San Francisco Christmas Photo Memoir!

It all started with a little Karaoke in the airport

And a flight over the mountains to sunny San Fran

Where trolleys were plentiful...

But teeth were scarce...

The Sutherland's, Roman's and Van Oast's visited Napa in STYLE!

  

And took a fancy limo...

To three wineries (Chateau Montelana- photo 1, Tedechi- photo 1&2, and Frank Family Farms- no photo)

  

Lots of time was spent in the beautiful Belvedere:

  

The group also took a ride on a ferry...

  

To downtown San Fran!

  

All in all they had a lot of family fun!

     

But of ALL the photos... this is number one!

Love you Sissy!!! Had a great time on our trip :)

XOXO,

Brooke

Working Girl! Working Girl!

Dear Meagan,

Last night completed your THIRD shift at your new j-o-b! I am so pumped for you and proud of you. Getting back in the work force is a gigantic step forward for you. You are such a role model to others who have struggled, you never gave up and are back to being a contributing member of society! Woo hoo!  I love how you described your job to me, "I get to walk around and make the store look pretty." You have such a positive attitude about your new job and I foresee long and happy employment for you there.

WikiHow posted, "How to be a good employee" (http://www.wikihow.com/Be-a-Good-Employee). Although you are a stellar employee already, I thought I would share their tips and tricks with you! Use this blog as a quick guide but check out the link above for a full description.

1.Behave professionally
2. Learn to take criticism graciously
3.Learn to do your job, and do it well
4. Cultivate good relationships with the people in your organization; they are experts in their departments
5. When you get the opportunity to learn a new skill, receive training for a different activity, or take a study course paid for by your employer- do it!
6. Maintain a clean job performance record
7. Be on time
8. Ask your supervisor what the expectations for outcomes are
9. Be part of the solutions
10. Don't drag your feet
11. Be quiet and work (aka no gossiping)
12. Always be productive
13. Dress appropriately for work
14. Hold your head high and be confident
15. Volunteer or be active in projects to get the job done
16. Don't spend a lot of time on personal phone calls/texting
17. Use the last 15-20 minutes of your shift
18. Offer junior employees guidance and encouragement
19. Acceptance (of company policy) is key
20. Be appreciative, always say thank you to bosses and co-workers


Make sure to continuously evaluate yourself as an employee using these traits. It is great to have self-awareness so people don't have to tell you where to improve, you can work on it on your own! You are kicking butt lady! Keep it up!

XOXO,

Brooke

Tattoo Lady!

Dear Meagan,


TATTOOED LADY! Woo hoo... you got your survivor tattoo and I absolutely LOVE it!!!




I love that you got the gray brain cancer ribbon on your neck, close to your head... and of course with the word SURVIVOR! This is a perfect location, and every time someone sees it they will have some understanding of the incredible struggles that you have overcome! I love how much meaning your new ink has! Also the heart at the top of the ribbon... awesome!

I'm sure XS gave you a lot of care detail but remember not to let any sun beat down on it for a couple months to prevent fading. Also it is going to scab up soon... DO NOT PICK IT! When you pick it, it will pull the color out and you will end up with a splotchy ribbon. I was religious about this and ended up with no spots of missing color, but I know a few people who picked and have color missing at those spots now. Also make sure to be really good about the cleaning regimen they gave you! It's like having a nasty wound that you want to heal perfectly, you have to take care of it in order for that to happen!

Love the new ink, love, love, love. And love you too!

XOXO,

Brooke

Improving your Memory

Dear Meagan,

You have come so far in your journey of recovery! You are now using your days productively and are a self-starter! I am so proud of you and how far you have come :)

Even though you have made unbelievable progress, there is still one challenge you face... your memory. So this blog is all about how to improve your memory.

The first recommendation I have is to spend 15-20 minutes per day on lumonisity.com to do some brain training! When you had your surgeries a lot of brain pathways were broken. The amazing thing? They have the power to re-wire and become good as new. So RIGHT NOW set a DAILY alarm on your phone to do your lumonisity training. Sometime mid-morning may work best for you. Seriously STOP reading and make the alarm!....

