My Mom's Breast Cancer 3-Day

Here is an email my mom sent, just thought I'd share with everyone. If you would like to donate, there is a link at the bottom of this post. Way to go Mom!

"Well, I did it! Again! I walked 60 miles in 3 days. I did much better this time too! A couple of blisters, but I could actually still run at the end. I think I could have gone for 10 more miles! We showed up in Del Mar on day one at the crack of dawn (and I’m not kidding); I wasn’t going to “officially” check in because I still haven’t raised the required $2200 but I didn’t want my friend (actually she is my boss) to walk alone, so I figured I’d just walk “unofficially”. Well, after a very emotional opening ceremony, I couldn’t help myself. Luckily I packed my bags the night before (just in case) & I took the leap of faith and checked in so that I could have the added pleasure of sleeping on the ground in a tent after walking 20 miles a day. I put a sign on my butt that said “I still need $1400” (don’t laugh; I actually received $70 dollars in donations just from the sign). Danny thinks I’m a little crazy (ok he knows I am) but he brought my luggage to camp that night anyway.

I’ve attached some of the pictures of sights we saw along the way. People go to great lengths to cheer us on & you can’t imagine how much it helps. Distraction is a powerful tool! We laugh, we cry, we share stories & experiences and in the end without a doubt it is all worth it One of the many highlights of the first day was at Pit Stop 4, where sea lions played in the surf while we relaxed and rehydrated. On Day Two, the Texas CowBelles (see picture of the ladies dressed as cows) were out on the route bright and early to greet us and keep us motivated. I have definitely learned to appreciate the “porta pottie”! On the final day, the community support was incredible. We were provided with everything from warm chips & salsa from local restaurants to popsicles, cookies, water, and candy from local families, & crazy people dressed up in bizarre outfits to make us laugh. The final miles of our journey were lined with loved ones and supporters. The “Barbie Girls” cheered for us, while local Brownie Troops sang to keep us going.

I have to confess, I cried like a baby (again) when I reached the final holding area. Not so much from pain this time, but from an incredible sense purpose and accomplishment. . Then came Closing Ceremonies, where we celebrated the final 2007 3-Day and our steps toward a future without breast cancer.

I want to express my sincere thanks to all of you who have supported me on this journey. I received donations and support from the most unexpected places. Please know how much I appreciate your help and that you are supporting a worthy & necessary cause.
For those of you who would still like to donate, I’m still about $800 short. There is a link to my website below where you can donate directly. You will receive a receipt for all donations-it’s tax deductible. I have until the beginning of January to raise the money. I know this is the worst time of year as far as money goes, but maybe it is also the best time of year to support such a good cause. I’ll send more picture’s soon. My friend was the photographer & I haven’t received her copies yet."

To donate:
http://www.the3day.org/sandiego07/maryhellyar

My mom is in the white shirt

FHE Lesson Swap Blog!

My friend Tanya started a recipe blog and it's going so well that I decided to start an FHE Lesson Swap blog (Click Here). Please leave a comment below or email me to let me know if you would like to contribute. Just think, if we all share even just once a month, we'll have tons of ideas right at our fingertips! Tell your friends & family!

Randy's Indian Adventure

Randy worked at the King Edward Memorial Hospital in Mumbai (Bombay) India for a month in September and October. He was given an assignment to educate and train the physicians of the Radiology department on a new online software called StatDx that was developed by physicians at the University of Utah. StatDx is a database of radiographic images of diseases. He was also assigned to harvest images of radiographic images of diseases that aren't commonly seen here in the U.S. while he was there (tuberculosis being one of them).

Here are some pictures and ramblings from Randy's daily emails to me...

The Hospital

King Edward Memorial Hospital:

The entrance to the Radiology Department:

"The radiology residents are nice. The guys tease each other just like in the USA."

"The residents were amazed that I was married because in India they explained that a man must have financial security before a woman will marry him. They asked, “how did I get married?” I replied, “by my good looks.” They laughed. When I asked the residents why they stayed so late every night, they said because it is fun. Quite different from America where at the first hint a resident can leave they are running out the door. I believe they stay so late because they do not have families and are a close group of friends. "

The library where Randy studied & collected cases:

"King Edwards Hospital is completely different from any hospital I have seen. From what I observe, the hospital is severely understaffed. Patients fill the hallways. They typically lie down in the hallways and wait for doctors. The inside of the hospital is connected to the outside, meaning in places where there should be windows there are none. The are no patient rooms, instead there are many big rooms with many patients in the rooms. The patients have no privacy. Only the operating rooms have air conditioning. Birds like pigeons fly from the outside into the halls of the hospital. No one seems to mind this. The hallways are grimy with black dirt that has not been cleaned in years. There is a distinct smell to Mumbai that I am trying to get used to."

