News

A few days ago the doctor called with a positive pregnancy test and today we went back to confirm that the baby was progressing and growing, unfortunately, the numbers showed that we were losing the baby and in a few days I will be having a miscarriage.

I don’t have much to say at this point. I’m devastated and my heart is broken. I wonder how I can do this whole process again, how my body and heart can stand it. But we will, we just don’t know when or how exactly.

I would have waited to share until I could process this a little more, but with the holidays we will be seeing lots of family and friends, whom I know will want to know and ask us. At this point, we’re not up for talking about it or answering any questions, but we truly value all of your love and support throughout this process and during this time.

Much love and Merry Christmas,

Team Scott

The 2ww

We're in what's known as the two week wait, or 2ww in the infertility world. It's been no picnic. I can barely form a coherent thought, so who knows what this post will turn out like. During this time I continue to flood myself with hormones to help the embryos stick and grow, and I'm finding there's a whole slew of unpleasant side effects that go with that.

#1. I'm constantly overly fatigued and barely able to keep my eyes open, yet when I head to bed, I can't fall asleep (and once I do, I toss and turn all night). 

#2. With each day I find myself getting more and more depressed. Not just hormonal, silly crying, but deep sadness, unhappiness, and melancholy. I just want Matt home and nothing else seems to help, although I love those dearly who have tried and been SO encouraging. 

#3. I get agitated very easily. Everything annoys me or frustrates me. I can't stand any TV show or song on the radio. Nothing sounds good to eat and I don't want to bother making anything. I thankfully haven't bitten anyone's head off, except for a few other drivers out there who didn't know they were getting my road-rage. 

#4. I constantly have a raging headache, which Tylenol doesn't help, and I can't take anything else. 

#5. I have a fever of 99.5, which is apparently normal, but still makes me feel like poo on top of everything else. 

#6. Let's just clump together dizziness, confusion, forgetfulness, nausea, bloating, cramps, acne, hair growth (only females will understand the annoyance of constant waxing and roots that seem to never go away), bruises from injections, and anxiety and panic like I haven't had in years.

Finally, my back pain is coming back and there's nothing to be done about it. 

There's still several days until we know if the transplant took, but until then, and especially as each day draws nearer, all I can think about is, "Did it work? Will this all be worth it? Or will I be starting from scratch and doing this again???" 

Step 2: Making a Nest

I'm writing this post in bed, laying down, wearing my heating pad Antonio (he's muy caliente), a dachshund on my legs, and sipping Gatorade (which is supposed to help prevent severe OHSS- ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome), while attemping to type...there's bound to be endless typos to correct at the end.

Now, I understand everyone may not want to know the nitty-gritty of this whole process, but there are also some people who want to understand more and I want to be open to that. Therefore, I am about to walk a fine line between the two worlds of TMI (too much information) and being completely vague. Here goes! (If you don't want to read this next part then please skip down to the bold area!)

So the first step was making a plethora of eggs. We anticipated about 25 but only ended up with 15 mature ones, which I still feel blessed to have because some women go through all the same steps and may only end up with 1 or 2. The lab (next to the surgery center) creates the embryos immediately upon retrieving the eggs, and they are then left in an incubator to develop. For education purposes, I will add this: There is a natural way to create an embryo (despite being in a petri dish, and I'm sure you can imagine how) and the assumed way where the lab technician actually creates it. Our doctor had the lab create them because that gave us our best chance since I've never been able to become pregnant. After waiting a full day, the lab did its first check and found 11 of the 15 embryos had taken off and were doing well. They then continue to incubate them until the day of the transfer.

