Allow Me to Introduce...

Meet Carly.

 aka Carly Dog, Bubba, Bubby, Pumpkin, Pumpkin Pants

Isn't she the cutest thing that you ever did see?  I thought so.

Carly is our six year old golden retriever mix.  What she's mixed with, I'm not quite sure.  We adopted her from a rescue when she was three.  We've had her for three years, and I really can't remember what life was like before her.

 

Carly is the sweetest most well behaved dog I've ever met.  When we brought her home, there was really no adjustment period.  It was like she had lived here her entire life.  She fit in right away and learned her routine easy.  She's smart and serious.  All we have to say is, "Go to your house" and she runs up the stairs to the bedroom we keep her in when we are away.  She's also fun and playful.  Her hobbies include watching TV, chewing on cow hooves, looking out the window, playing fetch and licking her paws.

 

For all of Carly's wonderful qualities, she does have a flaw.  She is afraid of thunderstorms.  She feels them coming and she starts to pace.  When it starts she wants to be a close to you as possible.  Last night as I was getting ready for bed, thunder started to roll and she wedged herself in between me and the bathroom cabinet I was standing in front of.  Normally, I don't mind her neurotic tendency because Lord knows I've got some of my own.  The only time this is a pain is when we are in bed.  She insists on climbing into bed.  Again not a problem, except she doesn't want to cuddle.  She wants to sit.  And pant. And shake. Which in turn shakes the entire bed.

After panting for a few minutes last night, she laid down and gave me these sad nervous eyes.  Could she look any more pathetic adorable?

Luckily the storm didn't last long and she eventually grew tired of the photo shoot.

What are you going to do?

Confessions of a Twitter Convert

Not long ago, I scoffed at Twitter.  What in the world was it?  Who cared about giving status updates?  Who cared what other people were doing?  Couldn't you just do that on Facebook?  In short, I didn't understand the point. 

Then I joined because my husband had joined and he would tell me about funny tweets from celebrities and friends.  It seemed like an inside joke and if there is one thing I can't stand it's to not be in on inside jokes.  So I joined.  I started off with just a few people I was following.  Nothing crazy.  My husband, some friends, a few celebrities like Jeremy Piven (because why wouldn't I - have you seen him?)(sorry husband).  I checked it occasionally and every now and then would tweet something.

Then before I knew it, I was checking more and more.  Every time I would get a free minute I would be checking it... obsessively.  If someone tweets me, I have to tweet them back.  I didn't really know why I had become so addicted to it and in such a short amount of time.  I daresay, I almost prefer it over Facebook.  And here are the two main reasons:

1. Facebook has become too mainstream and has become too bogged down with Farmville, Sorority Life, Causes, etc, etc, etc.  I don't care how you spend your time on Facebook.  There is no need to fill my news feed with that nonsense.  And for goodness sakes, my mother is my friend on Facebook.  I remember when it first started and it was only college kids and it was this fun way to spend time, catching up with people you hadn't seen since high school.  Now it's just different.
2. The celebrities.  I'm not one who buys tabloids or checks celebrity gossip websites, but they do fascinate me which I hate to admit.  By following them, I feel like I get a glimpse into their everyday life - which celebrity gossip doesn't give you.  I love when they post a new picture because again it's a glimpse into their life - it makes you feel like you really are getting to know them.  And I love finding celebrities that I liked when I was younger and had totally forgot about.  Of course I follow them immediately.  

 So yeah, I totally just wrote a whole post about Twitter.   What's funny is I just asked my husband if I should be embarrassed about what I write on my blog - I think this DOES qualify as being embarrassing, but I don't care.  I like Twitter and I don't care who knows it!!!

Award Winning

This past weekend, blogger Lyndsay at SimplyLyndsay was kind enough to award little old me with my first blog award!  Thanks Lyndsay!

I've always seen blogs that get awards and I've always wanted to play along.  Now I get to!  So without further ado, here are my seven facts:

1  I sleep with a fan on every night  Even in the dead of winter.  I use it for the noise.  I have to have it in order to sleep  I even take it with me when I travel  If I don't have it, well, let's just say I become a nasty person, and no one is sleeping.  Sorry husband.

2.  I have an addiction  To purses.  I realize that addictions are nothing to laugh at, but seriously, it's a little out of control.  Have a look...

 Exhibit A - Box o' purses that resides in the guest bedroom closet.  I use some of them on a semi-regular basis

These are my "fancy" purses that get a special little place in my closet  Because they cost more than a few dollars I try to take a little better care of them.  Special things to note: the red purse is a Kate Spade from my awesome MIL two Christmases ago.  She knows her daughter in law well.  See the pink/orange one sitting on the brown Coach?  That's a Longchamp I bought at Saks in NYC on our honeymoon.  It was on super discount.  Even the salesperson didn't believe it was that cheap.  That's my "steal".

3.  I have an irrational phobia to throwing up  This means I worry about getting sick and I worry about others getting sick around me.  I don't wan to see it, and if you're sick then you might get me sick.  I'm also really superstitious about it.  I would tell you the last time I actually got sick, but I don't want to jinx myself. 

