Talk About Inspirational!

Hiya!  Another week down and I'm still doing good!  Oddly thirsty all the time, but good!  Thank you, thank you for your continued love and support.  Yesterday was an awesome day.  Look who I ran into after my treatment:

This amazing and beautiful lady is Stephanie Nielson.  If you don't know her story, you can check out her blog at nieniedialogues.blogspot.com or read her ultra-inspiring, New York Times Best-selling book, Heaven is Here.  Seeing her today was the highlight of my day! This woman was thrown a serious life curve-ball and took a horrible situation, and turned it into something incredibly positive and inspiring.  Her message inspires all (especially me) to see the positive in things, be grateful for the simple and wonderful blessings in your life, have faith in Heavenly Father's plan for you and never give up hope.  She's simply fabulous!  Think she would come to lunch with me???

Another highlight of my day was going to lunch with this hot mama-to-be:

Isn't she the cutest prego lady?

Erick and Addie on their wedding day

This darling gal is my sister-in-law, Addie Green (she's married to my little brother).  Addie and Erick have been married for not quite 2 years and they are expecting their first baby boy (who will be named Emmett... how cute is that?) in about 2 weeks.  When Addie came into the family, she was a breath of fresh air.  Not just cause she is the youngster among all these old ladies, but because she is vibrant, peppy, happy and full of energy.  This girl also loves to be silly and laugh, and I love that about her!  For such a young girl (she's all of 21 people!), she has a maturity beyond her years... in a good way.  It just means she can see both sides of situations and doesn't get petty or catty about things.  She is level-headed, hard-working, kind, a ton of fun and stunningly beautiful (being tall, skinny and blonde doesn't hurt either! Well, skinny after the baby. hehehe).  Oh, and my kids all LOVE her and Erick!  She is the aunt who will take my girls shopping, paint their nails, sit and read to them or just listen to their crazy stories. And Erick is the uncle who will play basketball with Parker, instigate a ping-pong tourney with Steve, challenge the girls to a Just Dance competition or agree to watch our dumb and annoying energetic dog.  I am thrilled to have Addie as part of our crazy family and can't wait to welcome baby Emmett.  Oh, and I promise I'll wash my hands before holding him (inside joke).

In case you were wondering, 

it's pronounced chee-POAT-lay (I googled it!)

We went to Chipotle (see above for correct pronunciation, because I guarantee you've been saying it wrong!) in Sandy, which is known for their super fresh, super simple menu.  They basically have 4 items to choose from - burritos, tacos, salads and bowls.  For a person like me, who has a hard time deciding whether to buy name brand or generic salt, their simplified menu is much appreciated.  Wish they would have more salad dressings to choose from, but their chips are tangy and crunchy, with hints of lime salt.  T-t-t-t-t-t-tasty, tasty (Fergie? Anyone?)

Finally, we had a date night with some awesome (and good-looking, I might add) couples in our neighborhood.  We went to Joe Morley's BBQ which was super yummy if you're a brisket and beans kind of individual.  The live banjo band playing in the background really added to the experience.

This is not the best pic (taken by the hostess).  

But hey, her job description said seat people and wipe tables, not take pictures

Anywhooo, a great Friday altogether.  By the way, I would love to hear who is inspirational to you?  Comment and tell me who and why.

Aly

Tender Moments and Friends

Yesterday at treatment I got to witness a tender moment.  I heard a loud bell ring and all the nurses began cheering and whistling.  That's when I noticed this:

This is the 'Celebrate Bell' which hangs in the hallway on the long walk to one of the two radiation rooms in the cancer center.  Each day, I see many of the same patients.  Yesterday, one of those patients got to ring this bell, which signifies the end of her treatment.  I had no idea who she was, yet I was so happy for her!  I wanted to give her a big hug and only wish I knew her story.  I'm assuming that she, like most of the patients there, was probably undergoing chemo, in addition to the radiation.  It's a humbling site to see both men and women - young, old, black, white and all other races - silently and valiantly fighting their battles.  I say little prayers in my heart for them, and all those, who need extra blessings right now.  The spirit is definitely present there!

Afterward, I got to meet up with two of my all-time favorite people, Carrie Merrill & Barb Jensen.  And can you believe, we just chatted so much that I forgot to take a single picture?!  Oh, but don't you fret, I drummed up some old ones:

Our Women of Steel Relay team (From left: Me, Barb, Carrie, 

Andrea and Aja - Rebecca must've been running her heart out)

Carrie and her hubby.  Yes, he always smiles that big.  

