I bet you didn't know....

1. I only have 7% hearing in my left ear. I believe it was during a camping trip before my senior year in high school that I suffered nerve damage that fizzled out my hearing. I didn't go in for a hearing test until the end of the school year and it was revealed that I had significant hearing loss. Because it is nerve damage, no hearing aide can help bring my sense of hearing back. Whenever I have any pain in my right ear, I immediately go to the doctor since I'm terrified of losing hearing in that ear.

2. For a short time in high school, eating chocolate gave me horrible migraines. I stopped eating it for over a year. It was depressing but I grew out of it. I've since determined that it was the caffeine I'm "allergic" to and can't have it in large amounts. I'm the person who orders a decaf mocha at Starbucks.

3. When I was 8 years old, we moved into a brand new house. We actually watched it be built! I lived there until I was 18 and went away to college. Less than a half mile around the corner, my husband lived in the exact same model house, from the age of 16 to 25. The only difference is that the houses are mirror images of each other. My dad still lives in the house and his parents still live in their house. The first time my husband went to my dad's house, he asked where the bathroom was. We all were aware of the fact that he lived in the exact same model so we laughed at him. Good times.

4. When I was in college, the residential association planned a field trip to see The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. I, along with 2 friends, took the bus ride to Burbank and waited in line to see the show. I'm not a Leno fan so for me, it was just going to be a cool experience but my friend was a huge Leno fan and was really hoping she would get a chance to sit in the front section of the studio audience. Somehow, while walking into the studio, I was chosen to sit in that front section. She sat up in the back row of the upper seating area. I was even pulled on stage during the pre-show gab session and Jay Leno made a joke about me. Later on, he winked at me during a commercial break.

5. No less than 3 times, strangers have asked if me and my sister are twins. One time, a man actually assumed we were twins. He said  to us "I have a pair at home myself." HUH???

6. In first grade, while spinning on playground equipment after school, I fell and broke my arm. My dad drove like a mad man to the hospital and I had 3 casts over a period of time to heal it.

7. I turned down the offer to go on a blind date with my now husband several times before eventually giving in.

8. Before we met, my husband and I worked out at the same gym but at very different times of the day. It is funny to think we could have run into each other if I was the type to work out in the late evenings.

9. Both of my parents are in the Athletic Hall of Fame at their alma mater.

10. Living in a 3 story dorm in college provided a lot of funny memories but one of my favorite is when a few people took Ecstasy one night. Me and my roommate and some others were horrified and scared of the way these girls were acting so we locked ourselves in our room and didn't answer the door when they knocked. Then, someone pulled the fire alarm (which happened a lot) but we made the educated (?) decision to stay in our room to avoid having to see these high people. We watched from our window as they sat outside in the cold, acting a fool. Oh College....

Little River/Mendocino: A Weekend Away

On Friday morning, we packed up the car and drove 3+ hours to the Mendocino coast. It was our first time in this area of California and I hope it won't be our last. After a stop to get a donut for National Donut Day, we enjoyed the serene drive through parts of Wine Country I didn't even know existed!

We stayed at the Little River Inn in Little River, CA. This was a wonderful little hotel. The views were perfect, the food was good and the rooms were adorable. The company? Even better. I'm married to the most amazing man who makes me laugh and smile and gets me thoughtful (though not currently available) anniversary gifts. I have tons of pictures but just wanted to share these 3 from the weekend.

 Watching the sunset on our anniversary from two rocking chairs outside of our hotel room

 Point Cabrillo Light Station in Mendocino. It was a beautiful day to stand on the top and take in the views.

From our hotel room. We pretended we were in Hawaii but really, the Mendocino Coast is breathtaking.

Because my husband's love language is gift giving, I'm receiving 2 presents this year. The first arrived yesterday. I didn't know what to expect so when I opened the front door to take out the trash and saw a very large box leaning against the house, I was caught off guard.

