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,

Wedding festivities have begun...

Yes, you read correctly ... my best friend Heather is getting married in January so her wedding festivities have begun. Well this weekend her mom and aunt surprised Heather and I with a weekend getaway at the Gaylord Palms Resort and Spa!! After spending Spa-filled day on Saturday, we had dinner on the boat in Key West and enjoyed after dinner drinks in the Piano bar. We had such a great time! I even got a Matron of Honor tote bag with Heather's wedding colors (pink and brown). The entire weekend was so much fun and so relaxing!! What a wonderful surprise ... we had such an amazing time!

Thank you Heather for having me as your Matron of Honor. I feel so honored to stand by your side as you begin your new life as Mrs. Watson. Can't wait for your big day!!

Here are a few pictures from our weekend...


The Bride and I in the Spa:
The Bride-to-be
The Bride and Me

The Resort: Gaylord Palms Resort and Spa

I'm officially a grown-up

Yup, I'm officially a grown up ... we just bought our first ever turkey for Thanksgiving. I suppose you could say my college graduation day, our wedding day or even the day we became homeowners would have been that day ... but no, the official turning point is today, our first time preparing to cook Thanksgiving dinner. haha

Next Thursday (Thanksgiving Day) will be an interesting one. A day where Chris and I can officially create our own Thanksgiving traditions. Side note: this is our 4th Thanksgiving as a married couple but we've never had the chance to actually cook. Check back for pictures ... we plan to have all the fixin's.

With Love,
The Lakeland Rohdes

Newspaper article

Here is an article on my father-in-law that was in the Sarasota and Manatee Herald Tribunes:


http://www.heraldtribune.com/article/20081110/ARTICLE/811100341/2066/NEWS0101

Service Arrangements

Hi Family and Friends,

As you know, Chris' father passed away on Monday morning at 12 o'clock midnight due to a rough battle with Melanoma Cancer. Although we miss him very much, we feel comfort knowing that he is now free of pain and sickness. We want to thank you all so much for the phone calls and e-mails, it really means a lot to Chris and our family. I'm handling most of the communication right now as Chris isn't really able to talk about it as I'm sure you can understand.

Many of you have asked about arrangements and/or where flowers or donations can be sent. In lieu of flowers, they are requesting donations to be sent to Tidewell Hospice of Bradenton.

Here is a link to make an on-line donation: http://www.tidewell.org/memorials.html
(The first page is information about the person donating - once you press continue, the 2^nd page will ask who it is in Memory of).

Funeral Arrangements:

His funeral including a Mass and Reception will be held this coming Tuesday, November 11^th at 11:00 AM at the Catholic Church, Our Lady Queen of Martyrs located in north Sarasota. The address is 6600 Pennsylvania Ave. (9th Street East) Sarasota, FL 34243

Directions from I-75: Exit #213, go west on University Parkway to U.S. 301. Turn right on U.S. 301 to Whitfield Avenue. Turn left on Whitfield to 4-way stop sign (street sign reads Pennsylvania Ave/9th Street E). Turn right on Pennsylvania for 2 blocks. Church is on the left.

For more information, here is a link to the Church's website: http://www.ourladyqueenofmartyrs.net/directions.htm

Thank you all for keeping Chris and our family in your prayers … we love you all!

With love,

Connie and Chris