His laugh is even bigger ;)

Barb and her hubs, Mike after the St. George Half Marathon

Jan. 2011.  She rocked it!

Barb and her twins.  We love those crazy boys! 

Aubrey and Eden are best buds!

These two awesome ladies have a special place in my heart.  We live in the same neighborhood and became friends because of our kids, but have remained friends because they are like my 'adopted sisters'.  Together, the three of us have been involved in carpool groups, bowling league, lunch bunch, running races, school volunteering, ethnic date-night group (yup, you read right!), birthday parties, swapped kids too many times to count, served in callings together, vacationed together, and I could go on and on.  They are the kind of friends who I could chat with for hours and hours and never run out of things to talk about (and those of you who know Barb know that girl can talk. haha. But she is just as good of a listener, too).  I look up to these ladies as mothers, as faithful latter-day saints, as intelligent women (the amount of books they read is insane!) and as friends.  I'm lucky to have them in my life!

We went to Smashburger in Draper.  If you haven't been to Smashburger, you really should try it (FYI - It got its name because it literally smashes their ground beef just before grilling).  They serve burgers and chicken sandwiches, salads, and some unique sides like veggie frites and fried pickles.  Carrie and I decided to each order a sandwich and share.  She got the Goat Cheese and Cucumber Chicken sandwich - all healthy and stuffed with spinach, balsamic vinaigrette on a whole wheat bun.  It was super excellent.  I, however, ordered the Beehive Chicken sandwich topped with cheddar cheese, bacon and extra greasy [and glorious] fried haystack onions.  Cuz I love me some good 'ol greasiness every now and then.  

Anyway, Carrie and I had to rush out of there to make it to the 5th grade girls Maturation Program.  Let me tell you what a bundle of fun that was.  Let's just say that some things are always funny!  Bahahaha!

Thanks, Carrie and Barb. Love you girls to the moon and back!

Aly

  

Callware Ladies

Treatment continues to go well.  For the first time to date, I noticed the warm feeling on my skin where the radiation is given.  But I'm fully prepared with aloe, lotions and my "ain't gonna knock me down" attitude.  Bring on the heat baby!!!

Yesterday I got to go to lunch with a dear group of friends who I refer to as "The Callware Ladies".
Callware was the name of the company where my hubby took his first 'real job' right out of college.  As a pleasant surprise, Callware recruited lots of other young guys who were in the same boat as us - fresh outta school, newly married, few (if any) kids and zero money in the bank.  Over the next 5 years or so, we all became great friends as we starting living 'real lives'.  We added kids, bought our first houses, some took different jobs, others even moved to different states or countries.  But we remained in touch over the years and they will forever be a part of my heart.

Who says old ladies can't be 'duckface girls'?

May I present to you three of my favorite ladies:  Kristi Jeppson (far right), Brittany Lewis (right) and Angie Atkinson (left - she's actually an adopted Callware Lady).  These ladies and I have been through a lot together.  We used to have a mom's group, which morphed into a scrapbook group (really just an excuse for us to leave our husbands home with the kids), which slowly converted over to a jewelry-making group, which led to a [failed] attempt at starting up our own girly-business, which finally turned into a "let's just get together to eat lots of food and talk about how old we are getting" group.  Haha.  Let's just call it what it is!

But I love each of these ladies so much and their friendships are priceless to me.  They are the kind of friends where, it doesn't matter how much time has passed, we just pick right back up where we left off.  They will be my forever friends and I'm grateful for each of them.  And a quick shout out to those who couldn't make it today - Stacy, Colleen, Michele, Emily & others - we missed catching up with you!

We went to another one of my favorite places - Rumbi Grill.  Rumbi is a Hawaiian-themed grill and is right up my alley.  Decorated like a tiki hut, they serve rice bowls, gourmet salads like the Aloha or South Seas, teriyaki sandwiches or burgers and fish tacos or Mahi-Mahi.  The best part is that nothing is over $10 and you order your food yourself and then find your own seat.  (I'm so over the sit-down-and-be-waited-on restaurant thing).  Love, love, LOVE Rumbi Grill!

Rumbi Draper

The insdie transports me to a tropical location

A few other pics of these ladies:

Our Vegas Ragnar Group (Brittany, Angie and me w/ the hubs)

Kristi, her daughter Jessi and her hubby JD just last weekend

Back in 2003 we went to Hawaii w/ the Reaghs

So thankful for lifelong friends like these gals.  Let's do lunch again soon!

