Fondue to the ICU

Last Saturday night seemed like a normal night. The girls went babysitting. Dan and I went to a party at our friends house. We enjoyed some chocolate fondue and were about to start playing some games when I received "that" dreaded phone call. You know, the frantic call that someone you love is in the emergency room. It's bad...come quick.

When I picked up the call my dad told me that my mom was being admitted to the ICU at the Payson hospital with several blood clots in both lungs. He was scared and didn't know what to do. We told him we were on our way and that Dan would bring his oil and they could administer to my mom as soon as we arrived. I have seen my mom after surgery and worried about her before... but nothing like this. She could hardly breathe and couldn't talk without losing her breath. She had been to her Dr. TWICE in the last 2 weeks and they had sent her home with Advil and antibiotics thinking she might have pneumonia. They never did a chest x-ray. Big mistake! My dad finally forced her to go to the Emergency room...and he literally saved her life. We almost lost my mom. Writing that makes it even more real and brings tears to my eyes. This could have been the worst week of my life. Instead I am exhausted and a little overwhelmed...but I still have my mom. I have so much compassion for those who have lost their mothers. Or fathers. My testimony of Priesthood blessings has grown. My appreciation of family has grown. My desire to live my best life has grown.

Mountain View Hospital in Payson, Utah. Thanks to all who have served, cared for, and saved my moms life....
My cute mom trying her hardest to smile and pretend to feel great. This is the LAST person I would have expected the dreaded phone call about. The doctors told us the fact that she has been so healthy and in such good shape helped save her.

My dad... celebrating the fact that he had just given her a shot in her abdomen... and that he did it well and didn't hurt her. He is going to give her the shots at home for the next few days and was really worried about it. I told him I would come do it if I needed to... but its a 40 minute trip one way... so I was really proud of him for deciding he could do it!!!

My mom trying to build back up her lung capacity. There were parts of her lungs that hadn't worked for weeks! She named this little gadget... but I can't remember what it was! Not her favorite...

All the beautiful flowers and gifts my mom received while in the hospital... thanks to everyone who came to visit and sent love her way...

Mom enjoying a little lunch... this one is for you Cheryl... she is saying hi to you and the girls. Momma is going to be okay!

Finally, after almost the entire week in the hospital she is ready to go home! Nick, her nurse, ready to help her to the car...

Helping her into her carriage...

Courtney made this banner for me to hang on the garage when she arrived home. After she colored it she realized that she forgot the "d" in grandma... but she figured Grandma wouldn't mind!

She also made me promise to get some balloons...

Home safe and sound. Now it's time to rest and heal. We love you so much mom!

I am so grateful that my surgery isn't until next week... I now see the Lord's hand in the scheduling and why I had to wait 2 weeks! I was disappointed when they told me I had to wait so long originally, but I would never have been able to help my parents the way I have if I had been recovering myself. It has been a very long 6 days... and it will be a long 6 months ahead... but she is doing well and getting stronger every day. A huge thanks to those who have gone out of their way to serve us this week. After my surgery next Wednesday I am going to be ready for "boring"! We love you mom and we are so glad you are okay!

We started the evening with fondue

A "Para-Ovarian" What?

I debate whether to include this post...but this is what is going on right now. A few weeks ago I went to my OBGYN for my routine yearly exam. While checking me out he asked if I knew I had a really big fibroid tumor. I told him that I did have one when I was pregnant with Courtney, but that I wasn't having any of the typical problems associated with a fibroid. I do have pain on my lower left side on my abdomen, but I ALWAYS have pain. The only way to describe what pain means to me is "back ground noise." I am so used to it, that it takes a REALLY bad day for me to even reach for the Advil. I'm the girl that only took 2 Advil after having a C-section. That's it... only 2... period. Lets just say that over the years, in this area of my body, I have built up a very high tolerance to pain. Now send me to the dentist for any procedure and I will cry like a baby. Weird.

Any way, he ordered an ultra sound just to see what were dealing with, so last week I went back and had that done. It is never good when the technician is relatively chatty, and then gets quiet. I know better than to ask what is wrong... so I left in a bit of a panic, but figured I wouldn't get too worried until they told me I had something to worry about. Fast forward 48 hours and I called to get the results. My nurse was out of the office so I spoke to another nurse who informed me that what he could feel was actually a "para ovarian cyst." I have never even heard of such a thing! It isn't connected to an ovary, but rather is attached to the ligament connecting your uterus and ovary. Really? I didn't even know I had a ligament providing this function. The scary part... the reason I am having my upcoming surgery to remove it.... is because mine is almost the size of a grapefruit. I hate grapefruit. I can't believe I have been packing this thing around with me for heaven knows how long!

