Taking it ALL in STRIDE!!

Did I learn my lesson about my adversities... I can say that I have passed the test!! Friday night I go into the kitchen to clean it up... I turn on the hot water... and hmmmm no hot water... no big deal I go down to the basement and I am going to relight the pilot light... I get it lit... and go back upstairs to wait for hot water so I can take a nice long hot bubble bath... About an hour goes by... and still no hot water... so I go back down to the basement and re-light the pilot light again... this time I stay and see what happens... it is only stays lit for a few minutes, before it goes out again... I try several times to get it lit and to stay that way but no such luck... Okay the water heater is dead...

I call the heater repairman that was just here at 3pm to replace the heater part... and get the heater working... I ask him if he works on water heaters... I tell him what is going on and he thinks he knows the problem and that he will be right over to see if he can fix it.

He comes over and guess what... he can't fix it. It is a problem with specific water heaters... I am able to call the company and have the parts shipped... they will be here Tuesday!!

So with ALL the other things going bad and/or breaking.... how did I handle the water heater going out! I have to report that I did take it in stride... I think it will be Melissa that will suffer more than I will... I am at the group home all weekend... so I will take my showers here!! Melissa said she will just go to friends houses....

I have learned one lesson this week about adversity... I think I have another one still yet to learn... I am up for anything that happens!!

Meg

I am thankful for my adversities...I am thankful for my adversities...I am thankful for my adversities...

Since Friday and the accident my stress has been building... and more and more things keep going wrong... So, I begin to count them...

1. My car is dead (Friday)
2. Melissa has a concussion and I worried about her health (Friday-Wed)
3. The house heater isn't working right. I purchase and install a new thermostat... no help so I call repairman. He comes figures out the problem... has to have part shipped. Weather is going to get frigid again... and I am out of wood. (Tuesday)
4. My client has some health issues Tuesday night and we are at the ER from 11pm to 3am. We come home and she is awake most of the night... not feeling well... since she is awake so am I....(Tuesday thru Wednesday)
5. Melissa has to have a CAT SCAN and I have to be at the hospital. I have to call in staff to be with client. (Wednesday)

So I have 5 things broken or breaking down... if things happen in 3's... I am starting to wonder what is next... I am feeling like I just can't take one more thing.... it's just too much. Why am I being tested like this? What did I do to deserve all this? I am trying so hard to improve my self and my life... it just isn't fair!!!

Melissa and I get good news from her CAT SCAN... she is fine!! No damage to her head or brain.. I could have told the doctor that... she is an Abreu...RIGHT!! I get my morning shower at 3 pm... I have Divorce Care group tonight... should I go? I have a good excuse not to go...no sleep. I decided that I need to go, because once I find a good excuse not to go... it only gets easier to find other excuses... I get dressed and ready to go... I am able to take the most uncomfortable mini nap I've ever taken... wake up and head to Maryville...

As I am driving to Maryville I am thinking... I am running right on time. I have to stop at Tory's and drop off my camera so she can use it... and some ranch sunflower seeds. I will only have enough time to give Abbers a quick kiss then off to class... I then start having a my own little pity party because of all the things going wrong! Poor little me...I am looking up the road and I see a car cross the yellow line, then I see it swerved to miss a truck, over corrects and hits the ditch and rolls.

I can't believe what I just saw. I just watched a roll over accident. I pull over. Grab my cell phone. Run towards the car while dialing 911...It was a lot harder to do than it sounds. The driver is conscious... and talking. She is upside down with her head in the passenger seat and her feet in the drivers seat and her butt up in the air. She wasn't wearing a seat belt. The 911 dispatcher asks me where I am located... and you know what? I didn't have a clue to what highway I was on... I know the way I need to go to get to Maryville... But, I don't know the numbers of the roads... the dispatcher runs the GPS on my phone and gets our location... by this time more people have stopped to help.... I wasn't much help because the 911 dispatcher wanted me to maintain contact with her... so I kept the dispatcher updated on the condition of the lady in the car. The accident victim wanted us to move her to make her more comfortable... being upside down, must have been miserable. But, we all knew we couldn't move her... it took forever to get the first responders there...I have never heard a sound so welcoming as the sirens... I knew she was hurt pretty bad as there was a large puddle of blood on the floor under the passenger seat. Once the EMT's arrived the decision was made to have Life Flight come in to transport her out. So, she was hurt pretty bad.

When I got off the phone with 911... I looked at the accident scene and I felt so ashamed at how I had been having they pity party. I felt so blessed to have MY trivial little problems. I decided that I will try never to complain about what I am having to face and I will welcome my adversities as growth potential... and because I now know how quickly they can get worse.

Meg... feeling pretty humble right now

Mini Vans... DO NOT OFF ROAD!!

