So long 2008

I have spent the last few days thinking about 2008 and everything that has happened in my life over the last 12 months. At first all I could think of is how over this year I am and how ready I am for 2009. However the more I started think about it 2008 wasn't such a bad year.

Here is a little recap of things that happened this year.

In January Chris and I went to our first ever Dallas Cowboys Playoff game. I have been to many regular season games but I will tell you there is nothing like the energy of a playoff game. We had great seats an a fantastic time tailgating with our friends. January was also the month that I had surgery to remove the tumors I had growing on my uterus. I remember being so happy because I thought we had finally found the cause of my infertility.

In February we went on a Cruise and celebrated Valentines Day in the Caribbean. Chris surprised me with the gift of a beautiful diamond tennis bracelet. We had an amazing time. I also took a business trip to Omaha in February where it was 5 degrees with a wind chill of -15. Soooooooo cold. Needless to say I will NEVER live in Omaha.

Springtime was back to Fertility treatments. We celebrated 6 years of marriage in March. Several trips to California for work. Traveling with fertility drugs wasn't easy as they have to be kept cold. Since they cost a fortune I refused to put them in my checked baggage. Needless to say security was not a fun place for me.

May was the month that I decided to take up golf. I am so happy that Chris was able to play with me in my first ever golf tournament. I had a fantastic time and immediately became hooked. This is also the month that I joined the Cooper Clinic and met my trainer Joven. We hepoed host the 7th annual Blue Ball Golf tournament and I think it may be our last.

We sold Chris's Moms home in Virgina and took a trip to clear out her house. It was hard to go through all of her things and we came to the realization that she was really gone. After packing everything into a rented Suburban we drove 2 days home to Dallas.

I turned 34 years old in June. It was a great month. I spent a ton of time at the Cooper Clinic and really enjoyed my workout sessions with Joven. Chris and I went to several Dallas Stars Playoff games and had a wonderful time. This was also about the time that I met the ladies of the the "Rockin Ranch Mom's Group". I am so happy that these wonderful women have come into my life. They make me laugh and I always have a great time with the group. A girls trip to Horseshoe Bay with my Grapevine girls was an awesome weekend get away.


Palm Springs is where we spent our 4th of July weekend. Four days of golfing was wonderful. We participated in a Graze Around the Neighborhood event by hosting the dessert portion of the meal at our home. The month was capped off with a GNO to see Kathy Grffin at Nokia theatre. We finally got a chance to golf at the TPC Craig Ranch Course on the 29th. Too bad it was 109 degrees that day.

August was a busy month full of fantastic trips. San Francisco with Tatum, Lance and Shawn was amazing. I never knew I could have so much fun while working. Two weeks later I went to Scottsdale for a work conference combined with some golf. Thanks to Shawn and Jason two good golfers who didn't mind letting a chick who sucks play with them at some of the greatest courses in the Southwest. Spending a week at an amazing resort was just what I needed. The end of the month was spent back in LA at another work conference. However this time I got to hang out with one of my friend Erin Luna and had an awesome time!

August is also the month that I accepted a new job as the Area Director of Sales for the Marriott hotels in Fort Worth and began my daily hour commute. The month ended with Todd Gustafson's famous Speedo and Mojitos weekend to celebrate his 40th birthday.

Disney was the big event in September. I will never forget the trip I took with my family to Orlando. It was truly Magical. Many memories were made that I will cherish for the rest of my life. Chris and I spent a few weekends golfing but the best time we had was playing in Holton's Drive for SIDS.

Easter came early in October as it was all about the eggs. This was the month that we started our IVF rocess and did everything we could to get my ovaries to produce as many eggs as possible. We had an egg harvest at the end of the month and things looked great. Halloween was spent with our Grapevine friends at the Houser's Halloween party.

November was the best and worst month of the year. On the 8th all of our dreams came true when we found out we were finally pregnant. I know that this was one of the happiest moments of my life. I couldn't believe that it was finally our time and we would be proud parents in 2009. Chris and I went on another cruise over Thanksgiving week and on Thanksgiving day our biggest fear came true. We had a miscarriage and spent the remainder of the trip just devastated.

The final months of the year have been just a blur. I have been very busy at work and still dealing with the miscarriage. I am fortunate enough o be surrounded by amazing friends and family. They helped me to stay so busy in December that I haven't had time to be sad and I like it that way.

We are ending the year tonight at the Dallas Stars game. Hockey is something Chris loves and I know he will have a great time at the game.

Wow 2008 was CRAZY. I am worn out just typing about it. Thank you to everyone who has been part of our life this year. We are truly blessed with some of the greatest friends in the world. You have provided us with laughter and love.

My Famous Hubby?

Chris and I spent the day running errands and getting ready to have my family over this week for Christmas. After our 3rd trip to Costco in just 3 days Chris said he was done and asked if we could go home. I said yes but I just need to run by the grocery store so I can make dinner.

He makes me a deal. If I take him home before I go to the grocery store then he will make dinner. Woo Hoo! He says he will make his famous Chili. Famous Chili? If it is so famous then why have I never had it in the 9 years I have been with him? In fact the only Chili I have ever had that Chris made involved corn and mushrooms. It was more or less spaghetti sauce with spice. Oh well. I am tired and he is trying to be helpful so off to Market Street I go.

I get home from the store and Chirs is ready to make his not-famous-to-me Chili. I sit in the living room as he starts dicing, slicing and chopping. Somehow I fall asleep on the sofa only to wake up to a wonderful aroma coming from the kitchen. I think to myself... this famous chili must be pretty damn good because It smells devine. Has my hubby been holding out on me for all these years? Can Chris really cook? Maybe he will be willing to cook more often? Rock On.... I married a chef and I didn't even realize it. A million thoughts were going through my head.

I go to the kitchen to find he even set the table. Chris places a bowl of this yummy smelling goodness in front of me and I compliment him on how fantastic it looks. Then I grab my spoon and take the first bit. HOLY HELL is all I can think. Flames are shooting out of my nose and mouth. This stuff is so spicy that I think I am going to cry. Chris is sitting across from me with a smile on his face just waiting for my reaction. I look up at him, try my best to smile and and say "It's great.... just a little hot for me". He goes on and on about how delicious it is and I just don't have the heart to tell him that my insides are on fire. I add a little sour cream on top to cool it down and get a huge glass of ice water. Then I sat and enjoyed his famous Chili.

In m opinion here are the things that his Chili is famous for:

Famous for burning the taste buds off my tongue
Famous for giving me a stomach ulcer
Famous for what it will do to me in the next 24-hours
Famous for making me realize that my old hubby doesn't have any new tricks
Famous for making Chis feel happy that I liked his famous Chili

If you LOVE hot things then stop by the house I will hook you up with some of this stuff.

Tracy's Favorite Things

I was having an Oprah moment the other day and thought I should share some of my favorite things with you.



Sonicare Tooth Brush - my dental visits have been enjoyable ever since I found this 8years ago - Thank you Vadran!

Glad Press and Seal

Snapware

The Container Store

Lauara Mercier - makeup and skincare

Ugg shoes and boots - winter would suck with out them



Izzie Drinks

Facebook
Cashmere - My life would be so empty with out this fantastic fabric

Spankx - The only reason 1/2 my clothes fit

Tivo/DVR

Dunkin Donuts Coffee - love it but don't like the donuts

Coke Zero - actually taste like real coke

Chapstick - the original. I always have at least 1 tube on me

Blackberry

Primeacare Prenatal Vitamins - I just keep taking them because my nails have never looked so good

Costco - I am sure when I get to heaven there will be a Costco there. Beside where else can you pick up a $20,000 diamond, TV, 30 pack of Toilet paper, a Piano, a 50 lb bag of flour and 24 Bananas all under the same roof?


