Shane and Wendy

A whole year, wow!

2011-08-02T14:26:00.000-07:00

Shane and I haven't blogged of over a year. I am sad to report that I am not that great at keeping a a journal, why should and electronic one be any different? Shane and I have a had a great and interesting year. We will start with Shane- Shane is attending Capella University where he taking classes in Psychology. He enjoys his classes, but I think he is going to switch his major from Psychology to I.T. and work with computers. He has been toying around with computers and has been staying busy fixing his grandmother and his mothers computer. Did you know that there is a program out there that allows someone to log on and take over your computer as if they were sitting in the same room with you? I did not know this. This has been a great help with Shane's mom living in Idaho, and his grandmother on a mission in Salt Lake City. It's been a real convenience for him to be able to help them with us not living near them. Shane is also very busy with his calling. He is serving as the Sunday School President in our ward. He stays very busy because he has had to reorganize the entire Sunday school. Shane has some amazing counselors now, and they have been a huge blessing to him. Shane is also very dedicated to strengthening his back. He goes on walks daily to improve his back muscles and strengthen his legs. He is still having some pain, but we are hoping with a lot of Physical therapy he will be able to get back to normal. His doctor did some more testing on him and we might be looking at another back surgery in our future, we don't know for sure when it will be, but we are hoping that the physical therapy will work, and surgery won't be an option. Keep your fingers crossed on that one.
Wendy- I have been going to school full time at UVU. I enrolled earlier this year (2011) in the Elementary Education program. I did one semester, and realized that elementary education probably wouldn't be my strong suite. I am thinking I need to work with the older children, and switched over to Secondary Education. I will continue to pursue this field at UVU this fall. I am also been busy with church callings. I currently serve as the Beehive Adviser and moonlight on the side as the Camp director. We went to girls camp July 2011 and had an enjoyable time because it was on a ward level this year. We stayed 4 days and 3 nights up Payson canyon at Black Hawk. We heard lots of reports of bears being spotted in that area, and I think I scared the girl badly enough that they didn't keep any food in their tents. I also have been busy actively by playing on a city league volleyball team, and softball team. We've had some enjoyable experiences, and even won a game or two.

The Summer So Far!

2010-07-05T10:22:00.001-07:00

I know it's been a long time since I've blogged. We've just been so busy lately. With a intense course load, church callings, and taking on a teenager for the summer, (I'll explain later) we've just been busy, busy, busy!
With our hectic schedule, we were still able to take a vacation this summer. We went to Miami, Florida. My parents have a time share in Florida, so we were able to take advantage of that, and go to Florida for some fun fun fun! Shane and I flew in at Midnight, and had to rent a car, and find the condo on our own. We survived the ordeal and were able to get there in safety. We hit the hay and then the next day were awake and refreshed to party!

The first day we started our journey by going to see the Alligators. They had an air boat ride and they took you out and tried to show you were the alligators were.
Shane was very anxious to get on the boat. Here he is with the boats in the background. He looked like a kid at Disneyland. He was so excited.
Here you see the only Alligator we were able to see. He was just a little guy, but he's still very much real. They got us as close as was possible. The kids loved it, and it was everyone's first time seeing an alligator up close and personal.
After the boat ride, they let us go and see a show where they have an actual Alligator Wrestler, who knew those careers actually existed. He was a nice guy who after the show let people hold a baby alligator. Of course, Shane was the first inline for this one. I was quite a few yards back, and taking pictures.
It's not a kitten sweetheart! However, Shane was not thinking clearly, and snuggled the poor baby alligator! What a silly guy!
Maile was the next one in line. She was very anxious to be able to hold it too. She is our biggest animal lover in the family.
Olivia was next. She was a little nervous about holding it, but she warmed up pretty quickly. It's just a good thing that it's mouth is taped shut. That is what actually convinced her that it was okay to hold him.
I know the picture is sideways, but the stinking thing wouldn't flip for me. that's the only one that is sideways. Tyson really enjoyed holding the alligator. He was so sad that he had to give it back.
The next day we were able to meet up with my dad's siblings. His two sisters and my cousin drove down from Birmingham, Alabama. We were so excited to see them. On Monday we went on a dinner cruise. They take you to a private island and serve you dinner, and provide a show as well. On the way to the island they showed us some mansions that were along the water front. It was pretty cool. Here are some pictures that we took while we were waiting for the boat to go.
In the middle is my cousin, Lillie, some of us haven't met here before. I know, it's SHOCKING!!!! she lives in Tennessee, and this was the first time I was actually able to meet her, and spend some time with her.
Shane and I posing for a picture. My hair looks pretty scary. It was very humid in Florida. My hair just looks pathetic. There was nothing I could do about it. :o)
The over 50 club as they liked to be referred to. They had their own bench and everything. They were so cute. Thank Aunt Cathy, for being a sport, and showing us your tongue.

The next day we decided to head to the beach. Alisha researched and found a beach that was supposed to be the best in south Florida. It was pretty overcast that day. However, the water was very warm. The warmest ocean I have ever been to.
We were having a nice lovely talk in the water. It was pretty nice. Tyson was showing us his snorkeling skills. :o)
Shane is so fired for taking pictures. Who let him near the camera?
Shane finally got in the water, and I was able to snap a picture of him. :o)

Well, as they say all good things must come to an end. We left Florida a few days later. The rest of our days were just spent relaxing by the pool, and doing some shopping. We of course found some good restaurants, that we took advantage of, and it was all in all a fun, relaxing trip.

When we got home. We were immediately thrown into watching our teenager. We have a couple in our ward who works for an environmental company. They were called up to clean up the oil spill down by the Gulf of Mexico. They have a daughter who is 14 who they needed help looking after. Her name is Shalayna. She is very much the typical teenager. She has been a challenge, but we are enjoying our time with her. We've run into a few snags along the way, but we are learning from them, and hoping to show her how important the gospel and being good is important.
Shane and I just finished up another term of school. We both did very well, and we are glad that the term is over. I took a Spanish class, and I learned quite a bit. I learned that I will never take Spanish again! Just kidding, I enjoyed it, and hope to continue onward and maybe, just maybe, I'll be able to use what I've learned in my degree. Shane changed his major. He wants to major in Psychology. He wants to get his Masters degree, and become an addictions councilor for the V.A. Hospital in Salt Lake, Utah. He's enjoying taking his classes, and we know we have a long road a head of us, but are equal to the task!
Well, I guess that sums up our summer thus far. We are looking forward to more fun with family and friends. We will try to keep up on the blogging, and hope all of you are doing well.

Count down to going private

2010-05-18T13:21:00.000-07:00

Shane and I have decided to go private on our blog. If you have not given me your email address, I am giving more time. Friday is when I am going to change the settings. So, if you want to keep reading this WONDERFUL blog we've created, you have until Friday to get my your email addresses. I will post new pictures and updates on our new home on Saturday. If you want to see our new house and pictures, you'll get in those email addresses now won't you? :o) You can email them to me at wseyersdahl@gmail.com

Loving you all!

Going Private

2010-05-06T10:03:00.000-07:00

Hey guys, Shane and I have decided that we are making our blog private. If you want to view our blog please send us your email address at wseyersdahl@gmail.com. thanks to those who taught me how to make it so our blog can be private, you guys ROCK!

The Surgery!!!!

2010-04-15T19:32:00.001-07:00

Well, I've had my back surgery. It was a pretty intense surgery, and I am so thankful that its over. I will share some of the high lights of the surgery. I was told to report to the hospital on Friday April 2, by 10:00 a.m. They took me into a room and that is where I changed into my hospital gown, and they put the IV in. Then I waited for a while longer until they took me into a holding (pre-op) room. I waited there for about an half an hour. Then I went into the operating room and that is where I met my lovely Anesthesiologist. Being the witty woman that I am, as he was putting me to sleep, I started quoting the Lord's Prayer. "Yeah, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death......" He laughed and told me "No, No, honey, not on my watch". It was pretty comical. I then came too about five hours later. The Surgeon told Shane that the disc was so shattered that they had to put in a larger cage, so it took 4 hours to do the surgery rather then the two they thought it would take. When I got up to my room it was a little after 6pm. I was awake, and I was excited to see Shane. That night I was a little bit uncomfortable and was a little to emotional for my own good. I asked Shane to get me a straw and he got me one, one that had been used in my Cranapple juice. He stuck it in the ice water with out sucking out the excess fluid that was in the straw. I whimpered and he said what. I told him I wanted him to suck out the excess juice from the straw and he kind of just rolled his eyes at the situation. I then proceeded to cry. I felt like I was being a burden, and I didn't want that. Yeah, like I said. to emotional for my own good. My poor husband, he didn't deserve my emotional behavior. He's such a good man to put up with a smuck like me.

I do have pictures of my incision, but my hubby forgot to cover up my bottom, so it exposes my bum bum so I won't be sharing them with you. No one wants to see that, trust me! Well the next morning they came in bright and early to get me up. I hadn't had my morning pain meds, so I was a little hesitant to get up. They got me to sit up on the edge of my bed. I then proceeded to get light headed and nauseous. I felt like I was gonna pass out, and told them several times. "I'm gonna pass out, I'm gonna pass out." they finally laid me back down as I started to go limp. Yeah, they didn't get me up until later that day (Saturday). When I finally did get up, I was able to walk to the nurses station and back a couple of times. It was a good progress. :O)

Oh, did you know that they don't administer pain medications through your I.V. anymore? They give you morphine shots through a straight shot in your hip! YIKES, is all I had to say about that. They say it lasts longer, and it takes affect faster as well. I don't like needles so I was very HESITANT to have them stick me with a needle. Shane talked me into having it once, and if I didn't like it, then I could just have the oral medicine. So, I knew it couldn't feel any worse then the pain I was having in my back, so I gave it a go. It wasn't as horrible as I thought it would be, and then allowed them to stick me in my hip with the morphine. That only lasted one day, and then the next day I was switched over to oral medications.

