Fireworks!!!!
We're sleeping out on the basketball court tonight, so I'll update more on this later. Fireworks were amazing this year, they lasted like 45 Minutes! Anyway, I hope you enjoy the little bit I've posted. I'll upload the Grand Finale next time. It was HUGE!!! I swear, if someone would have been blasting the Hannah Montana or Miley Cyrus, I would have been at Stadium of Fire. Seriously.
I hope you all had a wonderful 4th!!!!
This morning at 5AM, I left my nice comfortable bed in Glenwood and traveled up to Orem in order to be at the hospital by 7 to get ready for my *final* surgery on my wrist.
Everything went smoothly, I got there on time, I got an actual room this time, I got all ready in my gown and shorts, the nurses did all the questioning, I signed all the papers, my arm was signed, then sanitized, and finally I was rolled into the OR, transferred to my Operating bed and knocked out.
The next thing I know I was waking up in my room (no recovery room this time! wahoo! at least that I can remember. hahah) asking my mom to see the pins. I specifically made arrangements with Dr. Richards and with the nurse to see them after the surgery was done. I mean, come on, who wouldn't want to see something that had been inside of them for the last 2 months? (yeah, its been almost 2 months. It will be the 2 month mark on Saturday. That means one more to go!)
I have a feeling that I asked to see them, looked at them, and gave them back to my mom before I remember asking to see them and looking at them because when I remember asking for them, my mom started laughing and said my dad doesn't like it when people ask the same thing multiple times.
When I got to see them, I was shocked! They're small little buggers! I thought they'd be way thicker and even a little longer. They remind me of sewing machine needles. They're pointed on one side like a needle, and look cut off on the other end. If you're ever at my house, I'll show them to you! *The chapstick is in the picture for size reference, not just because I was lazy.*
Dr. Richards even was nice enough to remember to wrap my hand lightly this time. He gave me the go ahead to start bending it back and forth as soon as tomorrow and I'm so happy. 
I'm just hoping the back of my thumb, and, as I just discovered, the back of my hand wake up remotely soon. If it means pain, I wouldn't mind them waiting to wake up until the morning. The pins were inserted and removed right next to a major nerve that controls your hand, so not being able to feel anything on the back of my hand is kind of freaking me out, if you know what I mean. I don't even know if the back of my hand was numb after the surgery last time because my thumb was all wrapped and casted up, and my wrist was in immense pain even with the pain pills there to dull the pain.
Thats the good news! I haven't even taken so much as an aspirin all day! We were out of the hospital by 9, making that the fastest surgery probably ever, and I had an ice pack on my hand for maybe 10 minutes while we tried to stop by Brandon and Julie's (they were still asleep), then we went to Sam's Club to get goodies for the weekend (I got some sweet shorts and a 5 pound bag of gummy bears. I'm in heaven!), and then we went to the Provo Mall for lunch. Red Robin didn't open until 11, and we were like 15 minutes early, so we went up to the music store and got some piano music. Even by the time we got out of Sam's Club, my ice was melted because the hospital uses pebble ice, but I was feelin; fine! I was happy, and I even played my new piano song (WITH BOTH HANDS) when we got home. I'm really kind of excited my hand is really getting better this time.
So, 2 weeks until the stitches and the permanent soft cast come off, then I'm down to personal exercises and a brace until about August 11. I'm so so so so so happy. I'll be normal again!
Here's something crazy though. Today after I had taken a nap, my family was eating dinner and watching something on KBYU. They left, and I decided to make up something for myself (my mom made tacos) and I didn't bother to change the channel. Next thing I know I look up and see the nurse that started my IV at the hospital this morning! I guess her parents were on this show talking about coping with loss because her little sister died from a rare illness when she was 9. It kinda blew my mind. haha
So theres my update. I hope I didn't bore you with information, but you should be sure to leave me a comment because it brightens my day! We're down to the last leg, baby!
6 Weeks ago, on Monday, May 5, I went in for surgery to have pins inserted in my wrist as a final attempt to kind of glue everything together and secure the ligaments that have been damaged as a result of my clumsyness over the last year and a half.
2 Weeks out from the surgery, I made a visit to Dr. Richards to get my stitches out, and got a sweet cast just 2 days before my Graduation.
