Shadow's 5 years old!!!

Our sweet German Shepherd is 5 years old today!! Shadow has been such a joy in our lives..

We got her when she was only 4 weeks old.

She has traveled the world with us. Below, we are in Prague! 

Shadow enjoyed the beaches of Florida!

She came to visit me in the hospital while I was going through chemotherapy.

Now, we are loving the mountains in Utah!

Happy birthday Shadow girl! We love you dearly❤️❤️

Visiting Temple Square

My aunt and uncle came to visit me in Salt Lake City! The hubs was away on a roadtrip so it was pleasant to have family stay with me! We decided to visit the Mormon Temple Square in downtown Salt Lake City.



 This is what we saw as we walked towards Temple Square. The grounds are beautiful and well kept. The perfect November weather to visit. It was gorgeous!!

Entrance to Temple Square

The first building we saw aside from the Visitor Center was the Assembly Hall.

Mormon Tabernacle

The public is allowed inside the Tabernacle so in we went. This is the home of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir and the Orchestra at Temple Square.

This building is a world wide icon of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and the heart of Temple Square. The massive granite edifice was constructed over the course of an astounding 40-year period between 1853 and 1893.

 

Only members in good standing of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are permitted to enter the temple, but all visitors are welcome to admire the stunning workmanship of the building and the serene beauty of its immediate surroundings.

 At the South Visitor Center we were able to see a replica of the Temple with the inside exposed.

We spent some time at the Family History Library. We did some family research. I apparently have roots going back to MacBeth King of Scotland (ABT 1010-1057), Cairpre King of Hy Kinsale in Ireland and King Nathi of Leinster in Ireland....?!?!?

Then we returned to the City Creek area. It's such a beautiful mall!!!

Hope you enjoyed touring Temple Square!! 

La Caille

We celebrated my 2 year bone marrow transplant birthday at La Caille restaurant. Adam, the planner, organized the whole evening and I must say he went above and beyond! This place tucked in the mountains was so pretty. Apparently, it's one of America's most romantic restaurants.

I have a fear of antiques... Yup, I said it! I don't like the smell of old stuff, the cracking noises of old floors, the ghost like feeling of being surrounded by very dated items from an early period, it just gives me the creeps. Ancient times isn't for me. BUT, this wasn't bad and I really enjoyed myself.

The food was amazing! The hubs had steak and I had lobster. The size of the meals were generous portions and we couldn't finish our plates. Might have been because of the delicious bread they served to begin it ;)

Turned out to be such a nice evening. Adam always has great ideas to celebrate milestones in our lives and that's one of the reasons why I love him so much!

Around Salt Lake City

Thought I'd show you around Utah. When people ask me "how is it?", I tell them "it's nice". But really, it's much more than that. Here's what I see.. The autumn colors are in full swing right now which adds richness to the landscape. The mountains from afar are gorgeous and majestic.  



Rainbows!!!

 This is our apartment complex.

On our way to the dog park. 

 The hubs with Shadow in the distance enjoying her time at the dog park. 

Sacred Space ~ Patio!

In my daily life, I enjoy reading blogs and getting inspired by motivated people. Everyone has their own inner creativity and I appreciate that. Today, I watched a video titled "Slowing down" and thought I would share with you my favorite spot to relax and meditate. It's so important to take advantage of time to reflect, be quiet, go inside and get centered. Since being cured from leukemia, I've really kicked this into high gear. Renewing that connection with my inner self and spirit is huge.

So.. In this little sacred space, I take the time to appreciate everything in my life. Honor and recognize positive events that has happened in my day and extend gratitude for it.

Here are my Mala beads & rosary.

The energy in this room is great.

 Plants and candles

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Look at the colors outside!!

Nature ♥

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Life is so precious ~ Hope you've enjoyed this!

Hip Replacement

My new hip is 5 weeks old and I'm doing amazing!!! The surgery was a complete success and I couldn't be any happier. The decision to have the replacement done came very suddenly. 

This past January, I started to feel pain in my hip. At the time, I thought it was a muscle pull or a tweak. The pain was off and on for several months. In April, I decided to see an Orthopedic surgeon in Dallas. The X-Ray showed signs of osteopenia but the cartilage and bone looked okay. I was told to start physiotherapy. I did PT and saw a chiropractor for a few months but the pain wasn't going away. It was actually getting worst. In July, I returned to see a different Orthopedic surgeon in Florida who diagnosed me with AVN (Avascular Necrosis). This time, the X-Ray showed a different story. The cartilage was gone, the bone was deteriorating and it confirmed that I needed a new hip. 

The news didn't stun me. I've been told in my lifetime that I have cancer, therefore anything after that is peanuts to me. So, I started doing some intense research. Apparently, this is not unusual for someone who has been through chemo and steroids, per my bone marrow transplant team.  

Here is a groggy picture of me taken a few hours after the surgery with my large dressing.

Excess bleeding in the incision area was drained out through a small tube which was inserted during surgery. Out came the tube!

The very next morning, it's up, up and away! 

They get you moving pretty fast to adjust to the new hip.

Overall, I couldn't have asked for a better experience. There are so many ways of doing this surgery and I give all kinds of information on my CaringBridge. (http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/moniquepineault/journal) I enjoy sharing all this information because I could be helping someone else ;) ;)

Perfect Results!

Life is a total blur these days. I'm packing, organizing, cleaning... All this to leave for yet another hockey season. So much so, that I haven't stopped to smell the coffee. The hubs left early Sunday morning to make the drive up to Salt Lake City Utah and took the Keurig lol!! Had to pull out the good old fashion coffee machine.

See... I can't even pull it together to get my amazing, exciting and thrilling news out there! I got the results to my bone marrow biopsy which I had done last week and ALL IS PERFECT!!!!!! I'm 100% my brother's chimerish, clear marrow and life is wonderful! So thankful! ♥

ECHL Contract ~ Utah Grizzlies

Recently, my husband signed a contract to play hockey in Utah with the Grizzlies. We are really excited about this opportunity. Our Florida peeps will have a chance to see Adam play when his team travels to Orlando in January 2014 on the 2nd, 3rd and 4th.

Now, it's back to packing up the house, getting tenants and traveling to Salt Lake City for the 2013 - 2014 hockey season!