R is for Ronnebeck!

I really love the invention that is FaceTime! I know I have posted about this before but after being able to watch both Erica and the boys open their gifts from us this year was priceless. We got Erica a Hunger Games blanket with Peeta on it and the boys all got Flip N Fliers! Thanks Sissy for making sure the FaceTime happened! This makes me not so homesick for the holidays! Now if only Heaven had FaceTime!

It's that time of the year when everyone is asking me "have any Resolutions for the New Year?". I find that phrase equal parts annoying and endearing. The annoyed part makes me feel like somehow I am not normal or stupid for not having one the endearing part comes out in the thought that you can really make big changes here and it is a great excuse to do it! Sometimes an excuse is all we need to lose that extra 10 ( or 50) pounds, so I guess in theory resolutions are a good thing. My biggest issue is I lack follow thorough! I have all the ambition and list making abilities in the world but without follow through it is just that. List making. Ambition. How do I turn that ambition into DOING my resolutions and making IT happen! .... My husband is very enthusiastic about this coming year and considers the resolutions an exciting challenge - love that man AND his enthusiasm! Maybe he will help me with that follow through thing! Stay tuned... I will post the resoluti

Where does one even start with the pure JOY that is Christmas Day!? Eric and I SPRING out of bed every year like a couple of 10 year olds and nearly RUN to the tree to open gifts! This year was a little different for us because Tim and Katherine are spending their Christmas out here - so we SPRUNG out of bed this morning, exchanged stocking gifts with each other, and then went over to Tim and Katherine's house to exchange stocking gifts with them AND Tim's parent's Marty & Judy!  Aquaman was a GOOD doggy this year, and got TWO toys in his stocking - one is from Dimitra, but ya know! Gracie got a lump of coal!  Chocolate!! Lotion! Panettone! Chocolate! And a How to talk like a Wookiee book... That Santa guy cracks me up!  After dashing through the POURING RAIN we had a breakfast of Monkey Bread, Bacon and fruit, then we dished out each other's stocking gifts, and went to town! The Oleson Santa's got us some little boozies, and some Red Ve