KooKooBirdies

2014: The Year of Tough Changes

2015-01-02T00:52:00.001-07:00

This is probably going to be the most difficult thing I've ever written, please bear with me. 2014 was by far the most difficult year of my life. Honestly, 2015 can't come quickly enough... and yet it's also come too quickly- funny how that happens.

Last January David, Calvin, and I were temporarily living in North Carolina at my brother Morgan's house with Morgan's family and my sweet mama Juli. If you read last year's post, you'll remember that David's generous employer, Hewlett Packard, gave him permission to work remotely so I could be with my mama as she faced Pancreatic Cancer. We were all trying to surround her with as much love as possible and I think I can safely say that we accomplished that goal in the final months of her life. Knowing how much I needed to be with my mom, my incredible husband really went above and beyond to make it possible for me/us to be together. I can't thank him or his employer enough for the extra effort they put into making that a reality for her and for me.

January 13, 2014 we had a beautiful celebration for mom's 71st birthday (despite the fact that the initial celebration was in the hospital.) My niece Kitty was very specific about the entire event. You should have seen the looks and comments I got lugging three babies, a few dozen flowers, something like 10 huge balloons, and food (mostly chocolate) into the New Haven Regional Medical Center, which for some horribly planned reason was up hill from the parking lot and it was freezing cold. Kitty (and Muffy too) insisted that Grandma had to have certain flowers, chocolates, balloons, and sparkling cider in little cups for the perfect toast. Dad/Grandpa even footed the bill! Mom loved it.

Anabel: "Why is Grandma the best grandma?"
Kitty: "Because we love her."
Muffy: "Cake."

Mom got released a day or two later, and we were able to celebrate one more time with the entire family together. It was lovely. My sister-in-law Deb went to this wonderful cake shop in Wilmington and bought her a delicious chocolate cake- her absolute favorite. I can't say, under the circumstances, it was the best birthday she ever had, but I can say it was probably the one I will remember the most.

It was unnaturally cold in Wilmington last January, and the house lost power and heat on a couple of occasions due to ice. It sounds crazy, but it was actually warmer in Boise on many days.

David, Calvin, and I drove up to Charlotte for our niece Lily's christening before David flew back to Boise for work. It was a beautiful baptism and the very special christening gown Lily wore in the ceremony was truly gorgeous. I was so overcome by the emotion of the event that David and I discussed it and decided that it would be nice to christen Calvin as both our mothers suggested they would like it done. And frankly, my mom more than suggested that it was important to her. Before we left Charlotte, Helena and I took the opportunity to do a baby photo shoot since we had the baby cousins together- I'm sure our little Smurfs will hate us for this one day... but it sure was fun and so cute!

A day or two later our dear friend/my Idaho family Mary Wilcomb came out to Wilmington to visit and relieve some of the pressure I was feeling. She was there for about ten days and honestly, it felt like a vacation for us all! Mary cooked amazing food and lightened the mood and the load just enough. Thank you Mary. You truly made our last days with mom extra special.

February 2, Mom started to go down hill fast. We thought she was dehydrated, so we rushed her to the ER to get her back on track. Unfortunately, mom's cancer had progressed and there was nothing we could do. They couldn't get an IV in her veins to work. The Hospice Care and Doctors asked us our goals for the next few weeks and we told them out goal was to have Cal baptized with her there. It was planned for Sunday February 16, and the doctors all thought she would easily be able to be with us until then. My dad arrived the next day on an open ended ticket to be sure he could be there for mom until the very end. Unfortunately for all of us, that end came much sooner than expected. My adoring mother, Julianne Kaeser Manchester passed away (click here for her obituary) surrounded by the love of her family on February 6, 2014. Life will never quite be the same. We miss her every moment of every day... I will miss you always Mama!

I'm still so envious of my brother of this experience with our mom. He was so lucky to have had this moment with her.

This photo just didn't do her justice. Despite being gaunt and uncomfortable, she looked absolutely gorgeous- her hair was like a silver halo.

Much of the next few weeks are a complete blur. My mother's brother William and my sister and two older brothers arrived in the next couple days so that we could all be together to privately remember and hold her in our hearts.

Family time.

We also went ahead with Calvin's christening on February 16th as planned. David's family and my sister-in-law Helena's parents all arrived in Wilmington to be part of it, and mom's spirit was all around us. It was a beautiful day.

The next month was filled with packing. We brought way more things with us to Wilmington than we should have, which was my fault. I truly believed that my mom was going to kick Pancreatic Cancer in the butt and we would be there doing active things with her. Plus, my brother Morgan and I had zero interest in going through her things so instead, we pack them up too and shipped them to Boise.

Saying good-bye to these two little ladies broke my heart. I wish they lived closer!

David and I returned to Idaho in mid-March. We had rented our little house on 15th Street out for a year, so we decided to rent a small apartment near David's office to make having only one vehicle easier. It was a fairly comfortable little place with the exception that it was on the 3rd floor and there was no elevator. Lugging an increasingly heavy infant and groceries and etc. up and down three stories was a HUGE pain, but I certainly got my exercise in doing it!

May 1st Calvin and I flew to Madison to put together the final preparations for my mother's memorial which was held on May 10th. We had a wonderful long visit with my Dad and even got down to Dubuque, IA to visit with David's sister and her family for a night and I also got to visit with some old friends and their families while in Wisconsin. My Dad's 80th Birthday was on April 12th, but because we were all getting together one month later we decided to celebrate then. Everyone else flew in on Thursday and Friday and we had a huge family feast on Friday evening. My dad's sister - my Aunt Kathie and her husband my Uncle Jim were able to be there too which was especially fun for my dad. He hated birthdays and big to-dos... being the center of attention was not really his thing, but I know he could really feel the love that night and he enjoyed having all his kids and grandkids around him.

Playing in Grandpa's yard. "Auntie Bel, we LOVE boxes."

Cal and the girls and I all took a fun visit to the Madison Zoo before Grandpa's Birthday Party.

Because of her love of the outdoors and her gardens, we chose to wait to host Mom's memorial in the spring so we could be outside. It was a lovely day- the day before Mother's Day. We held the service at Hoyt Park in Madison in the Shelter there which was open to the outside, but covered in case of inclement weather. There was a large turnout of friends and family from all over the country. It was a very special day. I knew I wanted to speak that day, but I also knew I couldn't get through any speech without sobbing uncontrollably, so I planned to read a children's book my mom gave me a few year's ago. It was called Wherever Your Are, My Love Will Find You, by Nancy Tillman. Mom gifted the book to me long before I'd even gotten pregnant... and before she got sick. I remember getting it in the mail and crying as I read it because it so clearly put into words how fully I always felt my mother's love. My dear husband once again came to my rescue at the memorial, and read the book for me because I had trouble even explaining to the audience why I wanted to read it. While David was reading, "And if someday you're lonely, or someday you're sad, or you strike out a baseball, or think you've been bad... just lift up your face, feel the wind in your hair. That's me my sweet baby, my love is right there.", a huge gust of wind swept into the park shelter and knocked the projector screen down on top of me and David. Everyone there started murmuring, "There's Juli." And I knew she was there with us in that moment. Our Sunday evening departure got all messed up and we ended up having to leave out of Milwaukee. Dad drove us to the airport there, and were were home by midnight. We got lucky too, because many of my family members got stranded for a day or two... but knowing what I know now, I kind of wish we had gotten stuck there for a few more days. I cherish every moment I had in Wisconsin on that trip.

Upon our return to Boise I happened upon a house in the Boise Foothills for sale in the hills with a view and a layout and a price that were all right up our alley. It needed work... more than we expected in retrospect, but it was perfect for our needs and wants. It's been a project. And at the time one that I was looking forward to in an effort to keep myself busy from dwelling on my mother's passing. It certainly did that.

July is our month. David and I met in July... we got married in July... Calvin was born in July... our dog Linus was born in July... July is a lovely month for our little family unit. Well, we had a lovely wedding anniversary. David and I hired a babysitter and we went to sushi dinner in Eagle. It was AMAZING! We celebrated Calvin's 1st Birthday kind of last minute due to our work on the house... but we whipped together a strawberry shortcake and found a candle and sang to him and he was as happy and excited as could be. It was lovely.

Happy Birthday Calvin Stewart!

Before

After

Playing with the incredible bubble machine from Auntie Blake

July 14th we moved into our new house on Spring Mountain Drive. There was and still is a huge amount of work to do, but everyday we still comment on how lucky we were to find this house and how perfect it ended up being for us... despite still living in a construction zone. That week was so hot I prayed everyday, "Mom, if you want me to feel welcomed into my new home... help me out and send us some rain to cool things down with." Friday, July 18th I called my dad before going to sleep and I told him about my daily prayer to cool the air with a nice summer thunderstorm. He and I reminisced about the old days at my childhood home Cactus Acres and watching the rainstorms come across Lake Wisconsin. I said goodnight and told him, "I love you Daddy. I'll call you tomorrow." He said, "Goodnight Bird (my nickname). Love you too." And that was the last time I talked to him. My dear Daddy passed away (click here for his obituary) peacefully in his sleep on July 19th, 2014. The night after he died, I got my thunderstorm. I will miss you always Daddy!

H. Stewart Manchester - my Dad.

Meeting Calvin for the first time.

If I thought the weeks after my mother's passing were a blur, boy, remembering the latter half of July, and the month of August was even worse. If it hadn't been for Calvin and David, I might not have gotten out of bed most days. My best friend was so worried about me that she flew into Boise from California as soon as she could to make sure I wasn't in a coma. Blake was a much needed distraction and she definitely put a smile on my face. Thanks Love!

