Day 1

Day 1: Introduce Yourself

This makes me feel like I'm in some support group or AA. :)

Hi, my name Kim Garrett. Actually my given name is Kimberly Jane Hansen Garrett, but I can count on one hand the people that actually call me Kimberly. And there are a select few that I even allow to call me Kimberly Jane, but for the most part, just Kim.

I was born on January 6, 1975 and still am not sure if I like having my birthday right after the holidays. Everyone is worn out, everyone is poor, and everyone has started their New Year's Diets and so no one wants to celebrate with ice cream, cake, or cheesecake. As for me, I start my new years diet on January 7th because a girl's got to celebrate her birthday!

I grew up in Lindon and we were the family that moved 3 times yet still lived on the same block. We didn't go far. I have one younger brother and as much as he thinks I tried to run over him and kill him with the three wheeler, it truly was an accident and I got hurt more then he did.

I went to Aspen Elementary School, Pleasant Grove Jr High school, and Pleasant Grove High School. I'm a 4th generation viking. After the adventures of school, I decided to go to more school. Ricks college to be exact. Did I love it? Not so much. Did I survive it? For the most part, but hey, I came out of there with a degree in Accounting.

I was done with school after that so decided to do the next best thing for a single young women at the age of 21. I hopped a plane to Connecticut and served a mission. The mission brought lots of interesting and learning experiences and I'm sure in some ways I'm a better person because of it.

After returning home I quickly met my match on www.ldsfriends.com. After meeting my match, I quickly decided to marry my match. I didn't want him to get away! We took the plunge on May 7, 1998 and were sealed in the Mt. Timpanogas LDS Temple.

I decided to go back to school after we got married and I finished my accounting degree.

We live in Lehi with our awesome dog Gretzky. Alton works as a computer geek and I work as an accounting geek. Life has been full of challenges, but they have made us stronger. We just keep moving forward one day at a time.

Oh, and today's good news minute! After 2 surgeries, 16 months in a cast, boot or brace, I am finally fixed! I am now wearing two shoes and am 70% pain free. The doc said another 8 weeks and I should be 90% pain free.

30 days of me

A friend posted this on her blog and I figured maybe it would help me get back in blogging mode and give me something to look forward to doing every day, so I stole it!

Day 1: Introduce Yourself
Day 2: Your favorite movie
Day 3: A photo of you taken over ten years ago
Day 4: A youtube video that you find funny
Day 5: A list of what you ate today
Day 6: List some of your favorite blogs
Day 7: Share your favorite recipe(s)
Day 8: A song from your childhood
Day 9: Provide pictures of five celebrity crushes
Day 10: A photo that makes you sad
Day 11: Your favorite television program
Day 12: A photo that makes you happy
Day 13: Share one of your favorite tunes
Day 14: Face morphing
Day 15: Favorite Books
Day 16: Talents of yours
Day 17: Favorite places to shop
Day 18: Your favorite color
Day 19: A photo you took
Day 20: What you're craving right now
Day 21: Your favorite quote
Day 22: Some hobbies of yours
Day 23: A photo of your parents
Day 24: Zodiac sign and do you think it fits your personality
Day 25: A deceased person you wish you could talk to
Day 26: A bad habit you have
Day 28: Something that fascinates you and why
Day 29: Photos of personal things in your life (pets, family, houses, etc...)
Day 30: A photo of you right now

Christmas Slideshow

For my lesson in Young Women's this week, I decided to make a slideshow of the life of the Savior. Enjoy!

My new favorite website

Dear Mr/Mrs/Ms Computer Geek,

I would like to thank you from the bottom of my heart for creating the website www.logmein.com. Your website allows me to crawl in my bed, still in my jammies, with my ouchie foot elevated, and still be able to work. All I have to do is go to your website, type in my username and password and tada, I am now on my work computer. It's heaven!

Your forever grateful customer,

Ouchie Foot Girl

ps. Thank you, Mr Boss, for letting me use this awesome modern technology

I'm thankful for.....in pictures

A busy day

This is what I did today. All....day.....long.....

Another Surgery

It's 1:29am and here I lay. Anesthesia wires me. I can not sleep for anything and my foot is throbbing. I'm hoping by returning to blog world, I can pull my frustration away from not being able to sleep and the pain and side track myself for a bit.

This morning I had surgery to once again fix a ruptured achilles tendon. Some people say it's good that I've already had the surgery once because "you know what you are getting into". I say it's not so good to have already had the surgery once because "I know what I'm getting into".

I must say, I quickly remembered how to use the crutches. Last time it took me 10 minutes to get to the bathroom and back, this time, it only takes 3.

I remember how to get in the tub. I attempted it tonight because I smelled like a hospital, and I hate that smell. I was successful and did not kill myself or drown because I remembered how to do it.

I remember how to carry things. You get creative. I needed crackers or some sort of food to take my meds. I crutched to the kitchen, grabbed a package of crackers, tucked them under my chin and crutched back to the bed.

So you might say I'm lucky that I can remember how to do all these things. I guess I am lucky.

What I don't like and what frustrates me the most is that I have lost my independence. I will be the first to admit that my nickname should be "miss independence". I hate, hate, hate asking for help, and when I do, I feel guilty for pulling someone away from other things they could be doing. I've come to a conclusion tonight. Maybe if I would learn to let others serve, I would quit being put in these situations. Maybe I need to learn that others want to help, that they are more then willing to help, maybe I had to have this surgery twice so that I can learn this lesson. And for those of you that are willing and do help and serve me, (and you know who you are), I am so very grateful. Thank you for looking past my stubbornness. :)

I'm also grateful for a great doctor. I've seen him at least once or twice a month for the last 14 months. He is dedicated to fixing me and trying to return me to 90%. He said to me this morning before the surgery that he would be sad when I was all fixed because then he wouldn't get to see me anymore. He then grabbed my foot and with a tear in his eye said "I consider you a friend, and I will try everything I can to fix you". I have been blessed with good doctors in my life.

Stay tuned for my adventures of life on crutches. If it's anything like last time, I will have many comical stories to tell.

Liberty's having a Birthday!

Another girl's having a birthday!

This little girl is 6!

Here is her birthday video. She picked the songs and really, really wanted Frosty the Snowman, and because I love her, I obliged! Enjoy!

Birthday Girl

This girls having a birthday! She's 3 today!

For my nieces birthdays every year, I make a video for them with pictures from the last year. I've been doing this every since Libby was born. She has 5 videos and today London gets video number 3! It's fun now that they are older and are expecting them every birthday. London actually told me what songs she wanted on her video....she wanted "enchanted" and "widdle mermaid" and of course she is so dang cute that I have to comply to all her wishes.

Here is her video. Happy Birthday to my London!

The Foot!

It's about time I give an update on "the foot"....

The cast came off on November 30th...

still on crutches though.

"the foot" before the stitches came out...

"the foot" and leg after the cast came off....it was NASTY! My leg hair was so long.....

A closer picture of "the foot" before the 2 hour long soak in the tub....

Shock therapy to break the scar tissue down so I can start real therapy. This happens every Monday and Thursday until February 18th....This picture isn't of the worst part, the worst part is when they stick my foot in that tub of water that you can kind of see....then they shoot electricity through the water. It hurts so bad I didn't even take a picture...bad memories......

and this is how "the foot" looks tonight.

....and my beautiful black accessory......I will be grateful when I never have to see this boot again..... hopefully I can get rid of it in March. This has been an awful surgery and recovery. My doctor says this is one of the worst surgeries you can have on your foot. My advice to you? Don't mess with the achilles tendon..