Sammy's Birthday

For Samantha's 21 birthday a bunch of her friends came to Salt Lake and we went out to dinner and dancing at a club. It was a lot of fun, here are some pictures...

All of us at the Club

Everyone dancing with Sammy

Sammy and my handsome husband

Boys will be boys

Robert, James, and Richard

Sammy with one of her good friends Kenny

Once again Sammy dancing with friends

Happy Birthday Sammy!!!!

some food for thought

I am sitting here and in my opinion the worse pain I have to go through and I deal with it once a month, get it? I was thinking about typing a blog about how much I hate being a female around this time and I was thinking... well God created our bodies he didn't mess up... but why the agonizing pain? I was thinking about complaining about how much I hate this pain and I thought of Christ. He knows how much pain I am in, He went through it. And then I realized that if he has gone through all of the painful cycles I have and still had the strength to go on that I need to shut up and deal with it. Here I am complaining about the same thing I do every month and how I wish it would stop and I have a lot more to go through (i.e. pregnancy) It just sucks. Can I at least complain about that? There is nothing that can be done except put me in a medicated coma during the entire cycle, but even that doesn't solve the problem. I guess it comes down to this as I clench my teeth. . . I LOVE BEING A GIRL AND I AM VERY THANKFUL FOR THE OPPORTUNITY!!

I made a comment about turning into the hulk on Richard for no reason other than I am in pain, and he in a sad voice said, "What? why me, no please." (Look at Trappetts blog to get that one.)

Richard got a calling.....

At church yesterday the Bishop pulled Richard into his office to talk to him for a minute, then came and got me. The Bishop said his name came up when talking about the Sunday School presidency (WHAT!!!). So Richard was asked to be the 2nd counselor for Sunday School (HUH??). Mine and Richards first reaction was, "Now he has to stay for all of church." People that know Richard know that religion has been something very hard for him and he usually goes for Sacrament meeting then leaves. I was dumb founded, Richard in Sunday School presidency (WOW). I didn't know if I should laugh or cry because now he is going to have to jump right into church and stay the entire time but he is also going to stand up in front of every one and welcome them to Sunday School. Once again the Irony of Richards situation. I have high hopes for him, so everyone please pray on his behalf and we will see what happens!!

Ward Christmas Party

Last weekend we had our ward Christmas party, and I was in charge of it. I am on the ward activity committee, yes I know a filler position but someone has to do right? The ward activity leader had surgery so I told her I would take over for her, plus the whole activity was my idea. We had a ward talent show, it was fun to see how diverse our ward is. Then the Nativity movie that the church was played, a few spiritual songs to help set the mood and then Santa. I thought it was a good time. We got pictures but I haven't downloaded them yet.

All I want for Christmas is my two front teeth...

Today Richard and I had our biannual visit to the dentist for teeth cleaning and Richard hates the dentist more like loathes the dentist. I actually love going to the dentist and getting the clean feeling. I have good news and bad news. Good news I had a cavity at my last appointment but we did not have the money to fix it but now it has remineralized. The bad new I am still grinding my teeth at night wearing them down(something I have done my whole life,) and I need to get a new mouth guard.

OH but Richard... Richard... Richard... Richard... At his last EMT class he was assisting with properly handling a seizure patient and the patient was a great actor demonstrating muscle ridgity and punched Richard in a open mouth. Well the punch landed right in Richards front tooth breaking the plate and the one next to it. Well it got infected and now Richard needs two root canals. The Ironic part is our insurance does not cover anaesthesia! It is going to cost us an arm and an leg so all Richard is getting for Christmas is his two front teeth!!!

Bateman Christmas party

So tonight we had the Bateman side of the family Christmas party. I love Richard's grandma Bateman, so just goes goes and goes. She has so many family get togethers during the year and has a big finish for the holidays. She is 88 and we believe she is going to live top over a hundred! Every Christmas she makes lots and lots of chocolates and carmels and then has a big family dinner and lets people have at the chocolates. Now the Bateman side is huge, Richards dad Scott is second of eight children, and each of them have over five kids, so family gathering is huge. But coming from not having a large extended family I love it. I can't remember any of their names for the life of me but I love going to the parties and seeing everyone again. I wish I took pictures because Richard looked so cute and I did my hair really cute. I love my new hair cut it is so easy to do... I don't do it messy look is in. Any way one family party down a few more to go!!!

