A Wii-ly Wii-ly Bad Emergenc-wii

I suppose in an attempt to make our lives into more interesting stories, God let hardship come our way last week. Last Thursday night while Brett and I were watching TV, we both realized, almost at the same moment, that our Wii console was not in its usual spot in the entertainment stand. Brett automatically thought I was up to something and had moved it. I quickly assured him that I had not. My heart stopped. Had someone really broken into our home and stolen things that belonged to us? Slowly we put the pieces of the puzzle together and realized that they had. Along with our missing Wii and Wii games, we discovered the following missing items:

-Brett’s Texas Tech Ring

-Some of Brett’s luggage/backpacks

-Brett’s watch

-Our piggy bank with our life savings in change ($35 dollars in change!!!)

-2 ipods

-My Dad’s High School ring (given to me as a wedding gift)

Now, everything above, except my dad’s ring, can be replaced. So you could definitely say that it “could be worse” but it’s still pretty crappy and disturbing when someone comes into your property and violates you by taking things that do not belong to them. I am really having trouble having any compassion for this low-life LOSER. I should be praying for them, or something but I don’t want to. I am so angry!!

So we filed a police report shortly after our discovery and were basically told that there was nothing they could do and that we most likely wouldn’t see our things again. Gee, thanks!

We have filed a claim with our insurance company and hopefully they will decide to reimburse us for some of what we’ve lost. It’s just a shame that people think it’s ok to take things that don’t belong to them. It is important to remember that stealing is stealing no matter how big or small the thing is that you are taking. If it’s not yours, DON’T TAKE IT!!

Brett's Big Race

Brett ran the Rock N' Roll marathon last weekend in San Antonio. I was proud of him before but seeing him turn the corner and run the last 100 yards to the finish line was one of my proudest moments as his wife. What an accomplishment! I think marathons are quite emotional. You literally see thousands of people pushing their bodies to the limit. It's incredibly inspiring! Brett has more determination, perseverance, and motivation than anyone else I know....including me. I have a lot to learn from him. Although I don't have any desire to run a marathon, it does help me realize the importance of setting goals and working hard to achieve them. If Brett can do it, so can I. GREAT JOB BRETT. I COULDN'T BE PROUDER!!!!!!!

While in San Antonio, we stayed with our good friends Kelly and Ryan Moody. They are expecting a little girl soon but were so accommodating to us! They showed us a great time and we are so grateful to have them! Ryan was our navigator on race day so he drove us all over San Antonio to watch Brett at different mile markers. I am NOT familiar with San Antonio and couldn't have gotten around without him. He was great!! And Kelly was such a trooper. She's 9 almost 10 months pregnant and walked all over the place with us and never once complained. She was a great cheerleader and I was glad to have her. Thank you thank you Moodys! I CAN'T wait to meet little Moody!!

Give Thanks!

Thanksgiving is quickly approaching. Brett and I are having our first Thanksgiving feast in our new home and we are so excited. My family is coming in town for the holiday and we hope to impress them with a great meal. Here's our menu:

-Butternut Squash Soup (served in little pumpkins)

-Turkey (this will be my first turkey to cook)

-Brisket (Brett makes a mean brisket)

                                   -Green Bean Casserole (it's a classic)

                                   -Broccoli Casserole

                                   -Mashed Potatoes

                                   -Brown Gravy

                                   -Pink salad (the kind with the marshmallows)

                                   -Dressing

                                   -Pumpkin Pie

                                   -Pecan Pie

                                   -Baklava (my dad is famous for his baklava)

I'm excited already. It should be a yummy meal! We will feast and be thankful for all of our many blessings. HAPPY THANKSGIVING EVERYONE!!

