The neglected posts and absence of attention to this blog....there is a valid reason. Many of you who visit this blog in the next few days and weeks may have been driven here by a post in our Christmas card to visit. Some of you are  returning as old friends to a blog I loved to update. However It has sat silent for an extended amount of time. I could list excuses. Share technical challenges but I prefer the truth. Plain and simple my reason for keeping the blog, my lust for recording life was gone. My lust for a lot if things I loved had taken a backseat to an impending feeling of personal gloom. Not really what you had in mind for a holiday greeting I am thinking but again it is the truth. I remember the day I knew I had enough. I was sitting at a Nebraska football game with me Sister-in-law Kris and telling her how crappy I had been feeling. Yes I used crappy in my "holiday greeting". Crappy is the nice pleasant publishable word.

The abbreviated version of this year will as usual give you a small recap of a year in our lives. There was a small trip to Sunny Phoenix last January with friends on business and pleasure. I wish I could say I had a lovely trip. Not being one to share gloom and doom but again being honest. I was miserable. I felt sick. I was sick of being sick and tired. The straw that broke the camels back was the Lindsay Holy Family fun night at which Mark and Ron were the auctioneers for the evening as Mark had done so many times. I noticed a shirt that I had wore around the holidays was fitting tight and my tummy was protruding. Then all hell broke lose. Yes hell. I will use it because that was what was about to break lose.

We conducted an auction by Hastings Nebraska. The following day I was scheduled to have a Dr appointment with my general Practicioner Dr Zaruba. People who know me know I was never particularly fond of Doctors, so Ron went with me. Before I knew it I was in the Colunbus Community Hospital emergency room on the insistent urging of Dr and his Nurse Sandy who we credit for ultimately saving me life. Such would begin a journey to save my life in the roughest Road trip to Omaha for my extended stay at the University of Nebraska  Medical Center Hotel, night club and day spa..

Here's where I might have to abbreviate things a bit. Things went from crappy to the pits of hell. Things got real real fast. I went from the happy go lucky hard working fun loving girl to a battle tested life fighting Ninja. The big medical words I heard sort of made sense but hearing your liver is failing and to save your life you need a transplant sent me into survival mode. I was not going to let the liver win. I was going to win, come hell or high water....which ironically spring was extremely wet and  floody most of which I watched out of my window on the seventh floor of UNMC.

As most of you have probably figured out by now or witnessed in person, I did get on the transplant list and on May 17, 2015 Ron and I were introduced to our new friend, Leroy the liver. Our new friend was healthy, strong and was just what the Dr ordered Litterally. When I was trying how sum up this year I contemplated this version. I got sick. I almost died. I got a transplant. Merry Christmas. However I obviously changed my mind. After an eternity at Club UNMC Ron, Leroy and I were headed home to Cheerio and what would be the longest, hardest a summer of my life and our climb out of the pit of hell.

Fast forward 6 months later and here we are. It's the middle of the night and I am pouring over the last year in my mind thinking, what just happened and as soon as I find that bus that hit me....I am going to stop it and thank it. Yes thank it for giving me the ride of my life and taught me just the kind of person I truly am....

Happy Holidays to one and all and here's to a great 2015. My greatest blessing of this year beside my friend Leroy and his old friend my donor is one Mr Ronnie boy Stock. You could call us the dream team, the nut truck or the hellovator Warriors. I call us.....

The perfect pair.

Realities

Today, when Ron and I got home from Stockfest 2014, (our annual Stock family trip) in between laundry and unpacking, I decided to do my usual checking up on Facebook for the day. I ran across a picture from the Pilger, Nebraska Tornado clean-up that really hit home to me. My Friend Rachel and I volunteered to assist with Cleanup on the 19th of June, just four short days after the Tornado hit. The photo below was taken by Rachel as we were leaving town. The other photo is one she took emphasizing the fact that the house next door was so badly damaged yet the tree house was completely intact. 

 This is a photo I found from a gentleman who had toured Pilger this past weekend. This is the same house. What struck me was that the house next door has already been removed has everything across the street to the North. Just makes me sad.

The loss these people have suffered is barely comprehendible to me. The thought of losing everything in a matter of seconds seems like something out of a movie UNTIL you actually find yourself digging through boards, trees, sheet rock, wires and endless stuff trying to find something/anything someone could salvage.

People say I am crazy for watching storms, or am I? As the old saying goes when it's your time it's your time, or is it. Sometimes in these situations we really must take a few seconds to protect ourselves and our families, so matter how pointless people make think it seems.

Finally a computer back.......

so I can blog. Even though my precious photos are still in limbo. I am finding a few that I promised myself I would save on my blog, just to make sure. I have wanted to blog for four months and without a computer......not an easy task......