Have to check it out...

Everyone you HAVE TO check out my best friends blog James and Brooke Trappett. She made little elv movies of my family, me and Richard with herself and her husband, and one with her entire family. It is so funny and everyone needs to check it out!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

www.bjtrappett.blogspot.com

You will laugh so hard you might cry, I did!

My Version of Little Miracles

Late at night at my job it gets pretty boring and I have nothing to do but surf blogs, and I came across one "Little Miracles" on my cousin Tyler and Desiree's blog. I also just read an email about making it in hard times from President Packer, reading both of these really touched me and made me realize that I talk about all of the negative stuff going on in our lives right now and none of the positive. It was a humbling experience. Here are some of the things I would consider my little miracles.

First, I want to say thank you to my cousin for sharing those experiences with us and for making me realize all the "Little Miracles" in my life. It was what I needed to hear right now.

Second, with Richard it is easy to point out all the things that are "wrong" with him and I mean that in a medical way. But besides all of his struggles he is a very smart man. He has to retake all of his EMT and EMT-I classes and he is getting the highest grade in the class. To some they could say its because he has taken it before, but I would have to say because he has a "common sense" for that sort of thing. We were talking in the car just today about this. If he could he would follow every one of his patients until they left the hospital because he cares about them. He has an amazing heart and as much as health care workers get numb to their job and start to hate the patients (don't let it fool you every health care worker does some point in their career,) he will always be there to help and that is something I find absolutely amazing about him. And another thing with all of his medical problems it is a miracle in and of itself that he is still here with us. There have been moments when I thought he wasn't going to make it, but he did and I thank my Heavenly Father that he has kept Richard with me. He is doing better with the pain even though it is really hard on him physically, but I am very proud of him.

Third miracle is my parents. They have been one of the leading support in our lives. They have helped us with more things than we could ever repay to them. I love them very much and am so thankful for them. Richard came from a broken home and it has been a transition for him to get use to the involvement of my family, but he has grown and secretly I think he is starting to enjoy it. ;-)

I love my husband and my family so very much words can not be used to describe it. I am so thankful to my Heavenly Father for what we have, even though it may not be much right now.

I love you all....

Meghann

AHHHH!!!!!!

In the last three years living in the condo our truck has been broken into four times. This time the jerk broke a window to get in, ripped off our dashboard, and stole the face plate to our CD player. It is so frustrating to have this keep going on. The other times they took little things in the back of the truck but now its war! It is costing more than our entire utilities for two months to fix the window and my mother in law is going to buy us an alarm system for our 20 year old truck. I am so fed up with where we live and all the break ins. I love my condo, my neighbors, and my ward but I just want to scream....

AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

A call for one and all...

Hey everybody, I want to finally print my wedding pictures but I want to make sure I have all the pictures I can get. I know Andrea, mom, Brooke and cousin Sarah all have pictures and I am asking all thoses named and those who have pictures to please make a CD and send it to me. Please, please, please.... here are some pictures just for fun.

Some of my favorites!!!!!!!!!

I love these pictures of Richard it really shows his personallity.

There is that face I make, I never knew how much I do it and how weird I look! Oh well it is me.

My address is

4130 Oak Meadows Drive

Unit #10

Taylorsville, UT 84123

Just not our year!!

I am beginning to think that this year just hasn't been our year (huh duh!) and now that it is almost over, I am hoping that the next year will be a lot better. I just got the news that the new day job I applied for in the lab I didn't get, just one more thing to add to the list of disappointments this year. I have been thinking about what this year has been like, and here it is in a nut shell...

Jan--Started Nursing school, bought a new car

Feb--New car in accident

March--Richard in hospital 2 weeks

April--Something happened I know it, because I have started this

blog like five times and each time I have to end it, I had something!

May--Passed nursing classes and started up again.

June--Big condo fire, 1 year anniversary.

July--Family River rafting with Megs sick, Megs birthday.

August--Didn't pass nursing (sucks), start school in a different program.

Sept--Both of us really sick for two weeks.

