Our Warthog is 19! We love you, Kei!

He has developed a particular sense of style over the last year or so.  He was just playing around with this ensemble, but he can pull it off.  He has grown and changed a lot, particularly in the past year.  I'm so proud of him.

I hope they call him on a mission!  This is his new suit, complete with a vest.  He's going to be the best-looking non-groom at the wedding.  Well, Rowdy's going to look pretty dang sharp, too.  Big milestones for Keiler this year include:  graduating from high school, getting his first job (at a laser tag place), receiving the Melchizedek priesthood, and learning to play the violin.

The Best Part of Christmas So Far

When Rowdy was contemplating his recover after his surgery on December 16th, he fully expected not to be able to go anywhere or do anything for weeks. 

The best part of my Christmas day so far was having Rowdy next to me at church this morning, at least looking 100% (maybe feeling 60%), and watching him shed tears of joy at the thought of the Savior and all he has done for us.  It made me cry, too.

I don't count. I feel it--with the music--and I make it fit.

All day long, I've been thinking about the 1977 movie, The Turning Point, starring Shirley McLaine, Anne Bancroft, Lesley Browne and Mikhail Baryshnikov.



My favorite line is when Emillia, played by Leslie Browne, tells the choreographer, "I don't count.  I feel it--with the music--and I make it fit.

What prompted me to think about this movie wasn't anything about ballet, but an email from a colleague who was complaining about how many ultrasounds he had to read yesterday (because he had to cover me as I had called in sick to take care of Rowdy--yeah, I know, I'm a selfish b*****).  I thought, "Gee, I never count how many ultrasounds I have to read."  And then that quote came to mind.  I almost wrote that to him in reply, but I was sure he wouldn't have gotten the reference.

The Turning Point is now available to watch instantly on Netflix! I'm going to watch it tonight.

A Belly Story

Rowdy wanted me to photo document the latest surgery experience, but if you go here, you will pretty much get the story (except his hair isn't quite as short). 

He just got out of the OR and is feeling a little bit punk, but that is to be expected.  Marco the Surgeon says that all went quite well.  He only had to resect a very short section of bowel at the site of the leak.  That is an answer to many prayers, for sure.  Rowdy has a big midline wound that was closed by sutures, and a smaller wound to the right of that where which Marco left open.  M says that it is only 4 cm or so (about two inches), so that should be healed nicely by the time we have to travel in a few weeks.

Magnetic Fields--The Book of Love

Norwegian Butter Crisis!!!

I feel very sad for the Norwegians.  They have been experiencing a butter shortage.  Butter is delicious, and makes so many things taste wonderful.  It is a million times better than margarine, which--let's face it--is nothing but salty grease.

Jeg håper du har smør snart, Norge!

Rainy Day Dinner

 

Homemade chicken noodle soup! With leftovers to go in the freezer for some other rainy day.

It's 11:40 PM

and I am awake. I just ate the chicken salad I was craving, read some blog posts, checked out Pinterest.

This may be because of the 2-hour coma I fell into this afternoon, but I think this will just be an insomniac kind of week. We're waiting for Friday, to see how this next round of surgery turns out. Prayers are requested and welcome. Don't forget to include the surgeon(s) and the anesthesiologist(s). Thanks.

Last Night, It Was So Cold...

How cold was it?

It was so cold that I wore a long-sleeved t-shirt, flannel pajama bottoms, long socks and legwarmers to bed, and slept under two big blankets.

Maybe the temp was in the low-40's.

But I had been sitting for a couple of hours on very cold bleachers out in Lakeside (east of San Diego), watching Rowdy race BMX. My lower body was freezing, and didn't thaw out until I had swaddled it in the aforementioned get-up.

Vacation Slide Show

Winter Vacation 2011 from rowdy matt on Vimeo.

Thanksgiving/6th Anniversary in Pictures

This, and pumpkin pie, was our Thanksgiving dinner.  Those were the best rolls I've ever made.  I found the recipe on, you guessed it, PINTEREST!

