It's Really Friday This Time...

Alright, it's really Friday today...so if I show up at the school today for the kids awards assembly..there will really be an assembly today! Well last night was the kids Christmas Play at school, and each classes performance went well. My son, who is in Kindergarten ACTUALLY did what he was supposed to! You see, last year for his pre-school graduation, they had songs to sing. Jayce.Did.Not.Do.Any.Of.It. Ok, so in all fairness, he was only there one day a week, and didn't have time to learn what they were doing. And when he would catch my eye and I would motion for him to sing along..he would just scowl at me and raise up his little fist and shake it at me. Hmm.

And now..I have to cut this broadcast short...cause I got places to be and things to do. Have a great weekend everyone!

Dear Someone

Are you ready for some letters that are addressed to people or things that will never read them? Ok good..here we go then!

Dear Kitchen Sink,

Why must you back up. I don't enjoy the water all over the kitchen floor that is coming out of my dishwasher, because now the water is backed up to the dishwasher that wasn't hooked up right by the construction crew. I didn't really want to call the plumber that grunts and groans and cusses and is a tad bit on the "oh hell he's here again" list.

Woman who wants it all to work right..and not hear a grumbling plumber
Rose


Dear Me,

Today is Thursday, not Friday...so yes, it was pointless to show up at the school today for the awards assembly that is tomorrow.

Woman who is ready for the over-scheduled days to end,
Going in Circles Rose


Dear Dog at the Humane Society,

Why must I have seen your picture. Now I want you. And my husband is glad I want you..because when I first told him last night on the phone that "I fell in love today"...he was silent for a moment, he thought I meant with another man. So...he really likes you too.

Woman whose heart you've stolen..yes, the same woman who wasn't going to get another dog
Me

Dear Plumber,

Your fee should be 1/2 price today for making me listen to you. I'm thinking this might not be the job for you..you may be better suited to sit home and collect disability by the sounds of it.

Woman searching for ear plugs
Irritated Rose


I got the hook-up..holla if ya hear me! If you want to participate in Dear Someone letters..hook up with Shortmama.

Ramblings of a Woman without Coffee...

This morning I am out of coffee. I miss the warmth and smoothness and goodness filled with French Vanilla creamer. Good thing I'm going shopping today. This from me, who never used to drink coffee at all a few years back, and flat out refused to make coffee at the job I was working at. Ya, things change.

I'm waiting for this weekend to fly by. There are just way too many things going on. Thursday I have a board meeting to attend, and then later that evening in the Christmas play for my kids at their school. Friday is their awards ceremony, and then the kids are let out for a two week break. I think they should re-name that a two week torture session. Kids home..fighting..being bored, you get the idea. Saturday we have a birthday party to attend, and then a couple hours later we have the Christmas party to attend for the fire district. And then...Sunday we have the company Christmas party for my husband's new job.

Did I already tell you that I'm outta coffee and I want some?

So last night I finally made it through the rest of the story on Christian and Stephanie Nielson. Not familiar with who they are?..go here to Stephanie's blog. I have followed Stephanie since her story was published in the AZ Republic here in Arizona. Her and her husband used to live in Mesa, AZ, but they now live closer to her family in Provo, Utah. They were in a plane crash a year ago and they both survived, but the pilot of the small plane did not. They were the only 3 passengers on board. They have survived, but it has been a very devastating time for Stephanie and her family. You can find the published story here. This is such a heart breaking story. I have followed her from day one since I heard about her, and will continue to do so. The article talks about how Stephanie and Christian will have to have surgeries for the rest of their lives, so they have listed a couple of places that you could donate to help them with their medical expenses. The following are places to make a donation...Any Bank of America branch, account No. 457010326204, in the name of Christian & Stephanie Nielson, or sent to NieNie, 2250 N. University Parkway, No. 4876, Provo, UT 84604.

Random Tuesday Thoughts

I've been released from captivity just in time for sharing some random thoughts. Aren't you just lucky? You're taking a little too long to answer that one...

I accomplished things yesterday..minus I still can't see my computer desk. I did make a small dent in it..but then more papers got added to it. It's an endless battle with that desk.

But anywho..on to my random way of thinking..it's kinda like having a real short attention span where you can only think of one thing for a veeeeeerrry short amount of time.

