~week In review~

I haven't bloggged lately b/c I didn't really have much to say so I figured I would recap the week, its been a busy one!!!

Sunday: The day after the Fall Festival which turned out to be great (according to others who were there) & I swore I was just gonna come home & chill but I forced myself to go to the Y for a Step class & Zumba, yep thats right, almost a 2 hr. workout, I needed it though, so it was okay.

Monday: Woke up at 6:40am & my body was screaming at me..."you eeeedddiiiioooot, what were you thinking?!" But, there are no breaks when you're a mom so I HAD to get up & get Grant ready for school. I raced to get him dressed, fed, & lunch packed so I could quickly return to bed. Bill offered to take him & I didn't resist the offer. I went back to bed @ 7:30 & slept until 10:30am. Oh how wonderful that felt, and my body thanked me sincerely. I just stayed home the rest of the day and piddled around until it was time to go get the boy from school.

Tuesday: Up & at 'em early, got Grant off to school, came home, did a bit of laundry, unload & load dishwasher, ate some b'fast then headed out for my Tues. morning exercise class. Got a text from my brother that he & my favorite Uncle Fred were bringing my Mamaw up to see my dad in Lebanon. So after my class, Bill & I headed out there for a visit. It was great to see my grandmother. I fear she doesn't have much longer on this earth but I know her place is secured in heaven. I love her so much & desperately wish I could see her more.

Wednesday: HUMP DAY! Today was Grant's first Field Trip @ Pumpkin Hill in Mt. Juliet. Bill & I got there early to meet the bus but later found out that the buses that were supposed to be @ Tulip Grove Elem arrived late to pick up the Kindergarten classes & then they had to cram all the kids into two buses b/c the third one wasn't coming at all. Since Grant is zoned Metro, its not surprising that the lack of communication has been a generational problem. Speaking of MNPS, I have tried to make contact with different people in HR to find out about an online interview I have to do AND obtaining some info in regards to subbing in this system. So far, NO ONE! has returned my phone calls. So I say FFFFOOOORRRGGEETT IIITTTT! I am not going to waste any more of my time trying to deal with people who can't return a phone call. NEXT!!!

Thursday: I stayed up way too late & tried to talk myself out of going to the gym but I didn't get to go to Zumba on Wed. so I seriously had to force myself to get to the gym. After I finished exercising, I raced home to change clothes & dashed out the door to get to Lebanon. I FINALLY am getting closer to substituting in Wilson Co. I met with the sub coordinator & I got my paperwork completed & left with a Handbook & orders to go get a drug test. The place I went to was nearby so I went in, signed my name to the clipboard & sat down. I thought to myself, "Self, this shouldn't take too long, all I gotta do is pee in a cup & viola! I should be outta here in no time flat!" Well, that wasn't the case....it took an hour worth of waiting for a ten minute testing procedure. It was somewhat awkward handing over a cup of your own bodily fluid to a shall we say handsome young lab technician. Yes, it was a tinge bit embarassing. Moving on, I had a dentist appt @ 1pm to get a filling replaced that I lost on Wed. So I was in Lebanon & guess where my dentist is? in Madison. I took rt. 109 hoping I could make it there in an hour. NOPE! got held up in construction traffic for 20 minutes or more. I called the dentist office to let them know I was going to be late. After much speeding & praying that I wouldn't get a tixket, I made it there. Sat in the dentist chair for 2 hours!!!! One filling took 2 hours!!!! OMG! I was about to take a nap when they finally got back to me. Sheesh, what a pain! I spent the evening with my boy "chill-axin" and picking up around the house.

