youth restored

It's a Christmas miracle. That's all there is to it.

If you read the post below, you would know about my little "jaunt" to Havasupai. And if you've been around me at all in the last month you've had the great fortune of hearing me talk about my knee. And how I can't run. Or hike. And how it has ruined my life.

I have a certain mentality that I am young and invincible. I am 22 years old and my body should be able to withstand anything. I should be able to climb a mountain or swim across a lake or get thrown across an arena by bull and be able to get up, dust myself off, and carry on my merry way. I should be able to hike 35+ miles over the weekend and not be affected. Thus far in my life this has rang true.

That is why having this ailment has been extremely disheartening. I was told by my Doctor (okay, nurse Val) that I was not to do anything physical or too outdoorsy until the knee stopped hurting. She also had me do a regimen of 600 mg of ibuprofen 3 times daily, along with heating my knee as often as I could. This routine provided relief (I no longer was limping around), but the pain would never fully go away.

I finally made the decision the last week of August to make an appointment to meet with an Orthopedic Surgeon. You know I've reached a point of desperation and/or "giving in" when I finally make an appointment to see a doctor. I just don't like them. But in any event, the date was set for September 5th.

If you've had the pleasure of visiting Cascade Springs up past Sundance, you would know that that place is very leisurely. The entire place is paved and not-hilly enough that even Kim can go around in her wheelchair. On September 1st, Labor Day, I was there for about 15 minutes just walking around and enjoying nature. At the end of this quarter-hour, my knee was aching and I was once again disheartened.

Cascade Springs

I decided that day that I was going to matters into my own hands. I headed to the local drug store (okay, Walmart) and picked up a bottle of "Triple Flex". I had heard rumors of the great miracles that glucosamine had done for aching joints. I figured I had nothing to lose and started my own treatment plan.

I started taking two pills a night before bed and watched for some signs of a difference. The changes were very subtle. But I decided that I would keep giving this a chance and I canceled my doctor's appointment. It didn't me long to convince myself that I didn't want to go to the doctor.

Then came Saturday September 6th; just five days after that beginning of my health plan. I woke up and didn't really have anywhere to be or anything to do. I watched three "Friends" episodes with Ally. Around noon I hit a point that only one who has lived a sedentary lifestyle for a month could hit. I decided it was time to test my "new knee" and go to the gym.

I knew it was risky considering how many times I had been told to take it easy. But as soon as I mounted the treadmill, I knew it had to be right. I started off slow, but gradually increased my speed. As I was running, I kept looking and feeling for signs of a sudden collapse. But none came. In fact, my knee felt really good. I had healed myself.

Since then, I have been to the gym a few times and my knee doesn't hurt. I'm not sure if I can completely give credit to the glucosamine, but who knows? All I know is that on Monday my knee hurt from walking around Cascade Springs, and by Saturday I was able to run pain-free at the gym.

A Christmas miracle? I should say so.

*Some of you may be thinking, "Tawny, couldn't you have wrapped that story up in one sentence: my knee was hurting so I took some pills and now I feel great." Yes, I suppose I could have just said that, but where's the fun in that?

havasupai pictures

Havasupai

After months of planning, preparation, and purchasing, we finally got to Havasupai. There were 19 of us total that made the journey down: Tawny, Daunetta, Jordan, Talley, Alan, Scott, Sarah, Kally, Heather, Jory, Brian, Tyson, Jon-o, Cabe, Johnny, Brecca, Ryan, Dallas, and Cameron.

Here's how it all went down.

