex took well over 100 pics!!!

This is Sally the camel, with a floppy hump!!

Alex standing by the otter exhibit. The otters were sleeping.

The bengal tiger was pacing back and forth while we were there.

The PENGUINS!! This is by far my favorite to visit. I remember when the Zoo first go them.

Brown bear, brown bear, what do you see??

That's our visit to the Zoo, we have a ton more pics, but having the time to download them all is another story.

Have a great week!!

Happy 4th of July!!

2008-07-04T18:30:00.004-05:00

Happy 4th of July!!

As many of you already know, I am also celebrating my 20 Yr High School Reunion!! The following are pics from this morning prior to the parade.

My Boy is Back..........

2008-07-02T09:17:00.002-05:00

Just wanted to post a pic of Alex at the airport last night......holding his 6th place trophy!! He was smiles all the way home........

Breaking News.......

2008-06-29T20:14:00.003-05:00

This just in..........my son Alex just called to let me know he took 6th place in his event at the National FBLA Convention in Atlanta!! Yeah!!! He's not sure how he's going to get his trophy home, as he's been doing some shopping. I think we are going to have t-shirts from every stop!! Please keep him in your prayers as they travel back home on Tuesday.

GO ALEX!!!

GIVE AWAY!!

2008-06-26T23:03:00.001-05:00

Please check out my friends blogsite.......she's having a candle give away!! Leave her a message and she will put you in the drawing.
http://farmchickskitchen.blogspot.com/

SIMPLY ME

A Quick Little Update.....

Happy Halloween 2010

Happy Fall....Let It SNOW......random post!!

Happy Birthday Brooks Taylor!!

Finally a Post....mostly pictures!!

I'm Back......kind of!!

Christmas 2009

A Recipe Post - Apple Juice

FREE CHECKING

It's Beginning to Look Alot Like........

Happy Fall!!

Prayers Please.....

Is it September Already??

Simply August

North Dakota State Fair 2009

Is It Really July 25th???

We Have Another Trophy in the House

Have Fun & Good Luck!!

Seriously, Snow, It's JUNE!!!

June, Finally!!

Graduation Day, 2009

Special Day!!

Finally, an Update!!

We Live in a Crazy Place

Welcome Back Mr. Flood - 2009

Flood Update

News Updates

North Dakota Headlines........

Blizzard, Flooding, Raining, Thundering, You Name It...........

A Little Under the Weather........

Baby It's COLD Outside

Walk On

Happy 40th Birthday Jerry!!

New Recipe

Not too Shabby........

Simply Amazing.......

Pot Luck Thursday

A Day to Remember

Here's a Fun Fact (or not so fun)

Wish You Were Here??

The Cold Saga Continues.........

Sneezy, itchy, watery eyes....

More SNOW!!!!!

*** Insert SIGH here***

Does this Sound Familiar??

Happy New Year!!

It's Time.........

Memories of Christmas 2008

The Stockings ARE Hung........

In Need of Some HELP!!!

The Good News is....

The Frozen Tundra.......

Oh, the Weather Outside is Frightful......

What a Joyous Day....

A Little About ME

More Holiday Cheer

A Little Holiday Cheer

Another Day........

Thanksgiving Week 2008

Prayer Request!!!

It's Beginning to Look Alot Like Christmas

Still Here......

Another Blustery Day

My Poor Chair

Let is Snow Somewhere Else, please

Let it Snow, Let it Snow........

Surprise!!

Urgent Prayers Needed

A Little Spare Time is What I Like

A Quick Update

It's a Farmchick Give Away!!

I'm a Blog Slacker.........

It's Almost Friday!! Woohoo!!

Homecoming Week 2008

Little Art

Sex and the City, the Movie

Have a Great Weekend!!

Pediatric Cancer Foundation

Not Sure What Happened There......

* Insert SIGH here*