Rowdy took me here for dinner on our anniversary.  This is where we had our wedding reception.  Delicious!  And then we went on a romantic walk around the restaurant grounds.

 

He took me to lunch on Saturday at a little Italian cafe in Hillcrest.  We had gelato for dessert.  

And then we saw this movie.  It was really good.  Go see it.

Tomorrow morning, we are leaving for this place to do a little snowboarding.  We're also going to visit Jamie, Amy and their kiddies.

The Inaugural Bricco Family Thanksgiving 5K

Rowdy and Keiler looked so good, women were throwing their bras at them.  Not buying it?  Okay.  How about, "Amber, who has been known to absent-mindedly wear more than one bra at a time, decides to cast off her surplus bra"?  Or maybe there was just a random bra in someone's front yard along the course, and Rowdy placed it in the middle of the sidewalk so Amber and I would see it.  Someone obviously had a raucous Thanksgiving Eve on Brunswick St.

After the run.

Amber was so awesome to come join us!  We had a great time running, talking and laughing.  She's a doll, and I just love her to bits.

Modified showgirl pose.  I need to not straighten my arm so much and drop my right shoulder more.  I guess I'm out of practice.

Your 2011 Bricco Family Thanksgiving 5K winner:  Rowdy in 22 minutes.  Followed by Keiler with a time of 29 minutes, and Amber and Diane in 31 minutes.  Not even a bonk on the head or two ferociously leaking fistulas can keep that Rowdy down.  I am going to have to get a big lead in the swim part of the triathlon next week, or he'll have to break an arm snowboarding or something for me to be able to beat him in the tri.

Heavenly Donuts...ahhhhhhggggggllllllllhhhhhh.

What was left over.  I got my apple-filled bearclaw, and that's all that mattered to me.  These went with R and K to the Elder's Quorum touch football game later in the morning.

Another Lovely Southern California Day

Thankful for:

An early day at work.
A not-very-busy mall.
Our upcoming 6th anniversary, a great reason to go to said not-very-busy mall.
New foundation undergarments.  It makes an incredible difference, trust me.
My aesthetician, Theresa.  She is nearly-painless, and so fun to talk to.
Finally having the time and an uncrowded pool so that I can reach my goal of swimming 100 pool lengths (2500 yds).
Smashburger for dinner with my two guys.
Desensitization...Rowdy and I have been through this surgery thing so many times in the last year that I'm not particularly freaked out by his upcoming date with Dr. T on December 16th.  I may change my tune as the time gets closer.
Tickets to see the NYCB's Nutcracker in the theater on December 13th.  It's my all-time favorite.  I was actually thinking of buying a ticket to New York just to see the ballet, I missed it so much.

Being Grateful, Even When It's Difficult

Rowdy had a procedure today.  We were hoping this would close his fistula, but it didn't.  At least they were able to obtain some important information, to wit:  he does not have any active Crohn's disease.  The fistula is coming from the spot where the bowel was sewn together during last December's surgery.  So, there will need to be another surgery, but it doesn't mean that they need to take out too much small intestine.

So:

1)  I am grateful that Rowdy wasn't left any worse than they found him.
2)  I am grateful that the Humira is working, and there's no active Crohn's.
3)  I am grateful that there is the possibility of a small resection, one that won't leave Rowdy with short gut.
4)  I am grateful especially that I was reminded in my mind and in my heart that Christ knows exactly how I am feeling right now--sad, discouraged, wavering.  Knowing that He's already been through it and knows what it's like, I know I can lean on Him for comfort and encouragement.
5)  I'm grateful to know that when things don't work out the way that I would like them to, it's not the end of the world.  There are still a lot of things to be happy about and grateful for, and things have a way of being fine anyway.

“In some quiet way, the expression and feelings of gratitude have a wonderful cleansing or healing nature. Gratitude brings warmth to the giver and the receiver alike,” Elder Robert D. Hales of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles said.