4.  I spend an obscene amount of time watching YouTube Beauty Guru videos.  They fascinate me and sometimes irritate me all at the same time.  I seem to like things that irritate me.  I keep people my friends on FB just so I can be irritated by them.  Does anyone else do this?

5.  I'm not a confrontation person, but I tend to suffer from road rage.  Things that irritate me:

• When I'm going 20 MPH OVER the speed limit and people still ride my bumper and then speed off in a hurry around me.  Seriously?  If I were going 20 under, then by all means ride my bumper and pass away.  But over?  You're just asking me to slam on my brakes.  It happened to me today.  Some girl got right up on my bumper and I was going 80 in a 65.  She then got over and as soon as she did I speed up aaaand she had to get right back behind me because the person in the other lane was going too slow.  Then I slowed down.  I saw her put her hands up in frustration.  I got a little joy from seeing this.
• When people weave in and out of traffic or try to pass me quickly.  I typically find these people up the road sitting in the same traffic I'm in, one car ahead of me.  I'm glad they were in such a hurry to get one car in front of me
• When people ride a lane that is ending all the way out and then try to cut you off.  Sorry buddy get behind me.  I obeyed the rules and now you will too.
• People that DON'T yield.

6.  When I come home from work, unless I have somewhere to go, I get right into my sweats or PJs  I don't understand how people come home and put on jeans.  What's the point?  I want to be comfortable.

7.  Although I have no children, and no control over anything, I already have certain plans - like  want twins.  When I go to the fertility doctor I'm going to tell him to find a way to get me twins.  Hopefully it will be a boy and a girl because I already have names picked out  I'd share, but I don't want to jinx or have anyone steal  Ok, I'll give you middle names.  For a boy - Philip for my deceased father in law.  For a girl - June.  My dad always called me June/June Bug growing up.  I can think of no better way to honor my father or my childhood than by giving it to my daughter. 

That was fun, and kind of hard to come up with random facts!  I"m now supposed to tag people, but because I'm not really familiar with a lot of bloggers yet, I'm tagging anyone who reads this.  Lame?  Yes.  Do I care?  Kind of, but I'm ok with it 

I confess...

I confess that I enjoy hearing other people's stories of infertility.  Well, I guess "enjoy" really isn't the right word for the situation.  It's interesting to see and hear how others deal with the situation.  I've never really watched the show about Giuliana and Bill Rancic, but I am aware of their struggles to start a family.  I found this link today and I teared up reading it - especially the video  (Pathetic, I know).  It's nothing crazy special, but it was nice to see someone else say that their marriage is better and stronger because of their struggle.  I wholeheartedly believe that mine and my husband's marriage is stronger because of our journey which is important because so so many couples who struggle with infertility end in divorce.  I hope that their marriage continues to grow stronger in the face of adversity, just like ours has.

Video via Us Weekly

So Where Have I Been?

In my absence, I have been uber busy.  Okay.  Not really.  I pretend like I'm beyond busy, but I'm really not - at least through the week.  In an average week, I'm busy on Monday nights teaching CCD, but any other night I'm pretty much doing laundry, blog stalking, watching TV or hanging out with the husband.  Fun, right?  The weekend though can be somewhat hectic, like last weekend.  Friday night we had a game night with some other couples, Saturday we had homecoming all.day.long and Sunday we had brunch with my family.  It really felt like we did not stop, but we had such a good time.  Especially with Homecoming.

The college that my husband and I went to is a smaller state school that does not have a football team, so Homecoming is held during basketball season.  There are several events throughout the week for the students and then the weekend is dedicated to several alumni events.  We participated in the the Saturday events starting with the alumni chili cook off.  The husband and I participated with our good friends from college.  We knew we had to really step up our game and not just make good chili because a chili cook off is rarely about the chili itself.

 

Our setup

The setup was nice enough.  We had crackers and cheese and individually wrapped pieces of cornbread.  We even had a personalized bobble head.  The other contestants were wary, but then we pulled out the secret weapon ... and then they were shaking in their boots.

Personalized.Aprons.

Yeah, that's right.  Personalized aprons.  They were key for many reasons.  One they were handmade and personalized and just overall awesome.  Second, they had our names and graduation years on them.  We are standing in reverse order, but starting with the guy on the end he graduation in 2004, his wife graduated in 2005, I graduated in 2006 and my husband graduated in 2007.  Third, they had our Greek organizations on them.  This was absolute key because the current students who were in the organizations automatically voted for us.  

The result for all of our hard work?  We won.  Oh yeah.  You are currently reading the blog of an award winning chili chef.  You are honored, I'm sure.  

After the cookoff it was time for the game, which we of course won.  We were lucky enough to enjoy the second half of the game from the University President's suite.  We're kind of a big deal.  People know us.  (Not really, more like we know other people).

The night ended with an alumni reception and my husband and I both won door prizes.  