The biggest concern they have, is that this type of cyst, especially because of the size, can rupture, bleed, or tear, which can cause serious problems and infection. They can also twist around another organ. Apparently this would be "excruciating." (Her words, not mine.) I have been told not to work out (BOOOOO!) and to take it easy. Not even a "brisk walk". This is difficult for me. Just sitting around, worried that the ticking time bomb in my belly will decide now is the time to rupture or twist around other organs. Weird. I have been working out for months now...with the exception of falling off the wagon during the holidays a bit... but I really WANT to work out. My poor workout buddy sounded horrified when I told her...can you imagine if something would have happened while we were working out?! What would be the "first aid" rendered in such a situation? I can't vacuum. I'm scared to do anything really. But I hate just sitting around. I told Dan that today if I watch any TV, I am going to walk slowly in place. He thinks I'm hilarious....but what's a para-ovarian-cyst-totin' girl supposed to do?!

I will be having surgery on February 8th... that was the soonest he could take care of my issue. I would be frustrated by that...but I guess that means that whomever is scheduled before me must have far worse things to be dealing with. I will take my weird, grapefruit sized, benign cyst. I am sure I have no idea how much better I will feel when this is done. I have become far more aware of what I am feeling...and I really had tuned out to what my body was telling me. I have now included in my new years resolutions to pay more attention to my body and what I am feeling. I am grateful for a wonderful doctor who didn't just "let it go" and figured out what I have going on! I won't be posting any "after" pictures... but lets just say that my "left side" will no longer be jealous of my far flatter "right side" abs. Sweet!

An update on Metro "3150"

Not that anyone but us cares... but I thought I would put on some updated photos of the new facility that Metro is building...and that Dan is in charge of making happen. They only have 10 more weeks and it will be done! 3 more weeks until the roof is totally on and 7 weeks for the inside to be finished and any additional outside concrete and finishes. We shall see...but Dan would love to have it completed on April 16th. (His birthday). The "due date" is April 17th...and you know how unpredictable "buildings" can be. This was before they poured a lot of concrete... A look at the inside where the office portion is going to be. These are break-rooms and restrooms. This was before they started the second floor where Dan and the other executive offices are located.

This is a "grinding ball". No matter how we try to explain them... "they look like cannon balls"... you just have to see one. These are what Metro delivers daily to Kennecott and other mines in Nevada. They put them into big tumblers... that look like a dryer but you could park a school bus in one of them... along with the ore, and then they smash it all up so the gold, copper, etc... can be extracted. This one is fairly small but it weighs 24 pounds!

A more recent view of the concrete on the East side of the building. There will be 25 acres of concrete when this is done. It sure will be nice during the winter next year! No more mud!!!

If you took the picture above this one, this picture, and the one below, they all fit together for a true view of this side of the building. It almost looks like a "race track". The big piece of equipment you can see right in the middle is called a "shear". It cuts up big pieces of metal so it can be processed. This machine is HUGE... but it doesn't look like it from up on top of the building.

This is going to be amazing when it is finished. I am so proud of Dan and everything he has done to bring this project to fruition. It has been a lot to juggle. Not only building this facility, but doing his regular work responsibilities, and being a bishop... not to mention husband and father. How does he do it? A lot of help from our Father in Heaven for sure.

This is a more recent view of the lower level of offices. They have the floor for the upstairs going in!

Another view from upstairs. This is of the bins that hold grinding balls and the crane with a magnet that loads them into trucks or containers. This is all concrete now.... Here is a view of the upstairs... without the roof... This weird box is the elevator.

This is a shot inside of the warehouse. This machine is called a "bailer". They can put whatever they want into it and it "spits" it out the other end in a bail....

That is it for now. Sorry if this was totally boring for those of you who may be reading my blog, but this is a huge part of our life right now and I need to document it. I will post new pictures in a few weeks...

Do you think the Millenium will begin this year?

On Wednesday I took the girls to the pediatrician for their yearly check-ups. We LOVE LOVE LOVE their doctor. She is sweet, and spunky, and remembers little details about my girls. I love that. She always makes them feel important and wonderful...and makes this mom feel like the best mom ever by asking what I am doing to raise such amazing, confident, and smart girls. It is totally worth the co-pay once a year! A $40 pat on the back for mom... gotta love that!

Towards the end of our visit she pulled out their immunization records and told me that we were totally up to date, and that next year when we come Courtney will need all of her Jr. High shots. Just typing that makes me realize (for the first time) that she said Court's name in a sentence with words "Jr." and "High". Yikes... I digress...! Any way, I KNEW what Courtney was thinking at this moment...she HATES shots. I am convinced it is because she got a flu shot a few years ago and swears the needle hit her bone in her arm. It probably did. Have you seen her arms? She is one tiny little chica! When Dr. Ring left the room she immediately started to cry telling me that 1 year is not very much time! I calmed her down, she put on her sunglasses to hide her eyes, and the three of us walked out. I knew this was not the end of the discussion...

As we were driving home, Courtney asked me .... "Mom, do you think the millennium could begin this year?" Here we go....

"Anything is possible, no one knows for sure when the Savior is going to come again. Why?"