I must say, despite the incredible holes I have in my heart, I feel so lucky to have so many many many wonderful friends and family around me to support me during all of this. Meals dropped off, friends dropping in to take me and Cal with them on hikes and help run errands or work on a project or two. I couldn't be more grateful. Thank you all. August 19th was not only my brother-in-law Andrew's Birthday, but my brother Morgan and his wife welcomed their third child, a son- Eric Kaeser Manchester, into the world. He was born exactly one month after our dad's passing which was extra special for Morgan.

In late August-early September we flew to North Carolina for my father-in-law, Damaso's Birthday. We were in the Blue Ridge Mountains at my in-law's cabin with the entire Lopez Familia. One of Damaso's good friends surprised him with fireworks, and it was fun watching Calvin and Lily play together as they had both started walking... and seeing their older cousins play with them too was pretty special. We even got a lovely professional family portrait taken because it isn't often we are all able to be together.

Since we were in North Carolina I couldn't go without stopping in Wilmington to spend some time with Morgan's family. David had to fly back for work, but Calvin and I drove from Charlotte to Wilmington to see Morgan, Deb, Kitty and Muffy and meet baby Eric. Seeing Calvin reunite with his "cuz girls" was such a treat for me- they were SO excited to be together again. Cal and Kitty, in particular, have an incredibly special relationship and watching them interact together was wonderful for me. They kept hugging each other and they were just buds. It made me feel my parents' spirits around us. Muffy had grown and changed the most and was quite the little lady now. Baby Eric was/is absolutely adorable and looks just like Deb's dad and her brother. Kitty just started kindergarten and Cal and I were allowed to go to school and have lunch with her. She was thrilled to show her "Baby Cuzzy Boy" to all her school friends and she seemed so grown-up... it's amazing how quickly it happens. Luckily, Kitty is just like her Gee-ma in so many ways, and her memory of Gee-ma is still so crystal clear- right down to knowing the names of all the plants in the garden that Gee-ma taught her. We also drove Muffy to her preschool and I was able to say hello to all the teachers and parents I knew from before. It was really fun to reconnect with the friends I'd made while we were there. I hope y'all come visit us in Idaho!

Lunch at Kitty's school

Kitty and Cuz

Muffy

Muffy and Baby Eric

Watching Frozen with princess tiaras, sleeping bags and cuddles

Baby Eric

Sunday, September 7th, Cal and I flew into Madison from Wilmington to prepare for Dad's Memorial which was held on Saturday, September 13th at Maple Bluff Country Club. I'm glad I flew in early to take the time to be in my dad's space and to say goodbye. I got some great time in with childhood friends and their parents and also my family in WI. I even got to watch one of my nieces play some awesome volleyball and my Uncle saved me when the car ran out of gas on the side of the road. It was quite the week. Calvin was a real trooper and so good the entire visit. It was especially difficult to say goodbye this time. It felt so final. I can only imagine how my mom felt the last time she was in WI in August 2013. You really become the grown-up when you can never "go home" again. Because, let's face it, home isn't a place as much as it is a feeling. Your parents really are "home."

It was nice to see so much family again so soon despite circumstances. We all have such a lovely time when we're together. I even got to see a cousin I hadn't seen since I was about 2, and meet her husband. And I briefly met another cousin as well. It's amazing that we are all connected, and yet not. We flew home to Boise on Monday following the memorial. We were only home for a week though and then were off again... this time on a vacation we'd planned before my mom passed away... Hawaii!

Landing in Madison

Watching the guys set up the greens behind Pop's condo

Reading a new book with Auntie Katie. I don't think I got any other pictures from this weekend... hoping someone else did?

We flew from Boise to Portland and Portland to Oahu. When we arrived we transferred to a puddle-jumper and flew from Oahu to the island of Molokai. I practically kissed the ground when we landed - it was such a small plane the pilot had the window open and I could feel the rain on my face. Cal was such a great traveller. He and I both fell asleep for most of the ride from Portland to Oahu, and once we were on the puddle jumper I handed him a lollypop and he was happy for the entire 30 minute flight. Once in Molokai we met up with my best friend Blake and her husband and 3 year old son. What an adventure! We celebrated Blake's birthday and made lots of delicious food, hung out at the pool, and went to the beach. It was very relaxing.

We all had a love-hate relationship with Molokai. The beaches are like from a dream- there is practically no one there! We literally had an entire white sand beach all to ourselves for one whole day. It was like something out of Blue Lagoon- without Brooke Shields covering herself with leaves. Although I did get a couple "full moons" if I remember correctly! That particular beach was not particularly easy to get to, so that is why it was only a one day experience. When we first drove into the main town on the island, my initial impression was, "Wow, there are a lot of people on meth here." Everyone in our group thought I was reading into things, but as it turns out, we met a cop on our last day in Molokai and he actually told us that something like 80% of the population is on drugs- mostly meth, and its such a bad problem they don't report it because it would completely halt tourism to the Hawaiian Islands. He also told us that most of the island is on welfare and the people of Molokai have no interest in working. They have actively shut down most of the commerce on the island. In fact, there was only one real grocery store and only about 3 restaurants on the whole island, and the fisherman can get such better prices selling their catch on Maui or Oahu that we were not actually able to buy fresh fish the entire time we were there... on an island... in the Pacific Ocean. Crazy! The natives recently turned a small cruise ship away by creating a chain of surfers so the boat couldn't go into port. They really just think tourism is ruining their culture. Maybe they are right. However, they'd rather get high and live in huts on the beach and collect welfare checks than figure out alternative methods of making an income. They were all the most friendly and kind people, though. It truly is the "Friendly Island." I'm pretty positive with a little strategy and some capital they could have their cake an eat it too as many of the Native American tribes have done... capitalized on being real "authentic" Hawaiians... But I think to do that, they have to get off "the sauce" first. The VRBO condo we rented was very nice, but NOT even close to the "Ocean Front" we were promised. Ocean view, yes. Ocean front, no. It was about a half mile at least, to the ocean and there was almost no breeze... ugh! The condo complex was mostly a ghost town and buildings were literally falling down from rot. What was once a gorgeous golf course was now something out of a post apocalyptic movie. In fact, the entire island was that way to some extent. I kept thinking zombies were going to pop out of one of the falling buildings and attack us. That said, to me, there was something really special about Molokai. Maybe its the nature of all of Hawaii... a magic to it. The vibe is very healing, exciting, but also relaxing. Interesting that the island of Molokai is was once just a leaper colony... I mean it was so beautiful and we even got within about 5 feet of 2 Monk Seals (an endangered species). As Blake pointed out to me after I forced her husband to 'Go see the incredible farm stand', my ability to see the world in Technicolor was wonderful, but to everyone else, it was just a dumpy building or a farm stand or butcher shop... Either way Molokai is worth spending time on, if only to disconnect for a while. We also had a fabulous time with our dear friends and can't wait to meet them for another adventure!

Our return trip to Boise from the islands was not as smooth as our way out. One of our flights was canceled and we had to fly into Seattle instead of San Jose just to get home, and then the flight to Seattle got in late and we missed the last flight to Boise and had to sleep in a hotel by the airport and then be up at 6am to get our flight into Boise. It was little bit of a nightmare, especially with a baby who absolutely refuses to sleep, but we made it home safe and sound.

Much like August, however, October was a blur. Calvin started Infant Self Rescue swim lessons. He is an amazing little swimmer. Despite some tears at first, he's loving it now! My Aunt Carolyn and Uncle Mike and their sweet dog Keena came into town to visit on their way back from WI to their winter home in AZ. We had a blast showing them Boise and I hope we can convince them to visit again. We even got to watch a BSU football practice when I took them to see the blue turf... we weren't supposed to be there and we got kicked out after a bit when they noticed us, but it was fun nonetheless! After last Halloween and the incredible Garden Gnome costume my mom made for Cal, I knew we had to do something special again this year. With the sewing help from my talented friend Janny, I dressed us as Pinocchio, Geppetto, and The Blue Fairy. It was so fun. We had some friends over who have a daughter Cal's age who he likes to play with and we ate and then took the kids treating. I'd never actually walked on Harrison Blvd. on Halloween - I've driven it, and knew it was a mad house, but I'd never actually walked it. What a crazy place!!! Whoever hired the fire dancers though ... WOW! What a fun night. And because we have small children... an early night too. Honestly, having a baby is such a good excuse to go home early and not wake up with a hangover!

At Cal's 15 month well-baby check-up in October, Cal's pediatrician decided to elevate the lump on his shin from "not serious" to "we need to check it out." So Cal had to have an MRI. It was horrible having to put him under, but it's the only way to get babies to keep still to see what is going on. Luckily it was not as serious as it could have been. It's called a Venous Malformation. He will probably have to deal with it once in a while over the course of his life, but as of right now, it's not involving any arteries or causing him growth problems, so we are monitoring it and waiting until he is about 50 pounds to do the procedure. We got a record breaking snow storm and extremely cold weather around that time. I did not have Calvin properly outfitted for the weather so I did my best to keep him warm and dry with what we had until I could figure something out. The snow melted before the gear came in, but it was fine because we were all set up for the Christmas snow storm (which he love!) We spent Thanksgiving with our Idaho family, the Wilcombs and the Holts. Cal entertained everyone with his antics... and his love of their sheepskins. It was hysterical!

