Finally! Piano Photos!

I apologize that I haven't posted these photos much sooner. Here are pics of our beautiful Young Chang 5'9" piano. Kent has even been playing. It's lovely to have music in the home again.

Holey Hearts Club

It's official - I am a member of the Holey Hearts Club.

In other words, I went in to the Cardiologist last Friday and found out that I have a hole in my heart called, PFO (Patent Foramen Ovale).


During Formation of the heart, two pieces of the wall grow to overlap each other to divide the upper chambers (atria) of the heart into right and left chambers. Before birth, the lower divider acts as a flap or tunnel which allows blood to flow from the right side of the heart to the left side. After birth, right to left blood flow is no longer needed. The two dividers of the right and left atria fuse to form a solid wall (septum). The septum is fused in 90% of people by 18 months of age. However, the dividers which form the septum do not fuse in 10% of people leaving a flap or tunnel which may open and close as right heart pressure changes. This opening (flap or tunnel) is the Patent Foramen Ovale or PFO.  http://www.sorensenmd.com/procedure.php


I've had a persistent issue with migraines/headaches/fatigue which is what spurred me to get this checked out, and sure enough it looks like my brain isn't getting the oxygen it needs due to the hole.

The concern with a 'holey heart' is the risk of stroke. As such, I'll be getting an MRI/MRA in a few weeks to determine if there have been any brain damage due to mini strokes, and the headaches I've been experiencing . After that, I'll get an echocardiogram to learn the size of the hole.

The Cardiologist will look at the results of these tests to then let me know if I'm a candidate for surgery. I'll keep you posted!

Oh How I Love Thee ... Let Me Count The Ways

Richard Smith Fairbanks 1928 ~ 2010

Richard Smith Fairbanks, our beloved husband, father, grand-father, great-grandfather and brother died peacefully on April 2, 2010 after a brief but courageous battle with cancer.

He was born July 22, 1928 in Salt Lake City to Ortho Lane Fairbanks and Laura Vilate Smith Fairbanks. He married Fonda Ann Williams in the Salt Lake Temple on October 25, 1945. He and Fonda have three children, 16 grandchildren and 21 great-grandchildren. He is survived by his wife, Fonda; his children: Craig (Mary), R. Dana (Linda), and Gina; his brothers: Ortho (Myrna), Vaughn, and Grant (Lucy); and his sister Virginia Peterson (Harold). Preceded in death by his parents and his grandson, Steven.

Richard was a builder, a salesman, and an entrepreneur. He loved to work and served as a host at Temple Square for six years on a Church Service Mission and as a Temple Worker at the Jordan River Temple. He loved art, international travel, riding motorcycles and anything work or play with his family. He was always active and busy - traveling, riding dirt bikes and four-wheelers, and even felling trees with his sons and grandsons well into his seventies.

He inspired us with his tremendous energy, his work ethic, his kind heart, and his loving and adventurous spirit. He is dearly loved and very much missed.

Funeral services will be held Wednesday, April 7, 2010 at 11:00 a.m. at the Mesa Park Ward, 1850 East 8600 South, Sandy, UT with the viewing one hour prior to the service and on Tuesday, April 6, 2010 from 6:00-8:00 p.m. Interment: Salt Lake City Cemetery.

I love you Grandpa. I was so blessed to have you in my life.

Drum Roll Please ... The Piano Has Landed!

A few weeks ago, we finally bought what I consider to be the pride and joy of our home ... our grand piano. After about 3 months of research, I finally settled into a 5'9" Young Chang. It's shiny black, and just a dream to play.

The hardest part of this piano purchase? To watch the piano being delivered. Our main living area is up a flight of stairs on the second floor. Kent was kind enough to post this video up for our viewing enjoyment of 4 brawny men pushing and pulling our piano up the stairs. Kent and I just stood in the background, hands over our mouths, and I was just nervously giggling out of pure joy that the piano made it, but out of pure fear that the piano and our walls would be ruined.

The video doesn't do justice the actual drama of this event. The piano movers joked to us that perhaps we should go out for lunch and come back - to spare our nerves. Instead, I walked over to my kitchen and put some cookies in the oven.

Happily though, everything and everyone made it up the stairs safely, and our piano peacefully sits in our living room.  And we all celebrated with freshly baked cookies and cold, cold glasses of water.

Kent and the Grill

This weekend, Kent got himself a grill. To my good fortune, Kent loves using his grill and I believe it has ingnited his passion of outdoor man cooking! In fact, I came home from work last night to grilled salmon, polenta, red bell peppers and zuchinni. And boy - it was awesome.

Yay for summer! Yay for grills! And yay for coming home to delicious, man-grilled dinner!

This may have been the best money I've ever spent!

Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Cookies

I'm going to start by saying that I am so over peanut butter. I loved peanut butter back in college, but now I have no need for it.

However, Kent's mom and dad were staying with us this week while were visiting from out of town and Kent's mom made us these cookies.

All I can say is, wow - delish! They really hit the right spot. The peanut butter is not overwhelming; in fact, it just gives it a nice undertone of richness and nuttiness.

Give these a try! Now fail recipe in my mind!

Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Cookies

1 cup (two sticks) butter, softened
1 cup peanut butter
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup packed light brown sugar
2 eggs
2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
2 cups (12 oz) semi-sweet chocolate chips

Heat oven to 375 degrees.

In a large bowl, beat butter, peanut butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar, and eggs on medium speed of electric mixer until well blended.
Stir together flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Gradually add to butter mixture, beating until well blended.

Stir in chocolate chips. Drop by rounded teaspoons onto ungreased cookie sheet.

Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until set. Cool slightly; remove from cookie sheet to wire rack.

Makes about 5 dozen cookies.

Daily Puppy Post

You may have noticed that I put a daily puppy on the right side of my blog. Can I just say that this makes me exceedingly happy when I log in? Nothing like a cute little puppy looking back at you to start your day!!

I hope you enjoy the daily puppy as much as I do!