Aly

Lunch & Weekend Fun

LUNCH:

Yesterday I got to go to lunch with not one, but TWO fabulous ladies in my ward/neighborhood:

These gorgeous gals are Jennifer Faddis (right) and Lexie Bramlette (left) and are sweet friends of mine, who also happen to be my visiting teachers.  They visit me faithfully each and every month and would do anything to help me (or anyone for that matter).  They are awesome visiting teachers!  Let me just drop a few quick facts about each one.

Jennifer is married to her dentist hubby (who has saved us on more than one occasion for tooth-fixing emergencies) and has 4 kids.  Her youngest is a senior in high school, which means technically she could soon be an empty nester.  However, she pointed out that kids actually have to leave home to be considered an empty nester, and since 3 of them still live there... well, the nest is still pretty full.  Jennifer is an amazing bowler and you definitely want to be on the receiving end if she decides to cook.  Anything she bakes tastes divine!

Lexie is married to her high school sweetheart and they have 3 kids.  Don't let her petite size fool you, because Lexie is a fitness queen.  Tough as nails, that one!  She could definitely beat most women I know in an arm wrestle!  Lexie and her family spend a ton of time in Alaska, where her parents live.  Oh, and I guess now is as good a time as any to admit that I've always envied her hair.  Just look at those gorgeous locks!

We went to one of my favorite lunch places, Cafe Zupas, at the new Draper location.  It was the perfect pick for a cold, rainy day.  Now, I consider myself somewhat of a tomato soup connoisseur, and this place has THE BEST Tomato Basil you will ever taste!  Just the right amount of sweetness, zestiness, creaminess and texture.  Soooo tasti-licious!

New location by In-N-Out

A must-try tomato soup!

ST. GEORGE:

In other family news, we had an AWESOME time in St. George this past weekend.  We drove down on Friday afternoon and as soon as we got there we stuffed our faces with salad, pasta and pizza at The Brick Oven.  The Ellis' sure do love a buffet!  Then, on Saturday morning Summer and I ran a 10k race.  We ran our little hearts out and both 'podiumed' (a racing term that means you took 1st, 2nd or 3rd in your age category).  Summer took 2nd and I took 3rd.  Granted it wasn't a huge race, but we were proud of ourselves anyway and we may or may not have kissed our medals more than once.  

Almost done!

The 3-mile hill was a fun surprise (not!)

My biggest fans

Silver and Bronze medals

Always there to support me (except the time he was 

late to the finish line.  I've forgiven him... kinda)

After the race we headed over to the other side of town where Steve rode in a mountain biking race in the hills above St. George (known as the Race Course).  He did awesome, too, despite his bike having chain issues throughout the race.  He took 5th in his category.  I was super-duper proud of my man!  I mean, who doesn't love a man in spandex???

Mid-race

Crossing the finish line

Steve and JD Jeppson

We finished off the day off with another overly large meal at Outback Steakhouse with our dear and longtime friends, The Jeppsons.  Sunday we watched and listened to General Conference where we were spiritually fed by some amazing speakers.  President Monson's talk captivated the whole family!  We are so blessed to be members of this church.  Just a great weekend altogether!  So, what did you do???

Aly

1 DOWN, 5 TO GO!

Yay!  One week down and only five to go!  Week one of treatment went well.  Let's hope this pattern continues.  It has been a very humbling week for me.  The notes, thoughts and prayers from so many dear friends and family has truly touched my heart.  Thank you, thank you so very much!

GUESS WHO CAME TO LUNCH ON FRIDAY?

Friday's lunch date was an extra-special treat.  First, because we went to this quaint little restaurant/boutique in Murray that I have never been to called, The Art Garden (I'll tell ya more about it down below).  I love little finds like this.

But even better, I got to go with this beyond-beautiful lady:

This is my sweet friend, Katherine Howells.  Katherine and I met when I moved into my neighborhood, over 10 years ago now.  We became fast friends because, 1. our boys were the same age (exactly one month apart actually), and 2. because I'm convinced we were destined to be forever friends!  Katherine is married to Chris Howells and they have 3 awesome kids - Brad, Ellie and Princess Sicily (she really is like a character from a Disney movie - I want one just like her!)  Check out these pictures of our kids when they were little:

Parker and Brad first day of kindergarten, 2002

Our cute girls at a birthday party, circa 2005

Katherine is probably THE sweetest person I know.  She has the most tender heart and would do anything for any person (or animal) in need.  She is always the first one to volunteer to bring dinner, to help drive carpool, to help with kids or do anything else that would make someone else's burden lighter.    

