WOW!!

This past weekend was Brice's cousin, Slade's wedding. Let me just put it this way, I have NEVER been to a wedding like this in my life! It was absolutley amazing!! I did a really horrible job taking pictures, but I'm hoping Brice's cousin Heather will email us her's because I know she took a ton. I did however get one good picture that pretty much sums up the highlight of my weekend....

Yes, you are correct, that is JEREMY CAMP in this picture!!! Long story short Cody is good friends with him and he surprised everyone (including Slade and Lindsey) by having him sing at the wedding. It was so neat, just as the preacher announced them as husband and wife Jeremy starting playing "My Desire" up in the balcony of the church. It was absolutely amazing! And yes, I was a big goober and asked if we could get a picture with him!! :)

I will try to post more pictures once we get them from Heather.

Pictures Part 2

Brice's new favorite hobby...looking for shells! (you should see all the shells we brought home!)

The beautiful pool and swim up bar at Nachi Cocum

The view from the pool...HEAVEN!

More shell searching in Belize

The main pool onboard

The pool at the back of the boat

Brice at the casino

The Chocoholic Buffet (I've never seen so much chocolate!!)

Our final night

Pictures...finally!

On our first formal night

Brice with one of our many towel animals!

On the beach in Progresso

The 4 mile long pier in Progresso

On the beach in Cozumel

Isn't Nachi Cocum beautiful?!

Fun foot picture

Hanging on the beach

Late as usual! :)

Ok, so I'm a little late blogging about Spring Break. I don't really have any excuses other than the fact that Brice has been working non-stop the last couple of days on a paper and I haven't been able to use the computer at all (not a very good one I know!).

Anyway, we had a WONDERFUL time on our cruise!! We left Friday after school and drove to Dallas and spent the night with Brice's college roommate, Kevin. We had a really good time catching up with him and hanging out at his sweet new pad (Austin Ranch Apartments in Plano). We don't get to see him that often, but anytime we're around him it's like we hang out every weekend. I know Brice really misses his friendship! Anyway, we got up very early Saturday morning and drove to Houston to board the Norwegian Dream. The boat was a lot smaller than the one we went on last time, but it was still great. And the food was MUCH better so that made up for anything it was lacking! :) The weather wasn't very cooperative on our sailing days (VERY windy), but the days we were in port were beautiful. Monday we were in Progresso, which was probably our least favorite port. We went to the public beach there and hung out for a little while and then ate at a really good Mexican restaurant. Tuesday we were in Cozumel, which was once again our very favorite port! We went to a private beach called Nachi Cocum and had the best time!! They only allow a maximum of 100 per day, and I would say there were maybe 30 people there the whole day. They had wonderful food, great drinks, a fresh water pool and hot tub, and plenty of sunshine. Wednesday we were in Belize. We decided to go back to Banister Island, which is a beautiful little island that has white sand and turquoise water. Last year we were practically the only ones on the beach, however I guess the cruise lines found out about this great little place because it was PACKED!! We couldn't even find a chair when we first got there. But we still had a great time and enjoyed a nice little rain shower that cooled everyone off. Oh yeah, and we got to see some Manatees on our way back, which was so cool!! Thursday and Friday were sailing days. Brice and I decided to be lazy these two days; we slept in, ate, read and ate some more! I was able to read three books while we were gone...it was wonderful! (I'm reading the Redemption series by Karen Kingsbury which I will have to blog about sometime!)

Traveling alone was a lot different than what we're used to. Not only did we miss our traveling partners' companionship...we also missed our personal photographers! :) All of the pictures of Brice and I are self portraits, so excuse the long arm in most of them or the ones that are definitely not centered!

*** And of course blogger isn't letting me upload pictures right now...check back later for a picture blog!***

A post Spring Break update:

I guess God knew that we needed a long relaxing vacation to prepare us for the news we found out upon our return. First of all, the day we got home we found out that our first round of IUI was unsuccessful. I pretty much had an idea the last couple of days of the trip, but I think I was in denial. We were both pretty confident going into it that it would work on the first round, considering I had already gotten pregnant twice on clomid alone. Anyhow, it didn't work. I was pretty heartbroken, but I just kept telling myself that we would start the whole process again the following week.

Monday I called my dr's office to let them know that I didn't need to come in for a blood test (to see if I was pregnant) that in fact I needed to come in for an ultrasound so we could start the cycle over. The nurse called me right back and said that Dr. Phy actually wanted to meet with us to discuss our options. I thought it was kind of strange that she wanted to meet with us considering our original plan was to try this protocol for three months and then if it didn't work we would look at other options. So we went in that Monday afternoon to meet with Dr. Phy. Nothing could have prepared me for the news we were about to find out. The day after my IUI she received my genetics test results back and they indicated that I have a genetic abnormality on my 13th chromosome. She immediately contacted a geneticist to see if it would be ok to wait to tell me until after we found out if the IUI took. They told her it would be ok to wait because there were some additional tests they could run to give them more details. The week we were on vacation she ran the additional test and it was conclusive with the other test stating that I have a paracentric inversion on my 13th chromosome.

