our trip

this is the 2nd time i am attempting this....the first time something happened and i lost all that i had typed....

Sunday, June 13th: Seattle! Ate at Fox Sports Grill and then rode a ferry

Monday, June 14th: Our anniversary! busy day! 1. fun tour of Seattle 2. Pike Place Market and lunch at Athenos 3. Space Needle 4. dinner at Cheesecake Factory (for free! lights went out and they didn't make us pay)

Tuesday, June 15th: Cruise Day!

Wednesday, June 16th: Fun day at sea

Thursday, June 17th: Tracy Arm Fjord (very beautiful!!)

Friday, June 18th: LAND!! Skagway, Alaska; rode train (White Pass); Liarsville, Salmon Bake, Red Onion Saloon (formerly a brothel!)

Saturday, June 19th: Juneau, Alaska: Whale Watching! saw orcas, humpbacks, porpoises, sea lions

Sunday, June 20th: Ketchikan, Alaska: Lumberjack show, shopping; the ship left 4 people in Ketchikan!!

Monday, June 21st: Victoria, B.C. took a double decker bus tour of city

Tuesday, June 22nd: Disembark at 8:30, hand out in airport all day and leave Sea-Tac at 5:40! Get home around 1 am

This trip was a BLAST!! Everyone needs to go to Alaska!!!

Colorado, Day 4

Stephen drug me all over the place today!! :) But, I am feeling so much better so it was a fun day!! First, we went to IHOP to eat breakfast. Then, we headed to the Olympic Training Center. It was really cool there. We got to see some training going on. I just wish we could have seen a little more, but it was still awesome.

Then, we ate lunch at a restaurant that was an old airplane. We actually got to eat inside the plane. pretty cool!!!

Then, we headed to Garden of the Gods. It is truly beautiful there. We got some pretty neat photos there.

Then we headed to the Air Force Academy. The chapel there is beautiful.

At this point, i was pretty tired so we rested a while. Then, we went to eat at Old Chicago Pizza. I have to say that I am stuffed already on this trip. When I get home, I don't want to see a restaurant for a while!! :)

To end the evening, we went BOWLING!!!! :) Stephen beat me pretty bad, I won't say just how bad it was! :)

Tomorrow we are going to Denver and Boulder.

I am missing my sippi!!!

Colorado, Day 3

We woke up at 6 am. We got ready and then headed out to Pikes Peak Cog Railway Depot. We made a pit stop at McDonalds to eat a quick breakfast. (I ate hot cakes for the first time in my life!! Not too bad...) On the way, we saw a fox. It was in a populated area, very weird. Stephen said, "Look at that dog!" I said, "That's not a dog, that is a FOX!!" :) We arrived there way early but I was glad. The road going up to the depot was a little treacherous, but we made it ok because I rented an all wheel drive! When we got our tickets, the lady told us that we had the best seats in the house, front row!! We could see everything. The only disappointing thing was that we wouldn't be able to go all the way to the summit. So, instead of 14,000 feet of altitude, we only did 12,000. (blessing in disguise, you'll see why soon!) We did the gift shop thing, bought that shirt, then the time came to board the train. I was excited and nervous all at the same time!! We started the trip. It was absolutely beautiful!! I never really got scared until we got about 12,000 feet, I looked over my shoulder behind me, and realized you could see a very long way, and it was way down there!! However, at about 9,000 feet, I started feeling the effects of altitude sickness. I got a very bad headache, dizzy, nauseated, the whole 9 yards.......I was very ready to get back to the car....

So, when we finally get back to the car, we go to the downtown Manitou Springs area. It is a very cute, quaint little town. I had really been looking forward to doing some shopping. We went in a few shops. Then we ate at a dive called "The Keg"..Stephen and I were the only 2 not drinking, pretty funny! :) The food was overpriced but you would expect that. I had a cheese quesadilla and it was $10. Stephen ate a buffalo burger and it was cheaper than the quesadilla. LOL!

