Provo Trip

During my very quick 48 hour trip to Provo I managed to get a few of my favorite activities in.

Of course there was that post surgery meal at Cafe Rio, a trip to Tai Pan - actually two trips - one to the big store in Sandy and then a quick trip to the smaller store at the University Mall where I found an amazing red purse on sale for Valentine's Day!  I think I must have gotten half a dozen comments on it as I walked through the airport - I had to fight Cali for it!

I was able to go on a girl's shopping trip to the mall with Cali and I enjoyed breakfast at Magleby's with Clark and Cali on the way home from Physical therapy- love that Buttermilk Syrup and was able to check out Logan's new office.  He looked so cute and official behind that desk!

Being sure that Clark was comfortable and taken care of Logan and Cali and I went out to lunch on Thursday.  We tried a new restaurant, at least new to us, Communal.

It is located on University right near downtown Provo.

There large Communal table is lovely as is the rest of the restaurant

When we sat down the first thing Logan said was "I feel like I'm home."  Communal felt very much like many of the restaurants we have here in Portland.  The menu was wonderful too.  They use a lot of fresh local produce just like here at home!.

Everything sounded good and we had a hard time deciding.  Logan and Cali both went with the burger that had blue cheese and bacon mixed in with it - they grind their own meat right there on site.

The burgers were amazing and came with these even more amazing french fries.  The presentation was awesome too.

Despite feeling like home you could tell we were in Utah - the fries came with fry sauce!

I enjoyed a yummy arugela salad with blood oranges and some french onion soup.

So any of you Provoites - be sure and check it out - yum!  Prices were decent too for a more upscale type of place.  I'd love to try dinner there next time I'm in town!!

Even though the trip was short I am glad I could be there with Clark and get to see Logan and Cali - love my kids!!!

Weak in the Knees

I headed to Utah on Wednesday morning for Clark's second ACL repair - I told him I think he has defective knees or at least he is weak in the knees.

He must get it from his Grandpa Best who had his second knee replacement surgery last week!

Sweet, kind, lovely Emily picked me up at the airport and we headed south to Provo.  We made a quick 10 minute stop at Tai Pan - yes it was quick!  I am on the search for a red cake stand with a scalloped edge but they didn't have one.  I did pick up a bag of chocolate covered potato chips though that we enjoyed munching on during the ride to Provo. 

We then went through the drive through at Kneaders and got ourselves a yummy salad and then Emily deposited me at the surgery center just in time to visit a bit with Clark and eat my salad before he went under the knife!

They were pretty much on time this time - last time they were about 3 hours late!

Here is Clark in his pretty blue bonnet and lovely hospital gown.

I checked under the covers to make sure they had the correct knee selected.

Surgery took about 1 1/2 hours and he did great.  They repaired his ACL and his meniscus.

Clark is quite entertaining when he comes out of anesthesia.  When the nurse came back to get me she said he was quite talkative and he kept repeating himself over and over again but she wouldn't tell me what he was saying.

Danger - I remember some of the things he said after his last knee surgery and they are better off not repeated. 

He kept me pretty much laughing for the next hour with his constant banter and his hitting on the nice married nurse in her thirties!  He was sure he was fine to go to the Blazer/Jazz game that night with his buddy Jordan who had box seats.  I assured him he wasn't!

Logan and Cali came over and helped me get him out to Dave and Tricia's house.  Cali and I stopped at Cafe Rio on the way out to pick up Clark's requested Post Surgery Meal - a grilled steak burrito, enchilada style with extra meat and a Dr. Pepper!

Last surgery the first night was horrible,  up all night in incredible pain.  This time I was prepared.  I gave him his pain meds before I went to bed and set my alarm to get up in the middle of the night to give him his next dose so the pain didn't get out of control.  When I got up to give him the meds he was still sound asleep and didn't want them.  In fact he didn't even take them the next morning.

He is doing incredibly well.  I took him to Physical Therapy on Friday before I flew home and they said he was way ahead of where they expect someone to be two days post op!

Waiting 2 1/2 months and all the great work he did to strengthen his knee really paid off!

Thanks to David and Tricia for letting us both camp out at their house - they are always so gracious and welcoming to us!! Thanks to Tricia for getting me back up to the airport on Friday afternoon!!

Our Week

As I thought back on our past week I had a hard time remembering exactly what we had done - all I knew was it was busy and crazy!  I think I am still in recovery mode.

The week started out with our Stake Senior Sister Enrichment meeting which I am over - it includes setting up tables and chairs, a program, food and clean up.  All went well and the sisters enjoyed the food and the presentation on family history.  That evening I had a CM webinar so it was a busy day.

Jim went with Tessa to her DECA meeting that evening.  Tessa will be presenting a project at the state DECA convention in February - go Tess!

Tuesday my dad had knee replacement surgery.  I went up to see him that afternoon after a morning of meetings/conference calls and he was doing amazingly well.  He was doing so well in fact they sent him home the next day.  He is doing great, having pain of course but he is amazing for an 82 year old man! 

Wednesday I spent the day helping a friend with a project and that evening was New Beginnings at church.  Tessa was in a cute skit - the theme was the Olympics.  I told Jim he could choose - go to New Beginnings or stay home and clean and he picked cleaning!  I think I got the better end of the deal.

Thursday my friend Missy flew into town, she is from Denver.  She was attending a traning here in Portland so she stayed with me.  In fact they held a few of her training sessions here at our house so thus we needed to get the place clean!! 
I had my crafty ladies meeting Thursday night and we made a darling little message board!

This weekend was our big scrapbooking event at the Expo Center - 1,400 scrapbookers.  So I went over Friday to get set up.  Friday evening Missy and another friend of ours Karen went out for dinner and a little browsing at Anthropologie!!  Tessa was babysitting and Jim enjoyed watching the Blazer game at home alone!!

I was at the Expo Center from 7:30 am. and didn't get home until after 11:00 p.m. on Saturday - it was a huge success but I was tired!!

Sunday I had a ward conference to attend and got Missy to the airport.  I was in bed by 9:00 p.m.!!!

In my spare time this week I have been sewing up a batch of these darlings - reuseable grocery bags.  I am going to open an etsy shop and sell them - just because I have nothing else to do!!