Missed the boat

Tonight is the Elder's Quorum Temple night...and we waited until 4 days ago to call in to the temple - but everything was booked at the 8pm time. EVERYTHING!!! And we already had a babysitter and everything. Oh well. I guess that will teach me to call much more ahead of time. We let our sitter sit for another family instead. Now Tyler is on a date with Anna at McDonald's. She didn't have school today and was desperately needing some time to run around. That girl has some ENERGY, let me tell you!

We went to the library today. The library is a gem of a place to me that I discovered when we moved to OH almost 2 years ago. I never went to the library in OK and now I take Anna to 2 different libraries every week to check out books, cds, & videos. It's a whole new world! :o) And it's all free. Oh yeah.

I'm frustrated that I won't be competing in NATS this year. NATS is a solo competition for voice. I really, really wanted to do it - but because of not having a consistent voice teacher, I won't get to compete this year. And not only that, this week I received an email from my voice teacher that she is too busy with her current students and her doctorate classes to teach me. Now I don't have a voice teacher at ALL. I feel in the dark on what I should be doing with music. I have come to a conclusion, however, that I do not want to sing opera. I would rather compete and sing recitals or oratorios, etc. I'm not comfortable with acting - I would prefer to stand and sing. Now that I know what I want - I aim to find a teacher who can prepare me for it.

Random tidbits

Today I color analyzed 3 women. It was a very interesting - especially because they were german anabaptists! I have personally not known any before, but have done reports on them in college. They were very, very nice, and the color analysis (CA) was enjoyable. I love doing it. It gives me a lot of insight about them - I especially enjoy CA my friends. :o) Who's next?

I purchased a nintendo 64 on eBay earlier this week. I'm so eager for it to arrive! The seller said he'd mail it out tomorrow - so I won't have it before the weekend. :o( We would also like to have a wii, but they're so difficult to find and I'm honestly just tired of thinking about it. Maybe someday they'll be in stock...I hope.

Last night Tyler & I watched FACING THE GIANTS. Debbie recommended it to me. It was definitely a good-pick-you-up type of show. My only difficulty was the underlying issue of infertility that the main couple was dealing with - we have been trying for our second child for 5 years now and the subject still brings me to tears. But, the movie was very good. :o)

Today I watched Anna Karenina and Catherine the Great. I guess I'm on a Russia movie kick, eh? There is something about Russia that fascinates me, I hope to visit that country someday. Here's a clip from Anna Karenina - I love this song! For some reason, though, the sound/visual become "off" somehow...reminding me of that movie on SINGING IN THE RAIN...yes, yes, yes, no, no, no!

Lacking motivation

Do you ever have days where it's all you can do just to get up and walk around? For some reason, I was really dragging today. I didn't seem to have the motivation/energy to do much. I took Anna to school, exercised at the YMCA, started some laundry, showered, and then crashed on the couch until my pedicure with Angela - which was really fun! :o) So, my first question in this post is this: What do you do to motivate yourself when you're feeling unmotivated?

So, Tyler's 30th birthday is coming up. I mentioned a trip to D.C., but then we realized that I have 3 siblings getting married in 3 different places (and temples!) this summer...so we opted to do something less expensive. So, ladies, the second and final question of this blog: what fun things have you done (that you can mention here, of course) for your husband/boyfriend to celebrate their birthdays? A few years ago I arranged for Tyler to have a massage - which he loved. (He smelled like a bowl of fruit afterwards!) I thought about having him get a pedicure - since we saw a man in there getting one today...your thoughts? Fun ideas?

Mexican Fiesta!

Today was a busy day - prepping for the mexican dinner tonight. My friend, Maria, & I spent over 4 hours making chicken tostados, 2 kinds of salsa, shrimp salsa, rice, white refried beans, fried potato cakes, & horchata (a yummy rice drink). It was muy sabrosa! We have plenty of leftovers - anyone? Here's a photo: Then we had a lesson on prophets. Maria is just soaking up the gospel and it's a wonderful thing to see. It certainly strengthens my testimony watching hers grow.

Bollywood fix

This is probably one of my favorite bollywood songs...from Kal Hoo Na Ho. The movie is quite sad, but the music is fantastic!

