*Crazy Nails

My best friend BreAnn invited me to go get my nails done with her and I couldn't resist. I know I said I was never getting them done again after the last incident and all but you should never say never right? The colors are a little bit much but I was feeling a little bit crazy so I asked the girl to surprise me! Ha ha ha! I guess we can always change them in 2 weeks! I also got to play with Bre's little girl Oaklee, She is the cutest little thing! It was so fun to be able to spend the day with those girls, I love hanging out with them!

Country of the Month: Brazil!

The country we will be featuring this month is Brazil.

What draws people to visit Brazil? The Amazon rain forest, fantastic beaches, talented soccer players, CARNIVAL! If, somehow, you are able to cover the distance by car or by bus, you will feel like you have been in several different countries, because Brazil seems like a continent in itself, containing different cultures, languages, history, architecture, gastronomies and more!

So before you start booking flights, packing and finding a good house sitter let us first get to know Brazil.

• Brazil is the biggest country (covers nearly 47.3% of the continent) in South America and it borders every other country of the continent except Chile and Ecuador.

• The seasons in Brazil are opposite from the seasons in the USA.

• Languages: Portuguese (official), Spanish, English, French

• Currency in Brazil is known as the Real (BRL).
  

Hopefully these few facts will help you learn more about this exotic and beautiful country.

We are just getting started on a month long journey of exploring Brazil and what makes it a great destination for travel. If you were contemplating travel to Brazil, you are probably full of questions, so please post them in the comments section.

Thank you to Mongabay.com, brazilbeaches.org, destination360.com for the great info for this blog.

Flu: Child Killer

Influenza-related deaths in children are tragic.

Nine child deaths from laboratory confirmed influenza-related complications have been officially reported to CDC so far during the 2008-09 flu season.

Vaccination remains the best method for preventing influenza and its potentially severe complications in children and adults.

These deaths are a somber reminder of the importance of protecting children from the flu – especially those at high risk from serious flu-related complications.

Thanks to the CDC for the video below. It was included in a previous post, but the need to show it again is so strong.




More videos : Faces of Influenza

Lincoln Taft

Taft and Lesha come over for dinner every 3rd Sunday and they've been a lot more exciting to have since they brought this little guy around! (not that they weren't exciting before ... you get the drift!) A few weeks ago my mom got him laughing pretty hard and I got this cute picture of him. He was born December 3rd and he is growing up way too fast ... I told Lesha I was going to buy him a bike soon, I know by summer he'll be ready for it!

Dinner Dates ... My Favorite!

Me & one of my amazing friends, Michelle

Kira & Shay - Love these girls.

I seriously love these girls!

Last week I had the chance to go to dinner with a few of my favorite girls and it was so much fun, We went to to Red Robin and it was delicious!
Shay's husband went to High School with Josh and Kira went to high school with Shay so that's how I know these cute girls. I'm so glad that even through the tough times I've been able to stay close with some friends I made through Josh. I honestly can't even tell you how much it meant to me that these girls invited me to dinner. I look up to them both so much more than they will ever know and I cherish our friendship.
Shay brought her adorable twin babies and it was so good to finally 'meet' them! I still can't believe she had two! Only Shay could do it, she's amazing! I'm so excited for Kira to be a Mom some day, the way she interacts with those babies you can tell she's going to be an outstanding Mom and her babies will be so so lucky to be able to call her that!
Michelle is due with her 2nd baby is July (june I say ..) And I'm ecstatic! Her little boy Jaycin is the cutest thing I've ever seen and I'm excited to meet the next one. I'm a little nervous to find out what she's having because if it's a girl I'm going to be broke, I can't wait to spoil that baby! I don't know how I went through life without Michelle's friendship, she's my favorite. I can talk and laugh with her for hours and still never want to leave!
I hope we can do dinner again soon girls!

A day to Smile about ..

I was driving to work on Wednesday Feb 11 in the fast lane going about 75 ish and the hood on my car flew up and did this fancy number on my windshield. I thought for sure it would just go down but it was so bent that I had to force it back down. I had about 6 inches between the hood and the dash that I could see through to get me across 3 lanes of 8:30 traffic and pulled over. It was snowing so I just sat in my car til my Mom came. One lady stopped to make sure I was okay and that I had someone on the way. She mentioned that she was heading northbound when she saw me pulled over so she got off the next exit and got back on going southbound to check on me. I didn't know those type of people still existed... I thanked her a ton and kept telling her how sweet she was and then she said she had to stop because she had teenage daughters too. I waited until she walked away to laugh. :)
I had a lot of time to think before my Mom got there and I'm so glad I did. I'm honestly lucky to be alive, all day at work I just kept thinking that considering the circumstances I shouldn't be alive and that there had to be a reason Heavenly Father kept me here. I find myself having a little tiny pitty party every once and a while and since that day I have decided that can't happen anymore. I want to live everyday to the fullest and enjoy every minute. Sure I have my trials but things could always be worse.
In the time I had to sit and ponder I was texting a good friend it made me realize that there is so much I still have to live for and why not live it with a smile on my face and a positive attitude! Although my car looks like trash I can't complain, I'll just smile!
PS .. The latch on my hood broke, I didn't accidently leave it open like a moron. Also, as of right now the hood is tied down with a rope and the rear view mirror is hangin by a rope, very classy!