December we got to go on a date night to a BSU football game... the Mountain West Conference Champion game actually... and we won! We also did a lot of decorating the house and tree for Christmas. My mom loved Christmas and because she loved it, I have enough ornaments to probably fill three Christmas trees and decorations for everywhere. I maybe used a third of them this year. Maybe next year when Cal isn't so interested in yanking on the branches I'll bring out more of them! We got to go to a couple fun Christmas parties and see good friends new and old. Cal also graduated from his ISR swim lessons by going in fully clothed with boots and a jacket, and he was able to save himself. So cool. And on December 20th Calvin got his first haircut. My wonderful stylist Brianne trimmed him up for us. He was getting dreadlocks and the curls were flattening out and just looking straggly. His curls are mostly back... but this dry weather and hat-wearing-cold doesn't help. Christmas Eve day we had a special visitor... an owl perched on our deck rail for the entire day. It was so cool! Many cultures feel that owls are the guardians and guides of the dead. It was super cool to have it visit on a day that I so desperately missed my Mom and Dad. That night David made our traditional meal of Hawaiian-style Poke and other yummy seafood. It was fantastic! I'm a lucky lady. Later we laid by the fire and watched old movies. Christmas isn't Christmas without Bing Crosby and Jimmy Stewart, right?!

Idaho Botanical Gardens Winter Garden aGlow

Santa Torture!

See... curls are still intact!

Christmas morning was really special. It was just the three of us again, and we had the best time. By about the end of the stockings Cal figured out that he got to tear the paper off all the presents and he liked that more than the actual gifts. David got me an iRobot Roomba and you'd have thought he got me diamonds I was so excited... The house already looks cleaner and I'm not doing it! The thing is amazing. It has to learn your house, so it gets better each time its used. David was so thrilled by the technology he could hardly contain himself. In the evening, we were graciously invited to dinner at our friends George and Janny's home. George is a fabulous cook, so its a rare day we turn down an invitation to dinner at their house. Janny's parents were in town and her grandma flew in that night as well, and we had a wonderful evening of great food, great friends and great family. What more could we ask for? Great day.

The next morning David had surgery. He had a deviated septum and polyps completely blocking his sinuses causing him to be chronically ill. Cal and I dropped him off and when we picked him up it didn't even occur to me that Cal would be upset by David's post-surgery appearance, but he was. Poor little man did not like seeing his daddy all drugged up with a bandage under his nose to stop the bleeding. He wouldn't go near his dad or move from my lap, which if you know one thing about Cal, it's that he LOVES his Dada and he hates to sit still. He loves me too, but he LOVES his Dada. He was so upset he put his face on my chest and fell asleep until it was time to go. David's surgery went great. The doctor said it was actually much worse than he thought once he got in there and he was as aggressive as he could be, but David will probably have to return to have more polyps removed in another 5 years or so because he couldn't get them all. It sounded like a bummer, but when the stints were pulled out of David's nose on Monday after the surgery (David's Birthday) he could breathe so clearly he could hardly stand it. He said he was getting an "oxygen high" from all the air. It was really great to see him feeling so good again. It's been a long time coming. That night we cooked up a yummy meal and celebrated being together. Cal also had two firsts... first finger painting and first time sledding solo... he tried to eat the paint and the snow.

First time letting Cal finger paint... Success!

First time sledding solo!

David felt so good, in fact, that we decided to have a few friends over for New Year's Eve last night to celebrate the start of 2015. We are all still recovering I think. David and I fed Cal and put him to bed and then everyone started to arrive. It wasn't too many people, but George and Janny brought the game Cards Against Humanity and everyone wanted to play it. We all laughed so hard we cried. Great night. Lucky to have such wonderful people in our lives. The baby slept through the entire night with hardly a peep. AWESOME. He even slept-in for us this morning... didn't wake up until 8:50am! I can't speak for David, but I'm happy to host parties like that more often. Good friends and good laughs and my baby slept through it all! Woohoo! We ended 2014 with Boise State winning the Fiesta Bowl and we started 2015 with Wisconsin winning the Outback Bowl. I think it's bound to be a good year.

Nail biter!

"Whoa!"

Well, here's to 2015! Love and blessings to all!

Forever Ago... 2013, A Year in Review

2014-01-14T20:47:00.004-07:00

If you were following my blog before, I must first apologize for my abrupt pause in postings. I could give you a bunch of excuses - and some of them are really good actually- but in the end, they are just excuses... as usual... I'm trying to be better!

2013, A Year in Review

2013 was a years of incredible highs and also a few pretty significant lows. I'm going to focus mainly on the highs - the most important of which was the birth of our son Calvin Stewart Manchester Lopez on July 7, 2013. Also, please read my previous blog posts for all updates before the last post.

Above is the front and below is the back of the baby announcement I had every intention of sending out...

As of my last official blog post, David and I had just returned from our "Babymoon" to Hawaii. It was my first time traveling across the Pacific Ocean and more specifically to Hawaii... I LOVED it! Wow! Hawaii really is the most relaxing place I've ever been to and I can't wait to go back!

The month of May was filled with work at Opera Idaho and preparing for Calvin. I was honored with an absolutely amazing baby shower thrown by some dear friends of mine- Caree, Kara, and Adrean. It was such a lovely party and I laughed so hard I cried. Plus, making it extra special, my forever bestie Blake flew in from San Francisco to surprise me for the weekend and it was just the best!

Around the end of May I had a couple of bouts in the hospital with borderline preeclampsia. It was a lot scary and about that time I swelled up like a tick. My brother Morgan commented that, "Even your eye lids are swollen." Thanks for keeping it real Miggy! I was put on partial bed rest and told to keep my feet elevated as much as possible for the remainder of the pregnancy. My employer at Opera Idaho was incredibly gracious and let me work from home much of the time.

In June, we lost a dear friend in a tragic car accident in the North Carolina mountains. Holly Fischer was one of David's best friends from High School. She was the kind of person who was simply a joy to be around. People gravitated toward her. We both miss her terribly and think of her often. David was able to fly to Charlotte to be part of the memorial in early June and I know it meant I lot to him that he could be there.

In late June, some of the ladies from the Opera community also honored me (and Calvin) with a beautiful luncheon at Emilio's. I felt so honored, and the baby loved all the attention - he didn't stop kicking for even a minute! And a few days later, our Idaho family, the Wilcombs also hosted a wonderful co-ed shower for us up at their house. There was lots of laughter to be had by all! Thank you all for making me, David and Calvin feel so special, and thank you for all the gifts! I have used every single one! And I can't seem to find the pictures I have... but I'm sure they are on Facebook if you're interested in seeing them!

July 2nd at my baby doctor appointment, we discussed whether David should go on his scheduled trip to Wisconsin for one of his best friend's weddings. My due date wasn't until July 21st, so although the doctor didn't say, "Go," he also didn't think there was any chance I would go into labor over the holiday weekend. Luckily, David listened to his intuition and at the very last minute decided to stay home, because against the odds (according to our doctor), I went into labor between 1-1:30am on July 7th. Coincidentally it was almost exactly 6 years to the minute when David and I first laid eyes on each other.

My labor was easy at first. I didn't even realize I was having contractions. When the nurses told me my contractions were 1-2 minutes apart, I thought, "This is going to be a cake walk... I can't believe my sister screamed." Cut to noon when they told me my labor had slowed and they would have to give me pitocin to get me back on track. Pitocin is the devil. I labored on pitocin for about 5-6 hours before I told the nurse I thought he was "crowning for sure." They got everything ready and the doctor told me "Well, you're 100% effaced, but only 2.5, no wait, I think I can get it to- you're 3cm dilated." That's when I lost it. I was in so much pain I was scared to have a needle in my back so I agreed to the pain killer. When they injected it David asked, "How long before she feels the effects of it?" The nurse said, "Right away." That's when I said, "Get me an epidural NOW!" Once the epidural was in, I slept and when I woke up it was go time... Calvin was born at 11:57pm weighing 6 pounds, 1.4 ounces and he was 19.75 inches long.

The first few days at home with our little bundle of joy were a blur. If it hadn't been for some very amazing friends who dropped by with things like food and items to make breastfeeding easier, or to just hold the baby, I'm not sure I would have held it together. To all the many friends I have out there who have twins (or more)... I salute you! The lack of sleep is brutal!

About a week after Cal was born, my dear sweet mama was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. It was as if the rug was pulled out from under me. She insisted on coming out to meet Cal as planned, despite everyone's pleas for her to start treatment immediately. Headstrong and stubborn she made the trip from Wilmington, North Carolina to Boise, Idaho to meet her newest grandson. Despite my reservations about her traveling instead of getting treatment immediately, I was so glad she came!

My dad also came out as planned, a few days after mom arrived. It really made everything perfect. Thanks mom and dad!

While they were here it was apparent that mom was getting sick pretty fast due to a blockage in her bile duct. Dad convinced her to fly home with him to Madison to get looked at and get a second opinion. Once the second opinion confirmed what was going on in early August, David and I talked about it and decided that I needed to be with her to help her though this. David graciously requested permission to work remotely through his employer HP. His request was granted and within days we found renters for our house, I resigned from my beloved position at Opera Idaho, and I had our entire house packed up and put in storage. Thank you again to our amazing friends for all the help you gave me getting the house packed up. The stress from all of the little detail things I had to do almost did us in. My Ulcerative Colitis was in the worst flare up I'd had in years... But we did it! Before we left, Cal did get to make it up to McCall once before leaving our beloved Idaho and he even got to go for a boat ride and take a dip with dad in the Payette lake!

Cuddles with Mary!

We arrived in Charlotte, NC first in time to let Calvin meet his Lopez abuelos (grandparents) before they left on a three week trip. They were thrilled! He also got to meet his sightly older (7 weeks) cousin Lily and his Uncle Andrew and Aunt Helena. We felt really blessed by this because if things hadn't happened like they did, we were sure when we were going to get these two kiddos together!

Aren't these the coolest outfits from David's tios Upe and Pepe in Spain... Thank you!

A few days later we arrived to our new home for the year in Wilmington, NC... as known as my brother Morgan's house. My nieces Kaitlin and Madelyn (I call them Kitty and Muffy) couldn't be more thrilled to have their new baby cousin living with them. They have a real live doll to play with!

