Festivus!! The celebration begins....

The McKell Family Christmas Party.......food, family, presents, and lights!

Still getting the cheat grass/fox tails out of my scarf & coat - but all in all.....a good time!

Good to see everyone there!

The Berretts

Clint & Melissa

Mike & Kandalyn, with Alli checkin the tree in the background

Ashley & Tanner

Si, Brandon, & Brian

Brandon, Sarah & Me

Brandi, Dallen, Tyler, Si, & Clint

Boyd, Nate, Landon, & Barbara

Me, Boyd, Nate

Alli, Mark, Grandpa Berrett

Merry Christmas 2009!!!

The List Returns!

How to stay out of the trauma bay:

1. Don't forget you put up an electric fence - otherwise you might run into it with your 4-wheeler at 45 mph.

2. Remember - if it sounds a little crazy to jump your motorbike off a huge home-made ramp for a youtube video.......it IS crazy! Unless you think that 4 broken limbs, broken jaw & face, and subsequent stroke 2/2 vertebral artery dissection sounds like "not a big deal" to you!

3. If you're skinning an elk, don't put a freezer underneath you. Use pillows instead - then when you fall off the ladder you get a soft landing.

4. If you're manic, and haven't slept in 7 days, don't drive your shaggin' wagon any further with your crazy wife- even if you're trying to get to Cali for some medical marijuana! Just stay in Kentucky-I'm sure they grow it there.

5. Don't try to jump out of a golf cart while it's moving - you might just fall on your head! (btw - this was a young guy folks - you are not invincible!).

6. If you have spinal stenosis - don't be a cage fighter! (unfortunately, that's not a typical screening in those oh so thorough sports physicals we get).

7. If you're over the age of 65, do NOT get on any ladder, roof, or scaffolding! I know this is a repeat - but I see this like 2x per week. Oh, and the guy that went off the roof was younger - like 45 - you're not invincible.

8. Don't pass a car on the double yellow line....there are reasons for this.

9. Don't long board w/o a helmet - just avoid long boarding all together.

10. Avoid hitting cows with your car.

Number 10 is a personal reminder.....I actually avoided the trauma bay even though my little Civ split 2 black cows standing in the middle of the highway, in the dark. I'm missing both my mirrors, and my front passenger end is a little smushed - but overall I was very fortunate. Definitely something to be grateful for this weekend!! Also, grateful for my incredible brother who made my car driveable by taking all the mangled plastic off the wheel well. He and my Dad are AWESOME!!! Oh btw the cows didn't die either - I backed up the car and checked. One just got a smack to the head and the other a spank on the rear!! All I could think is how embarrassed I would be when they tranferred me to Utah Valley and I met the surgeons or Trauma PAs that I work with - and then tell them that I hit a cow!

If you have any others to add to the list - feel free! I welcome all recommendations!

Black Out

The UTES were a little scary on Halloween

but pulled it out against the Cowboys in the end!

Happy Halloween!

Showing the BlAcKoUt support!

This is Jodi & I last week at the game against Air Force!

GO UTES!

60,000 Wins????

All in all - good times in College Football!

Halloween Festivus

On Oct 24th, there was a Halloween/Birthday Party at the condo for Alli, who turned 2 on the 17th of this month. There was food, family, and lots of games....including a mummy wrap (see below) It was good to see everyone and the kids had another reason to wear their costumes! On the other hand, I didn't know the adults were dressing up - so I had some arm tats and some black make-up left over from last year....and the rest is just from my closet. Improv at its finest! Then Clint & Melissa showed up with costumes to match! It all worked out! = )

The Rockers

Grandpa McKell & Me - I think he was a little freaked out!

The Mummy Wrap

My Team was the BEST! We WON!

Shout out to: Melissa, Grandma Christiansen, & Steve (John's Dad)

The Winters (clockwise): Taking us back to the big hair era - Clint & Melissa, Dora II (Sarah), The Ninja (Devin), Diego (Tyler), and The Dodger's MLB Star (Nate)

Kent Bumstead & Barbara as Jack Sparrow

Deer Hunt in Angle

You can always find my family in Angle during the deer hunt! There used to be more of us - but with the draw and just all of us growing up - it has become less and less. We were excited to see everyone there this year!!! All in all, it was a good time!

My fam, with Jayli, Jodi, and John & Shalene & Addi.

The babies: Addi & Khloe (with the pink bow)

The kiddos! In the top Left corner: Kale, Kalese, Tucker, & Cam. Cam would get in football stance and run across the room when you said "hike" and then throw the football! Loved it!

The kids with Grandpa & Grandma! Kale @ the top R, and Kalese & Kesler with me.

