The year things grew

It seems I do my best thinking on my longer walks with Jack in the mornings.  It’s been cold and snowy so our jaunts as of late have been quick; hence, the dearth of posts.

However, in spite of the twenty three degree temp this morning, we set out on a slightly longer outing.  I had been thinking about writing a year-in-review sort of post, but I’m not sure I could remember enough of the year to make it worthwhile.  What did stand out, though, I think I can sum up as It was the year things grew.

Much of our spring and summer was taken up by the new garden we put in.  We are looking to become at least a little more self-sufficient and took the first step in expanding what food we grow.  We went from 2011’s six tomato plants to forty.  Green beans, squash, melons, cucumbers and eggplants were just a few of the new things we sowed.

My guess is I probably bored you more times than I care to admit with posts on gardening and canning.  But, along the way I learned a whole lot, and it wasn’t just about plants, fertilizer and bugs.  There are so many life lessons that can be gleaned while working in the dirt.  Something else for me sprouted, an idea for a book.  Ever since I was in grade school I wanted to write a book.  The garden is looking to be good fodder for that.

Another thing that grew was our family.  Sis and BIL adopted baby Sara in July.  It was a delightful surprise as they got the call that they were chosen to parent the day after she was born.  Such a life changing week for them!  And it was for the rest of us as well.  Himself and I are not only her aunt and uncle but her Godparents and we are slowly growing into those roles.  Thankfully, Sara’s too little to know when we manage to screw up! 

I wish I could say that everything that grew this year was good.  Unfortuantely both my waistline and my pocketbook can tell you otherwise.  Unexpectedly having to replace the furnace in January wasn't something we wanted or had planned on doing.  But when the it is in the twenties and snowing for weeks on end, it just wasn't a choice.  And we are hoping the treadmill we just acquired will help with the waistline and scale issues!

I pray, for both you and for me, the 2013 is a year of good and lasting growth!  (and not the waistline kind!)

AMDG

Prayer Buddy Reveal

This Advent I had the privilege of praying for Sew at Sew Hormonal.  I was excited when I was sent her as my partner as I have been reading her blog for quite a while and she seems to be one of the "rock stars" of the IF blogging world.  I hope she had a blessed Advent and has a joyous New Year!

God bless you and yours, Sew!


AMDG

From our home to yours . . .

May Peace and Joy

be with you this Christmas

and throughout

the New Year!

AMDG

What if?

I took my last vacation day of the year today and it was wonderful to have a long weekend.   Saturday and Sunday were filled with visiting family and friends and decorating the house.   Today we planned on finishing up some errands for Christmas. 

Himself suggested that before we hit the stores we stop in at church for adoration.   It was a good, no, great, idea.  If you know me, sitting still and quiet is not something I am particularly good at.  Never have been, probably never will be.

Given the horrific events of Friday morning in Connecticut, it was much needed to just be and sit in the presence of our Lord. 

While I prayed for you and your future children, another thought came to me.  Perhaps in His plan, IF has been a gift God has given some of us.  We will never know the heartbreak of losing a child in such a unimaginable manner.  We won’t wonder just how terrified they were at that moment. 

What if we are not capable of enduring such devastating pain?

What if the denial of something we want so much, children to call our own, is actually a gift?

Just a thought.

AMDG

The hormone guide

I told Himself that his best bet is to combine both the "Safest" and "Ultra Safe" columns.  Then everyone is sure to be happy.

Happy wife, happy life!

AMDG

IF: Now What?

I figured today was a great day to wrap up this series.  It is the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, who was my saint for this last year.  Also, it is my second blog anniversary.  Given that I started this blog in hopes of letting you know that you can find truth, beauty and goodness even without the patter of little feet in your home.

I wish I could tell you that one day, overnight, it just all magically gets easier.  It doesn’t and you know that. 

It can and will get more tolerable.    I hope I haven’t been too glib in saying that and in all of these posts.  I never meant to be.  The trip to acceptance is winding and long and full of setbacks.  It is definitely not a straight line process; it’s not moving only forward and never backwards. 

I don’t even remember what I had in mind when I started this series, I just know that I deviated somewhat from whatever it was.  I had hoped to help, to let you know you can deal with it all, and come out fairly unscathed.  But, I think I ended up somewhere I didn’t expect.

I learned something.  Or, at least I figured out that I learned a lot in the last decade and a half.