Day 1 (July 31): All of the different cars made their way to the trailhead to start the 12 mile descent into the Grand Canyon. My car (Daunetta, Jordan, Talley, Alan, Scott, and Sarah) got to the trailhead around 6 AM that morning. The hike down was started by about a mile or so of steep switchbacks. Once we reached the bottom of The Canyon, we hiked along a dried up river bottom. Our journey that morning was mostly shaded - otherwise we would have died of heat exhaustion. After about ten miles, we reached the town of Supai. This town is occupied by the Havasupai Indians. It's a pretty interesting place. Like out of an old western film, complete with the dirt roads. By the time we reached Supai, the sun was out and we were HOT. We stopped in a makeshift grocery store and cooled down by a giant fan. After paying our fees to the office, we put our heavier-than-ever packs back on and continued hiking to the final two miles to the campgrounds. Those final two miles were sheer torture. We were exhausted and the sun was beating down on us. But, alas, we finally made it to the shaded campgrounds. I was utterly spent at that point. But the shade helped and we set up our hammocks along the river and relaxed for a bit. We soon threw on our swimsuits and headed for the nearest attraction: Havasu Falls. This place was amazing. The water was the color of light-blue Koolaid. At the bottom of the falls, there are travertine pools that allowed for much exploration. We chilled here for a good part of the day before returning back to our campsite to heat up some dehydrated food. Yum.


Day 2 (August 1): You'd think since we hiked 12+ miles the day before that we would have wanted to relax the next day, but no, that's not our style. We started toward a place called Beaver Falls. We heard it was about four miles upstream. We first encountered Mooney Falls. As you hike along, you come to the top of this Falls and you must make the steep and slighty insane descent to the bottom to continue along. You basically had to go down a sheer cliff by hanging on to some rusty chains. It was a little nerve-racking. But we made it to the bottom of this beautiful spectacle. We continued along the river and came to this very quaint pool amid the river. There was this awesome rope swing set up in a tree. So we decided to stop for an hour or so and frolic there. This was one of my favorite spots. When we had enough, we kept going. And going. And going. Yeah, it seemed much longer than four miles. Most in our group were not equipped for an eight mile round-trip hike. Food and water was scarce. But soon the group reached Beaver Falls - which was nearly by the Grand Canyon National Park. Yikes. After our lengthy hike, you'd think, once again, that we'd want to rest a bit. Nope. Jordan, Talley, Alan, Scott, and I decided to hike to the Village (about four miles round-trip) to partake of their delicious Supai Tacos. This "restaurant" wasn't your normal eatery. You ordered from an Indian's family room window and sat on picnic tables in their backyard. This yard had a makeshift stage built where the contestants from "Miss Supai" were practicing. Classic.


Day 3 (August 2): We woke up early and ate some delicious blueberry pancakes. That's right folks, we made a poor mule carry in our camp stove. Don't tell PETA. But I can't say I'm sorry. I needed the carbs. Anyway, we went to possibly the coolest waterfall that day: Navajo Falls. This place was truly a magical place. There were so many nookes and crannies to explore. So many places under waterfalls to see. We didn't have as much time here as we would have liked, but it was amazing. When I come back, I will definitely spend at least a day there. We were going to hike out around 4 PM when the weather started to cool down, but it was cloudy out so we thought we would get a head start out. So we started to long journey to the Village two miles away. About 20 minutes into our hike out, the sun decided to show itself for the first time in two days. Great. It was so hot. I mean, I really hate the heat (and actually cold too, but whatevs). My body wasn't built for extreme temperatures. We started at a good pace and would rest when we hit shade. It was our only chance of survival against heat exhaustion. When we finally hit the mile or so of steep switchbacks up to the car, I wanted to give up. I mean, I try not to be too dramatic, but I couldn't help myself at this point. By the time we got to the switchbacks my foot, KNEE, and hip (all on the right leg) were aching. Most of our group was at the car, and my Mom and Talley were about a half mile behind Scott and I. I begged Scott to leave me to die about seven times during these switchbacks. And I was dead serious. I really wanted to be left behind. I as SO tired and my whole leg just hurt so bad. Praise the heavens for Scott talking me through this end part. I wouldn't have made it. Well, I would have...about three days later. So, after what seemed like nine days of hiking, we reached the car and headed back to Kingman, Arizona. We ate a delicious Denny's meal (bet you don't hear delicious and Denny's in the same sentence often) that was served by a fantastic waitress Gayle. Back at the hotel, I've never slept so well.

Day 4 (August 3): Not much happened this day except many hours of travel. I mainly wanted to mention that after months of searches and disappointing gift shop hours, I finally was able to purchase my highly coveted Hoover Dam pin. It made my trip.