Yesterday, the day came to get my cast off. They cut it off, took a few x-rays, and after Dr. Richards had checked it they gave me a removable splint! 
I go back in for surgery on Monday, and they will cut the right side of my wrist back open so they can pull the pins out. (I think I can feel them right now. . . I definitely can't move my wrist in more than a few millimeters in any direction.)
Once the pins come out, it will be 2 more weeks of a soft cast wrap (that he says will be thin, and I'll be allowed to move my wrist in). After 2 Weeks, I will get the stitches removed, and then be on splint recovery with personal physical therapy (read: I get to do it myself) for one more month.
The plan is that I will be completely ready for anything by August 11, 2008. Who's excited? I am!
Today was amazing. . . I was finally able to take a shower with both hands exposed! No bag on the arm! It felt wonderful. Too bad it has to go back in a wrap soon. . . but it will all be worth it.
So, I've been back from the CHT for one week now, and today was completely full of memories and the norm. Trent and Manda were down all weekend after going to the Manti Pageant on Friday night, so we went on the Marysvale Bike Trail yesterday and had a blast. Ryan showed up to church this morning for whatever random reason he came down for.
He was lucky enough to come on the day I was chosen to speak in Sacrament Meeting about the trip, and basically I got to cover everything anyone else had missed. Everyone said I did a great job, but I cried through most of it and I felt like I was reading one of our Debate cases. I guess the Spirit touched a lot of people because they said I did a really good job, so thats what counts.
When we got home, Trenton and Tommy helped make the, literally, meatiest meal I've had in a long time. We had delicious, perfect, fall off the bone tender, pork ribs, and they marinated a bunch of steaks, then there was the dutch oven potatoes, and all the fruit you could eat. It was amazing, definitely a tribute to a wonderful father for Father's Day.
I love this guy. He's the greatest, funniest, coolest dad on the planet. Guaranteed. We've been through our troubles, but it was all worth it to find out how amazingly incredible he is. I'm so lucky to have him for a dad.
After dinner we had a Duck Hunt Tournament, then I worked on the baby quilt I'm making for my nephew who is due to arrive in about a month. I'm super excited for him, and super sad I'll be missing the baby shower on Tuesday.
I finished sewing the quilt all together when JD B., JD S., and Matt had shown up for our traditional Sunday Walk. After saying goodbye to Trent, Manda, Ryan, and my parents, Tommy joined us and we went on our walk, and picked up Melanie and her cousin Kelsie on the way. We walked all over town and it was a good time, until Tommy had his usual downer. Then we got back to my house, and after talking on the lawn for a while, I went and grabbed my camera out of the house. When I came back out, everyone was playing leapfrog, so I snapped a random picture and scared everyone real bad. It was super funny.
After I took that first picture, someone had the genius idea to jump off our rock wall and get some sweet pictures, so I'll leave them with you. It was so much fun, and then my mom called curfew on us. Talk about lame, but its alright. It'll keep us excited for next week.
It took some tries to get the timing right. . .
And the camera positioned correctly. . .
But in the end, we had a blast. It was so worth it!!
Then, right when Mom called curfew on us, Melanie had an accident, and I looked like I got electrocuted (JD B said I looked like Nan. . . .). Then we had to say good night. . . :)
I don't have much to say today, the main thing is I'm home! It's so nice!!!! After having Sacrament Meeting at 7 this morning, we left Grand Island, Nebraska at 9 to begin our long journey home.
On the way, we played the Smartie Game,
and Brennon showed off his awesome guitar skills.
We even watched The Other Side of Heaven, The Work and The Glory 3, Angels in the Outfield, The Testaments, and Legacy, plus some other random short church movies. It was a really long drive.
When we got past Denver and dropped off the Arizona kids, I was pretty sad because I was missing them, but then I saw the mountains, and I couldn't wait to get home.
I thought I was home when I woke up for dinner and everything around me said Glenwood, but it was just all of the Glenwood Springs, Colorado signs.
We actually ended up arriving in Richfield at 2:30, and I didn't get home until 3AM. It was so worth driving all day and all night though. I'm so glad to be home. My own room, my own bed, just being home.
