Time for foundation...

As the house building process moves along (slowly, I might add as we've had rain a TON lately), I just wanted to stop and be incredibly thankful to the Lord for all He's blessed my family with. Even through trials and hardship, He never ceases to amaze us with His unconditional love. A friend shared with us last night that whenever they have put the frame of the house up, we should go through every room and write a bible verse on the framework to dedicate our new home to the Lord. I thought that was super neat, so I'm definitely going to make sure that happens. Here's a few pics as of recently of the process.

We were thrilled the process went so fast with the cinderblock and brick in 2 days. Then the rain came and I'm hoping they are out there today doing a good bit of work:)

I hope all of you have a very Merry Christmas, and remember, after all the presents, yummy breakfast, Christmas movies, etc, Jesus is our reason for the season. Because of His birth in Bethlehem, His sacrifice for us, and His rising from the dead to prepare a place for us, we are HIS! Love you guys!

House update :)

Well, the house building process is coming along!! Last week, they started clearing the lot and today all the trees that needed to come down are down and moved! It's so weird to see the lot cleared!  You can see where the driveway will be, and I can actually get an idea of where everything will be laid out. The other day Jason and I met our builder, George, at the lot to make sure we agreed where the house would sit. We decided to move it about 10-12 feet closer to the road so we would have a little bit more back yard. We MUST be at least 50 feet from the road, so as long as we meet that requirement, we're good to go! Here's a few pics from the other day:)

Jason and I went browsing through the woods behind our lot and it was gorgeous! I'm sure we will see lots of fun things once we're there everyday! We even saw some deer tracks that were fresh. We have heard that we will have lots of visitors when we move in...animal visitors that is!

We also went to the Clemson game Saturday in Charlotte. We normally go to several a year, but this was our first one this season, and sadly it was the last game. BUT, we won! We are the ACC champs! It was a great game to go to. Here's a few pics from the day!

 


Lastly, here's some progress pics of the lot! More to come as things progress further! From beginning to NOW!

Finally, all the trees are DOWN, digging has begun for the partial basement, and we are ready for the final grading to happen. Next step, let's pour the footings!

It's GO TIME!!!

It's been a while since I updated you guys on the house building progress. WE ARE UNDERWAY!! I am so excited to report that we got our loan approved about 3 weeks ago and our builder had his tree removal/grading guy out at the property this past Wednesday getting some work done. This is what we started with:

It's gorgeous right? At this point, the leaves have already fallen off the trees and my husband, Jason, went to cut some of the brush from the front bank of the lot. The bulldozer can't do that, so we (he) had to. When we went to see what was going on Wednesday, we were surprised to see the grading guy out in the lot taking trees down here and there. 

Jason and I really want to document every step of the way, so here's our first pic together at the lot. I'm sure there will be many more to come!

Here's the start of the driveway that will eventually be a circular drive. I've always wanted a circle driveway and my wish will come true very soon. They had to bring in some dirt to fill in the BIG DIP from the road down to the ground.

I'm so excited to share this journey with you guys! Until next time...

Taking a break...

Hey guys,

Sorry I haven't been keeping up with the blog. We've had a lot going on lately and I just haven't found the time to actually sit down and get my thoughts out. So, first of all, the 2nd IUI didn't work. I can't say I'm surprised, because I feel in my heart maybe the Lord is telling me the timing is just off. We are in the process of getting a loan approved for our soon to be built house, picking out plumbing, tile, lighting, fixtures, etc. We have signed the contract with the builder and are ready to get going on this thing!

Jason and I decided to stop fertility meds and not do any more IUIs for the time being. We will continue to "try" naturally, but are not overly concerned with it right now. I'm so glad the Lord has given me/us a peace about where we are in life right now. I always hated questioning the Lord and wondering why everyone else was pregnant and starting families, and it wasn't working for us. Now, I understand.

I think about having a baby right now and I wonder if we would have the opportunity we have right now to build this house. I just don't think we would have made that leap with a baby. The Lord truly has the ultimate plan for our lives even though we don't see it right then at the moment. We have to have faith and trust in Him that He is faithful and will give us what we desire in His timing. I love knowing that about my Father! He is so GOOD!

I'm sure once we get approved for our loan and start breaking ground, you guys will see lots of updates and progress. I can't wait to watch everything come together! What a cool experience to get to be a part of at such a young age. Lots of people don't ever have this opportunity. Thank you Lord for all your blessings! Help me never take them for granted!

Here's some pics for now of what's to come:

This is the what the front will look like and the right side!

 This is the back of the house and the left side (sorry they are positioned wrong)!!

 My super amazing headboard I bought for our new master bedroom!!!!! LOVE IT!!!

 Kinda what the kitchen will look like...white cabinets, wood island with white countertops (Can you tell I like the CLEAN kitchen look?? ) LOVE the pendants too!!

 The new dining table I bought (without the chairs)....after this we decided NO MORE BUYING STUFF...we have a big loan to acquire and pay off for the next many years!

 This is the type of chair I'm looking for in the dining room...rustic meets elegant! Love that combo!!

More to come when we actually start! Praying the process is smooth!

Ever asked God to help you be patient??