New hair ... Again!

I decided that I needed a hair cut really bad and while I was at it why not change my hair color up a little bit ... again! So I made an appointment with My adorable cousin Anica and she did it for me! I was really surprised with the ideas she came up with ... I threw out so many colors and ideas that there was no way I was any help, It turned out so cute and I love it! More than anything though it was so good to see her cute little family and to catch up, Her little girl Emily is my absolute favorite! Em has offered her room several times and one day I might just take her up on it and move in!

Ps lots of stuff has been happening with life and such so I'll be sure and update and add more pictures soon ...

Shingles and Traveling

Question: Can I travel with Shingles?

This is best answered with a little information about this disease. Warning: some of the following pictures are a little graphic, but are a great illustration of the impact Shingles can make.

Shingles or Herpes Zoster is a disease caused by the varicella virus, the same virus that causes chickenpox. Once you’ve contracted the varicella virus, it never completely leaves the body, lying dormant along the nerve pathways. Sometimes however, it is reactivated when disease, stress or aging weakens the immune system.

Shingles can first appear as flu-like symptoms with general malaise, sensitivity to light, tingling, itching or pain on one side of the body or face and progresses to a painful, blistering rash along the path of one or more nerves. As seen below:

It is characterized by excruciating pain. The rash is usually limited to one side of the body and may blister. The blisters will fill with fluid and eventually crust over. It generally takes 2 to 4 weeks for the blisters to heal.

Your risk for shingles increases as you age. Almost half a million cases in the United States occur each year in people 60 years of age and older. Over 90% of adults in the US have had chickenpox and are at risk for shingles. Up to half of all people living to age 85 will develop shingles during their lifetime. It is estimated that up to 800,000 people in the United States suffer from shingles each year, and the incidence is expected to increase as the population ages.

MOST people choose not to travel while afflicted with Shingles and that is a wise decision.

Fluid from shingles blisters is contagious and direct exposure can cause chicken pox in the unvaccinated or those without a history of having had chickenpox, so it's best to stay home and avoid the spread to the unprotected. The Shingles vaccine, Zostavax ^TM , is available at all Passport Health locations and is for people aged 60 years and up ( Dependent upon health and family history, it could be prescribed for those younger. Be sure to see your doctor for the proper recommendations). See the video below for a personal story of how Shingles can change your life.



Shingles Vaccine - video powered by Metacafe

Bill Gates releases a jar of mosquitoes into the audience

The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has been funding research for Malaria since 2000. Below is a short clip of a speech Bill gave at the TED conference about the rampant spread of Malaria and how the simple use of bed nets and bug spray can help to significantly decrease the spread of the disease. He released a jar of mosquitoes stating

"...there's no reason only poor people should have the experience"

For more information about Malaria visit our website.

Happy Happy HAPPY Birthday!!

The whole gang ... Mom, Taft, Lesha, Me, Abby, baby Lincoln, and Logan!

My Birthday was the 4th and of course everyone made my day perfect! I had to work til 5:00 at Smith's but all my Co-workers were so sweet! I got so many gifts and fun treats! They also posted a sign on the other side of the counter announcing my Birthday so I had several random Birthday wishes that just made me smile. Eventually a customer pointed it out to me and we had a good laugh. I decided to leave it up for the day because customers seemed to be especially nice!
My family took me to Ruby River (my favorite ..) and it was a blast. The only thing missing from my perfect day was The Peterson family and Jon ... Hopefully next year we can accommodate everyone's busy schedule!
I decided to splurge his year and buy myself something that I've been wanting for a while. So I've been saving up for a nice camera and I was having my brother Taft watch for some good deals. I should have figured it all out when he stopped asking me about it and he wouldn't respond to any of my texts but they ended up getting me the camera for my birthday! I was so surprised, they are so good to me! Everyone knows I count down my big day for months so they are always there to make each and every one a special one! I love my family more than they will ever know and I'm so thankful for the people that they are and the person they make me want to be. I honestly couldn't have had a more amazing day, thanks everyone!

Me & Little man Lincoln. He's two months old already!

Me & Logan

I love Logan more and more everyday, He is my best friend and he's always there for me. I hope he doesn't get sick of me living at home and waking him up in the wee hours to vent and to get his opinion. Thanks Bugs!

Abby, Linc, & Mom

House Demo ...

