Taking a Blogging Break

NaBloPoMo is over after today. I can't say that I am going to miss it. At all.

I will say I have enjoyed beating this challenge. I gave myself a large pat on the back before starting this post. Don't worry.

Today's prompt is "What was the biggest challenge of NaBloPoMo?" Duh--writing every freaking day! I don't have anything interesting to say on a weekly basis let along a daily basis. So thanks to everyone who suffered through the craziness of this month with me. Good news...it is over!

So I have decided that I need a break from writing blog posts. So don't worry when I don't have a post for awhile. However, I will still read your blogs and catch up with your lives and challenges. I look forward to that everyday.

Talk to you all soon!!

-Lisa-

I Love Your Blog!

Only one more day to the weekend! Time to celebrate!

NaBloPoMo wants me to discuss at least three blogs that I have found this year. Well, I have only been blogging 11 months so I found hundreds of blogs this year! I started this blog for my thoughts. I didn't really think anyone would read them (crazy, I know). Let along, did I think I would find such solace in blogging and finding other blogs. I follow about 50 blogs and it can be hard to keep up with all of them, but I do. I love hearing about their stories and love even more the support that we all offer each other.

So let me dedicate this post to all of my blogging friends that I have met along the way.

Infertile women (no matter if they are on the other side or not) are the strongest women people that I know. The women in this infertility blogging community are not only resilient, but hopeful. They are brave and strong but also know when/how to have a good cry. They are supportive without a fault. They are understanding and knowledgeable. They are inspiring and driven. They know what they want and they know how to help others get what they want too. And they are the most gorgeous (I saw video blogs) women on the inside and out.

I could go on and on about the wonderful bloggers out there! You all help me get through this struggle and I can't wait to celebrate all of our successes as we move into Mommy-mode!



-Lisa-

Thanksgiving Sermon Link

I said I would copy a link to the Thanksgiving sermon that I was talking about on Monday. Here is a link to the website and click on the "Give Thanks All the Time" sermon.

http://northsidechristian.org/media.php

Three...more...days!

NaBloPoMo is almost over. As much as I have enjoyed this challenge, I have also dreaded it. With a passion. Hate, actually. I really don't think I am that interesting to have something to say everyday. I was used to posting once maybe twice a week. And to be honest, even then I had nothing interesting to say!

My prompt for today is "What is the worst trip you have taken?"

I love traveling no matter where we are going. Jeremy and I have not had a single bad vacation/trip. Even the trip we took days after recovering from OHSS and a cancelled IVF was amazing. So in order to answer this prompt, I have to go way back to 1993.

My parents bought a timeshare in Branson, MO. For those of you that don't know the country-wonder of Branson, I suggest you google it. No, really do it now. It is the back-woods Vegas. I will admit, present-day Branson is an okay weekend trip. There are shows, theme parks, beautiful views, and their new downtown area.

However, the location is not the reason for Branson 1993 being the worst trip. My parents condo is a two bedroom condo with a pull out couch. It is lovely. We even used it a couple summers ago with some friends. It is fairly large with a patio that opens up to a creek. Really peaceful. Not in 1993. Let's make a run down of my family situation then. I was 10. My brother was 21 and single. My sister was there with her husband. My brother was there with his wife and 1 year old daughter. Then there were also my parents. We had another hotel location so it wasn't too cramped.

Too many different personalities in the mix. Too many ideas for our plans. Embarrassment. Arguments. Too much time spent together. (Yes, there is such a thing.)

I remember many awkward moments of me in the backseat of the car or in the condo listening to bickering of what our plans were or where we were going next, etc.

It was decided that family vacations are a bad idea. In fact, we have yet to all go on a week long vacation with everyone again. And now that family has grown to 16 (soon to be 17 when my niece gets married). So I am thinking another family vaca is out...possibly forever.

-Lisa-

Languages

Well, I was SO right about my students...today was C-R-A-Z-Y! I think they have all lost their minds....or it is a full moon. (Seriously, their behavior changes with the moon cycles. I am not kidding.) I felt like an angry teacher all day long.

As far as NaBloPoMo, it is almost over and here is the prompt for today: "If you could instantly know any language in the world, which one would it be?"

I have never been super interested in learning a new language. Mainly, because I sucked at Spanish. I took Spanish for three years. THREE years. All I can recall are the normal #1-20, hola, adios, amigo, bano, etc. I don't speak or understand Spanish at all.

So, if it is could be instant and easy...I would want to know how to speak Italian. I think the language is romantic, sexy, and exotic. Plus I want to visit Italy really badly. It is in the LONG off future since our money has gone and will go to infertility costs.

C'est la vie...ooo another language! Go me!

-Lisa-

Giving God Thanks (even for the crappy stuff!)

Happy Monday to you all!

I hope your Monday after the long weekend was as good as mine. My kids weren't horrible today. They were productive and for middle schoolers...sweet. Did I just say that? Watch, tomorrow will be awful. That is how their minds work...make me believe they are wonderful and then BAM...back to normal pre-teens! Oh, how I love them though.

Yesterday, we sat and listened to one of those mind-blowing sermons. It really hit home with me to the point I was in tears. I would open my eyes really wide hoping to keep the tears in, but there was no way I could stop them. I wish that our church had posted the sermon already because it truly was one I would share with everyone, all faiths, all backgrounds. Especially the infertile.

It was based on Thanksgiving and how along the way we have lost sight of what Thanksgiving was established for...to thank God. I mean think about it...how often do you do things for other people and you don't get accolades or thanks? It happens quite frequently and it ticks me off! I often in my passive-aggressive way will say "You're welcome" even when a "Thank you" wasn't uttered.

Well, we do that to God. Even when we look at our lives and see nothing to be thankful for...thank God because he has done everything for you and will continue to do so. Our pastor even mentioned that the not-so-thankful moments in our life we should praise and thank God because He has laid this in front of us for His purposes and Will.

I can't do the sermon justice and if I see that they post this message, I will post it here. Truly eye-opening. I have found many more moments the last 24 hours to thank God. I realized I don't do that nearly enough. I find myself asking for things instead of praising Him for what He has provided for me.

I hope you all have a great week!
(Only 4 more posts for NaBloPoMo!)

-Lisa-

Andrew McCarthy in 1987? Sure.

I have got nothing today...my brain is spent. I think I just need to sleep the day away, or at least WISH I could do that. But that won't happen, sadly. Sundays are somewhat busy days for us. I especially dread the Sunday evening rut. Just knowing I have to get up early and go to work puts me in a bad mood. It makes it ten times worse when I have had a FIVE day weekend. I just know when my alarm goes off tomorrow morning, I am going to wish I could go back in time to Wednesday when this Thanksgiving break started. Ugh! At least our winter break isn't too far off!

Since I am out of writing ideas, I am going to use a NaBloPoMo prompt from last week that I never actually wrote about. It asked, "If you had to get locked in some place (book store, amusement park, etc) overnight alone, where would you choose to be locked in?"

I have told you all before how spooked I get. I am easily scared and being anywhere along, overnight would not really be fun for me. However, the more I think I about this question, it would be a department store.

I could sleep in one of their comfy beds, cook food in the kitchen department, try on clothes I would never buy, bathe in shoes (a fantasy?), collect the designer purses, try out perfume, ride the escalator over and over, play with the toys in the toy department, use the aisles as my personal runway, and maybe make friends with the mannequins.

Have you ever seen the 80's movie, Mannequin? I wonder if the mannequins do really come to life? Ha! It would make my department store lock-in definitely interesting!

-Lisa-