Cole Haan Shoes - Love the MAN that decided to put Nike Air in a high heel. Praise GOD!

Triscits

Lotion and Bath products by Fresh - It smells Divine and no need to wear perfume when I use this.

Ping Rhapsody Driver - Now I can finally hit a good tee shot

Bean Burritos - Taco Cabana has the best ones

Iced Tea from Sonic

Champagne - I always have a few cold bottles in the fridge. You never know when an occasion will "pop" up



Red velvet Cupcakes from Sprinkles

Nordstrom Rack - I find the greatest deals there

Garlic - on everything

The Shark floor steam cleaner - my tile has never been so clean

wii - Mario cart is sooo much fun

Market Street

Sorry unlike Oprah I don't get these items for free so I don't have any to share.

Got Fox Urine?

That is what Terminex says we will need to chase away the Armadillo under our house.

Chris is going to the McKinney Feed Store today to get some.

Gee..... I thought I moved out of the country when I left Valley Mills, TX. Now I have used the words feed store and Fox urine in one blog. My Grandaddy would be so proud!

Live from Animal Planet

Lately I feel like our home should be a show on Animal Planet.

It all started 2 weeks ago when Chris found a mouse in our garage. We call Terminex the next day and the nice man came out to the house to set traps. (Disclaimer to all who are coming to my house this holiday season..... We have NEVER found one in the house. Just in the garage). A few days later I was getting ready to leave for work and went to the garage only to find dead mice in the traps. YUCK! I made Chris get out of bed and pull my car out of the garage because there was no way I was going anywhere near those things. Need less to say I have refused to park in the garage for the last 2 weeks. I am sure the cold weather this week will force me to face my fears and return Lexie to the warmth of our garage.

Last week I was working from home and was looking out the back window when I witnessed a Hawk swoop down pick some small animal up and carry it away to be enjoyed for lunch. It was so cool that I interrupted the conference call I was on to tell everyone what I just witnessed.

Our house backs up to a farm so every night I listen to horses and donkeys make noise. The donkey has scared the hell out of me ever since my Brother In Law told me the reason it is making noise at night is to scare off the coyotes that we have living in our neighborhood. Thanks Mike! Did you know that the donkey is a natural enemy of coyotes? There really are some coyotes loving in the area around the hood. It doesn't help that we have the creek running behind out house where they get water and food.

So yesterday I am out in the front of our house and I notice a huge mound of dirt in the flower bed. I go to investigate more only to discover a GIANT hole that goes under the foundation of our house. I now know that we have an Armadillo that has burrowed under our house. No worries Terminex is coming on Monday to help us get rid of it.

So there it is your update from Animal Planet. Did I mention that we live in Suburbia? I sware I didn't get this much action when I lived on the family farm. Sad thing is the Terminex guy just gave us hos cell phone number so we can just call him directly now. What else can happen?

37 years of tradition

It took me 15 seconds to screw up a tradition that has lasted 37 years.

Chris has not been doing so well since we found out about the miscarriage last Monday. This combined with the realization that this will be the first Christmas with out his mother has all just come down on him. So to cheer him up I decided to break out all the holiday decorations and get the Miazga house in the holiday spirit.

Chris's Mom went all out for the holidays. There was not an inch of her house that was not decorated. When we went to Virgina this summer to clean out her house we found 63 boxes of Christmas decorations. We couldn't take them all so Chris sorted through them and took the ones that meant the most to him. The most important being the family Nativity set. There is nothing fancy about this set. Just a ceramic set that his Mom hand painted 37 years ago. She had a beautiful Waterford Crystal Nativity set that Chris gave to his sister. He only wanted the one she made.

On Saturday I am unpacking the boxes of decorations when I find the set. I am so excited because I have the perfect place for it. Right on the table in the entry so that Chris can enjoy it every day as he comes and goes from the house. I start to carefully unpack all the little figures. When suddenly I hear a Crash. Look down and there is a Camel in the floor in 100 pieces. Chris comes in the room and I have to tell him what happened. he get a look of frustration on his face and I feel terrible. He says to me "My Mother unpacked every piece of that set 37 times and never once broke a single thing". I apologize and tell him that I can glue it back together. He looks at me like I am crazy and gets the broom. I start to cry and apologize.

As We were driving to a Christmas party last night we were talking and I realized our frustration had nothing to do with the broken Camel. It is more about how broken we feel. Broken that Chris's Mom is gone. Broken that we lost our baby. Our hearts are what is broken. So a few tears were shed and then I said... "Well at least I didn't break baby Jesus". Chris grabbed my hand and smiled and said that is why I love you. Always willing to look at the better side of things.

Moving On

I can't leave bad news up for long.

So to help me get in a better mood I purchased tickets to the Britney Spears concert last night. She will be in Dallas on March 31, 2009. I will be holding a competition amongst my friends to see who gets to be the lucky person to go with me. (Chris refuses to go).

My secret I that I LOVE Britney. Not as much as Justin Timberlake but I still LOVE her. By the way yesterday was Brits 27 Birthday.

Bad News

Went to see doctor Kevin on Monday. The probelms I experienced while on vacation was a miscarriage. I had a feeling that it was but he confiemed it yesterday.

Chris and I are very sad about this news. However we know that we are destined to be parents one day. Things may not have worked out for us this time but one day they will. We are now 1 step closer to making our dream of having a family come true. We now know that it is possible for us to get pregnant and this is the furthest we have ever gotten in our fertility journey. Sometimes we have to take baby steps to get to your final destination. When we finally get there it will be amazing because we worked hard to make it.

Thank you to all of our fantastic friends. You give us so much strength and hope.

So Happy to be back from Vacation

OK so I guess that technically I am still on vacation. I'm sitting in our hotel in Ft. Lauderdale looking over the beach as a write this blog. We got off the ship this morning and will catch a flight home to Dallas early Monday morning. Vacation was...... Just OK. I know I sound ungrateful so I will have to hit a few of the highlights. I have broken them into "Things that sucked about vacation" and "Things that didn't suck about vacation".

So here we go

Things That Sucked about Vacation

1. I was not able to drink any adult beverages. I thought this would Be OK until I found myself sitting by the pool trying to soak up sun while watching everyone else enjoy frozen cocktails. Waiter can I please have another tall cold bottle of Evian?

2. Since I answered yes to the question... Are you pregnant? on the Spa questioner they refused to allow me to have any services. Not even a pedicure.... So stupid to tell them.

3. Can't do any of the excursions because again the Are you pregnant question came up?

4. No wine. No wine. and No wine. Very hard to enjoy a beautiful 5 course meal with NO WINE. This part really killed me.

5. 48 hours of Bed Rest. Yes your heard me. Apparently I over did it during the first 3 days of our vacation. I had been looking forward to Chris and I playing golf at this amazing course in St. Kitts on Thanksgiving Day. So that morning we headed off to the course with a few other people to enjoy a great day of golf. I had not been feeling too well the day before and started to experience a few issues that concerned me about the pregnancy. But I wanted to golf so bad that I went anyways. About 9 holes into the round I started to experience terrible cramping and many other things that accompany that. This FREAKED me out. All I could think of is that I was having a miscarriage on a beautiful golf course in the middle of St. Kitts. Chris called the Pro Shop had them get me a cab and we headed back to the ship. By the time I got back to the ship I could hardly walk the cramping was so bad. We got to our room and called Dr. Kevin. After speaking with him and the ship doctor I was told that I must be on complete bed rest for the next 48 hours or until the bleeding and cramping stopped. Scared the SHIT out of me. So I spent 2 days stuck in a 200 sqft. room on bed rest while the rest of the passengers soaked up the sun. I am feeling better and can't wait to see Dr. Kevin on Monday. Just to ease my mind.