All in all this was a pretty amazing trip. We were very glad that we made it there two weeks before the whole dang place completely flooded over. It has taken over a month for my knee to finally heal, but it was well worth the heat, injuries, and near-death experiences we encountered.

snake in the grass

I'm not sure when my interest in politics and government started, but I credit my high school government teacher Mr. Miner. Being in his class didn't fill me with the same boredom and uninterest that most of my other classes held. I could listen to him for hours; going off on politics and what is right and wrong with our system. This is where my love for the Constitution bloomed. We picked it apart and translated it into a modern language that was easy for us to understand. Since graduating, my interest remained.

This election time has got me all sorts of excited (and scared, too). In the light of the Republican National Convention, I am going to list a few reasons why I will be voting for McCain and NOT Obama.

1. Sarah Palin. Enough said. I'm impressed.

2. If Hollywood supports Obama, it's a sure indicator that I DO NOT want to vote for him. I won't be listening to the immoral to sway my vote.

3. Obama is a fancy orator, but I haven't heard him say anything that he'll actually do except for raise my taxes and impose a Socialist government on me.

4. McCain is not afraid to stay in Iraq to finish this thing up. Obama wants to pull out to stay popular with the mainstream media and liberal nutcases.

5. While filling our tires can be slightly helpful, its not a solution. McCain will drill. Obama will not.

Here are some of my favorite quotes from last night by Sarah Palin:

"[Obama] can give an entire speech about the wars America is fighting and never use the word 'victory' except when he's talking about his own campaign."

"In politics, there are some candidates who use change to promote their careers. And then there are those, like John McCain, who use their careers to promote change."

"What exactly is our opponent's plan? What does he actually seek to accomplish after he's done turning back the waters and healing the planet? The answer is to make the government bigger and take more of your money."

"I guess a small-town mayor is sort of like a 'community organizer,' except that you have actual responsibilities."

Okay, so most of these reasons have to do with why I think Barack is a snake in the grass. Although I would have much preferred Mitt Romney in the Whitehouse, McCain will be a million times better than Obama and his unpatriotic wife.

i can't be trusted

So I got a mysterious email from an Elder Larsen yesterday at 12:30 PM that read,

"1:30 today! At your place of employ! What!? Yes. See you there. But, really, you'll probably only see me."

What!? Automatically the wheels in my advanced head started turning. Did he really think he could come by my building and not expect to see me? Was he playing a trick on me? Was this message really from Chad?

I started to conjure up a plan that would satisfy my best interests. He had an appointment on the third floor around 1:30 PM. Missionaries normally have better habits than normal 20 year olds. I had to be downstairs at least 15 minutes early to make sure I didn't miss him.

So around 1:13 PM I headed to the pharmacy on the first floor of our building and purchased him numerous candy bars as a means of getting on his good side. After all, this was totally breaking the rules.

I made my way to the empty bench right next to the main front doors of the building. And I waited. A part of me was still not convinced that he would really show up. I scrolled through pictures on my camera and anxiously waited longer. I kept seeing patients of my clinic walk by. I didn't really like that.

Finally, at 1:33 PM, I looked up and saw my kid brother, dressed in his sleek black suit, waltz unsuspectantly through the front door. He saw me sitting on the bench, and froze. By his expression, I guess he didn't really expect to see me stalking the hallway awaiting his arrival.

"Oh hey Chad" was my normal greeting to him. He had that Chad look on his face like what the heck and replied, "Oh hey Tawny. Didn't expect to see you here. Waiting for me."

"Chad, did you really think you could tell me your appointment time and expect to not see me?"

He was late for his appointment and kept awkwardly walking to the elevator so the Old Dude who was escorting him wouldn't get too mad. He stopped before he got on the elevator.

"Chad, I know that this is totally not allowed, but can we just take a picture of this? I need picture proof for the fam."

I handed my camera to Old Dude and he shakily took our picture (this accounts for the slight bluriness of the picture). Chad made sure to put on his "guilty" face. But really, we all know that he couldn't have been too surprised.

We quickly said our goodbyes and he took the elevator, while I took the stairs. And that was that.

I was pretty stoked about our encounter, but I somehow exercised enough patience to wait to tell the fam until I got home from work around 5:30 PM. I had devised yet another plan. I walked through the kitchen and, very conveniently, most of my family was gathered in the family room. I strolled right in and said to my mom, "Look who I ran into today."

