It was just meant to be

Yesterday was the most amazing day ever.

My mom and I went to the Dallas Temple to perform the Endowment for my Great-Grandma Helen, or Gigi, as we called her. The Endowment is one of the necessary ordinances all of us must receive in order to enter the Celestial kingdom, or the highest level of heaven. In our church, since so many people are unable during their lives to receive these necessary ordinances such as baptism, endowment, and sealing to their families, we perform the work on their behalf after they have passed on. My sister, Karen was baptized on behalf of Gigi a couple of weeks ago.

Yesterday was such a beautiful day. Not just because of the amazing weather, but because of the many wonderful things that happened.

Friday night, I fell asleep late, close to midnight, and woke up at 3 am absolutely sick. I was miserable, thinking I might have to reschedule the temple trip. I was devastated, because I knew it would be very difficult, maybe a matter of months before my mom and I could go together to do Gigi's work. I took some medicine and prayed all night that I would be well enough to go. I didn't get any more sleep that night, but around 7 am, I began to feel better. By 8, I was perky and excited. We meant to leave around 9 am so we could go to the Beehive store and get some new clothing first. I was running behind, so we didn't leave until about 9:30. As soon as I walked in the door of the temple, I saw an old friend from my college days. Sister Peterson is the secretary at the Denton Institute where I plan to return this fall. She was so surprised and happy to see me, and I was thrilled too. She said, "I was just talking about you with Sarah!" Sarah is another old friend of mine I haven't seen since I got married, and I have missed her very much. If we'd been on time for the temple, I wouldn't have seen Sister Peterson as she was just leaving.

We went in to begin the work for Gigi. My mom asked me if I would mind if she did the first part. Of course I didn't. Gigi was Mom's grandmother. I waited on a couch in the hallway watching the young couples going in to be sealed to each other for time and all eternity. They looked so lovely and happy. I felt so peaceful sitting there quietly. I began a silent prayer. I prayed that I would be able to know whether or not my Gigi would accept the work I was doing for her, whether she accepted it then or later.

Finally it was my turn. I went in and stood with a sister who helped me. As I said Gigi's name, Helen Inez May, out loud, I was suddenly overwhelmed like I'd been struck in the chest. I felt it radiating through out my body. It was such an utter feeling of love, not just the love I had for my Gigi, but I could also feel how much she loved me. As I came out of the room, tears streaming down my face, my mom asked me if I was okay. I hadn't even had the thought cross my mind but the words came out of my mouth: "Mom, she's here."

The rest of the session was so peaceful. I felt the Holy Ghost so strongly testify that the things I was learning and doing were true. When we were finished, my mom and I sat together in the temple. I felt so lucky to be there. I felt so close to my Heavenly Father, as if He was in the next room. I knew He loved me and was watching over me.

We left the temple feeling happy, peaceful, and hungry!!

We wanted to go to the LDS bookstore. I wanted a new CTR ring and a children's hymnbook. I teach a children's Sunday school class, and sadly I know so few of the songs. I wanted the book so I could try to learn and sing along with my class. We were so hungry we decided to go to lunch first, though our original plan was to go to the bookstore first.

Lunch was delicious.

We headed to the bookstore, and I wanted to put my bag in the trunk of my mom's car. I stood up from the trunk and turned around and walked right into my old friend Sarah. We exchanged phone numbers and plan to get together next week. If we'd gone to the bookstore instead of lunch, I would have missed Sarah!!

I got the hymnbook and ordered a ring. (They were out of the design I liked best.) We came home, and I finally fell asleep.

I still feel so happy and fulfilled. I know yesterday was meant to be. I went where I was supposed to go and did what I was supposed to do. I know I have pleased my Father in Heaven, and I am so excited to continue to do so.

The iPod that came from China

So my iPod is here!! I am soooo excited!! I feel like I'm on the cutting edge of technology. (Since I'm usually technologically-challenged...)

I checked the fedex tracking page on Monday morning around 9:30 am. It said my iPod was in Shanghai, China awaiting shipment to the US. While I thought it was totally cool there was an iPod waiting for me in China, I was a little bummed. I figured it would take a couple of days for my new little buddy to arrive. However, fedex had a different plan in mind. They dropped off my iPod yesterday sometime before 10 am. I was shocked and thrilled. How amazing of a world do we live in? My iPod was in China, and 24 hours later it was in my hands.

