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!

Graduation Festivus!

  We did it!

Well....JAyLi did it, I am almost there!  Jayli graduated from CVHS on May 22nd, 2009!  She earned tonz of awards, including Female Student Athlete, Merit Scholar, a Scholarship from SUU, and a few others I cannot remember.  

We are sooo proud of her! 

 

I had what I call "Pseudo-Graduation".   The marvelous PA-S's of the UPAP program are all part of the School of Medicine, therefore, we attended the school of medicine graduation on May 23rd.   It is the formal graduation with hooding, mortar boards, and tassels.  However, I don't actually graduate until August 7th, 2009.....2 months to go! I had excellent family support, and all the PA-S friends were there for the fun!  Enjoy the pics, more to come when I get others from my PA-S peeps.

HaPpY gRaDuAtIoN!

Go UtEs!

Happy Birthday Dad!

HaPpY bIrThDaY

 R. Scott Zingelman!

May is a great month for Birthdays, including my Dad's!  I love him so much & appreciate all he does for the family & for others!  This pic is an excellent personification of mi padre: camouflage, worn levi's, a sneaky hat, and remote in hand.   Things I love about my dad:

1.  Sacrifice: Dad has a teaching degree, but chose to be a hard-working UPS man in order for Mom to stay home.  Still working hard....he's lookin' forward to retirement.

2. No limitations: Everything they told my dad he couldn't do with his hand, he does!  He shoes horses, plays all kinds of sports, rocks a 10 key, hunts, and you should watch the way he ties his shoes & buttons his shirts.....if we all were so efficient!  So he can't type, but honestly, I don't think he wants to.....he has Mom to do it =0).

3.  The fab husband: Dad always compliments Mom, and all the kiddos, as well as others around him.  He gets flowers for holidays when Mom tells him not to, and goes out of his way to support her.  Us kids have never been so in trouble as when we disrespected my mother!  He is also very good at dancing in the kitchen! 

4.  Example: Dad chose church over milking the cows 1 more day a week as a kid, and now has evolved into the Bishop of his ward!  He devotes a lot of time serving people in all ways!

5.  Trivial: My Dad knows all kinds of random information!   He loves informational programs & can name just about any song & artist  in the 70s.  I luv it!  

6.  The Family Man: Dad tries his hardest to make it to all our events.  At my graduation, he & mom had been up all night at Jayli's Grad night, and they still made it up here.   He also has always put us first, getting our deer 1st on the hunts, and always giving of his precious time to us first.  Not to mention all his earnings goes to the family, and then his "stash" is the money he earns on the side from shoeing horses (and I have seen him give that up!).

7.  There is so much more.........I could go on & on...........

LUV YOU DAD! 

Finally, another lil guy!

Tanner Christiansen

Joined the privileged folks in Tulsa, OK on Cinco de Mayo

May 5, 2009

8 pounds 6 ozs.  21 and 1/2 inches long

Congrats John-o & Ashley, & Alli! 

After the string of delightful & beautiful little girls, Sarah, Alli, Kandalyn, & Brianna, we are excited to have Tanner mix it up!  I can't wait to meet my new nephew this weekend.....he will soon find out who is the FaVoRiTe AuNt!

They are going to let her graduate....

Jayli Zingelman is graduating from 

Canyon View High School this year! 

 I cannot believe she had grown up so much.  She was just a little girl when I got married, and cried when we left the reception because she didn't understand why she couldn't go with us.  I am super proud of the lil sis! I can only think of 1 sport in which she actually played on a freshman team ever, she has always played JV/Varsity in Volleyball & Softball, even when she was a freshman.  She works hard to maintain some killer grades, and earned a position on the  Academic All-State Team in softball.  And to top it all off.....she's genuinely beautiful, it's not just on the outside.

Congrats Jay!  We love you!

Mother's Day....should be every day

Mothers.....fascinating creatures that put others before themselves, serve endlessly, and do it with such grace through fire!  My last post illustrated all that my mom does for us.  Here is the product of all her hard work:

Oh, and don't forget Addi....she loves her G'ma!

Hope everyone had a Happy Mother's Day!  

You deserve it!

Happy Birthday Mom! Getting younger every day...

I am a few days late posting this.....but Happy Birthday Mom!!  Her birthday was on April 21st, and like the devoted mother, she spent the day cheering for Jayli's softball team while watching Addi.  She is amazing!  I have pushed the delete button on the same sentence at least 5 times because I want to find the right words to express what an incredible mother she is.  

My Mom does so much:

1.  Works as an EMT for Iron Co. Ambulance

2.  Tends Addi & luvs it!

3.  Cheers/stresses at all Jayli's sporting events (there's lots of 'em).

She also attended everything the rest of us kids participated in....this is just a current list.

4.  Helps with homework

5.  Is the Bishop's wife, which includes mucho time on the computer cuz Dad isn't computer friendly.

6.  Feeds us

7.  Takes G'ma & G'pa to doctor appointments, & spent lots of time at the hospital them lately

8.  Does the routine housework that takes tonz of time & energy, e.g. laundry, dishes, cooking, cleaning, organizing, financial planning, balancing the checkbook, etc. 

9.  She fixes things.....stuff around the house you would ask your husband to do: plumbing, electric, you name it!

10.  She has just the right amount of push......what I mean is that all our lives, my mom has figured out what each kid's strengths, weaknesses, and potential, and then pushes us to be our best without making us feel like we aren't good enough.  It's kind of hard to explain....  Sure, she does worry, sometimes a lot, but that's cuz she luvs us....you just have to talk her off the edge sometimes.

I could go on and on, but she would probably like it if I stopped!  

Happy Birthday Mom!

AbLaTiOn

So this Easter Weekend I spent some quality time in Utah Valley Medical Center.  Hopefully all the "bad spells" my Grandma Blood has been experiencing have been resolved.  My Mom couldn't be there with Grandma Blood, so I spent time being her eyes and ears and translating the medical verbiage.  Uncle Brian took care of Grandpa, and I stuck around for the details & tried to ease some of my Mom's worries (though I don't think it helped much).  So late Friday night, Grandma endured 3 hours of aBlaTiOn in her atria, performed by Dr. Hwang.  For those of you who don't know what that is: they insert a catheter into her heart, and cauterize small points in her heart in order to create a scar & stop the crazy cells from firing out of order.  Poor Grandma had been through a lot, trying to capture some reason for her feeling so badly.  She had been in and out of the hospital several times during the past few months, and hopefully we have found a solution.  

This is the reason for the featured videos of G'ma & G'pa bustin' some sweet moves!  While viewing the short films, Grandma was giggling so much I thought she was going to fall off the hospital bed!  Fortunately that did not happen.  

After a short stay at the Blood Ranch Assisted Living Center (for reservations call Aunt Cathy), Grandma & Grandpa returned home to Angle, UT today.  Awaiting them were the eager arms of her great-grandkids who missed her so much!  

I think that's the best Easter gift ever: Home and Family......but chocolate and Cadbury eggs are a close second!

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The Zingelmans: Coming to a city near you!

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Saturday Night Live!

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The Priesthood Session

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