Patience...is it me, or do most people want things yesterday? I talked with a good friend yesterday and she said, "Man God sure is showing you how to be patient." I agreed with her. I haven't updated you guys on the building process in a while, but while we are trying to get pregnant, we're also in the process of getting a quote for our building project...a NEW HOUSE!

While it's only been about 5 weeks since we closed on our house and moved in with my parents, we have been consulting with 3 different builders, trying to perfect our house plan, getting drawings of the exterior done, and most importantly getting quotes to figure out who will be best for the job!

Every time I think we're ALMOST there, the builder needs more information to get the quote more exact. That should be a good thing right? And it is...I'm just so impatient when it comes to something I'm excited about! However, I know I serve an AWESOME God who has my best interest at heart and whatever happens will be perfect in His timing. Isn't that thought so relieving? I think most of the time it's the only thing that gets me through a stressful day/week/month/year!

My friend told me she has only asked God to teach her patience several times in her life. Once was before her middle child was born and that he was the most difficult baby ever. She doesn't ask for God to teach her patience anymore....lol! I honestly think it is such a privilege the Lord chose me to face these trials and be able to tell all of you about my life and how I'm trying my best to trust God in every situation.

I hope there's something the Lord allows me to share with you that turns your eyes to Him! He is such a great God and He loves us so much! Trust Him!

It's that time again...IUI #2

Hey guys! Today was the day for IUI #2:) I made a video to document and everything and planned to upload it to the blog before I left; however, this video must be so big, it would never upload...just always said uploading. If anyone has advice on how to take a video made in iMovie and make it smaller so it fits into a blog post, that would be much appreciated!

Anyway, my appointment was at 9am, so my husband, Jason, was there at 8am to give the sample. They called him back to the front desk and proceeded to tell him that his appointment was tomorrow. WRONG! He told them they were mistaken and to look at my appointment time for today. What good would his sample be tomorrow?!? haha, anyway, they fit him in and my appointment was pushed back just a tad so the lab could do what they needed to do with it.

Fortunately for me, the appointment was pushed back a tad. I left an hour early just to make sure I had enough time to get there (it's about 45 minutes away) and what do I run into on the interstate? A STANDSTILL OF TRAFFIC. My first thought was "People, GOOOOOO!" But then I just chilled out realizing there was NOTHING I could do about it. I remembered that my God was in control and that everything would fall into place. Luckily, (even though I didn't think so at the time) Jason's appointment being scheduled wrong worked out fine because I was a couple minutes late myself. Funny how that works huh?

Anyway, I finally got called in around 10:35 am and the IUI took place at 10:45 am. This IUI took longer than the last, and was a bit more uncomfortable. I had a different doctor doing this one (I like him much better) and he asked me when he walked in, "Did you talk to your cervix this morning?" I was like huh?? As he was threading the catheter to get to my uterus, he informed me that my uterus was curved down and he was just having a little trouble getting the catheter where it needed to be. I asked if that was going to be a problem, and he said no. So, I hope not! He asked if anyone had ever told me that, and I quickly responded, no. And I'm curious why I didn't know this by now. I wonder if that could be why we have a hard time conceiving the natural way?? Anyone ever been told this?

It was done in about 5-6 minutes this time and I laid there with Jason with me for 15 minutes required by the doctor. I also decided to take a little break from ZUMBA. I told the doctor and he said it would not be a problem, but whatever gave me peace of mind, I should do. So, I've got some subs for the next 2 weeks to handle my classes. Maybe if I don't jiggle around so much implantation can happen. I guess we'll see! Anyway, that's pretty much it! The IUI is always very simple, virtually painless, and fairly quick. I just hope it works! Until next time....

Mama gave a shot...

Good times tonight:) My mom has been very worried for the past couple days about giving me my trigger shot, but she finally bucked up tonight after some reassurance from a nurse friend that should could do it. So, there I was, bent over the bathroom sink, my mom is standing behind me with the shot ready to go, and our nurse friend, Babs, saying "You can do it!!"

I've never been one afraid of shots. I take it like man. Seriously. No biggie! And I'm glad, because I feel for people going through infertility and just don't do shots. If you're about to take this journey and are afraid of shots, here's a word of advice-just get used to it! They don't hurt at all even though some of the needles are fairly long (picture to come). Anyway, Babs told mom to hold the shot like a dart and just push it in. After a minute of her saying "I can't do it..I just don't think I can do it.." etc. she finally DID it! If I've ever been afraid of anything "shot" related, it was her saying all that. However, once she did it, it was done in 10 seconds and that was that:)

Now we wait 36 hours until Tuesday morning at 9am. That is when IUI #2 has been scheduled. Luckily, since it's early I can manage just taking off a half day from work. I'm sure my students won't mind. However, I'm sure they are wondering why I've been out several times in such a short period of time.

So, about the ultrasound this morning. Everything went really well. The doctor came in at the beginning to look at the uterus lining and he was impressed to say the least. He was like "wow, 3 lines, that's great. that's what we like to see." The nurse went on and ended up finding one good sized follicle that measured 19mm (they like to see between 18 and 20) and maybe one other that was less mature at an 11.