There are something things about IF that still hurt, just maybe not as much.

IF doesn’t define me.

The sound of  a baby crying still breaks my heart.

The smiles and giggles of a baby still melt my heart.

I am stronger than I give myself credit for.

I am weaker than I want to admit.

I am not alone. 

I have many prayers for you, dear ladies.

I pray that your desire to become mothers is realized, either by conceiving or adopting.

I pray that you find peace and healing – of mind, body and soul.

I pray that if you don’t become a mother, you will be okay with that.

And, I pray that you know you are not alone.

AMDG

There's no place like home

Last week I had to travel for work.  To get to the west coast we first flew to the east coast - Washington DC to Washington state.  That made for a not-so-fun, very long flight.  It didn't help that my back was screaming most of the way.

A few odds and ends struck me throughout the trip. 

My St. Andrew's chaplet sure gets around.  I brought it with me, of course, since we're in the middle of the novena.  It was a great comfort and blessing, especially when I couldn't sleep at night being all screwed up from the time change.

I love cell phones and the internet.  It is so easy to keep in touch with those back home.  We had pictures and text messages zipping back and forth all week. 

I work with some really great people and for a good company.  I know just how lucky and blessed I am.  After the last couple of positions I've had, I know a good thing when I see it.

We live in a beautiful country. Both driving in Washington and flying across country I saw just what beautiful topography there is here.  

Flying is a royal pain.  Everything costs something.  Need to check a bag?  That will be $25.    Want to change your seat?  That's $89.  Hungry?  Hand over the credit card.  And that's once you get past security.  Strip off your coat and shoes and belt and everything in your pockets then stand with your hands in the air and get scanned.  Yippee!

I'm a home body.  The best part of the trip was walking into our house Thursday night and into the arms of my honey.

There's no place like home!

Mt. Hood

AMDG

IF: Does it get easier?

Read part four here.

Yes.

And no.

It may be reluctant acceptance.  This is my life.  Deal with it.  It might be blessed grace.  This is my life, the one God gave me.  Or it’s time or age or sheer exhaustion. 

But, dealing with IF does become easier.  At some point it is no longer all consuming, the first thing on your mind in the morning and the last at night.  The sharp pain of not being able to get pregnant is gone or at least replaced by a dull ache.

Every once in a while, when you least expect it, the doubts and pain rear its ugly head.  For me, it was a couple of months ago.

A while back I mentioned that while my aunt and uncle were visiting, we were going to watch baby Sara for a day.  I had the day planned and pictured it in my mind.  We were going to pick her up early that morning before my brother-in-law left for work.  We’d go home and I would make breakfast for us all and then Himself and I would take Sara to our favorite art show.   Afterwards, we would come home, she’d take a nap and I’d get the lasagna ready for our family dinner that night. 

It sounded like a great day.  I’m a pretty good aunt and Sara is an easy baby.  I was stoked.

Then reality set in.  My visiting aunt fed Sara her morning bottle while I fixed breakfast.  As we ate, the fussing started.  Then the wailing.  Poor baby had a tummy ache of the worst kind.  There didn’t seem to be much we could do to comfort her.  We walked and bobbed and swayed.  We patted her back.  We laid her down.  And picked her up again.  Her belly rumbled and gurgled.

An hour and a half, a bout of projectile vomiting and a messy, messy diaper later she was a little better.  Our plans to go to the art show flew out the window.  As I sat at my computer with a whimpering baby on my lap, my tears came.    I fired off the email below to Himself. 

Himself assured me that wasn't the case.  I still didn't know all of Sara's likes and dislikes yet and once I did things would get better.

 

Another day, a couple of weeks later, it hit me again, though not nearly with such vengeance.  I was driving to work one morning and had to wait for the school bus that was picking up the middle school kids in the neighborhood.  I looked at them and thought our kids should be getting on that bus.  Had we had kids when we were newly married they would have been about that age.

But, and this is key, those times become fewer and fewer.  If tears come from a PG announcement, they are tears of joy. 

Attending, or even throwing, a baby shower not only becomes easier, it is what it is - a joyful celebration of a new life entering this world.  It's no longer a reminder of what isn't.

The cries of a newborn tug at your heart because you want to fix what is wrong for that little child not because it's not yours. 

Somehow, some way, it does get easier.  Sometimes it just doesn't seem like it will.

