The week of guests...

Last week our little home was filled with guests.  It started with our dear friend Eduardo Placer coming into town for work.  Eddie is an actor with the Idaho Shakespeare Festival and Great Lakes Theater Festival in Cleveland, Ohio.  He also works with various organizations to provide tools for public speaking, job interviews, and other areas using techniques to further enhance their business.

The local branch of Merrill Lynch hired Eddie to give the office a tune-up, and so he came to town, and we were lucky enough to have him stay with us.  It was a whirlwind of a week though.  Between the three of us (David, Eddie and me) we were all pretty tired all the time.  Me because I'm up half the night dealing with my Colitis issues, David because I disturb his sleep and he still gets up at the crack of dawn for work, and Eddie because he's always going 1000 miles per hour with his various shows, his photography business, and his public speaking/ business enhancing business.  We had a few nice meals together, some great conversations, but overall, the time went too quickly.  Before we knew it, it was Friday and Eddie was off.

About three hours before Eddie left town, my father-in-law arrived for a weekend in Boise.  He comes to town every year to catch a football game with David.  It was a nice trip.  He got in around 1:30pm on Friday and we all sat in the living room chatting.  Damaso and Eduardo discussed Spain, family history, and gaining/regaining Spanish citizenship (which we are all attempting to do).  Then we all took Eddie to the airport together.  I was so sad to see him go.  David and I both say he adds such a tremendous spark to our lives and to Boise in general  there is definitely a void when he leaves.

David and Damaso wanted to watch the Carolina-Michigan State basketball game, so we headed down to David's favorite place to watch a game: Old Chicago.  After that, we walked around Boise for a while to walk off the food and the beer, and then headed home for the night.

Saturday was a big day.  We got up early and had breakfast as Cafe de Paris.  Then we headed back to the house and changed and I dropped the boys off at the football game tailgate.  I ran a few errands and then joined them. for some fun.  I have to admit, due to my constant need to use the bathroom with Colitis, and the incredibly small amount of bathrooms and port-a-potties available (the lines were 30+ long), I don't particularly have the best time at those things these days, but I try to distract myself and have a great time.

As I'm sure most of you have heard by now, but Boise State lost.  It was a sad day for us all.  Two of our starters we out with injuries- including David's favorite player, Doug Martin.  We gave up easy touchdowns,  and we didn't play like we truly wanted it.  And we lost by one point... because our field goal kicker missed... for the second year in a row.  It was heartbreaking.  But it was a fun game to watch.

Damaso and David had a great time, and I had fun talking to friends at the tailgate.  We headed back to the house a little sad, licking our BSU wounds, but also happy to see some competition for the first time in a long time.  Most of the games we see are blowouts.

That night we had dinner at this great new steakhouse in Boise called the Brickyard.  Dinner was delicious, and the waitstaff was very good.  We especially liked that they made your salads in front of you.  David and I can't wait to go back.

Sunday we went back to Cafe de Paris for another round of delicious breakfast.  When we got home Damaso and I sat down to work on the Lopez Family history.  He's kept notes on his family history that his mother told to him, and he translated them into English and wrote them out for me for a little project I'm working on.

Shortly after that, it was time to say goodbye to Damaso.  We had a delightful visit and We're looking forward to seeing him at Christmas, and having him visit us for another football game again next year.  Like Mamapalooza, Damaso's yearly football visits have become a little tradition, and we enjoy keeping it going.

First Snow

This morning I woke up to find that our power had gone out in our sleep.  I was annoyed because the digital clock in our bedroom was flashing obnoxiously.  When I got up to find my cell phone to see what time it was, I noticed this:

I could hardly believe my eyes.  It was in the 60s here last week and now this!

Linus hardly knows what to do with himself now that his fur coat in finally being put to use.  He's prancing through the show like a stately horse... high knees and all.  It's hysterical.

The snow will all melt off today, as you can see its already started, and we can hopefully get all the leaves raked up off the lawn before the next round of snow.  But I think its safe to say that winter is almost here!

Stay warm everybody!

