ICU Day 5

Mom had a rough night. She didn't get much sleep. The nurse kept coming in because of her breathing. She is back up to 100% oxygen. They will consider moving her to regular hospital care when she gets down to 50% oxygen. It sounds like she is going to be here awhile. She is having an emotional day today. She doesn't understand how she got sick so fast and she doesn't understand why she isn't getting better. She keeps saying, "This isn't me. Usually I bounce right back". I told her it is going to take some time and she needs to be patient and allow time for the medication to start working. She said, "I almost died!" Yes mom, you probably would have died if dad didn't bring you in when he did. She keeps wondering if she could have done something different to avoid getting to this point. She said, "maybe I stayed in St. George too long." She wants to go home really bad. We told her we want her to go home to. She has not been home for 4 months because she has been down in St. George with me during the winter months. She told the nurses to leave her alone so she can get some sleep. She didn't eat breakfast and all she had for lunch was some chicken broth and a few bites of jello. She is starting to lose her appetite. After she took a little nap I helped her use the bedside commode. I have put my CNA skills to use. I wiped my mothers bottom for the first time then I gave her a bed bath. When I was a CNA I knew the time would come when I would have to assist my aging parents but I never expected it would be when my mother was at the young age of 59. It breaks my heart to see my mother like this. I feel so helpless. I told her I would take it all away if I could. I would rather be the one suffering. I'm starting to feel like I'm dreaming. It feels like I'm stuck in a nightmare and I can't wake up. It is starting to take a toll on me and I have almost reached my breaking point. It is so depressing being here. I miss my husband and kids. I want to go home yet, I want to be here with her. I hope to see some progress soon because I'm starting to lose hope that she is going to get better and I'm starting to lose faith because my prayers are not being answered.

ICU Day 4

They were concerned that her kidneys may be effected because there was blood in her urine. Today the doctor said her kidneys looked better. Her breathing is still the same. I'm glad it's not worse but it's frustrating that she is not getting better. The smallest tasks are so hard for her. She took her oxygen off to wash her face and comb her hair while still laying in bed and her oxygen level immediately dropped down to 65 when it should stay above 90.

Two rhumatologist came in to check on her. I asked when she could leave the ICU. They said her lungs took quite a hit. She is still on a high flow of oxygen. When she can graduate from the high flow mask to the regular oxygen nose piece then she can go home but to plan on her going home with oxygen. It will take a while for her lungs to heal. They said it takes about 3 weeks for the immunosuppressent to start working. It's a matter of how and when her body responds to the drugs. They are waiting for the biopsy slide from St. George so the rhumatologist can examine it and have the pathologist here test it as well.

She is awake a lot but takes several cat naps in between all the people coming in and out.  It's hard for her to eat. The oxygen tube gets in the way and I guess it's hard to breath while eating. They did an ultrasound on her legs today to check for blood clots as a precautionary to laying in bed so much. Everything looked good.  Her friend Cindy and the bishops wife came to visit her but she was asleep so I wouldn't let them in. I told them she needed to rest. Shortly after they left her friend Ginger stopped by. She didn't stay long; about ten minutes is all. She was awake by this point but not really in the mood to have a conversation. She hasn't been up to conversing for about 2 weeks now. She mostly just nods her head yes or no.

ICU Day 3

Dad and I arrived at the hospital around 8:45am. A little later today. We are physically, mentally and emotionally exhausted. When we walked in the room Mom said she was just about to go to sleep. She mumbled while saying "I just kicked the doctor out. They had just brought me breakfast and he came in to talk but I was having a coughing fit while trying to eat so I told him to leave". I could tell she was tired. I told her to take a nap while I sit and update my blog. So here I sit quietly listening to my mother breath while she sleeps. The machine keeps beeping because her oxygen level keeps dropping under 90. I have noticed it seems to drop more while she sleeps. This morning when I woke up I prayed specifically that the inflammation in her lungs would go down, she would be able to keep her oxygen levels up and be able to breath on her own. At this point we have to sit and wait for the steroids and the immunosuppressant drugs to take effect and help bring the inflammation in her lungs down.