September was filled with getting used to our new surroundings and schedule. We were able to get to the beach a couple of times and we played as much as possible in our first days there. Mom started chemo and radiation at the beginning of the month and she was a real trooper - of course making all the nurses and doctors fall in love with her. The girls started school, which they were very excited about- especially Muffy since it was her first time to go with "big sissy."

Making birthday crowns for Auntie Bel's birthday

First day of school

My sister Katie and my dad came down to visit in the middle of September. It was Katie's first time meeting Cal and she was so excited to squish him. It was a nice weekend for all of us.

The end of September we drove up to the North Carolina mountains to play with the Lopez family and celebrate Damaso's 70th birthday. Auntie Marlee came down from Iowa too and got to meet Cal for the first time as well. She was in baby heaven with baby Lily there too. And no one can get over how much Cal looks like his older cousin Walker (Marlee's younger son). It's fun to see the resemblance. We took Linus with us and you've never seen a dog more happy to be back in the mountains! He was worn out from all the exercising he did that weekend!

October was another big month. Mom finished her first round of chemo and radiation on October 11th. David had to fly back to Boise for work on Sunday, the 20th, so we decided to drive up to Charlotte so we could see his family again. And right before we left, my oldest brother Chet surprised us with a visit to see mom and baby Cal. Cal thought Chet was pretty nice!

Thanks for my snuggly PJs Ms. Charlene Curry!

Cal and Uncle Chet!

The Lopez boys and their babies!

October 23rd was my niece Muffy's 2nd birthday... and oh were they excited to celebrate!

Then came Halloween and the big reveal of Cal's homemade Halloween costume... a Garden Gnome. Mom worked so hard on it and it turned out fantastic! I'm not sure he enjoyed it as much as I did... and he definitely didn't enjoy trick or treating as much as his cousins (who both went as their favorite- Doc McStuffins).

carving pumpkins

November went so fast! David came home on November 16th. It felt like forever to get him back and Cal and I were SOOOO excited to see him! Cal started solid foods, which he is loving! During Thanksgiving week, Francie and Damaso graciously rented a house on the beach near my brother's house so we could all be together for the holiday. My dad also flew in from Wisconsin. It was a lot of fun, but everyone in the Manchester house, including David and Cal, got sick, except me and my parents. We even had a visit to the ER with little man because he was having a hard time breathing... every parent's worst nightmare. We felt so helpless. Thanksgiving was unfortunately cut rather short because of all the coughing, but we felt so blessed to be able to be together with our families.

Miss Lily is eating solids too!

The Lopez men.

On the Sunday following Thanksgiving, we got the big Christmas tree up! The girls were giddy with excitement and had to wear Christmas dresses, drink cocoa and play Christmas music all day... what fun to be 4 and 2 at Christmas!

Right around Thanksgiving Kaitlin decided to take Grandma to school as her "show and tell item for the letter J... J for Juli." It might have been the cutest thing ever...

My mom started chemo again in December, and she's been in great spirits. Christmas was filled with all her magical decorations and special touches. She really knows how to do it up right! The girls were in heaven. Their Elf on a Shelf (who is named Frank) came to see them and decided to have a tea party with their other toys... oh you've never seen such excitement. I really can't wait for Cal to be able to appreciate the magic of it all! It was so much fun!

December I lost a dear friend back in Boise, and I feel horrible that I haven't been able to properly to let her family know how much she meant to me. Brenda Maynard Walters was one of the very best people and I think of her daily. She is truly missed. Boise won't be the same without her. I tried to find this awesome picture of her and I at my baby shower, but all I have is the hard copy and couldn't get it together to scan and upload in time for this post... so I found this... Brenda and her beloved husband Nathan. I love you Brenda!

Dad flew in again for Christmas and I felt like I really got a chance to spend some time with him during this visit. Despite some of it being in the ER... mom was having some trouble the night of the 25th and we couldn't take any chances. BUT we all had a perfect Christmas day together and we really couldn't have asked for more. Everyone had a blast!

My brother John and his family came to visit from the 26th-the 30th. My baby nieces and nephew have gotten so grown-up! But I was happy to hear they still remember my tucking them into bed (snug as a bug in a rug!)

Unfortunately, we didn't get to spend the entire time with them because I had planned a surprise for David's birthday on December 29th down in Charleston, so Saturday afternoon we headed out and had two lovely days hanging with some of David's fraternity brothers (Thank Paul and DeeDee White and Barton Dyson) and exploring the city as a little family of three. It was delightful! We LOVE Charleston. I also need to give a shout out to my friend from college Sam Sidney- her list of babysitters saved the day! And thank you to Miss Carly for taking such good take of Cal!

When we got back to town we forgot all about it being New Year's Eve, and sadly we were all so tired, we barely even celebrated... BUT- Grandma came home from the hospital that day which made us all so happy! AND Kaitlin and I baked Uncle David a surprise birthday cake and we all sang him happy birthday (over and over and over again - they were so thrilled!)

waiting for Grandma

2013 was filled with so many things... some not so good, but some were the most amazing things ever! No matter what 2014 has in store for us, I can't wait! I am a prolific Instagrammer (anabelmml) and I'm great at pinning things on pinterest... be sure to follow me if you want to keep in touch!

May all of you be happy and blessed in the New Year!

I know that it is already January 14th before I'm actually getting this posted... please excuse the typos and all the things I'm sure I forgot to mention. 2014 has kept me on my toes from day one!

Here are a few miscellaneous photos from the past few months...

Little stud in his adorable outfit from David's tia Alicia... Thank you!

Cal's favorite hat - made for him by our neighbor in Boise... Thank you Teri!

January 13th. Happy 71st Birthday to the best Mommy and Grandma around!

BEST.VACATION.EVER.

2013-04-25T20:53:00.004-06:00

David and I decided that we needed a nice vacation for just the two of us before the baby was born- a "Babymoon," if you will. We started planning this trip back in December or early January, and decided on Hawaii to bag some rays after the worst winter weather Boise has had in like 20 or 30 years. I had never been to Hawaii, and I have to admit, I was SO excited for our adventure... and it was worth every minute. I can't wait to go back!

What made it even better is that David lived in Hawaii on Oahu, Maui, and the Big Island and he knew his way around enough to plan the perfect trip for us... and it was AWESOME! In fact I would have to say, he planned the BEST.VACATION.EVER. Truly- if my husband knows how to do one thing, its plan a wonderful trip, and he really out did himself this time!

We went to the Kona-side of the Big Island, and stayed at the Mauna Lani Resort. We played at the beach and caught a luau at the Mauna Kea Resort, and we watched sunset and the most incredible stargazing at top of the Mauna Kea Volcano... And of course we ate some AMAZING food!

Here is a little slide show from the trip:

After a trip like that, I've honestly never had a more difficult time coming home... Oh and I'm at 27.5 weeks along in my pregnancy... here is my 27 weeks photo from the day we returned home from our trip:

Aloha everyone!

Rabbit Rabbit

2013-04-01T19:25:00.003-06:00

I hope you had a Happy Easter and your April is fooled... I mean filled with LUCK!

On this day I always want to pull one of these pranks on my husband, but I know the payback isn't worth the giggles, so I refrain... have you ever tried one of these?

This one is my favorite... but despite how much I laugh just thinking about it, I know I'd be in SO much trouble after the fact that it isn't worth it.

The BIG Reveal... It's A...

2013-03-08T11:31:00.000-07:00

So... I know you are all dying to know what the gender of our baby is... Drum roll please...

IT'S A BOY!

Profile picture... I think he looks like his daddy!

See the arrow?! That means its a boy... although I'm still trying to figure out the angle of this shot!

We're so in love with this little guy already! Last night we had the big gender reveal with a small group of good friends here in Boise. And our families joined in via google+ Hangout (my new favorite thing!) and Skype. It was really great to be able to share this moment with so many people who mean so much to us. Our good friend Tammy Rice got the call from the doctor's office about the gender and then she baked this amazing cake for us... and when we cut into it... it was filled with blue! I'm actually surprised I didn't start crying... it was such a lovely moment.

So everyone who picked "girl" is now out of the running for contest winner... better luck next time... the boys have it! Thanks all for participating... it made the wait so much fun!

At almost 20+ weeks I'm being told I've "popped" again. Suddenly I don't have to tell people I'm pregnant (rather than chubby), they know it from looking at me, which I have to say is actually a bit of a relief. Asking people what their gender guess is has been hysterical though... I've been practically molested by a few people in an effort to make their guess. Thank God I don't have personal space issues!

Now for the fun part... planning for the little munchkin... despite how silly it may sound, knowing the gender has made everything more real for me. There's a little guy just waiting to meet us and we can't wait to meet this little man and watch him grow. AND now I can actually plan for his arrival accordingly... hahaha!

More soon!

XOX

Rabbit Rabbit!

2013-03-01T06:00:00.000-07:00

I hope your month is a lucky one!

Place your bets!

2013-02-24T09:34:00.000-07:00

We are officially taking bets on the baby's gender and birth date. Guess both correctly and get a prize (although I haven't figured out what that prize is yet, but it will be something fun)!

This cool gender-reveal found at
http://blog.hwtm.com/2012/03/gender-reveal-party-girl-versus-boy/

Today I am officially 19 weeks pregnant. My official due date is July 21st, and as of now I am planning on doing this the old fashioned way (pushing rather than c-section) so the field is wide open as to when baby Lopez will make his/her arrival.

19 weeks pregnant

Also to better assist you in your guess, you should know that people with Ulcerative Colitis (me) tend to go into labor 1-2 weeks early, HOWEVER, that said, my mom was two weeks past her due date with me and 25 days past her dues date with my younger brother, Morgan, so clearly the women in my family tend to gestate their babies longer than 40 weeks. Hope that helps you make an informed guess!