~People...Santa came through for us...in the form of mom and dad...we got our Wii!!!! I know it's not Christmas yet...but mom and dad (on the hubs side) sent something special in a card..and off to Target we went to buy our long awaited Wii. And since Target is sooo awesome..they were giving away $30 gift cards with the purchase of the Wii, so I ended up with some new FREE shirts. That was a great day shopping!

~It was my birthday the other day..and you know what I got?..I got a pair of Doc Martin boots from my hubby..and they came with a lovely blister on my heel. Love the boots, hate the blister. And I also received some money from mom and dad (on hubby's side again)..and you know what I bought with it?..a pair of Guess Jeans and..dadadadah..some buttery soft underwear..from Jockey and some other store. And my friend Shortmama..she made me a rum cake that turned out to be just a cake cause she was drunk.

~Christmas shopping is completely done except for some stocking stuffers. Hmm, while there is some random thoughts going on..I'm noticing that so far it's all falling in the line of shopping.

~I'd like to trade in my Dodge truck for a Pontiac GT G8..or if I could have what I really wanted, then we'd get a Chevy Camaro..I think it's the 2ss? What it comes down to is the hemi in my truck sucks gas like it's nobody's business. I think it has bladder control issues.

If you would like to participate in some random goodness, then link up with The Un Mom.

In Captivity

Sorry to inform you...Desert Rose has been kidnapped for the day. She's been gone, she has crap to get done and we're holding her captive until she gets crap done.

Signed,

Christmas Cards, Laundry, Computer desk that can't be seen through all the papers, and the neglected nap.

I've Been Slapped With A MeMe!!!

I'm tellin'!!! 3 Boys + 1 Hubby = What Next? has smacked me with a MeMe. Ok, that may have been a little dramatic..possibly I have been hanging out with the kids too much. So here's the honest truth..she tagged me with a Christmas MeMe.

1. Have you started your christmas shopping yet?
Yes...and I'm just about completely finished! WooHoo! I have all the presents for the kids..now just need the gifts for my hubby and for him to buy mine..and then a few stocking stuffers..and then I'm soooo done!

2. Tell me about one of your special traditions.
Well, I guess we don't really have traditions. The closest we come to traditions is we let the kids open one gift on Christmas Eve...and then we always spend Christmas at my Grandmother's house.

3.When do you put up your tree?
In December...no specific date, just when I finally get around to it. As of this day..it's still not up. We really need a new tree though. I am kinda attached to the tree, it's about a 4' white tree, but I think it's cute. But I guess next year we will be getting a new bigger fake tree...but I can't get rid of the one we have, so we will have two!

4. Are you a black friday shopper?
I can't say that I prefer to shop on that day, but I have 2 times. I could definitely go without shopping on that day, but it's hard to pass up some of the deals.

5. Do you travel at Christmas or stay home?
We go just down the road from our home, to my Grandparent's house. Although one of these years I would love to travel and be somewhere else, but that's kind of hard when you have a child that needs to spend time with both parents.

6. What is one of your funniest Christmas memories?
Oh boy..have to dig in the archives...can I tell you now that I have the worst damn memory? I really do, it's pretty sad. But anywho..I think the funniest Christmas memory that I can come up with is when I was working as an emergency dispatcher. My sister-in-law gave me a gag gift of a bowling ball that was purchased from an auction..and we continued to give each other that gag gift.

7. What is your favorite Christmas movie?
The Grinch.

8. Do you do your own Christmas baking? What is your favorite treat?
Well, we have made Christmas cookies before. And a cheesecake once. But..I don't do much baking.

9. Fake or Real tree?
Fake. Nice and simple.

10. What day does the actual panic set in to get it all done?
No panic...no need to panic. Even if there is no money for gifts, or food isn't turning out just as planned, there's no need to panic. I always like to start early enough anyways, I'm not much of a get r'done last minute person anyways.

11. Are you still wrapping presents on Christmas Eve?
No. Matter of fact..I don't even wrap presents anymore...well, except the ones from the big magical guy. Christmas bags are right up my alley.

12. What is your favorite family fun time at Christmas?
Enjoying my family and watching the kids and their excitement opening presents. And being able to give..I love the feeling of being able to give to others.

13. What Christmas craft do you like best?
Can you consider it a craft when you're trying to get the kids presents out of their boxes without destroying their presents..because everything is sealed in the box like it's Fort Knox and parent/child proof? That's a craft right?..when you finally get it all out of the box still intact. Ok, so we don't really have a Christmas craft.