AMDG

Thankful Thursday

This week I am thankful for. . .

Prayer buddies – If you haven’t yet, there is still time to sign up.  Check This Cross I Embrace for all the details.

JBTC – I was lucky enough to win M’s give-away yesterday.  I will be praying St. Andrew’s chaplet on these lovely beads.

November – Many of you participated in a daily posting of what you are thankful for.  I enjoyed reading these and, along the way, was reminded of all my blessings.

Long weekends -  An added bonus of the new job I started a few months ago is the company’s holiday schedule.  Not only did we get Thanksgiving off, we also had the day after as well, AND they let us leave early on Wednesday.  What a wonderful and relaxing weekend it was!  It was a good combination of rest, visiting family, good food, and a little adventure and entertainment.  I even managed to knock a few things off of my To Do list.  A perfect weekend!

AMDG

Did you know. . .

. . . that you can get Poison Ivy even when the vine has no leaves?  I didn’t, but I do now!

A week or so before Thanksgiving I did some end-of-year yard cleanup and decided to pull out a vine that was climbing up the siding.  Big mistake!  I soon had a lovely rash on my wrist and on my leg. 

Beware of the vines with hairy roots on them – bad!

This has been a public service announcement.  J

Now back to your regularly scheduled reading!

AMDG

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas???

I have to admit I don’t get the whole Black Friday shopping event.  Yes, the prices are good if you can get the items.  But, it seems to me the stores only stock so many and if you really want that thing you are going to have to commit a bit of time and discomfort standing in line waiting to get into the store at some ungodly hour.   That’s time that could be spent with family and friends or sleeping in my warm and comfortable bed.  There isn’t any “thing” I want that badly.

When I saw the headlines on Drudge over the last few days I really have to wonder what Christmas gift giving has become.  I find these all truely frightening.

 VIDEO: Insane battle over phones...

'Thousands of teen girls and young women' rush VICTORIA'S SECRET...

VIDEO: 3 Men Brawl Over Pair Of Shoes In Middle Of Mall On Black Friday...

Men Steal Boy's Shopping Bag Outside BED, BATH & BEYOND... 

Shoppers smash through door at URBAN OUTFITTERS... 

Shots fired outside WALMART... 

Customers run over in parking lot... 

RAMPAGE!

A few days before Thanksgiving, after a number of discussions, our family decided to forgo gift giving this year with two exceptions – stocking stuffers and presents for baby Sara.  It seems to add a lot of unneeded stress trying to figure out the perfect gift for the person who has everything they want or need.

When I looked at the calendar a little over a week ago I panicked mildly that it was only 40 days until Christmas.  It felt like I had so much to do with all the shopping and cooking and cleaning that needs to be done before the big day.  Taking present shopping off the “To do” list has been extremely liberating.


AMDG

Now that was a first!

In honor of Small Business Saturday, Himself and I went to the local town square to browse the shops and do a bit of shopping.  There’s one I’ve been wanting to go into for quite a while, a yarn and knitting shop, that we wandered into. 

I was talking to the owner asking about classes when I noticed some samples up on the wall.  One was the most adorable knit jumper for a baby girl.  I pointed it out to Himself and we both thought it would be perfect for baby Sara.

The owner, hearing this, asked us Is that your granddaughter?

Now I know we're no spring chickens, but grandparents???

AMDG

And they called it Puppy Love

Last weekend we went to the wedding of Himself’s eighty-two year old aunt.  I have to admit, it was a curiosity to me.  After all, what is a wedding for an older couple like?

In a word – beautiful!

Not having a particularly good home life, his aunt spent a lot of time with a friend’s family.  There she got to know one of the brothers well and Irene and Dan soon became grade and junior high school sweethearts.  Discouraged by some adults that it was just puppy love, they eventually lost touch with each other.  Both went on to marry others, have children and long, happy marriages.    Both lost their spouses quite a number of years ago.

This summer, when Aunt Irene was in town for her granddaughter’s high school graduation, she and Dan caught up with each other.   Sixty-nine years later, there was no doubt that what they had was more than puppy love, it was the real thing.  That was very apparent when they took their vows.  You just had to look at their eyes. 

AMDG

40 days

Have you looked at the calendar lately?  Thanksgiving is next week, Advent follows right behind it, and Christmas sneaks in right around the corner.  Uggh!  Christmas is only forty, yes, count them, four – oh, days away.