Patients sleeping in the hallways of the hospital:

"Every time I go by the radiology department there is a moderate sized pile of dirt in the corner of the hospital. Can you imagine that occurring in the USA ? People would be freaking out. I also saw three stray mutts roaming the hospital halls. That will be the picture of India that is burned in my head when I leave."



A surgical procedure in progress:

(Courtesy of Randy's friend Leo, a medical student from Germany that Randy met there. He was doing an Orthopaedic Surgery rotation at KEM hospital)

" My schedule is:
1. Wake up at 2 pm
2. Write you my email while listening to music
3. Shower and get ready
4. Pick up daily groceries
5. Go to the library in the radiology department and use Photoshop to touch up yesterdays images
6. Email you as this is when I have access to the internet
7. Start collecting cases while listening to music, of course. I collect at least 5 cases per night. Some of the MR cases take a long time to collect.
8. Do my Step 2 USMLE q bank and study.
9. Go to bed at 6 am
I have turned into a machine. It helps to pass the time. "

The City

"India is quite different from what I was expecting. I think I was expecting it to be similar to Spain. No way. This is a third world country where not every bathroom has toilet paper. I have to buy it and then carry it around with me. There is plenty of homelessness with lots of people sleeping on the streets. The streets are very congested. Drivers drive on the left side using there horn a lot."

Randy's mode of transportation:

"Restaurants are quite different. Each one has two levels. The first level has no AC and the upper stairs has AC. The ceilings in the restaurant are low. I have to lean down to move around. People are typically shorter than Americans, obesity is not common like America. I am in the very center of the city. Since the airport, I have not seen another American. I get the feeling most people in the inner city don't see a lot of foreigners as I get long stares from everyone. I have not witnessed any crime. I feel safe. "

"People are very modest. Even very poor men wear buttoned shirts—although they are very dirty. Women dress in brightly colored robes with the only skin showing is their heads, hands, and feet. There is a population of dogs that look exactly like Santa’s Little Helper from the Simpsons. There is an ugly rooster the size of ostrich outside. He crows are very loud. Usually someone at night is loudly playing drums on the street. Bringing earplugs was a great decision. The sounds are drowned away while I sleep. The people are very reserved. During teaching sessions, residents don’t ask questions like students at the U. There is strangely a large proportion of jewelry stores with guards surrounding them in a city of poverty."


"Yesterday, I watched part of a cricket match with two residents. They tried to explain cricket to me with their heavy accent. I understand 25% of the English they speak. They in turn have a difficult time understanding me. I understand Dr. RR completely. He must have been trained in another part of the world. I understand the English that was spoken with the cricket match and the commercials on TV. I quickly found out that my knowledge of baseball only helped so much to understand this game. As I walked home I observed possibly 100 undergraduates surrounding 1 TV watching the same match. Maybe I can convince the residents to play a game before I leave."

"It is currently raining. It can rain for hours—quite different from Utah and Spain . While on my travels, I walked past a tent. Inside was the first thing I have seen of religion since I arrived. In the center at the back of the tent was a ceramic statue of person with an elephant head and six arms. Candles lined the perimeter inside the tent. I observed people bowing, saying something, and placing money inside a box. These were Hindus worshipping one of their many gods. I suppose every organized religion on earth requires financial donations to support them."

Randy was there during the Ganesh Festival, so it was a big party on the streets of Mumbai:

The Food

Most Indians are vegetarian. The food is plentiful on the streets of Mumbai. And very spicy:

"The residents thought I was strange that in America I eat meat every day. The residents have never eaten beef or pork. I have also not seen butter, cheese, yogurt, milk, or eggs in India . I am glad that in America cows are not holy. They were surprised that I have also eaten turkey and fish. I told them about guns and hunting. They were shocked when I told them the things I have hunted and fished for. I told them where I am from that is what a normal man does. Guns are banned in India and the residents are city slickers. There is a siren that goes off five times/day to remind the Muslims to pray."