The physical therapist came in to work with her. First the respiratory therapist had to increase her oxygen because any movement such as just sitting up is so exhausting that it lowers her oxygen. The physical therapist started with simple things. She had her move her feet, point her toes, move her arms, resist the pressure being pushed against her arms. Then she had to sit up, straighten her legs, stand up and take a few steps. By this point she had to get back in bed because her oxygen levels were dropping.

She got a little bit of rest in between all the in and out of doctors, nurses, respiratory therapists, CNA's, social workers, case workers, nutritionists and cleaners. Not to mention all the blood work, finger pricks, insulin shots, IV injections, vital checks, oxygen checks and X-rays. She was able to take a little nap this morning. This time while she was sleeping I had a scare. Dad left to get a drink so I was here alone with her. Her oxygen level was bouncing between 84 and 88. The machine kept beeping but no one came in to check on her. Then it dropped to 83 and the machine started beeping faster. I was watching it to see if it would go back up but it didn't. My stomach dropped and I flew out of my chair so I could wake her and have her take some deep breaths. Just as I was about to wake her it started going back up. Shortly after, a CNA came in to prick her finger to test her blood sugar. I told him what was going on. He got a respiratory therapist to come in. They increased the oxygen flow from 70 to 90. I am seriously terrified that she is going to stop breathing while she is asleep.

She requested to have a priesthood blessing. I was surprised. It makes me feel like she must have a little bit of faith left in her. The bishop stopped by to see her so he gave her a blessing while he was here. Even if she doesn't have any faith I think I have enough for the both of us.

Tonight while driving home I asked dad the question that we both hate being asked.
"How are you dad?" He replied by saying he is worn down.

ICU Day 2

Dad and I got back to the hospital by 7:00am so we could be here for the update that the nurses give when they do a shift change. Mom was wearing a different oxygen mask. Instead of the basic kind that just goes in the nostrils she was wearing both the nostril kind and the kind that covers the whole mouth. They explained that she was not getting enough oxygen so they tried another mask. She is supposed to stay above 90 but she was bouncing around in the 80's. She wore the face mask for a few hours but they had to crank the oxygen machine up to 100% oxygen which is bad for the lungs so they decided to try one more mask that has a high flow. The respiratory therapist had said that if she still does not respond well to the new mask or if she gets worse then they will need to put her on a ventilator.

 They had her on a liquid only diet because they were afraid of her aspirating. She could have things like jello, pudding, broth, juice and ice chips. Just as the nutritionist brought her lunch tray in the nurse took it away. They had decided she couldn't have anything! Not even liquids or a sip of water until they get her oxygen level up. Mom was not happy about that! She was whining and whimpering that they took her food away. The high flow mask really started bothering her. There was so much air coming out so fast it was hurting her nose and drying it out. She also said it was loud and it sounds like she is stuck in the back of a jet plane. She claimed the air was coming out her ears because she has tubes in her ears. She kept sliding the mask down her face because it was bothering her so much. The nurse came in and saw what she was doing and she was NOT happy about it. The nurse told her she needed to put her big girl panties on and suck it up! She assured her that if she wanted to get better than she needed to obey the rules. If she keeps it on long enough to get her oxygen level where it needs to be then they can lower the pressure. Needless to say, mom put it back on.

She had joint pain but the first couple of doses of prednisone helped relieve her pain. In return the high doses have increased her blood sugar so they have started giving her insulin. She started taking an immunosuppressent called cyclophosphamide which is a pretty serious drug used in cancer chemotherapy for auto immune problems. Hopefully she won't have to take it for long. Once she is in remission they can put her on a milder immunosuppressant as a maintenance's drug.

