Vacation Pictures! Part 1: Dublin and Edinburgh

 I haven't posted in over 2 weeks, but for good reason--we are back from our Europe trip! Nick's buddy Terry went with us (his first time to even fly!) and we showed the UK how Oklahoma rolls. I took a million pics but I tried my best to condense it down to the best of the best for your viewing pleasure....

We had a layover in Chicago then from there we landed in Dublin, Ireland! Here we are outside the airport at 8am waiting for the bus to take us into the city.

 

We checked into our hotel then all took a short nap before heading out to explore the city on foot for the rest of the day. Here is Dublin Castle....

The next day we got up bright and early to meet our bus for a day tour of Boyne Valley. We started at the Hill of Tara where ancient Kings ruled from over a thousand years ago. Unfortunately our group was the first of the day there and we discovered that the historic Rock of Destiny on the hill had just been vandalized overnight.

 

Also at the hill were ancient burial tombs, and a statute of St. Patrick who came there in the 4th century to spread Christianity with the 3 leaf shamrock--symbolizing the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost to the Pagan rulers.

After that we headed to the town of Trim where we toured the ruins of Trim Castle which was built in the 1100s.

 

Next we went to the ancient burial tombs of Loughcrew that date back 6,000 years. There are pictures engraved into large stones at the tombs, and we were able to go inside one of the large burial mounds in the hills.

 

Next we went to Monasterboice cemetery where saw the Celtic High Cross of Muiredach which dates back to the 10th century.

After that we toured the town of Drogheda and got to have a private whiskey tasting at a local pub, then we checked out St. Peter's church where they have a decapitated head on display from a martyred saint in the 1700s.

The next afternoon we caught a  quick flight over to Edinburgh, Scotland. We hopped a bus to our next hotel then walked around the city after resting up for a bit. I was happily able to find a phone to call home with!! I was 6 hours ahead of my family so I had to wait until later in the afternoon when I knew they were awake. This was our favorite stop of all 4 countries we went to. The city was very picturesque with cobblestone streets, historic buildings, and a castle sitting up on the hill looking down at us.

Here is the Edinburgh Castle in the background

 

An old cemetery at the base of the castle that we walked around through. The headstones mostly had dates in the 1700s.

The next morning we again caught up with our tour bus for a day in the Scottish Highlands! We were in the bus for a majority of the trip since we covered so much distance, but we had fun with it!

First we walked thru the vacant Doune Castle that was built in the 1300s.

 

Here Nick is standing in a huge fireplace that was in the kitchen.

 

The banquet room

 

In between towns we made a rest stop and were able to see some native Scottish cows!

 

Here is the abandoned Kilchurn Castle (built in 1400s) on Loch Awe

Next we stopped in the town of Inverary to see the castle (built in 1700s) and tour the town after lunch.

 

Here is Stirling Castle (built in 1500s) where the monument to William Wallace is at.

 

That is all for now! I hope you enjoyed the pictures, because I enjoyed taking them! Check back soon for part 2 and rest of my pictures from London and Paris.

 

Getting Ready to Jet Set

I fully believe this is true! I keep my life simple and I splurge on travel. People tell me I'm "lucky" when they hear that I'm going here or there, but actually luck has nothing to do with it! I have very consciously disciplined myself to not be dependent on expensive luxuries and to be very frugal. I would so much rather spend my money on a vacation to a foreign land or far away island, rather than a new cell phone or fancy car. To me, it's simple. It can be for you too--just decide what you want more.

Our upcoming trip is less than a week away and I have been in full research mode. I am such a Type A planner--I have to know what to expect and what the schedule is. I loved our guided tour in Italy in 2008 because I knew exactly what each day would hold. For this trip we are traveling on our own, and so far I am the only one doing the planning. I feel a little more stressed because of that since our experience will now depend on what I have picked out.

I have done the best I can to pick day trips from 3 of the 4 cities we are visiting while factoring in cost, distance, time, and number of things to see that are included. What Nick and I usually do is spend some time walking around and checking out our immediate surrounding, then later spending a day getting out into the countryside away from the city and really seeing what that country is about. We have such a short time in each city (2 days) that we really have to condense our sightseeing into things we really want to do without wasting much time looking at a map or wondering around lost. Of course, sometimes wondering around lost can be fun!

Paris is the only city where I am not planning a day trip to get out of the city. I feel like there is so much big stuff to see and do in Paris that 2 days is not enough to leave it behind for something else. We are going to venture around the city and just see what we can in the time we are there.

The hard part of the planning is pretty much done, now I just have to figure out what outfits I'm going to pack!

Super Moist Lemon Blueberry Yogurt Cake

I have made this twice now, and each time it is a major hit! It has not lasted longer than 2 days in my house. I am a huge fan of lemon and blueberry desserts, and if you are too then this is the perfect one for you! I used *this* Ina Garten recipe, and added the blueberries to it. YUM.