Busy weekend

This past friday we went out to eat with Sarah & Shannon (and their husbands, of course) to TGI Fridays. The food was okay, but the company was fabulous! Then we were invited over to Glittersmama's house to play a rousing game of settlers of catan and to be introduced, and I daresay become addicted to the game Dr. Mario. Now I am looking to find a nintendo 64 game on ebay with the hopes of buying one, practicing it, and being able to give our friends a real challenge next game night. Or just have fun losing again. :o)

On saturday morning I went to help with making lunch for the Stake Enrichment activity. I enjoy doing stuff like that - cooking & feeding about 80 people. I thrive on organization. Plus I got to tie some quilts, which I haven't done in a long time - I think since my YL days at girls camp, where my job was to teach girls to tie quilts...yeah, we were really roughing it at our girls camp...let me tell you...

On Saturday afternoon, we had the elders, Maria & her 3 daughters over for a missionary discussion. It went extremely well. Maria has already set a date for her baptism - mid-march. I'm quite impressed with her. She really has a good head on her shoulders. We're going to make an authentic mexican meal tonight - I'm excited to learn how to make it!

Yesterday, I took Maria & her daughters with me to church - she said she really enjoyed church. :o) The choir sang I Believe in Christ. They did an amazing job! And the accompanists Jessica and Glittersmama did great on the organ! I was overwhelmed with the Spirit during the song. Our ward has an amazing choir.

Needing a nap

Tyler & I were up late watching a clean flicks version of True Lies. It's such a funny film, I don't seem to tire of it. However, this morning came quickly when you're up late. I woke up at 7am and showered, helped Anna get out the door & then Tyler and I went up to the hospital to do insemination. The doctor said all looked well - except the cervix was curved (?) so it took some doing to get it all done...I'm not sure what that means, exactly, but he said a little spotting was to be expected. Any ideas on this?
My faithful VT Amy came over to see me. After they left I practiced my voice lesson music (something I haven't been giving enough time to...) and then I was so tired that I took a nap. I slept for 2 hours and I'm still tired. I'm not sure if my fatigue has to do with staying up late, the insemination (there's some cramping down there), or my sleep apnea rearing its ugly head again. All I know is that I just want to watch some movies and just lie around and eat chocolates...except I can't eat chocolates...perhaps some sugar-free hot chocolate will work...

And the award goes to...

My cool friend Misti gave me this award. I want to turn around and give it to 5 friends whose blogs that I read daily and greatly enjoy:

Melisa

Glittersmama

Sarah

Kathey

Jessica

If I didn't mention your blog that doesn't mean I don't love to read your blog, I just didn't want to put too many and make the award not as special. So, to those that did get the award, keep up the great bloggin'!!!

check out: http://heart-of-service.blogspot.com/2008/01/daily-dose.html

Today has been grand. It was pretty snowy - so no school. Anna & I went over to Sarah's house to scrapbook and hang out for most of the day. Currently I have a fabulous smelling recipe of beef fajitas in the crockpot, if it's as good as it smells - I'll post the recipe! I also made yogurt for the first time yesterday. It turned out really well, I think. I feel so domestic - making my own yogurt! Last night I had the HCG shot (the one in the buttock) and tomorrow is the insemination. I hope we'll have some success this month. I feel so blessed to even have the opportunity to pursue infertility treatments!

Belated Valentine's Day quiz

Today I had an ultrasound to see how the ovaries are developing. The doctor said I have 2 that are ready and that they are BEAUTIFUL. That made me smile - my eggs are beautiful! :o) Now let's just see if either (or both) will grow into a beautiful baby for us. I was a busy bee today. I dropped off the remaining papers for substitute teaching, I mailed a cd I sold on half.com, I dropped off some music to Deena (did you get it?), I exercised at the YMCA, I had a blood draw and an ultrasound, & I went grocery shopping at ALDI. Then I took a nap. :o) Here's a fun quiz, I'd be interested in EVERYONE's answers, if you'd like to post it on your blog - or email me the answers at jilldpierce at yahoo dot com.