I talked with a friend tonight that has gone through 3 miscarriages, but is currently pregnant with her first child. She told me that she went through 6 rounds of Femara and then went on Clomid and did an IUI. She also told me she took B6 vitamins while trying to give implantation a better chance. Research seems to say this vitamin helps any kind of luteal phase defect that can hinder implantation. If the luteal phase is too short, the window for implantation is not as long and the chance of a fertilized egg implanting is less. So, hey, us IF ladies will try anything once right? So, I sent Jason up to the store tonight for some B6 and we'll give it a try.

We are hopeful this will work, but never overly anticipating that it WILL happen. We've been down this road for over a year now, so getting pregnant will be a pleasant surprise. Not getting pregnant will feel normal, but fine. When and if it happens will be on God's time clock and we will be grateful and thankful regardless of the outcome.

For those of you who haven't seen the HCG shot, here's a look at it. Forgive how rough I look. I took a shower and never fully got ready and left the house today after my appt!

Needle is long huh? But, it doesn't hurt, I promise! Now, could I give it to myself? Probably not...lol! Thanks MOM!!

Shot class..

...and no, there was no alcohol involved. Although, after seeing some of the needles I was sure one of the girls in the class might need one lol! Anyway, I took a half day off work today to learn how to give myself an injection...or better yet, have someone else give it to me. Luckily, my mom was able to go with me and learn along side me, because I'm sure she'll be the one poking me! 

Basically, the nurse showed us how to give any kind of shot we possibly would need to give, and if we ever forget, we have a play by play informational sheet as a reminder. Since I live about 40 minutes away from the office, that would be a real hassle driving there every time I needed an HCG trigger shot or in the future, maybe IVF injections everyday. Hopefully, the IUI will work and we won't have to go "there."

I just want to rave about the nurse who taught the class today. Her name is Susan and she is the kind of nurse everyone going through infertility issues should have/meet. She consistently told us that no question was stupid and answered every question we had. She showed us how to administer every shot we may need at some point using an orange as her target! I don't know that I could give myself one, but I'm glad my mom was there to learn. She even asked the person over insurance and billing to call me soon so we could talk about all "that stuff" I really know nothing about. However, "that stuff" is super important because my insurance pays a $15,000 max lifetime for infertility issues. I wonder how much I've used...I have no clue : / Susan is awesome, and I'm so glad there are still people in the medical field who truly love their job and care about each and every one of us going through this.

I have my day 13 U/S on Sunday so they can look and see what's going on. They will check how many mature follicles I have and measure the sizes. I don't know much about the units of measure, but they like to see the follicles measure between 18-20. Last month, I had a follicle that was classified as a 21 and the IUI was done 2 days later (less than 24 hours after the trigger shot). I asked Susan why they didn't wait 36 hours to do the IUI after the trigger shot and she looked at my chart and said "because your follicle was a 21, we needed to go ahead and do it." In terms we all understand, since my follicle was getting larger AND older, it was getting more and more fragile. If it doesn't release the egg or releases it too late, it has a poor chance of attaching to the uterine lining. So in reality, the egg could be fertilized, but if it's old and fragile, it won't attach, thus causing your period to come.

So, hopefully I will have a good follicle (or good follicle(s)) to work with this month. I almost wonder if the reason it didn't take this last month is because it wasn't able to attach?? Guess I'll never know, but this whole process is very much trial and error and trying to figure out what to do based on how MY body reacts. NOTHING can be done by the book all the time because everyone is so different. Hopefully I'll have good news to report on Sunday after the U/S. Until then....

Life lessons...

Well, I called the Fertility clinic today to let them know I was starting a new cycle and asked what this new cycle held for me. What was I going to have to face this time? I found out that I need to go to a class on injections so I can learn how to either give them to myself or have someone give them to me. We also made the next appt. for an ultrasound and decided to do another round of IUI. Hey, if you fail, try and try again, right?

Well, a situation that is a far cry from infertility came up today as I was leaving the gym. My mom got a text from my brother letting her know how he did on his 3rd attempt at the MCAT. Well, it was not an improvement from last time. She was/is so upset and frustrated and wants so badly for him to get that high score so he will hopefully be admitted to med school. Isn't that how it is with infertility? We go through month after month of fertility meds, shots, ultrasounds, doctor appointments, the actual IUI, the two week wait, only to find out by a little pregnancy test that it didn't work. Our goal was not achieved.

My heart breaks for my brother because I know how bad he wanted to do well. He studied so hard for months, took multiple practice tests, and today was the day he found out his goal was not achieved either. I think all of us have the right to be a little frustrated, to cry if we want to, and to even be mad that what we wanted so badly didn't work out, BUT we don't have the right to question God and be mad at God because what WE wanted, we didn't get. As humans, we all struggle with selfishness. We were born in sin and that's our human nature, unfortunately. But as Christians, we should understand that God has another plan for us. A much BETTER plan for us that even we cannot fathom. If you want to read a story where God intervened in the most unconventional way, read Amy's story.

God is so good, ya'll! He loves us despite how we feel sometimes. Despite the anger, sadness, frustration we express when things just don't go our way. Please just always remember, the plan unfolds day by day. We may not know what that plan is until it slaps us in the face, but know that plan is in place. It sure would be nice to know what that plan is, but knowing that God holds my future is enough for me. I hope it can be enough for you too!