She is still very weak. She has no energy to do anything. Her feet are numb, she can't walk let alone stand. She has to use a bed pan. She is coughing up blood and she has blood in her urine and in her stool. The doctor said it might be attacking her kidney's now too so they took a urine sample. He told us that this disease gets worse before it gets better. He also told us the possibility of her being on a ventilator and the possibility of dialysis to clean the ANCA out of her blood if she gets worse.

It was another long exhausting day. Dad, Courtney and I spent the entire day with her and took turns taking breaks so that there was always someone by her side. We left the hospital around 10:30pm and went straight home and straight to bed. I was hoping that I would sleep better than the night before. I didn't sleep well previously because my mom had my pillow. It's hard for me to sleep without my pillow so I take it everywhere I go. I brought her pillow to the hospital with me this morning but she didn't want it. She said, "your not going to take your pillow away from me are you". I told her she could keep my pillow. If that is the only thing that makes her some what comfortable then she can keep it!

ICU Day 1

This morning around 11:15am I got a text from my dad saying my mom was in the emergency room. She had woke up feeling like she was dying. She refused to eat and she refused to take her medication. Dad informed her that if she wasn't going to take her medication then he was going to take her to the hospital. She said "I don't think I can even make it in the car to get to the hospital". She was so weak she couldn't even stand or get herself dressed. Dad called a neighbor to come over and help him get her dressed and into the car. He took her to the emergency room at the University of Utah Hospital. After an evaluation they found her oxygen level at 70 and it should stay above 90. It was no wonder she was completely exhausted, she was not getting enough oxygen. They asked if she has been on oxygen and when my dad told them no they were shocked. They admitted her into the hospital. They did a chest x ray which showed severe inflammation in her lungs. Doctors from the ICU examined her and talked with other doctors to determine if she should be in the ICU. At this point I decided I should start checking for flights to Salt Lake City so I could be with my mom. I found a flight that left St. George at 3:15 which only gave me about an hour to catch the flight. John called Delta to book the flight while I started packing. I hadn't had time or felt like eating all day. John told me I should eat before I leave. I kept watching the clock but assumed it was not that big of a deal to be too early because it's a small town and a small airport. On my way to the airport at 2:45 I got the news that she was headed to the ICU. We got to the airport at 2:55. St. George is a very small airport with only one gate. I ran inside not knowing where to go to check in. Straight ahead was the security check point. I saw a TSA man standing there and asked him where I was supposed to go. He said "are you on the SLC flight?" I said "yes". He said, " I don't think you are going to make it. I think they already closed the door". Already being on the verge of tears since finding out my mom was in the hospital I literally broke down crying begging and pleading to let me on the plane. I said, My mom is in the ICU. I need to get to her. Please! I have to get on that plane! Please! there has to be someone out there you can talk to". He said he did not have the authority to go out there and told me I was supposed to be here 25 minutes before the flight. I told him I just bought the ticket over the phone an hour ago packed my bags and got here as soon as I could. I said, "the plane is still here and it's not time for it to leave yet so why can't I get on?"  He said it was against federal regulation to open the door once it has been closed. He also said there was no one at the check in counter because they were helping to load the plane. He finally found someone from check in to talk to me. Again, I poured my heart out cried and begged to get on the plane. She made it clear that it was too late. Security was gone, the door was shut and connecting flights would be delayed if they let me on. She said they leave the check in counter 25 minutes before take off to load the plane and help on board because it is such a small airport. As I stood there crying John asked what I could do about getting another flight. We were told that was the last flight for the day, there were no flights out of Cedar City left for the day and all flights tomorrow are overbooked in Cedar City and Saint George because of the Iron Man Competition. I continued to have an emotional breakdown the whole way home. John demanded that he drive me to Salt Lake City to drop me off. He didn't want me driving because I was so upset. He loaded the kids in the car. We dropped Whitney off at a friends house for a birthday party and told her daddy would be back late but he would keep in touch with her and we could find a place for her to go. John planned on taking Caysen with us. I begged him not to take me to Salt Lake because I didn't want Caysen to go stir crazy in the car for 8 hours round trip and I didn't want him driving there and back because he had hardly slept for two days. I begged him to stay home with the kids and let me drive myself. John refused and he was already behind the wheel driving in route so I knew I wasn't getting out of it. I told him to at least pull over so we could find a place for Caysen to go. I called my friend Renae whom has been aware of my moms health problems. She was happy to take Caysen and offered him to spend the night. Now the kids were taken care of and I could focus on getting to my mom. I cried a little more and then began doing some more research about this horrible disease. I kept in touch with dad and my sister Courtney the whole way with any updates of moms condition. Before I knew it, I was there. Courtney and Jeremy had left just before I got there around 8:00pm. I met my dad by the main entrance. With my suitcase and pillow in tow I gave John a kiss goodbye. Just like that he was gone. He headed back to St. George to be with the kids.