The Great Hunters! Jayli & John, then Mark; Uncle Kerry, Brett, Brook, & Brandon; then Kaden, Kes, John & Brook in bottom L.

Deer Hunt 2009

To family: if I spelled your child's name wrong - I apologize in advance! Love ya!

Friday Night Lights

We went to Salem Hills Homecoming Game tonight! The Skyhawks WON, 29-22 against Payson.......and we had some nostalgic moments. We watched the game from Mark's "toy truck" - the '77 F100 with a huge lift, tires, and gigantic engine....just what he wanted in high school. Just in case you're wondering.....no we didn't go park and make out afterwards ; ) we went to Sizzler with Mark's parents & Grandpa - I think we are getting old!

The Friday Night Lights Pic

Go Skyhawks!

I love that show!

Us - proof we were there!

The Fam, a new do, and some "spiritual" toes!

Since I had some time off - I went to Cedar to spend a little bit of it with The Fam. Fortunately - I got to see everyone while I was there! Addi was entertaining - along with her parents = ), Jodi did my hair & toe nails (she has mad skills!), and Jayli is learning what it's like to be a college freshman, work, and a collegiate athlete all at the same time! She played left field in a double header the Fri. after I left - and did excellent (darn paperwork - had to go home)!

Addi & Me

When she gets excited, like when she sees her Daddy - she pulls this face & quivers! So cute!

Jayli and I look enough alike that we confused Addi! She kept looking back & forth at us when we talked, & couldn't figure out why "her Aunt Jay" didn't talk the same. Super funny to watch!

The Fam (clockwise from left):

Jodi, Jayli, Mom, John & Addi, and Dad (after "The Bish" night)

The toes with loads of team spirit!

GO UTES!

btw - Jodi free-handed these toes, I just showed her the emblem on the internet.....and just in case you can't tell, those are footballs on my 3rd toe. Luv it!

Jami Z. McKell, PA-Celebration!

If there are any loyal blog readers still out there after I have neglected it for some time.....you may be pleased to know I am back! I just finished my certification exam on Tuesday, .....found out I PASSED it on Thursday......and accepted the job I REALLY wanted on Wednesday! We have been celebrating all week! I don't think Mark has gone out to eat this many days in a row for years! Well, Thurs. was also Grandpa McKell's 91st Birthday - so we had lots of reasons to celebrate! Just in case you haven't heard.......I accepted an inpatient position at Utah Valley Regional Medical Center with their Neurosurgery Service, primarily working with Dr. Howard Reichman, as well as Dr. Gardner and Dr. Gaufin. I am soooooo excited - but nervous too! If you know me well....you know I haven't worked much at all in neurosurgery, so this will be a steep learning curve for me! However, I get to learn from some incredible neurosurgeons, with no interns, residents, or fellows in the way! This is a new position at this hospital - and I won't be working in their clinic like some of their established NPs. Eventually, I will be the face you see when you come into the hospital with a head or spine injury -- watch out! I am so fortunate to be able to learn from an incredible surgeon, and that he was willing to take a new grad & be my mentor!

I do not possess the most esteemed degree or position in the family (especially one including an eye doctor, dentists, lawyers, and numerous other graduate and incredibly difficult bachelor's and technical degrees), but I think I do win the contest for the most letters after my name. If I write everything out it reads: Jami Z. McKell, PA-C, MPAS, MT (ASCP), BS. I don't get paid as much as the O.D.'s, the D.D.S.'s and such, but hey - I will graciously accept my own letter award! Oh, if any of my family members read this....and I'm wrong....I will rightfully give up any honors I may have received! Ha ha!

Sorry about the blog neglect - I have been graduating & studying - well...kinda. Please scroll down later to view what has been happening since I graduated from school!

Celebrity siting: The Organ-izer

Being that I have the most excellent driving skills ;-) I took Grandpa McKell to see a concert by Seth Rye, the most popular organist in the world! Since Grandpa has connections with the Lowrey Organ people, they invited him to this extra special concert at the Sleepy Ridge Golf Course Clubhouse. Grandpa was pretty excited, and the golf course was beautiful! I pretty much planned on studying throughout the whole thing, but then we were seated on the front row and I was actually quite captivated by Mr. Rye's skills. Plus, I let him borrow my pen to sign a CD cover, and was referred to frequently throughout the performance. He is extremely talented, and interacts with his audience as he performs. He was acclaimed the most popular entertainer by Keyboard World Magazine, has over 30 albums, and he is the "featured artist" on the Disney Magic Album. If any of you have seen the Disney Light Parade, this guy played the organ for ALL of the music during the parade.....and he played it for us (with a video) on Tuesday. I think Grandpa and I were the oldest & youngest people in the room of over 160 people. Everyone was fascinated that he will be 91 next month (and he kept telling them, so cute!). Enjoy the pics! They are a little crazy because they were taken on my phone (so G'pa is missing some of his head in one d/t the lighting).

