The friends and family around you matter most.

Talk about mood swings?! ;)

I know I have said it before and I promise I will say it again in the future, but I have kick-ass friends - and family, but this post is about the friends.

I am very lucky in life to have beaucoup (many) friends around me that I consider close, and many that I consider extended family...going to the point of calling their parents Mom and Dad, or versions of that.  I am an only child and for much of my childhood, was very shy because I didn't have brothers or sisters to toughen me up.  Obviously, that isn't the case now.  Anyway, at a dinner among friends the other night - a couple of which I outright call sisters and one who has already offered her belly should we need it in the future, baby-making was brought up.  Now all of these ladies know our situation and I am in fact the only one without a child in this scenario.  Anyway, one of the ladies mentioned trying for a second child and timing it, etc.  I told her "jokingly" just to tell her husband that "that one was for me."  She looked me dead in the face and said, "well he knows that is an option, if you need it ever."  It blew me out of the water.  Besides the fact that her true sister, has already offered the same thing.  Not jokingly.  These lovely ladies will follow through with the situation, should it come to that.  How amazing are these people?!

They know who they are so I don't need to name drop, but they freakin' rock.  They are already my family and I have gone so far as to hash out this scenario in my head (because they have gotten pregnant very easily) and think about how it might work and how it would truly solidify our families for life.  Now, believe me when I say that I hope we never get to that point which would technically be IVF with our parts and their bellies, but it is a true blessing to know that I have that in my back pocket should we need to get there.

There may be days when I don't believe we are blessed because of this situation and how angry/hurt/sad it makes me feel some days.  But thankfully I have these people to fall back on and pick me back up.  Thanks my sistas - you know you are.

LOVE Bleaders....LOVE!

Hellooo....hello? Is this thing on?

Attention, attention...this is important.  This post isn't about me.  It's about a friend.

J and I have a couple of friends who have been married for 13 years, together for 16.  They tried to conceive for a while and were told by docs it was impossible...not virtually impossible, but literally impossible.  That was a long time ago too.  They've been bantering with the idea of adoption for a while now, but it never seems to be the right time....especially knowing the consequences and strain something like that is. 

Apparently, God thought now was that time. 

They received an email this past week from a friend in Georgia (I think - after we heard the news I forgot pieces - forgive me if I am not completely accurate on the story Mrs. South Carolina) about a woman who had a baby and didn't want it. They thought of Mr. and Mrs. South Carolina.  The email essentially asked them if they wanted this child.  Of course there are many legal parameters to get through and court is scheduled for today for the Grandmother to get temporary custody until an adoption can be arranged, as I understand it.  My heart was bursting as this story came out of Mr. South Carolina's mouth!  I couldn't believe what I was hearing. 

So please send lots of prayers out to this wonderfully deserving couple that this will work out and they will finally get this blessing they have been waiting for for so long.  They so deserve this...and this child would be blessed to have them.  I asked her if it was okay to post this and she agreed...they just really need prayers right now for many things...things to go their way, keep their sanity, being ready financially, among a few I am sure. 

We're sending you lots of love Mr. and Mrs. South Carolina!  And I'll keep you posted when she posts me.

Prayers Bleaders....lots of prayers please!

Downer of a day

No, nothing extraordinarily bad has happened, I'm just kinda down today. 

AF showed up late yesterday afternoon and laid me out - literally.  On the couch, fetal position, ready to puke or die, whatever would help the pain go away.  I drugged up a bit for our dinner with friends, but as soon as we were back, so was the pain. 

I woke up this morning determined to go swim and then see Busted Kate for brunch.  Once I hit the pool, I figured out that was not where I needed to be.  I needed to be in bed.  But I wasn't about to get out of the pool once I had driven down there and already gotten wet.  So I just adjusted my workout so it wasn't so hard and took a lot of breaks.  But still wasn't feeling good.  Finally decided that brunch was the last thing I needed, because I was getting cranky in the pool at really insignificant things.  I wasn't going to be very good company at breakfast.  So I texted my dear Busted Kate and canceled.  I didn't want to, but I also didn't want to make her angry at me because I was feeling bitchy either.  I opted for the lesser of two evils.

I had offered to help with her baby shower and was really excited about doing it.  There was a team of us and I couldn't wait to offer this wonderful woman a shower that she deserved.  But when it came down to picking the date, the only date that worked for most was the one Saturday I had no choice but to be in Phoenix for my CFP cram course.  It broke my heart.  So after being in the pool and feeling like crap, Kate and I had this discussion over text and it broke me.  I just wanted to be there so bad and there was nothing I could do to fix it.  The tears came and I can't quite tell you why.  I don't know if there is just too much going on right now.  I don't know if the CFP just scares the bejebus out of me.  I don't know if it is that I feel like I let her down.  I don't know.  I don't know if it is AF and the bitchiness and emotional basketcase that she can make me.  I just don't.