One thing people may not know about Katherine is that she is bit of a heavy-metal junkie.  Blast some Def Leppard, Poison, Iron Maiden, Metallica, etc. - and this girl may just start banging her head and destroying some guitars.  Who knew, right?  She is also a lover of ALL animals (unlike me).  Dogs, cats, snakes, birds, horses, you name it.  And up until just recently she even competed in (and usually won) Western-style horse riding competitions.  She's definitely a cowgirl at heart.  Ain't she the purdiest cowgirl y'all ever saw?

Katherine and I have gone through a lot together over the years - kids soccer teams, basketball teams, getting our boys through scouts (ugh!), ladies bowling leagues, dinner groups, scrapbook groups, lunch bunch, serving in various callings together, girls camp - need I say more?  I count her among my dearest friends and appreciate her kindness and friendship more that she could ever know.  Thanks for being my friend and for a super fun lunch!

I love this gorgeous gal!

As I mentioned, we went to The Art Garden.  Katherine has been going to this place for years.  She often meets her cute hubby there or takes her mom or mother-in-law to lunch around Mother's Day.  The food was super delicious.  I had a seafood salad with the best breadstick you ever did eat.  They also have sandwiches, soups, gourmet salads, and even a garden lasagne (Katherine's fav). Attached to the restaurant is a darling little boutique.  Wish I had more time (and money) to shop.  This place is definitely a must-try, especially for women.  No offense to men, but they usually don't appreciate cute details like flowers on the table or old-fashioned bistro-style window seating for two.

Feels like you're stepping into a historic house

Menu

Cute boutique

Loved, loved, loved everything about this lunch!  Thanks again, Katherine!

Aly

HATE COLDS, LOVE MY FRIENDS!

Soooo, treatment is going great and I've been feeling all good and proud of my kick-butt attitude, then I came down with a nasty cold.  Boooo!  So, on Wednesday, my sweet hubby took me to this place for their incredible chicken noodle soup.  This is, hands-down, our favorite new fast food place.  How have we not discovered this gem until now?  Everyone must try!  And don't let the long lines scare you.  They get people served and fed in a jiffy!  

Obviously too sick to care about my hair!

But, MORE IMPORTANTLY, check out this hot mama that I got to go to lunch with yesterday (Thursday):

This is my dear, sweet friend, Jen Cutler.  Jen and I have become friends in the last couple of years and I'm sooooo glad I got to go to lunch with her today and get to know her better.  Let me tell you just a little bit about this gal.  

Jen is married to her sweetheart, Zach.  They dated for only 6 days before deciding to get married.  Yes, you read right... 6 DAYS!  She said that they both "just knew" and life has been blissful ever since (okay, I added that last part, but just looking at them you know they were meant to be together.  They are the cutest couple)!  They have 4 darling girls, 2 of whom are good friends with 2 of my girls. They just finished building their gorgeous dream house in Draper, where they did some of the work themselves.  My kind a' folk! 

Jen is one of those people who looks beautiful all. the. time.  Doesn't matter if she's at the gym (where you can find her most mornings), the pool, driving carpool... this girl is always stylin' and put together (I'm definitely jealous of her wardrobe, and her cute hair too).  But the best thing about Jen is her bubbly personality and bright countenance.  This is a woman who is always happy, always asking how YOU are doing,  always willing to do whatever she can to help others.  She also obviously has a strong testimony of the gospel and lives it!  She has inspired me on many occasions with quotes from different talks or prophets.  She is definitely in tune and I admire her tremendously for it.  She serves faithfully in the young women's organization in her ward.  What a fun leader she would be!

Thanks, Jen for a wonderful lunch date and for being there to support me.  Oh, and you're a stinker for tricking me into you paying for lunch.  Don't worry... I'll find a way to get you back!

We went to Corner Bakery in Draper, where I got the panini/ceaser salad combo.  It was tasty.  Next time I might try the Trio Combo, like Jen got, which includes your choice of two different salads and a cup of soup.  Mmmmmm!  It all sounds good.  They also have awesome desserts and pastries, which I had to pass on.  I gotta be careful... this going to lunch deal could be detrimental to my hips and thighs!  