My mom has been talking about changing things around the house for months and she has been saving forever, She finally decided to just jump in head first and do it! It was a little overwhelming at first but we're all hanging in there! I came home from work early last Friday to my Mom's friend Kathy and one of my favorite Aunt's tearing up the tile and it was a little much to take it but with time and a little bit of my own hard work I'm getting over it! On Saturday morning I went with my Mom and Logan to the dumps and we swept 2000 lbs of tile out of the truck. (boy was I feeling that the next day ....) And then we spent 4 whole hours at Home depot buying a ton of stuff. I decided after about an hour of that place that I'd rather be at a funeral than there, possibly my own funeral. I HATE Home depot! ....But I guess it was nice to help pick out a few things and I'm excited to see it all come together!?
We're laying wood floors all over the top floor except for the bedrooms and it's coming along so good. I can't believe how much bigger the house looks already! My Mom decided to extend the pantry and in doing so My uncle Ryan let us tear down a little wall and it was probably too much fun! It was nice to take out a little frustration and laugh a little bit. Here are a few pictures from that ...

Thanks Hannah and Grace for taking up these fun pictures! You guys are the best!

Random #30 ....

How random is this picture??? I found it in an old email and I laughed so hard I starting crying ... who takes pictures like this? So funny!

So I was looking for a reason to update my blog and I noticed I had about 15 requests to fill this out on facebook so I copied and pasted so I would have something to update with... 30 random things all about me!...

1. My favorite color changes constantly! Today, it's purple!
2. I have shoes in my closet that are 2 years old and they've been worn maybe three times
3. I have dreamt of being a pharm tech since I was probably 11
4. My dog Bentley is my whole world!
5. I often go through my sister Kady's blog over and over just to look at pictures of her kids!
6. I love turning up the music in my car full blast and singing at the top of my lungs
7. My nail polish color changes A LOT
8. Bear lake is one of my all time favorite vacation spots
9. My cat snowflake died under my brother's bed
10. I named one of snowflake's kittens the 'mail man' because he was black (Karl Malone)
11. I love watching old movies that bring back memories from my childhood
12. My favorite food is anything home-made by my mom
13. The thought of seafood makes me dry-heave
14. Last week when I bought a cup of noodle for work the only chicken flavored one was sitting next to a shrimp flavored one and I couldn't bring myself to buy it ...
15. No one can make my laugh like my brothers
16. I'm excited to have kids but the thought of that kind of responsibility makes my stomach turn
17. As a kid I wanted to be buried next to Bryan Russell (the Jazz)
18. I would do anything in the whole world to see my mom happy
19. I'm constantly surprised by the Gospel and the blessings that come with it
20. I learned how to ride a bike without training wheels when I was 2
21. My mom will vouch for #20
22. I wear socks to bed only because as a kid my dad wouldn't let us, he said it would stretch them out
23. I love having the spirit in my mom's home and can't wait to have the feeling in my own home again some day!
24. I would live at sea world if the chicken fingers weren't shaped like dolphins
25. I couldn't ask for a more amazing group of people in my life
26. I love love LOVE indoor soccer
27. I only remember the name's of those patients at work that have given me a bad experience!
28. At the end of the day I re-read all my text message conversations and save all the texts that I know will make me smile on a bad day
29. I'm addicted to Diet Mt Dew
30. Today I feel on top of the world and I can't stop smiling!

Now everyone take this chance to update your blog and write 30 random things about you!

Travel Medicine FAQ

You ask, We answer:

1. Q: How far ahead of my trip should I get my shots?

   A: We recommend 4-6 weeks before travel, but you may certainly come in sooner than that. Depending on the vaccine you can be protected for 2 years up to a lifetime, so sooner is better than later when it comes to getting immunized. There are so many other things to worry about while traveling, so don't leave YOUR HEALTH to the last minute. We definitely are not the first to say 'if you don't have your health, you don't have anything', right?
   

2. Q: Do I need things other than vaccinations?

   A: That all depends on where you are going. You may need Malaria prevention medication. There are also medicines available for effective prevention and treatment of traveler's diarrhea, altitude sickness and more. The most important item is to be well informed on the proper precautions needed to stay safe and healthy while traveling abroad. The best way to obtain up-to-date travel health information is by meeting with a Travel Medicine Specialist.

3. Q: So, how come I cant find a list of all the shots I need?

   A: Every traveler is different. There are some routine immunizations that will most likely be recommended to everyone such as Hep. A & B and Typhoid., but immunization and medication recommendations depend on many variables like: length of stay, type of travel—back packing vs. 5 star accommodations, time of year—rainy vs. dry season, altitude vs. sea level, prior immunization history, medical history, rural vs. urban, any current outbreaks reported, etc. Our nationwide staff is comprised of professionals that include board-certified physicians and registered nurses who have completed rigorous training in the field of travel medicine and immunology. Why not let them do all the hard work?
   

More Questions? We'd love to hear them. Send us your questions and let us know what you think about the blog. What else would you like to hear about? We want to know!