1st cycle-Fail?

So tested Monday since that was when my ticker told me to test, and negative. I was not holding my hopes up for us to be lucky to have a positive first time around, but still bummed a bit. AF should visit by Friday...I think I will test again Friday just to double check. I have a feeling I may have super low hormone levels and a HPT may not be good early. Fingers still crossed, otherwise there is always next month.

New Year's Resolutions

I am not a big fan or follower of making New Year's Resolutions, but I hope in this next year a lot of things begin to fall into place. We are working on my home improvements and hopefully we will get through all of them, but especially the guest bathroom remodel, the back office renovations and finish hanging all the trim. I came home to a surprise last night. Husby decided he was going to make these half moon to help divide the living room and the hallway and also between the kitchen and the back room. It looks good, except it is currently Styrofoam, but it'll look good at the end. We already got rid of the "window" that was between the kitchen and backroom and I decided we will probably paint that wall in the backroom a lighter blue to give the room some more calming feel (especially since that will become my office once we start a family). Things around the house are coming together well. I wish we could get the kitchen fully remodeled this year, but I am not sure it will be possible, but still it is my goal.

I also hope to get back into my working out groove and drop some pounds. We already started eating healthier...more salads, less McDonald's, and I think I may start pushing myself to go back to jogging as early as this weekend, but it all depends on the shoulder. With healthier eating, I have been religiously taking all my prenatal vitamins and hoping with the C. we will also start our family this year. Lastly, I am goaled to finish my Master's this year as well...hopefully in the Fall, but maybe a bit sooner depending on my schedule.

We have a lot of goals and dreams this year. Hopefully 2010 is better than 2009!

Update on 101 in 1001

In 13 months, I have surprisingly accomplished a lot of my tasks.

101 in 1001 Starting Date: Monday,December 1st, 2008
Ending Date: Monday, August 29th, 2011

:::Those in bold are completed:::
Marriage
1. Cook dinner every weeknight for Michael.
2. Be more romantic with Michael.

3. Work on communicating my feelings more with Michael.

4. Plan 1 night a week for an entire month as a date night.
5. Kiss Michael every morning and every night for an entire month.
6. Compliment Michael every day for an entire month.
7. Do 101 special things for Michael. 
8. Fight more fairly in a disagreement.

~4 left to do~

Religion
9. Find a local church Michael and I can start going to.
10. Post 20 Bible verses that touch my heart.
11. Resolve my "lost faith" and forgive him for my childhood loss.
12. Write about 100 things I am grateful for. (50 down)
13. Read The 5 People you Meet in Heaven.

 ~4 left to do~

Motherhood
14. Continue to follow doctor's regime in terms of the medicine for TTC.
15. Start a family.
16. Remove the clutter and refocus our lives around our family.
17. Don't raise my voice for an entire month.
18. Begin a holiday tradition.
19. Make a nursery in the house.
20. Create a scrapbook for each child/ pregnancy.

~5 left to do~

Homemaking
21. Add curb appeal to the house.
22. Establish a weekly cleaning routine.
23. Follow that cleaning routine for an entire month.
24. Paint the house with Michael.
25. Clean out and organize the freezer and fridge.
26. Organize my office.

27. Take the donation clothes to Goodwill.

28. Fill the remaining photo frames around the house.
29. Reorganize the kitchen to accommodate everything.

30. Fill my recipe box with the recipe cards (rewrite all the scraps onto cards)

~5 left to do~

Cooking
31. Cook dinner along with Michael at night.
32. Make breakfast for Michael.
33. Make banana bread from scratch.
34. Make Italian Antipasto Salad for Michael.
35. Cook Christmas Eve. and Christmas Day meals with Michael.
36. Make salsa from scratch.
37. Learn a new Italian dish.
38. Learn a new Chicken dish.
39. Learn to make a soup from scratch.
40. Learn a new Asian dish.
41. Learn a new breakfast dish.
42. Learn a new dessert.

~4 left to do~

Financial

43. Eat dinner out only twice a week for a month.

44. Eat lunch out only once a week for a month.

45. Save $20 at the grocery store (via coupons or value buys).
46. Establish a budget for our household.
47. Stick to my entire budget for two straight months.
48. Cut our grocery bill to $50 for a two week shopping period.
49. Pay extra on our school loans.
50. Build up our savings to $10,000.
51. Payoff all my store cards to have no balance for an entire 2 month cycle.

~5 left to do~

Health
52. Take the dogs for a walk everyday for an entire week.
53. Exercise four days out of a week for 1 week.
54. Workout (run or swim) twice a week for a month.
55. Give up soda for an entire month.
56. Eat a green salad five times in a week as a meal.
57. Eat 3 servings of fruit every day for an entire week.
58. Drink only fruit juice or water for one week.
59. Make target weight of 130lbs.
60. Don't eat after 9pm for an entire month.

~8 left to do~ Huge set back with the shoulder injury...hoping to be healed soon to work on these

Kindness
61. Volunteer for Habitat for Humanity.

62. Bring in a "treat" for my co-workers one week.
63. Do a favor for someone else.

64. Host the chapter at my house for dinner 1 night.
65. Host a "family night" at my house for 1 night.
66. Cook someone else dinner.
67. Offer Megan a vacation down to us and follow through.
68. Make a birthday cake for someone at work.

69. Offer a ride to one of the younger girls at work.

~4 left to do~

Pets
70. Make each of the boys a toy.
71. Find Reese a new coat.
72. Find Snow a new coat.
73. Find Lucky a new coat.
74. Pamper each of the dogs.

