Something Borrowed Wedding Link Up: Choosing a Date and Venue

**Disclaimer** This Post was supposed to be up last Friday.  Through blogging difficulties, it was posting on my site, but not anyone elses.  Thanks Ashley for letting me know about that.  Enjoy and I look forward to next months post!

 

 

Welcome back to this months Something Borrowed Link-up!  Last month we asked you to share your engagement story and we loved reading how your special someone proposed!  It was so awesome to read all the creative ways your men popped the question.

 

This month we are talking about choosing a wedding date and exploring venue options.  If you are already married, we ask you to just share the kind of ideas that you came up with, not the specific one you picked out.  We are going to be for a later date.

There aren't any rules for this link-up other than follow the topic. We're not going to try and make anyone follow our blogs (we'd love it if you did!) unless you like what we write about. We're not going to collect a dozen co-hosts and demand you follow them either. Follow us if you want to! Write about the topic for the month. Link up your post and read other posts to meet new bloggers. Simple as that!

 

So, now your engaged!! Congratulations!!  Now, what?  Well, when is the date?  Do you stretch out your planning and have a year long engagement or do you work your tail off and stress out to the max and plan it within months?  When deciding this you have to look and your and your Mr.'s schedules.  It all comes with what you want, no one else.  Consider the following when deciding on your perfect date.

 

When picking a date do you want it to be symbolic?  Could the wedding be the first time you met?  Your anniversary? Your parents or grandparents' anniversary?  If you choose a date that is meaningful to you and your groom, make sure to tell your guest about the significance in your programs.

 

Another one is seasons and holidays. Do you intend on having an outdoor wedding in June.  Will it be 100 degrees or more that month?  Will you be a miserable, hot, sweaty mess in your huge wedding dress and your groom in a suit?  Something to think about.  Some people have dreamed of having a Christmas or New Years wedding.  Think about how many of your guest will be out of town, or think about some of your guest will have a long weekend during those times and will be easier for travel. 

 

Also determine if you are set on having your wedding on a Saturday.  Some venues offer lower rates if you get married on any other day than a Saturday. 

 

 

When picking out a venue it is important to think about how many guest you want.  Some places have a smaller compasity that others. While some will hold 600+ and if you are only having 100 guest you don't want your venue to appear too open and have unused space.

 

Are you religious?  Do you want a traditional ceremony in your home church.  Some larger churches book their church with other events during the year so its important to get that on the books sooner than later.  Also, some more traditional churches only allow certain decorations and flowers in the sanctuary and do not want reviling dresses.  Some may want a low key beach wedding.  What if it rains?  What if you have guest that are not mobile enough to get to the ceremony location.  But, it would be amazing if the sun was shining!    

 

Now, how hard are you wanting to work?  Some locations do not need an ounce of decorations.  The ceremony might be in a garden full of lush flowers.  Already decorated!    You may be in a building that's a blank canvas for you to add lots of DIY decor, if that's what your in to.  A Barn wedding lends to its self.  Just grab some hay bales and call it a wedding. 

 

Some venues will have catering in house options and have all of your tables and chairs needed for your guest.   Is parking accommodating?  Are there any restriction at the venue that you think will take away from your special day?  

 

While there is no right or wrong questions you have to make sure that this special day is a day you dreamed off.  While picking a date is fairly easy, choosing a venue takes up a large portion of your planning.  There are so many different options that you can have.  Just look at the style of wedding that you and your husband to be would like and let your heart do the choosing.  You will always pick the right one!

 

Next month we will be talking about how to choose your wedding party and all of the how to, to picking your perfect wedding attendants.

Five Among Friends

Happy Friday Eve!!  Today I am linking up with some new friends for Five Among Friends.  Every week someone sends out 5 questions for everyone to answer.  Its a great way to get to know your fellow bloggers!

Here are my questions and answers:

1. If you could pick up and move anywhere for one year where would it be?

              This is not a hard one for me to answer.  It would be New York city!  I have only been to NYC once, in High School, and it was honestly a magical experience.  To be able to walk down the street and go see a Broadway show and have the best cheesecake of your life....YUM!!!  I think I would enjoy being in such a diverse place too. 

2. What accomplishment are you most proud of?

           I think my proudest accomplishment is that I became the woman I always wanted to be.  My parents always told me, "Don't forget that you are a Hale." (my maiden name)  I was always wanted to strive to be someone that not only my parents would be proud of, but someone that I could be proud of too.  I'm pretty happy with that! Cheesy huh?

3. What is your idea of the perfect date?

           Lately I have been a homebody.  I love being able to just relax after a busy day.  So, my perfect date...as of now...would be curled up in bed with the hubs just watching a movie. We go that often...so I'm going to say watching a chick flick, because that never happens!

4. What is your biggest pet peeve?

     Oh boy!  I hate.  Hate repeating myself more than twice.  We all know how men, or most men, listen.  You know, in one ear out the other and always ends in a response, "Huh?"  Yeah, that one.  Come on, what I have to say in ALWAYS important and needs to be heard the first...and even the second time.