Life Story

Fifteen Things God Won’t Ask
  by: Author Unknown, Source Unknown

God won’t ask what kind of car you drove, but will ask how many people you drove who didn’t have transportation. God won’t ask the square footage of your house, but will ask how many people you welcomed into your home. God won’t ask about the fancy clothes you had in your closet, but will ask how many of those clothes helped the needy. God won’t ask about your social status, but will ask what kind of class you displayed. God won’t ask how many material possessions you had, but will ask if they dictated your life. God won’t ask what your highest salary was, but will ask if you compromised your character to obtain that salary. God won’t ask how much overtime you worked, but will ask if you worked overtime for your family and loved ones. God won’t ask how many promotions you received, but will ask how you promoted others. God won’t ask what your job title was, but will ask if you reformed your job to the best of your ability. God won’t ask what you did to help yourself, but will ask what you did to help others. God won’t ask how many friends you had, but will ask how many people to whom you were a true friend. God won’t ask what you did to protect your rights, but will ask what you did to protect the rights of others. God won’t ask in what neighborhood you lived, but will ask how you treated your neighbors. God won’t ask about the color of your skin, but will ask about the content of your character. God won’t ask how many times your deeds matched your words, but will ask how many times they didn’t. I found this online the other day and it really got in my head and made me think long and hard about the priorities in my life. It's good to remember what really matters and what doesn't. Sometimes it's easy to get the two confused. I can't tell you how much time I've wasted thinking about such trivial things: my job, money, and popularity. Worrying about what everyone else thinks really doesn't matter!!

This Sunday, Donald Miller, a popular Christian author (best known for writing Blue Like Jazz) spoke at our church. He is on a big tour for his new book, A Million Miles in a Thousand Years. He was great and his words were thought-provoking. I had never had things presented to me in the way he did but it was very enlightening. Again I started to question my priorities and the "story" I am living.

Miller's new book is all about living a life that matters...even if that means re-writing your life "story" to make it incredible. What a concept! According to him, life shouldn't be easy or conflict free.(It's the commercials and society that teach us that life is supposed to be simple.) If it is, then we are merely coasting along through life. 

I know I am guilty of avoiding conflict like the plague or not doing things I know I should because I don't want to feel "uncomfortable." I stay in my little comfort zone so as to not have to experience anything scary. Yes, I'll admit it, I'm a WIMP and currently my life story is pretty wimpy. What do I really do to challenge myself? What remarkable things do I do for others?

I am currently reading Miller's book and I highly recommend it to anyone looking for a fresh outlook on life. Miller's definition of a story is this:

A character that wants something and overcomes conflict to get it.

So simple, yet so profound. Think about all the good movies out there, they are all about a character wanting something and facing challenges to get it. If there isn't a challenge, we won't watch the movie....however we still think initially that conflict is bad. Maybe it's not so bad afterall. Miller says conflict "serves us well." I think maybe he's right!

So how will I make my life a good story? How will I make sure that when I leave this earth, I lived a life that really mattered? Well, for starters I can stop being selfish and give more of myself. 

While at Miller's event, I had the opportunity to sponsor a child in need, no, make that two children in need. One is a boy in the U.S. that is growing up in a father-less home. I joined a program (actually Miller's non-profit called  that is going to provide him with a mentor/father-figure. Did you know that 85% of the prison community in the U.S. grew up in father-less homes? Just think if every child in this country had a father or mentor to guide them through life, we could greatly reduce the number of prisons in our country. Pretty cool initiative he's started. If you are looking for a good cause to support, this is definitely one. The video shows more:

Mentoring Spotlight - Ben and Dennis from The Mentoring Project on Vimeo.

The other child I'm sponsoring through World Vision is Jose. He lives in Honduras. Although I know very little about him now, I should be receiving more information in the near future. I do know that he has a birthday coming up, December 24th. I hope to send him a birthday card!

Knowing that I am making a difference in two lives is a great feeling. I hope to be able to do more in the future, but for now I am excited to know that I am helping others instead of just worrying about myself. I've tithed my money in the past but this is the first time it feels real to me that I am directly helping someone else. I know exactly where my money is going and who it is helping. It's pretty cool!

I'm still going to think about my "Story" and what I can do to really kick it up a notch but for now, I am pleased with my new outlook on life.

I'll leave you with this final thought from Miller:

If you think life is meaningless, you should consider instead that maybe your life is meaningless. And only YOU can do something about that.

So get out there and Do Something That Matters!!

Kidney Infections = Nothing to KID about!

