Sunday, September 29, 2024

Utah is Glowing!

Fall in Utah is beautiful! Rod and I drove through Guardsman's Pass this year instead of doing the Alpine Loop.  It was incredible. 









A week later, Tyleigh came home to have her knee checked. We took her on the same drive. The red leaves had already peaked, but the yellows were literally glowing! It was gorgeous!




Mother Nature sure knows how to put on a show!

Saturday, September 28, 2024

Lake Blanche

Utah's Mountains will always be my favorite place. There is something so healing and peaceful about being in them. Our dear friend, Daison, has been working so hard on some weight loss goals and turned 50 this year. He wanted to celebrate it by accomplishing something hard. We asked him to hike Red Pine Lake with us last minute, and he agreed! 
He talked his son, Gavin, into going with us, so we all got up at 4:15 am on a Saturday morning and started driving up the canyon. Call it a lack of sleep, stress, or just being old, we got confused and went up the wrong canyon for Red Pine Lake, but we found ourselves in the parking lot of Lake Blanche, which is just as beautiful and challenging! 
Lake Blanche is up Big Cottonwood Canyon and is a steep 7 mile hike. 
The Fall colors had just about peaked and it was breathtaking! It was so fun to share our love with Daison and Gavin!



Sun Dial Peak right as the sun was coming up






As the sun hit the mountain, it made the colors glow!

If you look closely, you can see the cow moose that came down to drink. 
She was so graceful!


Friday, August 30, 2024

Hardware Removal . . . Knee Surgery #6!

Cute Tyleigh has been THROUGH IT with her knees. After three ACL repairs, two cyclops lesion removals, cortisone shots and lots of physical therapy, we wondered if she was having the same issue with her hardware as Carsyn was. We talked to her orthopedic surgeon and decided to move forward with bilateral knee surgery on July 31 - which means she did both knees at the same time. This girl is tough as nails.



All the hardware that came out of both knees!



It was supposed to be a pretty minimal procedure . . . until it wasn't. 

Exactly one month later, when things should have been healed, Tyleigh called us from up in Logan and said that her knee was spitting out stitches and looked a little pussy. 
We got in contact with her doctor and physical therapist and they called in an antibiotic as a preventative measure. 
The next morning, Tyleigh facetimed us and her knee had swollen up like a cantaloupe and was leaking even more. We had her go to the Emergency Room. 


We knew there was infection, but we had NO idea how bad it actually was. She spent 5 hours in the ER - mostly by herself, with an IV full of antibiotics. They had to open her incision up and irrigate it. Then they put in a wound drain so it would heal from the inside out. The ER doc told her she would probably only have it for two days. 





4 weeks later, her leg was still infected. She was seeing her doctor in Provo weekly, which meant driving down from Logan once a week. He had to debride the wound and Tyleigh learned how to put the wound drain in by herself because it had to be changed every single day. Two full rounds of antibiotics later and the infection started to look better, but then she had an allergic reaction to the antibiotics and felt absolutely miserable for a full week!


6 weeks later (definitely not only two days), and the hole in her leg is finally closing, the rash is gone, and things are looking up! We are praying this will solve her knee issues once she finally heals and she can start living life to the fullest again!

 

Thursday, August 29, 2024

Utes or T-Birds?!?

We love our Utes, but we also love our T-Birds! 
Rod and I were able to go to the Utah/SUU game and while we were definitely cheering the loudest for our Utes, our hearts were pretty proud of our Alma Mater. Once a T-Bird, always a T-Bird!



SUU took a beating in case anyone is wondering, but it was still a super fun game to watch!

Friday, August 23, 2024

A New Adventure for Tyleigh . . . USU!

 Tyleigh is an Aggie! 

After 2 years in Washington and some time in Costa Rica, Tyleigh is officially a student at 
Utah State University in Logan. 
Moving her up there wasn't quite as hard as Washington, and we are SO excited for her new adventures and friendships! We especially love that she has her darling friend, Lizzy, up there with her!



Thursday, August 15, 2024

We are going to be GRANDPARENTS!!!

This is a day you dream about, but you can't really wrap your head around being a reality - and even when it's a reality, it still feels like a dream!  Camryn and Brantson are expecting their first baby and our first grandchild!  She is due April 20, 2025, and we are so excited! Let the spoiling begin! 


The CUTEST announcement and the cutest mama! 

Camryn made these adorable sweatshirts for Carsyn and Tyleigh!

These two are going to be the best aunts!

Camryn and Brantson came over with the cutest bag to tell us the gender - and everything inside was PINK! We are beyond excited for this little girl to join our family! 


Camryn had the cutest ideas for some announcement pictures!  

I can't tell who glows more!

These two will make the cutest parents! This little girl is already SO loved!