I started putting one of my infamous lists/plans together to get my head wrapped around what needs to be done before the big day.  I need to make baby Sara her stocking.  There’s gifts and cards to buy and lots of cleaning to do. 

Only 40 days!

I need to plan the menu and figure out my fashion statement for the day.  And decorations; we need those too.

40 days?

But what about spiritual preparation?  That wasn’t on the list and it should be.

Christ spent 40 days in the dessert preparing for his death.  How will I spend the next forty preparing for his birth?

What are you doing to prepare for Christmas?

AMDG

IF: When to ‘quit’

Read part three here.

So, you’ve been actively been trying to conceive for how long?  Two years?  Five? Ten?  Just when is it time to throw in the towel?

You have been charting.  You’ve had the month long visits to Vampira, mistress of blood draws.  Perhaps a surgery or two is in your medical records as well as any number of prescriptions.  You figure POAS is a waste of both time and money. 

How do you draw a line in the sand and say enough is enough?

Well, ladies, the answer is difficult and it is not.

You quit when trying takes something more from you than it should – your sanity, your faith, true intimacy with your husband, your ability to see anything good in life other than conceiving.

It does not mean you are not open to life.  Hardly.  Things in the bedroom can go back to being fun and spontaneous, not calculated and planned. 

It does not mean you are selfish.  Nope.

It does not mean you must not have wanted it badly enough.  Never. 

It does not mean you are lazy.  Uh huh.

It does not mean you would have been a bad mother.  No way.  No child would have been wanted more.

It just means that living as two is okay; that you will be fine as you are.  Life can be not just tolerable, but true and good and beautiful. 

AMDG

Guest Post: Be Not Afraid

Wednesday morning I woke up to the news on my clock radio.  I learned that the birthday present I wished for the day before wasn't to be.  We would not be getting the hoped for new president.  I was severely disappointed and down.  Himself gave me some perspective before I set off for work. 

He later forwarded to me correspondence he had with a good friend of ours.  What great words of wisdom!  I asked if I could share it with you and he graciously agreed.

Dear K-,

    It is great to hear from you.  You have just the right attitude.  I, too, am sad for those who haven't been given the grace to see that a new coat of paint won't remove the termites in the foundation.  This is particularly true of fiscal conservatives and libertarians.  The liberal elite termites give us every opportunity to take the easy way out and leave them to their destruction.  We are quick to join in the ridicule of those who challenge our county’s cultural decay, so we can justify, or ignore, our own contributions to that decay.

     “Be not afraid” is, of course, exactly the right motto for today.  It's alright to grieve and pout for a day or two.  It's not alright to head for the catacombs or even Costa Rica for that matter!  The blessing in disguise which we received four years ago continues.  We are better informed and much more aware than we would have been otherwise.  The Tea-Party, the Manhattan Declaration, the conservative blogosphere, an active Cardinal Dolan and Magisterium, are all fruits of that opportunity.

     Though, the margin of defeat closed this election from 8% to 2%, we have over a century of cultural decline to overcome before we can expect to move a national election in our favor.  Culture precedes politics and economics.  The latter two are a reflection on the first.  Fortunately, we can, and should, attempt to serve our immediate sphere of influence.  This will be much easier and effective than trying to solve micro-level problems on a macro-level playing field.

     The credibility of the republican establishment was destroyed in this election.  This is a necessary step before the party can be realigned and effectively vie for the hearts and minds of the American voters.  This is different than the personal outreach we as individuals must continue to pursue in our relationships. 

     Here's an example of a success which will be seen as a failure by the hard-hearted and hard-headed in the republican party.  Richard Mourdock defeated Dick Luger in the Rep. primary.  Luger was slightly less liberal than Charlie Crist whom Rubio defeated in Florida in 2010.  Yes, Mourdock lost a close election to Donnelly.  However, the bitter Luger did not support Mourdock, as Mourdock would have been expected to support Luger.  The establishment in Indiana pouted just enough to lose the seat for Mourdock.  But, guess what?  Donnelly is Pro-Life, Pro-2nd Amendment, and Pro-Traditional Marriage.  So, don't let any of the establishment apologists get away with saying social conservatives lost the seat.  Social conservatives won the seat either way.  Resentful fiscal conservative Luger supporters lost it for the republicans.