What is your husbands name? Tyler
How long have you been together? We've been married for 7 years
How long did you date? 1 week
How long was your engagement? 6 weeks
Who eats more? Tyler - that boy can EAT!
Who said I love you first? I did
Who is taller? Tyler. He is 6 ft almost 3 in and I'm 5ft 10in
Who has more speeding tickets? I've never had a speeding ticket...I'm not sure if he has either.
Who is more sensitive? I'm definitely the most sensitive - but Tyler is more sensitive than I thought he would be.
When there is a fight, who usually wins? We don't fight, we discuss things.
Who does the laundry? I do, usually. But Tyler helps me out a great deal. We decided that when we married that Tyler would do the trash and I would do the laundry.
Who does the dishes? I do. Although, I love love love it when Tyler does them for me (hint hint)
Who sleeps on the right? Me (if you're looking from the foot of the bed)
Who pays the bills? Tyler - he's great at handling the money, me - not so much.
Who mows the lawn? Tyler.
Who cooks dinner? I cook dinner, and lunch, and breakfast...
Who drives when you are together? Tyler drives.
Who is more stubborn? I am. No question. Whenever I get something set in my mind - it's extremely difficult to change.
Who kissed whom first? Tyler kissed me.
Who asked out who first? Tyler did - although, technically, he doesn't like the word "date", he prefers the term "hanging out". However, I prefer the word "date", it's much more romantic.
Who proposed? Tyler
Who has more siblings? I do. I have 5 sisters & 3 brothers, he has 2 brothers and 2 sisters.

A Bowling good time

Today was a holiday - therefore Tyler didn't have to work & Anna was home from school. Anna & I went to the YMCA this morning which was great. Oh, and I lost 5 pounds this week! That's what working on self-control can do for me, not just focusing on FOOD but rather, focusing on self-mastery. :o)

This afternoon we had a woman, Maria, & her 3 daughters come over with the missionaries. We watched The Testaments (in spanish) and then chatted. She seriously lives a block away from me and is going through a terrible divorce right now, poor girl. I will be taking her & her 3 daughters to church this next Sunday. :o)

For FHE we went with Sarah & her family to go bowling on-base and then to Burger King for dinner afterwards. We had a lovely time. :o) Check out some pictures on the sidebar.

We've recently watched 2 movies: "The Whole Wide World" and "Evan Almighty". I would recommend the latter...the first one was all right - but I wouldn't recommend it. Evan Almighty was hilarious! It stars Steve Carell from THE OFFICE.

Veggies all around

So we bought one of these:

And we've been steaming veggies every night for dinner. So far we've tried cabbage, bok choy (terrible!), asparagus (better than I thought it would be), snow peas, & broccoli. I am interested to know what steamed veggies YOU like. Give me some ideas! We didn't eat steamed veggies growing up - so this is a new thing for me.

Church was wonderful. The youth sang As Sisters in Zion/We'll bring the World His Truth. It was amazing - they even did sign language with it. My ward is so musically talented! I was asked to play the piano in Primary again. I really do enjoy it - I am missing the sisters in R.S., though. During sharing time, Anna was called upon to relate the story of Lehi & his family crossing the ocean to the Promised Land. I was quite happy to hear her recount the story so well - she's only 6! I was a guest speaker in her primary class to talk about what it was like to be pregnant with Anna and to show pictures of her as a baby. Then I sang Mary's Lullaby - they were talking about how Mary must have felt to be pregnant with Jesus Christ. Anna's primary teacher is simply amazing - I am inspired by how much she does to magnify her calling.

I came home from church and took a 3 hour nap. The past 2 nights I haven't slept as long as I have needed to (could be because I've been up WAY too late...) but we're hoping to change that by going to bed earlier. It's hard because I want to spend time with Tyler - and we only have time at night. He only has one more year left of his MBA program, then life will calm down. Last night we realized that during our 7 years of school one of us (or both of us) has been in school. That's a LOT of education!

Chicken Cordon Bleu

This morning I drug myself out of bed and went to the Family History Jamboree. I learned a lot - but after the 2nd class, it was hard to concentrate - probably a combination of only 4 hours of sleep plus my A.D.D. to blame for that. However, I did learn a lot and happened to see my friend, Greta, there which was a nice surprise. The Jamboree is held in a different stake altogether - so I didn't expect to know anyone there. Now I'm really ready to start doing genealogy! :o)

I tried a new recipe tonight and it was sensational! Plus it is low-carb! I was so excited about it - that I thought I'd share it with you all!

