Linda's Sunflower

While online shopping today from Literary Guild, I came across this book. Quite a coincidence that my niece's name is Lenore, and HER niece's name is Izzy!

It's been so nice having Brandon home from K-State for the holiday! I really miss him, but you raise your children to spread their wings, so I have to let him go. Here's his picture at 18 months: Here he is this week working on homework on his computer. They grow up SOOOOOO fast! All of you with young children out there - enjoy them! Before long they will be in college, and you will be facing an empty nest like me! We took Brandon out to eat at Abuelo's this evening. He loves Mexican food and had never been there. They have good margarita's too! YUM! I got some more Christmas shopping done at Target today. I am almost done! I'm working on getting my Christmas cards done, and we'll be decorating the house in the next few days. It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas (especially with the snow last night and today!)... My current music is HINDER - one of Brandon's favorite bands. He brought their new CD home and I really like it. And today's quote i...

Happy Thanksgiving to All! Our Thanksgiving plans were changed last night. We intended to spend Thanksgiving in Edmond, OK with Corby's brother and his family. However, we found out last night they are all sick with the stomach flu. So we will be staying at home. Corby had already cooked a 22-lb. turkey and dressing, so we're pretty much set for tomorrow. Hope everyone has a wonderful holiday!

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Does anyone else out there have a "deaf" husband? You know, one who not only has selective hearing (yes, guys - you DO have this!) but who doesn't listen to you? For example, tonight, after going out to P.F. Chang's with Kaitlin for dinner, we stopped at Target to do some Christmas shopping. Kaitlin and Corby went one direction, I went another. I was looking for some jeans for the boys. I was successful finding some for Kaleb, but I couldn't find any 34 length for Brandon. When we met back up at the front to check out, I told them I found jeans for Kaleb, but not for Brandon. Not 2 minutes later, while putting things up on the conveyor, Corby said, "oh, you got jeans for Brandon?" Basically, I said "I don't know why I talk, you never listen to me". That was about the third time today we'd had the same conversation! What about you? Does your husband do this? It frustrates me to no end!!!!! I think I'll just go the rest of the evening...

Not much new going on. Just really busy at work. If you work in production or advertising this time of year it gets REALLY crazy! Yes, we are putting all of those Thanksgiving insert packages together so you can go shopping on Black Friday! I don't shop the day after Thanksgiving anymore. No real reason to. When the kids were little I would shop to get all the toy bargains, but the "toys" they want now (CD's, DVD's and video games) are available at a decent price without the hustle and bustle! I picked up a few more Christmas presents on my way home tonight. December is a big birthday month for my family - my younger brother's birthday is Dec. 15, my older brother's is Dec. 23 and my mom's is Christmas Eve! Then we have several anniversaries - my older brother's and me and Corby's. So December is a busy month for us! Kaleb is headed to KC tomorrow with his DECA club from school. They will have competitions tomorrow night and Saturday, and they...

My friend Chris tagged me in her blog, so I've been thinking and thinking about 6 Random Things I could post...I've probably blogged about most of this stuff in the past, but... Here are the rules: * Link to the person who tagged you. * Post the rules on your blog. * Write 6 random things about yourself. * Tag 6-ish people at the end of your post. * Let each person know he/she has been tagged. * Let the tagger know when your entry is up. Here goes: 1) My first time on an airplane was in 1981, when my mom and I visited my oldest brother and his family. He was in the Air Force and they were stationed in Athens, Greece. When we booked our trip, we had to spend the night in one of 3 cities on our way home: Paris, London or Rome. We chose Rome - after all - I was raised Catholic. Unfortunately, Pope John Paul was shot the day before our arrival. When we took a taxi to St. Peter's Square and the Vatican, we found out that everything was closed because of the shooting. And to top...

I'm all for having a good time - especially at a concert. I've been to well over 100 concerts in my lifetime, probably closer to 150. I have never experienced crowds as rude and out of control as they are at the Cotillion. I swore 10 years ago when we saw REO Speedwagon there that I wouldn't go back. Well, I guess my memory dimmed over the years, so Kaitlin and I decided to go see country artist Keith Anderson last night. The evening started off fine. The lead-off act was pretty good. Kaitlin and I went and stood with the crowd in front of the stage when Keith came out to perform. Between getting shoved as people pushed in front of us, getting kicked, elbowed and poked in the back because the people behind us were so drunk they could barely stand, to getting beer, water and ice thrown in the crowd (and on us!) three times - I will never go back there again! What's sad is that the crowd wasn't even that big! Come on people - have a great time - even drink a little (a...

Kaitlin and I are headed to the Cotillion tonight to see country star Keith Anderson in concert. We saw him 2 years ago with Rascal Flatts and he puts on a good show (and he's also quite a hunk!) I even have a designated driver with me! LOL! PARTY ON!