As many of you know, the last few days have been rough for Brett & I. However, I have been so overwhelmed by the love and support of my friends and family. I really didn't want the extra attention but I can't deny that it has been nice. Sometimes I feel invisible and wonder (hopefully this is normal) if people would notice if I was gone. Now, I can happily say that I think they would!! Brett & I want to thank everyone for their phone calls, messages, visits, gifts, food, and flowers. It really did feel nice to know so many people care about us and would go out of their way for us! THANK YOU!!

Here's a not-so-quick run down of what happened:

On Thursday of last week, I left work after lunch because I wasn't feeling well. I was feeling nauseous and having sharp pains in my lower right abdomen area. I really didn't think much of it but since I was uncomfortable at work, I planned to go home and sleep it off. Around 4 I was ready to call the doctor. My doctor wasn't taking any more appointments for the day so I called Brett crying and told him we needed to go to a clinic. He was a dear and came straight home to take me to a Care Now Clinic (also referred to me by friends as a "Doc in the Box"). After about an hour wait, I was taken to see the "doc" and about another hour later I left with a diagnosed UTI and some prescriptions that were supposed to make me feel better by the end of the night.

We immediately filled the prescriptions and I took them according to my instructions but by midnight that night, I was feeling just as bad if not worse. I was in so much pain and I couldn't eat or drink anything without getting sick. I woke Brett up and was finally ready to throw in the towel. I told him we needed to go to the emergency room.

We didn't have to wait long in the emergency room (less than 5 minutes) before they took me back and started assessing me. Within a couple of hours they were admitting me into the hospital with a kidney infection and an infected kidney stone.

Friday around noon, I was taken into surgery for a quick procedure to help eliminate the infection in my kidney. They put me under and I am happy to report that I don't remember a thing about it. I spent the rest of Friday in the hospital and then was released Saturday morning.

I slept most of the weekend away and let Brett take care of me...which he completely did! He went above and beyond the call of duty and I am so grateful to have him! He really is an incredible man and I don't tell him enough how much I appreciate what he does for me. But I've already nominated him for HUSBAND OF THE YEAR. Here's just a few reasons why:

While in the hospital -

- He held my hand and did his best to be brave while they put in my IV (he's the one afraid of needles)

- He talked to me while we waited and tried to keep me entertained so I wasn't focused on the pain

- He tied my hospital gown closed (knowing I'm modest and didn't want to show the world my tushie)

- He wheeled my IV for me and made sure it didn't get tangled when I wobbled to the bathroom (countless times)

- He combed my hair for me when I had visitors so that I looked a little more presentable

- He cut up my hospital food into small bites so that it was easier to eat

- He spent the night on a crappy fold out chair and never once complained

- He answered multiple phone calls and kept friends and family informed of my condition

- He stayed on me to do my breathing exercises as instructed so that my lungs would return to normal

- He came home after filling all of my prescriptions with beautiful tulips for me

- He cooked a wonderful dinner for me and my friends on Sunday night

- He cleaned the house while I slept

The list could go on and on. He is WONDERFUL!! As we share new life experiences, like hospital visits, it just brings us closer and makes me realize how lucky I am to have him to journey though life with. We are a team and he is a solid teammate. I'm so blessed he chose me!

The good news is that I am back at work and feeling much better. I return to the doctor on Friday afternoon so that we can re-evaluate my condition. I'm hoping that the kidney stone is gone...but we shall see. I'll keep you all posted!

I tried to find the humor in the situation. Here's a clip from a Friends episode where Joey gets a kidney stone:

A few pictures to document the event:

Beautiful Flowers from friends  


Lovely orange tulips from Brett










                          


 Proof that I was actually in the hospital

  

Flowers below from a thoughtful co-worker

So, needless to say, this week has been pretty much all about me at home. But next week is going to be ALL ABOUT BRETT week. Next weekend we are traveling to San Antonio and Brett is running a FULL MARATHON on Sunday, November 15th. I am already so proud of him and the hard work he has put in training. And I know I will be so excited to see him cross the finish line!! Anyway, next week I want to make sure that he is mentally, emotionally and physically ready for the big run....so next week will be all about my little runner boy!