I got one of those touch-iPods. It works very similarly to the iPhone. It has a flat touch screen that controls the iPod and becomes the video screen for viewing music, movies, and tv shows I have downloaded to the iPod. It even connects to Wi-Fi, so I can browse the internet, check my mail, and leave comments on my friends' blogs. (I was going to do this blog from my iPod, but we haven't worked that one out yet.) I uploaded nearly all of my music. I spent several hours last night doing that (computer issues... not iPod issues...), so I plan to spend sometime figuring out how to upload movies.

I know it's a little materialistic to be so excited about a toy. But I can't help it. I'm just having too much fun!!!

All work and no sleep makes for a very loopy Mar

I have to say first of all, yesterday was a very happy day. I don't know why I felt so happy, I just did. Maybe I've finally lost my mind. I just felt so light hearted and I really enjoyed myself.

I'm not as blissful today, but still pretty happy. I didn't get any sleep last night!! Well, hardly any...

My sister finally called me yesterday. We talked for nearly an hour (when I should have been in bed, but hey, it's Karen...What wouldn't I give to talk to her for an hour??) and then I was even more excited for having gotten to talk to my sister, I couldn't sleep!! I think I finally fell asleep around 1 am. I would have been okay, but BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG!! at 3 am a massive hail storm hit. There was thunder and lightning and golf ball sized hail, and then wouldn't you know it, the tornado alarm went off...

My mom came rushing up the stairs to check on the computer and insisted I get my dogs downstairs to our laundry hallway. The sky was so bright, I thought it was nearly 7 am. We hung out cuddling puppies until the storm died down and headed back to bed. I don't know when I finally fell asleep, but I didn't feel like I'd gotten any sleep at all. I crashed around 2 this afternoon, so I wasn't very productive today at work.

Luckily I am off for the weekend, so I plan on sleeping in a bit tomorrow.

I am so excited for this weekend. This weekend is the spring session of our church's semi-annual General Conference. We get to hear from many of our general authorities, and most important, we will get to hear from our new prophet, President Thomas S. Monson. It's still so weird to think of him as the prophet, isn't it?? I still want to say Gordon B Hinckley...

I forgot to ask for this weekend off. I was pretty bummed about it, since working on Saturday would mean I'd miss the Saturday sessions. It's weird, because listening to Saturday Conference was never a priority in my family when I was growing up. But I felt so sad that I was going to miss the Saturday Sessions this spring. I got my schedule for the month of April yesterday, and lo and behold, I got this Saturday off!! (Maybe that was why I was so happy yesterday. I'll have to think about that...) I am absolutely thrilled. Obviously there is something that will be said that I need to hear. Or, maybe I'll get to see my sister on tv. Or maybe both!!

Karen's friend had some extra tickets to a Saturday session so she'll get to go to Salt Lake to sit in the conference center and hear the talks in person. How lucky is she?? I'm so excited for her.

Why else might I be happy? Could it be that I discovered I get a discount on iPods for working where I do? Could it be I went on the company website and ordered myself one last night (before the crazy storm)?? I think it could!!!!

If I were a dipstick, where would I be?

Seriously, where's the dipstick??

Earlier this month, I was contacted by American Honda letting me know that since the Honda payments were two months behind, they were planning on repossessing the car. Eric and I leased a 2006 Honda Civic Christmas 2005. Of course we planned on being married forever, so we thought there'd be no problems leasing a car together. But then we divorced. The divorce decree awarded the Civic and the balance of the loan to Eric. But Honda refuses to take my name off the lease. I panicked of course, knowing what a repossession would do to my already shaky credit. (Divorce is a credit killer.) It took weeks of begging Eric to get him to finally agree to give me the car back. He originally decided he didn't care what it did to either of our credit histories, I wasn't getting the car back.

The Saturday one week before Easter, I was at work eating lunch when all of the sudden I got some very mean and spiteful text messages from Eric calling me names very few people have ever called me before. I still don't know what I did to deserve those nasty messages, but it forced my hand. I called my mom who called Eric's dad to try to get him to stop the messages. It also got Eric talking about the car, and I guess he was mad enough at me to finally agree to give me the car so he wouldn't have to talk to me anymore.