Either post a comment with your gender AND birth date guess below, on facebook, or email me with your guess and I will officially mark it down for the contest.

The contest ends on March 6, 2013 at 8am mountain standard time. I will post the name of the winner when the baby arrives!

Good Luck!

16-17-18+

2013-02-20T08:59:00.000-07:00

Another whirlwind three weeks have past. It hardly seems possible that I'm more than 18 weeks pregnant now! The past three and a half weeks have been extremely busy at work. I've honestly been struggling to keep up some of the time. Alas, I think the craziness has past- at least for the most part- and I can start enjoying my life again. Well, now that I've said that, please, knock on wood for me!

My belly seems to grow exponentially every day which is both cool and scary at the same time. It's pretty amazing to be growing another human in my body, but I can't tell you how freaked I am about gaining this huge tummy... so many of my high school body image fears are resurfacing... I would never in a million years have guessed would emerge during pregnancy. Especially because I've wanted this baby for so long! So when I get weighed at the doctor's office, I turn around on the scale and ask them not to tell me unless it's something I need to know or something is wrong. They have clearly had this request before, which makes me feel slightly better about my neurosis.

Since my last post, we had another doctor visit. When we got there I told the doctor I thought the baby was going stir-crazy cooped up in my belly and has decided to bounce around on my bladder for fun. The doctor laughed and told me I was giving a lot of credit to a 15 and a half week old fetus. But when he took out his Doppler to search for the baby's heartbeat, he had to chase it across my belly, so in the end, the doctor conceded that at least, in fact, I was correct in that the baby moves around a lot. I pointed at David and said, "Have you met my husband?" David just grinned. All is well with baby Lopez - 152 beats per minute, and not shy about getting his daily workout in just like her daddy!

16 Weeks Pregnant

That weekend for work, we had a performance (The Winterreise Project), so I mostly worked all weekend. However, we did get a chance after the Sunday matinee to go visit our friends Ed and Rebecca and their sweet one-year old twin girls to watch the Superbowl. Sadly, San Francisco lost (I still say west is best!) Poor Ed was recently in a terrible ski accident, and frankly, he's truly lucky to be alive, and even more lucky to be walking. He broke 4 vertebrae in his back. You should have seen the bruising! But, he's got a positive attitude and a strong desire to get moving again. I doubt he'll be running a marathon anytime soon, but he's bound and determined to keep up with all his girls. Rebecca took me all over the house to look at baby gear they no longer need or want, and if I had a Uhaul with me I would have accepted all her hand-me-downs right there and then. In the end I left with some maternity stuff and some baby books, and she's saving some awesome baby stuff for me like a swing and an infant car seat and a few other things, which is so awesome! Note to younger people reading this- there are perks to not being the first of your friends to have a baby! Thanks RB!

The week that followed was so busy I hardly remember it. We were preparing for our biggest fundraiser of the year at work, and I was in charge of the entire event. I can't remember the last time I was so stressed- luckily it was good stress, from a job I like rather than the other kind of stress- which I've had all too much of in previous years. Either way I was exhausted! Friday I worked from 9am to 9pm with a 2 hour break to get my hair done and eat. Saturday morning I was up working at 7am, at the office at 9am, and apart from a 45 minute break around 4pm (of which I had 15 minutes to put my feet up and rest) I worked straight until midnight. Thankfully, the event went really well. It was a lot of fun and I think everything went off without a hitch. We didn't raise quite as much money as the previous year, but we were in the ballpark, and the event went much more smoothly than any previous year according to the volunteer committee. When I got home that night, despite being exhausted, I was too buzzed to fall asleep immediately so I took my heels off my bruised feet, climbed into my PJs and watched some TV until my eyes started falling.

17 Weeks Pregnant

Sunday, the 10th of February, I was officially 17 weeks, and when I got up in the morning I suddenly knew for sure I was pregnant because while climbing out of bed, my belly hit the top of my thighs. It was like it blossomed overnight! And, even though I was more exhausted than I could imagine, at 8am I popped up and couldn't fall back asleep. So I cleaned the house. David had been at his annual boys weekend in McCall skiing since Thursday night, and when he got home we cuddled and watched a movie together, both exhausted... I was asleep by 8:30pm.

It's been mostly the same all week... I haven't been able to stay awake at night... If I make it to 9pm, I'm amazed! My body is still recovering. Plus on top of all of it, I've been having an Ulcerative Colitis flare up for about 3 or 4 weeks. I tried to pretend it wasn't a full flare at first, but when I started getting up 6 and 7 times in the night, I finally had to admit that I was in a flare again. I think my doctors are getting me under control as of this week, but the lack of sleep is really really really difficult to cope with. And then David gets woken up too, so we both end up grumpy. Some nights he goes and sleeps in the guest bed. I wish I could take a break from it like he does... However, the one amazing thing about getting up at 3am this week was that I started to feel the baby really poke me. I've felt lots of flutters before, but on Valentine's Day at 3am I got up to go to the bathroom and when I climbed into bed I felt a very clear poking and prodding on my right side over and over- I'd say it was kicking, but the baby is so tiny it still feels like poking. I was so thrilled that it woke me up completely (and I was up for about two hours after that which didn't help my exhaustion... and if David hadn't been in the guest bed trying to get some zzz's I would have woken him up to feel it too). I've felt a similar feeling a few other times since, but this was by far the most clear. I can't wait until David finally gets to feel the baby move too!

The flowers David surprised me with on Valentine's Day! AMAZING!!!

This week I'm also starting to feel like being more social again... slowly but surely. Although, I am finding that I'm not that interested in being around kids at all (which I have never experienced before!) David thinks it's just my psyche telling me to go have fun before I'm suddenly tied to the care of my own child for the rest of my life! Considering I started babysitting when I was 11, and as David says, I'm like "the pied piper" when kids are around, he could be right. The caretaker/parent's helper in me comes out the minute I'm around kids and I can't turn it off. Whatever it is, the revelation was both surprising to me and also a little startling... it's made me wonder how I will feel about my own child when I meet it. I'm sure this feeling will pass. But it does concern me a little. I also haven't been very excited about planning the baby's room or a baby shower or baby stuff or anything baby yet. Is that normal? Maybe when we find out the gender I'll get more interested in planning for baby's arrival... I hope so. I've wanted this for so long it seems strange not to be more into it.

18 Weeks Pregnant

The sun is out in Boise again and its finally getting back to a more reasonable temperature outside. Saturday we got up and David and I cleaned the house a bit, a friend came by to say hi whom I hadn't seen in a few weeks, and then David and I went out to lunch. When we got home I took the most delicious nap and read a book and then I went for a sunset hike with Linus. I came home and read some more and at one point I turned to David and said, "I haven't felt this relaxed and calm in weeks." And it was true! I feel rejuvenated... its amazing what a quiet weekend and a little rest will do for the soul!

Things at work are still pretty busy, but my Ulcerative Colitis flare-up is getting back under control. I only got up once in the night to use the bathroom! I can't tell you what a good mood that puts me in! May you all have a beautiful week!

Rabbit Rabbit!

2013-02-01T06:00:00.000-07:00

Here's to a lucky and romance filled month!

Becoming a Tiger Mom?

2013-01-31T11:09:00.000-07:00

I just read the book, The Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother by Amy Chua. My husband and I have been eagerly waiting to read this together with a few other parenting books we'd read about in the Wall Street Journal with the baby coming, and I finally picked up a copy.

Well, I have to admit that I was disappointed in the book. Not because it was poorly written. On the contrary - it was very well written. I finished Amy Chua's captivating memoir almost overnight. I was disappointed because I thought it was going to be less of a memoir of her personal journey and more of an anthropological look into the differences between Chinese and American parenting philosophies... with antic dotes from her personal life.

There were parts of the book where I cringed at Ms. Chua's behavior toward her kids, but at no time did I think, "this is the worst mother on the planet." I was actually impressed that she kept on course with her plan. She also achieved great results with her two girls - despite some of the battles. I find it fascinating that so many Americans were so intensely offended by her parenting. Yes, she took things to the extreme at times, but I don't know any parent who hasn't lost it with their kids from time to time. Although I don't yet have my own kids, I was a live-in nanny for quite a few different families and I can remember one time in particular... well, let's just say, buttons were pushed... and I completely lost it.

I was not raised by "tiger parents." However, I have always found myself very impressed by people with such a strong work ethic like Amy Chua and her kids. Ms. Chua most definitely has a point about laziness in parenting... the effort she put in was exhausting to read about... I know most parents would have given up early on... and I wondered how I will be as a parent. I believe that diligence is something that needs to be taught. That humans, myself included, like to take the path of least resistance, and that our culture is breaking down in many ways because of this lack of effort.

That said, I am the first to question authority and take the easy way out so there is definitely no judgement here! I identified much more with the younger more rebellious daughter than the older more focused one. However, I also tend to be like Ms. Chua - I am always saying things I see as "helpful" to other which I'm told come across as completely rude or unkind. My husband is always letting me know how rude something I said has come off - completely unintentionally of course... thankfully most people I know, including my husband, know I have a good heart, I guess. And like Ms. Chua, I am self aware enough to know I am the way I am... such is life.

Have you read it? It's an interesting book... definitely worth reading. And I'd love to know what you think of it!

12-13-14-15

2013-01-27T14:49:00.002-07:00

I know I promised to blog more now that I had something very tangible to blog about on at least a weekly basis, but between pregnancy and my incredibly busy work schedule, I have been completely lazy when its comes to doing anything other than vegging when I get home at night. In fact, most nights I've been going to bed by 8:30pm. Here is my update for the past few weeks:

Weeks 11-12

12 Weeks

This week and last week have been rough. I caught a horrible cold and was really struggling to even function. This week I am struggling with the spins. I'll be fine one minute and the next minute the room is spinning and it feels like I drank too much.