"The German asked me yesterday if I wanted to go to a restaurant where they have meat. I said of course. We walked to the train station in the pouring rain. I am glad you made me take my umbrella. I have never seen rain like this. We got on a train that took us to the southern part of Mumbai. Interestingly, the train cars are segregated by not only first and second class, but also by gender. Women have the option to ride in women only coaches. I suppose it is segregated to prevent any interaction between the sexes. There is no public affection. Of the three countries I have lived in, Spain is the most liberal in terms of affection. USA is in the middle, and India is the most repressive. We walked awhile and found a European restaurant. There I sank my teeth into a gourmet hamburger and French fries. I also had some strawberry ice cream. That was the highlight of the week. Afterwards, I felt really full and satisfied. Then we made fun of the obesity problem in America . This was the first time I saw other Caucasians in Mumbai besides myself and the German. The whole trip took 3 hours, but it was well worth it. I told him we should do it again before he leaves."

"The German said he is sick of all the veggie food and when he returns home he is going to look forward eating a tasty sausage and sitting on a clean toilet. I say amen to all that. I am also looking forward to drinking milk."

How To Make My Baby Smile

1. Fill his tummy.

2. Jump around like a maniac, or fall down.

3. Tickle him under his chin, arms, or on his tummy.

4. Take off his socks.

5. Growl or snarl at him.

6. Clap your hands or wave to him (he'll smile and clap/wave back).

7. Rescue him from his crib within 5 minutes of his waking, after that he'll just be mad at you for not getting him sooner.

8. Put him in the bath with his brother.

9. Let his brother push him in the playground swings.

10. Give him chocolate.

I gave him a chocolate chip cookie while driving in the car today to (1) keep him awake and (2) to pacify him before giving him lunch. We stopped for gas, and when I waved to him while I was pumping, he gave me the sweetest, chocolate-smeared grin I've ever seen.

Video of him this morning. Notice his enthusiasm:

My Date with a Curling Iron

I know I'm a total dork for posting this. I got an early Christmas present:




A Chi volumizer-It's a straightener/curling iron/volumizer. I spent hours last weekend trying to figure out how to use the darn thing, but look at the cute curls I made (once I figured it out!):

My husband put up with me as I locked myself in the bathroom and swore up a storm in frustration.

All I Want For Christmas

Warning: Do not let your child see this toy:

This "Pat Pat Rocket" that takes your child on a musical mission. This toy that changes the volume of the music as you move him up or down and changes tempo as you roll him across the floor. This toy that also features a fold-out staircase, a TV, and seating for all four Little Einstein figures. This toy that magically recognizes which character you place in the pilot’s seat. This toy that is Red (the end all be all of favorite colors).

This toy that is a Target exclusive and can be found NOWHERE! Well, except for on ebay for $60+.

This toy that is the only thing our 3-year-old wants for Christmas.

I sure hope Santa gets it for him....

You Gotta Love "Reader"

Google Reader now has a way to add your personal "blogroll" to your blog. I added mine and if you click on the "Read More" section, it displays the most recent posts from the blogs that I read. Now when you want to read about people you've never met, you don't even have to go to each individual blog. Genius!

How to create a "Reader Blog Roll":
1. Create a Google Reader account.
2. Add your blog "subscriptions."
3. Give the blogs that you want on your blog roll a tag name. (Mine is "blogs.")
3. Go to "settings."
4. Click on "tags."
5. Change the tag that you want in blog roll to "public."
6. Then click on "add a blogroll to your site."
7. Click on "add to blogger."
And voila!

**Note: If you do not want your blog to be seen on my blogroll, please let me know and I will gladly remove it.

Expertise Needed

Any speech pathology experts out there? In the last week or so, Andrew is now pronouncing any word that ends with an "n" with an added "t" sound. For example one, mine, seven, down, is now pronounced onet, minet, sevent, downt. He is very consistent. When I correct him, he'll say the correct pronunciation, but in normal conversation, he'll add the "t". Anyone heard of this? It's driving me crazy!

Don't Rush Me!

Andrew and Josh both tried new things this week: Josh can get up to a standing position when holding onto furniture and Andrew can push the pedals on his trike! My boys learn things at their own pace and when I step aside and let them decide when they're ready to try something new, it comes a lot easier. We've tried getting Andrew to use the pedals on his trike for over a year now, then all of a sudden, last night he took his trike out for a ride in our living room, with no hitches!

Correction

Randy set me straight on this one: Man Food does not equal chocolate chip cookies. Man Food is stick-to-your-ribs food such as meat & potatoes. When I offered cookies, he took it, knowing it would be the best only offer.