For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future. Jeremiah 29:11

So many of us know this verse and it's easy to recite, but have you ever just taken it to heart? He will not do anything to harm us. We may think so when things don't go our way, but He is here to give us a hope for a bright future, and to let us know that everything will be ok. We just have to TRUST Him. So, will  you trust Him today?

Hello cycle 2390489342, day 1

So, the pregnancy test I took on Friday was right. This IUI cycle was a bust and I didn't get pregnant. But, that's ok. There's always next time right? This journey has never been easy, but something about the past couple months has felt easier than before. Maybe it's that we are in the process of building a new house, buying new furniture etc. and that has taken precedence over getting pregnant--or maybe it's just something else to focus on while something else isn't exactly going how I'd hoped.

Regardless, this wonderful life I've been given from one amazing God is never dull and always full of surprises. I always joke with people that "you can't surprise me." I seem to always spoil a good surprise, but with God, nothing is ordinary--everything is extraordinary. I think he laughs at me and says "oh, you think I can't surprise you? Think again, sister!!" So I will continue to wait until His perfect timing has come. The impatience inside me sometimes wants to jump out and say "why not now, Lord?" but I know why. Because God has other plans right now. Better plans.

So, I suppose I will call the lovely people at the Fertility Clinic tomorrow and see where we're going to go next. Another round of Femara? Injectables this time? Another trigger shot? Missing work? You just never know when your on the infertility wagon. However, what I do know is that my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, is on that wagon with me and he's steering! What a great thought!

Not exactly the bday present I wanted...

Well, today is the 30th day of my cycle, but also my 25th birthday. I figured even though I didn't really want to do a pregnancy test, I would do it anyway on my birthday just to see. What an awesome birthday present a positive test would be. However, it was negative. So, I guess I should be expecting my period any day now. I've been averaging 29 day cycles for the past 2 months.

I really thought maybe this IUI would have worked. About 8 days after the insemination, I noticed a slight bit of pink discharge when I went to the bathroom. I've ready that could be implantation bleeding from the attaching to the uterine lining. I have felt slight cramping randomly for about a week or so now, but thought that could be the uterus expanding. I guess all that was simply just a guess...

That would have been the best birthday gift ever, but instead I'll be waiting for my dreaded period to make its appearance. Is it bad to even think I don't want to try anymore? It takes so much effort, time, and emotions that I just don't know if I'll jump back in and do another IUI soon. Maybe that's just my initial emotions talking, but at this point, it's getting old:(

Lord, your plans are greater than mine. What I think would be "perfect timing," you laugh and say, just wait! Help me understand that You always have my best interest at heart, and are not punishing me for anything. Lord, I love you and praise you for all your goodness, your mercy, your forgiveness...I just want to serve you, so others can see your wonders in times of struggle. Thank you for another birthday I get to celebrate with my family.

IUI #1 complete:)

Well, today was the day...for several things! We went to our closing this morning to finally give up our home to our buyers. Closing went really well, we got our lump sum of profit put in the savings account, and headed to Greenville to do the IUI later in the day.

Jason went at 1:30 to give his sample, and I followed at 2:30. It was the shortest procedure ever and was pretty much the same feeling as a pap smear. It literally took maybe 2 minutes and it was done. I layed down for about 10-15 minutes, got up, and headed out! It was very simple, and we're hoping for good results. I have been instructed to go get some blood work done in a week to test my progesterone level. Supposedly, they can tell how well you ovulated from that test. Then in 2 weeks I'm supposed to take a pregnancy test. I HATE pregnancy tests. I would rather wait it out and let my period come. Negative tests are so disappointing, so I'm hoping not to see one for a while.

I did test my LH this morning with another ovulation test and the lines were exactly the same color which means ovulation should happen soon within the next 24-48 hours. These are the pictures of my ovulation tests from day 11 to today (day 15).

I think you can see by today the LH test was definitely positive. Jason had 190 million sperm in the sample which wasn't too shabby either since they consider 10 million to be a good sample. We are hoping for the best, but definitely not getting our hopes up. We are praying the Lord will bless us with a child and if it takes an IUI, that's fine with us. If he doesn't choose to use the IUI, that's ok too. We are content with the Lord's plan for our life and know His plan is better than ours, even if we don't understand at the moment. Hopefully the next time I update you, I'll have good news:) Until then...

Tomorrow's a BIG day!

Well, tomorrow is exciting for two reasons. We are closing on our house at 9am! We are so thrilled. We moved all of our stuff out last weekend into storage and moved in with my parents. It was really tough, not to mention I caught some kind of 48 hour cold that wasn't welcomed. Nonetheless, we got it done and now tomorrow we get to hand the keys over to the new owners. They are such sweet people and we are so blessed that the Lord allowed us to sell our house while it was not on the market and have the opportunity of a lifetime--building a dream house on the perfect side of town. I am so pumped:) Not to mention we are making a good profit, which is few and far between in this market.

Tomorrow is a big day for another reason too! My husband and I will be going in to do our first IUI at 1:30. My appointment time is 2:30, but my husband has to be there early to give the sample, allowing time to get it ready for insemination. The process started 9 days ago when I started taking another fertility drug called Femara. I took it just like I did Clomid, once a day on cycle days 5-9. Then yesterday (day 13) I went in for an ultrasound. They looked at my ovaries, the endometrium, the follicles produced, etc. After that was over, the nurse told me I had one large follicle. After looking online for information about IUIs, I think the success rate is higher with more mature follicles, but I was reminded by someone on a message board that said "Normal people that get pregnant only have one follicle." So, we'll have to see what happens. I'm optimistic, but will not be too terribly upset if the results aren't positive.