Overall, I'm saying this year's Homecoming was an absolute success.  Next year we plan on coming back to defend our chili trophy.  I see a dynasty in my future...

What I Really Meant to Say

Does anyone else write a blog entry and then keep thinking, I hope no one takes that the wrong way?  Or, I hope they don't think _____________ about me?  Or should I file this way of thinking into the "am I the only one" drawer? 

After I wrote yesterdays post, I couldn't stop thinking:

"I hope that no one take offense to what I said about spending money on expensive makeup products."

and

"I hope no one thinks that I'm totally cheap and broke because I'm worrying over $18."

Because I really didn't mean either of those two things.  Thus the need to write a second blog entry titled,

What I REALLY meant to say

With regards to the first statement, what I really meant to say, was that I personally have a hard time justifying spending X amount of dollars on a MAC product.  Simply because I look at it as makeup.  I look it as it as a fun item to buy that you put on your face and may or may not use all of.  Plus, I'd hate to spend that much on a product and then hardly use it because I'm not in love.  Now, what I do spend my extra money on, is purses.  I LOVE purses.  I want to buy one right now.  It's on super sale, but I'm trying to hold out for even super-er sale in order to be a little more frugal.  So moral of the story?  I don't like to spend my extra $ on makeup, but I love purses.  I don't judge people who buy lots of makeup because I?  I have a  lot of purses.

With regards to the second statement, what I really meant to say, was that $18 is not a lot of money in the grand ol' scheme of things.  $18 won't buy you a tank of gas and hardly buys a meal for two out to eat.  I know I mentioned in the entry that my new job won't produce a paycheck until the first of February and that means that my last paycheck received was December 31st.  I feel guilty spending money and non-necessary items when I'm not really contributing this month.  I also feel guilty when I've been on a spending binge and bought a few items from Forever 21 and this (which I LOVE btw):

via here

It makes it harder to justify spending that money when I've already spent a few dollars on myself already this month.  I think that part of sharing finances with someone means respecting them and not spending a bajillion dollars on myself.  Know what I mean?  So moral of the story?  I'm trying to be frugal and it's not really working.

So there's my explanation that was probably totally unnecessary, but boy do I feel better getting that off my chest!

(And let's ignore the fact that this entry totally negates the fact that the previous entry was supposed to be in jest and all in good fun!)

Today is Never Too Late to be Brand New

My goodness, it has been a bit since I have written.  I have wanted to write, especially after my husband scolded me for not writing, but once you step away for even a minute its hard to get to it sometimes.  You know what I mean?  Since we last spoke, there has been a lot going on.  You know there was that little thing known as the holidays and oh yeah, I quit my job.  Don't worry.  I didn't go crazy and quit so that I could find myself or the meaning of life and happiness (although that doesn't sound all that terrible).  I quit because I found a new job!!!  This is exciting to me on so many levels.  It's one of those things that I never thought would happen so I am extremely happy that I found a job that suits me.  While I miss everyone I worked with, it was beyond necessary to get a new job.  Last Thursday was my last day and it was incredibly hard.  I love my (ex)boss and saying goodbye to my first job was difficult, but I'm excited to start this new year on a new foot.  It's like I have a new lease on life. 

My sad looking cubie on my last day.  I wish I would have taken a before picture because it was much cuter before.  However, I do believe in my new job I'll be upgrading to an office.  Movin' on up!!

 

 

 

 

Besides leaving my job of 3+ years, the husband I celebrated the holidays.  We both had a fantastic Christmas in which I got pretty much everything I wanted.  Ok, I just re-read that last statement, and can you say spoiled much?  I really didn't mean for it to come off that way.  Probably my most favorite gift was my Pandora charm bracelet. 

 

For Christmas I received the bracelet, the two stoppers and the pink dangle charm which is for my birth month.  I added the turtle for Delta Zeta and the glass charm for my new job.

Some other items I was patiently awaiting to get were Fancy by Jessica Simpson (don't judge), a gray blazer from Kohl's and some make up brushes.  

Christmas Eve/Christmas Day my husband I spent traveling all over God's creation.  We try and fit both our families in on both days and somehow we make it work.   

The whole fam damily.  This is my mom's side of the family.  She is one of seven - six girls and 1 boy.  I'm in the back center with the gray sweater.

For New Year's Eve, the husband and I laid low and just had a few people over to the house.  Neither of us is huge for NYE.  To me, it's just another day and you get the day off work.  We had a great time though:

And in my free time between quitting my job and celebrating the holidays, I have grown a new obsession with You Tube Makeup Guru's - because I'm awesome like that.  Has anyone else ever watched these videos?  I have learned so much, and at the same time want to buy all kinds of thing, which isn't good for the old wallet, but I'm obsessed!  It's so much fun to watch.  If you've never seen any check out LolaMarie7 or Makeupbytiffanyd.  They are my favorite so far.

So I suppose for right now, that's a good catch up, right?  I'm really trying to write a lot more in the new year.  I guess I will have to count on my husband to help keep me on track!

Coulda, Woulda, Shoulda

Here come the emotions...

