Drum Roll and some Trombone

Greg and his brothers all play the trombone, and they all at some point played in the ASU marching band. Every year, the ASU marching band welcomes back alumni to play at the ASU Homecoming game. $20 to play with them and they give you a shirt.
So us wives were able to get in to the game for $10! :) It was WAY fun!!

Here are some pictures:

The husbands in matching T-shirt, and the wives in matching T-shirt! Brad & Whitney, Greg and I, Dan & Geordan

 

 

 

 

 

Can you spot Brad, Greg, and Dan?

"Where's Waldo?"

We actually were playing a note while taking the picture... hahaha

PS... ASU won.

Recipes Galore!

I LOVE PINTEREST!!!!!

There are so many recipes I want to try! Yum!

I saw this recipe for White Queso, and it looked soooooooooo good. HAD to make it!

It turned out REAL delish! Lots of leftover so we canned it... jarred it.

Here's the recipe!

Queso Blanco

Yields: About 2 cups queso

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/4 cup white onion, finely diced

1 large jalapeno, seeds and stem removed; finely diced

12 oz white American cheese, shredded

4 oz Monterrey Jack cheese, shredded (don’t use pre-shredded)

1/2 to 1 cup cream, half-and-half, or whole milk

1 – 2 roma tomatoes, seeds removed and diced

1 small bunch cilantro, roughly chopped

 

Heat the oil in a saute pan over medium heat. Saute the onion and pepper until softened and reduce heat to medium-low. Stir in the shredded cheese and 1/4 cup of the cream.  Quickly stir until the cheese is melted. Add the tomatoes, cilantro, and additional cream a little at a time until you reach desired consistency.  Serve immediately with tortilla chips, tortillas, or on tacos, burritos, etc.

 Few nights back, my sister and I made a yummy angel hair pasta, asparagus, and chicken dish!

Few nights before that, I made Baked Apples... YUM!

You core the apples, and stuff it with butter, cinnamon, and brown sugar!

We added vanilla ice cream and sprinkled granola~

There are SO many more recipes I want to try!!!! What to DO!?

Wooden Blocks

I wasn't planning on getting my gallbladder out on Friday. My ward's Super Saturday was just yesterday.
I went.
I'm crazy.
Totally turned out cute though!
They're 3.5 x 3.5 wooden blocks with letters on each side.
15 blocks = spells 50+ words and phrases!

 

"Happy Fall"

While I was Away

Thank you doctors and nurses (and CJ, my personal anesthesiologist) for taking care of me at the hospital. Banner Gateway is the way to go! :)
On Friday night, I got my gallbladder taken out. They found at least 25 stones... yuck.
Apparently, (if you read my last blog) there WEREN'T any gallstones in the duct. But whatever they did, I was feeling better. My numbers were going down (which is a good thing). I was looking jaundice for a while...

I will forever have theses awesome war wounds, and my belly button will never be the same again.

Thank you to Grandma Rowley, Grandma Billings and Kristie for watching Sawyer while I was away. I am so grateful to have loving support and help from both sides of the family~ :)
I was only away from Sawyer for couple of days... but I SWEAR he grew INCHES and put on some more POUNDS! He definitely cannot fit into newborn outfits any longer. He's wearing 3-6 month clothing now!! This morning, Greg picked up Sawyer from Grandma Billings' house, and he was sound asleep... and so was I. I woke up to his cry... but it didn't sound like his cry! Even his cry has changed over this past few days! Crazy!!!

I just can't believe how much he is growing... sniff sniff.

Today, Sawyer is 8 weeks old... TWO MONTHS!

Happy Birthday to Sawyer, and Happy Recovery to me.

Too Late

Well it's too late for me to do the "Gallstone Flush" because I am in the ER again... getting it taken out. I came back in the second day because that night (1st time = TUE and came home to make appt with my PCP; 2nd time = WED night) I started having excruciating pains yet again and sobbing all over again. We dropped off Sawyer with Greg's parents and off to the ER... again.
We find out this time that one of the gallstones had moved along the bile duct and had lodged itself in there, blocking the pancreas from draining. Here's a better explanation:

1. Gallstone in the gallbladder

2. Gallstone traveling through the Cystic Duct

3. Gallstone traveling through the Common Bile Duct

4. Gallstone stuck right below the Pancreatic Duct

Because the Pancreas is unable to drain, it is inflamed and is irritated (Pancreatitis). 

Yesterday about 3pm they put me to sleep and went in to do a procedure called ERCP (Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography). Basically shoving a tube with camera down my throat through the pancreatic duct. They put in a stent to open up the duct to hopefully pass the gallstone(s). My throat is soar but other than that I'm doing ok. I'm now on a NO food/liquid diet (since midnight).

Next step: We are waiting for the surgeon to take out the gallbladder.

Until next time...

Only 25 and Already Falling Apart

It's one thing after another!
So I went to the ER today and found out I now have gallstones...
Excruciating pain under the sternum and right rib cage. I woke up sobbing this morning.
Vomiting, nauseousness, sweating, diarrhea. yeay...
Taking meds, but I wonder if a "Gallstone Flush" will work? Anyone?

6 Weeks and Counting

I cannot BELIEVE it's already been 6 weeks since the birth of our precious son, Sawyer.
It's amazing how much he has grown and developed; physically, mentally, and emotionally.
He now knows how to:

1. smile
2. make cute noises while smiling (the gaaaa of the goo-goo gaa-gaa)
3. lift his head for a very brief moment
4. and follow objects and faces with his eyes.

To celebrate these wonderful milestones, enjoy the following photo...