I googled it, and then called the doctor having self diagnosed with low blood pressure... only to find out, no, I actually have acute vertigo of some sort. Apparently its fairly common in pregnancy in the first and third trimesters as your body is trying to catch up with the new life inside you, but its the worst! At one point I told David that if he didn't stop moving, "I will literally stab you."

I also told my boss about my pregnancy this week, and he was surprisingly supportive. I was worried because I did just start in September. He was great though, and he told me that I could even bring the baby to work with me until it was starting to move around too much. It was such a weight off my shoulders! Plus, now all my weird bathroom behavior and exhaustion all throughout the day are more understandable to everyone in the office.

The doctor says everything is on track and he had both me and David press on my tummy to feel the top of my uterus. Every time we go to the doctor's office things start to feel more real.

Week 13

13 Weeks

Week 13 has been extra special. My workload has been crazy lately, and I'm realizing that I really can't just work through lunch like would during busy times before pregnancy. I did that without thinking on a couple of different occasions this week, and it didn't go over too well. I get the shakes or start to vomit or both. Yuck!

Actually, one day, I didn't eat enough, plus I worked through lunch, and then went to the grocery store. As I packed the groceries into the car, I thought to myself, "I'm really hungry." But I dismissed it right away thinking, "You are two miles from home... just wait." So I climbed into the car and pulled into rush hour traffic. Right as I pulled into the center lane of five lanes of traffic, I realized my mistake. With no where to pull off to, and too many cars flying by me to safely open my car door, I searched my interior for something to vomit into.

Luckily, about a year, maybe more ago after an ER visit, I had kept one of the hospital distributed vomit bags and tucked it in my glove compartment. David had argued that we should throw it away many times, but I always said, "No - it doesn't take up any space and it will come in handy one day, I swear!" Well, that day was today. Thank God for that barf bag because as I pulled up to the red light, I puked my guts out... which, because I hadn't really eaten anything was mostly just stomach acid. I did the same at the next light and then I was finally able to pull out of the traffic and to the side of the road to collect myself.

After that incident, I've been careful to stop what I'm doing and take the time out to get some good food, or even a 15 minute break to breath. Taking walks on the greenbelt has helped too.

Week 14

14 Weeks

Apart from making the stupid mistake of taking my vitamins on an empty stomach so that I wouldn't be late to work, and then getting to work and puking my guts (and the vitamins) out because I didn't get food in my belly fast enough, I've had a great week! My energy levels are coming back up, and now if the weather would please cooperate, I'd like to get out and get some fresh air and exercise.

We've had the coldest winter on record in something like 30 or 40 years and its been gray and icy. It's actually been colder here than in North Dakota! I hate it. I've always loved Boise because of how mild the climate has been... well, this year has made me change my mind (but that's all for another blog post). In fact one day this week I went out to my car to find a half inch layer of ice covering the entire thing. The walk out to the car was treacherous as well, but David had prepared me for icy roads and walkways before I left the house... but I hadn't thought about the car. It took me 45 minutes to get it cleaned up to a point where I could safely see out of it and drive. While the car was warming up I got some rock salt and salted the icy pathway and steps and then worked on chipping the ice off the window.

I should have taken the salt with me in the car to help spread around town because the walk ways were so iced over it was scary to go anywhere. It finally warmed up today, but the warm air brought thick fog and rain... hopefully it melts the snow and ice on the ground in the valley. I'm all for snow in the mountains, but I hate snow in the valley... Boise has no infrastructure to take care of it properly. In WI and NY, if it snows or ices, the business owners are responsible for getting the sidewalk safe immediately - same with the home owners. If they don't, they get a ticket. And that means the entire section of sidewalk your building or property that your home or business covers... if you're on a corner you have to do both, not just your entry way. They also have an alternating street parking, emergency snow removal plan to make the streets safe if it snows 3 inches or more in NY and WI, but here in Boise it just sits everywhere... turning black and making iced ruts in the streets. I hate it when it snows in the valley. Its completely unsafe but the bureaucracy here when streets and sidewalks are concerned is thick... I fax them a plan to fix the problem every time it snows... they know me at ACHD by name when I call... but it does nothing. Can you tell that I'm upset about this?!

Week 15

15 weeks

Today, I am 15 weeks along. I am constantly surprised that my pants still fit everywhere except my belly. I feel huge and when I see myself next to other pregnant women, I realize I still have a long ways to go. My obsession with oranges/citrus and salty foods is still in full force. And I still don't like bananas (so sad) and overly sweet things like caramel, which I used to love.

My mom kindly bought me some cute maternity clothes from ASOS, so I have something other than the incredibly comfy PJs my best girl Blake bought me at Christmas (Thanks again Doll!). Although, I have still been living in the PJs anytime I'm in my house... and even with the new maternity clothes, I still like the PJs best for comfort. They are AMAZING!

My energy level is coming back fast and I actually have interest in doing things like exercise and getting out of the house. And thank God its sunny today! Hopefully some of this ice and snow will melt! I still get tired relatively quickly, but just the fact that I was able to go out to dinner with David after work on Friday and be fully alert on Friday night was a big step forward. I've been quite the self-centered recluse for the past month or so... my friends are all thinking I'm so weird. And really I am weird. I just haven't wanted to be around anyone.

Yesterday and today I did prenatal yoga. I might even go for a walk with the dog in the foothills later - mud permitting. Now to just get through the big fundraiser for work on February 9th, and I think I'm home free! Wish me luck!

I just have to finish this post by saying that I have the most beautiful, loving husband that I am so grateful for every day. Today, when I asked him to take my belly photos, I asked him if I looked okay... he replied without looking up "You look beautiful." I said, "You didn't even look at me." To which he looked me straight in the eyes, and said, "You always look beautiful to me." What can you say to that?!

Rabbit Rabbit!

2013-01-01T19:50:00.001-07:00

Good Things Come to Those Who Wait...

2012-12-24T15:39:00.001-07:00

On the morning of November 13, 2012, I woke up to this:

I wandered, still half-awake and a bit dazed into our bedroom where David was still lounging in bed, and I handed him the test. He smiled and announced proudly, "I knew it! I knew you were pregnant! My boys can swim!" I laughed a little... still unsure the test was real.

If I may back track for a moment. Last November or so, my doctors all told me that I could not/should not have a baby because of the Ulcerative Colitis I suffer with. I immediately panicked. I've always wanted to be a mother and I've looked forward to pregnancy. I immediately started The Specific Carbohydrate Diet to see if changing my eating habits would improve my symptoms. It did... for a while.

In January, David and I went to an adoption seminar at the local adoption agency, Adopt a New Beginning. We considered adoption. We also discussed surrogacy. Part of both of us still selfishly wanted a biological child. So, I went into the Fertility Clinic here in Boise to see if surrogacy was an option. The only fertility doctor in the area, Cristin Slater, told me that I was absolutely healthy enough to do surrogacy, but that she thought I could actually have a healthy child of my own with a little help from her. She said that she'd help many women with Inflammatory Bowel Disease through a successful pregnancy, and all but one of them actually got better during the pregnancy (The one who didn't get better, didn't get worse, she just didn't get better). I was THRILLED! (That said, I feel it is important to tell you that I would NOT recommend seeing Dr. Slater or anyone in her clinic ... they were unprofessional, absentminded, and flaky- one nurse would tell me one thing and another nurse would tell me something completely different which caused more money out of my pocket into their hands. Also, she overlooked all of my concerns regarding my Ulcerative Colitis, and she rarely saw me herself, even though I was being charged for appointments with her and not her nurse.)

Anyway, I immediately jumped into Dr, Slater's regimen of fertility drugs and ultrasounds, assuming that I would be pregnant by the end of the month. Unfortunately, that was not the case. After three excruciating months of fertility hormones, they informed me that I had developed a large uterine polyp and I needed surgery to remove it right away. That was April. I had it (and another small polyp) removed in May. The doctor told me I should start right back up on the fertility drugs again in June, but after the emotional roller coaster of the past 5 months, combined with the lack of quality treatment from Dr. Slater's office I decided that I - we needed a break. AND to make matters worse, the fertility hormones had caused my Ulcerative Colitis to flare, despite my best efforts to keep it in check with diet. The hormones were just too strong. In fact, it was the worst flare I'd had in 5 years, and nothing I did was helping to get it back under control.

My doctors and I agreed that I had to get the UC under control before I could safely have a pregnancy. So in October I started a new Ulcerative Colitis medication called Cimzia. It is approved for use during pregnancy, so the plan was, to let the medication work its magic for a while, and then I could try to get pregnant again.

However, all the stress I went through on the fertility meds last spring made me loathe trying to use them or trying working with Dr. Slater again. And the idea of dealing with any stimulating hormones to get me pregnant sounded so awful, we started looking into adoption once more. In fact we were set on it. I contacted a lawyer and the adoption agency, and I'd filled out the paperwork. I was waiting until the new year to submit everything, figuring that then the craziness of my new job at Opera Idaho and the holidays would have died down by then, and I could give the adoption process my full attention. We were so excited we were going to start a family.

My period was due on November 9th, but when it didn't come I didn't think anything of it, I always fluctuate a day or two. I was busy painting the walls and ceiling of the room we'd recently remodeled, so I just kept plugging away. My body felt like I was going to get a visit from "Aunt Flow" at any moment, so I just waited, and didn't think about it. On Monday, November 12th, I had an acupuncture appointment with my general practitioner. I called the office in the morning and said, "Look, I don't think I'm pregnant, but my period is late by four or five days as of today, and I know I'm not supposed to have acupuncture in the first trimester if I am pregnant... I figured I should call and say something... so what should I do?" They asked if I'd taken a pregnancy test. "No," I said. I didn't think there was any point because I thought it was just being thrown off by the new medicine. I didn't have one in the house and I didn't have time to take one before the appointment. The doctor - Dr. Gail told me to come into the office anyway and she would just do acupressure instead of acupuncture. She wanted to catch up with my medical history anyway.