Light Chicken Cordon Bleu
INGREDIENTS
8 boneless skinless chicken breast halves (4 ounces each)
1/2 teaspoon pepper
8 slices (1 ounce each) lean deli ham
1-1/2 cups (6 ounces) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
2/3 cup fat-free milk
1 cup crushed cornflakes
1 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
SAUCE:
1 can (10-3/4 ounces) reduced-fat reduced-sodium condensed cream of chicken soup, undiluted
1/2 cup fat-free sour cream
1 teaspoon lemon juice
DIRECTIONS
Flatten chicken to 1/4-in. thickness. Sprinkle with pepper; place a ham slice and 3 tablespoons of cheese down the center of each piece. Roll up and tuck in ends; secure with toothpicks. Pour milk into a shallow bowl. In another bowl, combine the cornflakes, paprika, garlic powder and salt. Dip chicken in milk, then roll in crumbs. Place in a 13-in. x 9-in. x 2-in. baking dish coated with cooking spray. Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 25-30 minutes or until juices run clear. Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, whisk the soup, sour cream and lemon juice until blended; heat through. Discard toothpicks from chicken; serve with sauce. Yield: 8 servings.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Yes, I know that technically Valentine's Day was yesterday - but we celebrated it today and we are actually thinking to celebrate it on Feb 15 from this point on, namely because flowers are on sale the day AFTER Feb 14th - so that seems like the time to stock up on lovely, beautiful roses, and lots of them, I might add, and yes, this is a LONG run-on sentence which seems to fit my mood at the moment. So, Tyler awoke early and went to buy me some roses. They are so lovely. :o)

I went VT with Sarah, which was lovely as usual. Tyler had the day off today so we spent time together as a family. We went bowling to celebrate Tyler's promotion yesterday. We love to bowl - my main goal is to break 100 points! We went to wal-mart and bought a new computer desk chair since our other one died a tragic death. We had a nice, late dinner and now I need to clean up and go to bed - I have a family history JAMBOREE ( I really like that word ) tomorrow morning at 8:30am, at a distance of 25 miles away from me....so I won't get to sleep in tomorrow...therefore I shouldn't stay up late tonight...but I haven't really learned how to go to bed early in my 29 years of life...

Hello 1st Lieutenant!

Tyler was promoted to 1st Lieutenant today. It was a great experience for everyone. I'm so proud of Tyler and for the accomplishments that he has made. We truly enjoy serving in the military. I posted some pictures on the blog sidebar. I was able to change out his pins from his "blues" uniforms. Tyler asked me to sing the National Anthem, which went well. Tyler gave a short speech on why he decided to join the military - one of his reasons was because he wanted a job where he would go home at night and be proud of what his job stood for - he definitely feels that way about being in the Air Force. I'm so proud of him.

I spent the rest of the evening with my sweet little valentine daughter - Tyler went to class after the promotion. Anna & I went to the bank, pharmacy, commissary, and ended at Wendy's - our fast food restaurant of choice. I just enjoyed my one-on-one time with Anna. She's a sweet girl and has such a happy personality. I hope you all enjoyed your Feb 14th.

YMCA

Today I signed back up at the YMCA. I was eager to exercise with my many friends who workout there...except, I was the only one there I knew. Perhaps tomorrow they will be there? (hint hint)

I went VT with Sarah, which was a nice break, then I got a haircut before picking Anna up from school. I taught 3 voice lessons, then made dinner. We went to Lowe's to look at light fixtures. Tyler ordered some lightbulbs that mimic sunlight to help with my CMAS (Color Me A Season) color analysis. I had a phone call last week from a woman who found my CMAS website (that I made and almost had forgotten about altogether) and wanted to schedule an appointment for herself...and 20 other women from her church. Isn't that random? Well, it's pretty cloudy during the winters in OH, so we decided to buy some lightbulbs to help bring the sunlight in now so we wouldn't have to wait until the spring/summer to color analyze. Anyhow, I'm excited. I enjoy color analysis.

