iLove it!

It seems there always has to be excitement in my life. Well, this past Friday night I was working on a paper that was due Sunday. Already in a time crunch, I pretty much needed the stars to be perfectly aligned to pull this off in time for the Sunday due date. Wouldn't you know ... my computer crashed!! Well sorta ... the monitor plug decided to break ... literally it just broke. One minute I was looking at the screen and the next it couldn't find a connection. LOVELY.

Luckily I called in my personal IT guy, aka my awesome husband!! After trouble shooting with the spare (read: very old computers/monitors) he determined that it is the monitor port on the back of my computer tower. If you know me well enough, you will know that when I say "Friday night" that literally means early Saturday morning (after midnight). By this time, it was close to 2:00 AM. Chris tried to set me up on his old desktop however he was in the middle of a windows/Linux crossover which was not complete. Basically it isn't able to function yet and would take a lot more time to configure. By the end of the night, he started a full re-install and we would see the results (if it took) in the morning.

The next morning: the re-install didn't take and would need take a lot more time to configure so he suggested that I get a new computer since 1. my computer was over 5 years old and 2. his old computer is even older than that (probably 6 or 7). Unfortunately, time was not on my side as we had a wedding to attend in St. Petersburg Beach at 1:30.

Long story short .... we went to the wedding, had a blast, spent the night at the Bilmar Beach Resort, woke up Sunday morning, went to the Apple Store at the International Plaza, and bought a MacBook!!! I have officially entered the "Mac World" ... and, iLove it!

I got a 2.4 MacBook which has the new silver casing shell however I got a "protective" cover which just so happens to be PINK. So, it looks like I have a Pink MacBook which makes me love it even more! hehe Here is a picture:


This computer is amazing and I'm not sure how I lived without one before this. Oh, and I finished both papers that were due tonight! Woohooo!!

Valentine's Day 2009

Happy Valentine's Day 2009! I hope you all enjoyed a wonderful day with your special Valentine. I sure did!!


Earlier in the week Chris mentioned that he had my Valentine's present and I could have it "whenever" during the week or I could wait until Saturday. Of course, knowing that it was here, I just had to have it. hehe What a great present - he bought me a "Dream Escape" package to my favorite Day Spa here in Lakeland, DayDreams. I love it and I can't wait to use it!

Later in the week he surprised me by having pink and white tulips delivered. Tulips are my all-time favorite flower next to roses. I love both but tulips can only be found a couple months out of the year which makes them that much more special when I get them. I posted a picture so you all can see how pretty they were.

We went to the Melting Pot for dinner which was very yummy! Apparently reservations at the Melting Pot on Valentine's Day are very popular and hard to come by. Luckily we made our reservations back in January because we are Fondue Club members. Dinner was amazing and so romantic ~ I love my hubby!

We enjoyed the "Cupid Special" which featured a quattro formaggio fondue (cheese), a salad course with a choice of traditional caprese salad with balsamic glaze or strawberry almond salad with basil infused white balsamic vinaigrette. Our entrée course included cold water lobster tail, tuscan sirloin florentine, filet mignon, honey orange duck, shrimp diablo, citrus fennel pork tenderloin, and lobster ravioli served with seasoned vegetables and assorted dipping sauces. Our favorite course was dessert where we had dark chocolate fondue infused with orange cognac liquor for that perfect orange zest flavor.

After dinner Chris suggested that we go to a movie and that I could pick any movie that I wanted to see. (Translation: I will go to one of the girly movies that you've been wanting to go to). So, we ended the night by going to the movie "Confessions of a Shopaholic" at the Lakeside Village. (Thanks honey, I love you!!)

I couldn't have asked for a better Valentine's Day (week) or a more special person to share it with. I forgot our camera but Chris took a few on his new iPhone (his Valentine's Day present). Here are a few pictures from our Valentine's night out.

Chris and I at the table.
Cheers to another Happy Valentine's Day together!

Thought this was cute even though part of our heads didn't make it in there, lol.


With love,

The Rohdes

Update on Miss Peyton Marie

Peyton's results have come in. It is in fact Melanoma. The pathologist said that there is a low degree of atypical cells with some neoplastic cells but overall it appears to have benign characteristics however not clean borders (one area real close to site where taken) which means there is a slight chance of spreading if in fact there is some beyond the area they took from... The Pathologist recommends to "keep close eye on it" but the Doctor is concerned because it grew so quickly so we have elected to have XRays, Bloodwork, and a Urinalysis completed. We are taking her in tomorrow morning at 8 AM. Depending on the results from tomorrow's tests, we will be referred to Florida Veterinary Services for further treatment. (http://www.f-v-s.com/)

Please keep praying for our baby!!

Sorry its been so long

Sorry it has been so long since our last post. We have been keeping extremely busy. We hope you all had a safe and Happy New Year! We had a fabulous time and I will be posting pictures soon!

As you've read in earlier posts, 2008 was a very hard year for us and we were anxiously awaiting the start of 2009. Unfortunately, 2009 hasn't had the best start. We are sad to announce that our precious Peyton (3yr old Lab) has been diagnosed with Melanoma. Yes, the very same disease as her Grandpa Rohde. As you know, Peyton is far more than "just a dog" or "just a pet" to us ... she is our sunshine and we both simply adore her. Please pray for her and for a speedy recovery. The doctors believe that we caught it early and we are hoping (PRAYING) that we did and for a full recovery. We received the test results yesterday (1/14/09) and she went in for surgery this morning (1/15). The doctor called and said that the surgery went very well and that she is recovery just fine. We are sending the entire tumor for pathology to get a full diagnosis so we will better be able to come up with a treatment plan. There is also a possibility that we will be referred to an Oncologist in Tampa. Peyton is only 3 (well, 4 on Feb 3rd) but she has so much more life in her and I can't imagine our family without her there. Words can not even begin to explain how much we love her! Again, thank you for your continued prayers and well wishes!

