Teaching Moment

So I've had a week now of laying/sitting around to do lots of thinking. I've been asking God, "what do you want me to take away from this", and here's what I know so far:

• I am learning a whole new compassion and patience for people who live in pain. I've always been a little impatient with people who are sick all the time or who are in pain (sorry Mom). I am sure this will help me be a more sympathetic and understanding person.
• When the fear inside me rises and I start thinking about all the "what if's" - what if I have a tumor, what if I never can walk again, what if my nerves are damaged forever, what if I never get to play tennis again . . . It has given me the faith in God to know that I am exactly where I'm supposed to be and that I can handle anything that happens to me as long as I trust Him.
• I have been getting lots of studying done for Life Coaching school and am convinced that this time to relax, reflect and learn is definitely going to help me in my classes and my certification. I have never read or studied so much, and I'm learning a lot!
• I will laugh at the funny things about this, like Trent pushing me around CVS in a wheel chair and the ridiculous way I have to stand like a Flamingo on one leg when I'm up and around.

I believe that EVERY SINGLE THING that happens in our lives can be used to teach us something, so I am going to try to continue to have a positive attitude through this and learn as much as I can.

I'm Down!

This is not fun. I am used to getting up in the a.m. and walking a couple of miles, playing hard tennis several times a week and buzzing around like a crazy woman getting projects done and crossing things off my to do list.

As of right now, I am down either flat on my back or propped up in a chair. I can't stand up for more than a minute at a time and I am really frustrated, in a lot of pain, and really scared. I can feel my muscle tone depleting every second and I have to call tomorrow to quit my tennis league. This is not good and I am not a happy camper - there is Christmas shopping and decorating just waiting to be done!

About 6 months ago I started having some issues off and on with my back and my right leg not working right. About a month ago I went in for an MRI and found out that I have something growing on my lower vertabrae and it's pushing on my spinal nerves and it's affecting my right leg. It's been pretty tolerable and has just been uncomfortable, but something changed last week and now I can't walk. Tomorrow a.m. I am going to see if I can bump up my Dr. appointment at the specialist so I can see what's going on. I'm really nervous. Please pray for me.

On a good note, I'm enjoying being waited on hand and foot. Cody and Trent are being pretty good to me. If I don't get better soon though, watch out, because that means that Trent will be doing the Christmas shopping and baking and I don't think that would be a good thing! Gift cards all around.

I did it!
I finally went surfing!

All of my life I've dreamed of being a "surfer chick" and finally, after 41 years, I got to get on a surf board.

Last week Trent and I went to Vegas for business then rented a convertible and drove to San Diego's Pacific Beach for 3 days. The day that I surfed was a PERFECT day everyone said - there were surfers everywhere and it was so fun being in the water up close and watching them. I even almost got conked in the head by a flying board.

It's really, really, really tiring and hard to do, and I said I would be happy if I just got up once and actually rode a wave. Well, much to my surprise, I got up the first time! I had quite a few good wipe outs though - I even have this cool bruise on my ankle from the board - I wish I could keep it forever, it's better than a tatoo!

Now I can wear my Roxy clothes and carry my Roxy luggage with pride and not feel like a poser!

Here we are heading off to start my lesson - I'm so excited I think I'm going to pee in my wetsuit!

Here's my instructor Meghan showing me how I'm going to simply push my chest up with my arms while at the same time popping my feet underneath my chest and standing up - all in one move in one second while on top of a wave. That is me saying "WHAT?" I don't think my 41 year old body moves that fast anymore!

This is Pacific Beach Surf School where I took my surfing lesson. Meghan was my "surfer chick" teacher and she was AWESOME!

We stayed at The Catamaran Resort on Mission Bay and 2 blocks from Pacific Beach. I HIGHLY recommend this place - it was beautiful, reasonably priced, had a GREAT spa (we got a couples massage) and the people that worked and lived there were wonderful.

I got up early one morning and watched the sunrise over the San Diego Bay with the mountains in the distance - it was amazing. This was the view outside our door. What was especially wonderful about this place was that I could watch the sunrise, then walk 2 blocks over and watch the sunset on Pacific Beach. AMAZING!

Me right before we had to check out on Tuesday afternoon. This was probably the time I was trying to convince Trent to sell everything and move out to a 900 sq. ft. beach house. I actually cried when we had to leave. SOMEDAY I'll actually live by the beach and won't have to leave!

Last week we went to Vegas to a HUGE auto show where people come from all over the world. It actually is so big that it takes up BOTH convention centers in Vegas. We decided to take our nephew Shaun (who works for us at the shop) so that we could help inspire him of all the possibilities that are out there for him.



Here's my baby nephew Shaun (who's 19 now and not a baby anymore) standing next to a Hemi engine that he was drooling over. He is definitely following in his Uncle's footsteps - he is a gear head through and through. He's brilliant when it comes to mechanical things and he wants to build custom offroad vehicles - he's going to be great at it. He's so good you just might see him on a reality TV show someday.

Here's the convertible version of Trent's cuda - same color and everything

Here's the new 4 door jeeps - Trent says he's getting me one in the spring because he likes them so much. I say if he wants to buy me a brand new vehicle, I'm fine with that!

Here's me goofing around on the strip in Vegas - Shaun picked these glasses out for me.

I wore Shaun and Trent out while we were shopping - here they are taking a nap in "The Forum" at Caesar's Palace.

Date Night Wednesday

Last night was date night and we decided we've been on the go too much and we'd rather stay home and watch a movie.

Well, it was my brilliant idea to finally get Nacho Libre, and oh my gosh, what a dumb movie! It was "Napoleon Dynamite" kind of dumb, but it grew on us and actually ended up being good in a weird sort of way.

Here are some of my favorite quotes:

"When you are a man, sometimes you wear stretchy pants in your room. It's for fun. "

"They think I do not know a buttload of crap about the Gospel, but I do!
Precious Father, why have you given me this desire to wrestle and then made me such a stinky warrior? "

"Inside every suit there is a man. And inside every man... there is a nucleus."

Help - I'm frustrated!

I haven't been blogging because I lost my entire side bar page and have no idea why it's not showing up - the picture, my links, archives. etc.

Does anyone know how I can fix it?

HELP!!!