My mom and I got him to agree to meet us in McAlister, OK. It's approximately the halfway point between where I live and where Eric lives now. I had to promise him $20 gas money to get him to come, and the moment I saw the car, I regretted it.









One of the tires had blown, and my mom didn't want me driving back to Dallas on the spare, so she took me to a nearby Wal-Mart to get the tire replaced. After the tire was replaced, my mom and I wanted to check various fluids in the car. We had to completely refill the brake fluid since it was bone dry. We were looking all over the engine, searching for the dipstick to check the oil since the car was nearly 5000 miles overdue for an oil change. We couldn't find it, so Mom stopped a man parked near us and asked for help. He was super nice and tried as hard as he could to find the dipstick. It took quite a bit of time for the three of us staring at the engine to realize the dipstick was that incredibly bright roadside-cone-orange-colored thing in the dead center of the engine. Mom asked me to get some napkins from the other car so she could wipe off the dipstick. I seriously didn't even think about it before I said, "I thought he was halfway back to Arkansas..."

Before picking up the car, I'd asked Eric what kind of condition the car was in. He said, "It's drive-able." What he failed to mention was that it was not stoppable. Whatever accident had nearly peeled off the front passenger side of the car had caused severe brake damage. I had to drive back home using the hand brake-blind on my right side-in the dark... I was singing along to "Wicked" at the top of my lungs so I wouldn't panic. It almost worked...

I have to tell you I know I was being watched over that night. From the time we left the Wal-Mart in McAlister, OK, until coming home, I only had to stop at three stoplights. We made two other stops so one of us (and by that I mean me) wouldn't explode. I was so grateful when I finally pulled into the driveway (on a steep incline) at my mom's. I nearly collapsed as I tried to get out of the car. I still have nightmares almost every night of driving that car down various local highways without brakes. I'll tell you I've never been more terrified.

I was so bummed that I missed church that day. I had to call for an emergency sub, and I really missed my kiddos. The worst part of missing church was that I didn't get to see my friend Jamie or meet her new daughter. I'd been looking forward to seeing them for months, and I missed it thanks to my ex. Jamie and her family are moving home this fall, so hopefully I'll get plenty of time with them then, and I'm excited about that, but still sad I missed them the other week.

The car is being repaired now, and we are trying to negotiate for time with Honda so we can either refinance the Civic or turn it in and get into a new lease so I won' t have to deal with Eric in a few years when it's time to sell the car. I just have to get him to sign a few papers to allow me to turn in the car. Wish me luck.

Seriously, wish me luck. I could really use some about now.

PS, thanks Aunt Mar for the blog title!!

The Long Awaited Update

Okay, so it has been so long since I last posted a real blog. So sorry everybody!! It has been crazy around here the last few weeks, and I do mean crazy.

Fun stuff first:

Early this month we had real honest-to-goodness snow. What a blast!! I was so excited to see real snow for the first time in at least 10 years. Down here in Texas we usually get what I call "Texas Snow". It looks like snow, but it's really ice in disguise. But this stuff was soft and fluffy and the snow flakes were as big as I've ever seen them in Texas. (Yes, everything in Texas is bigger-and better... except snowflakes...) My dogs were a little unsure of what was going on the first night of snow, but when it snowed again a few days later, they were ready and excited. It was so much fun to watch them play in the snow.

The best part was throwing snowballs at them, because they could see something coming at them, but when the snowball landed, it didn't look or smell any different than the rest of the ground. They were so confused!!

I built a mini snowman!! Isn't he adorable??

It's been so long, I don't remember if it was the weekend before or after the snow, but I got to go hang out with my dad and his family. We saw the movie "Penelope" which I highly recommend for date night or girl's night out. It was great. We had dinner afterwards, and then we went back to dad's where Fallon and I sang karaoke. It's a good thing she's six and hasn't figured out I can't sing yet...


We took this picture so I could send it to Karen, but I don't think it worked. Here you go Karen, this is what I was trying to text message you all those weeks ago.


Okay, so I know there was more to my fabulous first few days of March, but sadly I took too long to write about it. The next blog has my not so good news for the rest of the month.