In more sad news, my Godmother, Connie Fielder in Atlanta is suffering from COPD and Hospice has been brought in ... I am far too familiar with this stage as we recently went through this with Chris' father. It doesn't get any easier but it is good to know what an amazing organization they are and that they are doing all they can to make her comfortable during this time.

On a positive note: we had new floors installed last week and they look absoletely amazing! We chose a light cherry wood for the dining room, living room, hall and all bedrooms. We tiled the foyer, kitchen, and bathrooms. The color combo looks great and both Persephone and Peyton enjoy sprawling out on the floor since it's a bit cooler than the carpet was. Also, we purchased a new hutch for our dining room from craislist (only $75) and it is beautiful! Once things settle down, I will post a few pictures.

Again, we thank you for all of your prayers and well wishes. Please continue to keep our family in your prayers as we are praying for comfort for my Godmother and for Peyton that the cancer has not spread and that she will be just fine for many years to come!!

With love,
The Rohdes

Merry Christmas!!

Even though it is a day late, I thought that I should post a Merry Christmas message to anyone who actually reads this blog, haha.

Chris and I began Christmas week by celebrating here at home with just us and our pets. On Sunday we woke up as if it was Christmas morning to open presents. Santa's little elf (Chris) was very hard at work that morning as he surprised me by installing all of the new knobs on our kitchen cabinets which look great by the way! Then we exchanged presents... I got a printer/fax/scanner/copy machine, a panini press, a year subscription to Cosmo, a Mary Poppins DVD and lots of stocking stuffers. I gave Chris a chain for his dad's charm, a Macbook Pro laptop, and a bunch of stocking stuffers. We also gave Peyton and Persephone their stockings which were filled with treats and toys. Peyton was excited because we took her and her new "chuck it" toy to the park. We finished the evening by preparing a traditional Christmas dinner of Ham, green bean casserole, corn, and mashed potatoes. It was very yummy!

Chris and I spent Christmas Eve and Christmas day in Sarasota visiting family and a few old friends friends from High School. It was a great time! Both pets (Peyton and Persephone) enjoyed spending time with Grandma and Grandpa Jones and their cats, Piper and Comet. Santa was very very good to us this year ... Together gifts: we got a AAA gift card (good for vacations), Williams & Sonoma Christmas serving set (plates, coffee cups, trays, etc), boardgame, and a GPS. Connie gifts: several Vera Bradley pieces, 2 different bottles of perfume, money, clothes, stationary/note cards with matching gift bags, willow tree figure, an owl and the list goes on... Chris: Amazon gift card, Barnes & Noble gift card, money, USF shirts/sweatshirt, his mom's old guitar strap and lots more that I can't remember! (lol - it's been a long day!!).

We hope that your Christmas was wonderful and that your New Year is bright! 2008 was a rough year for our family but we're looking forward to a new year with new adventures!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

With love,
Mrs. R

24 down ... 18 to go!!

Yup... I have officially completed my first year of Graduate School! (YAYYYYYYY!) For those of you who might not know, I am working towards a Masters of Science in Business with a concentration in Human Resource Management. Of course, I picked one of the longest graduate programs (43 credits) but I've learned a lot and can't wait to start working in the field. I hope to find a new job in the early Spring working in the field of HR to gain hands-on experience and get over that "you need experience" bump. I've completed 24 credits (8 classes) and only need 18 credits (6 classes) to be eligible for graduation ...woohoo ... I see the light at the end of the tunnel! I might add a specialized certificate to my degree but I'm not sure yet ... I don't have to decide that until the Summer.

That's all for now ... just wanted to update on my exciting news! lol

With love,
Connie

One month...

This is such a sad time for Chris and our family. It seems so odd that just one month ago we said goodbye to Chris' dad here on Earth. In a way, it seems like it has been longer than just 1 month but that is probably because November has been one of the busiest months that I can remember.

Although time is the healer of all wounds, there is no relief in sight. I see how much Chris hurts and how sad he is even when people ask "how are you doing?" or when he hears a certain song on the radio. I hate to see him so sad but I am happy he has so many great friends, family, and myself to talk and cry with when he is in need. I know that in time most of his sadness will be replaced with the fond memories he has of his father.

This is a particularly difficult time of year to lose someone as it is the holiday season. Not to mention Chris and Megan's birthday months. In a weird way, I felt refreshed when the calendar turned to December and maybe I will feel the same way when the clock strikes on New Years Eve. I am certain that 2007 and 2008, minus a few celebrations, has been 2 of the worst years that we will face. From his diagnosis Labor Day weekend of 2007 until his last hours here before he went to Heaven through his funeral services, have been and will be some of the saddest times of our lives. I am blessed to have met and gotten to know Chris' father and so sad to see him battle this horrible fight. While I am sad that he has passed, I am happy to know that he is resting peacefully free of pain and illness looking down on our family as our personal guardian angel.

I know that even when time passes, there will be harder days than others and certain events that will be bitter sweet because he is not here to share them with us but we must remember that he is always here with us, looking over us and saying, "Look, that's my son or there's my little girl..." I know that both Chris and Megan will continue to make their Daddy proud in more ways than they realize. I just hope they know that even though he is gone from this Earth, he really is watching over us all and continues to be so proud of them both...

Please keep our family in your prayers.

Love always,