It turns out that my husband really does listen when I talk about wanting (needing) to have a full length mirror in our room instead of the cheapie Target mirror that most college kids have leaning against a wall in the closet.

 

And this one even holds my necklaces! 

We had such a wonderful weekend. Despite fighting through an impending head cold all weekend (it showed up in full force Sunday morning before we left), we did just enough to have experienced the coast but not so much that we felt tired. We listened to the ocean, we walked to the edges of some cliffs, we climbed wet rocks to get to a secluded beach and we sat in the sand with the sun on our faces reflecting on 5 years of marriage.

Life. It is good.

 

Five.....and other numbers

Chris,

You have now known me as "Michelle YourLastName" longer than you knew me as "Michelle MaidenName."

In July/August, we will celebrate (okay, I will celebrate, you will roll your eyes) 9 years of being a couple.

In April, we reached the 7 year mark of living under the same roof.

Halloween will be the 4 year anniversary of moving into our first house together.

Since our wedding 5 years ago today, we have been to Hawaii 3 times.

We have celebrated numerous birthdays and watched our nieces grow from in utero to babies to toddlers to school-age girls. Their growth has provided us with a timeline to measure our relationship. It was just months into our dating that my sister became pregnant with Diana.

We have spent much of our marriage hoping and wishing for something that we haven't quite achieved.....yet. Through those trials, we have grown closer. And in those moments of trouble and doubt and fear, you were the person who provided me with the most comfort.

I thank God for you. For our marriage. For our relationship. For the love we share. I'm so glad that my life path intersected with yours and that our pairing led to love and to marriage.

You are the greatest gift I have been given and I love you and appreciate you more each and every day. May the next 5 years be as challenging as the last, for I know we can defeat any challenge we come across....as long as we do it together.

xoxo,
Michelle

Travel Withdrawls

If you have been a long time follower of this blog, you may have noticed that we enjoy traveling quite a bit. We may not have much variety in our destinations (Hawaii is kinda our spot) but we love jumping on a plane (okay, I love it. Chris hates flying) and jetting off to a new or favorite destination.

In 2008, we spent our honeymoon in Maui.  In 2009, our first wedding anniversary was spent at the House of the Mouse. In 2010, we traveled to Kona, Hawaii to see the Ironman. (All of my pictures from those posts are no longer stored in Blogger. Booo.) In 2011, we toured Washington D.C. and New York City. In 2012, we headed back over the Pacific Ocean to Kauai!

I'm kind of loving that we go to Hawaii on even years. Let's keep that going, huh!?

But this year, 2013, is a different kind of year. Since we are trying to save money for IVF, a big vacation isn't in the cards. The thought of not planning a big trip has me feeling a bit sad but I know it is for a good cause.

About a month ago, I decided that we deserve some sort of weekend trip away. With our anniversary falling on a Friday, I thought this would be the perfect time to head out of town, to a new place for a great weekend adventure. Turns out, I picked the perfect weekend because it will be over 100 degrees on Friday and Saturday at home while we will be on the coast, near the ocean and in 80 degree weather. The best part is that we can drive there so no airplanes, airports and security lines. I love California!

While this destination is no Hawaii or Europe (that was our plan for 2014 before we decided to do IVF), I'm so excited to visit a new place together for our 5th wedding anniversary. And I'm looking forward to sharing all about this place and our journey on the blog! Stay tuned....

"Where you invest your love, you invest your life."

Mumford & Sons

May 29, 2013

Greek Theatre, UC Berkeley

Mumford & Sons ARE my praise music. I find comfort in their lyrics and have cried upon hearing many of their songs as they echo the feelings in my heart. 

Seeing this band perform live is an experience for me. The intensity they bring to the stage is like no other. 

And, no matter how much I hate to admit this...

Seeing Marcus Mumford walk onto the stage for an encore with a cigarette in his mouth was beyond sexy.

No.words.

Until next time.....