Dad and I headed to the ICU. When mom saw me she said, "you didn't need to come". I told her I would never forgive myself if something happened to her and I wasn't there. I told her John is taking care of the kids and this is where I need to be.    

The assistant Rheumatologist examined her and started her on an IV with steroids. They are discussing which immunosuppressent drug would be the best for her. Hopefully they can get her started on that tomorrow. I spent the next few hours sitting by her side. She was not up for conversation because it is too hard for her to talk and she didn't feel like conversing. I sat and listened to her whimpers and moans. She looked miserable. My mother will always be beautiful in my eyes but she just looked like she felt miserable. She was also uncomfortable and complaining about the hospital pillow. I lifted her head and put my pillow under her head. She said "oh". That was all she needed to get more comfortable and all I needed to know I was not getting my pillow back.

Dad and I left around 10:30. We went to Applebee's to get some dinner. By this time I was completely exhausted! My eyes burned from crying, I was tired and I was hungry. As we walked in the restaurant the host said "how are you doing this evening"? Dad and I looked at each other and I looked back at the host and said, "I could tell you we're fine but that would be a lie".                                                                                                                                                                                                                    

Summertime

I love Summertime because........I love spending time with my kids. I don't have to be on a schedule. We get to stay up late and sleep in. We get to travel and go camping. The water at the lake is finally warm enough for me to get in and it's pageant season!

This summer we spent our time packing in as much fun as we could squeeze into one summer! School got out on my birthday. We celebrated our 12th anniversary the next day. A week later was Whitney's 9th birthday. We celebrated with a "tea party" with her friends. I competed in the Mrs. Utah United States pageant and made several trips to SLC for rehearsals, photo shoot and dinner Gala.We took the kids to the monster truck show. We spent a week in San Diego at the beach house. Caysen learned to ride a bike. Uncle Fred taught him on the beach and John practiced with him on the boardwalk. We went to Lego Land. Caysen got his teeth fixed with 12 silver crowns and about 16 cavities filled.We spent a week in SLC and took the kids to the Zoo, Taylorsville Dayzz, Lagoon and Park City where we road the Alpine slide and coaster. Caysen celebrated his 5th birthday with a Transformer party at Jumpin' Jacks. My friend Lisa moved to Las Vegas right when school got out. Her and the kids came to stay with us for 4 days and we spent a lot of time swimming and relaxing. I went to Las Vegas to see the Mrs. United States pageant. We went to Brian Head to spend the 4th of July with my new friend Megan at her condo. Two weeks later we went back with our toy hauler and went camping. We rode the razor on a trail to Panguitch Lake. John had knee surgery. Whitney practiced cheer all summer long and made team captain. Caysen started gymnastics. Whitney got her braces off. We went camping for our family reunion at the Lodge Pole campground in the Uinta Mountains then we went to Vernal for a couple of nights with my mom and dad where we took the kids to dinosaur land. My friend Leslie and her family came to visit and we spent 4 days swimming, shopping, boating, 4 wheeling, went to the Washington County fair where we saw the annual demolition derby and the kids walked on water. We had a BBQ, went frog hunting, saw Aladdin at Tauchaun and hiked the narrows at Zion's. After an eventful summer you can see why it's hard for it to come to an end but I'm pretty sure we were able to squeeze in all our favorite things! Now that summer is over I'm trying to be better about being on a schedule. I'm going to make it part of my schedule to update my blog at least once a week.