Friday: a Dr. Phil-ism "today is going to be a changing day in your life". Yep, thats for sure!
I haven't been an open book about this topic so I have chosen to reveal the details here in this forum for all to read & understand. So here it goes. Its possible that people have wondered why Bill & I haven't had another child. We have been trying for about the past year-year & a half. Every month became a waiting game & then disappointment. So I requested that Bill go to his Dr. & get some blood work done & another semen analysis. Around the same time he had his appts. I went to my ob/gyn for a yearly exam ( I haven't had one in 2 yrs.), she also wanted to test my hormone levels & my thyroid. Fast forward a bit, my pap smear came back normal, my progesterone level was a bit on the low side but my thyroid was normal. Bills tests came back & his hormone level was normal but the sperm count, morphology, and motility were abnormal meaning below levels that are normal or conducive to producing a baby. So my ob/gyn recommended us to the Nashville Fertility Center. Our appt. with them was today 10/30.
Before I even walked through the doors, I took a deep breath & asked God to guide me in my emotions & to stay aware of what was going to be said. More times than not, I seem to tune out what doctors say & my thoughts overtake my ability to really listen & understand what the doctor is saying. Anyway, met with Dr. Abby Eblin. She was super nice, straight to the point, explained everything clearly & seemed pretty supportive. I guess you have to be when you are the doctor trying to help perform miracles. She went over our health history, asked us some more questions and gave us our "game plan". More on that in just a minute. Bill had to get outta there p-d-q to get Grant from school so they rushed him to the lab to give blood to run more tests. I on the otherhand stayed so Dr. Eblin could examine me & they also did an ultrasound. I waited for about 30 min. for her to come back & let me know what the ultrasound showed. I have a small cyst (has a funky name) on my left ovary. Nothing life threatening but she does want to watch it b/c if it grows, it might need to be removed. One positive thing is that a woman of my age normally has 10 or less microfollicles but I have about 10-15 on each side which is good b/c those are what release the egg from the ovaries. She also took another blood sample for some further testing, she wants to check hormone levels again. OKAY, with all that being said, here is the Game Plan:
Its a procedure called IUI *intrauterine insemination*. Google that and you will find out what its all about. I won't go into a lot of detail about it but that is what we are going to do next month. So there you have it, the whole kitten caboodle....my crazy busy life in just one week.
I apologize if this is too long, I like to share what's on my mind.

Oh, and since today is Halloween, we are headed over to my OBF's house for some food, fun, & trick or treating I will post pics sometime next week. Be safe out there!!! until next time,
luvyameanit

random thoughts that wont escape me

Like every other woman on this planet, I have a continuous list of things "to do". OR the thoughts of things that never escape me! Here are some of them!

*I need to finish some projects that are related to our church's Fall Festival & I need to get them done quickly

* I wish I knew how to sew, I reall,y want to learn before I die!

* Grant is home for Fall Break...how are we going to get along?

* I have plans to exercise everyday this week....can I stick to it?

* I want to do some Personal Training but I need about $200 extra buck laying around.

* I LOVE Zumba....it makes me feel like a sexy Latina lady!!! LOL : ) just kidding!

* I am not an event planner nor will I ever claim to be!

* How old will my son be before he stops entering the bathroom uninvited while I am doing my business?

* I wonder if I can take a Free photography class online somewhere?

*how is it that I can make a list for the grocery store & still forget that ONE thing I really needed? my dad knows what I mean!

* Now more than ever, I need God's providence in my life....everything seems uncertain, everything but HIM!

* how long will it take for me to starti subbing, I mean really, I didn't think it would take THIS long!

* I would like to go on vacation......to the beach!

* I hope this weekend goes off w/o a hitch!!! but I am not sleeping outside if it rains during Caravan campout...no day ho day (as MCM would say)...fat chance for that one!

* My son is a pecious child given to me by God & if he is the only one I will ever have, I will be thankful for God's goodness. Jeremiah 29:11

* I miss summer....love the Fall.....hate the cold!

until next time......luvyameanit!

Honeysuckle Hill Farm

We went out of our comfort zone this year & visited a different Pumpkin Patch. Its called Honesuckle Hill Farm & its in Springfield, TN. Its so gorgeous out there in the counrty. There was a ton of stuff to keep the boy occupied. As you can see from the pictures, he really enjoyed himself. They had like 5 different play structures, an enormous sand box, tire swings, teeter totther, hay ride (w/o hay), corn mazes, a cow train, etc....It was a lot of fun, we stayed out there for at leat 3 hrs. Its definitely a favorite in my book of places to go. Oh, and they had pretty decent food & a super cute "old general store" type of concession stand. I even bought some homeade blackberry preserves. TFR!

you can click on the pictures to make them bigger....