Ok the next thing that I've read can improve your memory is an exercise you do at night right before bedtime (maybe as you are brushing your teeth, etc). Before you fall asleep recall everything you did that day. From morning until night, as detailed as you possibly can. At first it will be VERY rough and you may only remember a thing or two but STICK with it! So RIGHT NOW put a sign near your bed or on the bathroom mirror that reminds you to recall your day. This is supposed to be a great exercise.

Another important component is to EAT properly and SLEEP properly. Sleeping properly means on a schedule 7-9 hours a night and maybe a nap during the day ;)  Eating properly means fruits, veggies, whole grain, healthy fats (olive oil, avocado, lean meat), beans, lean dairy, and fish! In fact taking Omega 3 vitamins on top of regularly consuming fish would be a great idea for your brain training!

So start this journey by taking these three steps. Play on lumonisity, recall your day, and eat/sleep well. Once your memory is improved I truly believe you will be able to accomplish your goals of being independent :)

XOXO,

Brooke

Trust God

Dear Meagan,

There is a plan for your beautiful life :)

XOXO,

Brooke

New Job... New Chapter!

Dear Meagan,

Yayyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy :) Huge congratulations on your new J-O-B! I am so happy that you found something that you are familiar with and that is so close to home!  This is a great step forward Meaggy and I am so pumped for ya!  Annnnnd its even better then your previous dry cleaning job because you don't actually do any dry cleaning there lol.

No matter how long this chapter lasts, you are out there seeking employment and becoming self sufficient so way to go!  You will get that house/apartment soon enough!

I don't want to wear you out today just want to say congratulations! Make sure that you bring a notepad with you so you can write down any thing or processes they are training you on... good luck chica! You will do great... who couldn't love ya? ;)

XOXO,

Brooke

I-N-D-E-P-E-N-D-E-N-T

Dear Meagan,

I-N-D-E-P-E-N-D-E-N-T do you know what that means? She got her own house, she got her own car ;)  Right not I know something that you are struggling with is independence. At this point you are realizing that you CAN be independent and do just about everything for yourself but you're kinda scured too.

This weekend you had some blood work that needed to be done. You had me go with you because you didn't know 'how to do it.' Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed going with and getting Brugger's (YUM!). However, when I was there I didn't do a thing for you. In fact, I followed you around.  Going to minor doctors appointments like this is an example of something you can and should do on your own. Can and should, what does that mean?

I think we both know what can means... you are fully capable. But what about should? Why should you do some of these things on your own?  The more things you do independently, the more confidence you will have. When you know you can take care of yourself you no longer depend on other people helping you and your mood is no longer a mirror of their mood. You can set your own mood.  If someone wants to be rude, that is their problem, it doesn't affect you because you are independent and can take care of yourself/ figure out your own feelings.

You SHOULD start doing little tasks for yourself because you CAN. People who go through traumatic life events (such as a brain tumor) naturally become dependent on their loved ones during their trial. The hard part is reaching out for that independence, it's almost like growing up all over again. Keep challenging yourself, and keep reminding yourself, that in order to be happy/confident/awesome, you need to be independent. You can never be in a successful relationship with someone if you DEPEND on that person.

So get out there, do some simple tasks for yourself! Now that you have the energy... start doing some things independently such as: going to doctors apts, running errands, making dinner, exercising, volunteering, etc.

Once you master independence, the next step is interdependence... we will cross that bridge when we get to it :)

Love you schwester!

XOXO,

Brooke

Choose, Plan, Frame

Dear Meagan,

"Choose your friends with caution, plan your future with purpose, frame your life with faith." -Thomas Monson

Choose- Choose your friends with caution. Who do you like to spend your free time with or talk to?  Friends can be great or harmful. When choosing friends make sure they have a life that is similar to the one you would like for yourself. As we become close friends with someone we become more like them. When choosing friends make this decision: would I want to be more like this person?

