10 years ago today . . .

Was a day that changed my life forever. I was reading this journal entry from a few weeks after May 25, 2000 to Collin last night and I didn't expect it but I ended up getting pretty emotional. Those of you friends and family who were there for all this know, it was a big deal. I still deal with complications from it all today, and I know I will for the rest of my life.

I think I will just put in the journal entry I wrote, it's where you can get the best picture:

June 15, 2000
I'm still in the hospital. The doctor says I'll be here at least 10 more days. I've been here a month! Holy cow. What happened is, I was here for 5 days in the peds because of colitis. Then, on Thursday, I finally got to come home. I was home at 8:00am, then at 5:00 pm I squatted down to straighten the mat at the bottom of the stairs, and my leg started to go all numb, and I couldn't breathe as good and I started to not be able to feel my foot (it was my left leg). So, it kept getting worse and my foot was starting to turn purple. But Mom was busy showing some people the house so she couldn't hep me. But oh my heck it hurt so bad, and I was getting really scared that I would lose my leg or something. I mean I was screaming almost, in pain. Tara kept coming into my room and telling me Mom was still talking to the people, so I finally said she should call 911 if Mom was busy. She went to Mom one more time and finally Mom came down. And then called 911 so they came and got me in an ambulance and took me to the E.R. and found out I had a blood clot from my belly-button clear to my ankle on that leg! So then they did all this stuff to melt the clot and suck it out but after that my leg was still so swollen they did a fasciotomy and cut open both sides of my calf! Gross! so I was in ICU for a week and a half, then in ISC until 2 days ago, and I'm finally just on the 3rd floor. Last Friday they did a skin graft on my calf and sewed it up. They took the skin from my thigh. That's what hurts the most right now. So my whole leg can't really be moved. They got me up to sit in a chair today and that killed so bad! And yesterday they gave me my first dressing change, under anesthesia. They're doing that again tomorrow. The dr. says the graft isn't taking as fast as he'd like and what totally sucks is that it's because of the medicine I'm on for colitis. So, both these things need opposite medicines and can't really be treated at the same time. Oh well. My goal the whole time I've been here is to be out and well enough to be in the parade by the 4th of July. I already missed music camp and I'm missing our ward YM/YW trip to Lagoon. But the 4th of July is my goal. I should for sure be out by then.
Anyways, this experience has made me GRATEFUL! Or more like thinking of how grateful I will be when I'm not on bedrest and finally, when I can WALK! Oh that will be sweet! I am already glad, though, that I even have my leg! I could have lost it that night or in the following days. I also could have died if any of the clot had broken loose and gone into my lungs or heart. Or if my central line had gotten infected or anything. I'm so lucky. I could write 10 more pages about what happened and all my hospital experiences, but I don't really want to write any more.


So, thankfully I have never lost that grateful feeling I had, even while I was still in the hospital. It was 2 months later before I was able to walk again, and since then I have had 2 more surgeries on my leg, and I have always had to ace wrap or wear a support sock on it.

I think the reason I got so emotional reading this is that I am able to look at my life now and feel the utmost gratitude to Heavenly Father for giving me another chance. Between the blood clot and colitis I had, I wasn't leading much of a life. Now, I can live "normally" if there is such a thing. I have a wonderful husband, job, and I can run, dance, and do anything I want with both my legs. What a blessing. I am so grateful I had that experience, though it is not just an isolated experience, it continues to affect my life. It brought our family closer together than we had ever been, there are a lot of things that happened that I don't want to share on the internet but they were very special. It also helped me to be so appreciative of my friends, and of our ward. I had more treats, presents, visits, everything during that 5 weeks in the hospital than anyone needs, but it just goes to show that sometimes something like this has to happen to bring you closer to others, and to help you realize how much others care.

To celebrate today, I am heading out to run a 5K! The whole way I will be thinking of all my blessings, like I probably will all day anyway.