Things that Didn't Suck about vacation
1. Being able to sleep late and take a nap everyday.

2. Room Service delivered morning, noon and night.

3. Enjoying the sun set with Chris from our balcony.

4. Great golf in Florida - before the St. Kitts golf experience.

5. Falling asleep to the sound of the ocean.

6. Not having to work.

I am happy to be home (almost). Hopefully everything will go well with Dr. Kevin tomorrow. I am so excited to see him I don't know what to do with myself.

I know I sound like being prego was a huge inconvenience for me this trip but it wasn't. I am so happy to finally have a shot at having a baby. There is nothing in the world that means more to me than becoming a mother. So I have learned a few things from vacation. Slow down and when your body says it needs rest.... yes it needs rest.

Vacation = Nervous?

We are leaving for vacation in less than 24 hours. I am very excited to be going on a cruise and getting plenty of rest. We will be traveling on the Celebrity Solstice. It should be pretty cool because it is a brand new shop and we will be on the inaugural sailing. Chris really needs to get away for little while so I guess this will be our "Babymoon". For some reason I am just a little nervous about this trip for the following reasons.

1. I will be watching the Texas Tech Red Raiders on TV but I will not be in the state of Texas. I hope this will not send bad Carma to my team. We really need this win. I just know we will be #1 if we can beat Oklahoma. So please let there be a Red Raider victory on Saturday.

2. What if something happens to me? Like a miscarriage. I have tried to get prego for so long that it just doesn't seem to be real yet. I keep waiting for the doctor to call and say "Sorry Mrs. Miazga but we seem to have made a mistake". I have been feeling great but I am still a little scared to be gone.

3. I am leaving my dogs in the care of Peyton and Tess. Please lord remind them to feed my babies everyday.

4. Work is crazy right now and I am just really uneasy about getting everything done before I leave. So Stephanie if you are reading this please know that I am doing everything I can to get ready for the Property Sales Review on December 4.

5. This will now be the 3rd Thanksgiving in 4 years that I have spent away from my family. It is my Mother's favorite holiday and I hate not spending it with her. I promise this is the last time I will spend the holiday away from my family.

6. What if there is some AWESOME sale that I miss out on for Black Friday? I LOVE to get up at 3am to go shopping for gifts. I know it is sick.

I need to just relax and enjoy the time. I am sure I will but for right now I will just worry.

Tight Pants

I am sorry that I have been so horrible about updating my Blog. The simple truth is that I am sleeping. I am tired all the time and have been going to bed at 8 every night. However I have a funny story from this weekend that I just think I should share.

I have posted in the past about how I only do laundry once a month. So guess what this weekend was? Yep laundry weekend and I had no less than 15 loads of laundry to do. My sweet mother came to the rescue on Sunday to help me finish it all. At the same time she cursed me saying "Tracy I raised you better than this". So Sunday morning Chris and I needed to go out and run some errands to get ready for our vacation this week. I had just put 12 pairs of jeans in the washer and knew there was no way hey would be done in time to leave the house. So back to the closet I went in search of some pants. I was lucky enough to find a pair of jeans from about 4 years ago. I remembered that I quit wearing them because they were too big and were always falling off me. With that in mind I figured they should fit just right by now. So after a little pulling and tugging I got the jeans on and let out a sigh as I thought wow these still fit. They were a little tight but I figured after I had them on for a little while they would loosen up a little. So off Chris and I go to do errands. My first clue that these jeans were too tight should have been when I was trying to climb into Chris's car and felt a little discomfort. So on goes the day and I am getting more and more miserable. These damn things just won't give at all. Chris finally mentions getting some lunch and I tell him a can't. I say that my jeans are so tight that there is no possible way I could eat a single morsel of food. Then I quickly unbutton and unzip them and let out a huge sigh of relief. Chris looks at me and says "I think it is in the best interest of our un-born child to get you home and burn those jeans". I thought that was a great idea. On the way home I tell Chris I was just happy that they still fit. Chris says "Define fit honey because those things DO NOT fit you in any way." So I reply with.... "I am just surprised that I could still squeezed my fat ass in the things" Chris says.... "That's more like it". I love an honest man.

The Shock is over

So we found out 5 days ago that we are actually prego and I think the shock of the whole thing has finally come to an end. Saw Dr. Doody on Monday and things are looking great my beta was 149. He wants me to just rest for the next 2 weeks and then come in for my first sono. Hopefully we will find out at this time if we are having a baby or babies. I am so sleepy I just don't know what to do with myself. So our vacation in 10 days will be the perfect solution to my need for a nap everyday.

So now that the baby thing is on the way I can start blogging about other things going on in my life. Here is a little something that I was pondering during my hour commute to work the other day.

Why do women in large SUVs full of children drive like they just got off of the NASCAR circuit? Seriously..... I was driving down the Toll Way on Tuesday when I was almost ran off the road by a woman driving a red Expedition with no less than 12 kids inside that thing. I looked at my speedometer and I was going 82 miles an hour.... what is 80 just not fast enough for her to get to Barnes Nobel Story Time? I was really shocked. I wanted to roll down my window and say... "Hey dumb ass you have 12 young lives in your car how about you move out of the left lane and slow down a little". I mean whenever I am driving around with my nieces and nephews I always tend to just slow down a little and allow myself extra time to get where I need to go. I have driven a large SUV and let me tell you those things don't maneuver that well. What would she have done if there was something in the road and she needed to swerve to miss it?

So this being said I have decided to start of a list of things I will not do when I become a Mommy.

1. I will not drive like an asshole when I am carrying precious cargo (babies) in my car.

2. I will not give up my Lexus for a Big SUV until my kids are at least 2 years old. However trading in my ES for a RX is a possibility.

These are just the first two but trust me there will be many more. I know that I will talk allot of shit and the second this kid comes all my "rules" will thrown out. So all my Mommy frends out there please tell me if I am being unreasonable.

More rules to come soon.

The Results Are In

and we are PREGO!!!!!!!!! I don't know if I could be more happy and nerveous at the same time. We finally heard the words from the nurse yesterday that we have been waiting to hear for the last 3 years. Thank you to everyone for your wonderful thoughts and prayers. We are truly blessed with some of the best friends in the world. I will go back to the doctor on Monday to see if my levels are doubeling like they should.

A Texas tech Red Raider victory last night wass just tthe bonus to a perfect day.

Fermintation

Sorry I have been so bad about posting on my blog. Things have just been so busy and I am doing everything to not think about if I am prego or not. I have been "fermenting" for a week now. This is what Chris calls it at least. This is the 11 days that we wait to see if we are prego or not and it is killing me. Some days I feel like I must be prego and other days I am just thinking that there is just no possible way. Needless to say this week will continue to be a roller coaster until Saturday afternoon when we go to get our first prego test. So here are some things I have been doing to keep my mind off everything.