5. How has blogging benefited your life?

      Through the recent part of my blogging life, I have been pretty open about my infertility journey and our miscarriage back in May.  While going through fertility treatments in the beginning, I felt alone because not many people talked about their struggles to grow their family.  Through sharing my story and our daily struggles with infertility I have become more of an accepting person.  I know things are going to always go my way.  But through me talking about it, I have had other women open up about their infertility struggles as well.  I strongly believe that while a very private thing, infertility should be talked about as a way of healing. 

There you have it.  If you would like to participate and answer my questions link up with us below and joining in!

Lover of Fall

Being that the first day of Fall is this Sunday, I only think its appropriate for me to share some of my fall favorites.  

 

 

 

 

Lets start with the most important!  Fall Smells and taste! Oh yum.

When fall is creeping up, I can't wait to get that first taste of pumpkin and the first smell of Carmel latte. 

We can thank Starbucks and Bath and Body Works for that. 

 

Usually the first day of September, Starbucks starts selling their famous Pumpkin Spice Latte.  It's so important it was written in my calender to insure I didn't forget.  Only thing is...Starbucks let out a little surprise and shared the pumpkin goodness with us a few days early.  Good one Starbucks!  

 

While Starbucks is my number one for their awesomeness, Bath and Body works is a close second.  I can easily do some damage in that store and don't think twice about it.  Some of their Fall 2013 goodies are their Pumpkin Hayride candle and Pumpkin Cupcake hand soap.

 

 

 

Another favorite about Fall is Fall decor and colors.  This season I am all about Rustic colors with hints of Gold. 

 

 

 

 Lush right? I love anything Gold for Fall.  These Ginko leaves from Pottery Barn are a great accent for your decor.

What are some of your Fall loves?

Mouthwatering Mondays: Recipe Linkup {Healthy Dish}

This week, the ladies at Mouthwatering Mondays are sharing healthy recipes. This is a new favorite of mine and thought it would be good to share since we are saying goodbye to Summer next month.   Enjoy!

Watermelon Feta Salad

 

Ingredients

• 6 cups cubed watermelon
• 1 cup crumbled feta cheese
• ¼ cup thinly sliced red onion
• ¼ cup chopped fresh mint
• ¼ cup fresh lime juice
• 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

Directions

1. Combine watermelon, feta cheese, red onion, and mint in a large bowl.
2. Pour the lime juice and olive oil over the watermelon mixture and toss gently to coat.
3. Serve immediately.

Super Sunday Sync # 50!

  Thank you Dawn and Kera for letting me co-host the Super Sunday Sync!  Sundays are one of my favorite days to hang out and catch up with some bloggers and find new blogs to follow.

Welcome to Super Sunday Sync #50!

Let's give a warm welcome to our wonderful Guest-Hosts this week:

Bumps Along the Way

the WINNER from last week: Dinosaur Superhero Mommy!

Join the mailing list HERE and receive notifications about the #SSShop!

Rules for the "Super-est" hop ever:

1)  Link up a family-friendly post (or your homepage if it will always be decent, please not to another hop) that you think is SUPER!

2) Follow your hosts {Dawn, Kera, and Rosey} and our Guest-Hosts and via RSS and/or Bloglovin'.  We also appreciate (and return) any Facebook Likes, NetworkedBlog, and Twitter Followers.  Be sure to leave a comment telling us how you follow, we'll follow you back!

3)  Visit and follow the blog before you, and a few others {the more, the merrier}.  We're all looking to have more followers, that's why we're hopping, right?  Remember to leave a comment and we'll follow you back.

4)  Grab a button and put it somewhere people will see.

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Something Borrowed: Wedding Link Up {Engagement Story}

Hey Friends!

 

This is our first post with the Something Borrowed Wedding Link-up and I am glad that you have stopped by.  Ashley and I are eager to start this monthly series with y'all and hope that you get some ideas that may be helpful.

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Before we dive into this series we have to start with the engagement!  You can't start planning a wedding (even though I did) before you get engaged! So, today we ask you to link up and share your engagement story. 

 

Before I share my engagement story, I am going to have to give a little back story first. 

 

 

 

On our very first date, we went to see a movie with another couple.  After the movie, we drove back to his family farm to ride around.  Half way through the ride, Luke stopped the car, turned up the music, and rolled down the windows.  We got out of the car and danced in front of the headlights.  He was definetly a smooth talker!

 

So, back to the engagement part.  One year and one day after our first date I came home during my lunch break to grab something to eat.  Luke was such in a good mood and smiling, but I still had no idea what was about to happen.  He told me to hop in the truck with him for a quick ride on the farm to look at a possible house sight.  With him being in real estate, this was not out of the norm for him, so I went along.  While he was driving, I was complaining the whole time knowing that I was going to be late going back to work (Boy do I feel silly now).

 

 

He had me get out of the truck and "walk the property with him" while showing me an ariel photograph of where a house or building could go.  He walked me to Our Spot.  The place where we had our first date, first dance, and first kiss.  I knew that was "the" spot but I still didnt think anything of it. 

He got down on one knee, told me that I was loved so much by him and that he wanted me to become his wife.  TEARS!!! Of course I squalled and couldnt hug him tight enough.  I didnt even get a close look at the ring until we were headed back to the house.  I was just so excited!