I was released from the hospital on Monday April 4th. I have been doing pretty good being home. I was able to get my staples out the following Monday, and I can't tell you how much better it feels. I have more mobility, and I don't have to cover up my incision every time I wanted to take a shower. I go for walks every day wearing my back brace. At first I had to use a walker. I felt like a huge GERIATRIC patient walking with a walker, a back brace, and my slippers. I finally was able to ditch the walker, but I still need the back brace for support. Its great support, plus it sucks me in a little and I look thinner. So I don't really mind wearing it. ;o)

We are very happy with the surgery because now I am able to walk straight. I no longer lean to one side. this is very good news. We were hoping that the surgery would accomplish this. I still have a little bit of surgical pain, but all in all I am feeling a LOT better. I will have to have Shane take some pictures of me (excluding the bum bum) so that you can see the big old scar that runs down my back. I feel very blessed to have been able to do so well and know its because of the blessing my hubby gave me the night before. he did an amazing job, and it was the most spiritual blessing I have ever had. It even made Shane cry (which doesn't happen often!) We definitely knew the savior was with us during this procedure, and are very thankful for the gospel in our lives.

Updates and Pictures

2010-03-16T13:40:00.000-07:00

Greeting friends and Family. Shane and I are doing pretty good. We have had a busy couple of months, but all in all doing well. Shane is doing Vocational Rehabilitation due to the fact that he can't return to his previous job at Smiths. He is enjoying working with them and they are helping him with the cost of school. He has also discovered that he is ADD, which he says he is glad to know because it explains a lot of things that have happened. Shane has also been called to serve as our wards Sunday School President. Shane has been working really hard in this calling, because they have asked him to rearrange the whole Sunday School. He's been busy calling teachers, and getting classes set up. The bishop has been so thankful to him, and has mentioned that they have never had a Sunday School President work so hard and be so diligent. Shane felt really good after hearing that. Wendy, has been working hard in the Young Woman's. She is working with the Beehives, and they definitely keep her on her toes. The first class activity was a game night, which took place here at Casa de Brown. We had a good time playing games, and I thought I would post some of the pictures from that evening.
One of the girls was not to happy to have her picture taken. However, the others were pretty excited and ready to play along.
We have also been enjoying the lovely weather that has been with us. I thought instead of complaining about the weather, that I would go out and play in it with my nieces and nephews. I only lasted about 45 minutes, but we did have some fun out there. Shane decided to be the camera man and took some pictures of me that I wasn't to thrilled about. I retaliated by sticking my tongue out and showing him how I really felt about the situation. Here are some pictures of my day out in the snow.

This will probably be my last post until after my surgery. We are excited that this will help me and I am still a little nervous about it. I hope this will be the means to the end of the back problems I have been having. I still can't believe that is just a few weeks away. Keep your fingers crossed!

Missouri and Uncle Ted

2010-02-15T17:48:00.000-08:00

I am standing upon the seashore. A ship, at my side, spreads her white sails to the moving breeze and starts for the blue ocean.

She is an object of beauty and strength. I stand and watch her until, at length, she hangs like a speck of white cloud just where the sea and sky come to mingle with each other.

Then, someone at my side says, "There, she is gone." Gone where? Gone from my sight. That is all. She is just as large in mast, hull and spar as she was when she left my side. And, she is just as able to bear her load of living freight to her destined port. Her diminished size is in me -- not in her.

And, just at the moment when someone says, "There, she is gone," there are other eyes watching her coming, and other voices ready to take up the glad shout, "Here she comes!" And that is dying.

~Henry Van Eyck

This post comes to your from St. Louis, Missouri. I am here because my beloved Uncle Ted passed away. He was such an amazing man and a great example in my life. I am so blessed to be apart of his family and I am so glad that I was able to come here and celebrate the great life that he lived. I have an amazing extended family and they have been such a great blessing to have at this difficult time. We were very sad for the circumstances that brought us all together, but very happy that we were all able to be together at this time. Uncle Ted loved to have fun. He was always the life of the party, and there was definitely a party, when he was around. After the funeral we were able to gather at my cousin Johns house. He was so gracious to open his house up to our HUGE family. We were so shocked that they were able to fit all 86 of us in his house for a meal. Thanks John and Mary. After the meal, we were sitting around and I found myself getting pretty cocky with one of my older cousins, Jeff. Jeff was in the Army, and he is very tall and very strong. I told him that I could of course beat him at arm wrestling.
as you can plainly see, I was not winning at all. So, I decided that this simply would not do. I was in the kitchen and I was talking to a "cousin" on the other side of the family, and she suggested that I stick Ice down Jeff's back. I of course, was all for this idea. So I waited for my perfect opportunity and went for it. Jeff then retaliated and in this next picture you will see how I ended up.
He had me flat on my back within seconds. I guess his combat skills kicked in, and he felt that I needed to be taught who was in charge. Well, what he didn't realize is that I have more people on my side then on his. So I quickly gained favor with other cousins who wanted to see Jeff be taught his lesson. This is what happened next.
It was dog pile on Jeff time. his own daughter joined in the quest to get Jeff down and out. My own sister decided to come in and join the fun, she put more ice down his back, and the game was on between Katie and myself. Jeff was aware that he could definitely take the both of us, and this is what came as a result of us trying to conquer.
We thought we had him, but as it turned out we definitely did NOT have him. we both ended up on the floor and then we decided we were just not gonna get him where we wanted. So we all at this point were out of breath and Jeff was pretty sweaty. Getting pounced on takes a lot out of a man. It was definitely a show for everyone who was sitting around watching the fun, rather than getting involved in the craziness.

I want to post some amazing pictures that were taken at the graveside service. My Uncle Ted was in the Marine Reserves so they were amazing and came and did a salute to him, and presented my Aunt with a American Flag.
It was such a great day. We were so proud to be there. I also was able to get a picture of my siblings while at the service. The only person missing is my sister Amanda. Sad that she couldn't be there.
I also love the picture that my mom was able to take with her siblings. the only one missing is my Aunt Irene. We sure missed you and wish you could have come.
What an amazing time I had in Missouri. I love my family and so thankful for them everyday. I am going to miss my Uncle Ted so very much and I am so happy to be apart of his continuing legacy of love and happiness that he has left with all of us.

Repented Blogger

2009-12-04T15:55:00.000-08:00

I know I haven't blogged in a very long time. I send out my deepest apologies to everyone. Shane and I have been very busy. I guess I should recap what we have been up to in last little while. September brought on Wendy's serge to get healthy. I decided to join my husband in getting a Gastric By Pass surgery as well. It happened on September 25th. I am coming up on my 3 month appointment and I have currently lost 50 pounds. I am going to go out on a huge limb here and show you my pre surgery pictures followed by a current picture of me. I do this only because I am very happy with the success that I have been having.
You are probably asking, "Why does she look like she is standing lop-sided?" Well, I have a herniated disc in my back. My sciatic nerve is killing me, and It makes it so I couldn't stand up straight or walk straight. However, with the loss of 50 pounds I am starting to walk a little bit more normally.
This picture was taken while Shane and I were visiting some friends of ours over Thanksgiving in Seattle, Washington, but I will talk about that more in a little bit. I holding on to the door handle because I was in some pain at this point, and didn't want to stand like I am in the picture above. So, I decided to lean on the door handle and have it look like I was "Striking a Pose" I know, I am a dork!
Moving on to October. Shane decided that he wanted to torture me for my birthday. He along with some very awesome friends of ours, threw me a Surprise Birthday Party. I was having extreme issues of turning 30! I wasn't going to be able to eat anything yummy for my birthday because of the surgery, so I was a little sad about not being able to indulge myself with my traditional Cheesecake, and I was mostly depressed about being 30!!!! People who are 30 life in their own homes, and have children. I have NEITHER!!! So yes, I was not happy. One of the friends who threw the party, is a very talented woman with a camera. She set up a place where families could have their pictures taken. This is a picture of Shane and I at my party.
I have lost some weight since this picture, this is only reason I am sharing this with you. The party was a success and everyone seemed to enjoy themselves. I was glad that it was over and I appreciated everyone who put a lot of work into it.
November- Shane and I were able to go to Washington state to see some friends. The family we stayed with had a baby while we were up there so it was great to see their new addition to their family. Here is a picture of me holding the baby in the Hospital

We stayed at Ft. Lewis and it was interesting to stay on a army base. Shane enjoyed himself immensely and he was like a kid at Disneyland. I also got to see a friend of mine that I met in Massachusetts while I was up there. Shane had never met them so I was happy to finally introduce him to them. I didn't get to spend a lot of time with them for that I was sad about. Here is a picture of Shane holding the baby as well.
We were able to enjoy Thanksgiving in Washington as well. We enjoyed ourselves a lot and found it hard to say goodbye when it came time to come home. We enjoyed getting away.
December- It's been a busy month so far. Shane and I are finishing up another term of school. It's been challenging at times, but we have been enjoying learning. I went to my 3 month appointment and have lost a total of 52 pounds. I hope to continue loosing. It feels good to be in smaller clothes. That about sums up our past couple of months. We wish everyone a joyous Holiday Season.