I went into the office for my appointment. Afterwards, Dr. Gail told me that she wanted me to go home and take a pregnancy test and call her with the result the next day. I somewhat begrudgingly told her I would. On the way home that night I stopped at the grocery store to buy a few things for dinner, and sat there debating on whether or not to buy a pregnancy test. I figured as soon as I spent the money I'd get my period... but I picked up a box of two pregnancy tests anyway... deciding that in the end, it couldn't hurt to know for sure. I decided if there was still no sign of "Aunt Flo" in the morning, I would take the test otherwise I would just save it for another time... Well, you know the rest!

___________________________________________

When I called to let Dr. Gail know the test result, I told the nurse that I was still a little unsure because the line wasn't quite as dark as the control line. She asked how many tests I'd taken. "Just one," I responded. She told me to take another test and call her right back. So I did. This time the line was darker. The doctor got on the phone and told me that she was declaring me officially pregnant. She ordered a blood test for me to confirm the home pregnancy tests, and told me to make an appointment with my OB/Gyn.

I did. I also called my Gastroenterologist. I was a little worried because I'd literally just started the new medication and my UC wasn't fully in remission like he wanted it to be. The nurse said not to worry, and congratulated me. She said the only thing I had to remember was that I can't breast feed because the UC medicine (Cimzia) I'm on gets into the breast milk, but other than that, I should be fine. The nurse and I had a good laugh because trying so hard to get pregnant after all this time, it was ironic that I got pregnant now when I'd finally decided to go ahead with the adoption process. I kept saying "We haven't had sex enough to get pregnant..." Well... it only takes once!

We decided not to tell our families or anyone anything about the pregnancy until we were given the all clear from the OB/Gyn doctor. Our sister-in-law, Helena, is also pregnant, and at Thanksgiving we found out that David's cousin Beth is pregnant too, and we felt it would be better to wait and make sure everything was alright with the baby considering all of my health issues, before we made our announcement. We are all due within months of each other... Helena in May, Beth in June, and me in July. And, we didn't want anyone to feel weird if something went wrong.

David's parents came out for Thanksgiving and it was REALLY tough not to tell them why I was so tired all the time. Or why I was running to the bathroom all the time. But, we just blamed it on the Ulcerative Colitis and the new meds I am taking. However... we both wanted to shout it from the roof tops! In retrospect, I'm sure they thought I was SO sick with Colitis though.

On Tuesday, December 7th David and I had our first OB/Gyn appointment. David and I are both VERY happy with our doctor, Dr. Weyhrich. By the end of the appointment, he left us feeling very confident. I have to admit, I was a little nervous... okay, A LOT nervous. But, everything went really well.

I'd been joking about having triplets since we found out I was pregnant, and luckily that wasn't the case. Just one, very healthy baby with a nice strong heartbeat!

Now that we were given the all clear, we decided to make our announcement extra special. After all, we were told I couldn't have a baby this time last year. Here's what we came up with:

A Message in a Bottle

Photo of the Finished "Message in a Baby Bottle"

Front side of the message

Back side of the message

The messages went out via the mail to everyone in our immediate families on Monday, December 19th. The postman told me that they would all arrive to their destinations on Thursday or Friday at the latest. Well, strangely, all of my family received theirs on Wednesday. David's parents got theirs on Thursday, and David's brother's family on Friday and his sister's family on Saturday. Each of their responses were really fun! Squeals, screams, crying, and more. It was a great way to unveil our secret!

And I'm hoping everyone will feel the need to make extended visits to Idaho next summer to help... I've done A LOT of free babysitting and free labor over the years, so I plan on cashing in all my "Help" chips next summer... plan accordingly! Wink wink!

I am also pleased to report that my Ulcerative Colitis is back on the road to remission thanks to the Cimzia and getting back on the Specific Carbohydrate Diet, and the pregnancy. Our 40 weeks due date is July 21st, however Dr. Weyhrich thinks Boise baby Lopez will make an appearance sometime between 38 and 42 weeks which is July 7th-August 4th, and Ulcerative Colitis patients tend to have babies come earlier than later. Please keep us all in your thoughts and prayers over the course of this journey! We feel very blessed this holiday season. Merry Christmas to you all!

Rabbit Rabbit!

2012-12-01T06:00:00.000-07:00

Have a Happy (and lucky) Holiday Season!

Rabbit! Rabbit!

Family Time

2012-11-30T12:03:00.002-07:00

Thanksgiving has come and gone and I missed getting a post up before the big day. I think this might be our (David and my) favorite holiday. This was the 6th Thanksgiving David and I have spent together, which hardly seems possible because I feel like we met just yesterday (and also like we've been together forever)! Traditionally we spend all day cooking and we go for a nice long hike in the foothills. We watch movies and just enjoy relaxing. It's delightful.

Most of the time, my grown-up nephew Cody joins us with a friend or two, but this year, he is spending it with his girlfriend's family. We missed you Coder! Instead, David's parents, the infamous Francie and Damaso Lopez, joined us for the festivities.

They arrived on Wednesday evening at 9 pm and left at around 4 am on Monday morning. It was a fun albeit exhausting long weekend. But mostly a good time visiting with family.

David, Damaso, and Francie Lopez, Thanksgiving 2012

And, if I do say so myself, this may have been my best Thanksgiving food to date. I've really got the recipes down pat, and my turkey was superb! I also got it all cooked in a very timely manner and was able to take a nice long nap while David and his parents went on a hike in the foothills. When they returned everything was ready to go!

The day after Thanksgiving, we all went to brunch at Le Cafe de Paris and on the way home we bought a Christmas tree. While David and Damaso watched football, Francie and I got out all of the thousands of Christmas decorations I have (my mother is obsessed and has sent them to me in huge boxes... I think I have enough ornaments for 3 Christmas trees!) And we decorated the entire house. The tree looks beautiful!

That night Francie decided to sleep on an air mattress in the living room because Damaso was sick, and guess what? The tree fell over at about 6 am almost crushing Francie in her sleep! She screamed. We all came running. It was actually pretty funny. We lost only a few ornaments, and luckily Francie came away unscathed. David and I tied the tree to the wall after that, and it looks good as new.

Damaso, Francie, David, and Anabel Lopez

On the last night of their visit we went to dinner at one of our favorite restaurants in Boise, Fork, and then we drove up to Quail Ridge to see the famous massive display of Christmas lights. Isn't it amazing?! Chevy Chase has got nothing on this guy. Damaso thought it was tacky, but I say, although I wouldn't put something like that in my yard, I'm really glad someone else does so we have something to come and see and it makes the holidays fun!

The next morning I took Damaso and Francie to the airport because at this point, David had caught Damaso's cold and he was sick as a dog and could barely move out of the bed. They could hardly believe it only took 7 minutes to get to the airport from our house... It was 4am after all.

And just like that, family time was over.

I certainly have so much to be Thankful for... I hope you all had a lovely Thanksgiving too! Happy Holidays!

Middle Earth

2012-11-03T17:44:00.000-06:00

I'm not sure if you know this about me, but I am a HUGE science fiction geek. In fact, I convinced my younger brother to name his dog Arwen after the Elf Princess in Lord of the Rings. I am patiently awaiting the prequel, The Hobbit to hit theaters this December.

Today I came across this fantastic short video by Air New Zealand. Such awesome creativity from the people of the land they call "Middle Earth", I had to share... enjoy!

Rabbit Rabbit!

2012-11-01T10:23:00.001-06:00

In honor of the Day of the Dead... and wishing you a lucky November!

Rabbit! Rabbit!

Nerdy or Sexy?

2012-10-26T15:02:00.002-06:00

Last week I went in to get my eyes checked, and it turns out I have perfect vision in my left eye, but an astigmatism in my right eye. (Which was apparently causing what I thought was mild dyslexia). So the eye doc put some crazy drops in my eyes and told me to go pick out some glasses.

I couldn't see after the first two minutes with the drops in my eyes, so I depended on the girls at the shop and some photo emails back and forth to David to pick out a good pair. After narrowing it down to a few, it suddenly occurred to me to ask how much they cost. OMG! I had now idea glasses were so pricey. One pair was more than $650... I almost fainted (literally, the eye drops were really bothering me and I thought I was going to pass out).

In the end I went with the least expensive pair they had in stock and combined with the co-pay from our insurance I still shelled out a pretty penny - no where near 600 smackers, but I was still surprised by the price.

I picked them up on Wednesday, so as of today I've had glasses for three days. I'm still getting used to them. My doctor says I have to wear them everyday for a month, and then when I'm working on the computer and driving, or as needed.

Day One

Day Three

I've had a few people tell me I look like a sexy librarian, and actually, one lady at my job said my new code name was "The Librarian". However, my husband told me not to tell people that he helped pick them out... not that he doesn't like them, but he wants to make that point clear... and my dad just plain doesn't like them.

Either way, its amazing how good I thought my vision was versus how much better it is now. And its just the one eye... my left eye was doing all the work. I guess, in the end, being able to see better is really all that matters, but my vanity is a little unsure at the moment.

Margarita Day!

2012-10-17T06:30:00.000-06:00

Not many people know that the famously delicious drink, the Margarita, was named for the famous actress, Rita Hayworth (aka Margarita Carmen Cansino). There is still some debate about this... but... we'll just claim it as fact. Today, October 17, 2012 would be Rita's 94th birthday.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY RITA!

Because I adore both Rita and Margaritas, I dub October 17th, Margarita Day. I hope you'll all raise (at least) one delicious glass (even if its a virgin) to one amazing lady to celebrate her birthday.

