Addendum:

I had someone send me an E-mail about my last post...this is what they said --

"You wrote on your blog recently a question relating to strength of body or strength of mind and whether you had to have one to have the other. Speaking from my own experiences, the answer I have learned is you can’t have one without the other. Eventually, something will come along and hit the weaker of the two and you just won’t be able to handle it if you’re not strong and things will crumble all around you. However, the real strength in someone comes not from being able to endure the hit, but being able to pick up the pieces and move on afterward, not throwing in the towel, and hopefully with more wisdom than before. And that DOES make you stronger. Even if it doesn’t always feel that way."


I thought it was next to perfect and thought I would share.

Strength

I told someone the other day that I felt they were very strong; I actually said that this person was a very strong woman. She replied as to how she indeed was not strong. This got me thinking about strength. How strong do we have to be to get through things? Is it true that our Heavenly Father will not give us something that we cannot handle? When we feel like we cannot go one more step, is it the physical strength or the mental strength that pulls us through? How much physical abuse can one take before their body breaks? How much mental abuse can one take? Do you have to be strong physically to be strong mentally? Vice versa? Can one obtain physical strength? What about mentally? Can one learn to be stronger? Do our situations make us stronger or does our strength make our situations harder? When we finally throw in the towel and say that we cannot go any further, is this a sign of weakness or is it a testament of our strength?

People must look at strength differently. I have been told how strong I am; it makes me wonder, really, how well people know me. Does being strong willed constitute as strength? I don't think so. I think one has to find that inner strength though, that thing that really pushes us. You know, we have all heard of the mother who could lift a car off her toddler to save his life...outer strength. But, somewhere, deep inside, she had to know that she had to do it, she had to have the mind over matter. She could not for one instant second guess herself. She had to know she could and not even think about it. So, even though she had the outer strength to lift the car, she had the inner strength, or the mental strength if you will, to accomplish the task.

I have never been asked to lift a car off my child (thank heavens) but it seems like some of the things I have done on a mental capacity almost equals to that outer strength. I think I have failed more than I have succeeded. Physical strength can be observed -- look at all the wrestlers and the weightlifters, obviously you can see the outer, physical strength. But the inner, mental strength is subjective. Are we given tests to make us stronger or are we stronger because of our tests? Is not having strength, mental strength, a sign of weakness? You might think you know how strong a person is, but do you? Do you even really know how strong you are?

Maggie May

This is my new sweet baby girl, Maggie May. She was born on 10/11/09 (ummmmmm, sounds familiar!). So, she was just 9 weeks old yesterday. She is a big furry ball of terror on four legs! She has destroyed my Christmas tree, chewed my fingers almost off, and decided that electrical outlets are NOT her friend!! On the other hand, she has decided that her most favorite place to take a nap is either on top of my feet while I am working or sleeping right next to me on the big king-sized bed upstairs laying as close as she can get, sometimes even putting her head on my shoulder! When I call her, she will come bouncing up to me and if I don't reach down and give her the attention she thinks she deserves, she will very loudly tell me! She will walk up to my office chair and put her little (NOT!) paw on my leg and want me to pick her up so she can nappy on my lappy! She already is pretty much house broken; she knows how to use the doggy door but has to be reminded that sometimes she needs to potty. She knows who Mama is and will come running up to me when I tell her Mama needs Maggie!!

My friend made the observation that getting a new car or going to Hawaii did not pull me out of my depressive little funk, she wondered if Maggie was going to. I guess time will tell. Maggie has definitely filled a little hole in my heart that Cookie left. I fell in love with her at first site and I don't even mind the puppy kisses!

Oh...I should tell the story of how I got her...So, I have been looking for a lab puppy for some time now, but it was just never the right time or whatever. Natalie and I have gone to look at puppies and have always walked away empty handed; I guess it was just not the right time. So, last Saturday (12/05) I had read an ad in the local paper of puppies. Natalie and I had had a big day of shopping and were ready to head home and I decided to go ahead and call on the puppies. I did, liked the lady on the phone very much, so we got the address and drove to Galt! On the way there, I told Natalie I had a feeling - Nattie concurred that she had the same feeling! We walked in and there were 5 puppies left (a litter of 11), 3 females and 2 males. Little Maggie latched onto my shoe string and would not let go. I would pick her up and hold her a minute and then go to the next puppy trying to find the one that would come home with us. I would walk around the backyard looking at the other puppies, but Maggie stayed in between my feet the whole time! I moved, she moved. After a few minutes, actually like about 15 to 20 minutes, I asked Natalie what she thought, she said she wanted them all! I felt like I really had no choice but to take the one that had been at my feet the entire time I was there! She was, however, the cutest one anyway!!

I signed the check and we drove home...but first we had to make a pit stop at PetCo (where the pets go) to get a few supplies. She was a hit in a store. Natalie asked when/what/how I was going to tell Trent...I told her I would wait until the morning when he got home from work and introduce them -- I felt as soon as he saw her, he would love her as much as I did (this was so true). Besides...he had been asking what to get me for Christmas, I just helped him out!

We get home and introduce Maggie to Sissy which was uneventful (Yay). We put the Christmas tree up and decorated the downstairs. Trent called...oh no! He asked what in the heck I had spent over $100 at PetCo (where the pets go) on. Being I have a strict policy in lying...I told the truth. I said that I had to go get stuff for my new puppy. He said, and I quote, "You better not had gotten a new puppy!" I said I had and I told him how cute she was and how much I loved her. He was like..no you didn't. I was like, yes I did! The next morning he comes in and says, I want to see the new puppy -- he fell in love with her! Good thing!

So, there you have it. The story of how my sweet baby girl Maggie joined my family!