     Even Akin in Mo. could have overcome his inelegant rhetoric if the establishment didn't starve his campaign of funds.  But, put Akin and Mourdock aside.  What were the social issue "gaffes" that lost the election for the establishment candidates in Florida, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Virginia, Ohio, etc.???  No, the election was won by candidates who had the courage of conviction.  Sherrod Brown, who won in Ohio, is the country's most liberal senator.  Barack Obama did not run as a moderate this time, as some explained away his victory in 2008.  They ran on their convictions, as misguided as they may be, and won. 

     In closing, republicans must be made to understand that love-of-money is not conservatism; and libertarians must be made to understand that socialism can't be defeated by social Darwinism.                         

My, this is a windy manifesto!!  I'll leave you with some real wisdom: 

"All shall be well, and all shall be well, and all manner of thing shall be well…" - Julian of Norwich

“It is terrible to contemplate how few politicians are hanged.”-G.K. Chesterton Cleveland Press 3/1/21

-T

IF: Surviving 2

Read part 2 here

Learn your body.  I assumed that since my cycle was regular, every twenty-eight days like clockwork, everything was good.  Having had severe PMS, since almost the onset of menses as a teen, seemed normal to me.  So did TEBB.  My regular OB saw no problems with those.  Only later did I find out that those are symptoms of hormonal issues.  Creighton opened my eyes to how my cycle actually works.

Find a doctor with whom you are comfortable.  The first time I met with my Creighton trained ObGyn, he spoke to me as if I knew what I was talking about.  He explained things if I didn’t understand, but he didn’t talk down to me.  The was a great gift and blessing.  He is a two hour drive away and I still go to see him as my regular ObGyn. 

Advocate for yourself.  I cannot stress this one enough.  And it is not just for fertility related issues.  You need to be your biggest advocate for all your health concerns.  If you feel something is not right follow up, push, and question until you get answers.  If your doctor does not take you seriously, find another doctor!  It is your body. 

Diet and exercise are simple actions that can sometimes have a big effect on fertility.  Taking vitamins and/or supplements sometimes helps as well.  Learn what you can do and what is out of your hands.

IF can be very isolating.  It seems like we're surrounded by growing families everywhere we look.   When I found the Yahoo Catholic infertility group, it was as if someone threw me a lifeline.  Other people, other women, understood.  They were a sholder to cry on and someone to encourage the next step and provide the kick in the pants when needed.  They were there to rejoice in the BFP and offer condolences and prayers for the BFN. 

The Yahoo group led me to one blog, then another and another.  They have become a virtual support group.   It helps to be tied in and connected to people who have a clue.  And that help is two-fold.  The first is all of the above emotional and prayer support.  The other is that in helping someone else, whether by prayer, words of encouragement, recommendations, etc., we forget a little of our own troubles.  We become less the center of our own little universe and part of the bigger community around us.


Next time: Knowing when to 'quit'

AMDG

Thru the lens of my BlackBerry

We had sunshine today after almost two weeks of gloomy, wet weather.  These were a few things that caught my eye today.

AMDG

Everything old . . .

. . . is still old.  I love antique shops.  They are like museums where you can touch and hold things, and, for the right price, even take something home.  On Friday we ventured out of the house with baby Sara.  Other than some fun pictures I didn't get anything but Himself found a great first edition Charles Dickens.

AMDG

Thankful Thursday

Today I am thankful for . . .

* Joy Beyond the Cross - She did an excellent month-long series on the saints in October.  I really enjoyed reading about some of my favorites and learning more about ones I knew little of. 

* Martha moments - Although we came through the storm unscathed, my sister and her husband aren't quite so lucky.  They have been without power since Monday night.  So they and baby Sara have been staying with us this week.  I have really enjoyed it.  Since I have tomorrow off we will be watching Sara instead of her going to daycare.  Here's hoping it goes better than it did several weeks ago!

* The people with whom I work - We had a Halloween potluck lunch yesterday and several people went above and beyond with the decorations.  We had a "who done it" to figure out.  I work with some really great people.

AMDG

Sewing will never be the same

Sunday morning while we were drinking our coffee Himself and I were talking about some sewing projects I want to work on.  The hem fell of out a favorite skirt so I need to redo it.  Himself asked if I was going to hand stitch it since the store machine stitching never seems to stay.  I told him I would use the machine and the only way that hem would come out was if I used the seam ripper.

Himself paused and looked at me.