Cake:
1 1/2 c flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 c plain yogurt
3 eggs
1 c sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
grated zest of 2 lemons
1/2 c vegetable oil
1 c blueberries

Syrup:
1/3 c fresh lemon juice
1/3 c sugar

Glaze:
1 c powdered sugar
2-3 tbs fresh lemon juice

Preheat oven to 350. Grease large loaf pan. Sift first 3 ingredients together. In separate bowl, whisk remaining ingredients except for berries. Slowly add flour mixture until mixed, then gently fold in blueberries. Pour into loaf pan and bake 50-60 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. When done baking, heat ingredients for syrup on stove until sugar is dissolved, then pour over loaf in pan. Let cool for 15-20 min, then gently invert from pan onto wire rack to completely cool. Transfer to serving tray, and mix glaze ingredients together. Drizzle over top of loaf and enjoy!

 

This cake is seriously so moist you are not going to believe it. If you don't eat it all within a day or two I would recommend keeping it in the fridge. Enjoy!

Feelings of a Mom Getting Ready for IVF

We are now just one month away from starting injections for our next IVF cycle. The feelings and emotions this time around have been markedly different than last time. It's amazing how much can change in a few years! 6 years ago we were at our wits end and IVF was our last resort to having a child. We didn't know if it would work, and when it did work we didn't know how the pregnancy would go. Amazingly it all went off without a hitch (except that fact that he didn't want to come out!) and now we have a blessed little almost-5-year-old to keep us entertained.

I feel like this time around I am more calm and relaxed because I know what to expect from the medications and hormones. I know how my body responded the first time, but I also know that I am 6 years older and it may not respond as well this time around. I am using a different doctor (my first one retired) so I'm not sure what to expect from him. I have heard he is aggressive. I also have a different OB, so if I do get pregnant it will be a new doctor delivering and a new hospital.

Yes I am starting to get nervous. I know how lucky we were to get pregnant with our first cycle, and I know it may not happen for us this time. I know I will be devastated if it does not. I know I am blessed to even have one healthy child, but I know that he would love to have a sibling. I loved being pregnant and hope that I am able to experience that at least one more time.

One big difference with this second TTC journey is I am not nearly as bitter as I was before. You other infertiles know what I'm talking about---your insides just cringe every time you see another announcement, baby shower invite, mom with 10 kids at the store, etc. I was filled with a lot of hatred before that I could do nothing about. I still get annoyed by women who conceive just by looking at their husbands (or drunk boyfriends.....) but I can much more easily brush it off and know that my journey has led me here for a reason and I am blessed in my own way.

My support system is also a little different this time around. 6 years ago I had a completely different circle of coworkers, as well as friends outside of work. I had a couple close friends who were also in the middle of their own infertility journeys, and we could vent to each other on the bad days. Those friends are busy with their own lives now and outside of my house I am alone with my infertility. No one to call after my latest RE appointment. No one to whine to about the hormone injection side effects. Nick is of course there with me every step of the way, as is my mom, but the support of a girlfriend helps in a different way.

The outcome of our IVF will also determine how soon we try to sell our home again. If it works, we will take our time and wait a few more years. If it does not, then we will build up our savings and list our house for sale as soon as we hit our goal. We both still very much want to move out of the state and get a change of scenery.

I have also decided to only share my IVF blogs on Facebook with a select group of friends who might be interested in reading about it. A lot of my Facebook friends are either just acquaintances, or singles who have no interest in reading about beta levels or follicle sizes. I thought about not sharing it on there at all, but I know I have several people who are supporting me and like to follow my journey. I write about my experiences not just to get it of my chest, but also to maybe enlighten and help someone else out there who might be going thru the same thing. If you would like to follow my blog and aren't seeing the links posted on Facebook, just message me to let me know and I will add you to the list! I know the first time we did IVF I scoured the internet for every bit of information on it and any little side effect I should expect throughout the whole thing.

Thank you for reading, and keep us in your prayers!

Fun at the Lake with Family

My shift yesterday at work got cancelled because of a slow schedule so what did we do? Went camping! We packed up the trailer and headed out as soon as Brad got out of school. I had checked the forecast earlier that day and it was supposed to be clear, but we noticed dark clouds in the distance on our way to the lake. We tried a different camping ground that was a little more rustic but had a better view of the water. We saw some turkeys and deer on our way there.

I had invited my mom and stepdad to join us for a campfire dinner. They met us there shortly after we got the camp ground situated. Just a few minutes after they showed up we got hit with high winds and a thunderstorm! We jumped into the camper to ride it out, and I brewed some coffee to keep us warm :)

After several episodes of thinking the rain was over, then it started again, we were finally able to gather some sticks and make a campfire. The view of the water was pretty, as well as the storms in the distance.