Brice and I were pretty much in shock at this point. She went on to tell us that this was most likely the cause of our 2 miscarriages and that we have a 50% chance of miscarriage in the future, and that there were increased risks of birth defects and abnormalities. She said that we still can conceive and have a perfectly normal pregnancy, but that it just depends on the egg that is fertilized. As far as getting pregnant we basically have 3 options. We can continue with the same thing we did last month and just hope that the egg that is released doesn't have the defect. We can do IVF and do a pre-implantation screening to ensure that they implant a "good" egg. Or we can use an egg donor and do IVF. My first thought was that I would do anything to not have to go through another miscarriage, but the 2nd two options are both extremely expensive ($14,000-$18,000). So it's not really a decision we can make lightly.

We have the name and number of a genetics counselor that will be able to give us more accurate statistics and information, but I haven't called them yet. I'm not sure if I'm just putting it off because I'm scared of what we might find out (sometimes ignorance is bliss) or what my deal is. We definitely need to do that sometime this week though. It's strange, I feel like I'm on an emotional roller coaster. At first I had this really strong sense of peace, that somehow our relationships with God were going to be strengthened so much through all of this and that He has a plan in all of this, but I think the reality of it all is kind of setting in. This isn't something that is just going to magically disappear...it's something that we will have to deal with for the rest of my life! Part of me wants to cry out in anger to God that how in the world can He allow un-wed teenagers to become parents when there are so many married couple that so desperately want children. But I know that that won't really do any good except make things more depressing. And I know that I'm definitely not the only person in the world that has has these same thoughts. I just have to keep reminding myself of the verse in Jeremiah 29 "For I know the plans I have for you." I know that God is in control and that something good will come of it. Another verse that has been really comforting to me is in Lamentations "Because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. I say to myself, 'The Lord is my portion; therefore I will wait for Him.'"

Ok, now that I have written a novel and there's probably no one that is even still reading this post, I will leave you on a happier note...only 7 1/2 more weeks of school!!! :)

Catch Up

I feel like I need to write a "catch up" blog, but when I sat down to do so I realized that there's really not much to catch up on! haha. We have had some really low key weekends lately (especially with the cold weather)! In fact, I think this is the first year that Brice and I have stayed home and watched the Super Bowl by ourselves...I was asleep before half time! It's nice to not really have much to do, but I'm kind of ready for Spring to get here so we can start doing things outside again. Winter is nice for a while, but it can also be kind of depressing.

Friday night I went to a girl's night out with a few girls I work with. We went to Pottery Daze and had the best time!! I made a plate to go in our kitchen, I'm afraid it's not going to be as cute as the dog bowl I made though. We shall see.


In other news, Brice and I have decided to take our second cruise!! We are so excited about it and can't wait to get away. We will be going on a 7 day Norwegian cruise over spring break to the Carribean (Belize, Playa del Carmen, Cozumel, and Progresso). I can't wait to see those pretty blue waters again!!!

Pottery Daze and 100's Day!

Before Christmas I went to Pottery Daze with a couple of friends and had the best time! I was so nervous when I got there because it was just a little overwhelming, and I'm really not the most creative person in the world. Plus, I'm such a perfectionist that I almost didn't even want to attempt anything because I was worried it wouldn't turn out cute. But, I finally settled on making a dog bowl for Sydney and Lana. Anyway, I just went to pick it up yesterday and I have to admit I was pretty impressed with myself!! I am so pleased with the way it turned out. Here are a few pictures:

And then onto 100's Day...last Tuesday we celebrated the 100th day of school!! I don't remember this being a big celebration when I was in school, but let me tell it's BIG to kids today (or at our school anyway). All of my kids made 100's Day projects where they made collections of 100 things. I wish I had taken pictures of their projects because they were all so good!! We had a collection of 100 lizards, 100 Disney stickers, 100 green pom poms in the shape of a frog, 100 pecans with actual bark made into a pecan tree and so many more that I can't think of right now! Here is a fun picture of all of my kids with their 100's Day hats and necklaces.

By the way, can you believe it's already February?! Happy Friday!

Little Late, but Christmas Break Part 2

Wow, I can't even believe how quickly the second half of the break went! We had such a wonderful 3rd anniversary. We ended up going to eat with Brice's family who were in town for a doctors appointment, and then we got to hang out together for the rest of the evening. We usually just do card for our anniversary, but this year Brice surprised me with a Coach purse!!! I couldn't believe it...I really love it!

The last half of the week I got lots of cleaning done, got to hang out with some fun friends, and definitely caught up on my sleep!! To end the week Brice and I headed to San Angelo for one of Brice's friends weddings. This was the first time we have been back to our old stomping grounds in over 3 years!!! I can't believe it had been that long. We had SUCH a great time visiting with old friends and catching up. We couldn't believe how much the town has changed since we've been gone though! When we moved to Lubbock they were working on finishing the loop there, and since they have finished it they have built about 20 new restaurants and stores....they even have a Sam's now! :)

It has been incredibly hard hearing the alarm clock go off at 5:30 every morning this week, but I couldn't have asked for a better Christmas break. And if the second semester goes as quickly as the first, it will be summer before I know it!