Well it's official: People my age are on to the second pregnancies and I can't even achieve one.  In a word, it's heartbreaking.  It's so hard to listen to someone tell you they are pregnant again and you can't even have one.  Of course I smile and congratulate, but on the inside I'm crying.  On the inside I'm so angry at myself and God.  Just sad.

To make matters worse, I'm pretty sure that I have come home everyday this week to get on on Facebook and find another person is pregnant.  I don't understand.

All I can think of this episode of Sex and the City - Coulda, Woulda, Shoulda.  I'm sure you've seen it - Miranda finds out she is pregnant while Charlotte finds out she is infertile.  There are two scenes in this episode that just bring me to tears.  The first is when Charlotte comes to brunch angry and frustrated that she has gotten her period and she says:

Charlotte: Do you know how many times Trey and I have done it without a condom?  73.  Have you any idea how much perfectly fine semen that is?

Carrie: No.  Samantha, rough estimate?

Charlotte: Enough for me to know in my bones that it's me.  And the big joke is, I spent my entire twenties worried that I'd get pregnant.  I could have been screwing everything in sight!  

Honestly?  It doesn't get more honest than that.  That pretty much sums up how you feel, how you know it's you.  You just know that you're the problem and that the situation is hopeless.  And she's right.  The big joke is, you do worry about getting pregnant and then you find out, in never could have happened.  When I think of how many times I worried about it, I could just kick myself.  

The other scene is when Charlotte runs into Miranda after Charlotte finds out that she is in fact infertile.

Miranda: This is hard for me too, you know?  And it doesn't make it any easier worrying that you hate me because you think you can't get pregnant.

Charlotte: I can't get pregnant.

Miranda: If I can, you can.

Charlotte: No I can't.  I just came from the doctor.  Here.  My body is attacking Trey's sperm.  15% chance! 15% change of ever having a baby!  Is it ok if I go now? 

Again, it breaks my heart.  I can't even watch the scene without bursting into tears.  Which, yeah, I just watched and sobbed myself silly.  

By the end of the episode, Miranda decides to keep the baby and Charlotte is happy for her.  And ultimately?  Yes, I am happy for those people in my life that are able to get pregnant.  I still love them and I love their children and am happy to be part of their lives.  Before I ever knew I had infertility issues, I admired Charlotte for her strength and bravery throughout the rest of the series regarding infertility.  She always managed to put others before the pain of what she was dealing with.  I know she is just a fictional character, but still, I find that I do identify with the character so much.  I hope that I can have just a bit of her strength and bravery because Lord knows it's tough.  

Perhaps my favorite scenes with Charlotte are here - especially around the 3:02 mark.  

Sorry the volume is so low - it's the only one I could find. I hope that one day, my husband and I share a moment just like that. And now I'm crying again. Like I said, here come the emotions...

Sometimes it just hits me harder than others and since my husband told me on Thanksgiving he thinks these will be the last holidays with his mother, all I can think about is how we don't have any grandchildren for her.  That if we are ever blessed enough to have children they will not know either of their grandparents on that side and she will never know them.  And what's worse, it's not my choice.  I could more easily accept this if it were a personal choice but it's not.

I don't know.  I guess just chalk it up to typical holiday emotions.  I'll be back to myself... hopefully sooner rather than later!

And to clarify, I don't hate people that are pregnant/can get pregnant.  I'm angry with myself and my situation and no one else (and maybe a little angry with God, but that's between me and Him).  Just thought I should throw that in!!

I Should Be...

Let's play a little game called, "What I should be doing".  Fun, yes?

I should be doing the laundry... but instead I'm playing on the internet.

I should be deciding what we're having for dinner... but instead I'm snacking on some chips.

I should be brainstorming about Christmas gifts for people... but instead I'm thinking of what to buy myself.

I should be cleaning the kitchen, but instead I'm making silly lists. 

I should be reading the last book my sister gave me... but instead I'm thinking of how I get another Elin Hilderbrand book.

I should be walking my dog... but instead I'm just looking at her "junk in the trunk".

I should be cleaning my bedroom... but instead I'm thinking about how that would lead to laundry (see number 1on this list).

I should be feeling bad about some certain things... but instead I really just can't it in me.

I should be planning my PREP lesson for next week... but instead I'm thinking of how many days I have between now and then.

And now the word "should" looks really funny.

What should you be doing, and what are you doing instead?

Blast From the Past

This weekend, we went to eat at my parents house for my husband's birthday.  My mother went on a a crazy spree and was trying to give all these random things to me and my sister.  It started out innocently enough with Waterford Crystal from our great uncle and quickly moved to her trying to get us to take home our childhood treasures.  I'm sorry, but aren't our parents supposed to store these things for us, for forever?  Or is that just me?  She was successful and did get me to take home a few things including this little gem:

 

Yeah, that my Seniors '02 sweatshirt from high school.  DON'T be jealous because I know you are.  See I went to an all girls Catholic high school (which is not at all as terrible as it sounds).  We wore the obligatory uniform that all Catholic students must wear (NOT like Britney Spears) which included a uniform sweatshirt.  Up until your senior year, your only choices were a fugly navy sweater with the school name embroidered on the left breast or an even fuglier navy sweatshirt with the school name and some crest smack dab in the center.  In your senior year though you got a real treat and you could not only wear a different sweatshirt, BUT your class got to design it.  This was the design that won.  I'm pretty sure it won because of the sweet  sleeve design.  Who doesn't love a good sleeve design? 