“Gratitude, expressed to our Heavenly Father in prayer for what we have, brings a calming peace,” he said, “a peace which allows us to not canker our souls for what we don’t have. Gratitude brings a peace that helps us overcome the pain of adversity and failure. Gratitude on a daily basis means we express appreciation for what we have now without qualification for what we had in the past or desire in the future.”

Elder Hales stressed that we should never forget to thank Heavenly Father for the blessings, gifts, and talents He has given to us. He also taught: “We [should] express thankfulness for what happens, not only for the good things in life but also for the opposition and challenges of life that add to our experience and faith. We put our lives in His hands, realizing that all that transpires will be for our experience.”

Jordan's Bridal Shower--With a Slide Show You Can Actually View Now

There was only a little bit of hazing involved. Jo was a good sport, though.

Smashy-smashy

The medical director of my hospital is really into breaking world records.  He seems to equate it with quality care--don't get me started.  But anyway, a few weeks ago, we were going to break the record for the most mammograms performed in a day.  The mammo techs recruited people from the department, and as I am in that kind of grey area as far as when it is appropriate to get a mam, I agreed to participate.

A week or so later, a colleague pulled me aside to tell me that he had compared my films to a prior examination from a couple of years ago and found several new calcifications in both breasts.  He thought they were probably benign, but recommended I get more views to confirm that thought.

So, today I had my diagnostic mammogram, which involved 10 different, magnified views of the left and four or six (I lost count) magnified views of the right breast.  It was quite uncomfortable, but I am grateful for the conscientiousness and perserverance of my colleagues, Emily and Marc, and our tech, Janet.  They were able to determine conclusively that everything is benign.  I am grateful to say that I do not have breast cancer, just a slightly-sore left boob.  I am also grateful that Rowdstar was working just up the street from the breast center and was able to entertain me as I waited for the verdict.

Eight is Great

My dad said once that it was interesting to him to see how much a woman's demeanor changed after going to the hairdresser.  We are always so happy after a trip to the salon.

Because of scheduling conflicts, I was a month overdue for my hair appointment.  That didn't used to be a big deal when I wasn't worried about grey coverage.  Finally, I had a date and a time, and I had the perfect work schedule...darn.  Of course this morning didn't flow was well as I had hoped, but I did finally get to Morgan's on time.  She did a great job on my hair, as usual, and it was nice to catch up with her. 

So, point being, I am grateful for good hair and a hairdresser who is talented at maintaining it.


For the last few weeks, I have been getting the prompting that I really needed to visit a friend of mine.  She has a four-year-old, a two-year-old and a four-month-old, and it just takes her awhile to adjust each time a new person is added to her family.  She needs to think through things and she can process just so much at a time, so I haven't seen her around in the last four months while she was getting things together.  She and I have different viewpoints about things, but she always gets me to think about things in a new way, and I really like that.  I think we both feel refreshed whenever we are together.

I am really for the very mixed bag of people who are my friends.  I learn so much from all of them.  I am also grateful for prompting that I had to go see this particular friend and her little daughters, and that we could work out a time to be together.

Steph, Lin, Cris, Jenny and Carrie

These five women were my roommates for the first two years of college at Felt Hall.  In some iteration, I think that I lived with at least one of them for my entire six year run at BYU.  Over the years, we've laughed and cried together.  We've lost touch and reconnected.  They have always felt close to me in my heart, no matter how much we actually talk or get together.  Now we have children getting married and going on missions. 

Today is Cristy's birthday, and yesterday I was able to IM with Linda for a good chat.  It didn't take those things to remind me how grateful I am to have my "Felt Sisters" in my life, but it does seem appropriate to have them be the subject of my Gratitude Post of the Day.  They have always been a refining influence in my life, and I love them dearly.

Grateful for...

...a day to rest.  This was a tiring week.

While the Boys Are Away

Rowdy is away on a MTB trip and Keiler is working.  I went for a run, took a nap, cleaned house a little, went to the mall and then thought better of it, and then did a little home-spa action.

pedicure

sage steam

home-made facial scrub

cooling eye mask

manicure stuff--I love Mary Kay's Satin Hands.

