Is it just me or....

do you have alot of those oh I don't know what to call them... people who dress up or hold up the big cardboard signs and stand out on the street corner and wave at you? Omaha is chock full of them. I don't know how much they make, but holy cow it's COLD outside!!! You couldn't pay me enough!

Today it was women dressed up like the Statue of Liberty.... advertising for Liberty Tax Services (cute eh?). I saw 2 different ones...I actually waved at the one... is that bad? She seemed so nice and COLD. Poor thing. I felt she needed a friendly wave, bless her heart. Hubby thinks they're all crack whores working for their habit!!! LOL

I also saw a person with the big signs....for Old World Market. They're closing our stores here in Omaha.

Halloween brings out the costume shop goodies. Gorillas, pirates, grim reaper and mummies. The Maggie Moo cow is out once a while too... big udders on that one!!!

Also around town are the "Will work for Food" people. The -20 temps drove them indoors to the shelters, but since it's warming up a bit.... they'll be back out.

Is it just a midwest thing? Is it the desperate economy we're in??? Hmmmm things to ponder...

How neat is this?

I got a Christmas present from my grandma today. Yes she passed away in July but I got one!

My mom found 3 cross stitched pictures my grandma had made way back when (before her cateracts became too bad). Two were of ducks and geese and one was a kitchen type scene (jam jar, flowers, mixing bowl). My one brother has his PhD in wildlife biology and his dissertation was on wood ducks and my other brother is an avid hunter and a biologist and arborist. The duck and geese scenes were perfect for them (guess who got the kitchen one?). My mom had them framed and gave them to us today. My grandma only made 3 of them and had them stored away in one of her many sewing bins. They were meant for us!!

I'd like to think she was with us today and even got us gifts! Although rather than have gifts, I'd rather have her here, it was a nice surprise. I think my mom misses her the most!

Thanks Grams!! It's going up in the kitchen tonight! I miss you!

We Wish You a Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all my friends!!!

One year ago today...

The world lost a wonderful mother, wife, sister, daughter, aunt and friend to that ugly disease known as cancer.

Your friends are thinking of you today, thinking of the last time we saw you, talked to you, hugged you! While we wish you were here, we know you're in glorious heaven, watching over us!!

Your faith was so strong, your grace during the most challenging of times was inmeasurable. I can only hope to be half the faithful servant you were, to be half the mother and wife you were. You left big shoes to fill!

Thinking of you also Tom, Kurtis, Ryan and Lisa. You must miss her so.

You can read all about Annette's journey on her blog and now her beautiful sister Lisa is keeping it going at "Grace Between the Lines"

Love you girlfriend! Until we meet again!

Does Santa Claus Bounce?

Our DADS group here in Omaha had a Christmas party for the kids last night. At BounceU, a place full of gigantic bouncers (no not the Patrick Swayze type) and guess who showed up?

Alex was so excited to see Santa. He also loves to bounce and he could hardly wait to get in there!!! Below is a picture of him going down the big slide.

Ho Ho Ho

That's what we wake up to now that the Christmas tree is up. Alex is sure Santa Claus is coming right now!! I keep telling him he's got a long wait, but he still runs to the fireplace to look up the chimney and see if Santa is there! I'm going to be bonkers by the 15th with this!!!

It is fun to see him so excited. He loves Santa. Santa is right up there with Elmo and Mikey Mouse! Now Santa has to figure out what to bring him!

And I'm exhausted! Decorating is exhausting! I told hubby tonight after lugging down 5 huge empty cartons.... "just think honey in 4 weeks we can lug these all back up!!!" He was not amused!

I hope you're enjoying the beginning of the holidays!

Happy Turkey Day!

What are you thankful for? I am thankful for:

my friends online and IRL
my family
that I have a job still (as of today)
My hubby has a job
Alex isn't sick today (yet)
Turkey and all the fixins
Our freedoms here in the USA
the beautiful weather we've been having

Enjoy your family and friends today!

Jewelry Giveaway

Stop by and see my friend Jeanette and her cutie patootie daughter Faith and also enter her Jewelry giveaway!

Dream A Little Dream of Me....

I had a dream last night about my Grandma and Grandpa. It still brings tears to my eyes, as it took place in their old apartment, where they last lived together, where I spent alot of my childhood and early adulthood with them. My dream starts off where my Grandpa had just died and we were going back to the apartment with my Grandma after the funeral. We were so worried how Grandma would do.

Strange thing is, Grandpa was sitting in his chair talking to us! I remember being so excited that he finally got to meet Alex, as Alex was standing by the arm of the chair chatting away (Grandpa died 8 yrs before Alex was born)! The apartment was just like I remember it too, complete with Grandpa wearing just his undershirt (with pants! LOL) like he always did when he was home for the day! He was smiling his smirky smile and was enjoying all of us being there. I think my other kids were there, along with my mom.

As for Grandma, she kept hiding from me. She wouldn't show her face. She was lying in bed with the covers pulled up over her head. I even asked to see her and she wouldn't come out. Not sure what to make of that?

I do believe that our loved ones can come visit us in our dreams. I'd like to think that they're together again and watching out for us. I know my Grandpa would have adored Alex, gotten a real kick out of him! My Grandma sure did.

