Dreaming of the Islands

After days of ominous clouds lingering, the sun if finally out. Salt Lake City has seemed more like Seattle than it's usual sunny spring weather. There's not a lot to complain about, everything is green, and the rain has done a great job at masking where my sweets dogs urine spots would've shown up by now. There's always a positive somewhere.

This week the Channel 2 morning news has been highlighting the Polynesian Cultural Center, making me homesick for the islands. They've been streaming live, and with the time zone change it's 4am in Laie.  I'm rather proud of myself. After moving fifteen months ago, I've done a great job of masking the pain of moving from the place I love so much. I'm an out-of-sight-out-of-mind girl. I have to admit, I felt a pain in my stomach when I heard Chevron (the only gas station in town) started on fire yesterday during a power outage. Chevron and I became very close in the eight years I lived there:  me--Ahhh, Pepsi. Chevron--yes, thank you for your $1.06 (thank goodness refills are much cheaper in Utah :) ).  This is one relationship that will always have a special place in my heart. 

Below is my sweet husband, Fa'a, with me at Sunset Beach (obviously during sunset) a few weeks before me moved back to Utah.  Note the puffy face (which seems to be my MO lately) because of the yucky steroids the doctor put me on after a Multiple Sclerosis attack that paralyzed my left leg.

Mother's Day at the Primary Childrens Hospital

Aloha!

It was 7:30PM Saturday after the LDStorymakers conference, I got a frantic phone call from Darnel's friend, Isaac, to come and get Darnel because he was sick. Fa'a and I rushed to pick him up and knew instantly that he was sick. We took him to Intermountain Medical Center and they put him in a room right away. After checkinghim over, the Dr. informed us that she was concened Darnel had Meningitis. They attempted a spinal tap (Lumbar Puncher) three times until finally taking him down for the Radiologist to perform it under an x-ray. The results were back two hours later and it was official--signs of Meningitis (most likely viral). They sent us straight up to Primary Childrens Hospital. We checked in, got Darnel settled and Fa'a headed home to sleep. I finally shut my eyes at 3:45am.

The next morning (7:30am) eight Dr's came into exam Darnel. They said we had caught it on time and he was doing well with the anitbiotic (they gave him antibiotics incase the test came back positive for BACTERIAL Meningitis). By 2:00pm we checked him out and headed home, keeping an eye for any return of symptoms).

I was able to spend the evening with all my children and husband. I missed Dylan and Aryana sining to me in Sacrament Meeting, but they sung it for me when they went to bed.

I often ask myself...Is this for real? No way can anyone's life really be like this.

Storymakers Conference

I had and incredible weekend. This years LDStorymakers Conference was held at the SLC Sheraton. I met a lot of wonderful authors and some great new friends. Next year I'm going to stay at the hotel, it was like a mini-vacation. The best part about the weekend--meeting the 3 agents that came. Sarah Megibow accepted my fb friendship before the conference. She remembered who I was. She was better than I had expected. She was the only agent to show up to the Authors Incognito and mingle with everyone. I waited patiently and finally was able to get my time with her. She offered excellent feedback and I'm excited to get to work on my revisions for Off the Edge. I also talked with Sara Crowe (she critiqued my query and like it--told me to send my ms to her) and Becca Stumpf. They were both just as gracious as Sara Megibow. If you haven't had the chance to attend the Storymakers conference I highly recommend it.