Chris and I went to a Halloween party over the weekend and had a great time.

I have thrown myself into work and seem to be working at least 15 hours a day.

I sliced the crap out of finger making dinner last night.

I have cooked no less than 8 meals this week to freeze for later use.

I cleaned all the out of season clothes out of my closet and brought down the fall and winter items.

I have spent no less than 5 hours a day on facebook.

I have helped Heather plan Peyton's birthday party.

I have been on 2 late night online shopping sprees. Chris will kill me when he sees everything I have bought.

I have watched the Tech game 3 times on ESP classic. It never gets old.

next on the list..... Hitting the half yearly sale at Nordstrom on Friday, Cleaning out the garage, making desert for a dinner party on Saturday, buying a gift for my friend Jenn's baby Shower.

I hope that will be enough to keep my mind clear.

Checking out of the Fairfield Inn

Since I work in the hotel industry I thought that the easiest way to describe what will be happening to my embryos would be to describe it like a hotel. You see right now 12 of my eggs are living in a test tube at the Center for Assisted Reproduction. The Test tube is nice and clean, it provides all the basic amenities that they need to survive and is comfortable for just a few days. However tomorrow two of the very best embryos will check out of the Fairfield Inn and check into thier new home for the next 9 months at the Residence Inn also known as my uterus. You see the Residence Inn will provide all that my embryos need for such a long stay like complimentary food, a nice cozy room with comfortable furniture and space to spread out. I hope they enjoy their new digs and don't decide to check out early (miscarriage). Because after 9 months Mommy will introduce them to the Ritz Carlton (also known as our world). So here we go.....embryos....fasten your seat belts and have a safe trip to your next destination. Your room is ready.

12 is our lucky number

I went for my egg retreival yesterday and everything went great. We were able to retreive 14 eggs. That is just an amazing number. Spent yesterday resting and watching football with Chris. GO RED RAIDERS! This morning the embryologist called to let me know that 12 of our 14 eggs fertilized!!! Average is about 50% so we are well above average. I am so excited to hear that we have such great numbers. So our 12 little embryos will just keep growing for the next few days and then on Thursday we will go back to the doctor for our transfer. Things are still looking really good!

Your ovaries are like a.....

Fright Train. They take a while to get going but once they start they can really do some work.

That is what Dr. Kevin said to me this afternoon at my appointment. That was his way of making a little funny. Dr. Kevin is such a nerd, but for some reason I really LOVE him and trust him. Over the last 18 months we have really come to understand each other. Yes just like any relationship we have had our ups and downs. Like the third time I went to see him and I left the office only to get in the car to call Chris and cry. I thought he had the worst bedside manner of any doctor I had ever met. I just couldn't believe that his staff wasn't all warm and fuzzy when I walked in the door. But over time I have learned to love the staff at the Center for Assisted Reproduction or CAR as I call it. We have laughed when it took 7 tries to do a blood draw. We have cried together when we found out that I wasn't prego for the 4,5,6,7th time. Thanks to CAR I now know that I am highly allergic to hydo-codone, my blood type is O negative, I don't have HIV and neither does Chris. You know the important information. So on Saturday I will go back to CAR and have my Egg retrieval. I have 22 of these little babies ready to make great little embryos. Dr. Kevin is going to come in on Saturday just to do my egg retrieval. The nurses today told me that I am one of their favorite patients and they are all praying for me and Chris. So on Saturday Dr. Kevin , me, and bunch of nurses, and I guess Chris will hopefully make babies together. I guess Hillary Clinton was right when she said it takes Village!

473

That is my Estrogen level for the day! Woo Hoo! Wow that Follistim really does work. It went from 163 on Saturday to 473 today. We have 22 eggs that are all just growing slow, but that is a good thing. We go back to the doctor on Wednesday and reterival will now be on Friday or Saturday. Which means we will have to miss the Zen Wedding were invited to in Houston this weekend. More on that later.

Things are Looking Good

Results from the doctors appointment on Saturday.

I have just over 20 follicles (eggs) developing. They are all a good size and are growing well. My estrogen level dropped to below 200 so the doctor is raising my medication to get it back up. No worries just need to get it over 200 again. We will most likely do an egg retrieval on Thursday or Friday of this week. This is the process where the Dr. will go in an remove the eggs from my ovaries and then combine them with Chris's swimmers to make embryos. We head back to the Dr. on Monday morning so I will have more information then.

I look like a mess from all the needle sticks. You can't get blood from my arms so I have to have my blood drawn from my hands and they look terrible. They are so bruised and sore. My stomach looks even worse. For some reason I keep hitting blood vessel when I do my injections so there are at least 35 bruises all over my tummy. The good news is that they don't hurt. Just look yucky.

I rewarded myself with a pair or new shoes for being a good patient! Way better than the sucker my Dr. gave me when I was a kid.

The Egg Hunt

I went to the doctor on Thursday and here is the latest information:

I Have 14 eggs developing right now! There are apx 7 on each ovary and they are all growing at the close to the same rate. This is a great sign of good egg quality as we don't want some to be really big and some to be small. Consistency is the key.

My estrogen level is at 268. Another great sign that I am responding well to the fertility drugs.

So far we are on the right track.

I go back to the doctor on Saturday morning where we will do a little more intensive sonogram (or as I like to say egg hunt). We will count every egg and measure every egg.

That's all I have for now. I will try to blog about something more interesting over the weekend!

$200 per day

So I have a drug addiction..... To fertility drugs that is. This drug habit is costing me about $200 per day. Yes you read correctly $200 for 3 shots per day. How crazy is it that. So I thought to myself what do other drug addictions cost. Does anyone know what the going rate is for Crack,Cocaine, Heroine, or Pot? The only difference is that these drugs make their user fell good for a little while. I only get hot flashes, sweating, bursts of erratic behavior, nausea, pimples, bruising all over my stomach, and mood swings. Oh yea but in the end they end up dead, in jail or in rehab. I'll end up with a beautiful baby, or two, or three. Yep. I have a better addiction than any crack-head out there.

Many of you have asked us how things are going and I just wanted to give you the latest from our doctor. My estrogen level on Tuesday was at 126 (The doctor likes for it to be over 100 at this stage). So things look great right now. I go back to the doctor on Thursday and we will go on an "egg hunt". This will be my first opportunity to actually see how many eggs are starting to mature. We hope for lots of big juicy ones! Thank you for all you great thoughts you have shared with us. We are blessed with some of the greatest friends in the world! I will update more on Thursday.

PS.... To all you crack-heads out there reading my blog. Please leave a comment on the "market rate" for street drugs..... I am just curious.

30 days

So I hate doing laundry more than anything in the world. Don't get me wrong I love the smell of clean laundry fresh out of the dryer. However I dislike laundry so much that I only do it once a month. No Chris and I don't walk around in dirty clothes all the time. The reason that I only do laundry once amonth is that I have purchased enough clothes (including underwear) to ensure that Miazga household can go a at least 4 weeks without having to even think about washing clothes. In reality we can go 6 weeks if necessary. Keep in mind that most of our wardrobe consist of business attire that goes to the dry cleaners. So as I was folding 36 pairs of Chris's underwear last night I was pondering the following quetions...

