R is for Ronnebeck!

The summer after my senior year in high school I worked at a bible camp called NeSoDak. It was at NeSoDak where I spent many summers as a camper and I was excited to go back as a staff person because I so admired the staff people at NeSoDak. That summer I learned a lot; one thing I took away from camp that summer was a way to feed myself spiritually, by playing guitar. I had dreamed of playing guitar when I was a kid but that summer Misty the pastor from Langford taught me how. I traded in my “practice” guitar for one of the old beat up guitars at camp and it quickly became my best friend. I named her Grace and I played her faithfully every day. I would spend an hour in my room or better playing through all the camp songs and singing my heart out, I was a horrible guitar player but it was my time to be with God. It was my outlet, my sacred space. For my birthday my Mom bought me a new guitar that I had been drooling at through the window for months. It was a brand new shiny Fender Squi...

Fall’s been missing a little something this year, and I couldn’t quite put my finger on what that something was. Last night Eric and I went to cRAVE for the first time all year, and that’s what was missing, the frantic Tuesday nights, scrambling for music, message and something to put in the sacred space. I love cRAVE but I don’t miss doing the frantic scramble every single Tuesday night. Last night, Eric settled in behind his drum and played his heart out, and I paced back and forth getting nervous to speak. Tim had e-mailed me a few days ago and asked me to prepare a message about being spiritually fed to share at cRAVE. I will be posting that message after a bit, I need a chance to get it typed up, I kind of “winged it”. I feel like we did a good job, God was worshipped and all walked away happy. I am a little groggy this morning and don’t miss being cranky on Wednesdays but today my heart is filled with happiness as I got to worship last night too. Please keep My Mom in your praye...

Snuggly is a good word to use to describe how this one is spending most of his days and nights latley. Since his Haircut he has been finding any way to snuggle to us, a blanket or even *GASP* the cat. I love it when he wants to snuggle. Anytime I sit he's on my lap, not wanting anything more than the heat of my lap. *Swoon... I never want my puppy to grow up.

I couldn't wait any longer to carve pumpkins. I figured out that the "perfect" day to carve pumpkins would have been Tuesday; five days prior to Halloween so we could enjoy them for ample time and they wouldn't be too moldy for Halloween. Whelp, Tuesday filled up quickly and left me doing it Monday, and I've almost always got a case of the Mondays (which is not a good thing.) or Wednesday, which would not give me enough time to enjoy the pumpkins before they had to go away. So ... tonight it was! Eric and I started with a very "scary" dinner of Mummy dogs and mac & cheese! Just to get myself in the mood to carve pumpkins. I was cleaning up from supper and Eric was flipping through the TV guide and found Hocus Pocus. He left it on because he knows how much I love it, and how much of a Halloween mood it puts me in! I love my husband, he's so good to me. I started out with the medium sized pumpkin and then moved to the larger, and then to the smal...

Happy Wednesday – why does it feel like Monday? Oh probably because I’ve been on the couch for the past four days. Saturday I felt under the weather and Eric and I watched movies all day long, Sunday we made it out and about to church and then back home for football, and come Monday morning my body didn’t really want to move. So I took my temperature which was 99.9 and called in sick, and lay on the couch and hacked and coughed all day long, Repeat for Tuesday, and that brings us to Wednesday, today. I am feeling much better though a bit tired and still coughing a fair amount. Nothing major just a big case of the ickies, and with running a fever, I didn’t want to spread it to my wonderful co-workers. I respect them more than that. Aquaman pretty much lay on my lap and slept the entire four days I was out of commission. I was very grateful for the company. Eric was a good care taker, but took care not to be in the room with me too long so he didn’t catch anything. He was quick with the...

When You're home sick all day you tend to go to websites that are entertaining. I saw this JIB JAB video a couple weeks ago and wanted to sit down and upload pictures to it, but it took too much time, so as I was sitting on the couch today I thought... I'm going to work on the Monster Mash... Enjoy... it brought me to tears I was laughing so hard. All yah have to do is click the link below! http://sendables.jibjab.com/view/NmdlZfhN3zoD6vin

The Petersons came into our lives last year and we're sad to see them go so quickly. Ryan has been offered a job back in Iowa and their entire family is there and would love to watch their new baby Owen grow up! We will Miss you Peterson Family, but wish you well on your move and start of a new chapter for your life in Iowa! I don't have a picture of Baby O but you can go to his blog to see how cute he is! (and I think his Daddy's on there once or twice as well! Good Luck you guys! You'll be missed! ♥ Abby Picture above is Mary & I at their house on New years!

Wow, so I am for the first time kind of stuck on a post. I have started and restarted typing this post about 3 times now. I guess my mind is a little boggled. I’m going to just ramble, because it’s my blog and I can do that. -This weekend was good, lots of R & R and a little visiting with friends, both are good things. -Happy the Seahawks blew Jacksonville out of the water this weekend, it makes for a happier Ronnebeck household. -The pumpkin patch was a success and I got to buy 4 pumpkins in all and am really looking forward to The Great Pumpkin Carve of 2009! - Friday morning I was starting to think that the bus driver was in some sort of a conspiracy to try to make me late for work and make me never be able to stop into Starbucks ever again, this morning a different driver, Got into the city early, got a White mocha and to work with plenty of time to spare… Heaven for a Monday. -Aquaman desperately needs a haircut and a bath. -I’m feeling uninspired lately as well as unproductiv...