She stared at my camera for a moment and then yelled, "What!? Are you kidding me?! You saw CHAD today??" It didn't take long for the rest of my family to run over and see my awesome picture. Needless to say they were all pretty jealous.

tube run down provo river

It's pretty much my favorite thing to do during the summer. Load up the truck and head up Provo Canyon. We launch just right before the dam and sail down the river until we reach Vivian Park.

Normally for me, being a seasoned tuber and all, I usually get down the river scotch-free. Sometimes, though, some of my friends haven't been as fortunate. I think it has a lot to do with their inexperience. Poor fools.

At any rate, I love the peace and calm the river brings. But just as much, I love the rapids, rocks, and bridges. There is always a surprise waiting for you on the River.

miles away...

While I was on my trip to Havasupai (sorry, still working on that post) my little brother Chad, who is in the MTC right now, had a doctor's appointment on the third floor of my building where I work. Chad, knowing I was out of the office, slipped this little note on my desk.

I got to work on Monday morning and saw this waiting for me. All my co-workers saw him in his suit and tag. They chatted with him for a minute and he told them he wouldn't have come if I was there. Rude. Anyway, it was weird to me because he is still here in Provo - yet so far away.

chaco lines

If you've ever been around the Larsen fam you've probably noticed the family footwear. Now, we're not "Granolas" (as some ignorant people immediately assume when you wear these), but we do love these shoes. Up until last night, we all had them except for Kim (see above picture, the green Crocs.)

We sent away for these beauties the other day and she got them just in time for her birthday.

Chaco Challenge: Try a pair. I promise you will love them. The Larsen's have converted numerous people - all of which are happy customers.

Happy Birthday Kim

Dear Kim,

Happy Birthday! I can't believe you're 28 years old!

I hope all your birthday wishes come true - even though your birthday wishes have remained the same year after year: BOOKS, DVD's, BOOKS, CLOTHES, BOOKS.

Tonight when we do your favorite things (BOWLING, PIZZA, ROOTBEER) at your party, I am going to break your bowling record. It's on!

Maybe if you're really nice (and promise not to tell Mom or Dad) I'll let you look at Chad's "Completely-Off-Limits-To-Kim" Bookcase. Hopefully Chad won't notice if you borrow one. Just have it back in 23 months.

I would tell you that I got you a pretty awesome present, but you already know that when you sneakily awaited my return from Borders yesterday and spyed on your gift through the front room window. I know you'll still act excited and surprised when you open it.

Also, we have to get you out in the sun more so you can work on your Chaco lines. That gift was my idea.

Well, Miss Kimmy, I hope you have a fantastic day. You're still my favorite oldest sister.

Love, Tawny

don't wake me

I had an interesting night of sleep last night. My right knee has been killing me from my recent ascent out of Havasupai (look for more in an upcoming post). So last night I wrapped bags of ice around my knee with an Ace wrap. I then slept on my back. That's uncomfortable in itself. I woke up from knee pain around 2:30 AM.

During those moments of half-awake consciousness, I discovered a problem with my left ear. I started feeling it with my hands. It felt unusually large and hot. I ran into the bathroom and to my immediate horror, my ear had tripled in size! It was a total Will Smith moment.


I immediately start looking for some sort of bug bite to explain this hideous swelling, but nothing to be found. My early-morning mind starts racing towards possibilities: ear cancer, Indian diseases, cellulitis... I finally resorted to some good old Benadryl and went back to bed.

I woke up around 8 AM to get ready for work. I had hoped that the whole ear deal was just a bad dream. Not so. Although the swelling did dramatically decrease, my ear is still slightly swollen, red, and hot to the touch. Not to mention it just looks bigger than my other one. Dr. Jones offered to cut it off for me to stop the undoubted infection raging thru my ear.

Another added bonus is that because of the consumption of Benadryl, I woke up more drowsy than usual. You know the feeling you get when you're really tired and if you stop moving at all, this warm feeling comes over you and you're ready to fall into a deep sleep. Yeah, that keeps happening to me at work today. I made a sign for the patients that reads, "If I'm asleep, don't wake me."