1. How often do all my friends have to do laundry?

2. When we have children how much will this change?

3. How many outfits does a baby go through every day?

4. What household chores do my friends only do every 30 days?

5. Do Chris and I have some sort of odd obossesion with clothing?

6. Are those front loading washing machines really as cool as they look? (I just like that they come in pretty colors)

7. Do you do all your ironing when you do laundry or do you iron as you go?

Working From Home

When I tell people that I work form home 2 days a week they always get this little look in their eye. Like.... Yea right... Working from home must mean that I watch soaps all day, do laundry, take a nap and just answer emails as they come to me. So for all those out there here is what my working from home day has looked like today:

1. It is 5:30 and I still have not taken a shower and trust me I need one. I started working at 7:30am and haven't stopped since. I kept meaning to stop and make myself some lunch but I just kept working in different projects and finally around 2pm I realized I needed some food. So I ate my lunch during a conference call with two sales people.

2. I woke up only to realize we were out of coffee and there is not a Starbucks on my way from the bedroom to the office. I need to talk to Chris about getting coffee delivery. Me with no coffe is not a good thing.

3. My Blackberry isn't communicating with my Marriott email and after an hour on the phone with Support I decided to give up and just try to work on it later.

So there you go working form home is well..... Lots of work!

I have to go take a shower so I don't offend all the neighbors when we go to the National Night Out Picnic at 6:30pm.... which I still need to make cookies for.

The Fair

We went to the Texas State Fair on Saturday and as usual I had a great time. Here is what I learned at the fair:

1. You can fry ANYTHING and people will eat it. Some of the fried items I saw this year were: chicken fried bacon, fried cookie dough, fried grilled cheese sandwich, fried waffle balls, fried pb&j sandwich, fried queso, fried guacamole, fried banana pudding. You name it a saw it. I did try the PB&J and it was wonderful.

2. You see all kinds of people at the fair. The people watching was great!

3. Bel Biv Devoe still sounds the same they did in 1992. Yes we watched them in concert at 3:00pm. Poison....Poison....Poison.... This brought back all kinds of memories of me watching Club MTV after school when I was 15.

4. I think I may want to trade in my car for a Navigator. I fell in love with one at the car show.

5. The 6 ticket lemonade taste just as good if not better then the fresh squeezed 10 ticket lemonade.

6. A Popsicle that taste like a pickle is pretty good.

7. The Sham-wow can soak up any liquid you may spill around the house. They are $19.99 on TV for 2 but there is a fair special for $24.99 you get 4. No I didn't buy one.

8. The rascal scooter comes with a trailer option that allows you to tow friends and family around as well. I was amazed by this.... Picture is included.

9. Mike the farmer can carve so really cool pumpkins.

10. It cost $25 to valet park at the fair and is worth every penny!

See you next year Big Tex!

The time has come

We had our first appointment with Dr. Kevin yesterday and Chris and I are now officially started our Invitro Fertilization Cycle. I am soooooo excited that the process has finally started. We met with the embryologist and she explained to us how they will combine my eggs and Chris's swimmers in a test tube and let the magic happen. Next thing we know we will have little Miazga's growing and getting bigger, splitting cells, and making little embryos before we know it. After 5 days their little Miazga vacation will be over and Dr. Kevin will put them back in my uterus to implant and make a home for the next nine months. This is if everything goes as planned!

I started taking Lupron injections last night and will go in for my first blood test next week. At that point I will start taking injections of Follistim, Monpur and continuing the Lupron as well. I never thought I would have the guts to give my self three shots a day but it really isn't bad at all.

We will be doing a egg harvest on October 23 with an embryo transfer on October 27. Just to think we could actually be pregnant by Halloween!!!

I am confident that this will work and Chris and I will be parents in 2009.

On a different note...... Loved Palin last night! I think that she rocked the debate!

My facination with High School Shows

Ask anyone who has known me for more than 30 days and they will tell you that my one of my all time favorite shows is Beverly Hills 90210. I grew up with the kids from West Beverly and just always have felt like I was in their little clique. You see in 1989 we all started High School together and in 1993 I left Grapevine High School to find my way at Stephen F Austin State University and the kids from WBHS headed off to California University. I came of age with Kelly, Donna, Brenda, Brandon, Steve, and Dylan. Many people know that I will spend 3 hours on a Saturday morning watching Beverly Hills 90210 re-runs on SoapNet. I don't even care that I have seen every episode 467 times and in three different languages. So I was a little skeptical when I heard that the CW was going to start a new 90210 (They dropped the Beverley Hills part because come on EVERYONE knows the city that zip code belongs to). Well I am here to say that I love the new show. It is actually really great and has now become one of the top shows on my Tivo. Who ever thought I would watch anything on the CW? Now I am addicted to Gossip Girl, 90210 and Privileged. Is there such thing as a quarter-life crisis? Maybe I am having one? Maybe I am trying to relive my high school years and I am in need of some serious time with a shrink.

On another note I am thinking of divorcing the girls from The Hills. It is getting to be the most boring 15 min of my day. I say 15 min because once I fast forward through all the commercials and street shots of LA that is all that is left in actual content for the show. I mean when did MTV decided to start showing music videos again? Funny how I can watch hours of shows on MTV and never once hear 30 seconds of music but if The Hills comes on they are suddenly playing songs from "new" bands every 2.5 min. OK I get it, Lauren, Audrina, Lo and the girls are hip and cool. Turn off the music so I can hear them talk shit about each other. As I have said before lets see more Broody Jenner!

We have an appointment with Dr. Doody tomorrow morning to start the whole IVF process. So I will post updates on here for anyone who wants more details. Lets pray for lots of nice large eggs!

Good People

This weekend Chris and I played golf in a tournament with our friends Beth and Jimmy Williams. We had a great time enjoying the outdoors, laughing at our sometime not so great golf shots, and hanging out with old friends. In fact the day was pretty much perfect. However through out the day I kept thinking about the reason why we were even playing in a golf tournament. But at each tee box we were reminded that this day was all about a little baby named Holton and his parents fight to conquer Sudden Infant Death Syndrome. Holton was the name of the baby boy that our friends Shawn and Kathy Spradley lost to SIDS two years ago. His death was tragic and I can't even imagine how much pain Shawn and Kathy have felt over this loss. However I do know what wonderful people his parents are. They decided that what happened to Holton could not continue to happen to other parents. So they put together a golf tournament, invited some friends and family and hoped to make a little $$ for SIDS research. These two have raised over $60,000 for SIDS research in just 2 years and 2 golf tournaments. So here's to you Spradley Family. You are amazing people who are determined to make a difference

To learn more about the Spradley Family visit their website at

http://www.holtonsdriveforsids.com/

Phelps has nothing on our swimmers

Warning........ This blog contains information about our personal fertility journey. Please stop reading now if words like sperm and vagina offend you.

So yesterday I am sitting in a meeting working on sales goals with a few people from work when my cell phone starts ringing and ringing. It was Chris calling me over and over again so I felt like it must be something pretty important for him to keep calling. The conversation went some thing like this:

Me: Hi honey I'm in a meeting is there something important you need?

Chris: I just spoke to Dr. Doody's office and they gave me the results from my sperm test this morning. All I can say is WOW!

Me: Is that a good WOW or a bad WOW?

Chris: That is an awesome WOW. Do you want to know what my stats are?

Me: Not really. I'm in a meeting with other people around.

Chris: I have 4 times the normal amount of sperm vs. the average male my age. On top of that I have 90% mobility meaning that most my guys are swimming. Not only do my guys like to swim 40% of them know how to swim strait. I think I have super human sperm.