Halloween, Revisited

Happy Halloween!

Joshua was Shrek & Andrew was a Knight. I mean, do they get any cuter than this!?

We celebrated in our usual fashion: Trick-or-treating in our housing complex and a community party afterwards. We didn't win the chili cookoff or the costume contest, but we came home with a pie from the cake walk! These pictures were taken at Gardner Village-such a fun place to visit during the fall.

Man Food

As Randy was walking out the door tonight to pick up a friend from the airport, he said to me:

R: I'm still hungry, there's nothing to eat. Can you make something for me while I'm gone?

(N: Thinking: "Are you kidding me?" I had every intention of catching up on some Scrubs episodes and drinking a cup of tea while you're gone.)

N: Like what? I then rattled off some of his favorite snacks that were awaiting him in the snack cupboard (crackers & easy cheese, ice cream, Halloween candy, popcorn, Jimmy Dean breakfast bowl, a bowl of cereal. I mean we have food. We are not destitute by any means!)

R: I don't know, just something. I need some Man Food.

N: Like chocolate chip cookies?

R: Yeah.

Chocolate Chip Cookies. Man Food. Okey Dokey.

To Randy, cookies mean love.

(I promise I'll post Halloween & India pictures. One of these days....)

Four Cute Little Reasons....

...why the blogging has been sparse. We just finished our turn having preschool at our house. I didn't know how much fun I would have! I couldn't ask for cuter or smarter pupils.

Music Time-as soon as I got the camera out, they stopped dancing.

100 Things I Know and Love About My Husband

1. He's a stud.

2. I admit it. I married him for his looks.

3. He's an avid runner & weight lifter.

4. And he looks pretty darn good. Did I mention he's a stud?

5. When he was 15, he ran the St. George Marathon.

6. He's ran a few half marathons since then.

7. He's an Eagle Scout.

8. When he sets a goal for himself, he completes it.

9. His dream is to compete in an Iron Man competition.

10. I probably won't let him.

11. He loves the outdoors.

12. He proposed to me in Hobble Creek Canyon; there's a trail there that we liked to hike lots when we were dating.

13. He also took me to the top of Mt. Timpanogas when we were engaged.

14. He wears dirty sneakers with everything.

15. Even when we were dating.

16. I found it kind of endearing.

17. I still find it endearing, but I definitely had to put a stop to the tapered jeans.

18. He pretty much wears anything I pick out for him.

19. He's a math genius.

20. He earned a Sterling Scholar for math in high school.

21. He can crunch numbers in his head like nobody's business.

22. I use him as my human calculator.

23. He's a hard worker.

24. I know I can always depend on him to support us and that we'll never live on the streets.

25. In May of next year, he'll be a doctor!

26. I am so proud of him.

27. I'll probably cry like a baby when I see him receive his diploma.

28. He has an amazing family.

29. I love every single one of them.

30. And he does, too!

31. He's an amazing dad.

32. Almost every night, he plays with Andrew on our bed ("big bed") with cars.

33. Andrew can now make amazing sound effects because his Dad taught him.

34. He thinks our kids are the cutest and the handsomest.

35. Just as much as I do.

36. He likes to check on the boys at night while they're sleeping.

37. He's very tender and loving with them.

38. When he doesn't have to work, he gets up with the boys so I can sleep in.

39. He does the dinner dishes and takes out the trash.

40. I've missed my dish washer and trash taker-outer since he's been away for interviews and such.

41. He's very silly.

42. I can't help but giggle when he's around.

43. On the weekends, he likes to fip through the TV channels in hopes that an Austin Powers movie is playing.

44. And as luck would have it, there usually is one.

45. I hate Austin Powers. I just put up with it because it's funny to hear Randy giggle.

46. We've seen every James Bond movie together.

47. We've seen every Jane Austen movie together.

48. More than once.

49. He won't admit it, but he loves them.

50. He is very patient.

51. Especially with me.

52. When we have our differences, we always work it out.

53. I've never heard him yell at me once.

54. I can't say the same about me.

55. I've gotten a lot better since I've been married to him.

56. I'm a better person because of Randy.

57. He's a great listener.

58. Sometimes I think he's not listening, and then he'll repeat everything back to me verbatim.

59. He loves to eat.

60. Oh man! Can he eat!

61. Just a warning: If you invite us over for dinner, prepare a lot of food.

62. His favorite foods are halibut & lobster. We make the trek to Red Lobster at least once a year, he always orders the Ultimate Feast.