While the bitty-babies are growing, my next job is to build them a little nest. On to new meds and hormonal side effects! The day after the retrieval I began a new round of deep muscle injections and patch medications. These hormones make me extremely nauseous, give me a constant horrible headache, keep me feeling very fat (normal cycle hormones make us ladies plump up and these are the same hormones at drastically higher levels), and make me tired. Then there's the shot sites- my stomach and hips hurt (especially to the touch) because of so many injections, and are not going to get better any time soon. The new shots are an oil and have to be injected with an 1.5 inch needle- that has to go all the way in- and then you have to rub the site to discourage the oil from becoming a knot, so to speak. All of these side effects keep me from sleeping. I'm exhausted but can't get comfortable because I can't lay on my hips or stomach due to the shot sites, along with the nausea, and if I lay on my back it kills my spine since I had to get off my nerve medication (which you can't take if you're pregnant). So I suppose the conclusion is that I need to learn how to sleep standing or sitting up...or learn to not need sleep, which seems essential to parenting anyhow!

Three days after creating the embryos, we had 5-6 of good quality, while most of the others are usable but not as good. Tomorrow will be five days since they've been created and is the day our doctor will choose, and transplant, two of the best (we get a choice of 1 or 2 but decided on 2 after doing so much work to get here and to improve our chance of success). I can't even tell you how bizarre it is to think that tomorrow I will be pregnant....most families start with a surprise, but for us it will be scheduled down to the date and time. So weird.

If you've skimmed through the previous, that's cool, but PLEASE READ THE FOLLOWING PARAGRAPH:
One of the major parts of a successful transfer is being totally stress-free, so I'm going to be very personal and clear and lay this out so that there's (hopefully!) no upsetting questions or comments. Matt and I believe that life starts at conception (which would be when our embryos were created), therefore, these are our babies- not blobs of flesh or cells. If this transfer doesn't work, then this is considered a miscarriage and we will mourn it as such. I know that by putting this all out there I open myself up to others' thoughts, but it would KILL my heart to hear someone say, "Don't worry. It's not like you lost a real baby." So please, know and respect where we stand. With that, we will not know the results for several weeks. Please do not ask if I'm pregnant or not. I've shared with you so far and I will share with you when we know and feel ready. Along with that, with IVF you get a positive pregnancy result much sooner than a typical pregnancy and is extremely susceptible to being lost, therefore, even if it is positive at first it may not last. While I need to be hopeful, I also need to be realistic, and that's a very hard line to balance.

So for those of you who are praying for us in our journey, please pray for the following:

• Calming all anxieties as we go into the transfer and wait for the results
• The doctor to choose the best candidates and the procedure to go smoothly
• Reassurance that His hand is on this process and its outcome
• Endurance through side effects
• Rest and being able to sleep
• Remaining thankful and positive (which is most important to me, no matter what)

So that's all you'll be hearing about this subject for now. Thank you so much for your continued love and support! It means more than I could say!

Step 1: Becoming a Chicken

The first phase of IVF is growing massive amounts of eggs and retrieving them in order to make the embryos (an embryo is the stage between a zygote and fetus). To begin this process you need a large pharmacy's worth of medications and injections:

Meds

Every morning and night you'll need several hormone injections. Some of the medications burn like Hades so I find that it's helpful to have something to squeeze so you don't end up wanting to swat the kind person giving you the injection. My medicine-friend:

Mr. Puff

The medications will begin rapidly growing your eggs, which will in turn rapidly increase your waist size. Then you'll need a sweet husband to buy you new stretchy pants, and a sister to buy you new pj pants for when even the stretchy pants no longer stretch enough to fit your middle. And she'll also send you a card to remind you she knows what you're going through and is here for you.

Lululemon

"Sending you a hug..."

When your hubby isn't available to give you the shots, you'll need another volunteer. And since some of the shots are time sensitive, that volunteer will need to be willing to wake up even at midnight to inject you. Thankfully for me, my mom is a great shot-giver (even at the wee hours of the morning or night) and was willing to help.

[I'll spare the pictures of what two sleep-deprived women (one of which is fat and hormonal...and wasn't my mom) look like during these moments.]