Me: That is fantastic honey thanks for sharing the information.

Chris: Could we sell my sperm?

Me: I don't think anyone in thier right mind would want to buy it.

Chris: I am awesome

Me: I gotta go Michael Phelps.... See you when I get home.

I guess just like a good report card I should hang his "stats" on the fridge for everyone to see.

Get ready for more updates our IVF treatment starts next week.

Nana

My Nana was a very special woman. I adored her and when she passed away last year it just broke my heart. My family has been putting off going through Nana's stuff for a very long time. We all thought that if we just left her house the way it was when she left for the hospital then it wouldn't feel like she was gone. The time finally came this weekend when we had to go through Nana's stuff. So this weekend Chris and I went to good ole Valley Mills, Texas (Population 1211) to go through some of my Nana's stuff and bring it home. It was so strange to rummage through so many of her belongings. I took as much as I could and I am confident that one day my children will feel special when I give them things that once belonged to their Great Grandmother.

So here is to you Nana. You taught me so much in life. Like how to make the best mashed potatoes known to man, and corn bread is always better when cook it in an old iron skillet, you don't have to read music to learn to play the piano, if you sleep on a satin pillow your hair will look just like it did when you went to bed. But most of all you taught me that God and family are the most important things in life, and money can buy many things but class isn't one of them. And no matter what always act like a Lady. I may let you down from time to time but I promise that I will keep on trying. You were an AMAZING Woman and I miss you more than anyone knows.

It is so hard being perfect

I love to people watch more than anything in the world. In fact the airport is one of my favorite places to go. I just like to sit back with my Starbucks and act like I am reading People magazine as I watch people come in and out of the terminal. Onetime I was so busy people watching that I didn't hear the gate agent announce that my flight had moved to a different gate so I missed my plane home from LA. Since I like to make lemons out of lemonade. I just picked up my stuff, moved to the bar and continued my people watching until is was time for next flight. Didn't even upset me in the least bit. So back to my story.... I know that I am in no way perfect. In fact if you give me just 10 min. of your time I can list all the 10,000 things wrong with me to you in alphabetical order. That is why I feel like it is OK for me to point out other people flaws. I am comfortable with all of my flaws so I figure everyone else should feel the same about theirs. So last week at Disney World I experienced some of the best people watching EVER. So much that I had to take a few pictures of these unsuspecting folks and share them with everyone on my blog. All 7 of you you read this. Can you believe what people will wear to a theme park?
Here is what I think must go through their mind:

I really wear a 16 but a 10 feels so good that I always by a 6. How can someone look in the mirror and say... damn I look good today.

Or how about the lady who was so hot that she just had to roll up her shirt and show the world her fat rolls. If anyone is ever curious as to what I would look like in a bikini...this is a good representation.

Last but not least is the chick walking through the Magic Kingdom with a Camel Toe. How comfortable can that be? I am sure that this is not what Walt Disney had in mind when he created the "happiest place on earth"

I know... I know .... I sound like a total bitch. So watch out all you sad looking people you never know where I may be just waiting to snap pictures of you to post on my world famous blog. For now I will just sit her in my glass house being perfect!

Being Sick Sucks!

So I have returned from a fabulous trip to Orlando with the family. We had an amazing time at Disney and Universal. I am so blessed to be able to take such an awesome trip with my sisters and mom. The twins doctor called my sister on Thursday to let her know that Reid's strep test came back positive. This was great news for me to hear since I had been sharing a bed, drinks and food with her all week. So yesterday I am making my hour commute to work and I start to feel terrible. By the time I walked into my meeting I felt like I had just been hit by a Mac Truck. I had no energy, was freezing cold, and my throat was killing me. So I decided I should leave work and head back home. One my way home i stopped into a Care Now facilty and found out I was running a temparature of 104 and yes.... I have Step Throat. Thanks Reid..... You have a new Jasmine costume to remember your Disney trip by while I am in terrible pain. I was so cold that I drove home with me seat heater on and my heater set at 85. Did i mention that I am a terrible patient. I hate to be sick. Sitting around the house not having the energy to do anything is pure misery to me. I don't like to miss work and day time TV really Sucks! I should be better in 48-72 hours.

Dreams Really Do Come True

I am on my "sisters" trip this week. It is a trip that i take with my sisters Heather, Christy their children and my Mom every Summer. This year we are in Orlando with the twins Regan and Reid and Christy's little boy Dalton. We spent yesterday at the Magic Kingdom and it was truly a Magical Experience.

The kids were so much fun and so brave. They were not so interested in the kiddie rides but fell in love with roller coasters. i am talking Big Thunder Mtn, Space Mtn, and Splash Mtn. They are only 5 but loved all these big rides. When the day was over Reid looked up at me said.. "Aunt Kiki, dreams really do come true". That one line made the whole day worthwhile. I will post more later. Now i need to go hit the pool.

Working... Working.... Working

I have been so busy working lately that I just have not had a chance to keep up with my blogs. So here are a few pics to let everyone see just how busy I have been at work and just how much fun I have everyday. Enjoy!

Speedos and Mojitos

Our friend Todd turned 40 this weekend and the theme of his birthday celebration was Speedos and Mojitos. We joined he and Jen at thier house for a pool party complete with 40 year old men wearing tiny little Speedo swimsuits. Beleive me non of these men belonged in these suits. Not one of them looked anything close to Michael Phelps. I have now seen parts of Todd that I never wanted to see that will now haunt me for the rest of my life. Note to all the men out there... if you want to wear a Speedo you may want to consider going to the tanning bed so that you don't look like an idot with 1/2 white and 1/2 tan legs. The scary thing is that all the men really liked the Speedos and are going to keep wearing thim in the future. They all said that they were very comfortable and dried very quick. The Mojitos were fantastic and after of few of those I didn't even care that Todd was wearing a Speedo. So glad that Chris didn't participate in this. I will post some pictures soon for your veiwning enjoyment.

This post brought to you by the JW Marriott Desert Springs

Working for the greatest hotel company in the world has it's advantages. For the last 4 days I have been in Phoenix at a Sales Conference for Marriott Hotels. Let me tell you.... hotel people know how to do it right. My conference has been at the JW Desert Ridge Resort and Spa. This place has been nothing short of amazing. It is a beautiful resort complete with two gorgeous golf courses and a wonderful pool that has a lazy river. If you are ever in the Phoenix area I recommend trying this resort out. Trust me you want be disappointed.

Back to the conference. When a hotel is chosen to host a conference or meeting for other hotel people it becomes a priority for the host hotel to show everyone just how fantastic their property is. This means the greatest food, incredible drinks, and amazing theme parties. That is what I have enjoyed this week. I have played golf 3 times in the last 4 days at some of the best courses in the desert. For the love of God the down comforters and pillow top mattresses here Rock! Even the water here is good. It is always has fresh fruit floating in it. Like strawberries, blackberries, oranges and even cucumbers. I never thought I would say it but I am sick of drinking every night and eating fancy food for every meal. Yes you heard me correctly.... I am ready to go home. I miss my stinky dogs, the bed that I never make, and my husband. So thank you Mr. Marriott for another great week but I am ready to get back to reality.

Gotta go to sleep so I can catch the 5am flight home!