When I saw this sitting in the closet, I was both excited and sad.  Excited to see something I haven't seen in years, and sad at just how many years it had been.  Seriously, is my 10 year high school reunion in just a few short years?  This can't be.  Surely this is a sick joke something is playing on me.  

Along with the sweatshirt, my mom sent me home with a box of pictures from high school/early college.  I do wish I owned a scanner so that I could share with you the awesomeness that was me.  Or maybe I'm glad because that surely doesn't need to be shared with the rest of the world!

Any other '02 grads out there?

 

Fear Factor

Day 10 - Something you are Afraid of

I am afraid of a lot things.  The list could really go on and on.  But the number one thing? 

Throwing Up.

Is that odd?  I'm sure that it is, but it's true.  I can't hide who I am.  I have a major fear of throwing up.  And not just for me.  I can't stand to be around people who feel sick or around situations that might have the potential for someone to be sick.  It's a nightmare for me.  I don't know what it is.  I think because it's gross and I don't want to do it.  Also, I'm afraid that it will happen to me and I won't be prepared and it will be in public, etc.  It's irrational.  I understand this.  But you asked and I shared.

And that is all I have to say about that!!

I'll Be There For You

Day 9 - A Picture of Your Friends

I am fortunate to have several groups of friends.  I have my high school friends, college friends and post college friends (who coincidentally co-mingle with my high school friends).  It's not that I intentionally keep the groups separate, it just kind of works out that way.  

This is my Delta Zeta Family (I'm the second one on the left in the black dress).  This is a bit old, I believe it was taken over a year and half ago at Senior night for my grand little (in the red top).  My little is standing next to my grand little (red hair, wearing black and white) and the other two are my great grand littles.  I love my DZ family and we try to get together at least once a month.  I love it because it keeps me connected to the present chapter.  They are a wonderful family and there are several girls in the chapter who are amazed that we still get together.  It's a tradition that I hope to keep.

 

In case you were wondering who my DZ Big Sister was, here she is!  She is truly one of my best friends.  Whenever something major happens in my life she is the first person I call.  She is the reason I joined Delta Zeta and I'm pretty sure I wouldn't be the person I am today without her.  She is a wonderful persona and great friend.  I consider myself very lucky to call her a friend.

 

These are the after college friends.  Please ignore the fact that this looks like some sort of class picture.  This was actually taken at the end of a weekend vacation we all took to Gatlinburg, TN. We all look a little worse for the wear because literally right after this was taken we hopped in our cars to head home. That weekend was so much and I would love to do it sometime again.  The group has changed a bit though as nearly everyone in this picture now has a baby and it makes it hard to get together as much as we used to.  They are still a great group of friends and I always enjoy our times together.

 

 

My bridesmaids.  They were a mixture of family and friends and I am blessed that I had such wonderful people surrounding me on my wedding day.  

 

My high school/grade school friends.  We may not see each other on a regular basis, but these are the people who are known me the longest.  They know my past and they know my present.  They are very important people to me.  These are the kinds of people you want around you for the rest of your life.  We can go a while without seeing each other, but once we do it's like no time as passed.

And I could add soooo many more, but I think this covers my "close" friends.  I can't wait to meet yours!

 

What's Your Favorite Scary Movie?

Day Seven - Your Favorite Movies

So I guess the title of this post is a bit misleading as I'm not really talking about scary movies, but I can't help it.  I love to use Pop Culture references.  It's an obsession.

So I'm favorite movies in no particular order...

Dirty Dancing

My goodness.  Are there any words?  This movie is a life changer.  Once you watch it, you will never be the same.  Plain and simple.  It is one of those movies that I can watch and know every.single.line.  I can even close my eyes and tell you exactly what is going on.  You are kidding yourself if you think that while I'm writing this I'm not watching the final dance on YouTube because I totally am and so should you .  I'll never forgot the moment when I realized what Penny's "situation" was.  I could never figure out why Baby's dad was so freaked about the whole thing.  Then one day it all clicked and I had the major "ah-ha" moment.  Whatever.  It's still a fantabulous movie in my eyes.

Willy Wonka and Chocolate Factory

Not to be confused with that disasterous Johnny Depp crap.  Don't even get me started.  Who could not love this movie?  With the candy and the humor and the good story, it just makes for an all around good time.  And a great movie to quote to boot. 

Clueless

Sorry, but this movie is iconic.  It's when we first were introduced to the awesomeness that is Paul Rudd and Britney Murphy was all awkward.  Again another great movie to quote and these girls will always be in style to me.