Throughout this process you'll be visiting your doctor often, if not daily, for testing and monitoring. When he deems you are plump like a chicken with lots of eggs ready for hatching, he will schedule your retrieval procedure. The day before you'll want to be on the couch, with a heating pad, nauseous from loads of hormones, feeling like you're so full it's hard to even breathe, and thankful no one has to see you looking like a hippo.

Me out on a walk today

So in short, that's the first phase of IVF. Where a typical woman ovulates 1 small egg per month, I am about ready to pop out at least 20, if not more, monster ones (which is the reason for such a big midsection). Although highly uncomfortable, this is great news in the IVF world. So I'll take my pj pants and heating pad and be thankful for my abundance of blessings!

Please be praying and wishing us well as we go into this procedure tomorrow. Our main concerns are my level of pain (before and after), side effects of anesthesia, and quality of embryos made. I'll be back to post more as I know and am ready. Thank you so much for your continued support!

How We Got Here

I think the most common question we've received since the last post is, "So, how come you decided to do IVF?"I kind of thought the answer was obvious- you know, wanting to have a baby- but I suppose most people are looking for the more detailed explanation of how we got here. Well, that makes sense.

In April, Matt and I decided that I would get off birth control pills, which I had also been using to control the growth of my endometriosis. We figured it would take time to work back into my normal cycle and I would track things to gain a better understanding and plan for the future. During this time we thought we would try the "old fashioned way" (as some of our friends have referred to it) and see what happened.

Then in June I thought we'd had success and I made a doctor appointment to get a blood pregnancy test, but it came back negative, which wasn't making any sense since I was so late. That's what led to the beginning of tests to investigate if I had PCOS (polycystic ovarian syndrome) as well as my endometriosis. One doctor appointment led to another, and then one set of tests led to another.

In September we found ourselves at a fertility specialist (or at least that's what she called herself) in San Jose, and she put me on Clomid even though we felt in our gut that it wasn't going to work. Working with her was a mess- we couldn't understand her accent, she didn't seem to listen to us, got defensive over our questions, and would skip around the truth. After a series of test results came back she diagnosed me as having PCOS and endometriosis, and then prescribed the Clomid, reassuring me that it would work just fine. But a few appointments and weeks later, she told me that it would actually take a few months of using Clomid before we possibly saw any benefits.

At this point I called my sister, asking if this is how infertility doctors worked or if this lady was as cracked up as I was beginning to think she was. After a long conversation my sister made a very significant and insightful suggestion. She told me that if she could go back in time and could do it again, she would go straight to IVF and skip all of the pain, emotional ups and downs, and money wasted on procedures with a lower chance of success. Matt and I knew we were in a fortunate and rare position where our health insurance would cover the amount of about one round of IVF. So my sister made some calls and was able to connect us with the fertility specialist she saw in Thousand Oaks. He recommended a specialist in San Francisco but that doctor was an out-of-network provider and the doctor down south was in-network, meaning our benefits would go farther with him despite the distance we'd need to travel to get there.

So here we were in November, finally meeting with a doctor who knew what he was talking about, welcomed questions, made things easy to understand, and had numerous success cases. He presented us with a wealth of information and two options. First, I had a cyst on an ovary that was 6cm, or about the size of a lemon. If we wanted to move forward with this doctor then we needed to do so now (to be done before they close their office in December for the holidays) or wait until January to begin (which really means doing the transfer in February, so more like a 4 month wait). The trouble is that a cyst basically feeds on the eggs, and the less eggs you have the poorer the quality of the remaining ones, plus a cyst can continue to grow the longer you leave it. So if we waited four months we ran the risk of less success due to quality and number of eggs, and a chance that the cyst could grow and even rupture. Plus, a cyst of this size indicated that my endometriosis was at Stage 4, which is the worst stage. This combination was the factor that steamrolled us into our fertility treatment options.