Anyways, its late, or early, so I'm going to head to my bed. I'll update yesterdays post with pictures tomorrow. It feels so good to be home!!!
Right now its pouring rain outside, so the internet is acting up and not letting me post any pictures, but I have loads to share.
Today we mostly drove, but we were able to stop in Omaha, Nebraska and see the Winter Quarters Visitors Center, Cemetery, and Temple.
We then drove to our hotel in Grand Island, Nebraska. When we got here, the weather was hot and muggy, but since then, the wind has blown in a HUGE storm. We were able to frolick in the rain after dinner, go puddle jumping, watch the lightning, and take loads of pictures since we'll be heading home tomorrow. There was an emergency alert that said to expect 1-3 inches of water within the next 3 hours, so this storm won't be letting up soon. Hopefully we'll be able to get out tomorrow morning. Here's some lyrics I think fit the current situation.
What a long day! Who would have thought that the one day where we get to do whatever we want whenever we want would be the most exhausting one on the tour? Not me, thats for sure.
I slept in this morning until about 7:30 because somebody's phone kept going off, so I got up and jumped in the shower to get ready for the day ahead. When I got out of the shower, we went down to breakfast, and then went souvenier shopping before we were scheduled to go to the temple for baptisms at noon.
The temple was amazing. Going in, right after they check your recommends, you can see the meeting room, which is roped off, but it looks almost identical to the meeting rooms in the Kirtland Temple. Only the Prophet is allowed to call meetings in that room. When everyone got through the line, we were ushered downstairs to the baptistry, and I was in the first small group to get changed into the white clothes. Everybody else got to wait in the chapel in the basement, and I could hear them singing the Spirit of God while I was waiting to be confirmed. When we got in the room, each of us 5 girls got to be confirmed for about 10 names, and it was Brother Dungsten and Brother Sperry doing the confirmations with our bus driver Phil marking off the names. When we finished in there I was planning on just going back and changing my clothes since I couldn't do baptisms with my cast. A bunch of the temple workers offered to get me a bag or something so I could go in the font, but I decided against it, so they offered to let me do extra confirmations. That worked for me, so I accepted, but had to wait while they did a group of boys.
While I waited I got to sit out by the font, and I noticed the font was a foot or two lower into the ground than the normal floor. I later came to find out that they did that on purpose because in the original temple, the font sank into the swampy ground about that far. It just goes to show that they tried to copy as much detail as possible.
When I finished up with my extra confirmations and changing back into my clothes, I went out to the chapel to wait for some other people and to read my scriptures. I decided it would be cool to read some of the sections in the D&C that were revealed when the saints were in Nauvoo, so I found the right ones from the Table of Contents in the front. I opened to Section 127, which happened to be about the Baptism for the Dead. Section 128 continued in the importance of it, so I continued reading, and in the first verse, Joseph recorded something that really impressed me.
"1 As I stated to you in my letter before I left my place, that I would write to you from time to time and give you information in relation to many subjects, I now resume the subject of the baptism for the dead, as that subject seems to occupy my mind, and press itself upon my feelings the strongest, since I have been pursued by my enemies."
and a really sweet sunset.
When the sun was still setting, we decided to walk down the Trail of Hope down Parley Street where the saints walked as they left Nauvoo. On our way there we met up with all of the performers from the play we saw last night and additional characters from the Sunset performance we saw today. I learned that they auditioned to be part of the group and all those who were there were called to serve 4 month missions. They even pulled out their nifty name tags. They were all down by the trailhead because one Elder got his real mission call and opened it with everyone there. I don't think very many people get the opportunity to open their mission call while on a mission. They were super cool, but they had to go, so we walked down the trail.
Then we were able to see the sun completely set on the Mississippi. Pictures just don't do it justice.
On our walk back towards the Temple, me and Alan were amazed by the amount of bugs we were forced to walk through. When we passed under the first streetlight, we were further grossed out by the amount of bugs congregated under it. We were definitely in Swamp Land.
We stopped in front of the temple, and after many futile attempts of getting a non blurry picture of the temple, we figured we had to get down on the grass and use the ground as our base. It worked, and we got loads of pictures.
We walked all the way around the temple and made our way back up to the hotel with Mindy.