I still miss them terribly. I hadn't missed my Grandpa in a long time...but it came back this morning when I woke up. I've been thinking about them both all day. Even if it was just a silly dream... I loved the few minutes I had with them!

Look at me, blubbering all over the place!!!

Dear Annette

It was a year ago that we finally got to meet in person. What a joy to finally get to hug you and your family!!! Ryan was every bit the doll he was in his pictures! You were too, yet you were so frail. I didn't want to acknowledge it though...I just wanted fun and happiness -no thoughts of disease.

Because of you, I got to meet so many of my long time on-line friends. So many, that if I start listing, I'd miss someone and hurt feelings. I don't want that. I don't want any other friends lost to me.

Because we lost you in December. To that ugly disease, cancer. It took a beautiful mother, wife, sister, daughter and friend way too soon. Way too soon for those of us left behind to even understand. Some days I still ask why.

I wanted to let you know I was thinking of you this weekend, wishing we were all back together on Jan's back deck.. laughing and sharing wine and stories!! But I know in our hearts, we are all together again with you...

Gone but not forgotten dear friend!

SAAAAA-WEEET!!!

Check it out!!!! Sarah Palin wrote me a personal note!!!

It says "Rhonda, your son rocks! Sarah Palin '08. Now Matt says she wrote it about Alex and I say she wrote it about Matt.... so guess it's for both of them!

Matt said she is a real personable lady, very cool. Matt even asked her about her lipstick and how she kept it on so long (one of his girlfriends wanted to know!) and she said she uses Carmax lip gloss, only 89 cents at Walmart!!! How cool is that? He said she is really someone awesome to meet. She's even thinner in person and just as gorgeous as she looks on TV! She asked about Alex and when Matt told her that he gets sick alot, she said she was very fortunate, that Trig hasn't been ill yet. Matt said this was the only note she actually personalized!!! (He also said I owe him one really nice Christmas present too!!)

I really admire her. I think she is one neat lady - regardless of politics and I think she'll put down syndrome on the map as well!!! Yes I have a girl crush!!! LOL

I'm proud of both my sons!!!! Off to buy a frame!!!

I believe......

I Believe...

That just because two people argue, it doesn't mean they don't love each other.
And just because they don't argue, it doesn't mean they do love each other.

I Believe ...
That we don't have to change friends if we understand that friends change.

I Believe...
That no matter how good a friend is, they're going to hurt you every once in a while, and you must forgive them for that.

I Believe...
That true friendship continues to grow, even over the longest distance.
Same goes for true love.


I Believe...
That you can do something in an instant that will give you heartache for life.

I Believe..
It's not about me taking a long time to become the person I want to be.
Question is, am I becoming the person God wants me to be?

I Believe...
That you should always leave loved ones with loving words.
It may be the last time you see them.

I Believe...
That you can keep going long after you think you can't.

I Believe...
That we are responsible for what we do,
no matter how we feel.

I Believe...
That either you control your attitude
or it controls you.

I Believe...
That heroes are the people who do what has to be done when it needs to be done, regardless of the consequences.

I Believe...
That money is a lousy way of keeping score.

I Believe...
That my best friend and I can do anything ~ or nothing ~ and have the best time.

I Believe...
That sometimes the people you expect to kick you when you're down will be the ones to help you get back up.

I Believe...
That sometimes when I'm angry, I have the right to be angry, but that doesn't give me the right to be cruel.

I Believe...
That maturity has more to do with what types of experiences you've had and what you've learned from them, and less to do
with how many birthdays you've celebrated.

I Believe...
That it isn't always enough to be forgiven by others; sometimes, you have to learn to forgive yourself..

I Believe...
That no matter how bad your heart is broken, the world doesn't stop for your grief.

I Believe...
That our background and circumstances may have influenced who we are,
but we are responsible for who we become.


I Believe...
That you shouldn't be so eager to find
out a secret. It could change your life forever.


I Believe...
Two people can look at the exact same
thing and see something totally different..

I Believe...
That your life can be changed in a matter of minutes by people who don't even know you.

I Believe...
That even when you think you have no more to give, when a friend cries out to you, you will find the strength to help.

I Believe...
That credentials on the wall do not make you a decent human being.

I Believe...
That the people you care about most in life are taken from you too soon.



'The happiest of people don't necessarily have the best of everything;
they just make the most of everything.

Proverbs 16:3

Blush....

My dear friend Amy nominated me for the Brilliante Weblog Award! Thanks so much Amy!!!

Now I want to follow the rules, however I think Amy already picked 6 people I would have selected... so I might fall short of the "7" but I'll try!!!

Karen - Chewymom

Jeanette, Faith's mommy

Cynthia

yup I fell short, cause Amy STOLE some of mine!!! LOL

Now its time to share! Here are the rules for this award: -

1. The winner can (and should, really) put the logo on his/her blog
2. The winner must link to the person from whom they received their award.
3. The winner must nominate at least 7 other blogs for an award.
4. The winner must place links to those blogs on their own blog.
5. The winner must leave a message on the blogs of the people they’ve nominated.