Surrounded by Blessings

A full schedule is overwhelming to me. I enjoy my weekends being open and free of any big, time consuming plans. I am a creature of habit and tend to stick to an exact routine 7 days a week.

Monday-Friday: work; gym; dinner; tv; sleep
Saturday: small errands, gym; light house cleaning; nap; relax
Sunday: sleep in; additional errands; major couch time; softball game; relax

When something comes up in the middle of the week, I try not to panic. But seriously-don't mess with my schedule. I need at least 7 days notice so I can rearrange my week. It is sad but true.

That being said, this weekend is FULL of events and I am really looking forward to it. As I sit around on weekends doing nothing, complaining of boredom, I know there are a lot of fun things I could be doing but just don't feel like it. I like knowing that I had a weekend to wind down and take a load off since my Monday-Friday takes a lot out of me.

This weekend includes:
-A trip to Wine Country with two good friends
-A sleepover
-A BBQ/Baby Shower
-A hike (I hope!)
-A birthday party for my sister

It should be a weekend packed with lots of fun but with enough rest time that I don't feel overwhelmed. But the fun doesn't stop there! The next 2 weeks offer lots to look forward to:

-Mumford & Sons concert on Wednesday
-Lunch with a graduating student on Friday
-An anniversary weekend to a destination we have never been!

Basically, the next two weeks are going to be super fun and the rest of the summer is going to be boring and lame.

Surviving an IVF Seminar

In this post, I will offer some tips* on how to survive your first step into the IVF world:

The Informational Seminar

1. Prior to the seminar, make a trip to your local mall or shopping center and buy something cute. Cute new shirts will make you forget about being barren and childless. I purchased this and this. Just don't spend too much money. IVF is expensive. You don't really need that glow in the dark nail polish.

2. Arrive to the destination early so you can sit in the lobby, play with your phone and jot down questions to ask at the seminar. This will show that you are serious about IVF and the doctors may work harder to ensure you get pregnant. Win and win!

3. When looking for a seat in the seminar room, always chose the front of the room. Don't you know the smartest, most serious students sit in the front? Again, this will help the staff pinpoint you as more serious than those sitting in the back. They will put a gold star next to your name on the sign in sheet and take an extra close look at your embryos when the time comes.

4. If your spouse can't attend the seminar with you (:raises hand:), do your best to wave around your left hand so people know you are married. Get your rings cleaned the night before if that will help. IVF is hard enough without having to worry about people thinking you are a single white female desperate to get pregnant.

5. Since you are sitting in the front like a good student does, you can't really check out the other people in the room. Pretend that you are going to stretch your back and twist and turn in your chair while scanning the room.**

6. In the interest of being proclaimed the most serious person there, make sure to ask a couple of questions. Practice them in your head before speaking so you don't stumble. Remember, you are sitting in the front of the room. There is an expectation that you are smarter than everyone in the room-including the doctors.

7. Don't giggle when a doctor says the word "sperm." That is, apparently, frowned upon in this establishment.

8. Don't drink the free soda that has been set out for you. It is a trap. Everyone knows soda causes infertility and hinders your ability to get pregnant. You can only drink gluten-free, vegan water out of glass bottles. DUH.

9. When the seminar is over (and you have asked 1-2 questions), stay in your seat for a few minutes reviewing the materials. Again, this shows that you are serious about this and not just some person looking to throw away $16,000.

10. When you get to your car and feel like you might want to cry, don't. Just drive back to the mall and shop some more. Or go get some ice cream. Eating your feelings is really the best way to cope with the emotional stress of IVF.  Don't let anyone tell you differently. But remember-only gluten-free, vegan ice cream with free trade organic 80% dark chocolate.


*In case you couldn't tell, I'm joking.

**But seriously, take a moment to think about how you aren't alone in this. There are people just like you going through infertility and considering this huge, huge step to get pregnant. You might not talk to any of the people in the room but it is a silent sorority. Take comfort in that.