~anniversary gift~

My swwet hubby bought me a new scrappin' gadget....he knows how to melt my heart....
I didnt know how to copy & paste an actual picture but here's a link to my new toy....so excited!!

http://www.cricut.com/gypsy/product.details.aspx

~Our Story~

I have never taken the opportunity to tell the story of us, so here it goes......
After finishing my first year @ Trevecca, I found a place to live in Mt. Juliet & a summer job at WalMart. I didn't know a soul except for the lady I was living with & the people I attended church with. So, while working one day, I noticed a guy who worked part time in the Electronics dept. I didn't know his name but I figured he looked like a guy I could hang out with & just have a pal to show me around the area. Before we really started talking, we caught a shoplifter who was trying to steal a television coming through my line. Anyway, I asked him if he wanted to go get a drink (coke) one day & he said sure. Our first meeting was a bit hysterical b/c I was unfamiliar with the area restaurants & I thought that O'Charleys was on Lebanon Rd., instead its on Old Hickory Blvd. I was so embarrassed that I showed up 20 min. late. He didn't seem to care. BTW, our first "date" was on his mom's birthday as I later found out. It seems like we never skipped a beat since then. We dated for over year but he proposed to me on his birthday that same year. We got hitched on Oct. 4, 1997. It was a small wedding, paid mostly by us. I was 20, he was 25. So young was I but I was tired of playing the games of the guys I was dating. Our honeymoon years were fun....we went to Vegas when I turned 21, he spoiled me in every way you can think of (he still does), and we had our typical newlywed fights. I can remember one fight we had where I slammed his leg in the door of my car & made a really bad bruise.....I don't even remember what we were fighting about but I do remember hurting him, don't worry he forgave me....I think? lol.
We made it to 5 years & celebrated in Hawaii....I don't think I ever told anyone this but I thought I was pregnant when we were in Hawaii but in retrospect I think I had a bad test or just simply an extremely late cycle. When we were coming home, I started to think I was miscarrying but the opposite was happening, it was just really bad period. Anyway, we started to think more seriously about having children. I started tracking my cycles, counting days, taking my temperature & fertility drugs, on & on it went for almost three years. Then my MIL passed away in August of 2003, my FIL moved into our home, we were trying to sell their home, I was going to school, working, dealing with all sorts of emotions & stress, ugh it was all a bit much at the time. In addition, I remember a big fight between us the weekend of Halloween. I think I gave him the silent treatment for at least a 24 hour period. I was furious with what transpired on Halloween ( I won't mention it but it was terrible). Then, on a Saturday night we went to dinner @ Longhorn & had a "come to Jesus meeting" & then he drove me up to the Hermitage Hills Church of Christ parking lot which overlooks the city of Hermitage. I forgave him for his mistake & realized in our conversation that I hadn't had a period in several weeks. I thought to myself, 'heck, I will get a test & see what happens'. The next morning was a Sunday and we were getting ready to go to church. I took the test & hopped in the shower. Bill was the one who saw the results first & we were both shocked. Nine months later on July 1, 2004 we had our son, Grant. We celebrated seven years & things were rough that first year of child rearing. But, we make it through. His dad moved out in early 2005 & life seemed to get a bit smoother. I wanted to get back into school so after Grant turned one, I re-enrolled part time @ the community college. My BFF kept him for me so I could go to classes. When Grant turned 2 1/2, I went back to school full time. It truly was a challenging four years, we juggled a lot between us. We had to work hard at communicating & sharing responsibilities. He was definitely supportive of my desire to earn a college degree but there were times when it was stressful on both of us. This past year has had its challenges as well. I won't ever believe that marriage is easy. It has its moments where you can say to yourself "what was I thinking?" but then there are the moments & memories that make you laugh especially at each other and at yourself. I can say one thing about my husband, he's definitely a comic when he wants to be. I also know that he truly loves me, wants me to be happy, and would do anything for me. Its been a ride for sure, I pray that we last at least another 12 years....then maybe I can trade him in for a new model, hehe J/K.
And that folks, is the story of us.....

HaLLoWeen TReaT BoX

So I finally finished one of my many Halloween Craft projects. Its a treat boc that I plan to use for a party later this month. I was inspired to try this when I saw a similar project in one of the October magazines I picked up @ Lowe's one day. I actually didn't plan to do it unitl I found the 'naked' house at Hobby Lobby. I picked up some "halloweenee" looking paper & modge podge. The most time consuming part was the rooftop. I had to cut the paper into squares & then distress the edges with black ind. The fence is made out of jumbo craft sticks covered with gray paper & distressed with black ink as well. I hot glued the sticks to the edge. I think its so cute, I can't wait to use it. Oh, & the boy helped me a bit too, he thought it was fun to be my assisstant. TaTa4now!