 

I was going to be able to spend the rest of my life with him.  The perfect guy for me!  The one whom God had for me.  My perfect Engagement!

 

 

Now....where to have the wedding and reception??

 

 

Be sure to come back next month on September 20th and link up your post on wedding venues!  I can't wait to see all of the ideas you gals have and be able to share some of the places that we looked into!

Mouthwatering Mondays: Recipe Link-up

 

 

Hey guys.  Its Monday, and you know what that means. Mouthwatering Mondays!!

This week the girls are asking everyone to share a breakfast for dinner recipe.  I call it Brinner!

I'm excited to share this Spinach Feta Omelette Recipe with you and maybe you can have it for Brinner this week!

 

source

 

Spinach Feta Omelette (makes 1 omelette)

 

What You'll Need:

1-2 ounces ready to eat cooking spinach

2-3 ounces crumbled feta

2 eggs

1 teaspoon water

1 teaspoon butter

 

Steps:

* Cook down spinach until soft for approximately 2-3 minutes and set to the side

* Crack two eggs into bowl

* Add 1 teaspoon water and whisk until yolks and whites are well blended

* Coat a non-stick pan with 1 teaspoon butter

* Before butter browns, add eggs to the pan

* Add cooked spinach and feta on top of the eggs immediately

* Cook 1-2 minutes, swirling the pan to loosen the eggs from the bottom (helps avoid burning)

 

After the omelet is cooked, it should slide out of the pan without a spatula.  There are endless possibilities for your brinner omelettes.  Feel free to spice things up a little and add your favorite hot peppers to the mix.  Yum!

 

Just like dinner you need some sides with Brinner.  I like to add fruit, home fries, or some oatmeal to make it extra filling. 

 

I wonder how many times I typed Brinner during this recipe?

 

Ha!

 

Hope you are able to have Brinner sometime this week and try this out!!

Something Borrowed: A Wedding Link-up

Hey guys!  I wanted to let everyone know that I am hosting my very first link up party with Ashley from We Loved Here.  For the past month we have been throwing some ideas together and Ashley has been awesome to work with. 

This link up is a great opportunity to connect with other brides-to-be and newlyweds regarding wedding plans, details, and all of the joy and stress along the way, so we're making it happen!  Ashley and I are going to be able to give some different aspects to the link up and hope that you will be able to give them too.  Ashley is engaged and in the planning process.  She will be getting married next September. They are in the early stages of planning and have lots of ideas to make their wedding perfect for them.  Throughout this link up, you will be seeing a lot of Ashley's planning process.

 I am a self proclaimed newlywed and will have my second wedding anniversary at the end of the month.  Time has flown by! I was married Pre-Pinterest and had to come up with my ideas myself.  Since I am already married, I will have a different perspective than Ashley.  I can't wait to see what she is planning for her own big day. 

We're kicking off the Something Borrowed Link-Up tomorrow,  August 20, so if you're thinking about participating there is time to write your post. The link-up will be monthly and we plan to share the topic for that month in advance.

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For the very first link-up we would like for everyone to share your engagement story! In order to have a wedding you have to get engaged first and every engagement is unique. We would love for you to grab our button too and share it in your post (at the top if you don't mind!) so your followers can find the link-up and participate as well.

When the link-up goes live tomorrow, we will also include the September link-up topic so you can start preparing for that as well, so be on the lookout!

Friday Guest Post {Tiffany from The Pifer Family}

Good Friday Morning to you Peeps!!  I feel like I say this every Friday, but boy am I ready for the weekend!  Today I have a treat for you.  Tiffany from The Pifer Family is guest posting for me today and sharing her and her husbands journey through infertility to parenthood.  She knows that Bumps of Infertility have lead her to that little miracle in her arms. Keep reading for her story and be sure to head over to her blog say hello. 

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My name is Tiffany Pifer, I’m a 29 year old Pinterest addict, country music lover, shoe-acholic, faithful Christian who loves to shop and decorate. I met my husband almost 10 years ago. He proposed a year later and we married on May, 20 2006. He’s my best friend. He’s stubborn as anything, and were complete opposites but I can’t ever see a day without him by my side.

 

 

 

Like many, I had our life planned out from the get-go. I wanted stability in our life and I wanted our bank accounts to be built before we built a family….I quickly learned that sometimes God has other plans in store for you, plans that are way out of your control.

 

In March of 2006 (2 months before our wedding) I went in for a regular checkup, at least I thought everything was regular. A couple days later I received a call at work telling me that my PAP came back abnormal and I would need to come into the office to discuss this—I think my heart sunk into my stomach. When I went in the doctor advised me I had severe dysplasia, on top of that I had one of the worst cases of PCOS that he’s seen….and if things couldn’t get worse I had endometrioses. He quickly advised me that if my husband and I wanted children we should think about trying now as it doesn’t looking promising…(heart-wrenching words!)

