The Baby Dill Mobile

Yes, Kristin and I did make a late night run to Smith's tonight. Yes, we did go "shopping" and found some interesting things, but they didn't make it past the check-out lane. But really.. enough of that. I have just found some funny things in my life lately that I feel I should share with you. Everyone needs a good laugh now and then, right?

So, in all honesty Kristin and I really did make a late night run to the grocery store tonight because we were both starving.. and decided nothing in our apartment could live up to our cravings.  Well.. everything was going just dandy. We headed outside to jump into Kristin's car to head over to the grocery store. Then, Kristin remembered, perhaps due to the smell, that she had left a full can of pickles in the back and they had leaked a little.  Ok, maybe more than just a little..the truth is that, it leaked a lot, all the juice was gone and the smell of pickles joined us on our little adventure.

On the way out of the store, a car decided that even though I was walking behind it, it was going to go ahead and back out. It came a matter of a few inches, maybe centimeters from hitting me. Kristin was a quite bit more phased than I was.  So went our little adventure for the night.

Home

A word with so many meanings... a wise person once said "home isn't where your house is, its where the people you love are." Maybe that's why I'm feeling so conflicted right now. Home is here.

• the house I grew up in
• FAMILY
• the quilt made for me by the young women in my ward when I moved away
• the farm
• my favorite stuffed animals from when I was little
• my mom's homemade dinners
• the delicious drive-in down the street
• the best friends a girl could ask for
• familiar faces and places where memories are made
• finding old bucket lists and notes passed in high school
• realizing your dreams didn't come true, or at least not yet, but realizing that its ok
• rolling hills, green grass, lightning bugs 

Home is also there. Utah.

• endless hugs and get well wishes
• familiar faces and places where memories are made
• birthday buddies
• roommates and friend I can count on no matter what 
• blessings and service from people who have just met me and love me unconditionally
• a second family
• someone who holds my hand & dries my tears
• late night giggle sessions with roommates about hair, reflexes and need I say?? boys
• mountains, cuddles with warm blankets and good books, good news from friends abroad
• attempts at mom's homemade goodies
• endless lessons, all learned in miraculous ways
• a chance to grow beyond the capacities of my own imagination 

I guess what I'm trying to say is home is simple. Home is love, no matter the location. Love is... home.

Goodness Gracious

Today I ran across a blog that was listed recently as one of the top 100 blogs/websites that will inspire you to be a better person.  In the particular entry I was looking at, I was excited to see a list of things that come for free but are so good.  "The Best Things in Life are Free".  I have also recently run across a "handwritten" blog that writes a note a day or a week addressed to something positive in her life. I can't remember the link to that one anymore, but I hope someday to be able to write things that can inspire people. I believe I have been given the gift of eloquence and I can say and write things in a way that people can understand and relate to what I am saying.  Anyways, the point is that I want to start doing something similar when I post. My family is all over the country right now and we have been writing each other each week with three things that are good or we are grateful for.

Here is my version of inspiration this week. I want to write down one thing that happens everyday that is good starting today!

I get to go to Tucanos Brazilian Grill with some amazing people!!

Unhooked, unleashed and unloosed! Happy Birthday to ME!

FREEDOM!  So this is what it feels like. I'd have to say I've rarely experienced the feeling of being tethered and then freed. This is it! Best birthday present ever! I get to take a bath at home, put on make-up, do my hair and celebrate the heck out of being out of the hospital. Don't worry though, I won't party too hard, I don't want to end up back in here.

But hey, it wasn't all that bad, it's just a great birthday present to be leaving the hospital. The housekeeping staff sang to me and gave me a card. That's pretty cool and the sun is the brightest I've seen it maybe since I've been here.

P.S. There was just a code green in the psych ward. I'm trying not to think too much about that. 

Here are some pictures of the homecoming/birthday party! Kristin did a great job of baking and making the cupcake display. I have amazing roommates!

Five candles cause I'm young at heart. 25 was a good birthday!

Soul Food

Did you know?

Candy is soul food. The Prince of Egypt is really a great way to share a night with friends.

My blood type is A+ but they have to retest it in the hospital every 72 hours. Just in case it changes?

Cupcakes are good birthday food. Shout out to The Cocoa Bean, Nurse Aubrey and Garrett "My Home Teacher". Mmmm good.

Notes and small sincere thoughts make me happy. I had my first allergic reaction and did not like it!

Life goes on. Its really fun to sneak around the hospital and watch the sunset with great friends.

The longer you stay in here the more friends you make and I like making friends.

Nurses like you better when you don't complain or need help going to the bathroom. Prayer works.

Chemotherapy drugs make you throw up and lose hair, it isn't a myth. AVOID at all costs!  A good book and blanket makes any day great.

Flowers and hugs are two of my favorite things. It is okay to cry it out, but only if you do it every once in a while.

Being aware of those around you and trying to  learn from every moment isn't always easy, but it is ALWAYS worth it!

Angels will always surround you if you ask.  It's okay to squeeze really hard!

Blood going into your body is COLD and blood coming out is HOT. Your body is AMAZING!

Kindness  is never forgotten. Most importantly though is, you are never alone.

Shingles Go on Houses, Not on People!

So, the latest news is that I woke up on Monday with a fun little case of the shingles. Thus, I am still in the hospital just chillin'. Today I woke up with a swollen eye and they had the eye doctor come in to make sure the shingles weren't spreading to my eye.

Fast forward to Sunday. I feel GREAT! I'm ready to bust out of here. I feel like I've been sitting here for three days just waiting for them to let me go. Its a little bit out of control. I guess if it is meant to be it will happen, but I am definitely pushing for Tuesday or Wednesday so that I can get home before or on my birthday. It is just frustrating cause I don't feel sick, maybe a little weak, cause I can't do anything but walk in circles, but I'm ready to bust out of this joint!

Sorry the post is short and grumpy today. I'm ready to be outta here baby!

Warm Turkey...

So, yesterday on Facebook I made a comment about how I was addicted to football and my friend Dre said that was an addiction that was ok, kind of like breathing, and eating and you couldn't just go cold turkey, no football is just not possible.  Well... will someone take that turkey out of the oven, cause it's done! Let me tell you about my two favorite football teams.

1. BYU- I will never stop being a BYU fan. I don't hate on Jake Heaps, or Riley Nelson or anyone else who may have forgot to "honey up" their hands last night, however, I'm slightly worried that Jimmer may have taken all of our miracle juice for the year. Silly Jimmer.

2. The Colts- Ya.... only a few words for that one too. Payton Manning, neck injury, season... obliterated. But, we still love Austin Collie... I think he is hurt right now though too.

The good thing about warm turkey is that it tastes delicious and there were some good things this morning that helped to season up that yummy bird.

In dialysis the supervisor had her grandson with her. He was probably the cutest kid I've seen all week! No, bur really, he was very cute and he was playing with an iphone application that he could ask questions and it would say yes or no back to him.  I started answering his questions instead and we had a good little conversation cause he started thinking of more questions to ask and laughing and getting excited. He was very cute.

Also, for the first 2 hours of dialysis I was able to watch the movie 17 Miracles that Sister Larsen brought to me. It was a great movie, after which Trevor gave me the play by play of the Sunday School lesson. All in all, so far its been a good day.