Happy Birthday to my Daughter-in-my Heart

Happy Birthday to my beautiful daughter-in-my-heart!!

When my son married you we as a family got the best gift of a life time! Of all the things he has done that has made me proud of him...choosing you sweetheart, as his wife, tops the list!

I love that my grandchildren pick up books and settle into my lap for me to read to them...and I know it comes from a Mommy who reads to them daily! I love that they are fearless because you love them unconditionally! I know my son feels loved and valued because he has you by his side. My daughter and my other son have a real sister in you and know your love through your thoughtful nature.

Some say in-law but you are always, always in-my-heart!!!

I love you!

Happy Birthday!

Love, Ronda

For more Wordful Wednesdays visit Angie at 7 Clown Circus.

Take Inventory and Say Yes!

I have had such fun reading every one's blogs about New Year's Resolutions...everyone seems to have an opinion! Some like them and buy into it and take it somewhat seriously...I am "sitting" in this category! Others, don't believe in them siting waste of time or setting oneself up for failure...maybe true.
I think if you don't do them however, you are missing a great opportunity for self examination!
Business' do inventories...and I think of New Year's Resolutions as just an opportunity to find out what our inventory's are like!
I also do this same kind of idea on my birthday!
This isn't always written down and certainly not etched in stone but I do take it very seriously!
I have had some huge "failures" such as...

I am not going to swear anymore!

I am going to read my bible everyday!

I am not going to gossip anymore!

I will journal everyday!

Here's the thing though...
I hardly swear anymore and that IS saying a lot for me and I am humbled by my inability to control my language!
I really do read my bible almost everyday...because that is my desire but it didn't happen in one day or one year...it just became a habit...I am curious and I look and then I read all about it.
I don't like gossip because it no longer feels like fun...it took awhile but I walk away and try to think if the person is standing here would they want to hear what I or the other person is saying.
I don't journal really...I don't know why that one was hard for me. I just didn't seem to make the time for it...even though I enjoyed it. But now I blog... I think I get many of the same benefits as keeping a journal.
When I turned 50...I realized I had spent a lot of my time being careful and afraid!
So...I decided to live each day fearlessly since then. I just ask... "What would a fearless person say or do!" So...since turning 50 I am saying "yes" more often instead of "no" !! Because of this simple question...I have recently said "Yes" to something I would have been too scared to do otherwise. But...I, Ronda said "Yes!" fearlessly!
In the year 2009...My Hubby and I together have decided to pay off all of our debt, again. Build up our savings, feel physically fit and travel to those places on our bucket list!!!
Don't do resolutions! But do take inventories...What's working for you? What's not?

Sunday Salon and The need for Appropriate Clothing

This great Christmas and New Year's was spent doing things I truly enjoy...not because I would have chosen to do them, as Christmas is too busy! But... because I had injured my foot and had to stay off of it, I got to enjoy my favorite pastimes! My joy was made more complete when I chose to wear comfy clothes...I was fine with it until my daughter said "Didn't you have that on yesterday?"
and I answered "Yes...I did!"
and then when I hobbled out to the mail box and the new-across-the-street-neighbor said.."Oh, You are a nurse...Where do you work?"
and I answered "No...I am not a nurse...Why do you ask?"
and she logically pointed to the blue scrubs I had been wearing for two days!
So..I am back to bathing and dressing appropriately but it was glorious while it lasted... I watched simply a ton of movies and have read my little heart out and have planned a year's worth of trips to travel with the Hubby! Life is good!
I just finished The Last Lecture by (the late) Randy Pausch with Jeffrey Zaslow. If you are unfamiliar with it it is the book about his last talk entitled The Last Lecture...it is given on the premise that Professors are asked to consider their demise and to ruminate on what matters most to them. His lecture and his subsequent book was made very powerful given the fact he had been diagnosed with terminal cancer.
This book expounded on the theme and was a culmination of everything Randy had come to believe. I highly recommend this book...I loved it for many reasons but especially as his wife and children will receive the proceeds.
To learn more visit the web page The Last Lecture. This is not a book about dying...it is a book about living!
I have just started a book about...The Meaning of life according to you! I know because it says so right on the cover...I have been intrigued by it since the first page! I try to be a "lemons to lemonade" kind of girl, sometimes well, sometimes not so well, but I do try!
The book is a spiritual book entitled NO Experts Needed by Louise Lewis and as I said I was intrigued by the very first page as it has one of my favorite quotes by T.S. Eliot, "Little Gidding" from Four Quartets

We shall not cease from exploration
And the end of all our exploring
Will be to arrive where we started
And know the place for the first time.

The author has graciously offered a (pdf) copy of the book. She states it's simply her way of giving back to life...
You may find it here at NO Experts Needed.
This is a wonderful book for me to read at this stage of my life but I suspect it would be for others for various other reasons!

fashionably late to friday foto!

Here is my best advice...if you find a guy who is nice to small children and he's cute... marry him...my daughter did!

This is my very handsome son-in-law with the Cutest Boy in America!

Now look in the foreground...that's my cute guy, playing kitchen with our grand daughter and that is one of the many reasons why I married him! He is kind to children and animals...this is always the kind of guy to marry...always!!!

Happy friday..for more friday fotos visit Candid Carrie!

A Shiny Bright New Year!

Happy New Year!
We spent a normal evening at home for New Year's Eve watching movies...it was great! We made our Resolutions/Goal lists together and had a toast with a glass of champagne...it was very romantic!
Our list is pretty simple and easy...

We want to eat less and move more!
We want to spend less and save more...
We want to travel, travel, travel...
and I want to read, read, read...
on that note...

The bloggy Book for January is Same Kind of Different As Me by Ron Hall, Denver Moore and Lynn Vincent.

The rules are easy...read the book and blog about it the last Sunday of the month...this month that is January 25th.