14. Christmas music?
There are some Christmas songs that come on the radio that I do enjoy...but don't enjoy them enough to be able to list off what I like.

15. When do you plan to finish all your shopping?
This coming week, specifically the 18th.

The original version of this meme says to tag 5 blog friends, so that is what I'll do. I'm going to tag:
Ok..really, I'm just gonna say that if you feel like doing this...then have at it!

Just Talkin..Castle Boutique Edition

WARNING: IF YOU'RE EASILY OFFENDED AND DON'T LIKE SEX TALK..DON'T READ THIS POST. You've been warned.

While I would like to think that EVERYONE who is anyone knows what Castle Boutique is, I'll guess that maybe some don't...so I'll let you in on what it is. It's a HUGE wonderful, magnificent, fantabulous adult toy store that makes you feel all giddy. Yes, sex toys people. Otherwise known as my second home. They have toys of all makes, models, sizes...like, OMG sizes..like, that's soooooo completely huge where do you expect me to put that cause I definitely don't come in that size. And then the normal size cool looking ones that you just can't wait to get home. And they have lots of other things too...yummy stuff to slather on bodies, lingerie, games, etc. Pretty much anything your sexual heart desires.

So anywho, my whole point to this little infomercial...it's the people that work there. While I LOVE that store and pleasures it can bring...I seriously can't stand the people that work there. They really do make me sick. Well, not all of them, but way too many for my comfort. Examples of why you ask. Ok, let's just get an image in your dreamy heads...

You walk into Castle Boutique one day to go pick out some hot fun toy, and you're all excited about what that toy will bring you....and then, oh and then you run into a sick ass sales clerk. You know the kind. They look all crazy like, and they are standing there trying to give you unwanted suggestions....and they are telling you how much THEY really enjoy this lube or that stimulator or that penis ring....and to top it off, seriously, this one female sales clerk had the WORST body odor. Now tell me...if you were there to get something for your enjoyment and were to run into one of these ewwy people..wouldn't you schnizzle just fizzle..wouldn't your shrimp go limp. Ya, it would. You see, I'm so not the type to be embarrassed to go to these places, but having to deal with the sales clerks almost makes me want to shop online instead....I said ALMOST...because there's nothing better than shopping the aisles there.

Dear Someone

It's Thursday ya'll..and you know what that means..it's letter writin' day. So let's begin...

Dear Cold Weather,

Ok, a couple days of you was all I really needed, now please be gone with your bad self and bring on the warm days.

Woman who is giving you the warm shoulder..cause I don't want a cold shoulder
Brrrrrr


Dear Kids,

Stop out growing your clothes, because it's just a reminder to me that you are growing up. And I don't like it..I want you guys to stay little bitty. Well, sometimes at least...other times I wish you all were graduated and moved out.

Mixed emotions momma,
Mommy


Dear Allergies,

Oh mah gawd already. I think you may be the only thing I hate in this world..at least for this moment in time. You have tormented me since childhood, and I wish to get you outta my system. I so hope you don't age me before my time due to all the face scratching I have done. I don't want to wake up another day looking like and feeling like I've got a sunburn on parts of my face due to the itching.

Woman who wishes you would scratch off,
Red in the face rose


Dear Writer's Block,

Can't you give me at least a little glimmer of stuff to write about? I'd rather be sitting here typing up something than just..well, sitting here...looking around to see if something can spark up a thought...or just staring at the screen. Feel free to stop on in any time now!

Woman who can't sit here with blank thoughts any longer,
Wordless Rose

I really can't think of anything else right now..I guess I'll blame it on the pitiful sleep due to trying to scratch my face off, which leaves me feeling completely tired and lifeless for the day. If you'd like to participate in Dear Someone letters..then link up with Shortmama.

Creative Writing - Prompt Me Please

Conversation at the breakfast table this morning...

Jayce sees a pencil on the table that is well used and is only about an inch long. Since it is so tiny, Jayce asked "is that pencil young?". He was thinking pencils start out that small when they are young and then they get bigger as they age, just like people!

That has nothing to do with my post for the day, I just thought I'd share the funnies. And just what is my post for the day?...I don't really know, writer's block I guess, sooo..I went to a creative writing prompt site to get some ideas.

#1 ~ What would you say to an uninvited guest?

