Crohns Update

3 months ago I started my medication for my Crohns Disease, Cimzia. I went to my three month check up this week and the doctor had some pretty great things to say!!

First of all, my labs are normal people, normal!! They have been such a mess lately and I wondered how long it would take for things to turn around. My medicine has had a great effect already. Overall I feel an increased general sense of well being, something I haven't felt in a long time. I also feel more energized and able to do more than just go to work each day.

Second, I was asked to participate in a national study for my medicine, which I think is pretty cool. I had to fill out all sorts of paper work and answer a billion questions. Then the doctor had to do his part and one of the questions was marking what stage my disease is in. The choices were mild, mild-moderate, severe, and remission. I was expecting mild-moderate, however he marked REMISSION!! He was so impressed with my progress over the last three months and I can't believe I have progressed so quickly!

I feel so overwhelmed with blessings and gratitude! Last year was really hard in many ways and I often wondered if I was ever going to feel "better" again. I had several priesthood blessings and pleaded with my Heavenly Father for relief. Many prayers were answered today and I feel so happy! There are still hard days to come, but I know that if I can get through this I can get through anything.

Happy New Year..here's to 2015

New Years was different this year, Kevin and I spent it apart. He had an amazing opportunity to go to Phoenix to the Fiesta Bowl to watch BSU play!! I was jealous, but he got to go on a "guy's trip". He drove down with his brothers Chad and Todd, Karson his nephew and Adam my brother in law. They stayed with Kevin's brother Tim who lives down there and they had a great time!! I got to spend New Years with Natalee and my parents. It was fun, just like old times.

Chad, Adam and  Kevin

He was so excited!

This how I rang in the new year

I am so ready for the New Year and ready for the exciting things to come! 2014 was a good year but also a hard year with many trials. We have been so blessed and of course things always worked out, but I am ready for a fresh start!

 

Merry Christmas!!

Christmas was a very exciting time, as always! Courtney and Summer got to come home for a few days and all of our family parties spanned about a week's time, so I was exhausted by time everything got back to normal. I was able to take the day after Christmas off from work so that I could spend time with family that was in town. It was so fun and all the snow we got made it even better!!

It definitely didn't feel like Christmas outside so I did my best to make it feel that way inside

Matt and Emilee gave us this SUPER CUTE sign for Christmas! I just love it so much!!!

Kevin's fancy new watch

I got the new NINJA TURTLES movie!!

And an  iFit! My hinting worked haha

Summer, Brody and Austin, 3 peas in a pod and getting so big too fast!

Brody and I

Summer and I just chilling

Kevin was a little tired

A great part of Christmas day was getting to talk to my sister Abby who is on her mission in Fresno, CA!

This is our great Christmas photo...thanks for the photo bomb KEVIN!

 Funny story.. A week before Christmas I woke up for work not feeling the greatest but I tried to shrug it off and go to work. I sat down at my desk only to notice I was wearing this abysmal disaster!! I have a huge thing about socks and this is not okay! I ended up going home that day sick with the flu and I blame it on the outfit, not the nasty office bug that was going around haha.

Phoenix!

Right before Thanksgiving I was able to fly down to Phoenix and spend 3 wonderful days with my sister Courtney and her adorable daughter Summer! It was an amazing trip and so much fun!! Getting there proved to be quite the challenge. I flew out of the Ogden airport so I drove myself down. My flight ended up being delayed 2.5 hours. Luckily there was a Gordman's just a few miles away to kill the time! I finally arrived about 10pm and so by the time we got to Courtney's it was 1130 and Summer was so excited to show me her room and everything, so it was a late night by the time she settled down. The next day we went shopping ALL day! It was so great and just exactly what we love to do. We went to lots of different malls and shopping centers, so it was fun to see some different areas. That night we went to dinner and then to the newest Hunger Games movie! It was so good!! The next day we relaxed in the morning, then went to get Pedicures, did a little of shopping at Charming Charlie's, and then went hot tubing! Later that day we went up to Anthem to see the world's tallest Christmas Tree which was pretty sweet! Then we rented some movies and relaxed the rest of the night. The next day I was going home, so we wanted to make the most of the time left. We went up to the new Phoenix Temple and it was amazing and so wonderful! The Spirit was so strong. After that we did a little bit more shopping while we made our way down to the airport. Saying goodbye was so much harder than I imagined it being. I had a great time visiting and really enjoyed the nice weather too! Phoenix was fun and I can't wait to go back!!!

Ready to hit the road!

I took Summer's picture (above), so she had to take mine lol

Arizona Cardinal's stadium

Being goofy while we waited for the movie to start

World's tallest Christmas Tree

Summer and I are standing by the tree but you can only see our shadows

Phoenix LDS temple

Summer insisted on taking a picture of Court and I

We were having a hard time getting a good picture of us with the temple in the background

The backside. The fountain was off since the temple was closed.

The workers were setting up the nativity scene

At the airport, trying to put off the goodbye

Summer wanted a picture by the window

Summer is really into writing and drawing. Everywhere we went in the car she would ask us questions and then we would have to spell out our answers. Then she drew me all sorts of pictures and this was in my suitcase when I got home.