A Farewell to Summer

Goodbye Summer. I am hanging onto you with a white knuckled death grip, but I know I'll lose in the end. The days are getting shorter, the temps are dropping every so slightly, the flowers and annuals are beginning to look tired. Pumpkins and ghosts are in all the store fronts, the apple orchards are bursting at the seams.

I don't like you Winter.....I really don't. Maybe if you weren't so cruel, we could be friends. But just when I think I can tolerate you.... BAM... thirty below wind chills coming blowing in!!!!

So Summer... if you could just hang a few more days??? Give me that warm sunshine, melting ice cream and mosquitos (ok maybe not the mosquitos) for a little while longer......pul----LEAZZZZZZE???

Happiness is.....

A warm puppy!!! LOL

I need to figure out what happiness is... I sure know what it's not.....

Leave your Happiness is..... in the comments!!! I'd love to hear from you!

Love is.....

Love is patient, love is kind.

It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.

It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.

Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

1 Corinthians 13:4-7 New International Version Bible

A reminder for those of us who might need it right now!!!!

Sunflowers Galore!!

The sunflowers in Nebraska right now are gorgeous!!!! Yes to all the farmers, they are weeds... unless of course they're growing them for crops!!! There's nothing prettier than a field of sunflowers!

We had tons of rain at the right time this year to cause them to bloom so beautifully. I wish I had planted some myself, but I am enjoying them all around the corn fields and ditches!!!

Welcome to Nebraska in the Fall!!!!

OK Media Pundits, knock it off!

You're setting women back 40 yrs! Back to the days of June Cleaver and Harriet Nelson.

Whether you agree with the politics of Sarah Palin or not, we women should proud to have a woman running in this race!!! Stop the "she has children at home she shouldn't be running" or "where are her poor children while she's out campainging?" crap. Obama has kids at home, why isn't he home? Michelle is his wife and she's out campaigning too....why isn't she home? Palin has a good husband and dad by her side and obviously they made the decision together to run. No different than Obama and Michelle... so knock it off!!!! Judge her on her political history and current views... not whether she has a uterus and boobs!!!

If you don't stop, we'll be forced to march to Washington and burn our bras!!!! Trust me at my age and sagitude.... you don't want that!!!!! I'll go bra-less before I stand over the stove, making you all dinner, wearing my pumps and pearls!!!

Martha Sears had this to say (and I love it, thanks Karen!):

Thanks, ______, interesting. A couple of things: Baby Trig is now 5 ½ months old, not a newborn. Babies with Down syndrome tend to be raised by their families, not just the parents, when there are plenty of older children available.

My older children, even Matt who was 4 at the time of Stephen's birth, have learned a LOT from having Stephen to "help raise" and from having Stephen contribute them as they found out what unconditional love is. Matt will probably be choosing his life's work based on his experience being Stephen's older brother/playmate/part time guardian. Lauren got involved in this "raising", too, once she was old enough, 6 or 7, to realize that Stephen was really the younger of the two of them.

I'm thinking this 5th baby was a surprise for the Governor of Alaska, but when surprises come along you step up to the plate. She obviously has.

This Palin family is not perfect, never will be, but God help us if we all run around thinking we have to be perfect (even as AP parents, let's not put that burden on ourselves), let alone think that others have to fit one (perfect?) mold to be good-enough parents. This obviously is not the best timing for Mrs. Palin, but it is an awesome time for her to be McCain's running mate. She is up to the task of making this country a better, safer one for her own family and for her country - and maybe starting with all those preborn babies with Down syndrome whose mothers now may think twice before they end their babies' lives.

I'm sure there is a lot more that can and will be said on this subject, and I will be listening.

I have to admit...

I really liked Sarah Palin and her speech last night. I cried like a baby when she said "we" have her support and advocacy! Then I cried again when she brought Trig on stage! He's gorgeous (I'm a bit biased though, hehehe). I can't wait to hear more from her in the following days/weeks.

I think she's a smart, strong woman, loves her family and loves America. I love having a woman run in this campaign!

My son is at the convention, I can't wait til he gets home and get his insider view. The crowd looked pretty worked up last night and that was fun to watch as well!

Dear Mr. P Diddy- Puffy-Puff Daddy-Sean Combs

or whatever the hell your name is this week...

My heart bleeds for you. While I must pay high gas prices, I too must pay high medical bills for my child, on top of high insurance premiums. I have high grocery bills and a mortgage. I can't afford to fly my family anywhere now that airline tickets are so pricey and the chance of getting all your luggage is slim. Thank God for Target and Wal-mart so we have clothes to wear and shoes on our feet.

But you Mr Puff Daddy, have some serious concerns. How dare the big oil companies make you fly first class... the outrage. Ole Dubba is getting a strong letter from tonight. I cannot, I will NOT live in a country where a rapper must fly economy.

What is this world coming too? Oh the humanity...............

Maybe Jerry Lewis will have a telethon for you my friend.... Free P Diddy from the humiliating TSA body cavity searches. Free him from the $6 bag of peanuts and $10 hard as rocks pillows. Please world.... let Puffy Combs have his private jet.

Click here to fully understand the tirade above.