Option 1 had a 20% chance of success and was to do everything like IVF- meds, tests, etc.- but the doctor inserts the sample directly at the prime moment. Option 2 had a 60% chance of working and was IVF, where after lots of meds and tests, the doctor removes the eggs, creates embryos, and inserts the embryos at the prime moment. Knowing that we only had one shot to do this, and insurance would only cover so much, we chose our stronger option. And we chose to do so now due to the cyst and the chance that my egg quality/quantity had been compromised due to my long history of cysts (and having them rupture, which is what first alerted us to my endometriosis in 2005).

So here we are. Starting injections today and planning for IVF. We didn't plan on going this route, we certainly hoped we wouldn't have to, but we're thankful that we have the opportunity, as most couples can't afford to. At this point, we're really only able to take things day-by-day and dose-by-dose. Matt is giving me my morning and evening shots and luckily for me, my husband was a vet tech assistant in high school and is familiar with giving them. We'll just be sure that as these hormones kick in, we don't compare me to any animals. ;)

A New Diagnosis

**I would like to note that I have written, deleted, and rewritten different versions of this post numerous times over the past month. As things have progressed I have kept silent, unsure what to say and how it would be received. So please, read this knowing that I am opening up and sharing with you from the very most personal part of my heart. Thank you.**

The other day I was rummaging through a desk drawer, on the hunt for the packing tape, when I ran across this old pair of Nathan’s socks. Months ago, my sister gave them to me so we could put them on Hunter’s feet as a fun joke after seeing similar (and hilarious!) stunts on YouTube. Now, looking at these tiny socks, a whole new flood of emotions washed over me.

There are some things you just know about yourself from a very young age. For me, I’ve always known this:

• I’m crazy over long dogs with short, stubby legs, and big, floppy ears.
• I could spend all day lost in a good book, curled up with a warm cup of tea beside me.
• I’m quiet until I feel secure, and only then can I feel free to be myself.
• I may act resilient but really even the quietest criticism is embedded in my heart.
• I’m meant to be a mother, snuggling little ones, teaching them about life, and watching them grow with pride in my eyes.

While I’ve known in my heart that I was designed to love little ones, I’ve also known for the last seven years that my biology did not agree with creating with this truth. So when Matt and I started talking about the time when we would have a family, I decided to head to the doctor for a checkup and some tests. But I wasn’t prepared for what she would tell me- that I had not one infertility disease to battle, but two. With that news, I cried. A lot- some with Matt and some by myself- feeling like nobody understood what this meant: giving up the “normal” progression of life, finding out in a secret moment by myself and planning how to keep and share the incredible news, the feeling of excitement with a little bit of fear of the unknown mixed in, and the lighthearted banter with other expecting friends.

Instead these facts meant that I would be headed down a path I had seen several others struggle down, full of pain and heartbreak, judgment and unneeded advice thought to be “helpful” by those who offered it, and trials of faith and heart. While it’s not uncommon for the average mother to have at least one miscarriage in her lifetime, for a mother fighting infertility, it is practically promised that she will have several. Somehow it seems so wrong that the women who work the hardest to gain their children lose them the easiest.

Taking the advice and help of my sister, I made an appointment for a second opinion with a specialist in Southern California. I gathered the last seven years of information from my medical files- exams, tests, surgeries, and results- and headed to my meeting hoping to learn my fate as a mother. As I sat in that office chair, on the opposite side of the desk from the doctor who would either crush my heart or stir my dreams, my hands shook and I tried desperately to hide the betrayal of my nerves by clutching them tightly together in my lap. When he overturned the diagnosis made several weeks before, stating evidence and facts that I had never heard before but now made perfect sense, my heartbeat quickened and hope slowly grew within. While I was still dealing with one infertility disease- my endometriosis, which now appeared to be at the most severe stage possible- I was not dealing with a second. And for that I could take a breath and praise God. And then face my future.

The doctor laid out several paths we could take if we wanted to move forward and we then said goodbye. I took my folders of information home with me and discussed them over the weekend with Matt, and on Monday we called the doctor to hire him onto our team. I needed someone in my corner who knew what I faced, knew how to handle it, and had faith that it could be done. I am so blessed to have found that! He calls me personally on the phone to check in, to ask if I have questions, to explain what steps are next, and he keeps it all simple despite an overwhelming process.