Sorry, this is a little raw but I've been holding these tears in and I needed them out so I can get over whatever ails me right now.  Although, not sure what that is...exactly.

Vacation re-cap - finale - I hope!

Wow, this has lagged on for far too long...I'm so not a short-winded person!  You may be wondering if this still is an infertility blog and I guarantee that is the main basis, but we're on a hiatus from the riga-ma-roll of all that!  So to continue with the vacation stuff, let's start on Saturday, the day after the big Gala!

Saturday - 2nd and last day of conference.  We slept in a bit and missed some of the "show-biz" of the conference, but made it for the 2nd half where Doug Lennick was speaking.  He is an old friend of Mom's who works with our company.  Great speaker and good guy. 

 Mom and Doug Lennick, after his talk.

After the break, we had a speech from Lou Holtz, who used to coach football at Notre Dame.  I'm not a huge fan of football other than my University of Arizona Wildcats, but he was a great speaker...I would say the best at the conference for me.  Very funny, worked with our business and life in general, and heartfelt. 

 Lou Holtz

After Lou, there were closing remarks and conference was officially over.  We headed back to the hotel and caught a corporate sponsored bus to Santa Monica for some well-deserved sight-seeing.  Took us a while to get there, but it was a nice afternoon of wandering around and shopping a bit.  A couple little pics from that venture.  

Who knew Iron Man and Batman were heavy beach goers?

It's always hard to get good pictures of the two of us when it is JUST THE TWO OF US on vacation, so some nice stranger on the pier took this.  Not bad eh?  I think we're pretty cute.

I'm pretty anal about my nails for those of you who don't know me personally, but I also don't have them done very often...maybe once a month if it fits in the budget.  I do them myself way more than that.  Anyway, while we were wandering along the 3rd Avenue Promenade, this one booth caught my eye.  She saw my nicely done nails that I had done for the conference and started her sales pitch.  Well, I ended up buying the product and while it has taken some getting used to, it kinda rocks.  It is a way for you to put designs on your nails and even do french tips without a manicurist.  Here's the link click here. You'll see a pic later of the "sample" the lady did on me.  Anyway, had to share.

Hit the bus back to the hotel and got ready for the last Corporate party.  It was called Hollywood goes Bollywood.  Lots of food, drink and fun things to watch: dancers, Henna tattoos, snakes, a lot.  A couple pics from that. 

Part of the set-up and stage for dancers to come later. 

Mom and Glenn.  Glenn has been a fixture in my life forever.  He essentially hired my Mom at our company 30 years ago.  He has become a close friend and a consultant of ours.  Plus he is hysterical!  We love him.

Martha (Glenn's wife) and Mom.  Martha is also a close friend and so great.  They didn't plan to match, but they do well!

True Glenn photo...him, snake and pretty girl.  ;)

This is me getting Henna on my hand.  It was very cool and quick.  Wish it stuck around longer.

My Henna design after she finished.  It's a paste and you let it dry and fall off by itself.  It kind of stains your hand. 

Here's what it looked like after the paste fell off.  If you look at my ring-finger nail, you can see the flower design that was done by the nail lady with the stamp.  Took her all of 3 seconds.

A little video snip from the dancers that I got.  

  We finally tired of the party about 10 pm and headed back to the hotel for some R&R.  Mom and Dad hadn't been up to the spinning bar, so we went up there and just did a walk around.  Then, back to our room where this photo was taken before we hit the hay for the night.  

Typical J face. 

Sunday, got to sleep in a bit because our flight wasn't until later.  Had a good breakfast at the hotel and a small lunch at the airport before the hour and a half jaunt back to T-town.  It's a tradition in our family to grab a bite of Mexican food on the way home from the airport, so we stopped and did that then finally came home where the furry babies were so excited to see us.  I began the unpacking and laundrying while J did this...

 Talk about who got the short end of the stick - ME!  And as one of my girls on FB noted, he even has a remote in each had while he sleeps!  That is our kitty on his lap and one of our puppies under his feet!  Who do you think is loved?!

And that was about the jist (if you can call it that) of our vacation.  It was way fun, despite being sick, which hasn't quite left me yet and deterred me from a couple days at the gym this week and one day of boot camp, although I did go back and totally felt it the next day!  Still have a cough that doesn't want to go away, but other than that, back to normal. 

So to finish, I can't express how proud I am of my Mom and her achievement.  I said to J that hopefully one day I will get to take her to the conference and let her see me up on the stage receiving the same awards!

Have a great weekend folks and talk soon!