To say the least, tomorrow is a busy day and a quite important day. Say a little prayer if you remember! One at 9am and another around 2:30pm!

Something new...

This week finally was over yesterday at 3:30pm and when I say over, I mean the students left and my weekend began. Whoever thought it was a good idea to start school on a Monday is seriously mistaken.

I finally got a call back from the Fertility Clinic yesterday afternoon. Just FYI, I called them on Thursday, which was day 1 of my cycle to tell them I started my period, I had taken a pregnancy test just to be sure I was not pregnant, and that I needed them to call in the prescription for Femara (Letrozole). This is the new drug I'll be trying for 5 or so months to see if it will work better than Clomid.

I was a little nervous to go get the meds yesterday because the doctor originally told me it was very expensive in comparison to Clomid (I was paying $2.99 for it). I called to see if it was ready and it was. I dared to ask the cost. When she said, "It will be $9." I was like SERIOUSLY?? I was thrilled. When I went to pick it up, it said "You insurance has saved you $243.95 on this medication." Thank you BlueCrossBlueShield!!

So, here's the plan for this month--not to mention we have to be out of our house by next weekend. The nurse who called me back yesterday told me to go get blood work done Monday after work that the doctor requested. She also told me to go buy the ovulation predictor kit and start testing on day 11. If I did not see an LH surge by day 13, I've got an appt. scheduled to go in for an ultrasound to see if my ovaries are doing their job or if they're being "lazy" as she said. If I did see a surge before day 13, she said I should just call and not worry about the appt.

Now, the doctor originally told me he wanted to do an IUI this month, but she said nothing about this, and I completely forgot to ask because I was bogged down with so much information that I was trying to  remember. So, I suppose I'll call back (get their voicemail) Monday and check on that to see if Dr. Miller still wants to do that. If so, as soon as I see the surge, I'm supposed to call and they will make an appt. for then next day to do the insemination.

After I got off the phone with the nurse yesterday, I got to thinking...what is all this going to cost me? I know my insurance covers up to $15,000 for my lifetime concerning infertility, but still, what will the copay or my 30% cost?? With us starting the building process, we are trying to save as much money as possible, so if this first insemination doesn't work, I think I'm going to just pause this process until after we're done with the house. It will probably be easier to get to all these appts. in the summertime anyway while I'm not working. I guess only time will tell. Until then....

New Plan...

Today was day 1 of my cycle. I was not upset or frustrated or emotional, just encouraged and excited about the next step in this process. But I'm also a little nervous. Remember, not only are we trying to have a baby, but we are about to close on our house in 2 weeks and start the building process. So, I'm at a crossroads where I am wondering how much all of this new stuff is going to cost along with the cost of building this house. What if I get pregnant soon and my due date is around the move in date...etc?

All these thoughts have gone through my head, but I just keep thinking...take one day at a time. I continue to ask the Lord to open and/or close doors for us so we'll know what we need to do. Since today is day 1 of my cycle, I was told to call the Fertility Clinic, tell the nurse I started my period, and also tell her I took a pregnancy test so she can call in the new drug I'm trying this month, Femara. What I'm really nervous about is how much this 5-pill prescription is going to cost. While Clomid was only $2.99 every time I got a refill, the doctor told me Femara is like $75-$125. That's A LOT--in comparison.

Not to mention, the doctor recommended that we do an IUI this month also. I don't exactly know how much the cost is for this. We've heard $200-$300 but I'm not exactly sure. While it's nothing like Invitro, it's still a lot of money when we are trying to save everything we have to go toward the new house.

In saying all this, I think I've made a tough decision. I want to give this month a go, but if it doesn't work, I think I'm just going to chill out for a while, at least while we build the house, and just enjoy the building process without the added stress of fertility stuff. I just feel that God has this great plan and I know He has had His hand on us through the selling of our home so quickly. I know what we are doing right now is what we should be doing. And I also know God is faithful and will provide a baby for us, naturally or adoptive, when the time is right. So, I'll wait until His timing is right. Thanks for all your prayers and support as we go through this month of fertility treatments and start building our house!! It's so much appreciated!

Another year begins...

School year, that is! I can't believe the summer is already over and the kiddos come back Monday. I've been to school quite a bit this summer because I had to move rooms and wanted everything to be perfect in my new room. My new room is not "new" at all. It's quite old and in need of much TLC. And that's just what I gave it! Here's a few pics of my new room!

My new door! Isn't it cute!!

 View of my lovely new contact papered air conditioner that was disgusting before

 View from the front of the classroom!

 View of the front-minus my mounted projector and Promethean board that will hopefully arrive soon!

 Yes, I teach Algebra and Geometry! And yes, I'm WILD for both!

My cute desk area with my lovely curtains on my window!

I also have a separate room within my room that is my own personal office space. For some reason I couldn't find my pics of that. But it's great for storage and to just get away when I need to! Bring on the year. I have a feeling it's going to be great!!