Back to the Hills

I am so excited that tonight is THE night. It seems like it has been forever since I last hung out with LC, Audrina, Whitney and Lo. Oh and I guess Heidi will make an apperance too. You just don't understand the kind of enjoyment I get from these caddy little bitches! I have to say that if I was picking friends Lo would be the person I would hang out with. I love how she just says whatever is on her mind. She doesn't let feelings stand in the way of telling the truth. She is laid back and never gets all caught up in the boy drama. I have been a LC fan ever since the days of Laguna Beach (Yes I have seen every episode and yes I did make a few trips to LB while I was working in Cali a few years ago with hopes of spotting one of the kids from LBHS)Back to the subject of LC...... when did she get to be so annoying? I am getting sick of all the whinning. I think she should just go frickin nuts one day. I talking sex, drugs, rock and roll nuts. I think a season 4 LC meltdown would be huge for the ratings. There is one more thing that season 4 must have and that is more Broody Jenner, more Broody Jenner and then just a little more Broody Jenner. I LOVE this man. Did I mention that we adopted him as our "office boyfriend" at work. We have hung his picture on the wall for the entire office to enjoy. Now that is what I call team work! So please don't even think of calling me tonight while the Hills is on because I will not be available.

Yeild

Does any one know what this means anymore? I like to think that I am a nice courteous driver and when I see a yeild sign I understand that it means I need to yeild to the traffic coming off the freeway. So Mr. A**hole in the white Expedition traveling on Central Expressway this is for you!

It is not my job to slam on MY breaks so that you can just creep past me while I am exitign Central Expressway at 60 miles an hour. You are going 30 and need to slow down to YEILD to me.

Next time I see you I am just going to slam my car into the side of your Expedition. I don't even care who's fault it is. I have great insurance and have never had a claim. New car shopping is something that I enjoy! In fact the only reason I didn't hit you is that I had a passenger seat full of Yummy Sprinkles cupcakes that needed to be delivered to a customer.

Honking your horn and flipping me off didn't even effect me. I still gave you a BIG smile and a little wave with my finger as well. Yes I have a middle finger too.

So here's to you a**hole! I hope you are cut off by the other friendly Dallas drivers and may you get stuck behind a School Bus or a Garbage Truck on your next morning commute!

Lots of Love!

Tracy

Now I feel better!

I love the Olympics

I love the Olympics!! When it is on I find myself glued to the TV watching sports that in normal situations would never be on TV. The opening ceremonies were nothing short of FANTASTIC! It gave me chills to see so many countries gathered in one place and able to set differences aside for just a short time. The Olympics is sportsman ship at it's finest. It was great to see Yao Ming cheering on the Chinese Basketball team all while they were loosing to the US with no hope of winning. As I sat on my couch this afternnon cheering the US on in Rowing, Cycling, and Badmittion I thought about how much determination these athletes have. This is the kind of passion I have been searching for my entire life. Take a moment and enjoy the games they are truly spectacular!

100

So all my blogging friends are doing this and I would hate to not be in the "in crowd" So here I go. Lets see if I can get to 100.

1. My name is Tracy Nicole Miazga
2. My friends and family have always called me Nikki
3. When I went to college and decided that Nikki made me sound like a stripper
4. So I started to go by Tracy
5. My maiden name is Heath. It is way better then Miazga
6. Chris once asked me if he could call me Nikki.
7. I told him no. That only friends and family are allowed to call me Nikki and he was neither.
8. That was when we were dating and I was playing hard to get
9. Now he can call me anything
10. Chris is a wonderful man
11. I love him more than anything in the world
12. I think he will make a great Dad
13. I worry that we will never be able to have children of our own
14. I think about his everyday and pray everyday
15. I am scared to go through IVF
16. I don't tell anyone this
17. Now I just did
18. It will break my heart if it doesn't work
19 I have a good friend who says she will be my Sergeant mother if I need one
20. She is a VERY good friend
21. I met her in the 6th grade. There are 8 of us who have all remained friends.
21. We have supported each other through so many things.
22. I am proud to be surrounded by such a strong group of ladies.
23. I love to laugh.
24. I laugh everyday
25. Chris makes me laugh
26. People think I am funny
27. Chris thinks he is funnier than me.
28. I think I am way more funny then him.
29. I love my mother
30. She is an amazing woman
31. She doesn't realize how amazing she is
32. I wish she did
33. I miss my Dad
34. I miss Chris's Mom
35. Even though she was mean to me
36. I have really cool sisters
37. My brother Gerrod is great too
38. I am so proud of my family.
39. I work for the best company in the world.
40. I have one of the best jobs.
41. If you don't stay at Marriott hotels. You should.
42. It will help my profit sharing
43. I love to shop
44. I love to have nice things
45. I started working when I was 15
46. I have never been without a job since then
47. I don't really like ice cream
48. I love Key Lime Pie
49. I want to live on a beach
50. I love to listen to the waves
51. I have two dogs Mia and Milo Miazga
52. They make me laugh
53. My first concert was George Micheal
54. My best concert was Prince
55. I went to see NSYNC in concert and used my niece as an excuse to go
56. I am in love with Justin Timberlake
57. He can do no wrong. So don't talk bad about him
58. I love all kinds of music
59. I wish I could sing well
60. I like to travel
61. I want to go to Europe
62. I am learning to enjoy working out
63. I hate living in Texas in August and September
64. I wish we had a vacation home somewhere cool
65. If we did it would be in Lake Tahoe
66. Lake Tahoe is one of my "Happy Places"
67. So is Nappa, San Francisco, St. John, and Boulder, CO
68. I love my neighborhood
69. It is a place that Chris and I will live for a long time
70. I have met so many wonderful women in the neighborhood
71. I am addicted to blogging
72. As I sit here my dog in snoring.... I am laughing
73. I have lost my Blackberry..... again
74. Left it in my rental car in San Francisco last night
75. I don't like to watch baseball
76. I really enjoy college football
77. When I was 9 I witnessed a murder
78. My neighbor shot his landscaper in the head
79. Gerrod and I were the only people who saw it
80. The last time we testified in the case I was 20 years old
81. My Nana was a real lady. The kind who gets her hair done every week and carries a real lace hanky in her purse. She was beautiful.
82. I miss her too
83. When I was a little girl I used to tell my Mom that when I grow up I wanted to work at the make-up counter.
84. I am a very happy person
85. I have an great life
86. I love to drink wine
87. Lately I have been drinking it by the bottle instead of by the glass
88. NO I am not an alcoholic
89. I grew up in Grapevine Texas
90. I like to go home but never want to live there again
91. I always wanted to move out of Texas
92. Chris loves Texas and never wants to leave here
93. I begged Chris to get me a wii
94. Now that he got me one I have only played it 4 times
95. I don't like to put gas in my car
96. I always trick Chris into doing this for me
97. I want to be a better Christian
98. I am the one who has to make this happen
99. I have had 3 hours of sleep and I require at least 7 each night.
100. I think I may be boring?

The San Francisco Treat

I am in San Francisco this week teaching a class to Marriott sales people. Even though this is a work trip I have had a had a wonderful time over the last few days for several reasons.

1. It is a cool 60 degrees here. It was a much needed break for the 100+ that I have endured in Texas over the last few weeks. I love wearing a sweater in August!

2. San Francisco always reminds me of why I love my husband. We had a great trip here 5 years ago and every where I walk in this city it reminds me of some special time with Chris.

3. I work with the most amazing people in the world. They make me laugh so hard that I want to cry. The friendships I have formed at Marriott will last many years to come.