On Friday the 13th... The weather man was calling for a horrific snow storm to hit NW Missouri... we could have received up to 8" of snow. Melissa had a doctors appointment in King City about a 20 minute drive from Albany... she made it there fine. The weather changed while she was at the doctors office... on the way home she hit a slick spot and went off roading.... my mini van didn't survive... it's DEAD!!

Melissa is just fine... The air bags went off and gave her a mild concussion and she has a tiny mark on her neck where the seat belt rubbed... and it is maybe only a 1/2" long.

I was working at the flower shop... do you know how busy a flower shop is the day before Valentine's Day? The phone rings non-stop. I receive the call from Melissa... and getting a call from one of your children crying is not good. She explained to me what happened and I figured out where she was.... I made sure she was OKAY!! I called the Sheriff, who Melissa babysits for, and told him about the accident and the location... as soon as I hung up the phone I left the flower shop to go to the scene... the road were slick so I had to go slow... When I got to the scene and I saw the van... I was so grateful I already knew Melissa was okay... because it didn't look good... The Sheriff and the paramedics were all ready there!! I felt so blessed to see so many people that know us... Tim, the Sheriff; Noah and Becky the EMT's. It felt so good to know that Melissa was in loving hands... That is one reasons why I LOVE living in a small rural town....

Now I have to find a new car... not new NEW... but new to me!!

Meg

F A I T H

Since I have re-directed my life back on to the right path... God... Christ... and Church... I've had a lot of spiritual experiences... Recently I feel that my faith is being tested. On fast Sunday I had an issue that I needed confirmation on. I made my decision of how I felt it needed to be handled. I decided to take the path of least resistance... the one I felt would maintain a sense peace in my life and the lives of those I love! Well, I began my fast with a prayer asking for confirmation on my decision... I was so sure this was going to be a piece of cake... NOPE... The next morning I got an answer that totally floored me!! My answer was... NOT to take to take the easy road... but to confront, to hold firm and to stand up for myself. I was so stunned... I was so confused. Did I hear right? Did I get the answer from the right source? So, I went to my Branch President and told him what I was feeling. He then confirmed that when I first told him about the situation that he knew then that I needed to stand up for myself... So... a week goes by and I am still struggling with what I am suppose to do... The next Sunday comes around and I still have not done a thing... so again I go to the Branch President and I ask for a blessing... Monday comes around and I don't do anything... I am so full of fear... Tuesday comes around... and I finally decided that I need to face my fear... so I faced the person I needed to talk to... and it wasn't bad at all and I can't believe I wasted so much time and energy worrying... I should have gone by faith and did what the Lord asked me to in the first place!!

This past Sunday in Sunday School... the first scripture the teacher asked to be read was D&C 8:10. The one I needed most the past few weeks... The scripture is so plain and so simple. That is why I didn't give it a fancy graphics treatment... plain and simple... it's faith!!

A few of my favorite things...

Tonight as I was making my dinner... BLT's. I was thinking how much I really love a good BTL... Lots of tomatoes and lettuce, the bread toasted just right, loads of (turkey) bacon, mayo on both sides of the bread... and just the right amount of mustard to give it a nice tang... mmmm. That first perfect bite, where you taste all the flavors... and before the sandwich falls apart in your hands... oh that is a little bit of heaven. I also started thinking of other things I really love... but many might not know about me... so I compiled a list... How well do you really know me?

1. BLT Sandwiches


2. Walking in the rain and splashing in puddles


3. Smiling at people, just to see them smile back


4. The Carpenters


5. Eating frozen Ding Dongs


6. Watching old black and white movies


7. Exploring new places with someone or alone


8. Picking wild flowers


9. Gardening in my barefeet


10. Holding hand... with my kids, loved ones or someone special

Meg

A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words...

The words her coach said are pretty cool too!! I am a very proud of my daughter and all that she accomplishes... Not only does she play sports... she has straight A's and she works part time!!

Meg

I miss being....

Oh I miss being "Super Mom"... when the kids were all little they would bring home colds and the flu. They would pass it amongst each other... I would hug.. kiss and love on them and I rarely got the flu... How could I.. with 6 kids in 10 years... I was just too busy to get sick... When one of the kids would say... "I can't kiss you Mom, I'll get you sick!"...I would smile and reply back..."No you won't I am 'Super Mom" and she doesn't get sick". And I do have to admit... I rarely got the flu... Do you remember the Asian Flu back in the 80's... I do, becasue that one I did get... it was 1986... Oh I was sick with that one!! Then in the early 90's Christmas Eve... I had 2 kids on the couch already with the flu... Santa was waiting for them to stop throwing up so she could bring the presents out... She waited as long as she could... She brought out the presents... and poor Christy found out who Santa really was... in the wee hours of the morning...as I made my bed on the floor and I was getting ready to lay down and go to sleep... I felt my stomach... oh I had the flu too... I didn't get any sleep that Christmas Eve...

