1/2 hour left?

Wow, time sure does fly. I remember in January getting my first BFP and being SO ecstatic over it.  Of course those smiles quickly turned upside down a month later when our dear Pumpkin grew his wings and flew off to Heaven on 2/24. I'll never forget you, little guy!

However, the m/c gave me some time to reflect upon myself and get out and live a little, for a little longer.

We went to the crazy St Patty's day celebration on Greenville Avenue in Dallas; had a few beers and chilled out. We missed the parade, unfortunately, but still managed to have a decent time out there, in spite of being packed in with other people like sardines! And the porta-potties, uh- let's not go there. Bleh.

Then in May Keith and I went on an awesome road trip for two weeks. From DFW to Albequerque to Vegas to CA to Yosemite to Reno to Salt Lake City and through a snowstorm to Denver! Yes, a snowstorm in the middle of May. It was awesome, more snow than I remembered seeing in my entire life; sorta like those movies you see portraying the North. Then we continued through KS and OK back home. Exhausted but happy we got home and collapsed on our beds, falling right to sleep.

Then September zipped right up to us and Keith and I celebrated our first wedding anniversary. We thawed out the cake, which believe it or not was DELISH and ate it up over the next couple of days while enjoyong our precious time with each other.

Then the "Holidays" snuck right up on us... seriously, had we not been looking they would have run us right over. Flat.

Still no BFP in sight I began to get a little discouraged, especially after temping for two months. But at least I knew everything apperaed to be working okay- I was ovulating, LP seemed OK... then something else snuck up on me the Sunday after Christmas- another BFP*! OK so it didn't exactly sneak up on me since I saw my temp rise when I had expected it to fall, but it still caught me off guard!

*Got my first Beta back- doc said a "very weak positive, but don't fret..." on my voicemail. She wanted to talk about any symptoms I was having.  That's right- I had forgotten- I just started charting a few months ago- she doesn't know I'm doing that! lol but the bad thing is since I had the second set of numbers done today I have to wait til Monday to see my results. It's gonna be a looooooooong weekend, ladies and gents. Gotta keep distracted. FAITH OVER FEAR, right?

Limbo

I woke up Sunday and took my temperature (as I have been doing) and noted the temperature mentally, 98 even. Hmph. Back to sleep.

Woke up for good and noticed that the temp was up .2 degrees from the day before, when I was convinced by timing it would go down (I was 14DPO that day and it was very cold the night before). Hmmm.

So I figured, what the heck, took my last preggo test and viola` a BFP- I'M PREGNANT!!! Went to the doc for my first set of bloodwork  yesterday and I haven't heard back yet but I'm okay with that since I go back tomorrow for another poke and the numbers that come from that one, when compared to yesterday's, will matter most.

Please send me some positive vibes that we get awesome news!! After the miscarriage earlier this year, I am very cautious still. Currently we stand at about 4 weeks.

 

While the camera doesn't do this thing much justice, trust me- it looks better in person! lol

Wow.

I can't believe it's Christmas Eve already!! Seriously, where has the year gone?? It seems just like yesterday we were putting the tree up and decorating for Christmas and now I don't even have everything wrapped yet and tomorrow's the big day! EEK!

BIL is coming over for a little dinner with us tonite and our house is still a mess (as usual), bills and junkmail are strewn on the kitchen table and the living room is disheveled (as is the rest of the house). And here I sit, talking about it! Guess I better get busy.

BTW, apparently Keith has a little more shopping to do and I swear I heard him snoring in the living room just a minute ago. I have a tiny bit more myself.

Perhaps I should names this post "Procrastination," instead?

A Night of fun!

So I finally dragged Keith out to Six Flags Holiday in the Park yesterday. Since I hadn't been there in two years, I was looking forward to seeing soem old friends. Not only did I accomplish that but I soaked in some of that Holiday cheer and the changes (for the better!) at the park.

Wha????

My head is completely underwater and I begin kicking and flapping my arms to get back up. But I am further under than I thought I was. Oops. So I exhale but there's not much in my lungs and I continue to scissor-kick my feet to break surface ASAP.

I finally broke the surface and took a breath, but there's still a problem. I'm. still. ascending. I opened my eyes and saw the pool way below me and the people looked small. I think they were looking up at me. Then I saw clouds right in front of me. oh God. I was now becoming very scared. When I attempted to inhale again I couldn't. The air was too thin. The planet was looking smaller. I saw the atmosphere. Tried to breathe again to no avail. I began to panic, still ascending.