Him: Seam ripper?  That sounds like a new level of flatulence.

Me: Huh?

Him: There’s toots, then stinkies, then SBDs.  And then, the “seam ripper”!

What do you say to that???

AMDG

Martha vs. Mary

On Monday I was talking with my neighbor when I went over to fetch Jack who had run off  to play with Lucy.  It was a beautiful evening at the end of a beautiful day.  Kim doesn’t work on Mondays and was out in the yard doing some Fall cleanup.  I made a comment about what a nice day she to be at home and to be outside.  She answered with what I call a “yeah, but” response. 

Yeah, it was nice, but I’m never going to get all this yard work done.

And what happens if you don’t get it all done?  Does the world stop?  Will your gardens suddenly blow up?  Or sink into the ground?

Kim is a typical Martha, lots of work and worry.  There are things that need to get done.  I  agree, there is work that must be done.  But, in order to be able to work well and to serve well, we need to be renewed and refreshed.  We need our Mary moments. 

As they continued their journey he entered a village where a woman whose name was Martha welcomed him.   She had a sister named Mary [who] sat beside the Lord at his feet listening to him speak.   Martha, burdened with much serving, came to him and said, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me by myself to do the serving? Tell her to help me.”  The Lord said to her in reply, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and worried about many things.   There is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part and it will not be taken from her.” 

Luke 10:38-42

I don’t know about you, but if all I do is work and “get things done” I soon feel depleted and tired.  I find I need to do something that refreshes me, body, mind and soul.  Sometimes that is just sitting on the patio with a glass of wine watching the birds go by.  It may be reading a book or taking a walk in the park.  It could be sitting in the chapel in the presence of our Lord in the Eucharist.   

But, guess what?  The dishes and the ironing and the vacuuming will still be there while I’m off doing this.  When I return to the work, I am much better for it.

What do you do to refresh and renew?

AMDG

IF: Surviving

Read part 1 here.

I can't run.  I can't hide.  This is my life.  I've got to deal with it.

How? Dear Lord, how?

When Himself and I got married we both wanted “a lot” of children, at least four or five.  We both grew up in small families, me with just one sister and Himself an only child.  I even had names picked out for the first couple.  A boy would be Samuel or Daniel with Himself as the middle name.  The first girl would be called Victoria Rose, for his grandmother and my mother. 

I could picture them.  They would all have Himself’s beautiful blue/green/hazel eyes.  Boys would be blond like him and girls would be brunette like me.  They would have great smiles and be quick to giggle.  Of course they would have their father’s brains and patience.  From me they would be crafty and would like to make and build things.

Nice fantasy, huh?

Besides being disappointed that the family plans aren’t developing as expected, or at least as hoped for, there is a sense of brokenness.  Both of those, the disappointment and the brokenness, can take its toll on both the individual and the marriage.   

I think the first thing to living through IF is knowing your priorities.  Yes, we wanted to have children, but we wanted our marriage, our faith and our sanity all to remain intact and uncompromised more.  Without those, what would we have to give to our children?    We had seen families and marriages where that didn’t occur and the view was not pretty.  We didn’t want to go down that road.  Not at all.

With that in mind, it helped us set our limits.  We would not do IVF.  It did not fit in with our faith.  That was a nonnegotiable.  When the “fertility specialist” suggested we start injectibles, he wanted us to consider “selective reduction” if a high order pregnancy occurred.  Huh?  Get pregnant and then kill my babies??  Are you nuts?  So  we walked away from that treatment.  Compromising our beliefs just wasn’t an option.

We also respected each other’s comfort zone.  If one of us was at ease doing X and Y but the other only could handle X, we did just X.   

A number of years after we were married, Himself’s aunt was in town visiting from California.  She paid us a great compliment.  She told us to her it seemed that we lived life to the fullest.  We continued to do things we enjoyed or found important.  We volunteered at church.  We had season tickets to our favorite baseball team.  We saw plays and traveled.  We read books that we loved so much.  Weekly we met with our prayer group to recite the rosary.  Himself played golf regularly with his buddies.  I had my season pass to Cedar Point.  We took walks in the park. 

We kept on living.  We didn’t put something off just in case I got pregnant.  Run that race.  Take that trip.  Decorate that room.  Heck, if a baby comes along you’ll get to decorate it again.  What fun!  Keep on living. 

There’s still more to say.  Tune in next time.

AMDG