Well, I guess that would depend on their age. If this person was a child or and elderly person, I would politely let them know the event is by invitation only. Unless it was some it was some bratty kids that just didn't care...then I'd just threaten them to leave now. Now if it was someone I didn't like that decided to show up and crash the event..well now, that's a whole different story, I would not have any problems telling them where to go and how to get there..unless of course they were tough enough to kick my butt, then I would just get my bodyguard aka husband to kick them out.

#2 ~ Write about how you felt when you discovered you were lied to.

You wanna piss me off, then lie to me. I CAN'T STAND to be lied to. How hard is it to tell the damn truth. Say what's on your mind instead of trying to hide stuff or be fake and false in your demeanor because you don't want me to know how you really feel or what you may have done. Honesty is better than being lied to any day, even if the truth is gonna hurt, it won't be as bad as being lied to.

#3 ~ List 10 things you normally do on a rainy day.

*Read
*Watch movies
*Nap
*Drink something warm, like hot cocoa (only during winter rains of course)
*If it's rainy in the summer..take the quads out in the desert and play in the mud
*Watch the rain
*Browse on the computer
*Scrapbook
*Feel like I'm grounded since it's not too good outside
*Have a comfy pajama day

Random Tuesday Thoughts

Happy random Tuesday everyone...even though I feel like it's still Monday since I don't think I slept very well last night. I wonder if this falls into the category of "be careful what you ask for".

~ Here in AZ, we don't get much rain..we're in a drought actually. So when we got rain yesterday, for the whole day..I was ok with that. I even went grocery shopping out in the rain. Now surely, I wouldn't have done that just for the heck of it, I did it because it needed to be done.

Anywho, it rained and it rained. And here in this little town of ours, if there just happens to be a threat of rain, it seems like the electricity always wants to go out. So we were dealing with an electrical outage of and on for most of the night, starting in the 5 p.m. hour. So we had rain, and then no electricity...not anything that couldn't be handled. But then, the wind started, and it was here with a vengeance. I was half expecting our windows to blow in. Ok, not normal here. So this morning I wake up to a phone call from my husband..who is telling me not to freak out, but our wood fence blew over..and it's resting up against the camp trailer in our neighbor's yard. Oh holy hell. Ok, so it doesn't look too damaged...but, do you think the man took the time to remove the fence OFF of the camp trailer before he left for work? Umm, hell no. He.Just.Left.It.There. Seriously.



~ I went to a Redneck Birthday Party for my friend Shortmama's mama..it was very funny..I know she will be doing a post about it at some time this week..but I'm gonna give just a snippet of my attire...

That's me with the underoos on the outside..and Shortmama's takin' a peek...

That there's some naughty redneck women!

~ Since yesterday was a rainy day...after the kids got home from school I made some popcorn and watched the movie I just bought..A Charlie Brown Christmas. And since today is supposed to be rainy too..we'll do the same and this time we'll watch National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation.

Well I think that's enough randomness for me today..I think I will take a step outside to see if I can find any more damage to our property/house.

If you'd like to join in on the random fun...go and visit The Un Mom.

Friend Makin' Monday

Happy Monday everyone! I'm sure happy here...because it's raining here in AZ this morning..we hardly remember what that stuff is here. For this week's edition of FMM, Amber wants to know about embarrassing moments. Ok, I have to stop and think about this one...either I just plain don't remember any..or just not easily embarrassed. Really, I know I'm not easily embarrassed, but I'm sure I've got something out there I'm sure. Here's the instructions...

Okay, we're gonna get a little candid this week and share some of our most embarrassing moments.

So go ahead, spill it! Was it something you said? Something you did? Something your kids or pet did?

{If you're too chicken, share something embarrassing about someone else. Just don't name names!}
:)

Ok, the ONE thing that reallllly comes to mind when I think of embarrassing moments, is when I think of my son. I think he was 3 at the time..he's 6 now. We were at the grocery store getting ready to shop when we ran across a woman that I had just recently been acquainted with after I became a fire board member. After standing there talking for a few moments, my son pointed at her and stated "she has a big butt". Oh, the horror. When I asked him to apologize since it wasn't nice..he just got quiet and stared at me like "what did I do?". He was just making a factual statement and wasn't intending to be rude. But oh the saddened look on this woman's face, it was terrible. So, I had to apologize for him and move on our merry way since there wasn't a huge rock for me to hide under.

Have an embarrassing moment you would like to share, or would you like to participate in FMM? Go and visit Amber @ aefilkins and join in!