Beautiful Mountain Sunrise

This morning I drove David to work so I could have the car.  Yes, we only have one car, and its a hybrid- a Mercury Mariner to be specific, and we only have to fill it up with gasoline about once a month.  If we both need to be someplace, one of us (usually David) takes the bus or we ride our bikes.  It's worked out pretty well so far, and we've certainly saved money with gas prices the way they are these days.

Anyway... back to my story... Since Daylight Savings isn't until Sunday, the sunrise has been quite late into the morning, and this morning on my way home, I got to enjoy this:

It wasn't exactly the safest thing to take pictures while driving, but I just couldn't resist... it was so beautiful.  Such a great reminder of why we love living in Boise.

Have a beautiful day!  

Lunching at HP with David... and The Trey McIntire Project?!

Yesterday David called me at about 11:45am just as I was getting finished with a business meeting.  He asked if I would be interested in joining him for lunch, and since I was out near his office anyway for my meeting, I happily agreed.  What fun to see my hubby during the work week!

When I arrived, David told me that there was a surprise at 12:30pm in the cafeteria so we were going to want to get good seats.  He also informed me that HP Boise has been doing major renovations throughout the building and this was also the grand opening of their newly renovated cafeteria.  The place was packed!

The newly remodeled eatery was very cool... somewhat George Jetson-like, which was amusing to see the big burly and completely un-modern factory workers sitting in the super-modern chairs, but I still thought it was great-surprisingly comfortable too.  And I have to also add that I actually thought the food was quite good as well.  Frankly, the selection was truly amazing.

As promised at 12:30pm the surprise: The Trey McIntyre Project preformed a routine for everyone in the middle of the cafeteria.  It was AWESOME!  Now that we've seen them perform twice, David and I are a bit obsessed with them.  If you have a chance to see them, GO!  Click here to see their performance schedule.

TMP was at HP as part of HP's Employee Giving Campaign Fair.  Boise is HP's top site for employee giving and you could tell from the massive amounts of charities who had booths set up there.

After the beautiful dancers performed, they got a bunch of people in the audience to join them to learn a dance routine.  I eagerly volunteered David and an older woman came over and dragged him onto the floor.  He was furious with me, but begrudgingly went along with it anyway.

If I do say so myself, my husband is an excellent dancer, despite the fact that he wasn't particularly thrilled to be out on the floor with all his co-workers watching him.  Unfortunately these are the only pictures I was able to take because I ran out of battery.

It was a fun day, and I must say, HP is a fun place to work... I wish I had the technical skills (and focus) to do what my hubby does... lucky David!

What the Doctor Said...

Last week or the week before (I've lost track) while at the doctor's office, my doctor informed me that she and my other doctors have all gotten together via phone and chatted about my case.  I initially perked up at this... how very impressive that they would actually communicate with each other.  Apparently I've made them all very aware of how much I want to have children (haha, really?!), and through their joint conversation they have come to the conclusion and agreement that I will not/should not be able to give birth to a child of my own.

I'm heartbroken.  In fact, I'm not sure I could be more so, except, God forbid, if I lost David.  The hardest part is that its not that I can't get pregnant, in theory I can, its that they just don't think its safe for me or for the potential baby.  Not only would I be at great risk, but there is a high likelihood of birth defects and other problems due to the Ulcerative Colitis I have and due to the drugs I take for it.

I've been, and to some point I still am in denial.  In fact it took me a couple of days to even tell David.  My Functional Medicine doctor says, "Well maybe in four or five years or so it would be okay to try... if you've been in complete remission for a while and are off all the medications, of course."  You see, those medications I'm on all clearly say to stop taking them if I'm pregnant, nursing, or planning to become pregnant"... and more specifically, "can cause birth defects."  Oy!

First, thats a HUGE "maybe," and second even if I am able to carry a child, am I going to end up dumping all sorts of chemicals and birth defects into it from my ill-performing body?  I not sure I could handle a truly unhealthy child on top of my own issues.  What's more, the doctors have even encouraged me to "look into other options," and even my Naturopath isn't giving me much hope at this point, although, she's happy to tell me and David that "37 is a great age to have kids... if you can get off the medications." Which, PS, my Gastroenterologist told me I would be on for life.  I want to scream at all the catch-22s with these people!

Okay... So what does "other options" mean?  Adoption or gestational surrogacy... I've reluctantly started looking into both.