My hands and face are so smooth and soft!  I hope I don't wake up all broken out.

11/4

Today was a rainy, blustery day.  I'm grateful for a nice, warm bowl of pho for lunch, a cozy home and a beautiful view right now of the sunset.

11/3

This is a list I will add to during the day:

I am grateful for:

1)  Friends who initiate traditions such as blogging gratitude all the month of November.
2)  Repentance--there are so many things that I need to do better.  I've chosen a few to work on at a time.
3)  Slightly chilly days.  I do miss Fall, so it's nice when there is a slight nip in the air.  (In case you were wondering, that equals somewhere around 65 degrees in my book.)
4)  Great ideas from Rowdstar for the Jo-Jo's shower and wedding presents.

Gratitude All Month Long

1)  Yesterday afternoon, I came home from working all the day before, all night and all morning, plus I had cramps.  So it was so lovely to walk into a clean, tidy, peaceful home.  I'm grateful for Rowdy and Keiler and the work they put into making that happen.

2)  I'm grateful that Rowdy is getting Nukes work again, and that both Max and Keiler now have jobs.

3)  Sometimes, I work in the office next to our resident super-right-wingnut, so I get to hear how the country is going to hell in a handbasket.  The Primary song, "Follow the Prophet", has been going through my mind all morning because of it.  I'm grateful that, if I follow the living Prophet, I won't go astray and I will have peace in my life, no matter what happens. 

4)  I'm grateful that I could run and do a circuit workout yesterday after my nap.  It felt wonderful.  Then I had a nice shower, followed by a delicious dinner made by my sweet Rowdstar.  I'm grateful for him for so many reasons.

Fall Dinner

We had Dinner in a Pumpkin from Dinner Studio last week.  It was pretty tasty.  I found a very similar recipe here.  Have you ever had this dish?  How was your recipe different?  The pumpkin was a very delicious addition to the casserole.  We had pumpkin in a tagine when we were in Morocco, but I have never thought to eat it here at home.

Too Soon, Captain Caveman. Too Soon.

Tragedy struck MotoGP at Sepang today, as Marco Simoncelli sustained fatal injuries in a lap 2 crash.  The YouTube images are horrific, and I will not include them.  Only one of my blog readers is a GP fan, and he and I have already spent the morning reviewing all of the coverage.  But, the gist is that Simoncelli lost control on the outside of turn 11, and as he slid across the track, his helmet came off.  Colin Edwards and Valentino Rossi, traveling behind, could not possibly have avoided making contact.  Edwards appears to have gone over Marco's torso; Vale, his head.

Edwards was thrown off of his bike, and tumbled several times into the grass.  Rossi rode off track, but stayed upright.  Images of the aftermath showed Colin on the infield, obviously in pain, holding his dislocated shoulder.  Marco is lying prone on the track, inert, one arm extended.  He died of massive head, neck and chest injuries.

Simoncelli wasn't one of my favorite riders, but I am heartsick for his family and friends.  Edwards and Rossi both must be devastated, particularly Rossi, who was one of Simoncelli's best friends.

My Goal: To Take More Photos

"...the most fully realized and delicious combination of flavors I have experienced in 2011."  So says Sam Sifton, the New York Times' food critic, about a dish he ate at Le Bernadin. 

I could well say the same about a treat I was recently fortunate to sample at book club.  If only I had taken photos! 

First, take a delicious brownie made by the incomparable Marilyn White--a little more cakey than fudgy.  Top that with just enough warm Trader Joe's caramel sauce.  On that, sprinkle a pinch of vanilla-infused salt. 

It was so amazing that I felt my eyes roll back in my head a little. 

Why Don't We Do This More Often?

I always ask Rowdy that when we go out to hear live music.  We saw Foster the People and Cults at SOMA last Wednesday.  So, so good.  I'm listening to a Cults channel I made on Pandora.

This Fascinates the Crap Outta Me

Happy mail at Giverslog.com.  This reminds me that I fizzled out on my random gift-giving from earlier in the year.  It's not too late to send some cute little things in cute ways.

