Home for the holidays

Happy Holidays! Now that Thanksgiving is over, I guess we can say that. Some people I know can't seem to come to grips with the fact that Christmas is really just three weeks away. I am actually looking forward to it. I already have my midget Christmas tree up and my "Frosty Flakes Welcome" sign on the door. It even snowed a little this last weekend which means it is now winter......at least weather-wise.

I just spent a great time at home with my parents and other family members. We had some yummy meals and I got to enjoy my 4 1/2 year old nephew for a few days. He was really proud of this Lego sculpture -- which he said was an airport. Future pilot or future engineer? Time will tell.

We also enjoyed the antics of my parent's two dogs: Fozzie and Petey. Fozzie is about 11 years old and Petey is not quite a year old which makes him a pretty typical puppy. The two have started wrestling pretty frequently and Petey has adopted the "I'll just sit on your face" defense tactic. I wish I could share the video but the file is a little bit big. But trust me, it's hilarious.

So, I can't wait for Christmas to see what other WWF Smackdown tactics Petey has come up with...and what other fantastic plastic structures Michael has built. Kids...and pets...grow up too fast!

Buffalo wings and touchdowns....

Hey, girls can be sports fans, too you know. My friends Tara and Sarah and I proved it last Saturday by spending nearly 4 hours sitting in a Buffalo Wild Wings with about 100 other crazy Husker fans (mostly men I might add) to watch Nebraska take on Kansas. It was almost like being at Memorial Stadium.....the "GO BIG RED" cheers and the occasional annoying KU fan who flirts with the girls in the next row (or on the next barstool in our case). The only difference was the fact that we were warmer than the 80,000 in Lincoln. :)

Anyway, I just wanted to prove that girls can be some of the biggest sports freaks out there. And it's not just because we like the color of their uniforms or the font their numbers are written in. That stuff only matters when we have to watch professional sports! :)

I always have fun watching football with "my girls" in the fall. Too bad there are only two games left until the post-season. I guess I'll have to resort to watching normal television again until next fall. Or maybe a good college basketball game or two will tide me over until next season. I could always start to care about NASCAR or the NFL.........nah.

The day after tomorrow...

I know all of us are busy changing our Facebook status to reflect our opinions about the results of the elections......I thought I'd choose the only slightly less popular avenue of my blog. :) This morning during my walk to work, I was prompted by the Holy Spirit to pray fervently for our new President and our country as a whole. I think as a Christian, it is now my duty to respect those put in authority over me (Romans 13:1) and to pray without ceasing for them. It is NOT in my job description to become angry and bitter over something that was never under my control to begin with. When I voted, my part in the democratic process was complete. Now it becomes an exercise in both having faith and being faithful. I am choosing to believe that there is a sovereign God who has graciously given me (and all of us!) free will....and I would believe that if McCain had been elected as well.

I'm thankful for a family who taught me to value my faith, remember the blessing of my heritage and take pride in my country. God has a plan for me, my family and all of His children.

"And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose." Romans 8:28 NAS

Cast your vote....

No one has to tell me that this year, our country is facing probably the most important presidential election in recent history. I know I'm a fairly young voter, but I think I've probably been a part of more political discussions this year than I ever have. I have learned so much about my friends and their political views than I ever knew before -- and I'm grateful for process that allows me to be involved and make a decision on my own.

In less than 48 hours, we will all be rushing home from work in time to catch the election coverage. Or, maybe you'll be rushing home in time to realize that your favorite show is being interrupted by the election coverage and suddenly wish it was Wednesday. :) Either way, Tuesday is going to be an interesting day.

But you know what? Tuesday will be no surprise to the Creator of the Universe. No matter which candidate wins the White House for the next four years, God has known the results all along. My pastor, Pastor Brian, shared with us today his "8 Things that will Remain the Same Regardless of the Election Results". Allow me to share them with you now:

8. The Bible remains the ultimate authority. 2 Timothy 3:16
7. Prayer still works. Matthew 21: 22
6. Salvation is by faith alone. Ephesians 2:8-9
5. Love is the ultimate sign of spiritual maturity. 1 Corinthians 13:1
4. The Church is God's agent in today's world. Matthew 16:18
3. We are to obey God and pray for today's leaders. Hebrews 13:7
2. God will humble the proud. Daniel 4:37
1. God is still sovereign! Daniel 4:37

I have already voted (ah -- the miracle of early voting ballots!) and as I sealed the envelope, signed my name to it, and placed it in the mailbox, I was reminded that my part in the process was complete and God will accomplish His purposes in His time. What that means I do not know -- but I am thankful that I can completely trust the One who does.

Mom's first Husker game!