Seth Rye, Me, Grandpa McKell

Seth & Grandpa

Seth showing Grandpa ALL the buttons/sounds

For all you organ enthusiasts: www.sethrye.com

Graduation.....for REAL!

Graduation + Utah Football = Happiness

We made it!

It's a bittersweet feeling......I'm so happy to be done, but I will miss seeing all my friends! We have been through a lot together, and they all did an excellent job conveying our experiences at graduation. The awards were well deserved, and there were many people who prepared a little speech after they received their diploma (I forgot they even expected us to say anything!). Thanks for all the neverending support, encouragement, and endurance from my family and friends! I really appreciate those who came to the graduation, and I am most impressed that Grandpa McKell was able to set foot in the Univ. of Utah FB stadium. Graduation was held in the conference/press room on the 6th floor of the Eccles Colosseu...loved it! I especially want to thank and express my love for my long-suffering husband Mark......he has gone to bed without me for countless number of nights, sat next to me on the couch & made me productive when I thought it was impossible to focus, answered my text eye consults during his busy day, cleaned, cooked, washed, repaired, maintained EVERYTHING, all while seeing his own patients 5 days a week, working on his own business/office, and maintaining the farm! Incredible!

What's next? I will take my boards in about a month, and start more actively pursuing a job a little closer to where we live.....I'm done commuting!

Once again, thanks everyone for being there when I most needed them!

Family

(see other grad post for additional members)

Friends!

Couldn't have made it w/o 'em!

P.S. More pics to come when I get a hold of my mother-in-law's camera and get those up here! Stay tuned.....

Here it goes......

I am obviously not the most diligent blogger......but I am going to attempt to catch up a little bit. There will be stuff inserted in the proper order....eventually. So if anyone actually reads this, you may want to scroll down after reading the latest for previous stuff you haven't seen yet. I hope this is not too confusing. Plus, I'm not sure where my camera is......I need to get a new one. Here we go....

The New Kids on the Block

I have been spending some time with the newest niece and nephew lately, reminding them who their Favorite Aunt is........ Addi is my lil bro's adorable little girl, and Tanner is Ashley's (Mark's sister) lil guy, he is the newest addition to the family. I just wanted to show them off! Addi is almost 7 months old now, and Tanner is just a few days shy of 3 months. I start teaching them that I am favorite aunt while they're very young..... Enjoy their cute lil smiles!

Addilyn Shay Zingelman

Tanner Steven Christiansen

Note: some of these pics are a kind of stolen off their parent's blog......just thought I would credit the original authors. The not so good quality ones are from my phone =0).

Got another one!

In July, we went camping at Scofield Reservoir with "our kids" and our new friends. The girls are Graceie and Abby, who live next to our office in Salem. They have latched onto Mark, and this is actually the second time we have camped with them. Their brothers were unable to go.....but I'm sure there'll be a a next time. Gracie had some crazy fishing skills, and caught 2 fish, and had 2 bites that got away. Alex & Marianna are the other 2 kiddos in the pics. They belong to the Briones, who did the railing at the office. Their Dad has some excellent welding skills.....just do a drive by our office & you will see. They had never been camping, so they went with us. I have a pic of them on my camera, but I haven't found it yet.....Anyway, we had some excellent salsa, cooked hamburgers and tube steak on a large piece of metal, and had our own salsa dancing party around the fire at night! Jealous? I'm sure you are.....you're all invited next time!

A decade......

The McKells

Established May 29, 1999

So this post has been pending for......about a month.  The limiting factor was that we were married long enough ago that I had to scan the pics into the computer.  Still, 10 yrs warrants a blog post, even if it is late.  

We have been married for 10 whole years! I can't believe how life has changed since then.....we were married in the 90s!   I blacked out in at the St. George Temple in the rose garden, and would have hit the pavement, but Mark had his arms around me.  That's what happens when it's 98 degrees outside & I didn't eat much for breakfast.    I was just 19 yrs old, by 2 wks.....crazy!  

 Over the past 10 yrs, we have lived in 5 cities, 3 states, and 6 different residences.  I am so fortunate to have all the opportunities, adventures, and time together with Mark.  I would not be where I am now without the route we have taken together!  Love you babe!

So I know Mark & I look a little different, but I think the best way to demonstrate how many years have passed is in the pics of our families & friends at the wedding.  Look at my little sisters, they were just little girls then!    Things to note in the pics below: Devin is incubating in Melissa's belly, Brian's wearing white socks, Mike is on his mission, and Clint looks like he's lifting 500 lbs! This is like flashback & wedding celebration....Enjoy!