Another Awesome Award!

All right people...Lee from Hotflashes, Headaches & Hormones has bestowed upon me an awesome award. I'm so happy I could tear my clothes off and streak through the freezing cold outside. Oh who the heck am I kidding..I don't do cold weather..I'll just streak inside and terrorize the kids in the process...as long as I don't run across a mirror and terrorize mahself.

Soooo..here is what she awarded me..cause she loves me...and I love her...


There aren't any rules, which is fantabulous..so I'll pass it on to one lucky stalkable person..

AND THIS AWARD GOES TO.....(drumroll...firworks....nude streaking...)

RITA @ FIGHTING OFF FRUMPY

cause I think she's a pretty remarkable read!

Soooo...Thanks so much Lee!

Award

This morning I arose to...an award! Andrea from Arise 2 Write left me a message that she has given me an award. I'm sure I'm not the only one that is really appreciative of these awards, yet feel kinda silly at the same time thinking "what have I done to deserve this". I feel like I'm just blabbing..and then, I receive an award.

So anywho...here is the award that she has passed on to me....




And I am supposed to tell 5 things that I love to do.

1) I love to go hiking.
2) I love being with family and friends and having a wonderful time.
3) I love reading.
4) I love to be silly, have sarcastic humor, produce laughs, be good yet still get a little crazy.
5) I love going to concerts..which I don't do enough of..but still love it.

There is no rule (yay!) on who it needs to be passed on to...so I'm gonna pass it on the the ladies I've been in the most contact with...in no particular order...

~ 3 Boys + 1 Hubby = What Next???
~ Family of Shorts.....My friend in real life
~ Living in France
~ The Five Fish
~ One Foot in Front of the Other
~ Sitting on the Mood Swing at the Playground......her title still cracks me to this day!
~ Tattoos and Teething Rings
~ The Life of Me Plus Three
~ Headaches, Hotflashes & Hormones
~ Overflowing Bookshelf

Seriously, I have completely loved getting to know you guys and am sooooo thankful that my friend Shortmama introduced me to blogging and hence by the wayside introduced me to you guys. I have loved getting to know you guys, and your sincerity and for sharing your life's ups and downs so we all know we aren't the only ones going through stuff. Oh ya, and for being riots too, you guys can make me smile!

Thanks again to Andrea!

Amatuer Tour Guide

Not from Arizona, yet wondering where some cool places to visit might be? Well, I'll give you a glimpse of some places where I have been..and some places where I would sure like to be. Even though I'm a native here...I still haven't been to every nook and cranny around.

So let's begin with a place that I would love to go to...Havasupai Falls in The Grand Canyon. While I have been to The Grand Canyon as a child, I have never had the opportunity (or the cardio/fitness level/will) to hike down to the falls and then back up again. So here's a glimpse of the beauty of the falls...

And moving on to our next stop..again a place I haven't been to yet...Tombstone, AZ. You know..where the famous shootout happened at the OK Corral..Wyatt Earp. The town is still alive and well and they do re-enactments of the shootout.



And the next stop on the tour is Jerome, AZ..hey, whaddya know, somewhere I have been! Jerome is an old mining town that has been turned into an artsy town. You can find anything from blown glass to hippie clothing to holy heck this town is on steep hills and there's no way I'd live or work in those old houses sitting on those hills hanging halfway off those cliffs. Jerome is cool and umm, to put it politely "different" all at once.




And the final stop on today's tour is Oatman, AZ..another place that I have been to. Oatman is also a former mining town that is an authentic old western town with burros aka. jackasses roaming the streets and gunfights staged on weekends. And there are lots of shops here to buy whatever your heart may please. Well kinda anyways..this isn't Rodeo Drive here..you find a different kind of jackass roaming along those streets and waaay different places to shop.


So that was your tour for the day, hope you enjoyed it. Have a good time skinny dipping in the falls, dodging bullets at the OK Corral, having the best piece in town at Belgian Jennie's Bordello Bistro and Pizzeria, and roaming among the jackasses in Oatman!

Dear Someone

Woo to the Hoo, dear someone letters are back again now that the orginator is back at it...even though the flu is alive and well at her place. So let's get right down to bidness...

Dear Santa,

Where have you been all my life? If there are times when I'm not so good, well, you should know that I'm AT LEAST thinking about being good. If you have the time, and you aren't holding a grudge against me, then could you please check out this partial list of things I'd like? I would like...