Family Ties

About a year ago we had a very challenging time in our marriage. Satan is real and he will try his hardest to break our families apart. We have learned how important it is to stay close to our Heavenly Father. We decided to make some changes to help us grow spiritually stronger. Since then, we started having family home evening, nightly scripture study and family prayer. We have grown spiritually, have a closer family bond, a better understanding of the gospel and a stronger testimony. I have so many blessings to be thankful for. I truly am grateful to have the gospel in my life. I am thankful for my Lord and Savior, I am thankful for the atonement and the gift of repentance. I am thankful for my challenges and trials in life because they make me grow stronger. I am thankful for a kind loving husband who is willing to grow spiritually with me. He is a hard worker, a wonderful husband and amazing father. I'm thankful for my children, the gift of motherhood and the opportunity to teach them. They are my life and the air I breath. I love their sweet spirits and do my best to raise them to be respectful, honest, compassionate and to treat everyone equal. I am thankful for life and all it brings; the ups and downs, learning new things, discovering new talents and just enjoying the journey.

My 4th Grader

Really? 4th grade? Where does the time go? I remember 4th grade like it was yesterday! That was the year I had Mr. Shalappi. He had a treasure chest full of candy used as bribery for good behavior. That was the year I learned division. I also remember accidently stapling my finger. Whitney was not one bit excited for school to start. It's really sad that she hates school so bad at such a young age. I took her to school to help her find her class, meet her teacher and take a few pictures. It wasn't long after I got home that I started missing her. I enjoy summertime and having my kids around. I love spending time with them doing fun things, traveling and not being on a schedule. I love staying up late and sleeping in too! When Whitney got home and I asked her how her first day went I was surprised by her answer. "AWESOME"! She said math was easy and her teacher was nice. She told me about how they can earn play money and buy things at the 4th grade store. She was pretty excited about that! I'm greatful she had a good first day and hope her positive attitude remains for the rest of the year (probably not but it's wishful thinking)!

Whitney with her teacher Mrs. Nielson

Family Photshoot

I'm so excited to have our family pictures back. In October we had Melissa Mckinley Photography and Design do a photo session with our family. I am very pleased with the way the photos turned out and I will definitely use her again in the future!

Baptism

Today Whitney made a choice to follow the example of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. She chose to be baptized. What a beautiful day! Words cannot express the thoughts, feelings and emotions I felt today. It was wonderful to have so many family members and friends witness her special day. I couldn't help but think back to when she was just a baby in her blessing dress. Now here she is dressed in white in her baptism dress. The next time she will be all dressed in white will be on her wedding day.

I took Whitney to the temple grounds to have her baptism pictures taken. Whitney loves the temple and talks about it a lot. She was so excited to be going to the temple to have her pictures taken. She was disappointed when she realized that we were taking pictures outside and not going inside the temple. She always asks me when she can go inside and what it looks like. However, her eyes lit up when she saw a bride getting her pictures taken too. She said "Look mom, she got married in the temple". Whitney's favorite Primary song is "I Love To See The Temple". This song was sang today at her baptism. It brought tears to my eyes. As it was being sung I thought about how much she loves the temple and wants to go inside and be married there. I hope to one day see her in her third white dress inside the temple.

Here is a poem that I really liked and put in her baptism book:

Daughter of a king,
born of royalty.
Sent to earth to learn and grow,
a light for all to see.
You'll take many little steps along the path of life,
some are full of happiness, others full of strife.
But remember God is always there,
his blessings he send to you.
He wants you to be clean and pure
and keep your covenants true.
May the white be a reminder to stay unspotted, pure and clean,
For you are born of royalty,
the daughter of a king.