If you'd like to help out in some way, I would love to get some donations for the Crohn's and Colitis Foundation--to help others who are going through what I've been through, or worse. You can go here to get to my page and donate. I'm not doing the walk but I still want to help raise some money.

I love you all! Especially my family. You guys are beyond the best. And everyone else, friends and others who helped our family during that time, thank you again. I hope if you need me I can be there for you in your time of need.

Happy May 25th!

garden time

We got our garden planted last weekend, amidst girls night out, puppy class, the music fair, and a teacher-Old Chicago outing. But by 10:00 Saturday night we planted the last of the tomatoes...by flashlight! It was nice to have it all done, and the weather was great! Even though I am SO super annoyed with this horrible spring weather we are having, it has actually been the perfect first week for the garden because of the sunshine and rain every day. Anything that keeps me from having to drag the hose around to water makes me happy! We planted in the little garden we used last year--that was already here when we moved in. This year we did only seeds in this one, so I am excited for them to start popping up!
This was the new project, and why we got done at 10 pm. 2 raised bed gardens! woot! This was a lot of work, mostly for Collin because I was gone all afternoon to music stuff! He did a great job getting them all together and mixing the soil. These are our "salsa gardens" because all we planted was tomatoes, peppers, and cilantro. We are making salsa this fall, baby!

The only problem is keeping this little stinker out of the gardens. She thinks that compost in the raised beds is soo tasty. sick. But anyway, we did rig up some chicken wire for those, and we're working on something for the others. Sorry Lucy, this food is for people!

And can I get a woot for all you out there that plant gardens! It is a skill, in my opinion! We are just learning but it takes work! I definitely took it for granted that my family did it all my years of growing up.

Our Lucy

So, I love having a dog! I was so leery about getting one. And yes, the first few weeks of puppyhood with Lucy were..... a lot of work! But she is the 3rd member of our family these days and she knows it! It is so much fun having her. I had to leave her at the groomer's for a day a few weeks ago and it was kindof boring around the house without her clicking around!

Anyway, here are a few pictures.... of our fun little pup. Bradyn loves to come play with Lucy...sort of. She is actually really nice to him, but of course like any 1-year old he is like..."uh..."

She is so confused about how we do that.

We went and explored the Meridian Bark Park, she looved running as fast as she can. Collin loved it too.

Speed Racer!

By the way, we have been practicing "come" in puppy class and she is officially the fastest in her class! She beat 4 other dogs. woot! :) It is just because she is a freaking food maniac so therefore if she knows we have food when we call her name--ain't nothing stopping her.

We heart Lucy!

Cinco de Awesome!

We had a Cinco de Mayo partay ....or should I say fiesta.... at our place last night! This is the second year now so I guess we could call it tradition! We had 6 couples from our ward over, and it was fun!

Some of these pics are up here so the stars can copy them for their own bloggin purposes... (In other words, beware: lots of pictures ahead!) The Ellsworths, with Kyra sporting a rad mustache!

Amber sporting the stache! (please don't kill me for putting this up! :)


Alright, now Brady and Bradyn with matchers? huh?

OH yeah. My favorite picture! They look hilarious. And they wore these all night.

Everyone enjoying the pinata festivities....thankfully the weather was decent!

Katie rockin' the bat!

Bradyn, sort of loves Lucy, is sort of terrified of her. They both move so fast this is the best picture I got!

Collin had many poses with his sweet new look.

First one to take a swing, we went in order of "age" oldest to youngest....although I think a few out there were lying.....

Kim--woot!

Okay, I was kidding before. THIS is my favorite picture. Did I mention the Jazz/Lakers game was on? Yeah, that is why most of the night the girls spent time in the backyard chatting while the men were inside. surprise surprise. Faces glued to the TV, mustaches glued to the faces.

Just kidding again! THIS is my favorite. The "come on!" Why does it look so creepy? Could it be the child-mo 'staches they're sporting? So glad they don't always look like this.

I love this one too. you guys are so white.