I'd love one of these so I can have some foolish fun..

I'd like for us to stay here for Christmas...Greer, AZ log cabin...

And we'd like to be able to cruise around in one of these...
Maybe I should say I would like to own one of these..don't want you to trick me and take it back after I've cruised in it for a little bit...

Ok, I'll keep it short and sweet and simple...nothing too big right. Right???

Woman who tries to be good, but can't help a little naughty,
Wishful Rose


Dear Hottie Hot Flash Queen,

Thanks so much for slathering me all over your blog the other day, you rock my boat!..you sure can rock a hot flash too!

Woman who thinks you make a hot flash glamorous,
Appreciative Rose

Dear PMS,

Can we go back to the relationship we used to have? I kinda preferred you when you didn't come around, no pains, no crankiness. If you must come around..keep up with the upgrade in the melon department, but feel free to send the rest packing.

Woman that doesn't want to be stalked by you,
Temporary crank ass

If you would like to join in on Dear Someone letters then go and link up with Shortmama.

Exercising

I know..you're turned off already right? Some may feel like I've just cussed at you. Some may be smiling like a crazy person and are off and running to go get some fitness in.

Exercising to me is a combination between being a wacky friend and a screwed up foe. I don't do the gyms for a few reasons...1) live in a small town away from any gyms and don't want to spend an arm and a leg on gas just so I can tone that arm and leg..2) have you seen the prices they charge?...3) everything can be done at home without all the expense. Sure there's a few more reason..but I'll just leave the stooopid parts out.

So, how do I get my exercise in? Well...I live in a small town out in the AZ desert. Lots of places to hike and walk. But my main way of gettin' my fitness on is via Jillian Michaels fitness videos. I.Hate.Her. Seriously..it's like she's a bulldog stuck in a woman's body. And she's like the energizer bunny..she just keeps going and going and going..and hell already..pause. In her videos she instructs you to not stop and keep going because "you can do it"...oh, guess that means I shouldn't have pushed pause approximately 10 times in the first 5 minutes. Hmm, guess I should work on that. Or at least think about it.

Now, I work out for two reasons. I don't have any weight issues, so I don't actually want to lose any weight. I MADE myself start exercising once I was diagnosed with hereditary high cholesterol..I'm only 30 and I only weigh 123..so quite frankly to hear that I had high cholesterol really kinda pissed me off. So that's what got me in to exercising. The second reason I exercise...I really do need to tone up my junk. I was just plain ole' outta shape, not tone, terrible cardio. Now, don't get me wrong, I'm NOWHERE near being a fitness expert or hard core. But I do force myself to just do it.

For those of you who have never set eyes on a Jillian Michaels fitness video..it's kinda funny. Jillian looks like a bulldog pushing you to keep going..and then she has these girls on there that are looking like the overly fake happy type, grinning their fake smiles from ear to ear. And behind their smiles, I'm pretty sure it goes a little something like this..damn $*@#^ !@@%^& and #$^*&%. I know it's a fitness video, but I call it the cussing video, because it tends to make me cuss at her left and right..something along the lines of "are you fekken crazy, you're trying to kill me".

As for a visual of what this all looks like...

This is Jillian

This is the real Jillian

This is the crazy image of how I would describe the other girls in the videos
Now seriously..who would smile like this the whole time...

Now here's reality..what my exercising looks like..

Random Tuesday Thoughts

Happy Tuesday everyone! Let's see what kind of random we can get into today!

~ Today is my husbands birthday! And I'm here...blogging! Hehe. He's sitting at the kitchen table currently with his computer, aka the anti-blogging device. Don't know what all we're gonna do today, other than go to his favorite restaurant, The Olive Garden, for lunch.

~ Something has happened to my credit card since the day after Thanksgiving. I'm not sure how a few more hundred has made it's way on to it. I.Claim.Innocence.

~ As much as I love the holidays, they give me a sense of sadness too. Sadness for those that are less fortunate, those that may not have one single person to be with, those that are homeless, those that are suffering for any reason. For years now I have wanted to go and take my kids with me to help serve food at a homeless shelter. Yet I haven't been able to do this yet..the main reason is due to my own father being homeless, I know it would be too emotional being around the homeless. Yet a sense of anger too for those who have chosen to turn to drug addictions.