 

I was in the process of planning our wedding—I wasn’t even ready to think about children. But being parents is something Zach and I dreamed of, something that we talked about while dating. Something we never questioned, nor ever thought we would have a hard time with---I don’t think anyone ever thinks having a child could possibly be hard. We knew we didn’t want to pass up an opportunity, and although this wasn’t in our ‘plan’…maybe it was Gods.

 

So we began our journey—we started trying immediately following our wedding. Obviously the first step in this process was curing me of my dysplaysia. With that came many appointments, freezing’s of my cervix, biopsies, blood work and other tests. During all of these tests we found out I wasn’t ovulating (just what I wanted to hear).  

 

I come from a close family, so keeping everyone updated was never a question—our family knew everything we were going through! I started by calling everyone after our appointments to keep them updated…let me explain that I hardly ever got good news in the Doctor’s office, and I quickly discovered that repeating this bad news over and over was quite depressing. That’s when I started blogging. In the beginning it was just for my family; I could keep them updated with everything that was going on without having to repeat myself 10 times…it never dawned on me that others, complete strangers, could and would follow our journey.

 

I come from a very Christian home, so staying faithful and positive through all of this was just what I did. I had bad days, but I would blog about our life, our everything, I would blog about our deepest fears and just let my family 100% into our hearts. I started getting emails explaining that I was an inspiration to others—which I still find hard to swallow, I’m just a small town girl who deeply wanted to be a mom and I knew that although this path was hard it was God’s plan. My blog style started to change a little…instead of JUST posting updates; I wanted to become a cheerleader for all of those infertile like myself. I wanted everyone to realize IT WILL BE OK, although I didn’t even know at that time if I would ever be pregnant. I wanted to create a support group, because well…INFERTILITY WAS HARD!

 

The end of 2007 I had an HSG done to see if there was any underlying issues on top of everything else. Well, my tubes were blocked. I had a LAP surgery done to unblock my tubes as well as a little bit of endometrioses removed. My husband and I tried naturally for about a year. Then moved to naturally plus clomid…then naturally with femara….About this time all my friends were popping up pregnant. We took a short break and then we did 2 IUI’s with clomid, then an IUI with injections….still no pregnancy. Nothing. How can we STILL not be pregnant—why was this happening to us? How could I still be the positive person that so many people looked up to when I was feeling so empty inside? We decided to rest for a year before moving forward with a fertility clinic. In 2011 we did our first IVF, only 2 blastocyst made it—we transferred both and neither took. That was hard.  I just knew moving to the next step would work.  We waited a whole year before trying again. In 2012 around the same time we did our second IVF, 5 blasocyst made it this time, we transferred two and froze three. For the very first time in my life I was able to say the words ‘I’m pregnant’…one little bean took. We were over the moon. I always knew I wanted to wait till 12 weeks to announce our pregnancy, but I couldn’t stand it…we announced it at 8 weeks-I couldn’t hold it in any longer…however;  sadly 1 short week later, at 9 weeks, our babies heart stopped beating. I had a D&C a couple days later. Heartbroken can’t even describe how sad we were. I cried for days…I couldn’t eat. I was at my lowest of lows—how could we come so far, FINALLY be giving this blessing to just to taken away from us?! My Doctor suggested we jump right back into trying, doing an FET this time and transferring the three blastocyst that we froze. He said the D&C would help as well as FET’s are less stressful than an actual IVF. I was unsure…we just spent so my time, and so much money…what if once again it didn’t work?! My husband and I prayed about it, prayed HARD about it. We decided to do it; this would be our last attempt before we saved for adoption. We put every bit of our heart and soul into this…I stayed on bed rest for about 2 weeks after our babies were transferred into me (this was my choice not the doctors—we just wanted NO regrets since this would be our last attempt)!! IT WORKED! I couldn’t believe it. One bean, one little cell TOOK! We found out the end of November that we were having a boy; we choose the name Miles (after all of the miles it took to get him here). I developed preeclampsia at the end of my pregnancy and was induced at 36 weeks. Miles Thomas Pifer arrived on 4/19/2013; four weeks early weighing 7lbs 5oz. A very healthy little boy! That day our family became complete.

 

I don’t know why God takes us down bumpy paths at times, to grow as an individual is my best guess. I questioned his plan many of times, I cried many of tears, but throughout all the heartache I remained as hopeful and faithful as I possibly could. My husband and I found ways to laugh at our journey, we found ways to have fun, and we found ways to Dance in the rain!!

I truly hope those of you who are still struggling with infertility can look at my story and have hope. We weren’t given the best of odds. But with lots of prayer we made it!

 

 

 

Guest Post for Maddie {Posted on Maddie's Blog}

Hey there. A few weeks back I guest posted for a fellow blogger and shared our infertility journey thus far.  In cased you missed it, I wanted to share what I wrote on my own blog. Enjoy!!
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Hey Friends!  I'm Sydney and I blog over at Bumps Along the Way.  I am a self proclaimed newlywed (2 years this August) and I am married to my amazing husband, Luke.  I am so honored that Maddie asked me to share my journey, and I have loved reading the other posts from The Infertility Prayer Project. 

From an early age I knew I wanted to be a Mama.  Just to think of having a little one calling me Mama give me chills.  It is something I have always wanted.  Something I knew I could not wait for.