The most memorable part of the day was watching her step into the font. My mom was sitting next to me and as John raised his hand and spoke the baptismal words my mom grabbed onto my arm and pulled me close. She had a smile on her face and tears in her eyes. This was a special moment for me because my mom has been inactive since I got married. I know she felt the spirit. I watched as my daughter's sins were washed away and she became clean and pure.

After she was baptized we were taken into a room where she was confirmed and given the gift of the holy ghost. The room was full of family and friends. Everyone wrote and little something special that was put into a book for her. Then we took some pictures and headed back to our house for a special luncheon in her honor where she opened gifts people brought for her. The look on her face when she opened her own set of scriptures from mom and dad was priceless! She was so excited to finally have her very own scriptures!

I am proud of her and the decision she has made to follow in the footsteps of Christ. I pray and hope she will always stay on the right path and hold to the rod. I fear I have not done my best as a mother to prepare her for baptism and teach her about the importance of it and the covenants we make. I can only do my best here on out by being a good example to her.

It's Great To Be Eight!

Whitney celebrated her 8th birthday with a pirate party! I went a little "ALL OUT" for this party and it cost "A LOT" of money! The things we do for our kids, right? Maybe I went a little overboard this year. I tell myself every year that I am going to keep it simple next year but it never turns out that way. This time I am "SERIOUS"! Next year it will definitely be more simple. I made it too hard on myself this year with a 4 hour party, lots of time planning, shopping, spending money, decorating, organizing games and activities and putting together invitations.

For the invitations we sent little messages in a bottle. It was a plastic bottle with the invitation and sand inside. Whitney wanted to go to Pirate Island Pizza but I thought it would be fun to have a treasure hunt and do some other fun activities at home. So, we ended doing both!

We went to Pirate Island Pizza first where we ate pizza, played games in their arcade and posed for cute pictures of course! I bought Whitney a pirate costume just for her party so I had to take advantage of the atmosphere. They have a pirate ship, caves, water falls, a jungle and pirate stuff that makes for cute pictures.



After Pirate Island Pizza we moved the party to our backyard. I had it decorated cute and spent a lot of time setting up for the treasure hunt.







I gave each kid an eye patch, earring and bandanna so they could be dressed as Lil' pirates.


First we did some crafts. I had bought little card board treasure chests for the kids to decorate. They had a blast adding gold coins and jewels to their boxes. I also bought little bottles that the kids could put sand in and make there own message in a bottle. We played pin the treasure chest on the X. Then I gave each kid a loot bag and a treasure map for the treasure hunt. I had clues all over the yard. Each clue led to the next clues until they found the treasure. For example: "Go where monkey's swing and sway, you can play here all day". The answer is the monkey bars. The last clue was "buried deep in the ground the treasure chest can be found! So use your hand to dig in the sand"! I had a treasure chest full of plastic coins, gum coins, jewels, rings and necklaces buried in the sand trap on the putting green.



I think this was the highlight of the party. The kids loved it! After the treasure hunt the kids broke open the pinata'. Then we had to take a break because whitney had her batism interview with the bishop. I thought the party would be over in time but it wasn't. So all the kids played on the playground while Whitney was gone. When Whitney got back we had cake and ice cream. I looked on line to find the perfect cake and I had my friend Wendy make it. It turned out so cute!


After cake Whitney opened her presents. She got spoiled rotten with so many presents. She got heelies and a DS game from us and lots of toys from her friends. On top of everything else the kids got they also got to go home with a goodie box filled with more pirate stuff!



It made me feel good when Whitney thanked me and told me this was the BEST party ever!