~ I swear the travel bug has bitten my ass and won't let go. I would so love to travel to different states and see everything. I think hearing and seeing pics of The Pioneer Woman's travels has intensified my desire to travel. Maybe she and her hubby could just adopt my little family here and take us to her ranch. It looks beautiful there.

~ Stay tuned for my 100th post..which is just over 20 more posts away..I've an idea or two on my giveaway!

If you're interested in joining in the randomness, head on over to The Un Mom and link up!

Friend Makin Monday

Happy FMM everyone! Wow, seems like I've been gone for forever! It's just been shy of a week since I've been on here, yet seems like it's been a month...I was feeling the withdrawals! Craziness I tell you! Guess I have me an addiction now...blogging and reading up on what is going on in your lives!

Ok, on to the topic of the day. Today Amber has posted up a survey and is requesting everyone try to get around to commenting on as many people as possible. Can do!

1. Favorite website?

Hmm, this one may be a little hard. Seriously though, since these two are the ones that I go to over and over again...they would be blogger.com (or more specifically my blog!) and facebook.com. Since I really like fairies...laceylady.com has a huge variety by different artists. And I'm a book worm....so barnesandnoble.com is visited frequently.

2 Favorite color?

Purple.

3. Facebook?

Yep! Still kinda new on there so still in the honeymoon phase with it. Sure I'll invite ya...just keep one thing in mind...I don't talk about my blog on there..so let's just keep it separate! You can find me by searching for my name....Rosalie Koch Pendergast.

4. Favorite Christmas song?

Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer

5. Christmas Tree: Real or Fake?

Fake. No mess, less maintenance!

6. Hottest celebrity?

Ok, here's the part where I say...celebrities are over-rated!

7. Favorite restaurant?

The Melting Pot.......mmm, salivating here!

8. Favorite magazine?

SHAPE

9. Favorite thing to drink around the holidays?

Hot chocolate that is made with milk and cooked on the stove, with lots of extra Hershey's Chocolate Syrup added. Topped with a ton of marshmallows.

10. Favorite Christmas movie?

The Grinch Who Stole Christmas. I have kids...what can I say?!

Hope everyone's Monday is a good one...and if you would like to participate in FMM, visit Amber and play along!

Random Tuesday Thoughts

Welcome to the land of random! And these are my random thoughts of the day..well, of so far this morning at least...

~ We have changed plans last minute on what we are doing for this Thanksgiving. We are going from hosting it at our place..to meeting up with family at The Cracker Barrel. No cooking, no cleaning, just visiting. And really, I love The Cracker Barrel....I could go there just for their sweet tea, or just for their biscuits, or just for..well, for the damn good food! Did I mention no messes to clean up?

~ In January I will be heading off to Laughlin! Ok, it's not that exciting really. I.Don't.Like.Laughlin. I'm going to attend the Arizona Fire District Association Conference, which I've done for the past few years. The conferences are fine to attend...I like to learn things..no promises on how good I retain these things though. But it's just Laughlin itself. Not much to do there when you're not in conferences, besides gamble. And quite frankly, gambling pisses me off. Enough said on that one. Although one year my husband and I stopped in Bullhead City on the way home and took a sand rail tour to Oatman, AZ. That was really fun driving those things...minus we were freezing our asses OFF. My husband was even freezing, so you could imagine how I was. By the time we got to Oatman, I felt like the jackasses that roam the dirt roads there (literally, donkeys have free roam there)...what was the first thing we did after we ate?..we hit up the shops to buy them out of winter wear. I'd suggest the tour..but not in January. Wow...that was a long random thought!

~ I.Hate.Painting. It's so pretty by the time your done...I just hate the doing it part.-Get your minds outta the gutter, I'm talking about painting here.

~ I have an iPod Shuffle that I have had for at least a year now..and it's still sitting pretty in it's package. I still really want to use it, but haven't taken the time to actually download songs. If you get right down to it, I don't even know where to go to find songs I want to download. Computer illiterate here. Any suggestion on where to go? (And this doesn't mean telling me where to go and how to get there!)

If you would like to join in on Random Tuesday Thoughts...go visit The Un Mom!

Friend Makin Monday

This week is all about Thanksgiving...and Amber has thrown 10 questions our way...


