Shoko Has a New Favorite Song

Surgery Week

Last year over the break. Wisdom teeth removal. No. Fun. I
vowed to have a surgery free Christmas break for 2010-11.

Today: Post surgery follow up appointment.  Sinus surgery.
For years now I've had numerous sinus infections non-stop
from the months of November til anywhere around April. A
couple weeks ago it was decided that my infection days were
over.  The operation was a little over an hour.  As you can see
from the photo above, they had all sorts of terrain to clear out.
Areas A, B, and C were gutted and widened.  They removed
the infection, polyps, and all sorts good stuff via nasal cavity.

Within minutes after waking up, I (apparently) requested
Mother's shades because the lights were too bright.

The gauze is a nice touch, I know.  Fortunately it only had
to stay for one whole day.  My life for 4.5 days: Eat, medicate,
sleep, eat, medicate, sleep. Over and over. Began to feel a
bit worthless after a couple days of this . . .

Annd after a lovely restroom break found this metalic surprise
stuck to my upper thigh.

Looking.

Good.

Brother Stephen was also having physical difficulties.
Bye bye tonsils. Hello couch fest.

The Surgical Center's new poster child.  Pre-surg.

Post-surg. Ouch.

Jack, fulfilling his loyal dog duties.  Happy to have my system
cleared.  Happy to be off the percocet and back to normal life.

Good Times 2010

Back to Logan.  Missed it.  Lots of good learning experiences. Lots of
great new friends and good times.  

Spring Break 2010 at San Dee with Kynzie, Melissa the Marshall, and Laurel.
Sun, wind, good food, and one encounter with a young lad from Germany.

Spending time up at the family cabin in Kamas.  They have some great little
finds up in that area.  This is when my cousins from Washington came to
visit.  We had sandwiches and shakes at this diner for lunch. Yum.

The lovely women of PV35. Minus Peanut.  Jen and her crossfit. Melissa and
her never getting sleep.  Madison and her stories about Katelyn.  Kynzie and
her . . . ahem, "dance".  Kynzie is married now, by the way.  It happens.

Back to Montana.  Terribly missing this place at the moment.  This is the
Geyser Grill.  Have worked there previously.  Made it a home with (at one
point) 6 others this summer.  See the window at the top left?  My room. You
could even access the "deck" from crawling out the window. Lovely right?

Stephen Covey's family hired me to clean some giant cabin of theirs out by
Denny Creek Road.  I took this photo one morning while headed out there.
Gorgeous.

Wild West Pizzeria.  One of my three jobs in West Yell.  My absolute favorite
job this summer.  Grant (as pictured) and I worked a few nights together each
week.  We also made shift meals together and shared.  This here is my first
pizza I concocted.  Yummah.

Right in time for 4th of July-ness my family did another great shindig down
in the land of Mexico.  Oh by the way my brother's moving there in Feb. For
two years. 24 months.  However you see it.  And as you can see he's going to
blend right in. No clue where we are in this photo but rest assured knowing
that we had a great time.

Barcelo Maya.  We love this resort.

Hermanas :)

Also snagged the cutest black lab EVER and brought him home.  Jack is
great.  Jack is (now) huge.  Jack thinks he is human.  Tonight I taught him
what "tupperware" and "iPad" mean.

And the long anticipated moment: leaving for Spain!  This is me: fresh,
excited, at the top of my game.  About to endure some major jet lag.

This photo is a little close.  Oh well.  Mother came and visited.  Two incredible
weeks in Spain, Italy, and France.  Probably the best trip of my life thus far.

Paris. France. City of lights.

Came home from Spain.  The siblings were thankfully here.  Corrine arranged
a fun photo shoot before Christmas.  She gave some great photos to Dad.
He loved it.  Davebrewerphoto.com

The offspring.

Christmas morning.  Here I am, stoked about something.  The first Christmas
I have experienced where everyone slept in.  Is that kind of sad?  I think so.

We ate delicious food every five seconds.  My mother made about six different
kinds of incredible Christmas cookies.  These shortbreads: killer.

Needless to say, I won the award for ugliest sweater at the party attended that
night.  Grandma Japanese was nice and told me I looked pretty.  So great to
be with her and the whole family.  Great to be home.  Great to be alive.
Thanks 2010 for more than I could have hoped for.  And as for 2011 I'll roll
with the punches and not expect much.  Because that's just me. I'm a realist.