Plan- Plan your future with purpose. Bouncing around from idea to idea or future to future leads for a crooked path to nowhere.  Decide what you want for your life then plan the straightest path possible to get you there. Of course there may be bumps along the road, and nudges in different directions... but you won't get anywhere without an intentional plan.

Frame- Frame your life with faith.  When building a house, you need a solid frame for the house to stay standing. The same is true for you, and that frame is your faith in God. God is stronger then the wood that would build a house. With Him, any obstacle can be overcome. If you do not have faith in God's plan and you get a rejection (lets say you don't get a job you wanted), you would be upset and disappointed and maybe even feel like a failure. If you do have faith in God's plan and you get a rejection, you just shrug and say, "Ok God, not that way. Show me which way, I trust you."

Choose, Plan, Frame Meaggy! Love you!

XOXO,

Brooke

Getting Focused

Dear Meagan,

I know several times a day a million things go through your head on what to do and where to go with your life. I know because this happens to me too. The best thing that both of us can do is to get focused.  Decide on what path you want to choose and focus there. Write it down, get your mind right, and focus on the success you will achieve in that area.  Make a list of ten potential career paths you could see yourself achieving and then do your 'due diligence' aka your research. Determine which options are feasible and try to talk to someone in that field or that has life experience in that area. From there, you can choose your direction for now.  If you focus on a goal you will achieve it :)

The most necessary attribute to achieve this is being proactive.  Which means not just talking about doing the research or talking about submitting the application or talking about making the appointment, but actually doing them. You have an added challenge with your recovering short term memory. That doesn't give you an excuse, it gives you an opportunity to grow. Also, your memory is getting much much better so I don't foresee that being a challenge for you in the future! Because of this current challenge, you need to act as soon as you think. For example, I know you have been wanting the tattoo you had drawn up for quite sometime. Rather then asking me when you should schedule the appt, just do it! Just schedule it for one of the times that we discussed. Take action... same for your career path and you self growth plan. Don't talk about what you want to do, make the action plan to do it. It's time to be proactive because you are responsible for your life and your circumstances can not and will not make decisions for you :)

Keep reading your 'self-talk'! You are amazing and I'm so proud of you!

XOXO,

Brooke

Great Things are Happening!

Dear Meagan,

Hey girl hey! I'm so happy you started reading the 'self-talk' I wrote for you! Make sure to keep reading it every day :) Today I just want to talk about a few awesome things that are happening for you lately:

1. Your kidney surgery went very well and you are recovering amazingly! This is awesome news... you now have 100% kidney output. Woo hoo!

2. In the midst of all this, they discovered what is making you tired and you are on your way to having some more energy.

3. Your memory is getting sharp!!! You know whats up girlie!

4. You are getting job interviews :)  Obviously the interviews have to come before the job and I am so proud of you for getting out there and looking for some employment opportunities!

5. You are coming to EL this weekend! Woo hoo! Friday we will go to meet up with Haley for her b-day and Saturday we will go to campus for the State game and then watch it out somewhere! And Sunday, Mom and Dad are coming up so we can all play golf and go to lunch :)

You're doing great Meag!  Keep exercising (walking and crunches on commercials are great), eating right, and telling yourself you can do this!  Your guardian angel is most definitely watching and helping you at every turn! Have faith girl :)


XOXO,

Brooke

Print Last Weeks :)

Dear Meagan,

As promised, no more blogging until you print last weeks and start reading it every morning... so do so!

Love you :)

XOXO,

Brooke

Meagans Script

Dear Meagan,

So I know that you wanted a poem, I didn't give you quite that but I gave you something more important.  I know that talking positively to yourself is kind of a weird concept at first, but it is so important to do. Usually at about this time in someone's life (early 20s) is when people become more self aware. You begin to realize that how you handle situations is based on scripting that was given to you during your upbringing (hence the popular phrase, "OMG you sound like mom/dad/grandma/etc!" ). The amazing thing that not everyone chooses to realize, is that we can re-write that scripting. A normal chain of events goes like this: Stimulus... gap... response. When a person goes off of that scripting from childhood, they just allow the gap to be filled with an immediate REACTION instead of a chosen PROACTIVE RESPONSE.  We can choose how we respond. At this age, you are capable of writing your own script instead of relying on your childhood scripting. You can take responsibility and move forward. 