You see, I know now that sometimes when you know something is meant to be, it doesn’t mean that it will come easily. It means that you will FIGHT to gain your dreams. You will become RELENTLESS in your pursuit. And you will fall at each defeat but you will RISE AGAIN to overcome. This is my path to becoming a mom. It doesn’t look like everyone else’s but that’s okay. I know I am not alone as I walk this path in front of me, but am surrounded by a husband and family who love me and are committed to praying for our journey.

So tomorrow I will begin my IVF cycle. It begins with several weeks of medications and injections, moves on to surgery, several days of recovery, and then a procedure which will hopefully take and become the start of our new family. Several people have told me that I shouldn’t put this information out there for everyone to know, and I know that by doing so I am opening myself up for unintended hurtful comments and opinions, but I strongly feel that no woman should have to go through this process alone. If I put my story out there and can help even one woman through it down the road, then it will be worth it. I also know that if I keep this to myself then others won’t know how deeply it hurts to hear the often-said phrases of, “You don’t know because you’re not a mom”, “It’s your turn next”, or “You don’t want to wait too long because you’re only getting older.” And most importantly, by keeping this information hidden, I would be blocking you out of the opportunity to pray with us and see His answers unfold.

Suddenly looking at this little pair of socks, I was reminded of why I’m embarking on this difficult path and that it will be worth it in the end, as we have little feet to once again fill them. When I first started this blog I invited you to come along with us on our journey, and this is an important part of that. So I ask that you join us with your support and prayers for safety, wisdom, recovery, health, trust, and courage. Please stand by us with love and encouragement, as we’ll need that more than ever in the upcoming weeks.

Thank you!

Team Scott- Staci and Matt

Pumpkin Patch 2012

This last weekend Matt and I went for our annual Pumpkin Patch outing and I thought I would share a few snapshots from the day!

Trying out the new camera!

Oh you know, just a couple of turkeys over here...

The winning pumpkin!

Our second annual Pumpkin Patch adventure

Arroyo Grande Harvest Festival & Paws of Thunder

You can't tell me these little wieners don't make you melt... Marley & Shelby, our friend's dachshunds

There's not much in life that would make me happier than being swarmed by a hoard of dachshunds. So many of them that I could lay on the ground making snow angels and having more than my arms could hold at once. It would be heaven! Until then, I hunt down wiener dog events so that I can be as close to those dreams as possible. When I came across a wiener dog race in Arroyo Grande (found via stalking the Foxy Doxy Dachshund Rescue Facebook page), I quickly linked it to Matt and made plans for a trip to San Luis Obispo. 

My friend Kristi opened her home for us to stay overnight, we made dinner plans with our friends Steve & Jessica for Black Sheep Bar & Grill (where I eat their Mac N Cheese every chance I get), and we invited everyone to come view Hunter speed down the track as fast as his 3-inch legs of glory could carry him. 

We arrived at the event, covered in sunscreen, loaded down with toys and treats to entice our dog to first place, and checked him in. The sun was shining, there were doxies galore, and we got in a few practice runs- things were looking good! Of course, I also tried my best for Matt to let us adopt one of the Foxy Doxy dogs, but was swiftly denied. Oh well. I'm happy to say that many were adopted by other families though! 

It was finally time for Hunter's heat. We lined up, I held on tight to our squirming and wild-with-excitement, supposed-to-be-minature 17.9 lb wiener dog, Matt waited at the other end with a big, colorful beach ball, the countdown sounded, and Hunter was OFF! (we are in the farthest left lane and Hunter has a red bandana on)

As you can see, we quickly secured first place of our heat and waited to move on to the semi-finals! We knew we had a blue ribbon in the bag. Our dog had determination, speed, and joy feeling the wind flop his long ears all about as he ran. We lined up for the second round and Hunter was focused on Matt holding the coveted beach ball. That is, right up until a second before the countdown sounded. Then, to my HORROR, out of the corner of my eye, I saw a woman playing with something that looked like this:

Hunter has a weakness for furry creatures, and as soon as he saw it, I knew we were doomed. There was no way I could tell the lady to stop playing with her dog toys right by the starting line, get Hunter focused back on Matt, and get him down the track in time. So the countdown started and Hunter ran FAST...right for the dog toy on the other side of the fence, and then finally made his way down the track. Meanwhile, the lady looks at me, "Oh man, sorry!" Yeah, I wanted to take her sorry and her dog toy and hit her upside her noggin with both of them! Sometimes people just don't think! (we are in the lane farthest to the right and Hunter still has on a red bandana)

Perhaps I got a little competitive and overly involved in a silly wiener dog race, but Hunter LOVES to run and we knew he was one of the fastest dogs there. I would have rather he lost fair and square than due to a woman's oblivious actions on the sidelines. Oh well, live and learn. Next time look for all possible distractions beforehand. So while we didn't win a blue ribbon and awesome gift basket, we did get a bag full of schwag, had lots of fun with friends, and have a very worn out wiener dog. He's currently sleeping next to me, dreaming of racing I'm sure. And I'll be headed to bed tonight dreaming of hoards of doxies!

Snippets & Summaries

I've been getting quite a few questions about this new step in my life becoming a Team Beachbody Coach: What is it? What am I doing? How does it work? Etc. I love hearing these questions and knowing that you all care about what's going on in our lives! :)

To help you out, I wanted to link just a few things that could answer those questions in a short amount of time. I'm still new at all of this so I think this little video will explain things much clearer and quicker than I can yet! I know you're all super busy so I chose one of the shortest ones- it's only 6 minutes and 30 seconds.  





The video mentions a membership you can join and receive a 10% discount, however, I want to make sure everyone knows that you can join for free and still receive the schedules and support! For some people, that's all they need to reach their goals!


Here are the links to my sites if you want to browse around or have more questions!

http://www.beachbodycoach.com/CoachScott12

http://myshakeology.com/CoachScott12

http://myultimatereset.com/CoachScott12

"Eat More Veggies, Have Less Wedgies"

You have to admit that's an awesome slogan.

Okay, let's talk about the dreaded "F" word... yes, Fitness. Many people have a preconceived notion of fitness that can scare them out of getting into a new routine. Maybe it looks like this...

(torture device included)

Or this....

(shudder)

Or this....

(no one should ever have to see this much spandex in a room at once)

No wonder no one wants to workout! They also may think everyone will laugh at them if they enter a gym or exercise class. They won't know what to do. Won't be able to make themselves reach their goals, or even create goals! They think there's no way they can motivate themselves to keep up with a workout plan. Or maybe they have no idea where to begin. All of these are totally valid reasons, but also all reasons that can be overcome. 

As someone who wanted to workout, but didn't know where to begin with my new health restrictions, and didn't want to pay a monthly gym membership, I can speak to almost all of these reasons. I contacted my friend Kristi and asked her to tell me more about Team Beachbody. I knew they created and sold popular fitness programs, like Insanity and P90X, but did they have anything that could work for me??? 

Kristi explained how I could explore all of the 20 different programs offered, order online, have it shipped to my house, workout in my own home (where I didn't have to worry about snickers if I couldn't keep up or messed up a move), and could make up my own schedule or follow along to one provided online. Team Beachbody could create a whole meal plan and shopping list for me. I could connect with other people doing the same program to hold each other accountable, get tips, share success, and encourage one another. I could also purchase supplements to help me reach my goals. It's become a system I've fallen in love with! 

I find it so much easier to fit in a workout when all I need to do is close a door instead of commuting to the gym. I love paying one time for a program that works instead of paying every month to wait for machines and be inspected by every person in the building. And I LOVE the Team Beachbody website. You see, every time you log your workout online (which is so easy to do), you automatically get entered into a daily drawing for $500 and you'll never guess who woke up one day to find out she won...that's right, ME!!! Talk about motivation! 