But My Hearing is Superior

I went to the Audiologist yesterday, because I've felt lately that my hearing is going.  Nope.  Perfect in the right ear and only slightly diminished for very low tones in the left.  No more using, "I'm sorry, I just don't hear very well," as an excuse.  It's more like, "I don't pay very close attention because I have a million things on my mind and I'm very tired". 

Never Gonna Be an Elite Athlete

In addition to an oil painting of me and my sweetie, Rowdy gave me an appointment with an exercise physiologist for a fitness assessment.  (And some awesome boots and a bike carrier for my car.)

My first visit with Ken of FitStop was yesterday.  He measured my percent body fat using the good old skin fold method, then tested my VO2 max.  That is basically a measure of my body's ability to transport and use oxygen, and is a good estimate of physical fitness. 

Basically, I have average physical fitness for a woman my age.  But the thing is, based on the information obtained, it's not like I have a world-class athlete inside me that I've been to lazy to bring out.  I really have a very average "engine", as it were.  I can be better than I am, but the frustration that I feel and the self-recrimination that I heap on myself for not being as good at running as, well, pretty much everyone I know, is useless. 

My goals are to get faster, lose weight and be fitter overall.  Ken is going to make a training plan that will help me get there, better I think, than the push-push-push, get frustrated and fatigued that I have been doing to myself. 

Ken suggested I pick a race five or six months down the road to start training for.  I'm not sure if I'll choose a tri only or do a tri and also do a half-marathon, like maybe the Salt Lake half marathon in April.  My shorter-term goal is to have this dress fit better.  It came today, and it is slightly snug.  It would be a shame to let a dress this lovely go to waste!

From us.asos.com.

As Seen on...

Here are some things that I've recently come across on Pinterest and actually tried out:

Potato bread (yum!!)

Rearranging my living room (beautiful!)

Planning a carnival game for the ward party (spooky!)

Putting my folded sheets into their matching pillowcases (clever!)

Using attractively-styled and timely quotes in a YW lesson (effective!)

Yes, it is possible to actually use things from Pinterest, and not just post a kajillion pictures of cute puppies or beautiful homes that most people will never be able to afford.

If you are already using Pinterest, don't you just love it?  What have you bought/made/changed based on the inspiration you have gotten there or something you ended up finding because Pinterest sparked your creative juices?

If you are not on Pinterest yet, oh my dear!  What is stopping you?  It's so much fun!  More fun than Farmville, I'm sure.

Misidentification

Scene:  Tri Club Swim Practice.  On the table sits three boxes of Power Bars.

Enter TriGirl

TriGirl:  Oooohh!  Food!

Let me tell ya, sister, Power Bars ARE NOT FOOD! 

I will never be one of those people who calls a taffy-like substance made of nutrients food, and I'm happy to say that.

Conference Saturday So Far

If this is just the beginning, this is going to be one of the best General Conferences yet!  So many great things were presented.

I made potato bread this morning for our snack.  I need to keep working on bread baking.  The results are so yummy.  This afternoon's snack will be Rice Krispie treats.

Squeeeeee!!!

To follow up on my prior post--Josh and Jordan are officially engaged!  I can't wait to see what she plans for the reception, etc.  The craftiest women in Lehi have probably been planning her wedding/reception for the last five years, so I bet it will be wonderful.

Oh! The Places You'll Go! (I Hope.)

A lovely young woman of my acquaintance has hit the phase of life where she is seriously contemplating marriage.  And when I say "young woman", I mean that she is young. Perhaps not by the culture in which she lives, but definitely by the world's standard. 

This gives some of the people who love her and her intended (also young, but not quite as) pause. Some of their loved ones will think, "What?  Now?  You're too young!  I'm too young for this!"