Upcoming Events

2009-08-12T18:59:00.000-07:00

Our summer is coming to to a close. We've had some great summer fun and we've got to see a lot of family and friends. We are now approaching the end of summer and with that brings forth some good and scary events. The huge one is Shane having his back fusion. One week from today, Shane will enter Utah Valley Regional Medical Center for his back surgery. We are glad that it's finally here and that we will begin the healing process. I am a little nervous having him go under the knife. We feel confident in the surgeon and know that he is good hands. He will have a rough six week recovery at first, but we are very confident that he will make a great recovery. It will still take him 6 months to fully recover and he will then be able to go back to work. His Neurosurgeon did tell him that he has to find another line of work. He will not be able to return to Smiths, but he will need to find a less physically demanding job. This means he gets to find a desk job. He has mixed emotions over this. Shane is finds joy in doing physical labor especially when it comes to running with an ambulance crew. He was told those days are now over, and he will have to hang up his EMT hat. Shane did not take this news well, but does understand that it's for the best.

As for me, I am looking at some upcoming events too. I am meeting with the Bariatrics Surgeon tomorrow morning. I will most likely be setting the date for my Gastric By Pass Surgery for sometime in late September early October. I feel good about joining my husband in this surgery. I feel that it is the only way we are going to have the pitter-patter of little feet in our home. I am somewhat apprehensive of this surgery, but after several coversations with Shane and a good friend of mine, I feel a little more confident every day.
Sorry we don' t have any pictures to share right now, but will submit some when we have some to add.

Reunions in July

2009-07-17T16:16:00.000-07:00

Shane and I had two family reunions in July. The first one was with Shane's side. We went up to Flaming Gorge. His family has some property up there. If any of you have been to Flaming Gorge and went to the visitor Center there presentation they do about the dam and the surrounding areas. They mention the "Swett Family Ranch" Shane's family homesteaded it back in the early 1900's. It was then sold to the state where they made it a historical site. The reunion was on the property and Shane took some pictures of the original house that still remains there. Here are some pictures of inside the house.

After that reunion we had my side's family reunion. This one was held down by Fish Lake. My mom's maiden name is Mackley and we had all of her siblings (minus one) come. It was nice to see so many of them we had not been able to see for a very long time. We had four days of laughing and catching up. on the last night of the reunion we had what we called a "Variety Show" each family was responsible for putting on a skit. So we reached deep inside our selves and pulled out our Thespian talent and put together a pretty awesome variety show. I was able to bribe my husband to partcipate in the show. We put a hoola skirt and a coconut bra on Shane, my brother Scott and my brother-in-law Jeremy. We lip sinked the song " A hundred and One pounds of Fun" song from the play/movie "South Pacific" here are a couple of pictures of the event.

We got some pretty good laughs out of that. We also had some other people perform. We had the grand kids do a song called "When I have brand new hair-do" they were dressed up in curlers and had mirrors. Half way through the song we had the boys come out with signs... Just look at the picture, you get the idea.
Everyone thought it was pretty funny. Here is the crowd that were participating in watching
Shane really got into the spirit of camping. So in preparation for the reunion Shane bought us some lights that go on top our head because he knows how many times I have to get up to use the bathroom in the middle of the night. Well we were wearing ours and my cousins thought we looked HILARIOUS! here is the picture of Shane and I sporting our headlights if you will.
The last picture I want to share. Is a picture of my mom and her siblings. The oldest sibling is missing. Her husband is struggling with poor health. We missed them so much, but here is the picture of the siblings that came.
My mom is the one on the left in the purple shirt. She is the youngest out of her siblings. going from youngest to oldest is Mom (Mary) then Irene is in the Wheelchair, Bill in the back and Jeanette on the right.
We had such a fun reunion and can not wait until the next reunion in summer of 2011.

Pine Valley and St. George

2009-06-29T14:07:00.000-07:00

A friend of mine has a cabin in Pine Valley, Utah. She asked me if I wanted to spend a week up there with her and get away for a little bit. I immediately said I did. I however, could not leave my husband for a whole week. I guess I am just one of those woman who still have separation anxiety. I convinced my friend that it would be beneficial to have Shane come with us. She agreed and we were off to Pine Valley. This picture is a distant view of her cabin. Here are some more pictures.

It's pretty much your basic looking cabin. 3 bedrooms, two bathrooms and it's just the cutest little thing ever. We had an amazing time getting back to nature. At the cabin there is absolutely no cell service, Internet, Cable Television, or Radio. We were completely shut off from the world around us. It was quite shocking to get back into town and find out that a bunch of celebrities had passed away. We left the cabin on Sunday and started to come down the mountain when we noticed that we had a flat tire. We were able to make it to the ranger station, and they were able to use an air compressor for our tire. We started again on our journey and then started to smell something burning. We pulled over and Shane lifted the hood of the Van. We noticed that the radiator was very low in water. So we pulled all of our water bottles from the car and put them into the radiator. We were able to get to safely get to St. George where my friends cousin lived. Her cousins husband is a diesel mechanic. He looked at the van and it turns out that it was the engine. It had blown head gasgets, and exhaust coming out of the engine. They told her it was no longer safe to drive, and the repairs would be more then to just junk it. I am now in St. George wondering how I am going to get home. We thought of renting a vehicle. St. George is out of any minivans, or SUV's. It was ridiculous. We thought me might have to call in the National Guard to rescue us, or just issue a state of emergency. Okay, that won't happen, but it if you've ever been in a situation like this you would know how we feel. My friends husband is coming down to pick us up.

Okay, here are some random pictures that Shane took of our time in Pine Valley.

Updates

2009-06-16T13:29:00.000-07:00

Sorry it's been a while since our last post. We've been having some good and bad days. The good days have been full of family and friends. The bad days have been due to sickness and bad backs. Speaking of bad backs, Shane found out that he is going to need back surgery. He has a tentative surgery date of August 19th. He does have an appointment with his Neurosurgeon on July 7th. He can at that time decide to move the surgery date up.
We are looking forward to July. We have two family reunions back to back. First we will travel to Flaming Gorge, Utah where we will be with Shane's family for the Seyersdahl Family Reunion. Then immediately after that reunion we will head to Fish Lake, where we will enjoy the Mackley Family Reunion. We are excited to see both of our families.

Shane and I purchased a tent because we will need it for the Seyersdahl family reunion. We took our tent to Idaho this past weekend and tried it out in Shane's parents backyard. We found out that it is definitely water proof. It's been raining a lot and we know that it can withstand the weather conditions. We had a great time visiting Shane's family. I am going to be leaving Shane for a week starting this upcoming Monday. I am going with a friend to her cabin in Pine Valley, Utah. I know it's the first time I will have been away from Shane for that long. I promise to take some pictures and post them for my next post.

Updated Pictures of Shane

2009-05-02T22:59:00.000-07:00

These are the most updated pictures of Shane. He's doing very well and continues to loose weight. We have an appointment with his Spinal Intervention Doctor on Tuesday. He also has an appointment with his Neurologist on May 14th. So we are hoping that back surgery will continue to be absent from our future.

Baby Shower Fun!!!

2009-04-28T12:04:00.000-07:00

This last Saturday we had a baby shower for my youngest sister Katie. It went really well and the preparations for this shower were a little stressful, but when it came down to it, it was well worth it. The cake is a diaper cake made by our very own talented Alisha and Mom. They worked very hard on this shower, and it paid off in the end.

One of the games we played was to stick a paper plate on your head and to draw a baby on it. I personally like our sister-in-law, Jills expression. She was such a good sport in the process. However, it was someone else who won the drawing. :o)

As with every baby shower, it's customary for the "Grandma" to make the guest of honor miserable with the bow around the belly. Katie was not to thrilled to do this, but she was a good sport as well. However, it didn't stop me from taking a picture of her torture.

The best part of the shower is when we received a surprise visit from our sister, Amanda, who lives in Colorado. She was very sneaky and did not inform anyone she was coming. We were very shocked and happy to have her there. This picture is of Ava and Hayley who are roughly the same age. Two cousins who found out they liked each other right off. they couldn't go five minutes without giving each other a hug.

Spring Has Arrived

2009-04-18T17:28:00.001-07:00

SPRING HAS COME
TO PAYSON!!!!!!!!!!!

I was so excited that today was such a great day. A little chilly, but all in all it was a GORGEOUS day. We spent most the day outside doing yard work. The first lawn mowing of the season occurred, Shane tilled the garden, Shane edged the front and back yard, and I saw these lovely flowers in bloom.
This picture is the flowers that are blooming in our front yard. They look so lovely and I know that they are not fully bloomed, but they look amazing because Spring is starting to show it's effects. My attitude lately has been grumpy because of the weather. I must admit when it's gloomy outside I tend to be gloomy inside. I enjoy the sunshine. I am hoping this is a reoccurring pattern we are seeing. I don't think I can take another snow storm. Let's all hope for the best shall we?

Wyoming!

2009-04-01T19:24:00.000-07:00

Shane and I took a quick trip to Wyoming last Saturday. Shane had a desire to obtain some of his grandmothers sourdough start. This is just not any old sourdough start, it's a start that has been around for FOUR generations. I guess I am not well versed in sourdough starts, and was well educated by the time we reached Shane's grandmothers house. Green River, Wyoming is only 3 hours from our home in Payson. We hadn't been back there in quite some time. It was the perfect idea to cure our boredom on Saturday. I have only mentioned to one friend how funny I think it is that the exit to Green River does not Say Green River. It says Covered Wagon Rd. Who would name an exit Covered Wagon Rd? I thought it was so funny that I decided I wanted to take a picture of it.

Now some of you would say who cares what the sign says. I guess you have that right, but to some of us, it's HILARIOUS!!!!

On another note. Here is an update on how things are going. Shane is still continuing to loose weight. He looks great, and so far has lost about 110 pounds. We also found out that he will NOT have to have back surgery. His pain specialist is convinced that the spinal blocks will work. He will have his first one on April 13th. We are hoping that it will provide absolute pain free results for Shane. The update on Wendy is that she is going to School. I am enrolled at Utah Career College studying Medical Billing/Coding. I am excited, yet scared at the same time. I haven't been to school since I graduated a decade ago. Wow, I can't believe it's been that long. The program I going into is only a year. I will receive a diploma. I am hoping to find a job that will allow me to work for them while I go to school. Shane found a couple of companies who said they would train. I've applied and I am hoping for the best.