Oct--Richard started working, Condo firer and Megs sent to ER.

Nov--Richard fired from work, Megs has job interview.

Dec--Megs did not get the new job, pass classes, Richards b-day,

Richards medical case closed.

Pretty much something bad/disappointing/traumatic has happened every month. I am hoping that this next year will be a the exact opposite from this year!

we finally did it.

It took us long enough but we finally did it, we are both on facebook and myspace now. Look us up!

Richards getting old

Today is Richards birthday and sadly enough I had to work so we celebrated his birthday on the 2nd. It was a really bad day and we were thinking about not going out, but we really needed it. We went out to dinner at a low key sushi bar, it was so cool, cheap and really good. (I have a feeling it is going to become one of our regular spots.)

I told him originally that his present was getting the cat spayed but I got him a new phone and a coat as a surprise. I had a whole plan surprised worked out for his present but it was so noisy at the restaurant it didn't work. I bought him a new light weight weather proof coat and I put his new phone in the pocket. When he took the coat out I called the phone but he couldn't hear it so I had to tell him to look in the pocket. He was so funny because he didn't feel the phone and he said to me with a puzzled look, "they look like nice pockets." I started laughing and pulled out the phone. He was not quite sure what to think of it at first, but he is really liking it now. He really likes his phone now, at first he wasn't quite sure about it but now he likes it. It is the Boulder from Verizon, it is water proof, dent proof, it has a flashlight and a compass. Really cool for an out door person like my honey.

We went up to Logan for after Thanksgiving after feast with friends and family. In my family we have a tradition of making a "birthday banner" for the person and my family surprised Richard with his. He is so cute and I love him!!!

Happy Birthday honey I love you lots and lots!!!

What a week!!

This last week has been rough on us. Richard was "fired" from the hospital. It seems unfair due to our situation but the hospital doesn't care they just pushed him out, and I found out today that the hospital has been doing that to a few people. Richard is pretty upset because he loved the ER, he had a lot of friends and learned a lot from all the amazing doctors. Richard also had strep throat this last week and has been suffering through school. On the up side he is all most done with school! I got sick but not strep and I having an allergic reaction to some beauty product and it has been miserable. The ending of the semester is always difficult because the teachers try to shove a lot of information in the last three weeks, in my chemistry class we are covering two-three chapters a week when we were doing one chapter a week. We had to take it slow to understand what was going on and now it feels like we all are lost. The Teacher is going to three more test in three weeks five chapters, its crazy. But at least it is almost over. YAY!!! The truck is still dead and we think it is the battery but we haven't done anything with it yet.

There is some good news through, I am applying for a supervisor position in the Lab. That's where I started at hospital and I have missed it although I have loved the opportunities I have gotten working other departments in the hospital. I have a interview on Monday and I am hoping for the best. It will be a pay increase but it goes with a stress increase but it is day shift and I can pretty much make my own hours as long as I am there each day and see each shift. I am really excited and I hope I get it.

Oh and just a note, Richard and I (yep Richard too) have decided to work on going through the temple some time this next summer, there will be more to come.

Much love to all

Memories...

As a comment on my blog, leave one memory that you and I had together. It doesn't matter if you knew me a little or a lot...anything you remember! Next, re-post these instructions on your blog and see how many people leave a memory about you. It's actually pretty cool (and funny) to see the responses. If you leave a memeory about me, I'll assume you're playing the game and I'll come to your blog and leave one about you!

Destined to fail!

It seems that over the last year going to school has become more of a challenge, and I think there is some evil force (aka Satan) trying to stop me from going to school and succeeding. I quite frankly have had enough! It started with simple things and now has moved on to physically stopping me from attending class. To make things worse its upper Organic Chemistry, you don't want to miss that its complex.

