For my mom's birthday we decided to have a girl's day. So.....

My SIL Amber, my cute nice Rylie, my mom and myself all set off on a shopping trip to Park City. It was so fun! I cannot even tell you how long it has been since I went shopping for myself....oh at least 4 months. ;-) Hey, that's a LONG time for me! Yay for new clothes!! 

After 3 happy hours we had experienced all the best stores, and my SIL had done serious bank account damage. 

Cute Rylie modeling fashionable sunglasses for us while we waited in the checkout line. 

Rylie found these horrifically awesome high tops at the Nike store and was convinced that they were perfect for Jeff. Well, I mean, who can blame her. Jeff does love his Fresh Prince.

Last but not least, Rylie was rewarded for being such a great shopper with a nice ride... Best 50 cents EVER!

P.S. I am seriously coveting these COACH sunglasses...((sigh))

Two Weeks Down.....

I wanted to post an update on Jeff. 

He is doing seriously so great! All it seemed to take was getting him away from the hospital and home with food that was edible. Since he came home over a week ago he has just excelled.  The home therapist was impressed at how quickly Jeff was able to pick things up.  All the doctors keep saying that he has age on his side....I think he also has pain experience on his side. 
 

Yesterday he graduated from home therapy to out-patient therapy. WOOT WOOT!  He is also starting to work at walking with one crutch.  I'm so proud! 

Well, Jeff is 2 weeks post-op and doing great.  I am lucky to have such a determined man as my husband. =)

Things I am LOVING right now.

I was reading this girl's blog tonight, ( I say 'this girl' because we aren't exactly friends.... I use to baby-sit with her back in elementary school....I am sort of blog stalking her....)  and she had posted this:

"If winter comes, can spring be far behind?"
-Percy Bysshe Shelley

I love, love, LOVE this! It was just what I needed! Here are some more things I am LOVING right now: 

 Jeff and I have been watching this in our spare time. I am HOOKED!

Jeff and I are planning this for our next big trip. I have never been to Florida before and the Wizarding World of Harry Potter is the PERFECT excuse to go.

 

 

I have discovered that if I am feeling down or I am in a snarky mood, going outside and pampering my flower bed helps bring me peace.

 

Seriously! What is not to love?

 

 

There are so, so, so many more things I love right now. Like, my bed after a night shift, and hugs, and ice cream! 

Oh, and blog stalking.... =)

Its always good to take a second and remember all of the things that make you happy.

Character cannot be developed in ease and quiet. Only through experience of trial and suffering can the soul be strengthened, ambition inspired, and success achieved.

                                           ~Helen Keller

One step forward, two steps back

I am feeling seriously frustrated! For the first 24+ hours after surgery Jeff was severely nauseous and throwing up at least once every 2-3 hrs. Yesterday he was finally able to keep a small amount of food down. (i.e. 3 strawberries, a small cup of chicken noodle soup and a half a roll. Yay! The physical therapist got him up twice to walk the halls. The first time he threw up, the second time he was so depleted of any energy due to the lack of food that he barely made it up the Hall and back. I could tell he was so tired. He hadn't slept more than 3 intermittent hours in like 2 days. The physical therapist then informed him that if he doesn't start keeping food down and getting the energy he needs to walk around and do stairs by Friday, he was recommending him to go to rehab center to finish his PT. This knocked the wind out if me. I was NOT excited about this prospect, and neither was Jeff. He all of sudden rallied. He tried to eat some fettuccine from Fazoli's, ate a chocolate chip cookie, some Swedish fish AND some salad!!! Wootwoot! He was chatty and alert and sat in a chair at the bedside. It was so exciting. He was drinking fluids he was getting up to the bathroom, things seemed like they were looking up! I even felt like he slept pretty well last night. Then, morning came. He is nauseous and groggy and doesn't have any energy. He doesn't even feel like he can eat a cracker! What happened?!?!? I was so upset by his regression that I started to sob uncontrollably. Why is he having such a hard time with this? He isn't new to narcotics so why are they doing this to him? Why can't he get over this nausea? It's so frustrating to see all these old farts hauling ass around the unit with their 2 day old knees and hips, and here my DH is sicker than a dog barely able to get up to the bathroom without tossing his cookies. It is so hard to see him this way. I am wearing down and it's only day 3. How am I going to handle 6 weeks of this? I feel so incapable of this right now. I know everyone thinks because I am a nurse I can handle this kind of pressure non-stop, but I really don't think I can. It is so different nursing a loved one v.s. a stranger. I feel like I cant do anything right when I try to help. I feel so selfish that I am having a hard time with all this. Hello, he is the one that just had total knee replacement, and still, it effects me too. I know this is unfair to say but, I miss my husband. I miss having someone strong to take care of me during my emotional melt downs. Sigh, just 6 more weeks.

Total Knee Replacement

Today we finally made it to the long awaited and somewhat welcome total knee replacement. I think Jeff has been ready for this day for a long time. I am pretty sure he is more than ready to get his active life back. I, on the other hand, have been dreading this day since they told us he had to have it. I think I have been even more unhappy about the surgery lately because of all the stuff we have already been through in our short 3 months of marriage. I think I cried every day for a week leading up to the surgery. I was so worried about how Jeff would do during the actual surgery as well as the long recovery. I was also so stressed about how I could take care of an invalid husband for 8 weeks when I was already so tired from everything else. Well, I guess you just do what you gotta do...especially when you don't have much of a choice. ;-) Any way, back to the surgery. Jeff was in surgery for about 1 1/2 hours and did great. The Dr is suspecting Jeff to have a hard but excellent recovery and end up LOVING his new knee. Everything they said about it was positive. So far, Jeff has been tolerating the pain very well....I guess practice makes perfect. ;-) The only problem we have had at this point is getting his nausea under control. This can be so hard when you are on such intense pain meds. I am thinking by morning he should be over that hurdle. Tomorrow they will have him up and walking around the unit and then the next day he should be maneuvering stairs. It is seriously amazing how fast they get them up and functioning. I am so grateful for answered prayers and support from family and friends.

Camping with Ma and Pa Dahl

 
  Over the 4th of July weekend Jeff and I went camping with my parents at Bear Lake. We always stay toward the end of the Logan Canyon in Sunrise campgrounds. It is just 20 min from Garden City. It is the perfect location because you get the beauty and ambiance of the mountains and the closeness of the lake. It was so nice to get out in the fresh mountain air. I love camping! Have you noticed how the mountain air makes all the food so much better?!? I swear it makes even the most normal meal an exceptional meal!
  We went to the beach one day and Jeff and I attempted to tan our skin while the parents hid under a shade canopy. The weather was nice and warm during the day a perfectly cool at night. On one of the other days we went to the Minnnetonka cave and "hiked" up and down 888 steps. I was so proud of Jeff. I think it made him feel good to be doing something semi-active. It was kind of like his last hurrah before the total knee replacement.
  Such a nice little escape from reality.