Four months before our one year anniversary we decided it was the right time to get off birth control and just see what happens.  I wanted my body to be free of birth control for two months before we really started trying. 

After a few months I could tell something wasn't right.  I made an appointment for my yearly examine and I talked with my doctor on how I thought things did not seem right with my body.  She looked over my file and realized I never had a natural period.  Sometimes I would go months without having one while on the other hand I would have my period for months at a time.

She sat there telling me that I would have a hard time conceiving on my own without any medical intervention and that I had PCOS.  That's it.  That is all she said. 

She started me on Progesterone to induce a period as well as Clomid to hopefully grow follicles. 

 I left her office so discouraged.  I left confused by the lack of information she gave me.  I left heartbroken. 

After four months on Clomid, I was still not reproducing mature follicles. 

When I got home I told my husband how confused I was and that I just wanted more information about what was going on.  I was so scared of the thought of never being called Mama.  I needed answers sooner than later so I could be "fixed."

We decided soon after that the next best thing to do is see a Reproductive Endocinologist.  My RE is AMAZING! He made me feel like I was his only patient and was so personable with me.  We discussed several options and decided the best thing was to start progesterone to induce a period and then start a drug called femera to help with follicle growth.  I left my first appointment with such peace and understanding. 

Even though everything was great during our first month of treatments with my RE, we received a negative pregnancy test.  But, our hearts were not hurt.  We were on the right path and with a great team of doctors and nurses and we had to let go and let God. 

For the second month, we started the same rounds of medications.  I went for my monthly ultrasound, expecting to see several mature follicles just like the month prior.  Instead there were zero.  None!  What happened?  My meds were the same as before, why would I not get the same follicle outcome?  The nurses explained that sometimes our bodies get use to the medicine and we would have to really pump things up. 

We increased my femera dose and added injections to the mix.  I went back 13 days later for an ultrasound to find out that I had 2 very mature follicles and I was ready to be triggered to ovulate.  What?! 

About two weeks later, I was on vacation visiting family and felt like I had to test.  Three minutes later......We Were Pregnant. 

 Just like that, I was a Mama.  My husband was not with me and I couldn't wait to get him on the phone and tell him he could expect a life changing Christmas present this year.  Our sweet miracle baby was due December 7, 2013. 

Once I got back into town, I had my appointments to check my blood levels and they were awesome.  Now, all Luke and I had to do was wait 2 weeks to see our baby on the ultrasound. 

Seeing that sweet little bean was the most amazing thing in the world.  It's beautiful heartbeat; what a beautiful machine. 

Then the doctor got quiet.  Something you never want.  Our baby was measuring smaller in weeks than what it should have been.  He said he wasn't concern, but wanted to see me in a week to recheck everything.

We left concerned, but still positive that our baby was fine. 

The day of our rechecking I had an awful feeling.  Call it a Mother's intuition.  I felt like our appointment was not going to go perfect like we hoped. 

The nerves were setting in as the ultrasound was started.  No heartbeat.  Our doctor looked and looked just to make sure, but our baby was gone. 

This is something that is so hard to relive.  It is a feeling that I wish on no one.  I had just lost my Dad seven months prior, and I didn't know how I could deal with losing my baby. 

My husband was my rock.  I knew he was devastated with the loss of our child, but he was my strength when I needed it the most. 

Our doctor gave us the option of going ahead and scheduling a D&C or just wait to miscarry naturally.  He did say that there was a possibility of not miscarrying for another 3 weeks and that was something that I could not handle.  I could not just sit and wait around to miscarry my child, so the right decision for me was to have the surgery. 

I remember waking up from my surgery and crying.  Reality set in and my child was gone.  I was no longer pregnant and I would not be able go hold that miracle in my arms. 

Mother's Day this year was hard.  This would of been my first one as a Mom.  Something I looked forward to.  Even though I was only able to carry my baby for a short time... I was still a Mother.  I am a mother who lost a child very early on in my pregnancy and had to experience having a baby torn from my womb too soon.  I feel like no mother should have to relate to me.  But, we are all a mother.

I think about all the Mothers who have had a child to hold at the end of their pregnancy, sleepless nights, and load upon loads of dirty laundry.  I hope they know how many of us in the world envy them. I have been though many pains in my journey to motherhood.  But I became a mother the day we decided it was the right time to expand our family. Even though my child, who we decided to name Hayden, is not physically here, I am still a Mother.  

I don't know anyone out there that would want to be labeled with infertility. When you are on this journey it is not a guarantee, it is lonely and is very overwhelming.  But it has made me a stronger person and I am closer to God because of it. 

Having infertility has made me incredibly humble.  It has taught me to learn to deal with things that I can not control and I must just "Let Go, and Let God."  If I can leave with you with any advice, I would say find support.  Support is key when it comes to infertility.  I searched online for days looking for women and couples that I could relate to. 

Of course I have the support from my husband and family, but it is so comforting being able to talk to other women that are in my shoes, going through the same testing, being hormonal because of all the medicines that we but in our body.  Someone who just knows.