Kaitlin just came screaming and yelling out of her bedroom. Though it's not posted on their website yet, she found another website that said Rascal Flatts will be starting their 2009 tour in Kansas City on January 17th. "Mom, it's a Saturday, and I won't even have to miss school!" Looks like another Rascal Flatts road trip...

(not our actual 21 year old waterbed) I woke up at 1am this morning, and my whole left side was wet. Our waterbed had sprung a leak! I hopped up right away to make sure it wasn't leaking through the floor into the basement (that happened at our old house!). Fortunately, the leak was on the top part of the mattress, actually in a spot that had been patched once before. This is only our 3rd leak in almost 21 years - with the same mattress - so I can't complain. However, finding a comfy place to sleep was a problem! We have a couch and love seat in the living room and a couch and loveseat in the basement. Corby slept on the couch upstairs. I started out on the floor, but that wasn't comfy, so I went downstairs, tried sleeping on the couch (uncomfy too!) and ended up sleeping in the recliner. Looks like one more night without the waterbed though. After repairing the patch you have to wait 24 hours. BUMMER!

Ever since mom went into the health care center at Presbyterian Manor and we sold her house, our family birthday get-togethers have been at restaurants. We all have to eat - right? Today we celebrated my birthday (from Oct. 26) and my sister-in-law Diana's birthday (Nov. 16) at DeFazio's. Here are some of the 14 family members: From left around the table: my nephew Nick, Marilyn's husband Mark, her granddaughter Aspen, my sisters Rhonda and Marilyn, my brother Mike and my mom Billie. I got some great gifts: gift card to Walmart, MONEY!, a Yankee candle, K-State hoodie, K-state T-shirt, etc.; but the best part was spending time with my family. Everybody that is here in town was there, except for Kaleb, who had to work. We had a great time! In between the birthday lunch, I did my normal weekend chore - LAUNDRY! And look where Abby is. She was in Kaleb's basket, so as I was folding the socks, I was throwing them in the basket on top of her, and she just laid there... Wish ...

Kaitlin and I did some Christmas shopping today. She had the day off, and Corby had to work. So, after our regular Saturday morning visit with mom, off we went. There were a LOT of folks out shopping today. I guess everyone else thought the first weekend in November was a good time to get some shopping done. Bath and Body Works, one our our favorite stores, was super crowded. Of course, they were having a great sale! Hit the used bookstore to stock up on some reading. Read a Nicholas Sparks book last week, and picked up a few more of his books. We also got our grocery shopping done and made a trip to Sam's. They were handing out holiday catalogs as you walk in the door. I found what I want for Christmas! A $15,000 diamond sapphire ring from Sam's! But alas, Corby laughed at me when I told him! Okay, I want to know - who would truly spend $15,000 on a ring from Sam's Club? Current music: My I-Pod is on shuffle. I've been hearing Christmas music, Bon Jovi, Theory of a D...

I was tagged by my niece, Lenore. Try this and add it to your own blog or Facebook. 1. Put Your iTunes, Windows Media Player, Winamp, etc on shuffle. 2. For each question, press the next button to get your answer. 3. YOU MUST WRITE THAT SONG NAME DOWN NO MATTER HOW SILLY IT SOUNDS. 4. Put the artist after a dash following the song name. 5. Put any comments in brackets. 6. Tag some lucky people to spread the disease. How would you describe yourself? Livin' on a Prayer - Bon Jovi [pretty much my life!] How do you feel today? Wreck This Heart - Bob Seger What is your life’s purpose? Song of Joy - Captain & Tennille [that's me, I'm all about JOY!] What is your motto? Hell is for Children - Pat Benatar What do you think about very often? Savior - Skillet What is your life story? A Brand New Song - John Mellencamp [YEP!] What do you want to be when you grow up? I Have a Dream - ABBA [a dreamer?] What will you dance to at your wedding? Older - George Michael [since I've be...

I have always enjoyed the play "Fiddler on the Roof". Perhaps because I was an usher many years ago when my high school performed it. I think I saw it about 8 times while ushering, and it remains my favorite play years later. Briefly, it's about a family living in Anatevka, a small village in Russia and it takes place in 1905, on the eve of the Russian Revolutionary Period. Corby took me and the kids to see it last night, and my best friend Melody came along for the fun. The food was good and the play was wonderful. Rob Summers (Tevye) was great. Beth Wise played Golde, and she is a wonderful actress but I wasn't all that impressed with her singing voice. The rest of the cast was really good, and we thoroughly enjoyed the production. Surprisingly, Kaleb thought it was great, but Kaitlin was less impressed (and she has a musical background!). We had great seats, right down by the stage. I would recommend this play to anyone. However, if you want to see it, make reserva...