Completed!

Randomness
75. Read Tuesdays with Morrie.
76. Post a picture everyday for an entire month.
77. Complete 2 old yearly albums on POGO.
78. Try a new berry.
79. Get a new hairstyle.
80. Read 50 books on my All-time list.
81. Catch up on the scrapbooking.

82. Make a wedding book for each of the moms.
83. Visit Michael grandparents.

84. Recycle (even if the city does not want to bring their bins)

85. Visit Michael's aunt and uncle in Michigan.
86. Take better care of the Civic.

87. Try something new at a local eatery.

88. Do not splurge shop for an entire month.
89. Make a scrapbook for someone else.
90. Take Meghan for a girl's weekend.
91. Take a honeymoon with Michael.
92. Plan a bonding weekend with my female cousins.
93. Learn to surf.
94. Scuba dive in the Keys.
95. Go on a vacation with Michael.
96. Slim down my stomach and get my belly button re-pierced.

97. Start my education classes.

98. Bowl a 200.
99. Beat PCOS.

100. Blog about the items I cross off.

101. Write a new 101 in 1001 list.

~19 left to do~

That leaves 58 more tasks on this Goal list to accomplish. Many are tied together, so once I complete one, I'm sure the others will soon after.

Goals for the New Year

My Goals for 2010
1. Continue to strengthen my relationship with Husby
2. Lose Weight
3. Finish Grad School
4. Work on the family scrapbook
5. Read one book per month
6. Seek full-time faculty positions

Family Goals for 2010
1. Continue saving/ budgeting for future expenses
2. Work on getting fit and eating healthier
3. Get Pregnant
4. Try to plan date nights

Home Improvement Plans 2010
Finish the Guest Bathroom: Patch the odds and ends, paint the walls, tile sink backsplash
Remove window in Kitchen
Remove Sliding door in lounge/spare room
Install new door on side of lounge/spare room by removing the side window
Convert the lounge/spare room to the family office: repaint the walls
Convert the Office to a nursery
Decorate the nursery
Start remodeling the kitchen

Slow-Cooker Chicken Tortilla Soup

Yields: 8 servings INGREDIENTS: 1 pound boneless chicken breasts 1 (15 ounce) can diced tomatoes 1 (10 ounce) can enchilada sauce 1 medium onion, chopped 1 (4 ounce) can chopped green chile peppers 2 cloves garlic, minced 2 (14.5 ounce) cans chicken broth 1 teaspoon cumin 1 teaspoon chili powder 1 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon black pepper 1 bay leaf 1 (10 ounce) package frozen corn 2-3 tablespoons chopped cilantro 7 corn tortillas vegetable oil DIRECTIONS: Place all ingrediants except cilantro, tortillas and vegetable oil in slow cooker. Cover, and cook on Low setting for 6 to 8 hours or on High setting for 3 to 4 hours. Shred chicken with two forks and stir in cilantro before serving. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Lightly brush both sides of tortillas with oil. Cut tortillas into strips, then spread on a baking sheet. Bake in preheated oven until crisp, about 10 to 15 minutes. To serve, sprinkle tortilla strips over soup.

Merry Christmas

I just wanted to wish everyone a happy and merry holiday season. We drove up to my Mom's for Christmas with the pups in tow and will be here until Sunday and then home for a few days and leaving on Tuesday for the in-laws for New Year's. It has been a rough year and we are both looking forward to ringing in the new year. I need to do an update on what has been happening in the last few weeks since I have been MIA, but we are about to go to a neighbor's for dessert. Because things have been so hectic, gift giving was quite odd this year. My husby got me a cute dolphin ring which wraps around my finger and then has a row of diamonds....

I will post our update and fill in the last weeks later.

Happy Holidays All!

A New Chapter...

After being married for over a year and half, we have decided it may be time to start trying to conceive. We had a few goals that we wanted to meet prior to having children, and for the most part, we have done well at them, so we figured we could at least start trying.

The Goals:

• Own our own home- Check
• Feel established in our jobs-Check for DH, sortof for me 
•  Organize our lives so we have time and resources for this new chapter- Check
• Set aside a small nest egg- Check 
• Grad School completed- 

But there is still one obstacle we have yet to face and overcome: my cycle problems. In June of 2007, I was diagnosed with Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) which means my ovaries are covered with cysts and my hormone levels are all out of range of a normal woman. This causes me to not to be able to get my cycle each month (and at this point without the stimulation of a medication). Currently, I am on Femcon (an iron supplment birth control pill) that is supposed to regulate my cycle and cause it to come every 28 days. Unfortunately, it is not a gurantee cycle for me. I will finish my last pack this month (right before Christmas). If and when, I get my cycle, I will start the hormone drug, Clomid. We have been to three different doctors (OB/GYN) and have thought about seeing an endocrinologist, but are hoping this new plan works. This doctor seems to be very compassionate and understanding of our goals and plans, so he recommended the Clomid and for me to take it on Days 5-9 of my cycle (5 days from my first bleed, even if it is just a spotting). The baby dance should start around day 8 through 16 to cover my "fertile window" and hopefully we will be loucky first time out with a BFP (big freaking positive). If not, we will keep trying and do further testing. The big thing for us is staying calm, relaxed and stress-free since some say if stress is high, then TTC is difficult. Trying to be optomistic and hoping for the best.