This couple still have a couple of years left in their undergrad programs.  The economy is rough, and probably will not change for the better for some time.  They both have jobs, but relatively little savings.  They do not have parents who will set them up in a home as a wedding present.  It is possible that they will be struggling for a few years, but they are industrious, intelligent and mature. (Well, I know that she is, and I can only infer from what I have heard about him that he is not one whit behind her in those areas.  Don't prove me wrong, Buster!)   I doubt they will ever starve or be homeless because of the blessings that those who love them have and will share with them, if it comes to that. 

This is what I want for these two:  that they love each other and work as a team, with their family firmly centered in the Gospel, and that they can grow together and experience all of the wonderful things that the world has to offer, and serve others with all of the wonderful things that they are and will become.

I've been thinking about the couples I know who are still very young, or who embarked on their married lives as young and as fresh as these two.  There are couples I know who traveled marvelous places together, who went to the "big city" and/or abroad and worked or studied as a couple.  Heck, I know people who took their small children with them, or had babies far away from "home".  Maybe it wasn't a delight 24/7/365, but they grew a lot and took a lot from their experiences.  These are some of the most interesting and inspiring people I know. 


So, if you are or have been a part of a "young couple", please leave a comment.  Share your experiences and your advice for my little chickadee and her boy.  What did you do right?  What would you do differently?

Homer Long

When I worked as an ultrasound tech in South Carolina, there was a physician in town named Homer Long, but with his SC Midlands accent, it always sounded like "Home Alone" to me.

I am home alone for the next few days, while the boys are mountain biking in Colorado.  My evening so far has consisted of eating Oreos for dinner, buying fun-colored shoelaces from J. Crew for my new Old Navy wedge heel desert boots:

$20, people!  You can't go wrong with that.

I'm sort-of going for this look with the different laces.

and watching TV shows I've never seen before.  Modern Family was pretty good, but I will never remember when it's on during the week.  Toddlers and Tiaras was only viewable on the TLC channel as clips.  They were appalling enough in small bites.  Are all these people from the South?  They are nuts. 

I also downloaded Roger Ebert's new memoir, Life Itself.  It has been said that it is his best writing yet, which is really saying something.  Maybe I'll just read for the rest of the evening.

What would you do if you had the whole house to yourself for four days (assuming this is an unusual occurrence for you)?

Portrait of a Couple

This was one of my birthday presents this year, and I love it.  It was painted by a friend of Rowdy's, Tom Vadakan.  You can view his portfolio here.

More Tri-Rock photos

Click here to view these pictures larger

I Thought I Was the Only One

or just a big jerk or overly sensitive or something.  But here it is, in the New York Times.  I have misphonia.  So if I leave the room if you're eating chips or crunching ice, it's not because I don't love you.  I'm just trying my best to deal with my disability.  Thanks for understanding.

“Friendship is born at that moment when one person says to another: "What! You too? I thought I was the only one.”
― C.S. Lewis

Tomorrow Morning!

Click here to view these pictures larger

Our New Living Room Decor

I don't have any pre- pictures, probably because it wasn't particularly spectacular.

Our Fridge is Full

if you're on IV feeds.

T-H-I-N-K!

I taught the YW lesson yesterday.  The topic was "Each Person is Divine and Eternal".  In hopes of keeping the girls' attention somehow, I made a little Power Point presentation with different quotes.  One of my favorites, used in the section about how we should treat others, is this one:

I know that I need a lot of work on this one.  I often speak first and regret later.

(I found this cute little quote on Pinterest, my latest obsession.  Where people find these things in the first place is still a mystery to me, so I just "repin" other people's posts.)

The Hunger Games

Two weeks ago, Rowdy was put on total parenteral nutrition, or TPN.  His caloric needs were carefully calculated by the hospital nutritionist.  A pharmacist makes a mixture of lipids, proteins and carbohydrates in batches of seven daily bags and ships them to our house once a week.  Every night, Rowdy squirts a syringe of multivitamins into the bag, hooks the bag up to tubing, runs the tubing through a pump and screws the end of the tube to his PICC line.  For the next 12 hours, the pump whirrs at regular intervals, delivering "pharmacist's milk" into his heart.