Self-Storage/Canceling utilities...CHECK!

Today was a good day--after I got off work. I didn't mention earlier, but I'm back at work this week getting ready for all the students next week. Needless to say, since our school underwent (and is still undergoing) A LOT of renovation, there are tons of problems and things I don't have in my room I need. TECHNOLOGY being one. I teach with technology everyday and being told I'm not going to have it until after Labor Day is really annoying! Anyway, off that soap box!

After Jason got off work we went to the ONLY climate controlled storage facility in Spartanburg. We were hoping to get a certain unit, but they were all leased; however, we managed to snag a 15x25 unit where you can pull right up to the unit and unload. It was about $75 more dollars, but well worth it because of the convenience and large space. It was the only one, so we were really happy to go ahead and secure that! We hope to start moving stuff in this weekend, and just gradually get the rest out before closing.

We also called several of our utility companies to make sure they knew we were moving and to stop our service before closing. Things are coming along wonderfully. We've got the date and time nailed down with the lawyers for closing, and now we're just waiting...patiently! It's hard when you're THIS EXCITED!!

I think we have a builder!!!!

I'm so excited to report that we met a builder, Billy Robinson, today and we REALLY like him a lot. He was so down to earth and honest about everything. We showed him the plan we had, and he offered some great tips and advice about how we could change this or alter that to make it better. We went to his home and met him and his wife. They are just the sweetest people and I can't wait to work with them. He even said he'd be willing to drive over and meet us at the lot tomorrow to check it out. If you're interested in his work you can go to www.robinsoncustomhomebuilders.com to see his work! More later:)

1st visit to Fertility Specialist...

The day finally came yesterday where I was able to meet Dr. Miller, my fertility specialist. We decided it was time to move on with the process since we have had no success in 15 months of trying to conceive. My mom went with me yesterday morning and we had a great initial meeting with Dr. Miller. I felt like I was the only person he was concerned with, and he was so great at listening to my everything thought or concern.

When we first met, he asked a few questions about my history like how long I took BC and when that was, how long have I been off BC, were my periods regular, how long had I taken Clomid, was there any history of illness or infertility in my family's history, had my husband had a semen analysis and what was the result, etc. The list went on. Really, he concluded that I was pretty healthy, never had anything in the past that would suggest infertility, and wanted to suggest the next step.

He told me about the drug Famera. It is actually not an infertility drug, but it's a drug that breast cancer survivors take. In the last 6-8 years, it has been used to treat infertility and has sometimes worked when Clomid has not. I actually talked to a friend yesterday who told me 2 of her friends had gotten pregnant while on this drug. So, he suggested we start that next month. He wanted me to have one more piece of blood work done that had not been done previously in February, and also wanted to schedule the HSG test soon.

After talking about options, he did a short exam in which everything appeared to be fine. I got dressed, paid my portion of the visit, and headed home. It was later in the day yesterday when I got a call from Dr. Miller. He was finally able to look at both of Jason's semen analyses and was concerned about one thing. MORPHOLOGY. There are several things they look at in a semen analysis like concentration of sample, mobility, and morphology. Morphology is the shape of the sperm. The first semen analysis showed 2% morphology and the second analysis showed 3%. This means that 3% of his sperm in the sample were what they consider normally shaped. They like to see 6-10%. Basically, when the sperm have a "weird" shape, they can't swim correctly and get to the right destination. It's hard for them to fertilize the egg. So, after all this time being on Clomid thinking Jason was "fine," there may be some issue with the sperm and not necessarily my ovulating.

So, Dr. Miller suggested that instead of doing the 5 or so rounds of Famera alone, he thought we should go ahead and do an insemination this coming month. So, he would still want me to get the Famera, but thinks we will need to do an IUI to help the sperm have a shorter travel distance to find the egg and fertilize it. He told me if after 2-3 IUI's we would need to think of other things, maybe IVF.

We are just going to take one step at a time. I'm not upset. I'm not stressed out. I'm glad there's a plausible reason why it hasn't been working, but I'm sad the people who analyzed the semen back in Nov-Dec didn't alert us this was a red flag. I'm thankful God has led me to Dr. Miller. I think he's going to be a wonderful resource, and I'm excited to work with him. I'll keep you guys updated on things as they happen. Say a little prayer:)

30 days:)

Well, I'm back from vacation! As soon as I woke up and the boat was docked in Charleston, I turned on my cell phone to get the BEST news from my dad! Our house appraised $2000 more than the contract price!!!!! I jumped up and down so many times just squealing with excitement.

So what's next? Well, our buyers want to close September 1st, which gives us about a month to get out. We are praying that everything goes as planned with the FHA loan our buyers are applying for. As long as all that goes smoothly, we should be good to go!

We have been perfecting our house plan and thinking about builders. We drove around the other day looking at exteriors of houses and think we have an idea of what we want. Hopefully in the next week or so we can meet with the 2 builders we are thinking about to see what kind of work they do and to hopefully get a cost estimate.

We are really excited! I'll keep you guys posted as we find out more!

