Grab a seat and a snack, this might take a while!

First, I would like to apologize for my abscense. I dont have any good excuses, so I will not try to excuse my way out of it! So, I will update you on what has been going on for the past month or so...

Between surgerys, fires, stepping on nails, concerts and the flu, a lots been going on! I will start off with the surgery. James had knee surgery on September 11th, of all days. I made sure to wear my red white and blue, dont you worry:) His surgery went well is recovering very nicely. This surgery was a lot less evasive than past surgerys, so his recovery was a lot less painful and shorter.

James in front of the beginning flames

Next, fires. Oh my the fires. Well Friday the 19th James and I had a bon fire that evening, burning a bunch of wood/trash/couches from the house. Well, it was pretty masive to say the least. All was well when we went to bed, perodically checking in on it. Well, when we got up the next morning I went out to check on it, and some old logs from the old train tracks we had it on and somehow caught fire.

In awe of the rising flames

I loved the way the smoke was twirling in the wind

Mind you, they were about 2 feet away from the initial fire, so how they caught fire we have no idea. So, I go get James and we drench them for about a half hour, thinking they were done for. Well, later that afternoon James was gone at his friends and I was getting ready to head out myself, when I looked behind the house and noticed some smoke! I ran to where we had the fire and noticed that the logs were indeed not drenched enough and the grass and bushes behind them had caught fire. I call James in a panic, while trying the put the fire out but the hose wasnt reaching far enough. I was pretty hysterical at this point, having never had to put out a fire and the flames were spreading. In the middle of all the panic, I stepped on a nail, and when I say step, I mean the nail went straight through my foot. Oh my goodness it hurt so bad. Luckily it was a nail that had been through the fire, so we werent too worried about it. Well, I eventually ran over to my neighbors, or should I say hobbled is more like it, and they came over with their hose and helped me put it out. It was quite the afternoon! Mind you, our concert was that evening, so it was a jam packed full of adventure day.

Sitting and enjoying the beautiful sight of fire...

If you can, enlarge the picture so you can see James beautiful blue eyes, oh my the dazzle me!

I will have to share about the concert in another post, I dont have access to all my pictures right now.

I will share though an experience I had with a dog. Oh the poor dog. I was driving to work last week, Thursday I believe. On my way, driving along the busy road of 32nd street during early morning rush hour, there was the cutest little scruffy haired dog running alongside the busy road, in the opposite direction of the cars. Well, I luckily missed it, but unfortunately the car behind me didnt. I watched in my rear view mirror the poor innocent little thing get run over. I still get sick to my stomach when I think of it. Well, I pulled off on the next road and watched the person who hit drive off without a care. I couldnt believe it!! So I turned around and pulled off the side of the road to check on it, and it was surely still lying there in the middle of the road. It was located right after an intersection, so I kept debating during a red light getting out and picking it up and placing it off the side of the road, but I knew I would be risking my life in doing so. So, I had to drive away, crying my eyes out for the poor thing. When I got to work I told my boss about it and she called animal control for me to tell them of its whereabouts. I was sick all day, not knowing if it was okay or not! So after meeting with my attorney at lunch (I will go into further detail of this in a second, theres always more!) I called animal control and they said they didnt know anything, but to call the humane society and see if they would know. Sure enough, I called them and they said it was brought in and was currently at the vet...I exclaimed, "ITs ALIVE?!?!" The poor deaf lady on the other end assured me it was alive and being taken care of. What a relief that was for me, that was all I wanted to hear. At that point, all I wanted to do was find it and wrap it up in my arms and give it a big hug! But just knowing it was alive would have to suffice.

Now onto my meeting with the attorney. As it turns out, my insurance agent was wrong when he said I would more than likely be no longer involved in the case of this idiotic lady suing me. I got a letter a couple weeks ago from Farm Bureau telling me I was being appointed an attorney and he would be contacting me. At first, I didnt think much of it, dismissing it for the most part. Well last week I got a letter from the attorney, telling me when the trial dates would be! Needless to say I was freaking out at this point. James calmed me down assuring me that it doesnt necessarily mean its actually going to court, those were just tentative dates just in case. Sure enough, after meeting with the attorney he also assured me that there is less than a 3% chance of it going to court and that the worst that can happen to me is having to take work off for a couple days to sit in court. Our insurance at the time has us covered very well just in case they for some odd insane reason they win. Get this: the lady that is suing me, her lawyer is her son! Go figure. My attorney said thats more than likely the reason this has gone this far. Absolutely ridiculous. Its really sad to see how lawsuit hungry people are these days, just sad.

Well, I suppose that will be it for me for now. Sorry if I completely bored you to death! There is still more to update on, so I will save it for later. For now, were doing good and staying alive. My thoughts and prayers are with you all.

Forgive and Forget

In addition to seeking forgiveness for our own sins, we must be willing to forgive others.

"I, the Lord, will forgive whom I will forgive, but of you it is required to forgive all men" (D&C 64:10).

