Simply Amazing.......

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

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

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)

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??

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

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

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....

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!!!!!

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***

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??

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!!

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