As of now, my husband and I are still working with a great team of fertility specialist in hopes of having that little baby Edwards.  Our hearts are full and our hopes are high.  Please continue to pray for my husband and I for patients and strength as we continue our journey to grow our family. 

Thank you again Maddie for inviting me to share with the Infertility Prayer Project.  You are giving women like me the support of knowing that we are not alone in our journey.  My prayers are with you if you are struggling to expand your family and wishing tons of baby dust to you!

Just a Simple Thank You

"Somebody once said," To write well, you have to write what you know" we'll, here is what I know." Name that movie!  It's a quite from one of my all time favorites, Never Been Kissed.

It is honestly a quote that I go back to often. Before we started trying to conceive (TTC) I knew nothing about infertility, follicle growth, ovulation and all the infertility lingo that's out there. I was so nieve to think, "ok, I'm ready for a baby, lets make it happen!"

I wish it was that easy.

When I first started this journey I had so much that I had to learn and find out why my body was doing what it was doing; or not doing for that matter.

I had to learn about infertility before I could write about it.  Infertility is a hard thing to understand.  Unless you are going through it yourself or have someone close to you that is going through it, you will never really understand. There are a small handful of women that I know that have had to go through IUIs and IVFs to have their miracle child. Even though I understand what they are going through in some aspect, I will never know or understand what their journey is about.

Everyone's journey is unique to them.

When I decided to be so open and share what I was going through, I knew not everyone would understand. But, my hope was to share my journey and pray it touched one person.   Today I am happy to say that I have had numerous people get into contact with me, wanting to confide in me.
Some women I have never met while others I went to high school and college with.

My point of this post is to say Thank You to those who have reached out to me. Those who have shared their stories with me in hopes to have some encouragement. The fact that women will open up about such a personal thing is amazing. Hearing other people's stories is so therapeutic for me. Because this topic is so hush hushed it is such a relief to know that I am not alone.

I don't know if I've gotten to the point of writing well about infertility. I do know a lot about it. I do think about it all day every day. But am still learning daily.

Thank You ladies for all the support you have shown me.

Mouthwatering Mondays {A Recipe Linkup}

Happy Monday Y'all!  Hubs and I had another packed filled weekend. We were able to do nothing but lounge on Sunday which was amazing. Love days like that!  

I'm linking up again with some ladies for Mouthwatering Mondays. This week we are sharing our favorite side dishes.   I'm going to share a corn and black bean salad recipe today. This is a new favorite and I love the extra kick it gives to any main dish. 

Ingredients 

• 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil 
• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
• 1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lime juice 
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 2 (15 1/2-ounce) cans black beans, rinsed and drained
• 2 cups frozen whole kernel corn, thawed
• 1 large orange bell pepper, coarsely chopped
• 1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 2 small jalapeño peppers, seeded and minced
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Preparation

1. Whisk together first 4 ingredients in a large bowl. Add beans and remaining ingredients; toss well to coat. Cover and let stand 1 hour, tossing occasionally.

For me, the recipe calls for a lot of ingredients but the lack of preparation really makes up for that. 

Cheers to a (hopefully) great week!

Mouthwatering Mondays {Crock pot Roast}

Hey Y'all.  Its Monday and you know what that means.  Mouthwatering Mondays Linkup is back and I have one of my favorite recipes here for you.  This week the gals with Mouthwatering Mondays are sharing crock pot recipes. 
In my family, we have a ton of crock pot dinners.  It's quick and easy...and hard to mess up! I think my favorite part is being able to just throw in all the ingredients, leave for the day and come home to my house smelling Ahh.mazing!!!

My go to crock pot meal is Roast (I usually buy the beef bottom).  Its the Hubs favorite too!

What You'll Need:

* Beef bottom Roast
* 4-6 Red potatoes (cut in cubes)
* 1 bag of small carrots
* Any 2 cream of ___ cans
        *** I use 1 can cream of mushroom and 1 can cream of chicken (yes, chicken)  the flavor it gives it is mouthwatering.  I have used cream of potatoes with it too, but enjoy cream of chicken a bit better.Turn the crock pot on low and let cook for 6-8 hours.  Yum!  Told y'all it was fool proof!!  Try it out and you can thank me later. 

 

Just a side note.  I've just started using these liners over the past year or so and they are great for quick cleanup.  Something even the Hubs could do. HA.  I kid. 

 

 

 

 

Cheers to the first week of August!

Guest posting @ The Whimsy One

Hey guys, and happy last day of July!  Where did this month go, huh?

No post here today.  I am guest blogging for Maddie today on The Whimsy One.  She offered me to share my infertility story and journey with her followers through The Infertility Prayer Project.

What is The Infertility Prayer Project?  Well in Maddie's words, it is a sounding board for women or couples that are struggling with the overwhelming desire to have a child and it is not so readily happening for them; even when it seems it is happening for everyone you know or even meet. 

Be sure to go visit The Whimsy One today and read my story.

Weekend Recap in Pictures

Since I shared a recipe yesterday I wasn't able to share my weekend with y'all. 

Friday was supposed to be a low key night but Luke's cousin and his wife, Katie decided we should head out to eat.  After dinner, we went bowling.  Bowling!!  Something I have not done in years!  We. had. an. absolute. blast!! 