The physical hunger pangs go away, but the psychologic need to eat doesn't.  Maybe it even gets worse.  Rowdy was so good for the first ten days, but on Saturday, we stayed out a little long at a friend's birthday party, and I could tell that R's blood sugar was dropping.  He had some Dr. Pepper and a taste of frosting from the cake.  He had the sacrament bread on Sunday, but that is no big deal.  Yesterday, though, he just totally broke and had eggs, yakisoba, lemonade and pudding.

His fistulas had appeared to be healed since his first day on TPN, so it didn't seem like a big deal.  I mean, why not give it a trial and see if things are really healed up?  Well, the bummer is that, even though the fistula at his midline is acting 100 healed, the one to the right of midline popped open today and googed* a little bit.

That's made him angry and depressed and me just depressed.  Rowdy now has written on his wrist, "DON'T EAT'.

I am surprised at how much my own enjoyment of eating has decreased over the past couple of weeks.  A friend of mine whose husband also has Crohn's and was NPO for about a year (!) told me that she became a closet eater during that time, because she didn't want her husband to feel bad.  Rowdy told me at first that he didn't mind me eating, but I still felt guilty eating in front of him.

Lunch has become my main meal.  I go somewhere and try to have something big and well-balanced.  When I come home, I eat things that Rowdy wouldn't really like, like wheat toast and goat cheese, or soups that he wouldn't like.  Everything seems so blah, though.

Our team is having a big pasta party the night before the tri and a brunch right after.  I bought tickets a couple of months ago, not thinking that Rowdy wouldn't be able to come with me.  My friend, Amber, is going to be my date instead.  She's lots of fun and is probably going to do the tri, too, so that will be good.

I would really like Rowdy to be able to be there to share the experience with me, but at least he can come and cheer me on, since the race is in town.  It's not like Vegas where he couldn't even come with me.  That totally sucked. 

*very medical term, I know.

Team Challenge Tri Rock

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Three months ago, I could only swim two laps, then I had to rest for a whole minute.  Two weeks from now, I will be swimming 500 yards, riding 12 miles, then running 3.2 miles, all in hopes of a cure for Crohn's and Colitis.

Two Weeks to Go!!

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Making Lemonade

This week could have stunk totally, but things have a way of working out.  For instance, I discovered that I was scheduled to work a rotation today  that I have only done once in six years.  It involves working from 7 am to 7 pm, but you get the morning of your half day off.  So I was able to go home and sleep on Tuesday morning (after working all night on Monday) so that I could be chipper for my temple shift on Tuesday night.

The next sweetener to the lemonade:  a coworker called me Tuesday afternoon, asking if he could trade his ultrasound rotation for the first half of my long Wednesday shift.  Don't mind if I do!

Little bit of sour now:  one of my 10 crowns fell off on Tuesday night.  That's what a stale Starburst will do to you.  But the sweet had two parts--first, being on ultrasound this morning meant that I could actually take time off to run to the dentist to get it glued back on.  Part two was the $500 check that the dentist gave me, because they had made a mistake about what my deductible was this year.

The slight sourness of going to a very looooong Mutual movie night was offset by the sweet of being with the youth (I have to say that, don't I?) and hearing from my friend Vanesa that her lovely and talented daughter, Elise, was planning on studying opera with the marvelous and talented Darrell Babidge!  She will be driving three hours one way from Cedar City to Provo once a week during the fall semester, and hopefully will be able to transfer to the Y for the winter.

It's Not Over Til It's Over...

The "official" final day* for donation to The Crohn's and Colitis Foundation San Diego Tri-Rock Triathlon is August 24.  Or in other words TEN DAYS FROM NOW!!!  I raised $190 from the dancing fundraiser and $100 selling Macy's coupons (I wish I could get my hands on more of those...they're awesome).  I will be having a Rubio's fundraiser on Aug. 22nd, but the fact of the matter remains that I still am

$790

from my goal. 

Rowdy is going back into the hospital tomorrow to get a PICC line (a long IV that goes from the arm to the heart) and to get started on IV feeds in the hopes that his fistulas will heal.  The idea behind that is to keep the bowel nice and quiet so that it can heal.