Open, eyes, OPEN! I woke up. Thankfully, it was just a dream.

So I know this is a day late and all but I just had to share this.

Yesterday, sometimes between when my alarm went off and my snooze alarm was getting ready to, I had a very strange dream, as you can see.

Keith has a theory about it and his is TTC-related. It may be. Could also be work-related... anyone else have any thoughts?

Sadly I can't remember last night's dreams- I was going to try to remember them but got distracted in the process by a TV, on the other side of the house, loud enough to wake the neighbors. Men.

YAY BUSH!!

No, I haven't gone gay. *crickets chirping* Ok, that was a lousy one. Never mind.

I'm sure you've heard by now, President Bush pushed through an auto "bailout" (as the media like to call it) to save GM and Chrysler (for now).

Thank you Dubya! By doing this, you just saved literally millions of jobs (for the time being). You realize, unlike the nose-pickers in congress right now (some thankfully about to leave), that this kind of a loss (losing the auto industry) would wreak major havoc on our economy.  You realize that any sort of "plan" from these guys for long-term viability is a long-term project, not one that can be whipped up together in, oh, two weeks. Thank you for your intelligence, I hope Obama lets you pass it on to him. Not that he's not intelligent, he's just too far left! 'Nuf said there. Thank you again!

This wasn't intended to be a letter to President Bush, but a rave, but as I typed it I felt like molding it more into a letter to him. I am trying to set aside my cynicism toward Pres.-Elect Obama, but the more I see about his plans, the harder that is to do. More on that later.

Well, Well...

Last night Keith and myself were getting ready to meet with some of his co-workers for some fun and wouldn't you know, literally the minute I even considered putting some makeup on, some stupid bird had to come along, sit down and fart on our power line. Go figure. I mean, the lights going out on us literally the minute I am going to go put my make-up on, what kind of sign is that? Fortunately for me (and everybody else around me, trust me) the place we got to was not the brightest-lit. Phew.

Once inside we met a few people who had already arrived and chilled out, talking about, of all things, how we met our spouses. Once others arrived we headed to the alley and did some bowling. I started out pretty lousy as neither Keith nor I had bowled for literally a couple of years. It took me a few tries to again get the position right, but after I literally fell flat on my butt after slipping on those shoes I said no more, heading immediately to get Keith and myself a beer. Worked like a charm. My game improved about half a beer later, with me actually hitting pins.

By the end of the second round the beer wore off and my game looked more like it did when I had first started, so Keith and I picked up and went off to the arcade, where we played ourselves silly in racing games and games of skill.

This morning I am a little sore from that dang bowling. LOL 

Crazy, Crazy...

So I was sitting in here getting ready to log off my computer when I heard a strange noise coming from behind me. At first it sounded like someone was sort of "handling" the exercise ball but I soon realized that the closet door was open. Then the noise became clear- a cat scratching! I saw Keely sitting on the floor looking into the closet and soon after that Lizzie darted out- after scratching on the leftover carpet DH stashed in there.

Turkeys.

And Lizzie's the Drame Queen of the duo. As in, she'll DIE if she doesn't get outside at this minute because there's a monster, in the very closet she just darted out of, that will eat her. It will pop out of the attic opening, come down and swoop her back up there, to its little, secret cave. That would explain the urgent need to sharpen her claws IN THERE, right?

Then she has to come back in here and literally climb the ladder sitting behind me (which we've been too lazy to put away) to sit on top of the book case, presumbaly to guard me. How sweet of her...

Whoops, she just jumped down and ran out of here again... she must have seen IT again.

So... Incredibly... ANNOYING!

Got home from work today and of course retrieved our mail. Found an interesting letter from our city reminding us to register our dog.

This is the same dog whom THEY picked up at our house one morning... *after* the stupid registration... because he was DEAD. Ummmm... what's wrong with the picture here?

Surely a scan through their records wouldn't have cost near the $5 we paid for their useless tag (seriously- if he was lost either A-he could snag his collar on something and lose it anyway or B- someone could easily steal him and take off his collar!<---that scenario has actually happened to others before!) to see that, um, this dog they are writing to us about is the same dead one they picked up!

