Pencil Wings

So that was a crazy week and a half with the site down.  Talk about a hot mess!!  Even though it appeared the site was back up the backend for me to post and get in to Word Press was jacked.  I have to say Thank You to Blue Host, although it took longer then I would have liked, they got everything sorted out so I should be good to rock and roll again.

Missed you all!!  Will be talking to you soon!!

It is good to be back on the blog.  Rather then write about where i have been and all the boring details of packing and preparing to move with two weeks notice, we let’s have some fun.  I am joining Jenni at Story of My Life with her Blog Every Day in May Challenge.  If you haven’t heard about it, check out Jenni’s reasons for blogging here and how it has influenced her life .  As soon as I read this post I knew I had to participate.  Blogging has been my online diary helping me sort through life and make sense of all its crazy glory.

Since I am a day behind I am going to include both posts in one so bear with me.

Story of My Life in 250 Words

I was born in 1980 in a suburb of Minneapolis.  The best memories of my childhood revolve around living on the lakes of midwestern Minnesota.  My two older sisters and I were raised by my mother.  My mother is my best friend and the strongest woman I know.

Just out of high school I attend travel school and spent the next ten years of my life booking trips for others while dreaming I was taking the vacation with them.  During this time I was slowly earning my degree in Business Administration.  Took me about nine and a half years, but who’s counting.

In 2009 I met my husband at a Halloween party.  It was four months later before he asked me out on a date.  On our second date I knew we would be inseparable for life.  We were married a year and eight months later in a gorgeous barn and on a beautiful beach.  One ceremony for our families and friends and a second for the two of us.  And as they say in the movies, the rest is history.

On to Day Two:-

What I know a lot about or am good at?

After reading today’s prompt I was blank.  What do I know a lot about?  So I asked my husband his opinion.  His response, “MEN”.  After laughing my butt off he then replied, “or travel”.  I would never claim to know a lot about men but I can read my husband like a book.  A couple of nights ago he was washing dishes, yes I am training him right.  With his back to me I asked him if he was thinking about something, sorry I don’t remember at this point what exactly it was, instead of answering he started laughing.  With a smirk on his face he asks, “How did you know that is what I was thinking?  I didn’t say anything.”  Personally I think this is just a wife’s job to know her husband and eventually you can read them like a book.

On to what I do know, travel.

3 Basic Travel Tips

1.  Bundle: When you travel book your vacation as a package.  Air+Hotel, Air+Car, Hotel+Car  When you bundle you will almost always get a discount.

2.  Research: If you are traveling to a location you have never been be sure to do your research or work with a travel agent.  I promise you won’t be disappointed working with an agent if you do not have time to do your own research.  Most travel agents will have first or second-hand knowledge of all popular travel destinations.  Also they are competitively priced to the internet.  If you prefer to book your own travel arrangements take the time to read reviews on multiple sites about the hotel, resort or car company you are planning to use.  You don’t want any surprises when you are supposed to be relaxing.

3.  Book in Advance:  Do not wait until the last-minute unless you have to or are flexible on where/when you travel.  Most airlines base pricing on an advanced purchase.  As a rule of thumb my recommendations: for air travel only – say for business, book 21 days in advance.  For vacation travel – start your research 2-4 months in advance.  If you are traveling internationally or taking a cruise I would recommend planning even farther out for best pricing.

As I sit here ready to share details about infertility for National Infertility Awareness Week, I am praying for success with our first In Vitro Fertilization cycle.

If infertility is not something you have experience with, here are some facts to get you started.

• Infertility is a disease of the reproductive system.  One third (30%) of infertility can be attributed to male factors, and about one third (30%) can be attributed to female factors.  In about 20% of cases infertility is unexplained, and the remaining 10% of infertility is caused by a combination of problems in both partners.
• According to the American Society for Reproductive Medicine, you should seek the care of a specialist if you are unable to achieve pregnancy after 12 months of unprotected intercourse and the women is under the age of 35, six months if the women is more than 35 years of age. You should also seek the care of a specialist if you have had more than one miscarriage
• Infertility affects approximately 10% of the population. Since infertility strikes diverse groups-affecting people from all socioeconomic levels and cutting across all racial, ethnic and religious lines- chances are great that a friend, relative, neighbor or perhaps you are attempting to cope with the medical and emotional aspects of infertility.
• Approximately 85-90% of infertility cases are treated with drug therapy or surgical procedures. Fewer than 3% need advanced reproductive technologies like in vitro fertilization (IVF).
• Fifteen states have passed laws requiring that insurance policies cover some level of infertility treatment: Arkansas, California, Connecticut, Hawaii, Illinois, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Montana, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Rhode Island, Texas and West Virginia.

If someone you know is dealing with infertility and you are not sure how to approach them check out the Infertility Etiquette link here.   If you are looking for more information about NIAW or Infertility please visit Resolve.

What a week we have had!

Since I last posted we sold our house and in doing so we have two weeks to find a place to live and move out.  Pretty unbelievable.  Good news though, we are moving to the lake for the next three to four months.  My mother has offered up her place while we build our new house.  This means we are moving from a 2 bedroom/2 bath into a 1 bedroom/1 bath mother-in-law apartment.  Major downsizing happening.  Also we will be moving in with my oldest sister, her husband and her 11-year-old son.  We are over the moon to get time with them since they are normally a two-hour drive from us.

I foresee a lot of shenanigans like this happening.  #sistersloveshenanigans

And a lot of cheering on my nephew in his sports activities.  Yes, hockey in the summer, its Minnesota.

I may not be here a lot in the next two weeks since we will be packing, moving our house into storage, moving to my mom’s house and we are still in the midst of our first IVF cycle.  Whew!  I am exhausted just talking about what we have to do.

Today I am linking up again with Moorea Seal for 52 Lists sharing favorite quotes.  My favorite quote is one of my own – Drive careful, wear your seat belt, lock your doors, love you!  It is something I said to my mom every night as she left to work the overnight shift.  I must have been twelve to fourteen years old when I started saying it.  I am in my thirties now and I still say it to her.  Now she says it back to me.  It is one of those memories I will always remember sharing with my mom.

~What you create doesn’t have to be perfect.  -Dieter F. Uchtdorf

~The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome.  -John 1:5

~Never get tired of doing little things for others, sometimes those little things occupy the biggest part of their hearts. <3

~Grace is accepting what is, instead of resenting what isn’t.

~Life begins where fear ends.  -Osho

~Tell me and I forget, Teach me and I remember, Involve me and I learn.

Challenge: I will live out one of my favorite quotes by…   Doing little things for people I love, remembering it doesn’t have to cost money.

I love this week’s list!!  My last post was about motivation and inspiration that I found in quotes.  Being inspired is why I love blogging.  I find inspiration and motivation in others posts and words.  It drives me to do better on my blog and be more creative.  There is a sense of desire to be the best person you can be when you read about someone accomplishing their dreams and goals.  It makes my drive more intense to work for my dreams.

Pot Belly Book Ends/Yarn Bowl/Ikea Cabinet/Black Blouse/Chevron Earrings