*Really, donations will be taken until one month after the even (so, October 11th), but why not beat the rush?

Drinking the Sherbet and Ginger Ale Punch

Today, I finally started to feel excited about my calling.  What was holding me back was knowing that most of my responsibility as a member of the YW presidency was going to be planning and carrying out activities.  Anyone who has worked with me in Primary can vouch for the fact that activities are not my strong suit.  I'm a teacher.  That's my thing and I can make that happen.

Fortunately, the Mia Maid adviser needed a sub for Sunday, and I eagerly accepted the responsibility.  I know, I know...teaching a group of 14- and 15-year-old girls is sometimes like teaching a group of statues.  Teaching Sunbeams is a lot easier.  But I love my girls and I love the subject of the lesson:  A Change of Heart.  The more I study it and the more I thought about how I wanted to present the information, the happier I became.

One of the best quotes comes from President Monson:

"Be the one to make a stand for right, even if you stand alone.  Have the moral courage to be a light for others to follow.  There is no friendship more valuable than your own clear conscience."

Hopefully, the messages of the lesson will reach at least one girl.  They have already reached me, so that's good.

My friend, Penny, sent me an invitation to check out Pinterest.  At first, I was a little confused about the concept.  Once I spent some time in it, I started to get hooked.  Best of all were the little DIY projects that I found.  Hey, we could do those at Mutual!  Maybe I can contribute something to the activity part of the calling after all.

So yes, I have finally drunk the YW kool-aid, or more appropriately the sherbet and ginger ale punch.  (Remember that from LDS wedding receptions of the 70's and 80's?  So gross.)

The Most Beautiful Bride Last Weekend Was Not Zara Phillips

It was this lovely person:

Rachel Haynes Miller

Isn't her dress darling?  It is totally Rachel.  And look at the grin on her husband Ben's face!  They are such an adorable couple.

I highly recommend going here to view the official photos.  Tara is Rachel's cousin, and I don't think that she takes pictures of unattractive people ever.  Or perhaps she's a terrific photographer.  Maybe some of both.  If you are looking to have family photos and live in the Salt Lake/Utah Valley area, you should give her a call (because you are very attractive, and she will take beautiful photos of you and yours).

I have known Rachel since she was a pup.  I went to her blessing when she was just a few weeks old.  Last Saturday, I was thrilled to see her make sacred covenants in the temple and be sealed to a man who was described at the wedding breakfast as "surprising", "thoughtful", "loyal" and "passionate".  He seems like a darling person, and they looked so happy and comfortable together.

Matthew, Alexandra (don't call her "Boppy" anymore!), Rich, Rachel, Ben, Stephanie and Scott

Sharon, me, Stephanie (We had at least two different cameras going, hence the looking in different directions.)

Scott, Sheri, me, Sharon

One of the most wonderful parts of the weekend was spending time with some of my oldest friends.  I wish that I had the power of teleportation and could be with them any time I wanted.



The "wedding breakfast" and reception were so lovely.  Instead of speeches, selected people were asked to describe either Ben or Rachel in one word, then they could elaborate.  Rachel's brother Scott started with, "triangular"--"because she has a head and two legs coming down".  He is a funny kid!  Then he and Matthew together said, "Perfect".  Rich, Rachel's dad, considered many words that are not used in everyday speech that drew the cutest giggles from the flower girls.  But he ended with, "The word to describe Rachel is love," which made everyone cry.  There was dancing at the reception, which is a relatively new development in wedding receptions, and I welcome it with open arms and twinkling toes.  The most darling thing was when Rachel and Alexandra, who are both dancers, performed the "All I Do is Dream of You" number from Singin' in the Rain.  They were absolutely perfect.

My New Calling

Apparently, I was sustained last week while I was out of town (more about that later), so I can reveal that I have a new calling, and that calling is...

More On the New

We bought this sofa and two of these chairs today.  They will be here in a couple of weeks.  Now to get rid of the old furniture.