And in case you don't know... this is my favorite scene from my favorite film, Gilda, starring Miss Hayworth in her most famous role.

Linus and the "Cone of Shame"

2012-10-10T13:20:00.000-06:00

A couple of weeks ago our dog, Linus broke his toe. Well, his dew claw to be exact. This was the second or third time it happened in his short 3 years of life, and each time caused him more pain. We decided it was in his (and our pocketbook's) best interest to just have them removed. Frankly, we should have had them removed when he was a puppy, but after reading the awesome dog book by Garth Stein, The Art of Racing in the Rain, I didn't have the heart to do it at the time... even now I feel a little guilty.

Here is an excerpt from the book, in case you haven't read it:

"I’ll give you a theory: Man’s closest relative is not the chimpanzee, as the TV people believe, but is, in fact, the dog.

Witness my logic:

Case-in-Point #1: The Dew ClawIt is my opinion that the so-called dew claw, which is often snipped off a dog’s foreleg at an early age, is actually evidence of a pre-emergent thumb. Further, I believe that men have systematically bred the thumb out of certain lines of dog through an elaborate process called “selective breeding”, simply in order to prevent dogs from evolving into dexterous, and therefore “dangerous”, mammals.

I also believe that man’s continued domestication (if you care to use that silly euphemism) of dogs is motivated by fear: fear that dogs, left to evolve on their own, would, in fact, develop thumbs and smaller tongues, and therefore would be superior to men, who are slow and cumbersome, standing erect as they do. This is why dogs must live under the constant supervision of people, and are immediately put to death when found living on their own.
From what Denny has told me about the government and its inner workings, it is my belief that this despicable plan was hatched in a back room of none other than the White House, probably by an evil adviser to a president of questionable moral and intellectual fortitude, and probably with the correct assessment — unfortunately, made from a position of fear-driven paranoia rather than of spiritual insight — that all dogs are progressively inclined regarding social issues.

Case-in-Point #2: The WerewolfThe full moon rises. The fog clings to the lowest branches of the spruce trees. The man steps out of the darkest corner of the forest and finds himself transformed into… A monkey? I think not."

Linus is a big baby about everything, especially the vet (I blame David, who spoils him rotten) so I was especially worried about how he would handle surgery. When I picked him up, the vet brought our little drugged-up boy out to see me... with a cone on his head. Between the drugs and the cone, Linus would hardly move. It was so sad.

I couldn't help but laugh at his drunken swagger and his lack of spacial awareness due to the cone. He ran into everything! I text-ed David immediately and told him Linus was wearing the "cone of shame." This is another pop culture reference to the animated film, "Up."

Today, Linus is finally getting his stitches removed! And hopefully no more cone... and no more vet bills!

Wish him luck!

Opera Idaho

2012-10-04T16:22:00.000-06:00

So, I know... I have been very bad about writing the past few months. Actually, I have had plenty to write about... but I seem to have gotten side-tracked. There is lots going on in my world, but the most exciting news is that I have a new job as the Marketing and Development Manager at Opera Idaho. I started last week, and I absolutely LOVE it.

I have my own office with a window that gets soft north facing light, and throughout the day I hear soft melodies of singers and choirs rehearsing in the rehearsal space down the hall. Plus, I'm working in the arts again and I can't tell you how happy that makes me. No more politics for me! Well, at least government politics!

I have to admit, I've never thought much about Opera- not that I didn't like it, I do (most of it), but it just wasn't on my radar. Now that it is, I'm certainly learning a lot and I am finding it very romantic and lovely. It's not so much that the work is different, but the mentality of the people I work with that is different. Working in the arts has such a strong effect on the soul... I am so busy I sometimes forget to eat, and yet, I'm happier in my work than I've been in years. And that is reflected in everything else I do.

If you are local, be sure to check out Opera Idaho's 2012-2013 Season starting with the opera Falstaff at the end of October. If you aren't, its just one more reason to visit Boise!

In the meantime, I have to get back to work! There is a lot to do between our Auction of Arias fundraiser on October 12th, our Operatini event on October 18th, and the first opera of the season, Falstaff on October 26th and 28th.

Wish me luck!

Rabbit! Rabbit!

2012-10-01T08:41:00.001-06:00

Have a lucky October and a Happy Halloween!

Rosa's Bella Cucina... Rosa and Rico on a Roll

2012-09-17T06:00:00.000-06:00

Hey all,

When I lived in Los Angeles, I was lucky enough to be friends with the amazing Rosa Graziano. We've grown apart over the years of living in very different places, but I still absolutely love that Facebook has allowed us to keep an eye out on what each of us is up to. And she's always up to something fun.

Not too long ago, Rosa and her brother Rico (whom I've never had the pleasure of meeting) started a gourmet food truck called Rosa's Bella Cucina. Rosa is an amazing cook, so although I haven't been to LA since she opened the doors, I can only imagine how delectable the food is.

More importantly, Rosa has finally been tapped into for her other, equally amazing talent, her incredible sense of humor and big personality. Check out the new show: Rosa and Rico... On a Roll on HungryYoutube every Wednesday through mid October.

Here is the first episode which aired on September 12th:

One of my fondest memories of Rosa is from the day I was first diagnosed with Colitis. I had fainted and was rushed to the hospital by my younger brother Morgan. He wasn't too excited to be in the hospital so instead, my two closest girlfriends at the time, Rosa and Laura, convinced the ER to let them both into the ER to be with me. They usually only let one person in at a time, but as you can see from the above, Rosa can be very persuasive.

I was on a Morphine drip due to the pain in my shoulder and gut... which totally sucked. But, combined with the complete and utter awesomeness of Rosa and Laura feeding off each other to keep the mood light and keep me smiling, I was able to shut out the pain and fear I was struggling to suppress. Instead of being scared, I was hysterically laughing... to the point where I was laughing so hard it hurt. Despite that day being one of the scariest of my young life, because of Rosa (and Laura), I was able to get through it, and I actually look back on that day smiling.

I wish her the best success, and I am so excited for her new show... Please be sure to tune in.

The Incredible Incredible

2012-09-14T13:18:00.000-06:00

I have to write and tell you all about my truly incredible HTC Incredible smart phone.

I had a meeting downtown so I jumped on my scooter. When I got there, I couldn't find my phone so I assumed I must have left it at home by accident. When the meeting was finished, about an hour later, I went straight home to find it because I had some calls to make as soon as possible.

It was no where to be found.

After a very thorough search of our entire house, including emailing my husband and a few friends asking them to call me on it, I decided to retrace my steps fearing that it was gone for good. I got on my scooter and started driving slowly the same route I drove to my meeting... about 10 blocks down the road there it was... in five pieces all over the road on 13th Street in front of the Stinker Station.

I sadly picked up the pieces hoping that I could at least salvage some of the information on the SD card and I took it home.

When I arrived home I decided I needed to see if I could maybe get it to turn on... so I put the pieces together with some handy duct tape and powered it on.

To my utter amazement, it turned on... and with complete functionality. Could it be? I tried a call to my mom. It worked perfectly! The "slightly" scratched camera even worked! I couldn't believe it!

And it's been an unbelievable conversation starter... no one can believe it still functions so perfectly.

Thank you to HTC for making such a quality product I can count on. My renewal date is still a long way off, so until then, I am happy to say, my HTC Incredible works like a charm despite almost complete annihilation.

Viva Las Vegas!

2012-09-07T11:26:00.001-06:00

September 3rd was my birthday. This year I had the best, most fun and playful birthday ever... thanks to my WONDERFUL, KIND, and LOVING husband David who took me to Vegas.

The entire trip was supposed to be a surprise, but after a little argument over me spoiling the end of a book we both read, the surprised accidentally slipped out. Oops!

But that was all that spilled out. Try as I might, I couldn't get any more information out of him... I wasn't told where we were staying or eating or what we were doing there. David kept his mouth shut tight and I agreed not to ask too many questions so as not to ruin the surprise... and oh was it a surprise!

David and me in front of the Bellagio

Ric and Blake in front of the Bellagio

On the flight down to Vegas, David told me he wasn't really up for spending all of our time in Vegas, and thought a better use of our time would be to rent a car and drive down to Palm Springs for the day and go hiking. Although I was a bit bummed by this idea, I agreed to go along with it, because you never know what fun will ensue... well that was just a misdirect.

Our hotel... we were on the 25th floor

We arrived at our hotel (The Palms) around noon and checked in. Our rooms weren't ready yet, so we wandered out to the pool and then through the casino. David and I both had to use the bathroom so we headed to the nearest one near the back of the casino. As I was walking into the bathroom I swear I saw my friend Ric (my best girl Blake's hubby) but how could that be-they were in San Francisco... so I did a double take thinking "And that looks like Blake too," and then triple take where I yelled, "Blake, what the hell?!"

Blake and me at the Aria

Ric reflexively curled up into a little ball like if he didn't move I wouldn't see him. David had arranged for Blake and Ric to fly into Vegas too. It was such an AWESOME surprise. They had other plans on how we would meet up... but it was just so amazing to run into them and have them there, I was elated!

Having drinks at Aria

Then when we sat down to lunch, David announced that he had just had a call from his brother Andrew and by chance, Andrew and his wife Helena would be flying into Vegas the next night for a conference for Helena's work, so they'd get to celebrate with us as well (I can't believe I forgot to snap a picture of all of us together- ugh!). I could hardly believe it... too much fun for words.

Ric and David shopping!

The vacation involved pool time, lots of blackjack (Blake was the big winner), amazing food, fun shopping (The Forum at Caesar's is unreal)... and most importantly spending time with great friends. I was really sad to say good-bye... It was the best trip... I can't wait to do it again!

Thank you to my wonderful husband and friends for making my birthday so special! Love you!