I have a beautiful nephew and niece that are both adopted and I've never looked at them in any way other than that they are my family just like all the others.  I also know many people that are either adopted or have adopted children and its always been a beautiful experience.  The thing is, the process can be difficult and overwhelming, and there are a lot of unknowns.  Considering what I'm dealing with in my own health, frankly, the unknowns makes me somewhat nervous.  But then again, there are many many many babies out there who need loving homes, and I'm certain we could happily be one of those homes/families.

That said, gestational surrogacy is in many ways a safer bet (or maybe "safer bet" is the wrong way to phrase it... more defined option might be a better way to put it).  It's our baby, its just being "cooked in someone else's oven" so to speak.  But there are two things, its very expensive ($60,000+) and how does one maneuver in a relationship with a surrogate?  I mean, is it my blood coursing through our baby's veins, or is it hers?  Is the mother-baby bond the same?  Does the surrogate have to stay in the baby's life after the baby's born, I mean, she's not technically family, so is it awkward?

And then there are all the feelings and questions that go through your head... Inadequacies, worries, etc. What is the surrogate/intended parents relationship supposed to be like?  Do I really want to be "buddies" with the person gestating my baby?  And weirdly, I'm already feeling jealous of a woman (who at this point doesn't even exist) because I won't get to feel the baby growing inside me as she will... kicking and rolling and such.  And then there is the silliest thought of all, but I'll admit, its still there, swimming around in my head: Will my husband still love me the same even though another lady is carrying our baby and "doing the work" for me?  Am I still worth the effort?

I think I've seen too many TV shows and movies, because when I think of having a baby, I think about the hours of labor that you and your spouse go through together... the pushing and the encouragement and the team work, and in the end the sweet bundle of joy all that toil produced.  The tears and the bonding and the accomplishment that goes with it is what I've always thought made the family unit stronger... and oddly, something I've always wanted to experience. Am I wrong in thinking this way?

And then there are still the "what ifs".  What if they're all wrong?  What if they find a cure for UC?  What if I get better like I did before... will I be okay for a pregnancy then?  What if..."

In my research, I've looked to my sister, who's strong faith has always guided her in the right direction.  Katie adopted two beautiful children and then found out that she was pregnant with her third child days after getting her second one home.  Its worked out beautifully, and they have a lovely and loving family.

I also look to people like, as cliche as it sounds, Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie.  At least from the outside, their family is a real tribute to loving adoptive families of all shapes and sizes, and they are such an inspiration.

In my gestational surrogate research, I stumbled across this article in the New York Times about the writer and her husband's journey into surrogacy.  It seemed like such a beautiful, yet slightly emotionally overwhelming experience: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/30/magazine/30Surrogate-t.html?pagewanted=all , but isn't having children an emotionally overwhelming experience in general?

I love my husband... we have a beautiful life together and I feel so incredibly lucky to have him, but frankly, I'm also feeling disoriented at the moment.  The one thing I've always wanted to do more than anything is have my own babies... I've always felt, in many ways, being especially good with kids is what defined me.  I guess now I have to figure out how to wrap my brain around this idea of family in a new light.

Obviously, we're just barely scratching the surface of our journey on this path.  Please keep us in your thoughts.

Rabbit, Rabbit!

I hope you have a fabulous, and LUCKY November!

Happy Halloween!

I'm not sure how long this will be available for viewing online, but I took a picture of all of my siblings and myself from my wedding last year and carved it up and put it in this great JibJab video.  I laugh so hard every time I watch it, I'm cry!  If you haven't tried out JibJab in the past... you simply must check them out, find a picture of someone you know, and have a good laugh.  We all still talk about the JibJab I did a few years ago with my father-in-law in it yelling, "Snowball fight!" in this high pitched elf's voice.  I think that got circulated for weeks!

What are your plans for Halloween?  I'm trying to put together some great costumes for me and David (and our dog, Linus), but I'm running out of time... wish me luck!  I was thinking Lion Tamer, Lion, and Circus Performer after having just finished reading the wonderful book, Water For Elephants. Maybe if I run out of time trying to put those costumes together, in the end we'll just have to find inspiration in this video...

Check it out below and have a Happy Halloween!

Personalize funny videos and birthday eCards at JibJab!