Like this cute little picture of my Nephew Sheldon and I having ice cream in Galveston after my Nephew Seth's wedding. I am sure this came off my phone, so I am still praying for those camera photos.

OR.....

Finding a photo from our Godson Eric's First Communion.

OR......

A picture of me and my beautiful Niece Alicia at her wedding.

OR.......

Kind of family photo from Seth's Wedding......two tables of us.

Right now the rescue of the rest of photos is not certain. I WILL NEVER again not back up these photos that are so important to me. Breaks my heart to think of losing any of them. Lesson learned...........

Happy Boxing Day

My Third Boxing day party at Duncan Lakes....success. Who knows what Boxing day means: Boxing Day is traditionally the day following Christmas Day, when servants and tradesmen would receive gifts, known as a "Christmas box", from their bosses or employers. It is observed in the United Kingdom, Canada, Hong Kong, Australia, New Zealand, Kenya, South Africa, Trinidad and Tobago and other Commonwealth nations.....and NEBRASKA

Darn Shaved Ham, or Ham and shaves, or shaved duck, or sinking duck, or Shaved Rabbit, or drunken Rats, or Sunken Rats....

God Bless us everyone :) 

Today has been one...

of those days. Where things just don't mesh.

Starting off my day hearing news about Phil Robertson being banned from Duck Dynasty for comments he made to GQ. Made me mad as hell. I love Duck Dynasty, some people love the show some people hate it. Here's my take. You might like Survivor, or Dancing with the Stars or the Amazing race...me not at all, but don't go all postal on me because I like something you don't. I don't get that. WHY? I support Phil 100% and I love the Robertson's. Their Christian values inspire me and I will always love the Robertson's!!!!

I was going to go into Duncan tonight to a Christmas party, but chose to stay all safe and sound at our cabin because the wind was making it so cold out. No to mention I really wanted to watch the NCAA Volleyball Semi's. ENJOYED the Wisconsin Badgers vs Texas game. WAY TO KNOCK OF THE NUMBER ONE TEAM Badgers. I swear Texas gets into Nebraska's heads when we play Volleyball. The girls lost to Texas last Saturday night for their chance to play in Seattle :( Horns down!!!

I just adore my little Christmas trees at our Duncan house. There's something about it. I have ice skates, sleds, pine cones, jingle bell wreaths, snowflakes, gingerbread men, lanterns, snowmen galore and I love it! I also have these adorable winter mitten ornaments that I have never seen again. Then there are my cute little stuffed girl and boy Snowmen :) Just FYI, all those presents belong to Ron and Cheerio :)

Then my dear sweet husband sent me text that he would like some photos of me and Cheerio. He is in Kansas and I can't believe I actually got Cheerio to take photos with me :) 

Christmas has.....

Puked all over my counter. Still waiting on a few gifts here and there but mostly done. YEAH!!!

Every year, I try my darndest to get done early, but every year it seems Auctions slow down my early progress. I really should have worked harder on getting my Christmas letter done first, but oh well, all is good. Seems like each year my Christmas spirit is challenged. Must be my grumpy old age, or maybe it's just that by the time Christmas rolls around I've had a long year.

It seems like the last few weeks, I've been reminiscing about many things. One of the places that keep creeping into my mind is a place that my Dad loved to eat at. Best onion rings on the face of the planet. I really miss this place. Every time, I go to Norfolk and see the used car lot where Double K use to be makes me sad. We use to eat here when we went Christmas Shopping in Norfolk. Actually I think we might have ate here every time we went to Norfolk for anything. No complaints from me. Their Chocolate milk even tasted better than anywhere else :)

Double K - Norfolk, Nebraska.

Now, on to my Cheerio. I swear this dog. Anything that Ron or I wear he insists on making a nest in. My Auction coat was laying on the top of the couch and he worked and worked and worked till he made himself a cozy little nest in my Yellow coat. I't usually Ron's stuff that he targets, but for a change it was mine! Oh I do love you little dog.......

Oh my girls....

You WON! and I am so proud of you. No matter what happens tomorrow against Texas you are amazing. I have loved watching you this season and I will be back next season. I so enjoyed my night with my dear friend Lenni and I found my longtime friend Tori (pictured below). I really miss her......my heart is happy! BUT the next time the Texas Longhorn band (whose team played before us) plays the Eyes of Texas are upon you long after your team won...LEAVE already, do not ever play that in our house again....when our girls run out and we can't hear Hail Varsity or "There is No Place Like Nebraska" you are on my poop list. GO BIG RED!

Like I told you. I miss you my friend...so much! Love you!