This last Saturday, I got to go with my mom to her very first Nebraska football game. She's been a fan for....well....longer than I have and she's never been to the stadium so, I wanted to make sure she got the full experience. We parked away from the stadium a few blocks and followed the "sea of red" to the campus and we stopped in front of the Music Bldg to watch the Cornhusker Marching Band perform before the game. Then we made our way to the stadium to get to our seats. We had fun taking pictures -- but I mostly had fun watching my mom take it all in. She did say that seeing it in person was "way better than watching it on TV". I'm glad she had a good time. She made friends with the couple sitting beside us and we had a good laugh at the "First Down Guy" in front of us. He would stand up after every first down Nebraska made and make the signal that the officials make. He kind of looked like one of those hunting dogs who point at the prey........

Anyway, we had a great time and Nebraska won the game after a bit of drama in the first half. I'm glad my mom could go and I'm glad we could experience her first game together. I hope we can do more in the future!

Yee-haw!

Last week, I went to my very first rodeo -- and it was a blast! If you're not from Omaha, you wouldn't know that the Douglas County Fair was last weekend. Part of the fair is a three-night Pro-Rodeo event called River City Roundup. We got to watch some awesome barrel racers and some mutton bustin', too. Now, for those of you who have never seen mutton bustin' -- that's too bad because it is HILARIOUS! These cute little kids get all padded up and ride a sheep around the arena for as long as possible. Sometimes, the sheep go crazy and take off at lightning speed...and the kid gets a helmut full of dirt. Either way, it's hysterical. I laughed so hard I literally cried. Priceless.

Anyway, it was great fun and I wish I could upload some video from my phone but it's not working. But I did get some cool stills off my phone...

The atmosphere (or at least the smell of it) was a small reminder of my small town roots. I'm so glad we got to go....after 10 years in Omaha, it was about time!

All play and no work? :)

Hello again. I just thought I'd share some fun stuff from the last week or so. Last weekend, one of our co-workers invited us out to his farm just north of Tekamah (and just slightly south of Canada). We had a GREAT barbeque and enjoyed the country setting of John and Scottie's place. They have a great fishing pond and plenty of places to ride the 4-wheelers and golf carts. I felt like I was back at home in O'Neill out on my grandparent's farm. I even caught a fish -- which was an experience that brought back some great memories, too. Now, you'll notice that I'm not holding the fish....but you don't have to hold them to catch them. :)

I also hung out with some of the girls this week at GU's first home volleyball game. We go for the thrill of the game and the taste of the chili cheese nachos. :) Of course, we also enjoy hanging out with Judah, the official Royals Mascot. And the Lady Royals pounded home the win in three straight games!

Tomorrow night is the River City Roundup Rodeo and I'm really excited about that. We'll see how many pictures i can get of those festivities. :) Should be a good week for me!

Go Big Red!

First of all, a big thanks to Ray and Lindsey for letting me and Emily buy their tickets to the NU/New Mexico St game this last weekend. The weather was beautiful (after several straight days of rain!) and we had such a blast. This was my first experience at a night game....and it was totally worth it! Don't get me wrong, it's just as cool to be in Memorial Stadium feeling your skin frying beneath the beating rays of the Nebraska sun.....but there is something magical about doing the wave with 85,000 other people under the bright lights of the stadium. We stopped on the way across campus to listen to the Band in the commons area in front of the Music building...which was cool. Then, once we got into the stadium, we had a great time screaming and booing...sometimes all in the same breath...and enjoying the other fans seated close to us. One kid behind us kept saying "Can't we sit down now?" and one of the guys below us a few rows had a small megaphone that got a lot of use. :)

We were in the North endzone about 7 rows up...which was the closest I've ever been to the field at any NU game (this pic didn't require a whole lot of zoom....). The only part about our trip to Lincoln last weekend that wasn't exciting was the fact that we waited 30 minutes to back out of our parking space after the game. It takes awhile to get all 85,000 people cleared out, I guess.

All in all, it was a great day and we had a blast! Oh yeah, and we WON!!

Welcome to blogspot!

Well, folks.....here I am! I have actually been "blogging" on another site for a few months but I like this site better. For those of you who read my other space all this time, sorry about the change but I hope this is a little more user friendly for you.

The last 48 hours here have been a total washout. Okay -- I know that God created the Earth and that the Earth needs moisture but does it all have to come at the same time? I stepped outside yesterday and totally soaked my feet in a huge puddle. Nice. I guess I don't have much to complain about - it sounds like Texas is about to get hammered by Hurricane Ike. Two days of gentle rain suddenly doesn't seem so bad, I guess.

Not much new around here. I scored some tickets to tommorrow's football game so Emily and I will be two members of the Sea of Red this weekend. That is, after we drive the 50 miles from Omaha to Lincoln with 85,000 of our closest friends. I predict it will take us two hours to get to Lincoln....maybe we should leave now and avoid the rush.....

At any rate, life is good. I just found out that some friends from work are expecting Baby #1 in April and I'm so excited for them. I can't wait to go baby shopping again! My nephew started pre-school this year and I guess he loves it. I miss him a lot - and I wish I was closer to watch him experience school for the first time. I'm sure it's hilarious!

Until next time......