1. Turkey or Ham?
Turkey, Turkey and more Turkey! I love it!

2. Favorite side dish?
That would have to be grandma's green beans...Mmm sooo good!

3. Favorite dessert?
Pumpkin pie and tons of "whooped" cream.

4. Black Friday..are you going or not?
I might have thought about it this year, I've only been one year before. But, I have the
majority of the presents bought already and it falls in a bad part of the pay period...house
payment and truck payment all due with this check = not much shopping.

5. If so, what's on the top of your list?
If I were going..I think the item that would be on the top of the list would be an Xbox or
a Wii.

6. Going out of town or staying close to home?
Staying.

7. Hosting or helping?
Hosting.

8. Name one family tradition at Thanksgiving.
Well I guess I can't say we have a tradition, other than getting together with family and
enjoying each others company and the delicious food.

9. What do you do after dinner?
Continue visiting..and then when everyone has gone..rest!

10. What are you most thankful for this year?
Well let's see here, I guess that would have to be that even though my husband's
company will be laying my husband off in approximately one week due to not enough
business, I am thankful that #1 he has survived the majority of the cuts that started over
a year ago, and #2 that he is prepared and already has another job lined up.

For anyone who is interested in joining in on FMM...go and visit Amber.

5th Wedding Anniversary

To this hard-headed man, this hard-headed woman thee wed...

Well it has come down to the final days, and since I won't be posting tomorrow, November 21st, then I will have to post about my Anniversary today! Jason and I have been together for 7 years, and we are celebrating our 5 year Anniversary.

We got married on November 21, 2004, in Las Vegas, Nevada. Yep..we ran off to Vegas! And it was so fun! Can I just give you a little snippet of some funny stuff here real quick? Ok. To start off with, let's give you an idea of what the weather was like. We were there for a total of 3 days and 2 nights. The first day we got there, it was completely sunny and nice out. The next day, which was the day of our wedding...it was rainy. And then...the day we came home, it was snowing. Talk about a full range of weather.

Now, for the actual drive to the wedding chapel. We got picked up by a limo. That was cool, never been in one of those before until then. I found the chapel on the internet by the way...looked very pretty inside. So, we drive for quite a ways to get to this place. The driver is pulling into what looks like old run down steel buildings..you know like something you would see in the mafia..a good place to torture people pull a hit on someone. You could just imagine the looks we were giving each other at this point in time. So off into the chapel we go. When we got inside it lived up to being as pretty as what I saw on the net, just to get past the looks of the outside at this time. And then..we saw the person who was going to marry us. He.Looked.Like.A.Mafia.Hitman. Seriously. Looked like someone who had changed his life around from capping people on the streets..complete with the tattoo of the 3 tear drops under his eye. Now you can really imagine the looks between Jason and I. WTF?!..should we run..hide...help us! But..he turned out to be A-ok.

Now for the wedding dress catastrophe...oh yes, there had to be one of those. You see, the dress I had on was borrowed from my friend Charlene..who I'm sure is reading this (Hey Charlene!) Well I had her permission to get the dress fitted, it needed to be taken in from the waist up. So I took the dress in, measurements were taken. When I picked up the dress I made the terrible mistake of not trying it on before I left to make sure it was done correctly. Fast forward to getting dressed in it....it was STILL too big from the waist up. I had to keep pulling the thing up. It.Was.Wonderful. And to top it off...my husbands parents were there along with his dad's mom (grandma). Well...grandma tells it like it is..and it's pretty funny. After about the billionth time of me trying to pull this dress up..grandma says "she needs some boobs to hold that dress up". Really, seriously..how am I not supposed to laugh at this in the middle of the vows?! Oh ya, and the wedding was also on web cam..which means everyone that knew us and was watching, could see me trying to keep this dress in proper position.

After all was said and done though..it was a great time! That was my first time in Vegas too, so it was cool. And of course with it being our wedding..we may have done a few things that will have to live up to the title of "what happens in Vegas..stays in Vegas".

So here are some pics of our wedding day..and a recap of a pic for our 5th Anniversary.

Our deer in the headlights look..priceless

And after 5 years..here we are now..as hard-headed and loving as ever!

So tomorrow we will spend the day together..alone..yay! We have dinner reservations at The Melting Pot. This is where we go every year for our anniversary. It's so dang good! And then after that...are you ready for this..it's gonna be sooo romantic...we're heading out to Dave & Buster's to play games, shoot pool and watch UFC on their screens for the match between Ortiz and Griffin! Ok, so maybe not so romantic..but hella fun!