Appraiser #2

Well, we had our 2nd appraiser come to the house today (luckily before we left for vacation) and take all the necessary pictures and measurements he needs to get the appraisal done. He seemed like a really nice guy, took his time, and entertained our questions. God has really given me a peace about this step of the process, and I hope to have no worries during our week of relaxation on the cruise. Jason and I both know the Lord is in control and we will continue to trust Him through this process. He has not led us in the wrong direction yet, and we certainly don't want to do this alone. The next time I'll talk you guys, hopefully we'll know something!! See ya after we get back!

Little bump in the road...

As I told you guys yesterday, the appraiser from the bank came by and took pics of the house yesterday and we were waiting to find out how it went. Well, today, my dad got a call from the main office wondering why this guy was doing the appraisal. Turns out, this guy is not supposed to do FHA loan appraisals. FHA has their own rules and someone employed by the bank giving the loan is not allowed to do the appraisal. The question is why that guy didn't mention he wasn't supposed to be doing it. So basically, now we have a request in to another appraiser in town who will have to meet my dad at the house sometimes this week (since we'll be on a cruise) to get the REAL appraisal done.

An amazing friend of mine brought up a good point today when I was telling her all this and seeming kind of down about it all. She said: Maybe he's not the one who you really want to do it anyway. Hindsight is 20/20. I thought that was great. God works in such amazing ways and I am confident he has an amazing plan for our lives. Even when we think we have a "bump" in the road, it may not really be a bump. It's just a part of the plan! I love my God and how BIG He is!

Hurry up and wait..

Most definitely, one of my greatest hardships is waiting patiently. Our appraiser came by yesterday, took some pictures of the outside/inside and that was it! I thought he might talk to me a little bit and give me some assurance that everything would or would not work out as far as appraising to the selling price, but he didn't say much. All I heard him say to my dad was "this should be easy, now I just need to find some comps to justify the selling price." Oh, I hope he'll be able to find some comps that allow our home to appraise at the selling price. If not, I assume we will be going back to the drawing board to figure out what we want to do-sell or not sell. Say a little prayer for me. I have to constantly ask God to take away all my anxiety. I know He has the perfect plan in mind, and whatever it is I accept!

I'll let you guys know as soon as we find out:)

Moving right along...

Here's the latest update on the house adventure! We have finally signed a contract with our buyers and they have started the loan process at my dad's bank. I got a call from the appraiser this morning asking if he could come tomorrow. This is what we have been anticipating for a while now. It's great to get the contract signed, get the earnest cash deposit (so we know they're for real) etc. but getting the house to appraise for our selling price is a little scary. We are asking the same amount that our home appraised for back in 2009 and we have added a $2500 really nice storage building since then. We are hoping that the market is going to be on our side and let it appraise where we need it.

I have been thinking about it for a little while now ever since my husband made the comment "what if it doesn't appraise?" I never thought of that. I just figured, surely it would since that's what it was 2 years ago AND we had added some things. But, you just never know with the market. When my dad called his appraiser a couple weeks ago to ask if he thought it would appraise for the same price, he said he was confident he could find comparables to confirm our asking price. I just hope that's the case.

We are giving it over to the Lord. I feel like every now and then I try to take it back from Him, but then I just remind myself to cast my cares upon the Lord and do not worry about tomorrow, because He will handle it all for me. I am so anxious to get this part over with so we can move on with everything else. If you think about it, say a little prayer for us around 11am tomorrow while the appraiser is here and as he works to find comparable sales in the area. We appreciate it very much!

Signing contract tomorrow!!!

Well, we were supposed to be getting a contract together with our buyers this past week, but they decided to wait until they closed on their home Monday. Totally understandable. However, because we need a contract before they can start their loan application process, we are meeting tomorrow to get a contract signed by all of us. I have been waiting for this day. I know it can be broken, etc. but it just feels good to get a contract stating they agree to pay the asking price. I'm not sure if we state how long until the closing date, but they mentioned wanting a 60 day closing. I have no preference. To me, the sooner the better. The sooner we can sell this house, the sooner we can start building a new house! I'm so excited!! Just wanted to share!

It helps to know people...

Well guys, it turns out the people interested in our house are really interested and are meeting with my dad this week to start the pre-approval process, get an appraisal done, and get a contract ready for all of us to sign. This is fantastic news and I just couldn't be happier with how quick everything is happening. I just hope there are no bumps...we need smooth sailing please;)

Jason and I went to eat lunch with my parents today after church (our normal routine) and got to talking about a plan my dad had actually started working on. By the way, my dad is the manager at a bank in town, so we are super lucky to have him helping with the financial ends and outs of the process as well as helping our buyers know the proper procedure and process of buying a house, the right way! It's also to our benefit that my dad was in real estate for a long time before banking; therefore, he knows a lot about house plans, how to manipulate a plan to get the most usable square footage so there is no wasted space, and he knows some good quality builders for us to consult when we actually start the process.

Today we actually found another plan we all really liked the best out of all the ones we'd seen. There were obviously some changes we saw immediately, but mostly small things like moving a door, pushing a wall out, making another closet, etc. It was such a great feeling to find something Jason and I both agree on and really like. I'm most excited about the huge kitchen I plan to have:) So many people say how stressful the building process is and I don't discount any of that, but I think with all the wonderful resources we have, it will mostly be a smooth process.