At this point, I told Stephen I had taken all I could take. We went back to Col. Springs to the hotel and I took a 3 hour nap. I guess I needed it. I have been drinking so much water and I am feeling better now.

We ate dinner at Famous Daves. I love that place. We haven't had it since Florence.

So, that's about it for today! Tomorrow we are going to the Garden of the Gods, Air Force Academy, US Olympic Center. I have spotted some very cool Vancouver merchandise and I am "itching" to get my hands on it!! :) I told Stephen I had to go there first, before everything's gone. Yeah, like a day will make a difference, huh? Sooooooooo.....check back tomorrow. I am only getting on the internet once in the evening b/c I am cheap and didn't want to pay $10 a day for internet in the room. :)

We're having a blast!! This was a much needed vacation for both of us!

Spring Break 2010!! Colorado!!

We arrived in Colorado Springs at 4:00 mountain time. The time change actually worked to our advantage because we haven't "felt" the time change yet. We won't until we go back home. Anyway, we went to the hotel, checked in, and then went to dinner at Zio's. We had to wait 1 1/2 hours, so I knew it better be good. :) It was!

Today, we woke up and had room service for breakfast (first time ever!), and it was pretty good. Then, we headed out for Canon City to ride the Royal Gorge train. It started snowing right before we got there. It is so cold!! We got there in plenty of time, so we waited around. The train left at 12:45. We ate lunch on the train. We even ventured out into the open car for a bit, froze to death, but got some pretty good pictures. We got back about 2:45 and then drove back to Col. Springs.

We rested for a little bit, then we went for dinner. We went to the Mason Jar. It was really good, very good chicken fried steak. I even ate blackberry cobbler. Needless to say, thank goodness for stretchy pants!! :)

This evening, we are just chilling at the hotel. Tomorrow is the Pikes Peak Cog railway. I am super excited about going!!

check back tomorrow for updates!!!

Anticipation......

Not only am I looking forward to spring break, I can't WAIT till June 13th!! We have 2 trips planned soon..
Spring Break---Colorado, which I have never been....

June 13-June 22---Seattle and Alaskan Cruise!!! We are going to Seattle 2 days early to sightsee in Seattle. Then, we are cruising through Alaska----Juneau, Ketchikan, Skagway, Victoria B.C......I just can't wait!!! We have never been on a cruise before, so we're in for a real treat!!!

Happy New Year!!!

Happy 2010!!! I can't believe it is here already. 2009 had a few rough spots, I hope it is a better year for us.

December happenings...

I just realized how long it has been since I have updated the blog. Thanks to facebook, I always seem to forget to update.

There has been a lot going on lately. Stephen and I made a trip to Alabama for Thanksgiving. While we were there, my grandmother passed away. I regret that I didn't get to see her one more time. There's no doubt she is in Heaven right now, I will see her again one day.

My dad just recently had surgery on his shoulder. He is in a lot of pain but in the long run he will be better off. My mother has been so wonderful in taking care of him.

This weekend we are all meeting up in Nacogdoches to celebrate Christmas. I can't wait for everyone to be together.

I hope everyone has a Merry CHRISTmas! Let us remember why we really celebrate.

July....

Well, July has been busy. We went to San Antonio the end of June/first of July. We had a blast! We did the river walk and Sea World. It was definitely good times! I went to Sea World as a kid, but Stephen had never been. It was like going with a kid, he was so excited. It has changed a lot since I have been too, so I was equally excited.

I went to the foot doctor the day before I went to have my pregnancy test. The dr. thought I had broken my foot so he put me in the "boot". He wouldn't x-ray until we had results. We didn't get the results we wanted. The next week, I went back to the foot doctor, had my x-ray, found out some interesting news. My foot is not broken. However, I found out I have metatarsus adductus, which is similar to club feet. My dad, older sister, and her 2 kids were all born with club feet. There is nothing he will do about it. I've lived with it for 32 years, what is a few more?? I do still have heel spurs. He put some inserts in my shoes. The WORST part was the shots in my feet. I have to go back tomorrow and I'm not looking forward to it. But, it gives me relief.