"Because when that happens there won't be any pain or illness... so I KNOW there won't be any SHOTS! I REALLY hope it happens this year before my next appointment."

Wow. That's my girl! I guess the Mayan calendar ends this year... which I personally have a theory is because the guy in charge of the calendar died one day and they decided he had gone far enough into the future they didn't replace him.... but I do hope that at the very least some sort of magical immunization device is invented this year that makes getting shots painless! I sure love Courtney! She makes me laugh each and every day!

Disneyland Day 5 (Friday) 2011

We got up and showered and packed...and then checked our bags with the hotel until our shuttle for the airport arrived... After a quick breakfast we headed to Downtown Disney to walk around and enjoy a few more hours of warm sunshine!

Courtney also talked us into a trip into Build-A-Bear... one last souvenir. She had a little spending money left, and she wasn't about to head home with it in her pocket!!!

We went back into the hotel lobby to get our luggage... and Courtney did was she does best while waiting... play her DS!

And Kenna did what she does best... Listen to her IPod and text Heber....

On our way to the airport!!!

Waiting for our flight...

Me and my girls...

Our flight home was short...but SCARY! The winds were so bad flying into Salt Lake... people were freaking out! (Me included!!!) Someone even puked in first class!!! Not my favorite flight. But we made it home safe and sound! The girls snuggled up for the ride home...

It was a great trip... I got to spend time with my 3 favorite people... and we made it home safe and sound! Now we are ready to ring in 2012!!!

Disneyland Day 4 (Thursday) 2011

This morning we started with a character breakfast at our hotel in the "Storyteller's Cafe". It was really good...and Courtney thought it was fun to see some of the characters she hadn't seen anywhere else...

A few hours later we went back to the hotel and got our suits on and headed to the pool. This pool had the BEST "lay-out" chairs I have ever had the privilege of laying on. We have been to some REALLY nice places on vacation...but these were seriously the most comfy ones ever! Courtney actually fell asleep...and the rest of us felt like we could have. They had a fun water slide that Courtney put to good use...

Courtney in her new suit. So cute!!!!!

Dan got in and played with Courtney for a little while... and it wasn't busy at all! Perfect!

A little later we headed back to the park...and Courtney and I waited at our favorite spot while Dan and Kenna rode the "Tower of Terror".

Later on we headed to Downtown Disney for our dinner reservations....

I was excited to have some Mexican food... my favorite meal of the trip!

Dan and Kenna.... Me and Torte...

Funny story... earlier in the day we were in line for Indiana Jones and saw our friends, The Peterson's (From Bountiful... Hollie and Kenna have been friends since Kindergarten!) With the amount of people in both parks it is amazing we saw anyone we knew! We met up with them after dinner and rode "Star Tours" with them. Sure made the wait seem shorter! So much fun!!

This was our last day in either park... we head home tomorrow. We have enjoyed our vacation... but we are ready to head home!

Disneyland Day 3 (Wednesday) 2011

Today we started out in Disneyland and got on a few rides as quickly as we could. McKenna and Courtney were happy and the weather was GREAT! Around lunch time we headed to the "Horseshoe" and after ordering our lunch realized that a show was just about ready to start. Dan got chosen (of course) to be in the show. The basic story was that the mayor was trying to find a husband for his daughter...to someone who would have never seen her...

Ain't she pretty?! It was so funny! "She" would ask them all the same question and chose her husband to be based on who gave the worst answer... Dan was such a good sport!

Later we ran into Mary Poppins...

A little later on, Dan and Kenna went over to the "California park" so Courtney and I took a cab to Target and bought swimming suits and flip flops for all of us. We hadn't packed ours...we knew it would be warm, but didn't plan on it being this warm... and this busy! We decided that Thursday would include some time by the pool to chill out. When we got back I got Courtney a Mickey pretzel at our hotel and we went up to wait for a text from Dan and Kenna.

Courtney decided to take some pictures of me... She had me laughing... in this one I think she told me NOT to do the "Napoleon Dynamite" pose because it made me look really weird.

A view from our room out into the park...

After meeting up with Kenna and Dan we got on a few rides and then headed to our favorite spot to hang out and wait until it was time for our dinner reservation...

What a gorgeous view as the sun started to set... Dan was teaching the girls some dance moves...Tonight our dinner reservation was at "Ariel's Grotto". Included in the price of our dinner were reserved tickets to "World of Color". It was great to be up close and not to have to fight the crowds...but I don't think it was really worth the price. Yikes. We just aren't fancy food people...

At the end of your dinner you get a "dessert tray"... Courtney immediately went for this white chocolate "film reel" of the movie. It looked amazing, but didn't taste that great...

It was okay... we liked the fruit...and tasted everything...but we are more "brownies and ice cream" kind of people... You can see what Courtney thought by the look on her face in this photo...

It was a great show... and we had lots of laughs at dinner... what a fun day!