Ugh. Slightly annoyed here.

Work, Work, Work... Not for long?

The economic uncertainty certainly has nearly everybody- if not everybody- on edge.  Today alone, CNN reports that over 20,000 jobs have been cut... today alone!

This is scary stuff. It honestly has made me contemplate... what would I do if I was on the chopping block next? While I won't disclose where exactly I work, I will say that I work for *drumroll* an auto finance company. And it's one of the big three. So does my husband (that's how we met).  Needless to say there is some anxiety as to what will happen if congress once again *ahem* puts their heads in the wrong place.

Not to say that what those CEOs pulled two weeks ago was acceptable; flying in on their corporate jets like our jobs were at stake. I myself was angered by that gesture, so I totally understand the no-way-in-hell stance some congressmen and women have regarding this "bailout." (I put that in quotes because it is actually a loan. That's right, a loan.)

However I certainly hope that they understand the dire consequences of letting these companies go! I'm sure that most people know that literally millions of jobs are at stake. Yet congress wants to make sure the CEOs take responsibility for their actions. (So fire them!) But by letting the Big Three go bankrupt, they're only punishing the little guy: who works for and may even own the dealer, the suppliers, little businesses such as restaurants surrounding the assembly plants, their finance companies (!); the list goes on and on of who will be affected. Almost everybody.

Knowing that information, it floors me that 60% (roughly?) of Americans think the "bailout" shouldn't happen. Are they blind to the current unemployment conditions? The economy in its current state? Please, take a look for yourself at the jobs which will be immediately affected by congress' decision next week. I say this not only as an American whose job is potentially affected by this crisis, but as a concerned citizen.

It took me 5 months to find the jot I have right now- I'm not sure I want to have to look for another one- just yet!

Guess only time will tell what happens...

Sunrise, Sunset

The air grew colder and colder as Keith and I made our way up the slippery, wet rock toward the white stream one May evening. Struggling to keep my camera dry, I tucked it into my shirt, wishing I had brought along my jacket as I shivered from the cold. My skin was drenched, and I could take no more so we stopped and looked up.

The roar of the white water made it hard to talk, but the view was purely breathtaking. The mountain stared down at us from a height of at least 200-300 feet, with a white stream down the middle of black, then gray rock. The white stream came hit the bottom with a hearty roar and a drenching spray. For the first time in years, I felt God's gift of awe and wonder once again, at Bridalveil Falls in Yosemite.



I confess, to my readers, that I am a nature freak. NOT to be confused with freak of nature. *rim shot*

Seriously, though, I LOVE sunrises, sunsets, mountains, waterfalls, etc etc etc. On the way to work the other day Keith and I saw this BEAUTIFUL sky often reserved for NTX evenings: Red and orange across the sky. I have often read that a "Red sky at morning, sailors take warning" (or something to that nature), however this proved to be a lie as it turned out to be a beautiful day, bright and sunny, albeit windy.

Fast forward to this evening. Heading north on one of our main highways home, the sky was painted bright orange, red and yes, even purple. One of the best sunsets Keith and I have seen in a long time. Usually you see these types of sunsets in the summer, not late fall. But I'm not one to complain about this.

Within minutes it turned to yellow and orange, then finally once the sun was down the clouds turned to a gorgeous shade of a brownish color (mauve, maybe?). Alas, I did not have my camera with me so I was unable to capture the moment to share it. It was GORGEOUS. I may need to start carrying my camera with me all the time, except... I don't wanna risk losing it. This may call for buying a cheapie to carry around at all times.

Hmmmmm... Keith has been asking me what I want for Christmas... *wink*

Finally... Decorated!!

As 2008 draws to a close (about which I have mixed feelings) I am in disbelief that it's nearly over. As in, putting up our Christmas tree. Yup, it's that time of the year again, already. Yikes.

After an awesome Thanksgiving with my aunt, uncle, cousins, mom, her friend, and my grandpa Keith and I had to work the next day (bleh, but I am glad to have a job). As a result we were rendered unable to put up our tree til the weekend. Finally, after several hours of cleaning and butt-busting, we finally got the tree up!

Keith and I have enjoyed several fires (in the fireplace, of course) already with our chilled weather. A relief after July's 107-degree days. Bleh. And we're in NTX (North Texas)!