Sixteen Candles

Although I have not seen this movie in a very long time, it will always remain one of my favorites.  It gave hope to dorky girls everywhere that maybe, just maybe the cute guy in the class will fall for you.  It probably won't happen, but we can all dream, right?

Serendipity

This movie has so many things going for it, that I just have to put it in my favorites.  1)Two Sex and the City actors play roles (John Corbett and Bridget Moynahan) 2) Jeremy Piven. 3) It's set in New York 4) Serendipity is a truly awesome restaurant.  Given all these factors, plus a cute storyline, I can't NOT put it in my favorites. 

Forgetting Sarah Marshall

Like many movies I watch, this one gets better every time I watch it.  It just becomes funnier.  Which is hard to do.  You would think that the more you see something the less funny it would become, but the opposite holds true for this movie. This movie also stars one of my all time favorite actresses - Kristen Bell (more on her in an upcoming entry on TV shows).  Even though she is slightly bitchy in this movie, I still love her all the same.  

And I know that there are a million more and as soon as I see everyone else's lists I'm going to want to add those to my list too!

No Time! There's Never Any Time!

Whenever I complain about never having enough time the following montage plays in my mind:

Jessie: Singing?  Tonight?  What am I going to wear?

Zack: Jessie, remember?  Lisa's bringing your costume.

Jessie: Right, I gotta wash my hair.

Zack: No, there's no time.

Jessie: No time! There's never any time!  I don't have time to study!  I'll never get in to Stanford!  I'll let everyone down.  I'm so confused!

And then....


I mean, it really doesn't get any better than that, right?  Said montage in my head thus furthers my belief that any life event you experience can be found in an episode of Saved By the bell.  Who knew SBTB was so philosophical?

********

""Don't say you don't have enough time. You have exactly the same number of hours per day that were given to Helen Keller, Pasteur, Michaelangelo, Mother Teresa, Leonardo da Vinci, Thomas Jefferson, and Albert Einstein." H. Jackson Brown

I saw this quotation not long ago on a friend's Facebook and I have some issues with it.  I mean, it's a great idea in theory, but I'm willing to bet that they didn't spend 8-9 hours of their day trying to make a dollar.  Meaning they didn't spend all their time at a job.  Or if they did, it was these jobs that lead them to their greatness.  Moral of my rambling?  

There's no time!  There's never any time!!

At least to do the things that I want to do vs. what I have to do.  Don't get me wrong.  I am thankful every day that I have a job and I am able to pay my bills and still have a good life.  I also enjoy my job (for the most part).  It's just that at the end of the day, I have very little energy to do much else.  But the laundry still needs to be done and the house cleaned, etc.  And then when I take the time to write a blog entry or just watch TV, I feel guilty, like I should be doing something else more productive.

I then have the problem of extracurricular activities (ok, I know that I am not in school anymore and therefore the use of "extracurricular" isn't quite correct, but what do you call them when you are a "grown up"?).  I teach the CCD classes which I enjoy, but I also want to help out with my sorority.  I would love to go back and serve as an advisor, but I know that the two activities together would be waaaay too much.  So how do I decide?  And how do I make it all work?  How do I manage the need to do and the want to do and still do all that I want to do?

Certainly caffeine pills are not the answer. 

P.S. Go back an entry for my 30 Day Challenge Post!

Better Together

Day Three - Your First Love

Day Three of the 30 Day Challenge is all about my first love.  Are you ready for some sappy corny stuff?  My first love is none other than:

That's right.  My husband is my first/only love.  Sure there were dates and crushes before I started dating my husband, but they all turned out to be... lackluster.  (I really wish that I could insert some few other choice words in that phrase there, but well "being a Christian woman, I can't say it"! )

As I mentioned in my previous post, my husband and I met our sophomore year in high school.  I went to an all girls Catholic high school and he went to the public school down the highway.  We met through mutual friends and I had no interest in him or any of his friends for that matter (sorry husband, but you know this to be true!!).  As time went on, our paths crossed several times and we slowly became the best of friends.  Or so I thought.  Turns out, he had feelings for me.  I continued on being his friend until one day in the summer before our senior year.  I don't know exactly what it was, but suddenly I saw him in a different way and I decided to give him a chance.  To give us a chance. Nine years (nine years???) later here we are. We are a happily married newlywed-ish couple that love spending time with each other.  We are best friends and partners and I really couldn't ask for anything better.

We have had an amazing relationship save for one blip in college where I broke up with him (can you say worst decision ever?).  There are some specifics about that blip that I would rather not delve in to, suffice to say, I made a poor decision, but I did learn where I was meant to be so it can't be all that bad right?  Sometimes I wonder if I should have had other loves in my life, but then I think of all the things I would have missed with my husband I know that things happened the way they were supposed to.  It's the Journey and the Destination, right?

What's In a Name?

