Continuing our quest for Baby G.

Baby G. is already proving to be incredibly stubborn and the little monster hasn't even been conceived yet (or that we know of).

S. and I got off of birth control (well ok, so it was just me, but I digress) in April/May of 2008. We weren't looking to get pregnant then, but between gnarly side effects that I was experiencing and the fact that we knew it would be soon and we wanted to get the drugs out of my system I had to stop taking them.

Thing is we didn't use any protection during this time and I really followed my charting calendar that based my "expected date of ovulation" on my cycle length rather than the big 3: temp, cervical mucus, and cervical position. This being said, we should have gotten pregnant in those 7-9 months we "weren't" trying.

But we didn't and so began our quest for baby.

Here it is something like 9, 11, 13 (I don't know really) cycles later and still no baby.

We're getting antsy and I'm fighting something fierce with Jesus. After a few conversations, we decided the next step for us is testing.

In the meantime, we keep on keepin' on.

7 Days of Thanks, Day 1

I am most thankful for the love shown by my God when He sent His only Son, Jesus, to die on the cross for our sins.

For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son,
that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life." John 3:16

I watched my church service online this past Sunday and our pastor had a great message about the goodness, greatness, and graciousness of Jesus. In spite of the fact I have been less of a servant to Him, He has continued to pour blessings on Steven and myself. We couldn't feel less deserving of His gifts, yet He continues to be the Greatest God I could ever serve.

1 I will extol You, my God, O King;
And I will bless Your name forever and ever.
2 Every day I will bless You,
And I will praise Your name forever and ever.
3 Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised;
And His greatness is unsearchable. Psalm 145:1-3

The LORD is my strength and song,
And He has become my salvation;
He is my God, and I will praise Him;
My father’s God, and I will exalt Him. Exodus 15:2

Thank you Jesus for all you have and haven't blessed me and my family and friend with this year and every year.

7 Days of Thanks, Day 2

As we grow closer to Thanksgiving, my thanks becomes more personal. Today I am incredibly thankful for the love of a great family. I am grateful to be supported by both of my parents. They are filled with near-unconditional love for my brother and I and have been such a strong foundation for us growing up. These wonderful people can always be counted on. I only hope that I'm half as great of a parent as they are.

Jesus also blessed me with an above-average brother. ;) I kid and he knows it, I have a great brother that I wouldn't change for the world. We have yelled, screamed, fought, and had complete dislike for one another growing up. But for every "bad moment" we've had that times 5 in great ones.

Many people have "in law horror stories" and while getting used to each other has been challenging, I couldn't have asked for a better mother in law. I have been exposed to a different culture, she has opened a door to S.'s childhood that even he never knew about, and, since working together, we have become closer.

And, although I mentioned him on Day 7, I could not be more grateful and thankful for S.. He is the most incredible man I have ever met and Jesus rolled out the red carpet when it came to putting him in my life. Every day I fall more in love with him and, even though some days we have to work harder than others in the relationship, I wouldn't trade him in for the world. I look forward to the next chapters in our life with a smile and enthusiasm.

7 Days of Thanks, Day 3

Today I'm incredibly thankful for the friends God has blessed me with. From my long time childhood friends that I wouldn't trade for anything, to my newly made friends that have made an impact on my life, and even those friends that I've lost touch with over the years.

I am lucky to have a great support group that I have been able to make many memories with. We have grown up together, stood by each other through good times and bad, and even experienced amazing ventures.

7 Days of Thanks, Day 4

Today I am ever so grateful for the ability to travel. I have always been fascinated with other countries and cultures and have been able to enjoy that curiosity with Steven.

We have been to Germany, Austria, Italy, Switzerland, and Japan. We have eaten new things, saw new things, and have a desire to do and see more.

In addition to world travels, S. and I have been making headway visiting other states. We hope to one day say we've been to all 50 together. So far we have visited Nevada, Arizona, Florida, South Dakota, and Colorado together. In February we have a trip scheduled to NY that we are both incredibly excited for. We also talk about visiting Wisconsin and South Carolina because of family ties.

We are very fortunate to enjoy traveling together and to want to continue doing so. I consider myself lucky for my journeys and treasure the memories we made on them.

7 Days of Thanks, Day 5

Today I am very thankful for my health. In a world riddled with disease, famine, cancer, and other health deficiencies, I am lucky to be healthy and happy. This past year has been focused on eating right and exercising - something we neglected - and have seen positive effects.

I pray that our world changes for the better as health seems to have fallen to the wayside where health care has become more important. People don't realize the importance of staying healthy, not over indulging, and exercising. Many of the issues faced today: obesity, heart failure, diabetes; can all be alleviated if you take care of yourself.

Here's to our health and our healthy future!

7 Days of Thanks, Day 6

I couldn't be more thankful (which is why I'm an avid tither) for the fact that Jesus has blessed me with a great job. S. and I work together at his family's insurance firm and we are severely blessed with a LOT of business right now. I know not many others have this blessing in this economy and that just makes me that much more thankful.

I am also blessed that I am actually able to work with my husband. We make a really great team and have incredible communication. And by working with my mother in law, I've found we are able to talk more and have even gotten closer as a result.