I'll keep you guys updated as we continue to work with our buyers and figure out when they want to move in, thus telling us when we have to be out (and move in with my parents--which is a good thing). I can't wait for everything to unfold! It's definitely an exciting time I never thought I would get to experience this early in my life.

Sweet Mary, the mother of our Lord and Savior

The Lord drew me to the book of Luke in the bible today. I have to admit, I have been extremely slack in my quiet times with the Word of God and talking to Jesus. However, today, I picked (the Lord picked) Luke to open and read. I started at the beginning and I couldn't believe it. I starts by talking about Zechariah and Elizabeth who were married and both in their old age when the Lord comes to Zechariah and tells him that Elizabeth WILL conceive a child, John (the Baptist), in her age and John will go on to do great things for the kingdom of the Lord.

There is much more to this but I was just amazed and encouraged by this story. Elizabeth was thought never to be able to conceive a child, but the Lord found favor with her and Zechariah, therefore giving them a child that would make them very proud and do amazing things for the Lord.

At the same time, Mary (Jesus' mom) was greeted by an angel telling her she would also conceive a child of the Holy Spirit and His name was to be Jesus. Mary and Elizabeth were relatives and when the angel told Mary that Elizabeth was also going to have a child, she immediately went to visit her. Mary says "Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfill his promises to her."

The Lord is faithful, and he does fulfill any promises made to us. I pray I can be as faithful to Him as Mary and Elizabeth and that He will find favor with me. The Lord performed many miracles we read about in the bible, and I think we sometimes forget this is the same Lord we serve today. I think we are a little unexpecting of what He can do. We think "that will never happen to me." But it can. Believe. Trust. Surrender your life to Him. Then watch!

Waiting anxiously...

So, I told you about the people interested in our home the other day, and now we are to the point where they came for another visit, loved it, asked if the curtains were included, and basically have said they are pretty confident about it. Ahhh...I just can't contain my excitement, but at the same time, I'm so nervous the more they think about it, what if they think it's too much? Since neither of us are using a realtor, he is looking for comparables before they actually agree to a contract. I'm scared he will find something they think is a comparable, but really isn't, therefore deciding to offer us less (which we will not do).

Honestly, we DO NOT have to sell. We are completely happy with our home and could live here for a long time. However, the thought of being able to sell it, without even REALLY putting it out there that it was for sale, is crazy! Who does that? Hopefully us!

They should be getting back to us in the next day or so. As I wait, I'm just anxious and excited at the same time. I'm praying this is the Lord's will and everything will work out exactly as it should. I really think God is saying, "Katie, I'm still here. You thought no one could ever walk up to you and ask if you wanted to sell your house. Never in a million years did you think that would happen. Watch me work, because I can work miracles. Don't give up on me Katie."

I love this wake up call. I trust you Lord, completely. Even if this falls through, I still trust and love you and believe that you will give Jason and I everything we need/want in due time!

My God, at work..

Yesterday the craziest thing happened. So, just to catch you up, we are closing on the lot we bought next Thursday and it will finally be ours. We decided that we would not be in any hurry to get out of our house; however, we are putting it out there (maybe eve get a "for sale by owner" sign in the yard) and if the right offer falls in our lap, so be it!

Well, I pulled in the neighborhood from teaching zumba last night and the guy that built our home (and has 2 other lots for sale in our culdesac) and a couple were talking outside beside the two lots. Being kind of nosey, we walked over to say hi to Bruce and meet the couple talking with him. Long story short, they just sold their house on the westside of town (in 3 weeks--lucky!) and want to buy a lot and build. They said the funniest thing too--"We said on several occasions that we would come knock on your door and ask if you would be willing to sell your house." I was thinking....well, hey, we want to sell it. Want to buy?? hahaha!

Since Bruce built our home, we told them that they are welcome to come in and look at our home anytime. So, it turned out they came in last night, toured our home, and loved it. I mentioned to them (when Bruce was out of sight) that we actually were selling if they were interested, we exchanged phone numbers, and that was that! I'm so curious if they'll call or not. It' no biggie if they don't call, but it's neat the way things happen like yesterday.

I ask the Lord daily to unfold His plan for my life right in front of my eyes. I don't always do the right things, say the right things, or be the right things, but I know my Lord loves me for who I am and truly desires that intimate relationship with me. The more time I spend with Him, the more I learn, and can see the awesome things He's doing in my life. I don't know what the future holds or when certain things will fall into place for me/my family, but I trust the Lord will show me in His timing. This little occurrence yesterday just reminded me that the Lord is looking out for us and will give us everything we need in the right time.

Girls bachelorette weekend...

This is a week overdue, but I wanted to share some pics of our bachelorette weekend:) Jessica, my best friend, is getting married July 9, 2011 and we had such an amazing time in Isle of Palms.

A few pics from the weekend:

Some of the girls watching Jess open her gifts

Jessica got us monogrammed beach towels..super cute!!

She got some really cute stuff!!

Dressing up the table!

The GORGEOUS cake I got her!! It was soo yummy!

Me being picture happy after we got home from being out on the town!

Anna being silly!

Yay for Margaritas!

"We are having a great time..." lol!!

The bachelorette and me headed to dinner!

We had such a good time, and I can't wait for July 9th to get here! I love you more than words Jessica!! xoxoxo