Day 2 of the 30 Day Challenge asks us to explain the meaning behind the blog name.  Mine is obviously, "It's the Journey and the Destination".  I chose this because one of the biggest challenges I have had to face in my life is infertility.  I am certainly not one of those people who go through life and things just come easily or things get handed to them.  However, I never thought that I would have to struggle or work for my God given right to reproduce. It just doesn't make sense.  But who am I to judge what does or doesn't make sense?  I figure that God has a plan for me.  That maybe, he gave me this struggle so that I might learn something from it.  So often we get caught up in the destination, the end point, the goal that we don't focus on the how or the why.  We just want what we want and we want it NOW!  For me this struggle is about the journey and the destination and figuring out just what it is I am supposed to take away from all this.

So far on my journey, I have figured out these things:

• Infertility is expensive.  No amount of budgeting or planning will ever cover the costs.
• There are going to be sacrifices along the way.  But what dream doesn't come with those?
• Your relationship with your spouse will be tested time and time again.  
• My husband is amazing and beyond supportive.  I never knew how strong our relationship was until we faced this together.  I guess we are lucky in that aspect.
• Your faith will be tested.  
• Sometimes I don't have as much faith as I should.

And those are just a few things.   I am hoping that my destination in this journey is to have a child rather that be one of my own or adopted, but I am keeping my mind open.  Maybe it will just be me and my husband and our dog.  I'm ok with that as long as that's where I'm supposed to be.

Hopping Right On

In my effort to become a more diligent blogger, I have decided to take on a 30 Day Challenge via: Katie's Journey.  If you want to join it, head over there and let her know!  I think this is going to be fun and I am very excited about it.

The first challenge is to post a picture of yourself and give 15 interesting facts about moi.  Well I can give you 15 facts, but I can't claim that they'll all be interesting per se. 

Me!

Now on to those facts:

1. I got married three years ago on 07.07.07.  Everyone said I was crazy for getting married on "the most popular wedding day ever" but I really didn't have an issue with it.
2. Yes, I have been married for three years and no, I don't have any children.  I am what you would call reproductively challenged.  We are working on it albeit at a snail's pace.
3. I went to school for elementary education, but I don't teach.  And I learn a little bit more everyday that it was the best decision for me.
4. And in the next breath I'm going to tell you that I do actually teach CCD one night a week.  These are Catholic education classes for public school children.
5. I worry.  A lot.  About random things that no one should ever worry about.  Once something has resolved itself I move on to something else to worry about.  It can be quite stressful. 
6. I have an intense fear of vomit.  Enough said.
7. I love pop culture.  LOVE it.  I think this is why I quote movie/TV shows every chance I get. 
8. I am a trivia FREAK.  I know the most random things and I couldn't tell you where I pick it up. 
   Sometimes I think the random information takes up too much information in my brain.  
9. By nature I am shy, until I get comfortable and know you.  Then I don't shut up.  I'm just really bad at the whole small talk thing.  Being in a sorority really helped to bring me out of that shell though.  Who knows how socially awkward I might be otherwise. :-)
10. I spend WAY too much money on purses.  I should really learn to save my money and not buy a million cheap ones and buy one really nice one. 
11. I take a lot of things personally.  Like things that shouldn't be taken personally at all.  I guess I'm just sensitive and have a lot of feelings and emotions.
12. I really enjoy reading blogs - especially Kentucky bloggers, sorority bloggers and others struggling with infertility  (I cringe at how cliche I sound.)
13. I love reading.  There is just something about getting lost in a good book.
14. I met my now husband when I was a sophomore in high school.  We started dating right before our senior year and have been together ever since (let's just ignore that three week period we were broken up in college).
15. I work hard everyday to be just a little bit better of a person than I was the day before.

So there you have it, day one of the challenge is complete!

Housekeeping

Note: When you read the title you should say it a la Tommy Boy.

So.  I guess I'm what you'd call a blogger-hopper.  Meaning, I start about 5 million blogs, write two entries, then start another or go back to an old one.  Well ENOUGH!  Enough I say!  Time to pick one and stick to it.  It's too much for me to keep track of and it makes me feel like I have a multiple personality disorder.  So here is now home.  If I want to write about pop culture, it will be here.  If I want to talk about my infertility issues, it will be here.  If I want to talk about how undomestic I am, it will be here.  Much like I picked a sorority as a home, I have picked this blog to be my home.  It should feel so... special.

Since we last left, I had take a Dye Test to insure that my tubes were open and things that need to get through can in fact do so.  They were all clear so that's good news, but I haven't done much since, and thank God because I am still getting bills for that darn test!  It was FOUR months ago!  There should be a statute of limitations or something.  Gah.  I really don't know what to do when it comes to fertility issues.  I'm so indecisive.  Much like I can't pick a blog, I can't pick how/when to pursue a family.  I think I am waiting on some guidance from God on how to proceed next.  Although a tiny part of me hopes that my indecision will lead to a natural pregnancy.  I'm not really that naive, but I can dream, right?