Preview

Okay, so a lot has happened in the last week, and I have a LOT of catching up to do. I am sorry I have been so busy but I promise a giant post full of pictures as soon as I can catch a breath. I'll tell you I got to spend some time with my family and play in the snow.

A Day Off

Yay, I finally got a day off and I wasn't sick!! Well, I'm still sniffling, but much better.

I spent yesterday with my Aunt Mar. We hung out at Stonebriar, and I have to admit I got spoiled again. I enjoyed shopping and chatting at lunch, and then Aunt Mar took me to the lady who does her hair so I could get a new haircut. I wanted a big change, and I got it. I think my hair turned out super cute!! It's healthy, smooth, and bouncy now. I was actually excited to go back to work so I could show off my new hair and clothes.

Somebody shoot me please!!

Okay, so it turns out things are worse than I thought. Please everybody pray for me that I will find the solution to my problems and that I will be able to get my life back on track. I don't know what else to do. Just when it seems like my life can't get any worse, it does.

Sorry, but I need to vent

Okay, I have been sick for a week straight, and I am sick of it!! I want to breathe freely and stop blowing my nose every thirty seconds. Of course I am super thankful that my fever is gone and I've stopped throwing up. Also, my throat is much better, thanks.

Being sick makes me cranky, so I could just be over reacting here, but someone please shoot me if I ever tell you I am getting married again. I swear I cannot do it!! I would much rather be the crazy lady who lives in the big house by herself with twenty or so dogs (sorry, not really a cat person). I could be a cool aunt though, because I am learning from the best. (No rush, Karen, I think five or ten years sounds good to me...)

I am so sorry this is such a negative post, but my ex-husband is stooping to all time lows. I just can't wrap my head around it. How can the man I met and married be the man who is purposely driving me crazy (and not in a good way) today? What happened? I sometimes wonder what I did to deserve this, but I can't think of anything. I have a temper, I know, but other than that, I was a good wife. I tried to be supportive and loving as much as I could be, but Eric just didn't care about my health problems and wouldn't step up like he needed to. And now he's blaming me, and rubbing my face in his new relationship. Like I care if there is another woman in his life. That's certainly not something new.

All I have to say to his girlfriend is good luck. You'll need it. You see how he treats me now, just wait until he's tired of you. He cheated on me to be with you twice, and there were other girls in between. Trust me, he won't change for you. He's meaner now than he's ever been. I don't know how or why you two have convinced yourselves that I am the bad guy since Eric can't handle his responsibilities. Just because the judge signed the paperwork doesn't mean all of our situations have settled. Sorry, but you'll have to keep dealing with me until everything is cleared up. It's called being an adult.

Okay, so I don't know if either of them will ever read this, so I am apologizing again for my negative blog. To my other readers, thanks for your love and support. I couldn't have survived so far with out you. Thanks for letting me vent. Here's hoping the next blog is a little happier.

By the way, I took myself to see "Fools Gold" tonight. It's a very good comedy, I highly recommend it for my adult or older teen friends. There's nothing bad in it, I just don't think a younger child would get it. Anyway, I bring it up because Tess and Finn (Kate Hudson and Matthew McConaughey) get divorced in the beginning of the movie. Finn is late to the meeting with the judge, so Tess has to go through it alone. She says, "Do you have any idea how humiliating it is to get divorced by yourself?" Yes, actually, I do.

The Big 10

Happy Birthday, Megan!!

My little cousin Megan turned 10 today. She may be growing up, but she'll always be my "little Megan".

Megan is very smart, beautiful, and talented. She excels in her gymnastics competitions and is adored by all who know her. Megan has a big heart for such a tiny girl. She goes out of her way to make sure everyone is happy and having a good time.

I'll never forget when she first moved to Texas with her family. We were invited to her house for dinner, but there wasn't enough room for everyone at the table. Megan was two years old, and made a table for her sister from a step stool.

Megan never ceases to amaze me. She isn't afraid to be herself, or show off her talents. She makes me laugh, and I especially love watching her perform with her brother, Ashton.

Megan is the kind of person who accepts you the way you are.
It doesn't cross her mind that you may be different from her; she loves you anyway. She is an excellent example to me, and I am so grateful to have her in my life.

Happy Birthday, Megan. I hope you enjoy your big day.