On Wednesday, I go to my reproductive endocrinologist for a consult. She will probably tell me I have to have surgery to remove the polyp on my uterus. Then we'll move forward again.

ADOPTION, it keeps coming to my mind. I just can't stop. Please pray!

Stephen's parents are here and we're having fun with them. Doing lots of eating!! :)

That's all for now. I am enjoying my summer still. I am almost ready to go back. This summer has been an emotional rollercoaster.....

Where did June go???

Wow! Was that June that just buzzed by???? I can't believe one whole month of my vacation is over almost. I have been enjoying being home with Sippi and being able to do my housework leisurely! :)

My older sister and her 2 kids are here this week. I am keeping my niece here at the house. My sister is staying with my other sister since her hubby is on a mission trip to Honduras. This is "Lauren's week" to stay. Ryan will come home w/ us after the July 4th trip to Nacogdoches.

We had our 3rd IUI last Friday. Two weeks is a LONG time to wait to find out if you're pregnant!!! I'll definitely have to have surgery next month to remove the polyp if I'm not pregnant.

Stephen got a new car finally. It was much needed. His car was 13 years old and had 250,000 miles on it. It got to the point that he had to turn on the heater going through the Dallas mixmaster to keep the car from overheating. Bad part is, his windows wouldn't roll down!!! :( He got a Nissan Altima.

Schooooool's out, for, the summer!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

woooohoooooooooooooooo!!!

I can't believe summer is here. The year went by so fast. I really did enjoy my year with my first grade babies!! I am already missing some of them. On the last day of school, one of my little girls said, "Mrs. Wright, I'm really going to miss you. You are the first thing I think about when I wake up every day."....I wanted to cry! There were a few that were a little harder to love, but I miss them too.

It has already been a busy summer. I had a procedure yesterday to find out about the polyp on my uterus. I do have one and I'll have to get it removed. No big deal hopefully!

I have to tell you what God has been working on me about.....
Saturday night I was really sick (nausea) so I took 2 dramamine....it works really well by the way! So, Sunday morning I was so very tired. (it works but it will knock you out, much like phenergan!) Anyways, back to the point. I thought about not going to church but I did. I wanted to go. I got up and got ready. The teaching pastor was preaching that day. Low and behold, he was preaching about adoption. You know all that we have been through and are still going through. Adoption has always been a "last resort". I don't want it to be that way. If it's meant for us to adopt, the Lord will make a way for it to happen. I am not ready to give up yet. I am just really praying for discernment. Our teaching pastor adopted 2 beautiful children. They had a 1% chance of getting pregnant. The difference is, my doctor still believes I can conceive. That's the desire of my heart, I want it more than anything at this point. I am just giving it to God, after all, He knows what is best for us. It's just hard to know what that plan is. Pray for us as we deal with our options.

hi!

We had our 2nd IUI last weekend. I will find out the results on Fri, May 29th. However, I have been really sick. I actually got sick on Monday, just a few days after the procedure. I hope it doesn't affect the results. I came home MOnday feeling really sick, all of a sudden. achy, fever, sore throat, chills, etc....I was worried that it was the flu. So, I went to the emergency room that night. They tested me for the flu, it was negative. They tested me for strep, negative. I stayed home the next day from work. My throat kept feeling worse. That evening, I went to the urgent care clinic..sure enough, I tested positive for strep. What a difference a day makes......

Only 8 more days of school left. I am starting to get a little sad about having to tell SOME of my kids bye. I am going to really miss some of them!!!! I'll probably miss all of them in some way. This was a special group to me.

Howdy! It's been awhile.....

Wow, thanks to the world of facebook, it's been a while since I posted on here! It has been busy. Last month, we went through our first IUI cycle. Unfortunately, the pregnancy test came back negative. We are on our 2nd cycle this month. I pray this is the month, it is a very draining process, physically and mentally.