We all roasted hotdogs and marshmallows and had a fun time sitting around the fire and enjoying nature. They headed home around 7 and we stayed by the fire enjoying the calm and cool evening. As the sun set I got Brad ready for bed. He passed out within a few minutes, then Nick and I stayed outside with a big fire to talk and star gaze.

The night was uneventful and we all got up around 7:30 for breakfast and coffee. We headed home around 9:30 and had time for lunch before Brad went to school.

We are already planning another camping trip down to Foster to boondock at my inlaws' house again on Saturday!

Vacationing with Vinny!

 Who is Vinny? Well Vinny is the vintage trailer! I have to credit my mom for that name idea, and we feel like it fits pretty well! We bought it a couple of weeks ago (read about it here) and went on the hunt for an SUV shortly after. It took us a few days of searching but we finally found a nice used SUV that could tow our new toy! It is a 2005 Ford Explorer 4x4. It has 3rd row seating, towing package, 4 wheel drive, and is in great shape! Nick was pretty happy with all of the under-the-hood things so that is all that matters. Insurance on it is super cheap and it is nice knowing we have a 4x4 during bad weather.

Literally the day after we got the truck we headed out to Lake Thunderbird for our maiden voyage! We just had a short night trip there with the camper as a sort of test run to see how it towed, how comfy it was, what the campground was like, what we would want to bring for next time, etc.

 There were a few other campers there but they were the ginormous RVs that cost as much as my house. Each spot had it's own picnic table, grill, and fire pit! We parked and plugged in, then I commissioned Brad to help me collect sticks for the fire.

There were several trails so we went wondering around and looking at the lake until the sun went down.

 

 I got the fire going at dusk and we all sat around it roasting hotdogs and marshmallows until we ran out of sticks! Brad had a blast and was worn out by bedtime. He fell asleep in about 10 minutes! Nick and I stayed outside by the fire enjoying some quiet time in the dark for awhile longer.

 

 I did not anticipate the night temperatures being as cold as they were--we were freezing! Brad had a warm fleece blanket and slept soundly, but Nick and I just had a thin blanket and didn't get much sleep at all. We all woke up pretty early the next morning and started to pack up and head home after coffee. I had to work that next day, and Brad had to go to school so we weren't able to stay and enjoy the lake very long!

I found a cute little coffee pot just for the camper! I have been getting creative with storage tips and tricks for camping too.

 

We had a blast for our first family camping trip and of course Brad can't wait to go again. When the weather gets warmer and we can swim in the lake it will be much more fun.

We actually took the camper out again this week, but on a much longer trip--to my inlaws! They live in Foster, OK which is about 80 miles from where I live. The trailer hauled like a champ with no issues (despite 30mph wind gusts) and we parked right outside the house. They threw us an extension cord and made ourselves at home. We stayed inside chatting until bedtime then Nick and I retired to the camper. Brad insisted on sleeping inside with his favorite cousin. We stayed much warmer this time around and packed a better blanket! In the morning we headed inside for breakfast and coffee then headed home to unpack before school and work again. His parents loved having us overnight, and I'm sure we'll do it again soon!

 

Moving Right Along!

With TTC that is! This morning I went in for my baseline US and blood work. I also spoke with my doctor's IVF coordinator and got my booklet of info and consent forms to sign. I'm pretty excited about it and curious how much has changed since our first time 6 years ago. I am keeping my hope levels in neutral as long as I can while being realistic and optimistic at the same time.

I feel like this time around I will have a little less anxiety since I will already know how it works, what to expect, how I'm going to feel (emotionally and physically), and the fact that I have one successful cycle under my belt. Unfortunately I also know that each cycle is different and it may not work for us this time. We may not have any embryos to freeze again, and we may come home with empty arms and an empty bank account.

We take these risks because we have faith in God's plan for our family, and we feel like this is where He has led us at this point in time.

My next appointment will be next month for another consultation with my doctor, then I will start meds in June!!! Please keep us in your prayers.

Check Out Our New Toy....

Yes we finally found one that was right for us! I have been looking for a vintage camper for several months now and was getting a bit disheartened that I hadn't found a good lead yet. Usually if everything looked in decent condition there would be a problem with the tag, title, or price. There definitely aren't that many of these around here, and they sell quickly when posted online. I happend upon this on on craigslist and was able to look at it (and buy it!) the same day!

It is a 1968 Playmor and has pretty much been redone inside and out! It is ready to take camping as soon as we bring it home. It is just what I was looking for--small with two bed, a mini-kitchen, and no bathroom. I didn't want a bathroom because I don't want to deal with "holding tank" nastiness. The only bad thing is that this one didn't come with a fridge but it does have a spot for one and it should be easy to find. It is very clean will fit nicely in our driveway. We are bringing it home on Saturday!

The other thing we have to do pretty quickly now is sell Nick's PT Cruiser and buy an SUV to pull the trailer with! We have already found several potential ones that he is going to check into tomorrow. I can't wait to take it out soon for our first family camping trip!!!!