At first I would burn my breakfast (which is not really uncommon for me but this was different), or there was an accident on the road making me late, but now it has turned into my alarm clock not going off and the car not starting. It has gotten real annoying because it feels like something goes wrong everyday. For example this week, I have worked my 3 12 hour graveyards shifts gotten off late each time which cuts into my 4 1/2 hours of daily sleep. This week my alarm clock did not go off and I woke up with 10 mins to get to class, needless to say I was late. The next day I was afraid to fall into a deep sleep because I didn't know if my alarm clock was going to work, so I ended up dozing in class. (Yeah I know, I should have been late, thats better than sleeping in class!) I had a test review and I got up was already got out to the car and it won't start, battery is dead. (Great there goes the hints on the test! Luckily I exchanged numbers with a girl in my class and called her for the hints.) And today the test, no sleep because of last minute cramming, cars working, all I take is a pencil. I get out of the car drop the pencil then proceed to step on it and break it. I don't have time to go home and get another one so I am in the test trying to write with half a pencil, which is difficult because I like to doodle too.

I was walking out from the test with the girl from my class and we were saying how hard the test was and then she said, "I don't know how you do it? it seems like everything that can go wrong for you does." I just laughed and said yep it does but I am ready for whatever may come. Its good that I can laugh at the things going on even though it seems like endless torture. If I don't laugh I could sit and cry every day but then that would satisfy the evil powers, and I am not going to give them that satisfaction!!!! I am going to be more prepared with the Lord on my side so ....

Bring it on I am ready!!!

Some thoughts from church

I really like my ward there are so many wonderful people that have strong testimonies and I can really feel the spirit. Something that was said last week I have been dwelling on, it was said in Sunday school, we were reading in 3rd Nep. about the coming of the Lord and the teacher got on the subject of being worldly. She said that she has to constantly remind herself not to worry about the bills, and cleaning the house, working, worrying about the daily things because all it is ... is just a worldly worry. It really hit me because it seems like all I do is worry about the worldly things, so much that it cause me to have major stress and causes me and Richard to argue some times. My mother gave me a picture a long time ago and it says,

"We are not Human beings having a spiritual experience.

We are Spiritual beings having a human experience."

I correlate that with what was said in Sunday school. I need to stop being so worldly and start focusing on being a spiritual being. I hung that picture in my bedroom, because I need the constant reminder to stop being worldly.

Another thing that was said yesterday was about Trials.... how trials are given to us to help us turn to the Lord to over come them. We are given trials to learn something, gain something from it. I started to cry because I know I have not turned to the Lord enough to help us over come our trials. I am trying to take it all upon myself without turning to the Lord for help. I feel like that lesson was directed towards me as a wake up call. Richard is his own person I don't try to tell him how/what he should do as far as the gospel is concerned. (I do however express my feelings about the church, my desires for him and my longing to be sealed.) But I think it is high time I turn to the Lord more often for help!

Decisions, decisions, decisions

Decisions, decisions, decisions, that seems to be all that we are faced with lately. Things have not been going well for Richard at the hospital. He thought the hospital was trying to find a way to get rid of him because of his injury and the litigation's with the insurance company, and I thought it was all in his head until I talked to the director of the ER. It seems like she is "trying" to do all she can to "help" Richard, but she keeps tip toeing around the issue. So Richard and I have talked about things and we think it will be best if Richard puts his two week notice in so he still has a good standing with the hospital. He is going to try and get a job in Cedar City with his mom in the ER. He will drive down stay for his shifts and then drive home after some sleep. It is a hard decision specially since I don't want him to be away for so long.

When we were talking about him quiting it was kind a emotional, because Pioneer Valley Hospital is where we met, is our home away from home, we so many friends that work there or visit from the ambulance/fire/police (yes we do see then all at least once a shift) , but we would rather Richard quit than have him fired.

There are still so many things that cross my mind daily about our future. The most pressing is Richards health. It scares me that he will never get any better and keep circling down the drain, at the same time the doctor has done all he could to help. He wants Richard to go to Huntsman Cancer Institute to see a Lymphologist to have his lymph system evaluated, and Richard is going to the U of U pain clinic to see if anything else can be done to help with the nerve damage. We still have not heard anything from the Labor Commission and the lawyer says all we can do is just wait. Its pretty frustrating not knowing whats going to happen. But at the same time we are use to just waiting. Let us all just hope and pray for the best!

Another Holiday Ruined

It seems like every holiday this year has had some sort of disaster. I don't even remember where we were or what happened for Valentines Day or St. Patty's Day, for our one year anniversary there was the big condo fire, the four of July we were sick, and now Halloween I was sent to the Emergency Room with smoke inhalation from yet another fire.