TENNIS AND SUCH

Today I also got to watch my 16-year old play tennis for Alta.  It was so fun to see how much he has improved.  He won his match 8-4.  Way to go, Parker!

Cute, right?

Finally, I took a car full of my young women to the Draper Temple to do baptisms for the dead tonight.  Look at these awesome and righteous young women.  They make my heart so happy!

Hope you all had a great day too!

Aly

SISTERS BY CHANCE, FRIENDS BY CHOICE

Yesterday was a good day.  My first official treatment went great.  I was surprised at how quick, easy and painless it was.  If only this could last the whole six weeks!   I thought I would address just a few questions that I seem to get a lot, so I’ve put together my own personal FAQ:

Q.  How often do you go in for treatment?

A.  I need a total of 30 treatments, so I go in every day, Mon-Fri for 6 weeks.  If I miss a treatment for any reason, they just add another one onto the end. 

Q.  How long does a treatment take?

A.  The actual radiation part takes only about 5 minutes.  With setting up and changing time I can be in and out of there in about 20 minutes. 

Q.  Does it hurt?

A.  I’ve been told that the treatments themselves don’t hurt.  What does begin to hurt is the skin where the radiation is being administered.  Kinda like a daily sunburn I've heard.

Q.  What side effects will you experience?

A.  Side effects vary a lot from person to person and also depend on the location of the body that the radiation is being given.  For example, radiation to the head will cause you to lose your hair, whereas radiation to your stomach may make you nauseous.  I have been told that the most common side effect I will probably experience is fatigue and general tiredness – both physical and mental.   

Q.  What can friends do to help?

A.  Come to lunch with me after a treatment and let me spotlight you on my blog J 

GUESS WHO CAME TO LUNCH TODAY?

My lunch date was my faithful and loyal sister, Kandis (aka Kan, Kandisimo or Kandesu-Tokyo – you’ll have to ask Steve about that last one).  Kandis is my younger sister by 19 months.  She is married to her  sweetheart, John Aggen, and they have 3 adorable kids – Wayne (9), Daisy (7) and Walker (3).  I love those crazy kids of hers.  They each have such unique personalities.  They are so fun and entertaining to be around.

Pretty lady!

Aggen Family

How can you not smile when seeing this face?

As kids, Kandis and I almost always got along (at least that's how I remember it... she might tell you differently). When we did fight, it was usually over her stealing my clothes.  My mom even instated a rule where Kandis had to pay me money for every item of clothing she took without asking.  Still didn’t stop her, the little thief!  

I have to brag my sister up for just a minute.  Her claim to fame is that she got to live out every little girl's dream - she got to be every Disney Princess you can think of (well, the Caucasian ones at least. haha).  Cinderella, Snow White, Mary Poppins, Alice in Wonderland,  even the Blue Fairy from Pinocchio.  You name the princess and I could probably drum up a picture of her as that princess, flawless and cute as a button.  You see, she worked at Tokyo Disneyland for over a year where her job was, well, to be a princess.  She has that all-American beautiful face that could look young and innocent, like a Little Mermaid, or grown-up and glamorous, like a Sleeping Beauty.  She is still just as beautiful and will always be a princess in my book!

To my great benefit, Kandis and her family moved to Utah from California about 5 years ago.  They all love it here and spend lots of time enjoying the outdoors - skiing in the winter and hiking in the summer.  I love it because we get to go to lunch here and there, have the occasional family dinner and let our kids play together.  We are both busy moms, but when we do spend time together we can talk and talk and talk some more. Add my mom into that picture and you can hardly get a word in edgewise!  We never run out of things to talk about.  But she is also a great listener and always has time to listen to me, no matter what I might be venting about at the moment.

Kandis is a fun mom, a paper-crafting genius, a thoughtful friend, a bookworm, an organizational queen, a decorating pro, an extremely hard worker and just an all-around amazing and beautiful person inside and out.  I consider myself lucky to have her as a sister, AND a friend.  Love you to pieces Kan!

We went to Pizzeria Limone at Fort Union, which I highly recommend if you have not yet been there.  They do personal size brick oven pizzas to order with toppings like fresh mozzarella, proscuitto, lemon slices, pears and even blackberries.  Their Italiano salad is scrum-diddly-umptious and today I tried their fire-roasted tomato zuppa, which was super delish. There is another location opening by Scheel's sometime in the near future.  Can't wait!

Aly