So after finding something that felt like such a fit for me, I headed back to Kristi to ask her about getting more involved. I found out that you can become a coach, where you help other people find and reach their fitness goals too, and can make a paycheck while doing it! After doing some more research, thinking, and talking to Matt, we decided I would take that next step. As of last week, I am a Team Beachbody Coach and I can't wait to help people feel better inside and out! 

I'll be keeping my nanny job for now as this is a job I plan to financially work up to, and I love the family I've with now besides. Someday I hope to be a stay-at-home mom and our goal is that this will help supplement our family's income while still allowing me to keep my fitness and health goals. It's also our goal for Matt and I to try a program together, so we'll be starting P90X soon! 

Please feel free to email or Facebook me at any time if you have questions, want to find out more, or think you'd like to purchase a program. This is not something I want to be "selling" to anyone, but more something that I'd love to connect people with if they're looking for somewhere to get started or want to expand whatever they're currently doing. For me, there's nothing that feels better than helping someone else, especially if it's about something as serious and important as their health! 

For the Girls

Ladies, prepare yourself. No, seriously. Prepare yourself.


Now go grab all your scarves.


Did you find them all? Okay, good. I hope you have multiples. You're going to need them.


Now take a scarf and use it to tie up anything that will distract you for the next 4 and a half minutes. Children, husband, boyfriend, pets...they all need to be tied up. Niiicceee and tight. Great, I think you're ready....


Now take the rest of your scarves and take in this short flick which will blow your mind: 25 different ways to style a scarf. I know. Earth shaking, right? Fall is coming and you know I have your back...err your neck?....you know what I mean.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5LYAEz777AU


Now go on and get sassy with your scarves! You can post pictures to thank me later.


Oh, and you might want to untie those distractions now. Except your husband. (I think he liked it. Shhhh) Just kidding!


Enjoy!

Tasty Tuesday

It's that time again and you find yourself standing in front of the open fridge, cold air rushing out at you, eyes wandering the contents within, and somewhere in your mind you hear, "Close the fridge door! We're not cooling the whole house!" Okay maybe that's just my mind that repeats my parent's famous words. Still, you know it's only a matter of time before someone asks the dreaded question, "What's for dinner?????" You might want to reply, "I don't know. What are you cooking?" But most likely you know it's up to you. Well worry no more! I'm here to save the day! Or maybe just one day this week...

I've decided to try something new, so now every Tuesday I'd like to share a favorite recipe or product with you. Cooking and baking are some of my greatest hobbies. I find it therapeutic to mix the ingredients, smell it cooking, and try the outcome. Most of my joy comes in sharing the food with others though! So I hope you try some of these things and let me know what you think. Please also let me know if you follow along, or find yourself looking forward to another Tasty Tuesday revealing, so I'll know to keep it up and continue posting. Here goes!

Summer Salad

This weekend may be the last weekend of summer but avocados are often on sale this time of year. This is a salad I make at work at least once a week and it's a favorite with the kids and adults alike. It can be a great main course or side dish, and it's super fresh and easy to throw together.

Ingredients:

3 large Avocados (cut about equal pieces)

2 Yellow or White Corn on the Cob (or both; raw)

1 package Cherry or Grape Tomatoes (cut in half)

1/2 large Cucumber (cut into pieces equal to avocado pieces)

1/2 Purple Onion (diced)

1 Lime 

Pepper

Garlic Salt

(Makes about 5 large servings)

Directions:

Cut up all avocado, corn off the cob, tomatoes, cucumber, and onion, and put them in a bowl together. Squeeze fresh lime juice on them and sprinkle with garlic salt and pepper. Using a spoon, gently mix everything together and then serve. 