Stay tuned as I write about my first week at school. I'm taking Anatomy/Physiology Pray for me! I'm gonna need all the help I can get!!!!

Alabama!!!! What a Trip

2009-03-22T22:03:00.000-07:00

I had the great opportunity to visit my family on my fathers side along with my two sisters and my parents. We flew down last Thursday and just returned home today. We had a great time, and I thought I would post some pictures for you to see.

This is my grandmother. She just turned 83. She currently resides in a nursing home. I found out while I was there that she will be competing in a Nursing Home Beauty Pageant. She's won in past years, and I never knew she competed. I am happy that she is going to compete.

We also had a chance to go and visit the Vulcan. I never heard about the Vulcan or why they had it in Birmingham, but I guess they are really into Greek Mythology. I could sit here and type the whole story, but it would take to long, and I want to post more pictures. If you would like to know the story about the Vulcan I'll tell it to you in an email or something. The one thing we noticed is that he needs some PANTS!!! Sheesh, so immodest.

There is an elevator that will take you to the top of the Vulcan. This is one of the scenery pictures that I took. I thought it was so beautiful. We had a great time taking pictures at the top. It was pretty windy up there, and I was ready to get back to solid ground. I do not do well with heights. I was brave enough to go up take the picture and immediately head back to the elevator and hit the down button. This photo is of the city of Birmingham.

My mother has always had a very deep fondness with Dog Wood Trees. There is also a legend of the Dog Wood Tree. My had one thing on her agenda when we arrived in Birmingham. To find a Dog Wood that was in bloom. My aunt took us to a place just south of Montgomery, Alabama to find a Dog Wood Tree. We were told it would be an hour and half drive down and back. We took two cars. My aunt's and our rental car. On the way down the ones riding in the rental car had a mishap. We were rear ended by a woman who claims she didn't have time to slow down. So it took us All Day to find our Dog Wood Tree. We took a picture and got back in the car and headed back to Birmingham. In this picture are my parents, and my two older sisters. We were so tired, we apparently can't even smile for the picture.

My other aunt took us to see a old abandoned mansion that was once owned by a Drug LORD in the 1960's. How she new this, I'll never know!!! We went in and actually toured the house. We took flashlights, and in we went. It was very interesting and a little creepy. My aunt claims that the inside looks like the 60's on steroids. I only took a picture of the most ridiculous room in the whole house. Scroll below and you'll understand what I am talking about.

Who in the world would wall paper the ceiling? I don't get it, and I don't want to. Most of the rooms in the house, including the bathroom had the ceilings wallpapered. We all thought it was a little over the top, but hey, what did we expect from a drug dealers mansion. the next picture is of the carpet of this very room. It was the cherry on the top I guess.

That's what I am sayin... Ewww Gross. I couldn't agree with you more on that. I felt sorry for who ever had this room. I really did. I just didn't understand the color schemes or the decorating process. I wish I could have seen this house when it was brand new and maybe had a better understanding of what they were thinking with this particular room.

This concludes this portion of my trip to Alabama. I took some more pictures, but it's just of some family members. I was so happy to be able to visit with my grandmother. I don't know when I'll get the chance in this life to see her again. She's such an amazing woman, and I am so glad that she's still around.

Our get a way and the 100 pound mark

2009-03-09T12:00:00.000-07:00

Shane and I got to get away this weekend. We went to St. George/ Mesquite. My brother-in-law was given 4 free rooms at Mesquites Virgin River Hotel/Casino. We took him up on his offer to have one of the rooms. Since the weather up here had a forecast of snow we decided it was the perfect time to get away. We left early Saturday morning and made our first stop in St. George. I wanted to hit the outlet malls and Shane wanted to look at guns. Thank heavens my sisters and their husbands came along so we could split up. Woman doing the shopping and the guys looking at guns. Shane had the digital camera with him and he surprised me by taking this picture.

I love how you can see the St. George temple through the trees and not to mention the parking lot full of cars. By the time we actually got to the temple to take some pictures of it close up, our batteries died. We didn't have any with us, so we were unable to get some until we got to Mesquite. The weather in St. George was in the upper 50's. It felt so nice to feel the sun and actually take off our jackets. We had a great time in St. George, but it was time to move on to Mesquite.

When we got there it was a little after three, so Shane and I decided we wanted to check out the hot tub that was outside. Shane purchased a new swim suite because his old one was TO BIG!!!!! Yes, Shane has reached the 100 pound mark of weight lost. He's looking so good and I couldn't resist taking a picture of him in his new swim suite. (He's got a shirt on :o))

this is the side view. I don't know to turn pictures. I am sorry that it's turned like this.
I am going to post another picture of him standing to the front. I hope you can see the difference in these pictures. Let me know what you think, cause I think he looks amazing. The doctor was so pleased with his progress and we are hoping the weight will continue to drop so that he can reach his goal weight.

I am so proud of the weight he has been loosing. I just wish when he looses weight, I could loose it too. I feel like I'm gaining weight while he looses it. It's just cause he's getting smaller and I feel huge around my skinny-minnie husband. Oops, that's not being positive like I mentioned in my last blog entry. I will stay positive and not let the fact that my husband looks great, and I look like live stock. :o)

I digress. Shane and I headed to the hot tub. It was pretty crowded with people. Most of them had a beer in one hand and a cigarette in the other. I felt uncomfortable in there and didn't really want to stay. Shane said let's just sit in here for a few minutes. they were pretty nice people and they even invited us to party with them later that night. We kindly refused their offer and a bout two minutes later I told Shane I was ready to hit the showers. We had a great dinner at the Hotel Restaurant. It was really cheap too. They gave us a ton of food. I felt like I wouldn't eat again for a whole week. Shane wanted to play the penny slots and I told him why? So you can deposit your two dollars to the Nevada Gaming Commission? He said exactly. I watched him play, and he actually got up to $11.00 then he ended up loosing it all. All he said was that he just put in two dollars. He should have cashed out the $11.oo so we could have made a $9.00 profit. I just don't see the point in gambling.

All in all it was pretty quick trip and we had a great time together. It was fun to decompress from the stressfulness of everyday life. We were not so happy when we got back into Payson, and it was of course freezing cold. I've got an even bigger case of Spring Fever.

Spring Fever

2009-02-27T19:19:00.000-08:00

I officially have Spring Fever. I am done with Winter. I long for the flowers to be in bloom. I want to unpack the spring/summer clothes and put the fall/winter clothes away. It's time for flip-flops, capris, and non jacket weather. Today when it snowed turned my mood from happy to sad. I don't know how much more snow I can take. There are so many wonderful activities that are going to happen in then next few months and Spring needs to be here for those to happen. Is it enough that all winter long has been filled with colds, Bronchitis, and hospital visits. All have required SEVERAL trips to the pharmacy.
I have posted this picture because it is the weather that I long for. I would like to post things that are not about Shane's health problems, but more on what I am excited about. I feel my blog is a wee-bit depressing. This picture is to get those depressing ideas out of my mind, and to bring sunshine and good things to our blog. Flowers represent happiness. Happiness sounds good to me right now. :o)

I believe that March is going to be a great month for us. It starts off great because we are going to be visited by Shane's parents. We haven't seen them since Thanksgiving. Shane's mother is excited to see the "New and Improved" Shane. My sister refers to Shane as I.S.M. the Incredible Shrinking Man. I know most of you have requested pictures of the ISM. I am going to post them in the near future. :o)

Home Again!

2009-02-21T20:16:00.000-08:00

Shane is home from the Hospital. He's doing very well, and he's happy to be home. It turned out that the cause of his problems was that he needed his Gallbladder out. When we got to St. Marks Hospital they took him in and did a scope of his stomach. They found a few staples that did not dissolve like they were supposed to. They removed them and tried him on solid foods again. He was still very nauseous, so they took him and did a ultrasound of his stomach and found a few Gallstones.

The doctor was concerned about them and decided he was going to remove the Gallbladder. Shane had his Gallbladder removed and was sent home the next day. He says it's very nice to be able to eat something and not immediately feel nauseous. He still is on a very restricted diet, but he is looking better and better. When we got to the hospital I of course wanted to weigh him right away. When we got to his room, there was a scale waiting for him. He stepped on and he lost another 23 pounds from what I blogged earlier. He's looking so good, and I am so proud of him.

Today we had an incident at our home. My sisters husband had a procedure done yesterday on his back. They told him he would know in 24 hours if it was going to work or not. Well, it didn't work and he was in severe pain. My sister couldn't move him so she decided to call 911. They came, and a lot of the ambulance crew were the same people who responded to our home when it was Shane. They said oh at least he's upstairs this time and not down stairs. We laughed and said, uh it's not Shane. They turned and saw Shane sitting on the couch. A lot of the crew did not recognize Shane. He had lost so much weight. They were completely shocked, and delighted on his progress. I was sad for my sister and what they were experiencing, but very thankful it was not us who was in the Ambulance.

This is a picture of Ayla. She came to see us, and my niece Hayley was her shadow. She liked having someone smaller in height then she was. Ayla like her as well, and wanted to give her a kiss. This the picture of them giving each other kisses. Just thought I would share this with you.

The Good And The Bad

2009-02-15T12:43:00.000-08:00

Shane lost another 23 pounds. We are very excited about that. He's looking so good, and he's liking the increasing energy that he has. He has been able to walk a lot more, participate in more family events, and not to mention that his wife is loving the less time he spends laying down in bed. We were able to have some friends come and spend some time with us. Shane enjoyed the extra energy he had and the time he got to spend with one of his life long friends.