Sippi has been really sick. Between doctor bills and vet bills, our bank must think the Great depression has hit!!! Did you know there is a $200 cover charge for vets??? We didn't either until recently. I say all of that to say this, we think Sippi might finally be on the road to recovery. It is possibly clostridium. ????So far so good w/ the treatment. Our vet is wonderful!! We couldn't ask for a better person than Dr. Goodwin!

The swine flu must have hit my school. We went to school Monday, but we have been off the remainder of the week. When we go back Monday, we'll only have 16 more days. I'm starting to get a little sad. I am going to miss these kids. I might even shed a tear or two. There were no tears last year for sure. This year has been so much better. It has made me love my career again! I am so glad not to have to move this year!! Yeah!!!

I hope everyone is well. Please continue to pray for us. This fertility stuff can be very trying, and not just on me. Stephen has been the best during the whole thing. I coudn't ask for anyone better to go through my life with me. We are about to be married for 6 years! It has been kinda rough, but things are finally better.

Our weekend

We decided to go to Nacogdoches this weekend and so did Missy, Ryan, and little Isaac. We had fun. My brother in law cooked some yummy gumbo on Friday night. He is the best cook ever. If you ever need an even catered, let him know....you won't be sorry! :) We had fun playing with Mr. Isaac! He is so sweet. We actually traveled back home Saturday night and we were able to go to our own church Sunday. Speaking of church, we had a really good service. It was a "mosaic' service. You know, the tile itself is not that wonderful, but put them all together, and you have a beautiful piece of art. That's kinda how it was at church. We worshipped in a very different way, but good. There were different things going on all at the same time while music was being played. There was a confession area, where you wrote down your confession and put it in the basket. There was the Lord's supper. There were areas where you could write what God is to you. There were candles to light to make a committment to Him. Or, you could just worship at your seat with music. It was pretty amazing.

After church, I went to the Verizon store and actually got my laptop set up to be able to do internet while traveling. It is pretty cool. Speaking of that, we are going to Alabama this weekend and we are excited about it. The only part we're not too thrilled about is the traveling. We are bringing Sippi and we are having to get some sedation meds b/c she has really been freaking out at travel lately. So, that's about it. Oh, I am giving a benchmark test in math tomorrow and Wednesday. I pray my kiddos do well!!

Dave Ramsey speaks on Economy!

Update From Dave On The EconomyI'm tired of hearing all the gloom and doom coming from the media about the economy and unemployment-I bet you are, too! Let's take a minute to look at the true reality of the situation and what we can do about it. Yes, many people have lost their jobs and houses. You may be one of them. But guess what? People have lost their jobs and houses even in a bull market. About 93% of people are still employed. That is pretty good! I was alive in the 1970s when unemployment hit double digits, and we're nowhere near that right now! I'm not making light of the fact that some people are struggling; I'm just putting the situation in the proper perspective.Even though you may be currently unemployed, that doesn't mean you have to participate in the recession. People like me who have chosen to not participate acknowledge the reality of a slow economy and suffering people. However, we have decided that we're not going to form our lives around the negativity coming out of the media and government. We're intensifying our efforts and going to have the best year of our lives in spite of things slowing down.Some people who find themselves unemployed will go into new careers or start their own businesses where they have the best year of their lives-professionally, financially and emotionally. Their current job losses are actually blessings in disguise. They believe this and are formulating game plans based on it. I guarantee there are men in their garages right now starting their own mechanic shops. The next Mary Kay Ash is writing up a business plan for new products she's just created. College students are developing "the next best thing" in their dorm rooms as you are reading this. This is reality!So think about your skills and interests. How can you leverage those passions into something you enjoy doing every day while earning money for it? If you haven't lost your job but dread going to work, maybe it's time to fire your employer and go in a new direction. When you have a game plan for your money and career, you will have a sense of empowerment because you aren't a slave to the lender (or employer).When employers start hiring because they believe their businesses will grow, recessions end. Many who have stopped hiring a healthy amount have been paralyzed by fear. They've lost hope. People who continue going about their lives in normal ways (without being irresponsible and buying stuff they can't afford) believe in the future. It's called hope.You can have fear or hope. It's your choice.I choose hope.

nerd

I guess it's official, I'm a nerd. We had a science fair at our school. In Kinder-2nd grade, each class submitted a class project. I had no idea what I would do. My co-worker said, just do sink or float. I began looking it up on the internet. I actually found one I liked better. It was called "Sinking Soda Surprise". So, I did it. It took very little time but the kids thought it was awesome! Here's the deal...it's pretty simple. Diet sodas float in water (in an unopened can) and regular sodas sink. It's because of the sugar. Well, low and behold.......it won a blue ribbon!! Woohoo!! And to think that I made the comment that I didn't care if I won or not........