What's so great about this salad is that you can make it however you like. Personally, I don't like onions so I never add them, but for those that do you can add in as much as you like. Don't have a cucumber? No problem, just leave it out! Have a cucumber but no corn? Skip the corn and go with the cucumber instead! See? Super easy. As I'm sure you can imagine, this salad doesn't keep, so only cut up what you think you'll eat. If it's a side dish, or for less people, then you'll need to cut up less. 

I hope you enjoy!

(Original inspirational recipe can be found at: http://authenticsuburbangourmet.blogspot.com/2011/05/avocado-and-grilled-corn-salad-with.html)

It's Beginning to Feel a Lot Like...Fall?

It may still be in the 80's and feeling like summer but I decided that with September and the kids all back in school it was time to change our house over to Fall. Out came the pumpkin and cinnamon scented candles. Burnt orange, red, and brown colors. Fall leaf-shaped candle holders and wall hanging decorations. I have to say, I think it's working! I'm starting to feel ready for the change in seasons, cooler days, and snuggling with blankets. And yes, I do have three Rubbermaid bins full of decorations I switch out for Fall, Winter, Christmas, Valentine's Day, Spring, and Summer. I try to stock up during clearance sales and frequent the bargain bins. So when my local Michael's ad told me they were having a 50% off sale, you know I headed right over with my extra coupons! I was so pleased to find a few things to spruce up my decor such as ribbon, a leaf garland, and candle vase fillers! And I'm doubly happy that my ribbon can be used for Christmas and Winter too! Here's a few pictures of our new additions:

Red ribbon around cream candles in candleholders filled with light orange vase gems

Red ribbon around cream candle with leaf garland around its base

Just a little pop of Fall on the dining table.

Cayman Islands Family Vacation

Saying yes to Matt's proposal was one of the easiest things I've ever done, but moving so far away from my family was one of the hardest things I've ever done. I can't tell you how many times tears crept into my eyes as I prepared for my nuptials and pondered saying goodbye- especially to my two little miracle nephews. The sloppy kisses and too tight squeezes, the pitter patter of little feet, the silly things they say and the accomplishments they make. I was going to miss so much, and I decided to make the most of every chance we had to be together in the future. So of course I was beyond excited when my parents asked us what we thought about taking a family vacation all together.

We decided on renting a villa on Grand Cayman in the Cayman Islands, the place we had our first family vacation the summer of 1998. My parents researched, documented, and presented us with several villas to vote on and we decided on Kai Conut, a North Side 5-bedroom home with private pool and dock. We planned menus, shopping lists, packing lists, and submitted our payments. Finally it was time to board our planes and arrive at our vacation destination.

Matt and I flew from San Jose to Houston, where we met up in the airport with my sister's family who had flown in from Los Angeles, and together boarded the flight to Grand Cayman. After landing and clearing customs, the six of us met my parents in the balmy and not-so-air-conditioned airport, and walked across the street to climb into our three rental cars. Ours was a top-of-the-line Corolla that came equipped with all the bells and whistles, like a tape deck and a trunk that turned into a pool with every rain storm, and looked like a herd of crabs had attacked it. It was perfect for island driving and provided us with several good laughs!

The eight of us spent the week swimming, floating, snorkeling, eating, feeding stingrays, relaxing, laughing, and enjoying spending family time together. My heart was content snuggling my nephews to sleep at night, hearing their giggles in the morning, talking about everything and nothing with my sister, going on crab hunts late at night with Matt and Bryan, and spending time with my parents- finally not feeling rushed to cram in a 24-48 hour visit. There are a number of pictures to share with you, but there are a number more memories tucked away in my heart.

(Click on any of the following photos for a larger view)

Cayman Turtle Farm

Pirates Caves, Bat Caves, and Wildlife Rescue Zoo

Rum Pointe & Stingray City

Pool Time

The Views

Our private dock at sunset

Views from lunch on the beach

Our private dock. A school of brightly colored fish lived underneath, accompanied by many crabs and several jellyfish.

Our backyard at the villa

Sunset on our private beach

Family

Ben took this picture of us for my mom's birthday dinner