The bad news is. Shane is in the Hospital again. After his Gastric Bi Pass surgery, Shane was doing pretty well. He started off just eating liquids. then slowly going towards the solids. He would eat the solids and then he would wait the appropriate amount of time before he drank anything. We started noticing that after he ate the solids that it would not stay down. They wanted him to drink at least 64 ounces of water a day. Shane would try to drink that amount, but he only could drink about 24. On Valentines Day Shane and I were going to go out with some of my family members. We got all dressed up, and were ready to go paint the town red. Shane was sitting on the couch, and he broke out into cold sweats. He said he felt nauseous and that he wanted to throw up. I told him to go lay down until we leave, and I would come and get him. I went to go get him a little bit later, and he was in the bathroom. I knocked on the door and when he came and opened it he said he needed to go in, something was just not right.

I took him to the E.R. and he ended up collapsing in Triage. He was severely dehydrated and went through two bags of Saline Solutions pretty darn quickly. The ER doctor called his Gastric Doctor, and he said he wanted Shane admitted and he wanted him admitted in Salt Lake City at St. Marks Hospital. Shane saw the doctor this morning and it turns out he has scar tissue built up around the new stomach pouch. they are going to go in with a scope and remove the scar tissue. Since it's a holiday weekend, they most likely won't scope him until Monday, maybe Tuesday. We are glad that they got this, and it should help Shane be able to keep solids down now.

This is a picture of Shane with his friends little baby girl, Ayla. She really took a liking to Shane and she would only let Shane hold her outside of her family. I just wanted to share another picture, since I've mastered taking pictures and posting them. :o)

When Friends Come To Town!

2009-02-10T19:11:00.001-08:00

Shane's best friend who's been in Iraq for the last 15 months came to visit us. We have been having an enjoyable time. I finally got our camera to work, and I've taken some pictures of our day.

Shane and Charles have been resorting back to the "OLD" days. They have been playing Halo on the X-box. Charles baby girl Ayla, wanted to join in the fun. Charles decided to get her started early. She got the controls away from her dad, and ended up killing Shane. I thought it was hilarious. Shane didn't know what was happening.

We had a great time eating lunch at Hunan City. The waitress was very willing to take our group photo. She especially liked baby Ayla. What's not to like of the chunker-monkey!

I'm just so excited that I have been able to figure out how to import pictures from my camera to the computer. I don't feel like a complete idiot now. :o) I'm sure I be blogging more that I've figured out this hobby.

Dumping Syndrome

2009-02-04T22:56:00.000-08:00

One thing we have learned with Shane's surgery is that when you think you're having a good day, don't over due it with stupid mistakes. Shane has reached his month mark with his surgery. He's gone from pure liquid diet to more solid foods. When he is having a good day he thinks he can eat something off his diet list. This causes a dumping syndrome. It's where your body does not like what you ate and is now going to make you pay. Shane discovered this at the Superbowl Party. He ate some raw veggies, which was good. What did not agree with him was just a spoonful of Chili. We were on our way home and Shane suddenly did not feel well. He made me pull over off the side of the road. He ended up loosing everything he ate. I told him the doctor told him that if he ate something he shouldn't that he would get the dumping syndrome. Shane quickly learned that it's better to stay with the recommended foods.

Many of you have asked why I have not added pictures to our blog. Well, I got a digital camera for Christmas and I need to start taking pictures. I am still learning about uploading pictures. I am not that technology savvy. I promise to add pictures once I learn how to get them from my camera to the computer. :o) Thanks for being so patient.

And The Pounds Just Keep Coming Off

2009-01-15T11:41:00.000-08:00

Shane had an appointment with his Neuro Surgeon yesterday. We weighed him there, and Shane has lost another 17 pounds. For a grand total weight loss of 60 pounds. I am so proud of him. He's looking so good, and he is starting to feel a little bit better. The doctor was very impressed with his weight loss and told him he wanted to see him back in four months. He said that by that time he should have plateued by then. He'll then decide if back surgery is the way to go.

Shane has been doing very well with the surgery. He's being smart about everything and he's sticking to the strict regiment of a diet. In case you were wondering what Shane can eat here's what his diet consists of. Yogurt, String Cheese, Cottage Cheese, Canned Tuna, and Canned Chicken. His stomach is only the size of an egg so he can only have two ounces of food for a meal. He's drinking lots of water and crystal light. I asked him if he feels like he's starving, and he said he doesn't. He says when he feels hungry he just takes a sip of water and the feeling goes away.

He's such a trooper and I am so proud of him and the progress that he has been making!

One Surgery Down... Hopefully it's the Last One

2009-01-07T15:51:00.000-08:00

Shane had his Gastric Bi Pass on January 5, 2009! He's home and doing very well. We checked into St. Marks Hospital bright and early on the 5th. We then proceeded to wait for two and half hours until they took him down to the operating room. The surgery lasted two and half hours. I was then taken to his room and waited another hour for him to come up from recovery. Shane has NEVER had a surgery before so he had a very hard time coming out of the anesthesia. He slept and slept and slept! Finally that evening he started to wake up, and we got him up and walking. He was only allowed to have little mouth swabs of water. He could not drink anything until the next day. He started out with an ounce of water, yes, you heard that right, an OUNCE of water!!!! He is now up to 4 ounces of water and progressing every little by little. He was supposed to come home yesterday, but due to the weather and the fact he hadn't had anything to eat they made him stay an extra day. He's home now and doing very well.

I weighed Shane the night of his surgery and in the past two weeks he lost another 14 pounds. I was very pleased with him. He's going to slim and trim before we know. Thanks again to everyone for their well wishes and prayers on Shane's behalf. He's very appreciative of you all.

The Day is Upon Us

2009-01-02T15:47:00.000-08:00

Okay, we are starting out 2009 with a bang. Shane is having his surgery on Monday Jan 2, 2009! We finally got the date and today we got the time. We will be at the hospital bright and early since his operation is at 7:30 a.m.! We spent today up at St. Marks getting all our I's dotted and our T's crossed. Shane was such a trooper, he got poked and was so good about it. He feels like the human pin cushion, but he never let's it get to him! Another thing we accomplished today was our final class with the bariatrics department. They gave us the food guidlines and Shane is very excited because at week 7 he can have one of his favorite things in the whole wide world..... Beef Jerkey! the key thing for Shane is to have lot's of protien and a little vegetables. His stomach will only be able to contain 2 ounces of food. It's not a lot, but it will get better as time progresses.

We are very excited about this surgery because we feel it's the key tool to getting Shane back to his normal way of life. He wants to be back at work, and it's hard for him to laid up for so long. We will keep you updated after the surgery. He's expected to loose 2-5 pounds A DAY!!!!! I know.. It's a lot! I'm so jealous!

Tagged

2008-12-19T14:54:00.000-08:00

RULES

1. List these rules on your blog.
2. Share 7 facts about yourself on your blog, some random, some weird.
3. Tag 7 people at the end of your post by leaving their names as well as links to their blogs.
4. Let them know they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.

Fine Tammy Gifford Ault, this is for you!!!!!

1. I have been forced into being "Tagged" by my dear friend Tammy. She called me out on the carpet and wants me to participate in this silly thing where I have to share information about myself to all of you!!!!! :o) There that uses up one space.

2. I don't know if anyone really knows that one of my most favorite beverages of all time is BUTTERMILK!!!!! I love to drink it and to savor that delicious flavor. My husband gives me very strange looks when I sit and drink it in front of him. I tried to trick him once. I brought down a glass of buttermilk, but told him it was a glass of milk. He thought that was a little odd since I hardly ever just bring him a glass of milk. He was smart and smelled it and told me NICE TRY!!!!

3. I have the most delicious recipe for chocolate brownies. It's made from scratch and it's very choclatey and it hits the spot when you need a big chocolate fix. So, if you're interested in this delicious recipe let me know, and I will be very happy to share that with you.

4. I am so excited for Christmas this year. My sister Alisha and her family are going to come to Grandma's house and have Christmas with us. I am excited to see her kids open their presents because they get very animated when they open the gift that they have been asking Santa for.

5. I am going to have Chinese New Years this year. My Siblings and I are getting together and we are going to make Chinese food... Yes, that's right MAKE Chinese Food. It's going to be fun. We call it the Chinese New Year and we will be eating and thinking Chinese until the count of Midnight this year.

6. I have been helping my sister-in-law Mikaela become a Nanny. She wants to go back east and it's been reminding me of my time I spent as a Nanny in Medfield, Massachusetts. I am so grateful that I went to be a nanny. I have met so many wonderful life long friends. I saw a picture of the kids I nannied, and they are so grown up the oldest is now 20!!! Yes, I am very old!!!!

7. My favorite desert in the whole entire world is CHEESECAKE!!!! I have been craving cheesecake for the longest time now. My husband knows that I will do anything, and I mean anything for a piece of cheesecake. He knows I would do laundry and cook for the rest of my life if he was to bring me just a small piece of cheesecake!

Okay, I am now tagging the following people to participate in this activity: Brittney Gonzalez, Cindy Brown, Linda, and Jenny Meek, if she'll even look at my blog.....

CAN WE EVER CATCH A BRAKE

2008-12-16T15:24:00.000-08:00

Two weeks ago we were at Shane's doctors appointment with his pain specialist. They were taking Shane's vitals as normal. They noticed that his O2 and blood pressure were not normal. The doctor expressed her concern and told us that she wanted Shane to have a chest x-ray done to rule out any complications. She wrote up an order and sent us to Mountain View Hospital to get the x-ray done. We of course complied with her order and had the x-ray done. We were under the impression that they would send the results to our doctor and she would call us if there were any problems. We never heard anything so we thought nothing of it.

Yesterday was our two week appointment and we went back to the pain specialist. She asked us if we had the results of the x-ray. We told her we did not, and that we thought she would have them. She asked her staff to call and get the results. After receiving them, we were told that it looked like Shane had some fluid in his lungs and that it was Pneumonia. She said we needed to call and get an appointment with our regular physician. I called right then and was able to squeeze Shane in as his last appointment of the day. We went over there and his doctor said it looked like Pneumonia as well, and wanted a current x-ray and sent us down. Today Shane and I were out and about when Shane received a phone call from his doctor. The nurse said it was definitely Pneumonia, but they also noticed a large mass on his left lung. She said she wanted us to come back tomorrow and do a CT (Cat Scan). We set up the appointment and continued with our day. Shane started getting really sick to his stomach, and was having a hard time catching his breath. I of course was not thrilled and decided to take him to the hospital to just get the CT done. We were sure it was Pneumonia and that he needed to have some antibiotics and we would be okay. The hospital admitted him and when we arrived upstairs they came in and said that the CT showed no signs of Pneumonia, but the large mass on his lung looks pretty serious. They think it could be a possible blood clot, so they are having us admitted for tests and to talk to a specialist.

This is all I know of now, I will of course keep you posted. I am hoping and praying that he will not be in here very long and that everything will be fine. We are going to have a priesthood blessing this evening. I for sure thought with the date set for his surgery, we would be doing fine. However, I guess things are just going to have to be crazy up until the date of his surgery.

And the Date Is..........

2008-12-15T17:34:00.000-08:00

Okay, Here we GO! Shane's surgery date is........... January 5, 2009. Yes, It will be after the first of the year. I was a little disappointed because I was hoping to get it in before the end of the year so we would not have to meet a new deductible. Shane says that I am more concerned about money then I am his health. I just have to say I am concerned about both! We are going to be meeting with the surgeon on Jan 2nd to do his pre-surgical consultation.

Shane and I are both very happy that the surgery is finally scheduled and we can finally look forward to the healing process. Shane is excited, and his spirits have finally started to look up. We went to see his Pain Specialist today and it looks like the results came back with his chest x-ray that we had two weeks ago. Shane has a small case of walking-pneumonia. The doctor was a little upset that she was not sent the results of the x-ray until today. She sent us over to our regular physician and they gave Shane a shot and made him get a new x-ray. We were a little upset that they waited this long to get us the results, but happy that we got things nipped in the bud now.

And now an update on Tyson.... He is still in Primary Childrens Hospital. They did not end up putting in a chest tube, and he is getting better. They gave him three different kinds of antibiotics. They seem to be killing the infection and they are hoping that he will be able to come home at the end of the week. I appreciate every ones prayers and thoughts on his behalf. We love you all!!!!!

Phone Call

2008-12-13T12:06:00.000-08:00

Okay, I am just way to excited to wait until Monday to post. So, I am going to do two posts. One now and one on Monday.

Shane got a phone call yesterday from his nurse for his Bi Pass. She said she was looking forward to meeting him and wanted to get to know him so when he came in for his surgery she would have everything in order for him. Shane was a little dumbfounded my this and asked her is she knew when his surgery date was? She said.. "Oh they haven't scheduled you with that yet, let me transfer you over to them so you can get that date!" It turns out that they were not in the office on Friday. So now we have to wait until Monday to find out the date for his Bi Pass.

I am very excited that it's finally here. I just hope things will happen that will allow him to have the surgery before the end of the year. It's all about the deductible. :o)

P.S. For all those who know my immediate family members. Will you keep Alisha and her family in your prayers. Her son Tyson who is five is in the Hospital with Pneumonia! They just transferred him from UVRMC to Primary Childrens because they have to put a tube in his chest to drain fluidst that is causing an infection near his lungs and heart. He's been in the hospital since Thursday and he's getting worse. Thanks!!!!!

Pain Specialist

2008-12-01T17:15:00.000-08:00

Shane was referred to a Pain Specialist a few weeks ago. They were really great to visit and we had high hopes for the new medicines they prescribed. The new medicine would detox his body from all of the percocet he was taking and also serve as a pain pill. She said there would be some pretty ugly symptoms with detox. I have never seen anyone go through detox before except for on television. I wouldn't say it was as bad as t.v's version, but he had some pretty bad nights. However, the detox was only a small portion. He regained a lot more mobility and was doing pretty well. She said she wanted to see him back in two weeks. that appointment was today. We went and they took him in to do his vitals and found that his O2 was very low, and his blood pressure was very high. After listening to his lungs, they noticed that his breathing had diminshed enough to need a chest x-ray. So she wrote up a order and we headed off to the hospital. (Our home away from home.) We are currently waiting for the results from that. She also ordered Shane to go back on his oxygen and we just started to laugh, since we had just gotten rid of it two weeks ago.

We still haven't heard from the Bariatrics Center. I've told Shane that his main goal tomorrow is to call them ask them who is wife has to sleep with to get a date for this blasted surgery. I am so sick of waiting and I just get frustrated with the whole process. I know I am being dramatic, but I think I have a right to be right now!!!!! :o) Okay, I'm done venting now!

We had a great Thanksgiving with Shane's side of the family in Idaho. It was good to be with them and we are greatful to them for letting us stay with them. :o)

A Good Report

2008-11-18T12:36:00.000-08:00

We got a letter in the mail yesterday from our Insurance Company. They have paid for and released the information of Shane's Psychological results to the Bariatrics Center. We called St. Marks Hospital and they said they would be calling us within the next day or two to set up a time for Shane's Gastric Bi Pass Surgery. I am hoping that we can get a date before the end of the year because we've already met our deductible for this year. :o)

We also were referred by Dr. Reichman to see a pain specialist. Shane has been complaining that the pain medicine he has is not working. We went yesterday (Nov 17th) to see this new doctor, and they perscribed a whole new set of meidicine for Shane to try. They said that he had to quit taking the old medicine for 24 hours. We started him on the new medicine this morning, and he could already tell a HUGE difference. The only bad thing about this medicine is that it makes him VERY tired. The doctor told us that this should help him become more mobile. Shane has alreday mentioned that he considers this medicine a wonder drug. :o)

We are so thankful that much of the waiting is over and we can begin down the road of surgeries and recoveries. I know I probably sound like a broken record, but I am so thankful to all of you for your love and prayers on our behalf. We appreicate them, and love you all very much. I will for sure post again when we have a surgery. The surgery will be at St. Marks Hospital in Salt Lake.

The Waiting Game

2008-11-04T14:08:00.000-08:00

Shane and I have done everything that is needed for the Bi Pass. We now just have to be patient and wait for the Insurance to send the okay to the Bariatrics Center. We are hoping that maybe a miracle will happen and we can have the surgery before the year is over. We would love that because then we have already met our deductible for the year. If it is after the new year, I guess we will be living with my parents until we are dead.

I am currently substitute teaching for Nebo School District. I really enjoy it when I am able to subsitute for elementary schools. I have had a couple of opportunities to sub for Junior High and High Schools. I don't think I like that very much. Junior High students especially. they just have to much energy for me, and I have a huge headache by the end of the day.

Shane is doing pretty good. He's started school online. He is really enjoying his classes, and it keeps him busy during the day that I am out working. He still is having a lot of pain. Dr. Reischman perscribed the highest amount of pain pills to him, and they are not working. So we had him refer us to a pain specialist. We have an appointment on the 17th of this month. I am hoping they will have some suggestions for him to deal with the pain.

We are planning on going to Idaho for Thanksgiving if Shane can tolerate the ride up there. Since we have been married we have not spent one holiday with his side of the family, and I am feeling that his parents are about to dis own us. It should be a good trip and I am actually looking forward to spending time with some of shane's family. I still don't know them very well and hoping that it will be a fun time. I am sure Shane is going to enjoy seeing his siblings and spending some quality time with them as well.

October Thus Far!

2008-10-18T20:50:00.000-07:00

So far this month just seems to be flying by. A lot has happened this month, and I am sorry I haven't blogged. First thing to happen to us this month is, my sister (who I am the closest to) moved from two blocks away to American Fork. I was so sad to see her go. I went from seeing her two or three times a day from seeing her only maybe once a week, if I am lucky. It's a good thing we have unlimited text messaging to get us through this difficult time in our lives. :o)

The other thing that crept it's way up on me was the crazy time in your life when you turn a year older. I have now officially started my membership in the "29 and holding Club" They were all to eager to accept my membership. I have mixed emotions about joining this club, but will be a happy person who makes sure I am doing my best to fully represent myself as a member of this club. I had a good birthday. I started the day off by subbing for the 2nd grade at Riverview Elementary school in Spanish Fork, Utah. I love the 2nd grade and I had a blast there. I then got to go out to dinner with my sister Alisha and her husband Chip, (who I have now started calling, WILLY!) and my adorable friend Jami Barzee. We ate at The Oak Crest Inn, which I think is one of Utah Counties hidden treasures. It has the most delicious dish of Malibu Chicken I have ever partaken of. SOOOOOO GOOOODDDDDD!!!!!!!

We are also going to a Psychologist on Tuesday (the 21st) to complete the final task needed for Shane's Bi Pass. I am hoping that things will go smoothly and that we will now be able to sit back and wait for the phone call that will allow us to set the date. Shane is doing a good job at keeping his spirits up for being in pain for so long, but I can tell that it's starting to get to him. He's such a trooper and he is actually starting school at the end of the month. he will be doing online classes and he's very excited to get going. It's all he ever talks about!!! :o)

We are sorry for not posting anything for a while... I am thankful that my dear friends keep on me to post things. I just sometimes feel so guilty about just rambling on and on, with out posting pictures. I have expressed to Shane that I would like a Digital Camera for Christmas, but I have a feeling that with our current financial situation a Digital Camera will just have to wait for another christmas in the far off future. :o) So hopefully I am not boring a lot of you who actually do read my blog!

Update

2008-09-24T13:40:00.001-07:00

I guess I am the worst at blogging. I haven't written anything in a while. We went and saw Dr. Reishchman yesterday and he informed us that Shane will need to have a 3 Lumbar fusion on his back after he has the Gastric Bi Pass surgery. Our update on that surgery was going well until we hit a snag. Our Insurance won't recognize the Psychologist that we went to see even though they are the one that the Insurance recommended. The Psychologist is an intern and the Insurance company wouldn't take his contract offer. I hate Insurance terms, so I don't pretend to know what they are talking about. I just know I have to find another Psychologist that my Insurance will accept.

When Shane has the Bi Pass, he will have to loose 100 pounds to be able to have the Back surgery.(He has already lost 33 pounds. I am so proud of him!!) This could take anywhere up to six months. Once he has the back surgery he will then have a recovery of six months. The doctor told him that he will be out of work for a year at least. We are now trying to get on Long Term Disability with the possibility of filing for SSI as well. I can't believe we are going down this road. However, we are staying possitive and we welcome what ever life throws at us. :o)

I am thinking this is the greatest time for me to go back to school at get trained in a career that will be able to support us for what ever life may bring us in the future. I just want to be prepared. I guess I should have been a Boy Scout.

Shane is Home and We're ALIVE

2008-09-11T20:30:00.000-07:00

Shane got to come home from the Hospital on Tuesday of this week. We were very sure that Shane was going to have to go into a Extended Care Facility however, the Social Worker at the Hospital informed us that every one was full in the County. So, the only next solution was for Home Health. We were allowed to have a hospital bed, home health care nurse and physical therapist to come to our home several times a week. This was good news to me because I wanted to have my husband home with me and not in a Nursing Home so I am happy.

I've mentioned before about needing a Nutritionist and a Psychological evaluation before he can have his Bi Pass surgery. Well, we were able to see the Nutritionist in the Hospital, but unfortunately they did not have a Psychologist available to see him in the Hospital. I was able to finally find one that our Insurance company approved of and the appointment is for Monday the 15th of this month. Shane will have to make it to the clinic, but I am praying if I dope him up pretty well he should be able to make it. After he has the interview they will fax the information to the Insurance and they should get in contact with the Bariatrics center, and we are hoping that Shane will be able to have the surgery by the end of September (HOPEFULLY!!!!!!)

I would also like to thank everyone for their prayers on our behalf. I am amazed at how many of you told me that you would keep us in your prayers. I am so blessed to have the love and support of family and friends like you. I hope you know that even though that Shane and I are faced with this difficult situation, if any of you need anything please don't hesitate to call me. I will post again when we know for sure the date of the Bi Pass. Until then, I send you my love and best wishes to you all!

Stenosis is our Enemy

2008-09-05T09:43:00.000-07:00

Shane is back in the Hospital. The Stenosis in Shane's spine has caused him to loose control of his legs and his bowels. I brought him to the Emergency Room on Thursday night due to the fact that he could not walk on his right leg, and he had lost control of his bowels. The ER doctor said that the only possible thing left to do was to operate and he wanted to talk to the NeuroSurgeon to confirm this. The Neuro Surgeon came down and talked to us and informed us that in order to operate on him they would have to lay him on his stomach. Shane carries most of his weight in his stomach and thus it is impossible to have him lay on his stomach and survive the kind of surgery they need to do. First, he needs to have his Gastric Bi Pass surgery and loose weight so that he can lay on his stomach for the amount of time they need to fix his back.

So, with this information and the fact that he can't walk or use the bathroom on his own the Neuro Surgeon said that they need to Hospitalize him for three days, and then turn him over to a Extended Care Facility (Nursing Home) until he is able to have his Gastric Bi Pass. We informed the Dr about our status with the Bariatrics Center and that the only thing holding him up was a consultation with a Nutritionist and a Psychologist. Dr. Gavaine said he would make some calls and see if he could rush that along for us.

I know a lot of you are wondering what you can do for us and my answer would be..... Pray for Shane!!!!! Pray that all will go well for him to have one surgery so he can endure the next surgery.

A Whole Lot of Nothin

2008-08-26T16:22:00.000-07:00

I haven't blogged in a while. I just haven't had anything to write about. We are still trying to get things going for Shane's Gastric bi pass surgery. He only needs to meet with the Nutritionist and the Psychologist. We have a meeting set up with a Nutritionist, but still have had no luck finding a Psychologist. the only one we found was at St. Marks Hospital, but they are wanting so much money up front and they told us they would bill our Insurance, but it is totally up to the Psychologist if he wants to do that or not. So, I guess if any of you know of a Psychologist that is willing to work with Insurance companies we would love any suggestions. Shane's supposed to have surgery on the second week of September and we need to have this evaluation done before his surgery, so we are racing the against the clock.

I guess on a happier note, I am working again! I got a job being a Nanny for a family in our ward. the mother went back to school and just graduated with a degree in Law Enforcement. She is now working for Provo City Police Department. I am loving this job because it's so close to home and the kids are ones I have known and babysat for before. The family is great and I get a long with the children really well. They have already got people set up to help out when Shane has his surgery, so that is a great blessing as well.

We are still going through the process for short term disability with Shane and his job. He is going to be able to keep his job due to the Family Leave Act. We are thankful for that and now are just battling with the short term disability part.

I also have my 10 year High School Reunion this weekend, and so I will probably post another blog about that after I attend. I was not planning on attending this event, but thanks to some emails and phone calls, I guess I will make an appearance. :o) We appreciate all the prayers in our behalf, and thank you to all for your love and support.

The Results Are In!

2008-08-18T20:50:00.000-07:00

Shane got to come home from the Hospital the Saturday after he was admitted. We have been seen by the best doctor in Utah, Dr. Reischman. He has confirmed that Shane has Spinal Stenosis, which is genetic and it eventually takes over your nerve system in the lower part of your body which eventually will make you loose control of your bowels and leave you paralyzed. The doctors said they would operate before they let that happen. Shane must have two operations in the next 3 months. He first is going to go for the Gastric Bi Pass Surgery which will help get some weight off and hopefully that can release some of the constant pain which he is having in his right leg. If that does not work it looks like they are going to go in and fuse his spine.

The other news is that the doctors are not going to release him to go back to work any time soon. We are looking at possibly a full year before he is able to work again. I guess we are looking at short term disability and his work has allowed him to use the family leave act so that he won't loose his position. We are hoping that things will work out and that the operations will be a success.

I am working again. I have received a wonderful opportunity to become a Nanny again. I have a friend who went back into the workforce again, and did not want to put her four kids into the day care system. a great offer was made and I was thankful that this opportunity has come to us.

thank you for all of you for your prayers, love and support. It has not gone unnoticed. :o)

The Hospital is our Home away from Home!!!!

2008-08-06T20:23:00.000-07:00

Yes, It's true. WE live for the Hospital, at least that's what I am beginning to think. To tell this story I must take you back a few days ago. Shane was complaining of back pain like normal, but it's always something that goes away when he takes his medicine. On Monday of this last week he was laying in bed and saying that he had some back pain and wanted an ice pack, and some muscle relaxers. I supplied him this and he was doing pretty well. Tuesday morning he complained again and I gave him some medicine and told him since he didn't have to work until this evening to lay down and take it easy. By 4:00 pm he was still in some pain, and told me it was in his right leg and that if he could just use the crutches he could use it for support and he could make it to work and when he walked in with crutches he was hoping they would just send him home. Ya, well no such luck. He ended up working his whole shift until 10:oo pm.

I got him home and into bed by 11:00 pm. at 1:00 am Wednesday morning he was complaining of severe pain in his right leg and when he tried to roll over and go to sleep he cried out in pain. I asked him what he wanted to do and he said we should probably take him into the hospital. My mom just happened to be down stairs and I asked her what we should do and she said take him in. So I tried to get him up with the crutches and he just couldn't get his back to go along with this plan. We decided there was no other choice but to call for the ambulance. I didn't have the number for dispatch so I ended up calling 911. When the ambulance arrived I was with Shane and the first guy who walked in looked like he had one foot already in the grave. He looked like he was with Noah on the ark. :o) ( just a little blogger humor for your reading enjoyment) The next guy who came in looked like he was not a day over 18. I just thought, "Oh this is going to go well!" They decided he wasn't going to just roll over get on the gurney and go to the hospital. Bye the time they loaded Shane into the ambulance I saw there was two ambulances, three fire trucks, and three police cars. They had to put Shane on a back board and pretend like he was on a mountain top because of the way my mothers basement is laid out.

Shane got to the ER in Payson, and the doctor had the Nurse give him some pretty intense medicine. I am talkin this stuff is stronger then Morphine. It totally knocked Shane out and they had a hard time trying to get him to be responsive. He was just laying there and the nurse panicked and ran out of the room and went to get the doctor. I was left alone standing there with the thought that my husband was never going to wake up again. They finally got him to respond and they put some O2 on him because it was pretty low. They finally admitted him around 6:00 am on Wednesday. The doctor came in and saw Shane around 2:00 pm. He said he had a herniated discs in his L1, L2, L3, and L4 and also his Spinal canal was very small and that it probably would cause him to eventually loose all the feeling in his legs, and probably end up in a wheel chair and have no controls over his bowels as well, and it could end up eventually taking his life. We were less then thrilled at this news. The doctor said he would consult with a Neurologist and get back to us. He left room and came back in five minutes later and said if we could get over to the Provo Hospital that the Neurologist would see us.

This brings me to where we are now. After seeing the Neurologist he said he wanted to run some tests and inject some dye into his spine and see exactly what they are dealing with and see if he can just cure the problem that way, or if it will indeed need to be operated on.

I am hoping that Shane will be able to leave the hospital tomorrow and have the medicine work and that he cans till make his interview on Friday. I am so worried that we are going to miss our window for the new job opportunity. I will make sure to blog again when we know more from the Neurologist.

A BRAKE IN THE "THUNDERSTORM"

2008-07-28T17:20:00.000-07:00

I know it's been a while since I have posted anything, but there really hasn't been much to report on until recently. Shane has expressed interest to go back to school and get his degree because he is sick of working every weekend and he is also sick of me complaining that he has to work every weekend. I told Shane I was sick of going to family functions with out him! So, he decided a degree was the only way to get him out of working in retail and having to work weekends and holidays. Shane chose to go into Human Resource Management. I think he will do very well in this field and he is very excited to get started. Shane thought he would call Smith's Headquarters and see if they had a opening in the HR department so he could get his foot in the door and learn while he is getting his degree. The HR manager told him nothing was open as of now, but she would keep his number and call him if an opening opened up.

Shane got a phone call today from Headquarters today and they have an opening. They want to meet with Shane next week and they are very confident that he will be a good candidate to have as an HR assistant. This means he will get out of a check stand and into an office setting. This also means that he will have weekends and holidays off. :o) When he gave me the news I was very excited. I felt that finally there is a brake in our "Thunderstorm" of events that have been happening to us in the past couple of months.

Shane has reminded me several times today that if we kept faithful through the storm that we would start to see brakes start to come. :o) He is the one who stays calm during these "Thunderstorms" and I am so grateful for his strength, because I have been feeling weak and unsure that the calmness would never come.

A New Home A New Beginning!!!

2008-06-28T18:15:00.000-07:00

I know it's been a while since I have submitted an new post, but in my defense it's been really crazy around these parts! Shane and I are now settled into our new home, which happens to be my parents house. In my last entry I told of Shane and his injuries to his back, what I failed to mention is that I also have back problems, I herniated my L4 and L5 discs in my back. I was also in the hospital, and I am currently doing physical therapy, and taking pain medication. My physician refereed me to a Neurologist (sp?) and I am possibly looking at having back surgery in the future. I don't do a whole lot. I am unable to work because of the extensive pain in my back which also includes my Sciatic Nerve. I am not that mobile and that is very frustrating to me.

With all the medical problems Shane and I have had, we are very grateful to my parents for allowing us to move in with them. Shane has mentioned several times that there is a reason why we are supposed to move in with my parents. It may be that I will have to have back surgery and I will need extra help with the recovery. He has also mentioned that this injury is to toughen me up for motherhood. It is known to those who know me that I have a very low threshold for pain. So, Shane thinks that this is the pre-courser for labor pain. My husband is determined that I am going to become pregnant in the near future. I just laugh at him and say... "Oh Honey, how delusional you are!"

So far it has been good living at Casa de' Brown. It is really nice to have company when Shane is at work. My parents are going to be leaving at the beginning of next week for their cruise, my mom has mentioned how relieved she is to have someone living here while they are gone. It makes us feel better about living here knowing that they need us just as much as we need them.

I will probably post more about our live here as we combine two families into one household. stay tuned for upcoming entries.

Changes

2008-05-29T16:40:00.000-07:00

It's time for another Seyersdahl change. Yes, I know you are in shock because we all know that Shane and Wendy LOVE change. In my last post I related a story about how Shane had to stay in the Hospital. I too got to have a stay in the hospital as well with the same problems Shane had. I herniated my lower back. I could not move for 4 days. I as well got the steroid shot in my back and I also got to ride in an ambulance. They say in marriage you share a lot, well this is one case were we did share a lot.
Since Shane and I have had these problems with our backs, we have had medical bills accumulate. We are very happy that we have insurance, but unfortunately they do not cover everything. the medical problems keep piling up and we find ourselves visiting the E.R. staff quite a bit. They know us by name now, we just have to walk in and ask for the "Usual". :o) Shane and I have discussed the increase in debt and the decrease of funds. The only way we will be able to stay a float, is to call on the support of family.

Shane and I will be moving to Payson at the end of June. We will be moving into my parents house, or as we like to call it. "Casa de Brown" and we will be there for the duration of the summer. We are hoping at the end of the summer to find another apartment where we can be happy and find new friends. We know it's the right thing to do, and we've talked about it at length with our family and they are fully behind us. I feel that we have trials for a reason, and I am hoping that what ever lies ahead for us in Payson, will be a great and rewarding lesson.

P.S. who ever is free at the end of the month, we sure could use some help moving!!!!

Trials and Blessings

2008-05-14T16:27:00.000-07:00

Shane and I have been very blessed. We have had our fair share of trials, and continue to experience the difficulty of every day life!! However, we truly have received some pretty amazing blessings.
I was hit with a big surprise lay off at the end of last year. I was working for an Internet Company who designed custom websites for people. I was enjoying my job, and feeling like I was contributing to the gross national product of life. Little did I know what was in store for me. I was called into my bosses office and they informed a small group of us that we were being laid off because the need for what they hired us for was not there anymore. We were told to stay there and they would collect our belongings for us. I came home devastated because it was only two weeks away from CHRISTMAS!!!! I felt sick to my stomach. Shane and I knew that with only his paycheck to live off of we would surely be homeless soon.

Shane and I knew there was something to learn from this, but we just couldn't see what that was. Shane is the rock in our family and the person I always look to for comfort when I am ready to throw in the towel. Shane said that things would be okay, and a better job was waiting for me to find it. I did find a great job that was perfect for me at the time. I started working for a furniture store that was very close to home however, the hours were part time, but it was something that would give us a paycheck and we could remain alive and in our home. I liked the people that I worked with and it seemed to be just what we were looking for.
Shortly after I started we were hit with another trial. Shane had gone to his normally scheduled doctors appointment. he usually is there for a half hour and then he comes home. On that day he had been gone for over 3 hours. I was beginning to get worried and wondered why I hadn't heard from him. I got a phone call from the doctors office, it was Shane! He called to inform me that he was being taken to the Hospital by AMBULANCE! He was complaining of back pain a couple of days before his doctors appointment and when he went he mentioned this pain to the doctor. They decided to do an X-ray to make sure everything was okay. He went down to x-ray and laid on the table. However, after the x-ray was finished Shane could not move. He could not sit up, he could not roll over. He had no movement at all. They called for an ambulance and was taken to Utah Valley Emergency Room. the doctors there could not find anything in the CT so they decided to send him up to Timpanogas Regional Hospital because that is where our Insurance covers and they could admit him for Intolerable back pain and do some more tests on him. After 4 days in the Hospital he was diagnosed with Arthritis in his SPINE! He was given the steroid shot in his back, and he seems to be doing much better now. he does complain of some pain in his hip, but I think its due to his medicine running out and not re-filing his medication then anything else.

After this I knew the medical bills would pile up, so I knew I needed to find a new job that would allow me to work full time and would pay me more money. I was at work one day and I was talking to a friend of mine who mentioned that he was working for a New Internet company who worked with small businesses and getting them traffic to their website. I had worked for a company like that before I married Shane and knew I would be perfect for that job. I asked this friend if they were hiring. he informed me that they were and I applied and I was hired a few days later. It is such a testimony to me that even though we go through the worst of trials we are always being watched over and if we endure them well the blessings will come. :o)

Utah Life and Provo!!!!

2008-05-08T17:38:00.000-07:00

Shane and I started off our marriage by moving to American Falls, Idaho. We lived there for a short two months, and then proceeded to Pocatello, Idaho. We left Idaho after five months of marriage with the thought that no one should start off their marriage in Idaho unless they are going to school, or already own property. It was not the land of plenty when you are just starting out on life as a married couple.

We moved to Payson, Utah where we were taken in my by sister and her family. We lived in their basement for the summer and then moved to Provo, Utah Septemeber 1st. Shane and I were lucky to find the apartment because it was not listed as for rent. I attended the mission farewell of my Student Ward Bishop and his wife. I awoke with the intention of not going because Shane and to work, and I didn't want to go by myself, and just thought I would stay home and go to my family ward. I was laying in bed when I got the feeling that I needed to go and support them; after all that bishop had shown me lots of kindness when I was in his ward, so I better show him kindness by going to his farewell.

I arrived a little bit early and was pretty much the first person in the chapel. I found a seat in the back of the chapel and had just sat down when a nice lady came up to me and introduced herself. She told me her name and asked how I knew Bishop Jacob and his wife. I told her my story, and how I knew them. We had a lovely chat and I mentioned to her that my husband and I were trying to find an apartment in the area, but were having NO LUCK!!! She then told me that her and her husband owned a duplex in Provo and their current tenant was moving out that week.

Shane and I went and looked at the apartment and we moved in the following Saturday. It's amazing how great things work out for the good when you go and support those who have supported you.

Pictures

2008-05-08T17:27:00.001-07:00

This is Shane and I coming out of the Temple. We were so excited that we were finally married. It was so great to come out of the doors and see all of your family and friends there. Thank you to everyone who came and celebrated that day with us.

I'll Show you Mine If you Show me Yours!!!!

2008-05-08T16:59:00.000-07:00

I don't understand why blogs are the new fab? What's so great about them? I guess I should have found that out before I agreed to get one. Yes, I now have a blog. I keep getting blog emails from all sorts of my friends saying, Check out Our BLOG! Well, Okay, I have now checked out your blog, I guess you can now check out my BLOG!

I am new to the whole blogging thing, so you will have to be patient with me. I don't have a ton of pictures to show, but I have a few of them. They are mostly pictures of our wedding since that's the only pictures we have together. I will have to invest in a digital camera and start uploading more pictures when I get a chance. So for right now these will have to do. Happy Blogging.