Our Sippi

Well, this is our Sippi. I am so glad her hair has grown out again. She is starting to look like Sippi again!!! I won't ever cut her hair that short again. She looked and acted so differently when I did. Isn't she the cutest doggie ever???? :)

stuff

Sorry I haven't posted in a while. Things have been busy with school work, sick puppy, etc.....Sippi has salmonella in her tummy. It has been ROUGH to say the least!!! But, hopefully she will be on the mend.

On another note.....I will be going to the hospital Monday to have the HSG procedure done. Keep us in your prayers.

25 things about me

I got tagged on my facebook to do this, so I thought I would post this for all my non-facebook friends! :)

1. I love Jesus!
2. I am married to the best man ever, Stephen! We have been married for 5 1/2 years but have known each other since May 2001.
3. I got married on Flag Day, June 14, 2003!! No, I didn't have a red, white, and blue wedding!! :)
4. The Lord truly brought Stephen and I together! My younger sis Melissa went on a mission trip in the summer of 2000. Anyway, one year later I was going to visit my cousin in Ohio. Melissa hooked us up! She emailed him and told him she had a sister she wanted him to meet. At that point we started emailing each other and talking on the phone until 2 and 3 am! (having to get up at 6 was rough). On June 1, 2001 he drove from Michigan to Ohio to meet me. And the rest is history! One thing you have to understand is traveling on a plane by myself to Ohio is so not like me!!! The Lord really intended on us being together, one way or another!!
5. I love to travel! When I retire, I want to travel.
6. I don't want to leave the USA.....ever! :) except maybe on a cruise....
7. I have been to Canada....New Brunswick, PEI, Nova Scotia, Toronto, Niagara Falls!
8. I love my family!! I talk to my mom and sisters daily!
9. I love lighthouses.
10. On our honeymoon, we stayed in a lighthouse and got to climb to the very top.
11. Stephen proposed to me at a lighthouse. Mackinac Point in Michigan.
12. I love teaching first grade.
13. I love scrapbooking and I am now getting into digital scrapbooking.
14. I can drive to Nacogdoches with my eyes closed. Ok, not really but pretty close!
15. The reason I can drive to Nac so well is because when we first moved back to Texas after living in Alabama, I worked in East Texas and Stephen worked in Dallas and I commuted on the weekends. Every weekend. For a whole year.....3 hours one way...
16. I went to SFA. graduated May 13, 2000
17. I have a cockapoo named Sippi. She got her name because Stephen went to Mississippi State. Her real name is Miss Sippi Wright
18. We built our first home in 2007. The build started in August and was done by November.
19. Our house is too big. 3100 square feet.
20. I love reality shows!! all of them
21. I hate shopping malls. I love the outdoor kind.
22. I love All My Children. I DVR it every day and watch it when I get home.
23. I'm cajun and I don't like seafood.
24. I LOVE Italian and Mexican food.
25. I am very impatient. I am also OCD on some things.

another update

The fertility specialist office called me yesterday and said they had a cancellation today, so I went. I took Stephen with me! :) We got good news! First of all, I LOVE my new doctor!!! She is wonderful. She said she was pretty certain she could get us pregnant. She did a sonogram and said everything looked good. I have to have a procedure done in about a month, an HSG test, to see if my tubes are blocked. Then, more clomid and possibly insemination (IUI). We have turned everything over to the Lord. I no longer am trying to control everything!!

Sweet Baby Isaac!