This fire was not as bad as the last one. Richard was at school and I was sleeping from working all night and had a dream that the condo was on fire. When I woke up and was still smelling smoke from my dream and the condo was cloudy. My first thought was "am I still dreaming?" I went over to a neighbors and asked her to come over and make sure I wasn't dreaming. Sure enough my condo was filled with smoke, but no flames were seen. I called 911 while she helped open windows (and now that I think about it, if there were flames opening the windows would give oxygen to the fire, thus making it bigger.) When the firemen got there I lead them to my place, they walked in and confirmed there was no flames but a lot of smoke. Of course my first priority after calling the fire department, and my parents to let them know what was going on, was to rescue the animals. The birds were easy, but trying to find two cats that are afraid of shadows let alone a crazy owner running around trying to grab at them, was difficult. I got boots and was trying to shove him into the cat carrier when he bit me. So after that I just ran out to the car and locked him in it. I never found Phee Phee.


Come to find out the condo just behind us had a grease fire that got out of control and consumed their kitchen. The fire was put out and the "only visible fire damage" was in their condo, but our condo was filled with smoke. I started having a hard time breathing and feeling light headed so I asked to be check out by the ambulance crew, which all knew Richard. It is a scary thing not being able to breathe but I knew if I started to freak out it would make it worse so I just tried to stay calm. I decided that I needed a breathing treatment and needed to make sure that there was no damage to my lungs, so I went by ambulance to PVH (home away from home).

(Picture of me in the ER, getting a breathing treatment)

It was quite embarrassing coming into the ER on a stretcher and seeing everybody. I got checked out and got some medicine to help my lungs open. I was diagnosed with chemical irritation and acute airway obstruction. It still burns a little in my lungs but I'll live. Poor Richard was stuck at school during the whole thing and couldn't get out, he finally was able to come get me at the hospital. Mean while my parents are going to work with the insurance company about getting a smoke damage assessment. And the animals are all safe and accounted for! Needless to say we aren't going up to Logan for Halloween or Dylans birthday, another holiday ruined!

Growing up with no time

I had a patient who was 17 years old and can I tell you it was so funny. Such a teenager, he totally reminded me of my brother Dylan. It made me relalize that I have missed a bunch of my siblings growing up. It makes me sad because we, as siblings, grew up really close. Moving out and having to work full time to keep up with my bills and school didn't really leave me time to spend with my family. But I am so excited to go home for Dylans birthday! I have no clue what I am going to get him. I miss my family and I can't wait to go to logan.

Life is turning around in circles

It seems life life is going in circles for us. When things start to go good, it ends up getting worse than it was and when things are looking bad something good happens. It is like an endless circle just toying with our lives. I just found out some bad news about school and the nursing program. So that has made me reevaluate what I am going to do with my future and school. Richard isn't getting any better and isn't going to. So this is making him reevaluate his future plans. The "life" we wanted isn't going to come easily and it is going to require even more work on our part. It seems like there is something we need to do before we move on, and with much prayer I am still waiting to find out what it is. I would love to go back to Logan and live there, but there are more opportunities for us here and his family. I don't know it is a hard call.

I know that I haven't made the best choices in my life that has led me to where I am now, and I except that. There are some choices that I wouldn't take back for the world, like marring Richard, when I was young and in the middle of school. I wouldn't take back where I work or the experience I have had. I know Richard won't take back some of his choices like trying to save the lady's life that has ruined his life, and that's way I love him. It's hard to try and plan the future because we never know whats going to happen, most importantly with Richards health. We never know what kind of medical problems are going to pop up next. We just need to stay strong and help each other. There might be a few huge changes in our not so distance future and I will let people know as it happens.

I am so excited!

I have been playing around with this for the last couple of hours at work. I am so excited about this blog, when I get home I am going to add pictures!!! Hooray for us. I hope you all enjoy.

Megs

We have started a blog of our own!!

So i work nights and there isn't a lot to do half the time so i look at every ones blog at least twice a night. So i thought i would start a blog of our own! It was a hard transition to leave Powell land, but i will always be a royal citizen. It just makes me realize that once again i am growing up!

So to all family and friends enjoy and leave comments i will check it often.

Megs