Whitney's Dance Review

This has been a VERY BUSY year with Pizazz Dance Team. I guess we really didn't know what we were getting into before we started. Whitney and her friend Shandelle wanted to take dance together. My friend Melanie had a neighbor who danced with Pizazz and that is how we heard about it. It's a professional dance team with a lot of technique and structure. There were endless mandatory practices and performances. They performed at "The World Senior Games" and during basketball games at every High School in the valley. They also competed in a competition. Here are some pictures from the dance review. It was a special night. Everyone dressed up, each dancer got a rose, was escorted by their father, had their name announced and had a special daddy daughter dance. I of course got teary eyed as I watched John hold Whitney in his arms as they danced to "Butterfly Kisses". I thought back to my wedding day when I danced with my father to that same song. Time really does go by too fast! I don't even want to think about Whitney's wedding day.

I do however LOVE to watch Whitney dance and reminisce back to when I was a dancer. It was fun to watch her perform at the basketball games. It reminded John and I of being in that high school moment all over again! LOL

I have to say my favorite moment was watching Whitney perform her ballet dance for the first time. It took my breath away! She was so beautiful and graceful. She had so much poise! She must take after me because ballet was always my stronger point. I didn't care much for jazz and I was not very coordinated. But when it came to ballet it just came easier for me. Whitney always talks about wanting to do ballet. That was the whole reason I signed her up for dance. I guess I need to find something that focuses more on ballet and less on jazz or hip hop. Her ultimate goal is to do ballet on point but you have to be at least 12 years old to start.

Whitney decided she didn't want to do Pizazz again next year. I think she was too overwhelmed with all the practices and performances on top of school, homework and no time for friends. I'm still hoping maybe after having a break she will want to take a ballet class because she is so good at it!


Whitney before the show


Whitney being escorted by her daddy


Whitney dancing with her daddy


The Pizazz Team


Whitney and Shandelle


Whitney and her friend Emma


Whitney in her ballet costume after the show

Garbage Man Truck

My cute little boy LOVES the garbage truck. He calls it the garbage man truck. Every Friday when he hears it coming down the street he goes running outside as fast as he can while yelling "the garbage man truck is here!" He will stand at the curb and patiently wait for it to get to our house. As the truck drives up he says hi to the driver. He watches intently as the garbage cans are dumped. Then he waves bye to the truck as it drives away.



Well, Caysen had a special visitor come to his pre-school. That's right, the garbage man truck came. Caysen was in heaven! He showed the kids how the truck worked and also talked about recycling.



Then he let Caysen dress-up in the "garbage man truck" clothes.

Kitchen Remodel

The day we bought our house I hated the counter tops. They were grey, white and black speckled fir mica. Soooo ugly and they didn't match anything! Finally, after seven years of living here we got new granite counter tops in the kitchen and both bathrooms. We decided on a nice neutral color of granite. We made the kitchen counter step up so we have a bar. John had to build a wall so it would step up and to support the weight of the granite. We had to put bead board on the front to cover the 2x4's john used to build the wall. It turned out really nice. I love it! It is a nice face lift for our home and makes a big difference. Here are some before and after pictures.

Easter 2011

This year we spent Easter in SLC with my mom and dad because we were already in town for my grandma's birthday party. I love spending holidays with my family. I don't want my mom and dad to be alone. With my kids being the only grandkids it makes it fun for Papa and B-Ma to spend the holidays with their grandkids.

Aunt Courtney helped us color eggs. This is always a favorite for my kids! Our tradition includes coloring eggs the night before and leaving them out for the Easter Bunny to hide. Then in the morning we have to find the eggs so we can eat them for breakfast. This year the Easter Bunny had new hiding places because we were at B-ma and Papa's house. He hide Whitney's basket in the closet downstairs in the play room and he hide Caysen's basket behind the curtain in the living room.


My kids got spoiled with three egg hunts! Before we went to SLC our ward had an Easter breakfast and an egg hunt for the kids. The day before Easter we took the kids on an egg hunt at the park with our friends April and Richard and their kids. The kids got to see the Easter bunny and have their picture taken with him. Then on Easter B-Ma put together an egg hunt in her yard for the kids. She filled plastic eggs with prizes like candy, money and toys! The kids loved it!


Another tradition is to buy new matching church outfits for the kids and take their pictures. Here are a few of the many photos I took.