This 'poem' is more of a self-talk that you are to read every morning when you wake up. It is for the sparkly frame I bought you. After 3 months of reading this script when you wake up, you can write your own. Read it looking at yourself in the mirror, and with conviction. I believe in you.

XOXO,

Brooke

Meagan's Script

My circumstances and my past do not define me

I know I can re-write my script to become all that I can

Yesterdays mistakes are stepping stones

Past failures have nothing to do with where I am going

I am responsible for myself

I am responsible for my direction

I am responsible for my life

And I take that responsibility gladly

With God, only I can plan my own destiny

Every day, and every decision will from here on out

Be a constant pursuit of my goal

To become a positive, serving member of society

I will stop, 

Absolutely stop

Making excuses for myself

And letting others make excuses for me

When my own conscious tries to get in my way

By justifying behaviors that hold me back

I will choose to be proactive instead of reactive

I will re-write my script

Today I will be grateful for my experiences and what I've learned

Today I will live for my new goals and my new dreams

I am not defined by my career or my social status or my degree

I am defined by my constant pursuit of my own personal success

Today let me be mentally and physically capable

Today let me continuously find ways to improve myself,

to improve my relationship with others, 

and to improve the lives of others by serving them

I write this script

I choose to react positively

I choose to move forward

I run this show

This Weekend :)

Dear Meagan,

Yayyyyyyyyyy!!! You will be here tomorrow :) I so excited! I can't believe we get to spend four whole days together :) It's been awhile since we have gotten to do that! Your fav bro-in-law will be here too (except for Saturday during the day for work stuff boo) and hopefully Amanda can stop by on her way to CMU!

Ok so here are some options for this weekend:

1. Coral Gables for breakfast (More of a requirement)
2. Pool time!
3. Go see We're the Millers (with Jen Aniston!) at the theater
4. Do some grillin'
5. Go to the DeWitt Ox Fest for live music and food :)
6. Go to church!
7. Play putt putt golf
8. Get fro yo
9. Night on the town- Dublin?
10. Have a pillow fight (for old times sake :)

I'm seriously planning on fitting all of those in so you better bring your game face :) We are going to have a blast! Hope your hair appt went well today. Jeff & I are so excited for you to get here!

XOXO,

Brooke

Only You

Dear Meagan,

I am so excited for you and the progress that you are making. I'm proud of you for kicking mAss at your recent mAss kicker paintball event :) I'm motivated by your dreams and your aspirations.  Today I just want to reinforce that ONLY YOU have been through the exact experiences that you have been through and ONLY YOU are capable of motivating yourself to continue to move forward. I could write a blog every five minutes, you could attend survivor events every day with encouraging people, and ten therapists could motivate you to move forward.... BUT even if that were all happening and your heart still wasn't in it, then there wouldn't be progress.  Once you decide and I mean REALLY decide to draw a line in the sand and move forward step by step no matter how tired you are or how much you don't feel like doing it, then anything will be possible. Of course there will be setbacks and you just have to take those set backs as a life lesson and keep pushing forward.

ONLY YOU are capable of motivating yourself to push forward regardless of the odds or circumstances. People overcome major challenges everyday and you my friend/sister are one of those people! Keep praying, keep reading, keep motivating yourself and ONLY YOU will have the motivating and overcoming story that no one else will be able to tell.

I LOVE YOU!

XOXO,

Brooke

Inspirational Meme Day :)

Dear Meagan,

It's inspirational meme day!  Enjoy this collection of memes today and whenever you need a pick me up :)




Love You!

XOXO,

Brooke