I'm feeling rather emotional right now. I think it's the injections (now there's a surprise). I realized that I was different in my attitude when Tyler told Anna that I was having a hard time - but I didn't realize that I was having a hard time. Thank goodness for a wonderful spouse who can read me like nobody's business. He's so patient with me and helps me through life. I cannot imagine living without him - he means the world to me. Tomorrow we're having our first ultrasound on this cycle - I'm eager to see what the doctor says. Are you ready for Valentine's Day??

Snort Monster

You've heard of the Snort Monster, right? Here's a clip:


Day #2 on SBD phase 1 went pretty well. I wasn't able to make it to the yoga class due to inclement weather - Anna didn't have school because of it - but I did some exercises on a big exercise ball at home and that was fun. :o) I practiced the piano, read my scrippys, played games with Anna, did laundry, did dishes...and relaxed with my family. The weather was pretty dreary, which affected my desire to do very much as the day went on...but reading my blog thus far - I guess I did accomplish some things. :o)

I'm interested in some recipes from you all. I need some recipes that are mainly meat and that aren't high in carbs - like steak marinades, baked chicken, broiled fish, etc. Share your recipes!

Isn't she a little too young?

So, Anna got a valentine from her "boyfriend" today - a pink heart-shaped sucker. Has it already begun? Of course I think that Anna is the cutest little girl in the whole wide world - but boys shouldn't know that already, should they?! It's going to be tough raising a beautiful girl, I can already tell.

I started SBD phase 1. I wanted to exercise at the YMCA, but the truck is having problems - so Tyler took the car. I did really well on my eating and was able to play the piano, read my scrippys, & scrapbook! :o) I'm sad to say that I gained 10 pounds since Jan 14th, but I'm happy to say that I don't think they'll be on me for much longer. :o) Tomorrow I'm going to start going to a yoga class - at least if the winter storm doesn't prevent me from going. Debbie recommended a neat website to help me on my weight loss journey: www.sparkpeople.com (Thanks Debbie!) I have a different viewpoint of my diet/exercise plan. I want to learn self control. I want to be able to control how much I eat (or don't eat). I have a feeling that learning self mastery will help me for the rest of my life. I'm interested to see how well I do in this venture.

Happy Sunday

This is a great clip of Glenn Beck talking about President Hinckley. Tonight as Tyler was praying - he asked a special blessing on the Prophet. When he said Thomas S. Monson, I was caught off-guard - it's hard to believe that Gordon B. Hinckley is gone.

For dinner we had Melody & her family over. It was really fun and long overdue. They've been in our ward for a while now. We played carcassonne and talked. Tomorrow I think Melody & I are going to the YMCA. I'm rededicating myself to exercise/SBD tomorrow. So please - no treats or even hints of chocolate, thank you. (at least after midnight tonight, you still have 2 hours...)

Cadoo

This morning Tyler took Anna to the primary activity. Suddenly I had an hour & a half of free time - just for me. The only problem was - I didn't realize beforehand that I would have time to myself, so I hadn't "planned" anything to do like scrapbook. It turns out that I just used the time to get ready for the day & check email. Looking back - I wish I wouldn't scrapped, I don't get much alone time to do it. I guess I should look ahead on my pda more often, eh?

Leia came over & played with Anna today. They are bff (best friends forever) and are very entertaining to watch as they play. I made some granny's orange cookies today and they loved those - who doesn't love homemade cookies, especially with frosting?? After Leia went home, we went as a family to Outback Steakhouse. We figured that it would cost us less money to take Anna to OS than it would to pay someone else to watch her at home so we could go alone. Isn't that funny? We had a nice time and then came home to play a game of Cranium Cadoo - which we bought at the thrift store for $1.99. I believe they retail for around $30.

I've failed to mention how sad I am that Mitt Romney pulled out of the race. I think he did an excellent job on his speech. It's hard for me to put my support behind John McCain. I just don't feel good about him - something in his demeanor which makes me not trust him. I wish that Romney was still running...

Happy Chinese New Year!

