Bathroom Remodel

It is finally done! Our quick 2-3 week project that started in July is finally finished. Yes, it took forever. We had more setbacks and learning experiences than we ever expected but I think the finished product looks great! The new tile is gorgeous and that shower is so waterproof, I don't think it is possible to ever leak.
Here are some important lessons we learned to do differently next time (please take these to heart if you decide to do a bathroom yourself):
1. Use cement board for water resistance instead of drywall + Schluter-kerdi sheets on the wall...it's almost impossible to put up evenly and level.
2. Putting large tiles on vertical walls is pretty but 3x the work. Believe me. Stick with smaller ones
3. when you build up a floor, remember to move other fixtures up the wall as well
4. Harbor freight tools are good for a lot of things, but splurge on some high quality equipment (like tile saws, plumbing tools, and chop saws)
5. Measure 5 times-cut once
6. Always have another person around when you turn the water on the first time

Here are some pictures of the process

down to the studs

Schluter-kerdi walls and floor finally in place

chipping off the old tile from the cement floor

Here are pictures of the new and improved bathroom! Quite the finished product!

Educator of the Year

Today I got a total surprise. My family knew, my coworkers and hospital president knew, my in-laws knew... but they kept it a good secret. I was so busy running around like a chicken with it's head cut off running the Diabetes Educator conference that I wasn't expecting to be the recipient of an award. Anyway, I sort of got a clue when I saw my parents and coworkers come and sit in the audience...and then the announcer started explaining comments from nominating educators, patients and coworkers about the recipient...

They announced that I was chosen to be American Association of Diabetes Educators (AADE) of Utah's "Educator of the Year"!   I was surprised and touched. They asked me to say a few things up at the podium and I think I just thanked the educators I've worked with and gotten to know in the AADE. Afterward, I thought I probably could have been a bit more personal. This is what I would add:

People often ask me why I chose to become a diabetes educator. Since I don't personally have diabetes...no one in my immediate family has diabetes, the choice seems odd I guess. I tell them, I didn't choose diabetes, it chose me. There were many things during my schooling and career as a dietitian that kept pointing me straight to it...over and over again. It just seemed to fit and I embraced the idea fully and worked hard to make it happen. It is a most fascinating field, isn't it? It can also be extremely challenging but most of all, it is rewarding. When you make a difference in the life of a patient, when you show empathy, when they finally understand something, when you can reach them in a way no one else could because of your expertise, when you can celebrate together their successes...that is what makes it all worth it. That is why I do what I do... that is why you do what you do. It is all about our patients and making their lives better. "Mankind IS our business".  I am honored to be working with so many of you in the diabetes community who feel the same way.

Bahamas

I am really the type of person that loves to have vacations to look forward to. Somehow it makes the daily grind seem a lot more bearable. Ben and I couldn't agree on a destination, budget or a time when we could both get away for a long time until finally we were both so super ready for the break that we had to make it happen quickly. We were also finally able to make it work to have my parents come with us! Cruises are much more fun with more people. So, to the Bahamas we went!

We spent a few days in Orlando (spending some time with my uncle that lives there-seeing his house and taking a tour of the candy factory where he works, the Orlando temple, Moss park, and outlet shopping) and then 4 days on the cruise.

Our first stop was the cruise's private island Cococay. This was by far our favorite day! It was a beautiful, sandy beach island with all sorts of places to just lay back on a beach chair and relax. We played in the warm ocean, napped, and watched the waves.

I even convinced my dad to go parasailing with me-which is awesome. It provided a beautiful view and is wonderfully peaceful floating 400 ft. above the water.  (not scary at all-unless you are afraid of heights-I totally recommend trying it).

Next day was Nassau island. It was extremely hot and humid that day. We walked around the city a bit but weren't too interested in buying touristy trinkets or doing the excursions at the Atlantis resort (most the beaches are private and you have to pay to use them). We preferred to hang out on the less crowded ship. We spent a lot of time in the pool, reading and chilling out on the deck chairs, and eating more than we should at the buffet.

Then we had a day at sea. I tried out the rock-climbing wall on the back of the ship, played ping pong and then took advantage of reading and nap time.

We of course ate way too much, sampling all the good food choices. We also got to see the comedian, magician, bands, and several movies in the evenings. What a great trip! Things still happened while we were gone (my sister and her baby became famous on all the news shows/blogs, my friend had her baby, they called a new RS presidency so I got released but, it was good to be away from phone/email for a while).  I needed something to help me reset and come back with a clearer head to organize and rebalance my life.

Produce production

So, remember me planting a garden earlier this year? And how I was worried how much would survive?

Well, we actually got a bumper crop this year! We have had so many tomatoes, it's been awesome. Our of my 16 plants, 14 survived (4 cherry plants and 2 yellow tomato plants, and several other red and heirloom types). We haven't actually had problems eating them all (We LOVE tomatoes here and have lots of family and friends that have been happy to receive any extras) until this last week, when I got my biggest load of tomatoes.

My sweet sister-in-law helped me learn to bottle them (I love learning new skills) so we could keep some for the winter. Aren't they pretty??

In addition to our tomato excitement, we also got bunches of swiss chard, 3 peppers from our pepper plant and several butternut squashes growing on the a vine. It makes me soooo happy!

It inspired me to teach my next cooking class this Saturday at Kitchen Kneads (in Logan) about "Using Garden Goods".

Bobsledding

For my surprise sister-birthday party this year, I got quite the adventure. They took me up to park city for a fun lunch and then  REAL bobsled ride at olympic park (where you actually do the entire course). Vee and Kimi helped boost my courage to do it by riding with me. It was scarier than I expected but I'm glad I did it once in my life. I am not one to swear but it honestly took restraint to hold back a swear word as we got going really fast, I was using all my strength just to hold my position so I wouldn't get jostled all around. Imagine hurling down a windy canyon road in a go-kart at freeway speeds...

After it was all over and the adrenaline calmed down, we were excited that we survived the 2nd fastest time of all the bobsled runs that day.

Lake Powell

Ben's sister and family were generous enough to invite us down to Lake Powell to stay on their new house boat over the 4th of July. It was just the getaway I needed and oddly enough, my first time at Lake Powell.

I got to soak up some sun, relax and read my book, climb red rocks (my favorite), learn to drive a wave runner, see American Indian ruins, get up on waterskis for the first time EVER, and hang out with some really cool people. I also learned a lot about boats and what can go wrong... Many fun experiences and stories to share. It was very fun. SO much fun, in fact, I took very few pictures. Turns out it is hard to keep a camera with you when you are always in or around the water, so most were taken on our hike.

Chicago

I got to do a quick work trip to Chicago to the American Diabetes Association scientific sessions conference. Our diabetes center did a study about continuous glucose monitoring devices and was chosen to present a poster on our findings at the meeting. There was some good interest in our study and we got to meet people from all over the world. They wouldn't let us take pictures in the poster hall but here is what it looked like.



I stayed a couple days to attend some of the sessions and learned a lot of interesting things about better diabetes treatment and upcoming research. (No we really are not that close to a cure...it's way more complicated than you think).

I took a few hrs to do a little sightseeing: shopping on the Magnificent Mile, a riverboat tour about the interesting architecture but it's really not as fun when you travel by yourself. I got a good feel for all the crazy traffic there riding shuttles to/from airport and to/from the conference each day-I soon learned to bury myself in my book rather than watch out the window...that is, unless you had to sit in the front seat with a very talkative shuttle driver that wouldn't let you. It is fun city right downtown and the building are very interesting.