           

 

 

 

I think Katie and I may have started something with the bowling.  Our guys are true competitors and bowling is a very serious game to them.  Even though Luke got "pro-bowler of the week", I'm sure Monroe is going to give him a run for his money this Friday.  This Friday?  Yes!  They have already decided we are doing Midnight Bowling.  Staying classy that's for sure. 

 

 

Saturday, I went with a good friend, MA, back to our college town.  We have been dying to go back to one of our favorite restaurants and it was the perfect time to go!  I got to enjoy MA's girls too!  She has the most precious, happy, and beautiful twin girls.  They are four months now and it is so awesome to see them cooing and smiling.  One is already rolling from her back to her stomach, and her sister isn't far behind her.  

 

Sunday, we had a family birthday to attend.  This little 2 year old is as spunky as they come. 

 

 

 

There was the weekend!  Be sure to come back tomorrow.  I will be providing a link the Maddie's Infertility Prayer Project.  I will be guest posting there tomorrow and talking about my infertility story. 



 

Seven Layer Mexican Dip {Recipe Linkup}

Hey friends!  Monday is here and I feel like I have the Monday Blues.  We had a great but packed weekend (Weekend Recap coming up Tuesday) and I just hate to see it end. 

The best way to start off the week is with an awesome recipe linkup.  This is the third week I've linked up for Mouthwatering Mondays and I already have a list full of new recipes to try out soon on Luke.

 



 

 

Picture Credit

I never thought I would share a must have Mexican recipe.  I have never enjoyed Mexican foods, but I am now on the bandwagon and I am a huge fan!

A co-worker brought this dish in for a retirement party a few weeks back and it is too delicious not to share.  The recipe is simple and real quick to assemble everything. 

What You'll Need:

* 1 package taco seasoning mix                 * 1 package cream cheese, softened

*1 can refried beans                                     * 1 (16 oz) container sour cream

*1 (16 oz) jar salsa                                        * 1 large tomato, chopped

*1 green bell pepper, chopped                   * 1 small head iceberg lettuce, shredded

* 1 (6 oz) can sliced black olives, drained

* 2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese

Directions:

 

1. In a medium bowl, blend the taco seasoning mix and refried beans. Spread the mixture onto a large serving platter.

2. Mix the sour cream and cream cheese in a medium bowl. Spread over the refried beans.

3. Top the layers with salsa. Place a layer of tomato, green bell pepper, green onions and lettuce over the salsa, and top with Cheddar cheese. Garnish with black olives

There you have it.  Such a tasty and quick recipe that can be put together in a snap for those last minuet visitors, parties, or for when you just have the munchies. 
If you have a recipe that you would like to share be sure to head over to Mouthwatering Mondays and link up! 



#SheReadsTruth

Happy Friday!!  As one of my favorite YouTubers would say, "Y'all ready for the weekend baby? Get ready for the weekend!!"  I'm not sure what it is but this week has been a slow one and I am looking forward to have sometime with friends and family this weekend.

Lately, I have been looking for a daily devotional.  I searched for a few weeks but I still couldn't find one that fit.  While online, I found She Reads Truth.  This website and daily plans are written by a group of ladies just wanting to share God's word and just growing closer to him. 

This week, She Reads Truth launched their second plan and it’s a good one.  What started out as a Women's Bible study has grown into a huge community of encouragement among women. How wonderful it is to have women encouraging each other!!

You can do it too! It’s easy!


 If you have a smart phone, download the YouVersion app or go to the main website and create a member login to get your daily devotions.  Currently, we are on The Women in The Bible, Part 2.  To find the She Reads Truth plan, all you will need to do is browse the plans and search. 

To start the morning, I have a reminder sent from the YouVersion app with the days bible verses. 

After you have checked off that you've read the given scripture, you are able to read the daily plans devotional. 

Usually when my alarm goes off in the morning I take my phone and go through all of my social media apps.  Instead of reading through those, I read my #SheReadsTruth devotional and start my day with a pure heart and pray I continue serving God like I need.

If you need added help, visit, #SheReadsTruth for the step by step process.  Go ahead and start this daily devotional and add a little encouragement to your day!

And Just because there is nothing cuter, I was able to Facetime with the handsome kid yesterday.  We are trying to make the tongue roll perfect.  It is a work in progress.

**If you follow me on Instagram you have seen this picture.  If you'd like to follow me on Instagram, click the tab to the right.**



Let me know if you join the SheReadsTruth party!  Have a blessed weekend!!!

Maddie's Infertility Story: Guest Post

Morning friends!  Today I am so excited to have Maddie guest post for me today.  I have been under the weather the past few days and her guest post comes at the perfect time.  I have just recently found Maddie's blog, but it quickly became one of my favorites.  Hope you all enjoy Maddie's infertility story.

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 Hi guys, I am Maddie and I blog over at a Tinge of Whimsy. I normally ramble on about whoopie pies and tasty cocktails, but sometimes I like to delve into more serious & personal topics. One that is very much in the forefront for me is infertility. It is a situation that I have been dealing with for almost nine years. I was so honored when Sydney asked me to share my journey with you guys. So here goes. There are a number of reasons that we have had troubles and some should be simple fixes and others...they are way past complicated.