Thank you to those who help me remember that.

Assuming...

We all know the saying when it comes to assuming...so why do people still do it! Ugh, I had a situation tonight where a certain someone did just that, and words dont describe just how much it irked me, only because they assumed negative, not positive. One of my favorite quotes was given to me by my bishop, "Assume Positive Intent." Well they presented the situation first quite rudely, and put me in a bad light, all because they assumed the worst. Instead of just asking first hand the question that would have solved the whole mess in a kind manner, they made a choice not to. Oh well. Its over. I should not dwell. But the whole reason I share this situation is to remind people how much damage assuming really does do. Catch yourself before you assume the worst. If it ends up being so, atleast you didnt get yourself worked up about it and remained the bigger person. Be big. The End.

Update On James

Well he finally is out of surgery (5 hours later) and is in recovery...Just waiting for him to wake up from the anesthesia...

So I found out why we had to wait so long...James was actually scheduled for surgery at 2:20! Well they told us to come in early because the doctor usually gets done early...well they ended up scheduling more people in, so it pushed James back...so instead of calling us to have us come in later, they had us come in and wait for 5 stinkin hours!! Oh well, at least he is alive and well. I really cant complain, even though I already did:)

Thanks for all the prayers...love you all!

I will continue to keep you all updated...

James Surgery

Right now I am waiting for my husband to come out of surgery...yes, the time has come for the doctors to cut him open, rip out that cartilage, and sew him back up. Well, its actually less evasive than that, its an arthroscopic surgery where they make three little incisions, one for the camera, one for the knife, and the other I dont remember what for. The whole procedure only takes about an hour. This time though, were having it done at the bigger hospital, so theres more people and a longer wait. I dont like it at all. The last place, St. Johns, was way more personal and I just felt comfortable there. Oh well, at least Ive already been through it before so I know what to expect. James on the other hand has been through it, oh, 3 times already. This is is 4th time!! Weve both decided to just have the doctor take the miniscus out, knowing he will eventually have it taken out anyways...pause...

So I am now back with James waiting for him to actually go into surgery...two hours later!! I am furious as to how long this is taking. Last time, it only took 2 hours and we were in and out. I guess thats what you get for going to the bigger hospital. What has happened to customer service these days? I swear its diminishing every where I go.

I will keep you posted on how it goes, till then, I will try and keep myself from strangling the doctor...

James wasnt too keen on pictures, but I did anyways:)

Nothing like a shaved knee
You can tell he was fed up with pictures by now!

What would you do?

Well, I found it very interesting watching the Today show this morning. It was just a testament to me that what I did last night, (mentioned in my last post) was the right thing to do. For those of you that dont know the story, just recently in Philadelphia there was a man on the subway who was maliciously beaten by a stranger with a hammer. The story is about how nobody did anything. It wasnt until the man had fled the scene that a man pulled the emergency switch on the train to stop. There were two strong and stout men that were there during the incident that very easily could have taken this man down, but didnt. Why? A lot are saying out of fear for their own safety, which I wont lie, I would be too. But the chief of police made a statement about it all that everyone should really consider..."Think if it were your own life, you better pray that someone would help you out." Just put yourself in their position, that might change your motivation. I think of 911, all those people on that plane that could have done nothing out of fear. But they did do something, they were brave and courageous, who put aside their fear and helped out their fellow men. That is true heroism.

Bad Boys, Bad Boys, Watcha gonna do...

First, I would like to point out I am typing this post from my very own home! We finally have internet via Sprints wireless internet since we live in the boondocks, its the only thing we can get. We had to get it too, since James is now in school doing online classes. So, Im sitting outside enjoying the beautiful 70 degree weather, while typing this, aint life grand?:)
Ok, down to business. So I found myself on a chase today, if I were an actual cop I wouldve said a "high speed" chase, but since I am a law abiding citizen, I had to go the speed limit. Well, this chase involved a drunk driver, who made me so mad I had no choice but to follow him! For the sake of others safety of course, not to satisfy my rage for this man. Anywho, I was driving home after making my rounds of grocery shopping, which I must say I found some great deals! I digress...after going through an intersection this guy decides he wants to drive in the median, which he does for about a half mile! We now approach another intersection, which Im thinking at this point he's going to turn since hes still in the turn lane. NOPE!! He goes straight through, almost hitting people going the other direction and the people in the lane to his right! I couldnt believe my eyes! So I get behind him to watch him and sure enough he is swerving in and out of the lanes. This outrages me, so I call James to get the polices phone number. Well, by the time I call were in another county, so they give me that county police depts. number. Well, by the time I get a hold of them, were almost in Kansas, a good 15 minutes out of my way. I had to stop and turn around, but not before I got his liscense number and make/model of his car. I gave them the information, which they told me they would dispatch. So who knows if he'll get caught or not, I sure hope he does though. Ive been personally affected by these horrible people, after James accident being hit by someone under the influence, I am deffinitely more aware of the people around me. It kills me that there are still people who do, just recently here a couple was killed on their motorcycle by someone who was drunk at the wheel. So, my inate reaction was to get this guy. If I had a gun and knew how to use it, I would have gotten his tires, made him spun out and stop, grabbed him out of the car, and yelled at him. But alas, Im just measly little Jeannette and all I could do was call the cops.
Well, hope you enjoyed a day in the life of Jeannette. A working, law abiding, photographer, home maker, drunk driver chaser. If only I had a picture of me doing all of these, that would be awesome! Im getting on that right now...