Number 3

I can't believe that three years ago today Brice and I were just beginning our lives together! In so many ways it seems like we have been married our whole lives, yet at other times it seems like just yesterday I was walking down the aisle looking into Brice's teary eyes. Brice and I have been through so many highs and so many lows in these three short years, but I can't imagine going through any of it without Brice. He is loving, caring, sensitive and always has a great sense of humor no matter what we're going through. I thank God everyday for allowing our paths to cross that November night at Angelo State. God had a plan for our lives and I thank Him everyday for the life he has given us!

Happy Anniversary Brice!!

Pictures

Christmas at my parents house:

This is the front of the mountain at Ski Apache. The run under the lift is called Capitan and I've always been terrified of going down it because it's pretty steep and always crowded. But this year I conquered it!! I think my dad and I went down it at least 10 times the first hour we were there.

Here we are about to leave Ruidoso (isn't the snow beautiful?!).

Christmas Break Part 1

Wow, we have had such a wonderful Christmas break, and the great part is I still have 6 days left!! We celebrated Christmas 4 days straight. It was great to be with so much family, but I'm glad the craziness is finally over! The Saturday before Christmas we went to Amarillo to celebrate with my grandparents and cousins that live there. My grandmother had a really bad stroke in August so it made Christmas at their house even more special this year. I have always had a very special relationship with my mom's parents; they are both such strong Christians and have always been a great example of seeking God in all circumstances. Sunday morning we got up and went to church and then headed to my other grandparents that live here in Lubbock for lunch. Here are a few pictures of our day over there:

My family has a Christmas Eve tradition of going to Christmas Eve service at our church and then my grandmother always takes us out to eat afterward. This year our church decided not to have a Christmas Eve service so we just went out to eat instead. We usually go to Friday's (because it's the only place open late on Christmas Eve) but decided to try Chili's this year instead. It was my parents, my grandmother and Brice and I this year. It's so strange how our traditions are changing as we get older. My dad absolutely loves Christmas time and the traditions that come along with it. And he doesn't handle changes well at all! But he was a trooper and had a good time even though our whole family wasn't present. After dinner that evening we headed to big LA (that would be the Lazbuddie Area). We woke up Christmas morning and had a wonderful Christmas morning breakfast with mimosas! After breakfast we headed for Hereford to have Christmas with Brice's grandparents and cousins. We played a great game of pictionary and had some wonderful food as usual! Here are a few pictures:

Tuesday we came home from Lazbuddie. We did stockings with the girls and then headed over to my parents house to wait for my sister and brother-in-law who were coming in from Houston. They didn't get off as soon as they had planned so we decided to go see Night at the Museum. (Very funny!!) When Stephanie and Aaron finally got into town we had leftover Christmas dinner and opened presents with my family. Christmas was finally over! We got WAY too much stuff, but loved everything that we got!!

Another tradition that my family started a couple of years ago was going to Ruidoso right after Christmas to stay in this great cabin up in the mountains that my parents found. Because Brice started work after the first of the year vacation times were already staked out so unfortunately he couldn't take off right after Christmas. :( It wasn't the same being there without Brice, but we still had a really great time. We all skiied Thursday and then just my dad and I skiied on Friday because everyone else wasn't feeling very well. The snow wasn't great, but we had a really good time anyway!! Then Saturday morning we woke up to a foot and a half of snow!! It was beautiful! But not great for driving. My sister and Aaron had planned on leaving at 6am to head back to College Station, but since the roads to get down the mountain were so steep they decided to wait until the snow let up. At 8:30 my dad decided that he would lead the way down the mountain in his truck and they would follow. An hour and a half later we were finally down the mountain only to find out that the highways out of Ruidoso were closed!! So they got back in the truck with us and headed back up the mountain to the cabin. We waited it out a couple of hours and the highways finally opened back up so we headed home.

New Year's Eve we went to Stella's with a couple of friends. We had dinner reservations at 8:45, we got there around 8:40 and saw several people we knew who had been waiting for almost an hour for their reservations!! This should have been a sign to us that we should just try to find somewhere else to eat instead, but we decided to stick it out. They finally called us at like 9:15, but when we were seated we realized that they didn't even have the full menu that night and there weren't very many things on the menu that looked good to us at all. When we finally decided on something that sounded ok the waiter told us that they were actually out of just about everything on the menu except really strange things like seared duck (which none of us really cared for....even Brice!) So we called Outback and luckily they were still open (by this point it was already almost 10:00!) We figured that when we told the waiter we were leaving he would just bring us the ticket for our appetizer and drinks and we would leave, but much to our surprise he sent the manager over and he told us they would take care of the drinks and appetizer and he even brought us a $40 gift certificate to come back later!! Although it started off a little rocky the night ended great!

Sorry this was a kind of long update...in fact I will be very surprised if anyone is even still reading at this point! Hopefully Christmas Break part 2 will be a little less eventful!!

Hope you all had a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!! (Wow, I just can't beleive it's already 2007!!!!!)

I have SO many more pictures to post, but blogger isn't cooperating right now...hopefully I will be able to post them later!