4. Seafood - I have had Seafood everyday. I love CRABS!

5. Great wine with dinner every night.

I could go on and on but why? Above are pictures of Shawn, Tatum, Lance and Myself having an awesome time in SF.

On a side not my trainer sent me an email today to see if I am OK. She hasn't seen me in a while and just wants to be sure that I am still working out. I love her! Thanks for holding me accountable.

Off the Wagon

I have to admit I have fallen off the wagon. No I don't have a drinking problem. I have a work-out problem. For some strange reason I didn't make it to the gym at all last week. So in true It's not my fault fashion I would like to list the following reasons for my lack of commitment to working out.

1. I played golf last Monday afternoon and it was 126 degrees outside. Since the snobby golf course in out neighborhood made it cart path only that day I had to walk to my ball every stroke. Now when you are a bad golfer like me this is a lot of walking. To top it off I only saw the beverage girl 4 times the entire afternoon.

2. Last Tuesday was moms night out in the hood and I drank way too much to even think about working out. Unless you count 12 oz curl-ups as exercise I totally failed this day.

3. Wednesday was happy hour at Ra with one of my favorite clients, Shawn and Lance from work. I don't even need to explain what happened this evening.

4. Thursday was Luau on the Lawn at the Cooper so technically I did make it to the gym. However the closest I come to working out an attempt to show Regan and Reid how to use a Hula Hoop.

5. Friday - Dinner and Drinks with some of my Grapevine Girls. Margaritas and Nachos need I say more.

6. Saturday was filled with shopping at North Park with a quick swing by the furniture store. I did walk mall. Can I count this as a workout even though I didn't break a sweat?

So I am calling out to all of you my faithful friends. If you see me this week tell me to get my fat ass to the gym. Ask me if I have worked out or plan on working out. Hold me accountable. I need all the help I can get to get back on the wagon!

Just FYI.... I just worked out tonight so Monday is all good!

I'm so hot I could.....

I am so HOT, and not in a good way. Not the way when you see a great looking guy walking down the street and you say... "Wow he is HOT". No I am just plain HOT. I am not sure how many 100+ days I can endure this week. It is just hard to get out and do anything when you start to sweat the second you walk out the door. Long gone are the few good hair days I once enjoyed. Bye Bye to the pretty summer suits I was wearing to work. Now all I can think about is all the different ways I can pull my hair up and just how casual can I dress at work before anyone says something to me. Good news is that I am heading to San Francisco on Wednesday for a much needed break. Hello 60 degree days and 50 degree nights. I will be dreaming of San Fran for the next few nights.

Hula Hula Hula

Yesterday was the Luau on the Lawn on the Cooper Clinic. The twins peyton and Stephanie came to spend the night and go the the event. They looked so cute in their grass skirts. When in your life can you say you look great in a Grass skirt other then when you are 5.

Girls In the Hood

Last night was the monthly girls night out with the Mom's Group in the Hood. We all met at this great little wine bar that is within walking distance of my house. Yes that is correct.....Our last house had a Liqour Store within walking distance and now we have a wine bar..... Makes me feel a little like the Jefferson's ... We are Movin on up. Oh well back to the night. The only problem is this cute little wine bar closes at 9pm and that just isn't near enough for a group of Mom's who just want to get thier drink on. So my friend Erin decided to host the "afterparty" at her house. Did I say house? I meant to say driveway. Cause that is how the fine ladies of Craig Ranch roll. Yes just a big circle of girls sitting on driveway, passing around a bottles of wine and tequilla on a Tuesday night. We can't go in the house cause the kids were asleep. I know this classy! I felt like I was in high school again and just waiting for someone to pass the Boones Farm, a Marlboro Lite and turn up Bon Jovi! It was an AWESOME night. Yes haggin in the Hood with all my ladies just can't get much better.

Jerry Has a Job and Tatoos....

Since I don't have children of my own I rely on my nieces and nephews to provide me with entertainment. This entertainment usually comes a few times a week when my sisters Heather and Christy call to update me on the happenings at thier homes. Well yesterday I received two calls of equal humor that I just have to share.

Christy has a 3 year old son, Dalton who has an imaginary friend, Jerry. Jerry's age ranges from 2-15 depending on what Dalton feels like that day. Dalton is always making up stories about Jerry and sharing them with the family. Sometimes Christy has to set a place for Jerry at the dinner table, buckle Jerry in his car seat, tuck him into bed, and even order him his own Happy meal at McDonalds. After being a stay at home mom for 2 years Christy decided to go back to work and Dalton is not happy about it. So yesterday morning he tells Christy that she dosn't need to go to work because Jerry got a job so now she can stay home while Jerry goes to work. Jerry has a job at the store. We don't know what store just at a store. How sweet is it that he is willing to let his freind go so that he can have his mom back.

Regan and Reid are the 5 year old twins who I adore. They saw Mama Mia last week and are in love with the movie. So on Sunday my sister was giving them a bath when she looked at Reid's Butt and saw ball point pen markings all over it. The conversation went something like this:

Heather: Reid what happened to your bottom?

Reid: That is my Tatoo.

Heather: What?

Reid: Regan did it last night. She gave me a tatoo just like the girl in Mama Mia. Is it pretty?

My sister just died laughing.

I love kids and can't wait to have my own!

My Life on the D List

Saturday night I went to see Kathy Griffin with some ladies from the Rockin Ranch Mom's Group. We had a wonderful time. I have never watched Kathy's show on Bravo, My Life on the D List, so I went to the show with no expectations. Let me tell you I laughed for 2 hours as Kathy ripped on the Lohans, Kardashians, LC from the Hills, and yes even Oprah. If you havn't checked her out you should. She is GREAT. Here are some pictures of our great evening.

What I wished for....... Maybe

Chris and I have always joked about my family living in the Southlake/Keller area. We always say it is nice that they are close enough for a Sunday but way too far for a Wednesday. We have enjoyed life in the 972 (that's our area code) and have felt that even though we live within an hour of my famly our lives are very different. When my sister told me that they were selling thier house and moving to McKinney I was so excited. Now I could see all 5 of her kids during the week. We could have them over for dinner on a Tuesday, ect. Well now that wish is becoming a reality. Not only is my sister moving to McKinney. She is going to move just 4 houses down from our house. I am not sure I am ready for an invasion by the Stephens family. There goes the neighborhood...... The good news is that I should never have to pay a dog sitter again as Tess and Peyton are old enought to do thsi for me. I will have a new workout buddy in Heather.

I am in need of some R&R

I am in desperate need of some R&R. No I am not talking about Rest and Relaxation.... I get plenty of that. I am in need of some quality time with my twin nieces Regan and Reid. It has been 3 weeks since we last spent time together and I just not sure how much longer I can go without big hugs, belly laughs, and tickle attacks. I have been talking to R&R on the phone but it is just not cutting it. My mother and Heather took them to see Mama Mia today and Regan can't stop singing all the songs. Hopefully by the time I see them this weekend she will know all the words and have a few dance moves as well.

Good news....... My sister has another offer on her house coming tomorrow. Maybe this one will finally work out. They have had 2 other contracts fall through and the whole process has been irritating. If all goes well they will move to McKinney in time to start school. This will mean that I will get to see my R&R anytime I want! Life is good.

Chis bought me a Wii today on ebay!!! It will be here this weekend and I can't wait. Note to Tess, Dustin, Kyle, Kelsey and Peyton (my nieces and nephews)..... I am ready to take you down in Wii golf and tennis!