Chaulk another one up for James

Well, after several visits with the doctors and an MRI, James has to have another knee surgery. Not on the one he already had one on which was the left, but now the right which is from the accident. He originally was experiencing pain in his heel which eventually went to his knee. He went to see the doctor about it in which he told him he needed an MRI, which led to finding out the miniscus either needs to be reparied or removed. In the long run, it would be best for him to have it repaired, but unfortunately its a 6-8 week recovery, and we simply cant afford for him to be off work that long. We barely made it by when he was off work for 5 weeks living off savings which is gone, there just simply isnt any way we could do it again. So, James has decided to just have it completely removed which the recovery is only a couple days. I worry for him a great deal, with only being 24 and already having 4 major knee surgerys, his future isnt looking to bright right now. The that makes me feel the worst and sick the most about all of this, is that I cant do whats best for my husband because I cant afford to. I dont know. Im praying we can work something out but for now he's pretty set on having it removed. Any extra prayers would be nice and sincerely greatly appreciated.

She gave me the verse...

...ACTS 15:28,29

28 For it seemed good to the Holy Ghost, and to us, to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things;

29 That ye abstain from meats offered to a idols, and from blood, and from things strangled, and from fornication: from which if ye keep yourselves, ye shall do well. Fare ye well.

Still dont see where it says to not do blood transfusions....

Question

Ok, so I need your help...I work with a Jehovas Witness and I must say it has been really interesting learning about what she believes and why. We have some interesting religious discussions, and one that just came up was how they dont take blood transfusions because in the "bible says not to." She was saying its in Acts where they were talking about how they ate blood and that Christ told them not to, so thats how they get that...??? Um, Im trying to find that in Acts and I cant find it! Mind you, they have theyre own bible and I asked her if it was in her bible and she said "Its in all the bibles", but I cant find it. Can any of you help me out on this? I just wanna see the scripture that they have manipulated to their own meaning. Its really sad if you ask me. She is the most arrogant and ignorant person I have ever met. They will shun you if you are not of their religion, and I know would not help someone out if they were not their religion. I have seen it first hand, it makes my blood boil. Oh well, I know who I am and I know the truth so I try to not let it get to me.
Anyways, thanks for helping in advance!!

Gordon B. Hinckley

Being a lover of out beloved late Gordon B. Hinckley, I decided I needed to pay a little tribute to him as well. Being the prophet when I first joined the church, I always felt close to him, he spoke the most to me. He was such a gentle loving man, but was so strong and firm in his teachings and example. And that he was, an amazing example I will always remember. So I will share some of my favorite quotes from him:

“This is my prayer for all of us—'Lord, increase our faith.' Increase our faith to bridge the chasms of uncertainty and doubt. . . . Grant us faith to look beyond the problems of the moment to the miracles of the future. . . . Give us faith to do what is right and let the consequence follow.”

“This cause will roll on in majesty and power to fill the earth. Doors now closed to the preaching of the gospel will be opened. The Almighty, if necessary, may have to shake the nations to humble them and cause them to listen to the servants of the living God. Whatever is needed will come to pass.”

“Under the plan of heaven, the husband and the wife walk side by side as companions, neither one ahead of the other, but a daughter of God and a son of God walking side by side. Let your families be families of love and peace and happiness. Gather your children around you and have your family home evenings, teach your children the ways of the Lord, read to them from the scriptures, and let them come to know the great truths of the eternal gospel as set forth in these words of the Almighty.”

Concert Time!

Its official, James and I are going to see Josh Gracin in Concert!!! I am so stoked!!! For those of you less familiar with him, here are some of his hits:

*We werent crazy

*Nothin to lose

*I want to live

*Stay with me (Brass Bed) (my personal favorite)

Anyways, he's coming to our local town Neosho, only a half hour away, so I didnt mind spending a couple extra dollars for good seats since we wont be spending it on gas to travel. I begged James a couple weeks ago to go see Jason Mraz in St. Louis, but since its a 5 hour drive and on a Sunday, it was a no go. So when I saw last night that Josh Gracin was coming to town, one of my favorite country singers, I HAD to go! It took a little convincing of James, but since we got this whole love thing going on, he couldnt say no:) Now, the only thing that would make this perfect is if my friends Nicole and Anna were here to go with me, we had some good times jamming out to his music:)

Yay for good times and good memories to come!!!