So that brings me to today... I woke up feeling just fine... went to work for just 4 hours. I was feeling like yea...extra time off... I'll get some stuff done... Came home... made lunch... ate lunch... then the pain started... ooohhh it hurt... my stomach really hurt... I took some tums... no relief... Christy called to tell me about her fantastic day... I couldn't concentrate on the conversation... I hurt when I stood up... It hurt when I laid down... I took some more tums... no relief... I couldn't read.. I couldn't watch TV... I couldn't even lay in bed and suffer... So I grabbed my phone and made some work calls...

I was beginning to think I was having an appendicitis or something... it really hurt... BTW...I am a big baby when I get sick... so I may be over exaggerating... well to finish this up... I ended up getting rid of everything in my stomach... I fell asleep for several hours... woke up pain free.. but stiff and ached all over... Tomorrow I will stay home and rest and fell get 100% again!!

I think one of the worst things... now that the kids are grown and gone... I didn't have anyone to take are of me... that is until Melissa came home from school... she went and bought me a 7-up!!

Alone

Everyday I am amazed at how many feelings anger can block. The past couple of weeks I am learning what it really feels like to be alone. The first week was not fun at all... for me I felt like I wanted to cry...and my chest felt hollow... like a piece was missing. I wasn't in the best mood... a good night sleep was only had when I was finally exhausted enough to sleep all night long...

This week I started to read a book that my friend Tammy told me about called, The Peacegiver... It is a novel with some deep messages within the story. It's made me think a lot about me, my life and the choices I've made. Some I am happy with, others...hmmm not so happy with. As long as I keep trying all will be okay! The book is about forgiving others... but I am hearing another message about being alone and that I am not alone... even when I feel alone I am not. I am learning to lean on Heavenly Father when I feel alone and lonely... I am also learning that I need to base my decisions on my conversations with him thru prayer... and not based on a poll of my friends :) I need to let Heavenly Father lead me and guide me and teach me what I need to learn... Hey!! I know that song!!

Last night was Divorce Care... I am always excited to go and learn more. Each week we watch a DVD with a message from several experts in the field of divorce. Therapists and counselors mainly... The topic was going to be on depression... but the DVD player quit working so we are going to be behind one week... which also gives me another week to work in the workbook about anger... my ex-best buddy :) ... My new best buddy is HOPE...

I did get to go and see Little Miss Abby... She is such a doll!! We sat on the floor and played with her toys... Tory got to play on the computer and Brent watched TV...

Meg...

Memories.....

Here are the rules:

1. As a comment on my blog, leave a memory that you & I had together. It doesn't matter if you knew me a little or a lot, anything you remember!
2. Next, re-post these instructions on your blog & see how many people leave a memory about you. It should be funny to see the responses. If you leave a memory about me, I'll assume you are playing the game & I'll come to your blog & leave one about you (or if you don't have a blog I will e-mail you my memory!) I am following Karyann Hoopes who posted this, it looked like fun, I hope you'll play along!

Meg

WEIGH IN DAY #1

Eating very healthy for the past two weeks and drinking plenty of water has paid off!! For the first weigh in I have lost 5 lbs!! Yea!! I wanted to lose 8 lbs... but I am not complaining... For the next two weeks I have to step up and exercise... That is going to be the key to losing weight this time around!!

I do have to admit that eating healthy sure does make a person feel better... I am not doing any sort of diet... my plan is just to eat HEALTHIER... Lots of fresh fruits and veggies... cut way back on the simple carbs and eat more complex carbs... I am going to try to cut sugar and dairy completely out of my diet... I already eat only lien meats... I can tell you the last time I ate a steak was on my birthday back in September... I don't even buy hamburger anymore... I buy ground turkey... lots of chicken... and some pork (only when Melissa isn't around).

There is a show on the BBC... don't remember the name of it and the dietitian on the show recommended cutting out dairy and all processed foods... She goes into the home of REALLY fat people and shows them all the food they consume in a week... then she shows them how to improve their diet and how to get more exercise... I might have to start watching it every Saturday to get some ideas.... The thing I picked up on one show was that eating azuki bean (red beans) is really good for you!! Do you think I can find azuki beans around here anywhere.... heck no!!

A little information on these magic beans...

azuki bean = adzuki bean = Tiensin red bean = aduki bean = asuki bean = field pea = red Oriental bean = feijao bean = red chori

Equivalents: 1 cup dried yields 3 cups cooked beans Pronunciation: a-ZOO-kee Notes: The Japanese use these small red beans to make sweet red bean paste, but they're also good in rice dishes or salads. Azuki beans are sweet and relatively easy to digest, so they won't make you as gassy as other beans. They also don't take as long to cook. Substitutes: black azuki beans OR red kidney beans OR Tolosana beans

If anyone has any good recipes that uses azuki beans... please share.... I will share with you too!!

Meg...