In other non-uteruo news, my BIRTHDAY is coming up in just a few short weeks. The only thing on my wish list:

 Via here

This Coach SOHO tote.  I'm not really set on a color, although I am really liking this almond color as I feel it would very versatile in my wardrobe as well as seasons.  It really just depends on what they have available when I go to the store.  One thing is for sure, "It will be mine. Oh yes.  It will be mine".  I just love my birthday, although I'm not stoked about the idea of getting older.  That's not cool.  But I do enjoy any day that can be all about me and I get presents.  Especially fun presents like Coach purses. 

Thirty Before Thirty

In just a little over three years, I will be... 30 years old.  Boy is that hard to type.  Or even think about for that matter.  I remember when I was younger and thinking 30 was old (I know, I know, cliche).  Of course now that I'm knock, knock, knocking at 30 years old, I think that's not that old.  Except that I kinda do.  I thought that by the time I was 30, I would be married and have a child.  Actually 2.  Actually I wanted to be done, having children.  Oh boy, what was I thinking?  In truth, I have a husband, but no babies yet.  Nature is making that a bit more difficult than it should be.  So in looking at my goals and realizing I might not make it, I decided to re-write some goals.  Thus the 30 Before 30 Project.  It's pretty easy.  30 things I wish to accomplish before October 25, 2013.  In order to make myself accountable - I'm putting my list out there for all the world to see:

1. Make a full dinner - all components, no help (yes, in my three years of being a wife, I have not made a total dinner by myself.  This is the Undomestic Goddess, remember??)
2. Start and maintain a blog.  (Clearly I have started, but the goal is to keep it going)
3. Travel to Washington D.C.
4. Travel to New York City again.
5. Teach a full year of PREP
6. Go to a fertility specialist.
7. Finish our basement.
8. Get a new job.
9. Got to Gatlinburg on a family trip.
10. Buy a really expensive purse (by really expensive I mean over $200 - that's expensive to me)
11. Organize the entire house
12. Read a "classic" novel I didn't read in high school.
13. Research adoption options.
14. Get another dog.
15. Keep and maintain a coupon system.
16. Payoff both credit cards.
17. Visit the Florida Panhandle again.
18. Get my wisdom teeth pulled (yeah still haven't done that).
19. Refinish our bedroom furniture.
20. Make and meet a blog friend (won't you be my friend??)
21. Have a specialty party at my house.
22. Walk three nights a week for a month.
23. Clean and dust every Saturday for a month.
24. Make my bed everyday for a month.
25. Pack lunch everyday for a month.
26. Go to the doctor for a physical.
27. Start and maintain a Flickr account.
28. Start and maintain a journal full of thoughts, quotes, etc.
29. Vote in the next presidential election.
30.  Read two books a month for a year.

So that's the list!  There are some things on there that will hopefully help to domesticate me a bit more.  There are things that I hope will make me a better person. There are things that can be done in conjunction with one another.  There are things that will cost lots' o money.

But I'm willing to give it all a shot and I'm planning on documenting my progress here.

What are your 30 before 30?

It's the Journey AND the Destination

Many moons ago, I went to the movies with some friends where we met some boys that were friends of a friend.  I was a sophomore in high school and I had no real interest in any of these boys.  Fast forward about 10 years and I have now been married to one of those boys for the past three years.  Life is funny that way. We have been seriously happy for those years.  We had a beautiful wedding, bought a nice house and adopted an adorable golden retreiver mix.  It's pretty much a picture perfect life right?  If life is a puzzle, then most of the puzzle pieces to my life have been put together to make this picture, but there is a big gaping hole in the puzzle.  Children.  You're probably wondering, "Just where is that baby?".    

Good question.  It's a question I wish I had the answer to, but unfortunately I don't.  What I do know is this: Most people wake up one morning, look at their spouse and agree that it's time to start a family.  A few months later, two is now three, three becomes four and so on.  For me and my husband?  It's just not that easy.

A little over a year ago, my husband and I decided that we wanted to start a family.  We were scared about what that might mean, but we were ready, or so we thought.  After much denial and months of nothing happening, I knew that something wasn't right.  My cycles just weren't "normal".  So I went to the doctor, where they confirmed my suspicions.  I don't ovulate... at least not on a normal basis.  Maybe I do, maybe I don't.  It's a crap shoot.  It was a letdown, but not really all that surprising.  And so it began... a long journey towards becoming a family.

We started out doing Clomid which ended as a FAIL.  We actually had one promising month, but it didn't end in a pregnancy.  The next month yielded no ovulation and a trip to the doctor where they referred me to a specialist and to do a dye test.  For several reasons we decided to hold off because we weren't sure that we were ready to pursue the whole thing.  So since October we have been a on break and that break has been amazing.  In that time, we went to California, celebrated Christmas, hung out with friends and my husband became Catholic. 

Recently though, we have decided the pick up the whole thing again because we are ready.  We are ready to start our family, ready to learn if we can do it with minimal treatment, ready to learn if there is no possible way.  We are ready for whatever.  So this where this blog comes in.  Some people say that it's not the journey it's the destination.  Some people say it's the destination not the journey.  For me, it's both the journey and the destination.

Hopefully, one way or another, this journey leads me to the destination I hope for: a baby.