After over 8 years of trying, we're down to... One year to get pregnant, one year to have another surgery, one year to try new shots and most importantly...one year off of my medicine. That's why we have a limit. and every day...I get more nervous that the one year will be up and my dreams have finally crashed and burn...But I also believe in the Lord's promises.

Prepare..I may get a little personal here, so warning time. Leave if you must;) haha I will not get too overzealous in my explanations, but you know...I may throw around bleeding and tampons a time or two. but mainly this is to parlay my feelings.

I started my period at a very early age...I was 9, yes, you read that correct. NINE. and I had no idea what happened, I thought I had a cut "in a bad place" haha talk to your daughters early, folks:) By 12 I had an excused absence from school for 2 days each month b/c I would lose so much blood and have severe cramps. Everyone assumed I had what my mom and each aunt had also had...Endometriosis, but the doctor assured us that was not the problem. I just suffered from severe cramps and birth control pills should help...I tried them for a while, but due to my depression and PTSD, all of this took a back seat and I had to come off the birth control because of medication interference.

Fast forward to 6 months before I was scheduled to get married, I was visiting my future in laws in Boston for Thanksgiving when a pain that threw me to the ground & took my breath away hit me. A pain so severe, it left me doubled over in agony. The ER immediately thought I was suffering from kidney stones and were actually pretty shocked when the ultra sound showed numerous cysts that had burst. I had no idea that they would hurt so much! and I have the highest pain tolerance you can imagine(and due to the fact I eventually had kidney stones on two occasions, I can rightfully say the pain is pretty much the same anyways) Then, 5 weeks before we were scheduled to get married, they had to do emergency surgery to remove cysts...and endometriosis that was a stage 4 and wrapped around all my organs.{let's not even go into that pesky detail about how they were like you can't have sex for 6-8 weeks and this was a little less than 5 weeks before my wedding;) We got married and not even 10 months later it had completely grown back. They tried putting me on a lupron shot and it caused seizures.

The next few years just involved excruciating pain each month, excessive bleeding and all out nightmare b/c of my period. I cannot drive the first two days after I start, I throw up continuously and am the walking dead. Which is lovely for my poor hubs.  It causes infertility. To stop its growth, you need to get pregnant, but it also blocks getting pregnant. I love nature fighting nature...not;) I was diagnosed with a large fibroid the size of a grape fruit, I have to have it removed along with another surgery to clean out my endometriosos.

I was told I couldn't get pregnant without help and I knew it was going to be a long road and one of prayer, I just didn't understand the full depths. The doctors were wrong, I did get pregnant and I lost the baby. There is an overwhelming feeling of loss and of failure that you can't quite put into words when you suffer a miscarriage. I have friends who have had 5 and 6. I honestly cannot fathom how they do it. Although, we are all stronger than we think and when we have a desire...you can push through pretty readily.

I am having the surgery in a few months, I hope this one finally is what it takes.. I am going off my bipolar medicine and I am scared. What if I am not capable of functioning without it and we have to give up? I want a baby desperately, but I cannot put my desire ahead of being healthy for my child. It is a big realization, it is a world of hurt and confusion. and I have 12 months to determine if being a mother is finally gonna happen. I can't be off the medicine longer than that and still be healthy. and while I yearn for a baby, my goal is to be a mother...and not just "have a baby"... To bake cookies and snuggle, potty training and temper tantrums. I long for it all. Except the parts that involve mommy being crafty. Sorry baby B, you are gonna get the short end of that stick, but I will try. But all is good, your mommy will make whoopie pies;)

I want to be a mother, I want to have a child with my husband, I truly desire to see him be a father and for that first moment I hold my child in my arms, no matter how I become a mother. I get chill bumps just thinking about it.

The tick tock is just a lot louder and more obvious now...

This is a part of my journey, but not the whole story...and mine, while unique to me, is somewhat similar to millions of other women. Infertility is rampant. And even though it is definitely more talked about now a days, some women(and definitely men) suffer in silence. Refuse to talk about it. Find it embarrassing

.
and so, I decided to start The Infertility Prayer Project. I am really excited about the opportunities I have had to have a place where women can share their desires and wishes with other women who are in a similar situation. Whether you put it all out there or anonymously as a place to ask others to pray b/c you are not quite ready to share your story. There is too much negativity, positive words can mend wounds you often didn't know you had.

I have had so many lovely ladies share their journey with me and other ladies. I am so appreciative of Sydney for letting me ramble on here with my story.

 I invite you to come over and check out the amazing stories from some fantastic women.

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Thanks again Maddie for sharing your heart with us.  It is hard not to feel alone when you are dealing with infertility.  The main thing I look for is support.  The Infertility Prayer Project is a wonderful way for individuals like me, to talk to women who are in my same situation and feeling the same overwhelming desire to have a child. 

Be sure to head over to Maddie's blog, say hello and continue to follow in her journey.  I am excited to share my story this Wednesday with The Infertility Prayer Project.