My Birthday Wish List (kinda early)

Since my birthday is at the end of this month (the 27th to be exact), I have been thinking about what all I want. Keep in mind, this is a "wish list," so I have no limits, right??????

Number 1: That everyone on this earth knows the crazy love that you can experience through our creator. He will carry you in your most trying times and rejoice with you during happy times. All He wants to do is spend quality time with YOU!!! So let Him, and prepare to be amazed!

Number 2: A beautiful, healthy baby. I am so ready to experience this next chapter of our life together, to nurture and love a child with all my heart. (Please note, that I have no idea whose baby picture this is, but those blue eyes got me.)

Number 3: I wish that my health insurance made a mistake on what they covered for our last IUI tab. For some reason, we are supposed to pay a lot more than we

did the last go-round. Not cool.

Number 4: A new vacuum cleaner. I am completely unimpressed with our Bissell, but being engaged and not knowing much at the time about household appliances, we REALLY sacrificed on quality. According to reviews, customers returned their Dyson vacuums and purchased this one, and were incredibly surprised and pleased. The

price point is also much better: $350-$500 Dyson vs. $98.96 rollback price at

Walmart.

Number 5: The NookColor. Simply put, I REALLY want this. I have become quite the reader over the last year and LOVE to read about various topics, that have no rhyme or reason: Christian books, Christian infertility books, books about celebrities, books about Tudor history, and books that make me want to pack up

and head to the beach (Dorthea Benton Frank). Bonus, with the Nook Color, I can

email, facebook, stream Pandora, among its many other features.

Number 6: An unending, calorie-free, fat-free supply of raw fries with cheese with a side of homemade ranch dressing. Absolutely my favorite type of junk food.

Number 7: These 3 items from Victorias Secret. You can never go wrong there.

Did I miss anything?

A New Year, A New Day

Well, today is 1/1/11. Its absolutely crazy how time flies. So much has happened in the past year: many joys, LOTS of learning experiences, a renewed spiritual relationship, a new church family whom we adore, and lastly loss.

This year, I have completely learned to surrender everything (its very hard) I thought I could do on my own. I was completely under the impression that God would let me do things and then knock me down when He didn't like it. That was until I learned what it was like to put my total faith in Him.

This year, I learned what it was like to come to an understanding that family, while loved, is not always perfect. Relationships, while reconciled, will never be the same; they change. Sometimes, we choose to love family, bc they are our family; not bc its easy to love them. I have no clue how I would have gotten through this year without my beautiful sister, Lori.

This year, I put forth more of an effort with friends. Its easy to fall into the normal routine of YOUR life where you can only focus on YOUR life. However, this year, I traveled to see friends, spent more time with my friends, and grew to understand my friends' love for me when I couldn't always be the best to them. 2010 was a year that there was joy, but a lot of sadness. Life can baffle us and we may not always understand its twists and turns, but true friends stand by you, give you what you need, and never judge you for your failure to reciprocate bc you simply CAN'T. To put it lightly, I love my friends.

As I went to sleep last night, I was thinking about what is going to happen in 2011: we will welcome the arrival of many close friends' newborn children, learn of new life adventures for our friends, stay active in our church, have a resolution on our fertility struggles (can we or can't we have our own children), see my sister 2 semesters closer to being a nurse that she so desparately wants to be, watch my nephew turn 7 and my niece turn 4, watching a very accomplished friend graduate with her PhD from UT, family vacation, visiting friends out of state, setting goals and achieving them, so many things I know will happen and so many things are left to be revealed in this new year.

I personally cannot wait to see what happens for each of you in your new year. Its a clean slate and I am so ready for change. Happy New Year friends, both near and far.

Some of our NYE celebration with friends at Buca di Beppo:

PS~ Just wanted to give a small fertility update. Tomorrow morning, we go back to REACH for our second IUI. 3 eggs, great lining, very pleased doctor, and a husband ready to "provide." Let's do this!!