Happy New Year! Yes, we celebrate Chinese New Year at our home. One more reason to party, right? We invited the Neel's over to celebrate. Trent served his mission in Taiwan as well, which makes it fun. We had fish (tilapia), shrimp, steamed buns, fried rice, & shuijiaos (pork & cabbage dumplings) with coconut rice pudding & fruit (pineapple, mango, lychee & pumelos) for dessert. Anna ate at least 8 shrimps & was asking for MORE! :o) It was a wonderful meal and we all had a great time. Check the sidebar for pictures. We got our digital frame up & running - I put pictures from our trip to Taiwan on it with some chinese music as well. It's such a neat little gadget!

Today I spent a couple of hours making those shuijiaos - they are so tasty, but very time consuming. Anna & I played Guess Who and she helped me do things around the house. She's such an easy child - she listens to me and has such a positive attitude about life. We made some valentine cards for her class - Larry Boy style. :o)

We're thinking of going to Washington DC to celebrate Tyler's 30th birthday in March. Have any of you been there? We'd like to tour some historical museums, hopefully get a tour of the white house, etc. What do you recommend doing in D.C.? Any restaurants to recommend? Also, we don't know if there is a public transportation to use, or should we rent a car? Your thoughts?

Valentine Giveaway

"Kristin over at An Ordinary Life is having a short but sweet Valentine's Giveaway. It starts on February 6th and ends February 9th, 2008 at 8pm PT. All you have to do to enter, is post about her giveaway on your blog and leave a comment on the giveaway post HERE. Please be sure to leave a valid email address with your comment."

Self control

Whenever I hear that a person has self control - I'm always impressed. That seems like a difficult feat for most people, at least in my opinion. Whether it's controlling their time management, their spending money, or eating - it's amazing that they have been able to overcome their temptations and have been able to control their desires, appetites, & passions. I want to have self control. For a long time I convinced myself that I didn't have an eating problem - that I really wasn't eating any more than anyone else. I fooled myself into believing it. Well, no more. I like to eat. Weighing around 320 pounds, it's an obvious fact. Food is good. And to make matters worse, I'm a good cook. I know how to cook/bake many wonderful recipes. And then I eat more than I should. I have a desire to become strong in this weakness. I want to know: what you have overcome? What desires, appetites, & passions have you gained control of in your life? How did you do it? If you would rather not share these answers on here, please email them to me at jilldpierce at yahoo dot com.

We've decided to keep Anna home until Monday. Her rash is already looking MUCH better. I went to a military spouse luncheon this afternoon. One of the wives is from India and is a certified yoga instructor. She's going to start teaching next week and will teach two 1 hour lessons a week. I'm eager to learn yoga - I think it will really help me connect with my body, teach me to breathe correctly, and lose weight. I've decided that I will be rededicating myself (once again) to the SBD on monday. For some reason - I have to start on a monday, no other day will work. :o)

I will begin my infertility injections tomorrow evening. I have discovered that I have allowed my weight to affect my worth - at least in my mind. Sometimes when I think about doing infertility procedures, I think that I'm too overweight to do it - that for some reason, since I'm overweight, I don't even deserve to try for baby #2. It's amazing what a downward spiral of thinking can happen when you don't even believe in your own worth. I'm happy to say that my views of myself are changing. I'm beginning to really know that I am a child of God. In the past I have let other people in my life determine how I should view myself - they didn't think an overweight person could be worthwhile. I want to shout out to the world and to myself, that I deserve to have another baby, that I am worthwhile, and that whether or not I ever lose this weight - I am a daughter of God and He loves me. He knows my name and he wants me to be happy. (cue: Rocky theme song) And while I'm thinking of it - thank you all who can see my worth, even when I'm unable to see it at times, and for those of you who can remind me of it from time to time. You're amazing. I love you all.

Bee Movie

Poor Anna. That was no mere fever blister - it was a bacterial infection on her face. We felt we should take her into the doctor because it was spreading. Here's a picture:

They had Tyler scrape off the top layer and then apply the antibiotic cream. Anna was a brave girl - she didn't cry ONCE! Just thinking about it makes ME want to cry. She's a real trooper.

I taught 2 voice lessons today. They went quite well. Tyler is currently on a date with Anna - they're going to see the Bee Movie at the dollar theater. I don't think I've been on as many dates with my dad as Anna has been with Tyler. I hope that their relationship will only grow stronger throughout their lives and that they will always be close. Has anyone seen the Bee Movie? I really like Jerry Seinfeld - however I've heard mixed reviews of this movie. Your thoughts?

