Visit to the Fifield Family

I flew out to the Fifield household a few times this summer, once when Brevin was born and again in July.  I can't get enough of these cute kids! Once I discovered the JetBlue flights to Long Beach, I can't ever do that drive by myself again. We always have such a great time. 

 These pictures are just the epitome of Jayli right now! She loves her crunchies (cereal), her cow dolly, and her green shoes.

 Matthew always seems to think it's super easy to get smiling, cute, adoring pictures of everyone. This is mostly how they turn out, especially when Matthew is helping. :)

 Mr. Long Legs! This kid is all limbs.

 This girl loves the doctor's office and reading the magazines.

Home

Whenever I fly into the Salt Lake Valley, I feel home. What a beautiful place!

I've been loving the less snowy weather lately and took a trip to Antelope Island last weekend. It's about 7 miles from my house. I've been many times as a kid, but for some reason, the beauty here seemed new. There's something to be said for being out in nature. Peaceful.

Why I Love Skype

Thanks, Fifields!

Minneapolis

I never in my life thought that I would go to Minneapolis. I mean, I am a traveler and all, but Minnesota? And yes, many of them do pronounce it Min-neh-sooooa-tah. Silly but true.

Well, I found myself going to Minnesota for Christmas this year. Why? I'm dating a boy. His name is Dale, and he hails from this twin city. Between waaay to may hours in the car, 6 states in a week, Mount Rushmore, Mall of America, backtracking 5 hours for a purse, and countless other small adventures, it was nice to finally get home. It was quite the adventure, but everything turned out well. Here are some pictures.

Wait, what?!

What day is it?
I have been working, swimming, running, working, traveling, dating, doing home projects, and all that jazz.  It seems I haven't had two minutes to do anything online.
I'm not sure if that's good or bad.
I'll get back here, soon.

Zoe's Birthday

The cute girl who made me an aunt turned 7 this last October. For her birthday, I took her to see Disney on Ice Princesses. Overall, I think she liked it. She dressed up in her princess clothes and tiara. When we got there, she was upset that we were sitting down low because she wanted to sit right at the highest top! If only I'd known! They sang about so many princesses but not Sleeping Beauty, and she cried. I've never heard the girl talk about that princess before. Besides, I think she was sleeping! Anyway, we had a fun girl's weekend! Zoe also sang this sweet made up song on the guitar. I'm always making up and singing silly songs to her, so it seems fitting.

Thanksgiving

Yes, I'm a little behind in my blog!

Thanksgiving was great! I took my brother, Scott, and his girlfriend, McKenzie, to Phoenix. We went through Las Vegas, and I think I like that drive better than going through Page, Az.

We got together with Kristin and Matthew and family, Mom and Lance, and Lance's daughters Megan and Jennifer and their families. A fun time was had by all! The park, shopping, games, and goodies were involved.

If only I could find all my pictures.

Stuff

Time passes so quickly it seems! I realize that just by using this sentence, I've aged myself.

Life has been busy lately. I've been refinishing and repainting surfaces in my house, mostly just for a change of pace.  Sometimes I just need that. It's not quite finished yet, but pictures will come when it is. Hey, I'm just one busy person.

What else have I been up to? Losing 51 pounds in 14 weeks--that's what! And still going. Yay.

Old Friends

My best friend from kindergarten came up the other day. We spent most of the day together just chatting and catching up, while playing a game here and there. She brought her little new baby. It was fun to see her and chat about her life.  It's funny how you can not see someone for years and are able to pick up right where you left off. Love those kind of friends! 

Pity Party

So, I've been feeling bad for myself lately. Having my own pity party.

Playing basketball in high school my senior year, I hurt my right leg in a game. Thought it was just a pulled muscle, etc. and treated it with ice, rest, etc. Every now and then, my leg would hurt on and off, especially when I was running or doing something crazy like a 5k. It was always just an annoying pain that usually went away with enough rest, ice, and meds.

After hiking miles in Glacier and roving around Calgary, my leg hurt so bad I could hardly walk. I'm sure my friend Misty thought I was a being a baby (sorry friend!), but I couldn't help it my leg hurt so bad! The day I got home, I scheduled an appointment with an orthopedic sports specialist. The diagnosis?  Hip Dysplasia. Stunned? I was, too. Apparently it's not just for babies and dogs.

Read more about it here.  Looks like fun, no?

The treatment recommended by the doctor? A Peri-Actabular Osteotomy. PAO for short. Here's a little blurb for you from the interwebs.

Peri-Acetabular Osteotomy

This surgery involves cutting the pelvis around the hip joint and shifting it into a better position to support the stresses of walking. After the hip is re-positioned, it is held in place with screws until the bone heals. After the bone heals, the screws can be removed, but this is not usually necessary.

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Doesn't this sound so exciting?! Oh, and you can't put full weight on your leg for around 8 weeks. You can't cross your legs ever again. You can't sleep on your stomach (I do!).  So, I've been working out (harder now that my leg is constantly killing me), eating healthy, and doing all that good stuff to get better in shape for this. I think I might also have to plan a trip somewhere fabulous as a secondary reward (because let's face it, surgery would not be any type of reward). I've also been thinking about my little condo. I live in a third floor walk-up. That would be fun on crutches for weeks, no? The only good thing that could ever come of this is getting a better parking spot, if I can even drive.  Plus, I'm sure a walker and cane would make me even more dateable. 

A Sneak Peak

Or a post peek. Or a peek of something that has already happened but is yet to be reported.

Enjoy some pictures from Glacier National Park and Calgary, Alberta.