My Grandma Turns 90!

My only grandparent I have left accomlished a new milestone. She made it to the grand age of 90! I love my grandma Eulalia May Blair. She will always have a special place in my heart because I was named after her, I was born in the month of May, I named my daughter Whitney after her and she was also born in the month of May. We took a trip to SLC for the special event. We had a big birthday party in my parents backyard. All of the family came which was great! it had been a long time since I had seen a lot of my cousins. My Aunt Beckie had a video put together as a surprise for my Grandma. It included photos of my grandma growing up, photos of her children and grandchildren and interviews from her children. It was a touching video that brought tears to my eyes and many others. We had a nice BBQ meal with delicious sides and some homemade cupcakes for dessert. Grandma got spoiled with gifts and had a great time!

Broken Femur

I went to SLC for a photo shoot. John was supposed to stay home with the kids but he wanted to go snowboarding with his friends. He called and asked my friend Melanie if she could watch the kids while he went snowboarding. I had my photo shoot for the Mrs. Utah pageant. After the photo shoot I went to the mall to shop for an evening gown. I was enjoying myself when suddenly I got a phone call from John's friend Sam. He told me that John had broke his femur but that he was going to be okay. I was in a panic thinking about my kids and the fact that I was out of town and now John would not be returning home to them. I immediately called Johns mom but she did not answer. I called his sister Becca and she didn't answer either but I got a hold of her husband Fred. He said they could come to St. George to care for the kids and be at the hospital with John. I was thinking maybe John was trying some kind of a crazy trick but he said he went to the side of the slope by the trees and followed his friend over a little bump. There was a turn after the bump and John didn't have enough time to turn and miss the trees so he threw his body to the side but his leg hit the tree. He tried moving his leg but only the top half moved and he knew it was broken. His friends got help and they put him on a sled and took him down the mountain to the clinic. He was in excruciating pain but they claimed they were not aloud to give him anything and that he had to wait for the paramedic to come. The ambulance ended up getting stuck in the snow on its way up Beaver mountain. John was put in the back of a pick up truck and taken down the mountain to the ambulance. By this point it had been 2 1/2 or 3 hours with no pain meds! They gave him morphine when he got in the ambulance but that didn't do anything for his pain so they gave him something stronger. He was taken to Cedar City but they did not have proper equipment for surgery so the ambulance had to drive in a blizzard to St. George. The ambulance ended up having engine problems along the way so they stopped at a Wal-Mart in Cedar city to get parts. The driver did not know how to fix the problem so John had to walk him through it while he was drugged up and laying on a stretcher. He finally made it after a 4 hour journey from Beaver to St. George. I left SLC first thing in the morning so I could get back to the kids and see John. He ended up having surgery. He had to get a steel rod drilled through his hip and down through the center of the femur with a screw to hold it in place. it will be permanent. It is going to be a long recovery and he won't be able to wake board for awhile or work for a couple weeks. HE is using a walker right now and will slowly graduate to crutches. Here is a picture of his x-ray.

Mrs. Utah US Continental

I can't believe I was crowned the new Mrs. Utah US Continental. After several pageants I finally got to experience my crowning moment as my dream came true. My husband, kids and parents were there to support me during this journey. My journey was long and exhausting as I prepared mentally, physically and emotionally for the pageant. I spent countless hours finding the perfect evening gown and the best aerobic wear that was the most flattering for my not so perfect body. I spent more time at the gym than usual trying to get into shape for the pageant. I spent a lot of time filling out my application and judges biography form. I also spent time driving to SLC for meetings and photo shoots and the actual competition. Of course you can't take part in a pageant without all that glamorous stuff so I spent more time getting my hair done, buying new make up, getting a tan, getting my nails done.....But, I think I spent the most time preparing my platform. I put a lot of thought into what would be the right platform for me. I decided on "Reach Out And Make A Difference". Because of my experience with fund raising, community service and helping others I felt it was a perfect platform for me. I am so excited as I embark on this new journey.