We went to the Pumpkin Patch yesterday as I said in my previous post. We bought 4 pumpkins and I am itchin to carve them; but I'm going to have to wait. Just wanted to post this picture... it makes me smile :) Happy Saturday

Eric and I are headed to the Pumpkin patch this evening and we’re excited! Or maybe I should clarify… I am SUPER excited and Eric humors me. I really love to carve pumpkins. It’s something I remember doing as a family when I was a kid, and it’s a tradition I will carry on until I can no longer lift a pumpkin by myself. I love the smell of a fresh cut open pumpkin, I love the gooey texture of the seeds and innards, and I love toasting the seeds to munch on afterwards. When I was about 12 or 13 Mom bought a fake pumpkin that was carved and looked real and it plugged into the wall. After that we didn’t really carve pumpkins much because after all we had our perfect one, and I certainly thought I was “getting to old for that kind of stuff” … (sorry for my teenage attitude Mom.) In high school I bought a pumpkin for Erica and wanted to carve it with her, she gagged the entire time. I laughed through the entire ordeal, I decided maybe Erica wasn’t the pumpkin carving type of girl. One year w...

The Nielsen Clan welcomes another new addition! Addison Anne Bronson was born Last night! 10/06/2009 Time of Birth: 11:13 PM Weight: 7 LBS. 5 OZ. Length: 19 1/2 Inches Tamijo & Kris are happy parents and this is their first bundle of joy! Welcome to the World Addison! The Nielsen Clan has been a busy bunch this year… And our Family Tree has GROWN! Brynn Lee to Luke & Amber Grabow Luke is the son of Brenda [Nielsen] Grabow Allie Nannette To Toby & Angie Scotting Angie is the daughter of Greg Nielsen Cooper Joseph To Joe & Heather Nielsen Joe is the daughter of Greg Nielsen And the Newest addition, Addison Anne Bronson To Kris & Tamijo Bronson Kris is the son of Kathy [Nielsen] Brink Welcome to the Family … we’re a little crazy, a whole lot of fun, and we love you all very much! ♥ Abby

I don’t know if you’ve ever taken the time to watch “It’s a great pumpkin Charlie Brown.” I don’t mean just have it on in the back ground; I mean sit down and really truly watch and soak in the Great Pumpkin. I hadn’t ever up until a couple years ago. Charlie Brown is one of Eric’s favorite characters from his childhood, so Charlie Brown became one of our Christmas Traditions and shortly after, one of our Halloween Traditions as well. I watched this movie a couple times in high school, for various activities, classes and etc. but I had never really found a deeper meaning to the Great Pumpkin; after all, it was just a kid’s show … right? Well, if you really pay attention to what the “Great Pumpkin is all about” you may find a deeper meaning and a greater admiration for Linus. If you haven’t seen the movie, it goes a little something like this… All the kids are getting very excited for Halloween, Trick-or-Treats and the Halloween party that surprisingly Charlie Brown was invited to! The...

I baked cupcakes today! I made them in to mummies to celebrate my favorite holiday ever! I try not to make too many treats this time of year, because I definetly don't need to eat them, but there are so many cute ideas out there for cupcakes. I won't be sending any your way Mom, sorry I don't think they'd make the trip in one piece. This is obviously why I don't make cupcakes often! I also whipped up a batch of very spicy Turkey Chilli and some corn bread muffins. I think I'm done cooking for awhile. We had a busy weekend. Friday night, Tim, Eric and I went to our last Mariner's game with Mindy, Phil, and their friends. It was a great time, and wish we could have come home with a W, but it was nice to see the boys on the field one last time. Saturday morning Eric and I woke up and watched "house of 1000 corpses", a Rob Zombie movie that is pretty gross actually. Then I went and gallivanted the afternoon away with Katherine and then Tim, Kat, Eri...

I have this tune in my head and I can’t get it out. It’s called “Thank God” by Foolish Things. It’s one of those tunes when you hear it, doesn’t leave for a couple days, I listened to it on my way to work this morning, and I think it was what I needed to hear. I have had trouble stopping what I’m doing to Thank God for what I have. I have had trouble taking time out for him, praising him for the little and big things in life. So, dance, and sing, and praise God for what you have. “Thank God” I thank God for all the good things in life ‘cause I’ve got my boys And I’ve got my brisk tea Oh yeah. So many times I forget the joys Those simple things he gave me And thank God The brothers that he gave me Fill my heart with joy And thank God ‘cause he has turned my rain clouds Into sunny days Thank God I think all the purpose in life ‘cause I could write a song for all the problems with the women And all things that could be but never will But I don’t have time to write that many songs And than...

Sunday Morning we woke up bright and early and made our way to the Airport to get our Rental Car from Enterprise where apparently in Omaha their slogan is “We’ll pick you up as long as you’re not renting from the Airport location”. I looked pretty awesome walking through the airport with my (now) stinky bridesmaid dress and a bouquet of flowers that have had better days. Once we got the car we got the text book “we can’t rent to people with debit cards” and after a big of arguing that the gal on the phone told us we could, we finally got a 2009 Chevy Impala for our carriage to South Dakota. We got on the road by 9 and after a little McDonald’s Breakfast we only made one stop in Vermillion for a bathroom break. We arrived at Mom & Shannon’s around 1:40 ish. We made great time! After a few tearful hello’s we spent the afternoon hanging out as a family. We had a variety of visitors; Kathy, Nannette, Cooper, Nick, Tony, Julie, Carter, Troy, Kyle and later on Grandma Nani. It was so gre...