63. He loves to fish (Rainbow Trout) and hunt (elk, pheasants, grouse, deer).

64. He hasn't done much of either the last four years. He hopes to pick it back up during residency.

65. He is humble.

66 He knows when to toot his own horn and when to keep quiet.

67 I've never seen him bear his testimony in Sacrament Meeting.

68 I'm always kind of shocked at his depth when he bears his testimony around his family.

69 He served a mission in Madrid, Spain.

70 It pretty much kicked his butt, but he learned how to be a man and to not quit when things get hard.

71 He served with a sister missionary named Elizabeth Stewart.

72 She later became my roomate and set us up on a blind date.

73 I wasn't too impressed our first date. I mean, with the old sneakers and tapered jeans and all.

74 We became very good friends while we dated.

75 It took him 24 dates before he kissed me.

76 I was his first kiss.

77 We got married almost exactly a year after our first date.

78. He took me to the Manti Temple.

79. We'll be married 7 years this December.

78 He likes to brag that he hasn't had a real job since we've been married.

79 He loves to camp.

80. It's his idea of a vacation.

81. Fortunately, I like to camp too.

82. He's frugal.

83. He helps me to keep my feet on the ground and to keep a budget.

84. He can touch his tongue to his nose.

85. So can I. We knew we had something when we discovered this.

86. He picked a career path that will enable him to have time for his family.

87. I will love him forever for that.

88. He loves classic rock.

89. On our way to the temple to be married, we rocked out to the Rolling Stones.

90. Other favorites are Pink Floyd, Led Zepplin, and The Beatles. All music that I can stand, even though I'm a country fan myself.

91. We like to make fun of him and say he's stuck in the 70's.

92. He loves baseball and he looks forward to the World Series every year.

93. His favorite team is the Yankees.

94. He thinks Bonds is a big fat cheater; I'm glad we agree about that.

95. He's a bit of a slob.

96. He never gets irritated when he comes home to a messy house.

97. He's 30 years old today.

98. Ha Ha! You're THIRTY!!!

99. I love getting old with you....

100. Happy Birthday, Rand! I love you!

On The Road Again

Interview Season is here and well on its way...


Here are the Pathology residency programs Randy will be visiting:

University of Nebraska in Omaha
University of New Mexico in Albuquerque
University of Utah
University of Iowa in Iowa City
University of South Dakota in Sioux Falls
Penrose-St. Francis in Colorado Springs
Indiana University in Indianapolis
University of Arizona in Tucson
Univeristy of Kentucky in Lexington

It's pretty exciting, but we'll be happy if we can stay right here for so many reasons. Randy has already been to the first three programs. It's amazing how so very, very different this process has been compared to applying to medical schools. It's low stress, they put the candidates in a nice hotel and feed them! They tell you why their program is right for you instead of asking why you are right for their program.

We survived Randy being gone for a month. Really, truly, honestly, it wasn't that bad. We kept to our routine, and the time really flew. That is, for us on the home front. For Randy, it was a totally different story (and one I'll explain in another post). The last 24 hours, for me, were the hardest while I waited for Randy to get back. Safely. I think I was in denial about the whole thing that he was actually in INDIA (!!!). It's still very surreal to me. When we picked him up from the airport, I wasn't really prepared for the flood of emotions I would feel when I saw him and was able to hold him. It was the best feeling in the world to be a family again. I don't want him to ever go away for that long again, but it did give me some much needed perspective and it helped me to appreciate Randy for what he brings to our family. It also made me grateful for our marriage and to have someone to share my life with (I know I'm so cliche here, but I really mean it!).

Anyway, we decided to celebrate Randy's homecoming. First, we had an incredible Seafood
Feast:

King crab legs, shrimp scampi, and halibut. Notice our homage to the Hindu Ganesha God (a souvenir from India)

Then we went to Cornbelly's which was a blast:

Initiation

I'm determined to make sure my boys look their best with the genes we've passed on to them, this means they wear non-dorky clothes and they have decent haircuts. The golden locks on Josh's head were so adorable, but they were getting a tad long; I decided it was time for a haircut so I can do the spiky-gel thing that I do with Andrew's hair.

Before:

And after:

I know Tootsie Pops are a no-no, but it kept him distracted (he wasn't too happy with me). Oh, what a handsome little guy!