Thanks for coming everyone! We had a great time!

recital

Well as if I hadn't complained enough already about getting ready for this recital . . . it went GREAT! Recitals are like payday for me, getting to see all my students and their families come out to something I've planned, then getting to hear how great my students do. This actually wasn't one of my students' best recitals, probably due in part to how busy they have been with other events this spring. And also some lazy non-practicers. :) But what else is new? Still the majority did great and it was a lot of fun. I even performed! I did Fantasie-Impromptu, in honor of the Chopin/Schumann 200th birthdays this year! I realized that this was the first time I've performed difficult anything memorized since my senior recital. By my standards it really didn't go great, but to my students and parents they seemed really impressed. Or they're just really nice. But I was actually proud of myself because well, I just don't perform as much as I used to, so I was glad to have some success.

One of my fab students giving a GREAT performance of Hunting Song by Schumann. I made the older kids do a song by either Chopin or Schumann. ha ha! some were not so happy with me for this!

I had 2 recitals--14 kids in one, 15 in the other. Busy night! I felt like a celebrity at the first one because all the parents wanted a pic with me and their kid in front of the piano. I was regretting not making sure I looked a little nicer!! But that was fun, those stinkers are cute. Then the older kids.... thought getting certificates and awards was a little more dorky but they're good sports. And good performers! This is the older group getting their year-end certificates. I also had 7 kids get 4-year trophies, and 5 kids get 3-year trophies. Fun!

And thanks to Collin for helping me out. I did all the refreshments and everything myself too, and setting up for 2 separate recitals is kind of busy work. He was great to come sit through 2 recitals and so supportive. We went to P.F. Chang's for beyond-delicious chicken lettuce wraps afterwards--love it!!

I know.

I know I am so lame in keeping this updated. That is probably why like 5 people read it. (I love you 5!!!) It has been busy. If I can survive the next week it will be great!! I just got done putting together an itinerary for an event TVMTA is putting on next Saturday, I had to organize all the participants, put them into correct recitals, type up the schedule...blah blah. Plus I had to put together the May newsletter and get that posted as well.
(BTW....if you'd ever like to check out TVMTA the website is here. )

I played in concert #1 Tuesday night. Concert #2 is this Friday, which is actually my 2 studio recitals. I am solely in charge of awards, programs, refreshments, and I decided (why not totally hang myself) to perform as well. I'm doing a difficult song so I have been having to find time to actually practice that too.

Concert #3 is next Tuesday. Then #4 is all day Wednesday where I am playing for 2 different schools at Boise district choral festival that day.

Then Concert #5 is the following Tuesday, I am doing all the jazz for a totally separate school.

whoooo! It's actually not too bad, really. I'm so glad to see how much my sightreading has improved because it is not very hard to get most of the music down, thankfully. And when I agree to do these, for some reason I'm thinking in my mind I'll have more time to get ready than I actually do. ?? some sort of brain malfunction I guess. But I do get paid so I really can't complain.

Besides that, I have been in the midst of switching my studio over to a new achievement program which has required ordering new books, technic charts, etc. etc. Since the school year is almost over I also have to put together a parent letter, do progress reports, and schedule summer lessons.

And of course somewhere I need to find time to figure out what the heck I am doing for primary Sunday! That dang calling never goes away! :)
AND.... we of course had a support group fiasco this week as well. My "co-facilitator", who has come to like 3 meetings in the past year, has been totally MIA for a month (hmm is this his way of telling me he quits after a job poorly done? classy.) and I had the concert so there was no way I could be at the meeting..... so me and the NW director were frantically trying to get something put together....it all worked out though.

So there is what is occupying my time. Plus my puppy has copious amounts of energy and needs to be walked daily! That takes time, man! Plus Collin and I have managed to squeeze in time to watch ridiculous amounts of Everybody Loves Raymond (is anyone else totally hooked on those reruns at 10:00?? That is why I am sleep deprived right there.) and we had some KILLER sushi at our favorite place last weekend as well.

SOMEDAY I can sit down and read a book, right???