Tonight I'm watching Mansfield Park with Shannon & Sarah. I really need some girls time. And chocolate. I'm really struggling on even having the desire to diet right now. It's completely out the window. I just need to go back to the YMCA, I think that will help. But now I'm about to start injections - which, at least the last time I was on them, messes with my emotions A LOT. So I'm wondering if I should withhold the one thing that calms me down? It's so hard. I wish that I could just live normally and not have to think about every single thing I eat. *heavy sigh*

I had my appointment with Dr. Groll today (infertility specialist). He prescribed provera (to bring about a period, since I haven't had one in 8 weeks) and then metformin and said we'd begin gonal-f (injections) next week. After we figured everything out, I left and went to the restroom before leaving the clinic. Guess what arrived at that moment? You got it - my period was in full force. So I turned around and went back to see Dr. Groll. He cancelled the provera and I will begin gonal-f on friday. I feel positive about these turns of events. I just wish I could forgo the whole HCG shot (the one in the buttocks - it doesn't feel good) but at least it's only one time per cycle. :o)

I want to thank you all for reading my blog. Sometimes I feel so alone in my life and that no one knows what I'm thinking or feeling - but whenever you leave a comment, it just reminds me that you ARE out there. Thanks for being there for me. :o)

Super Tuesday

Hey everyone. We're back in OH, safe & sound. I think that MI is getting all the snow that OH is supposed to get...it was wonderful to be in the Mons' home, playing games, and watching the snow fall...now that's a vacation!!! Here is a photo of Anna & Jaden playing, doesn't Anna look sassy?? They are so cute together, we've reminisced on the idea of arranging their marriage...

When I was at RS in MI with Melisa, we sang "Nearer My God To Thee" as the closing hymn. I love the tenor line on that song, so I sang it up an octave. After RS was over, a woman asked me if I was the one singing the tenor line - I said yes - she related to me that her close friend used to sing the tenor line of that song as a duet with her, and she appreciated hearing me sing it. As she told me that, she had tears in her eyes - it was a special moment.

I'm home and ready to get things done. I've done some dishes and have loads of laundry in the works. I hope to fold laundry while watching my current netflix movie: "The remains of the day". Has anyone seen it? It has Anthony Hopkins & Emma Thompson - I hope it will be good.

Today is Super Tuesday. I hope that Mitt Romney can pull ahead of John McCain - however, I am not sure that is possible because Mike Huckabee is still running, even though he has zero chance of becoming the republican candidate. I think he purposely doesn't want Mitt Romney to win - so he's staying in the race to prevent Romney from beating McCain. Who knows? Maybe Huckabee is wanting to be McCain's VP? Only time will tell. My vote is for Mitt Romney. :o)

Fever Blisters

Well, we leave for OH tomorrow. It's been a grand few days here at the Mons' home. I wish good friends didn't live so far away. :o( As much as I'd rather stay here and play endless games - there's so much I need to get done at home, namely, laundry!

So, I hadn't even thought of the possibility of Anna having fever blisters - especially not at 6 years old...but, she has one. Poor girl. She unfortunately will have to go through life with fever blisters & cancar sores, just like me. I wish that I could control what Anna received through our genes and what she didn't. Question of the day: what is something that you wish your child(ren) didn't receive from you?

DHOOM2

Melisa has introduced a new bollywood movie to me. It's a fast-action one. Here are some clips:






And here's Om Shanti Om, which I still haven't seen yet...

Vacationing in MI

We drove up to visit our friends Melisa & Brad (& their 3 kids) yesterday. Today we woke up to beautiful snow and it has continued to snow all day! It's such a beautiful sight to see - I wish we had more snow in OH. Maybe it will follow us back? :o)

We've spent the day relaxing, chatting, and playing games - not to mention fabulous food. Even now Melisa is making some scrumptious parmesan pork chops! YUM!

Tyler's eyes are recovering better each day. He said that if I ever get my eyes fixed - I should do lasik instead of PRK. Brad, who is a doctor, says that PRK is brutal torture for the eyes. He had lasik done and said he was able to see that same day...

Here is an adorable drawing by Anna about Jesus. Enjoy: