Soup

So, I guess I caught my husbands cold.  Yeah, the one I originally passed to him, came back again to me.  We just love to share, what can I say?  Last night I was thanking God that we weren't both sick at the same time, that would be a real bummer.  That reminds me.  I am praying each night for my prayer buddy!  And I have already done a holy hour with a rosary and chaplet for her and her intentions!  :)  I don't know why I'm bragging about that, I just felt like mentioning it. Is it really bragging when you are talking prayers?  I wonder.

I just finished making homemade chicken, veggie, and bean soup.  I hope it tastes as good as it smells.

Not too much else is going on around the home front.  We have our wood stove coming on Monday, and will be getting our chimney swept by one of our neighbors this Friday.  My husband and I are thinking about doing something different for Christmas this year.  We've only been married about a year and a half (a little over that now), but we want to establish some of our own traditions, even though we don't have any kids yet.  I mean, who is to say that you need to have kids in order to establish family traditions?  I was annoyed when it was kind of assumed we would spend Christmas the way my family always has - at an Uncle's house on Christmas eve.  I know it wasn't meant as rude, but I felt annoyed that nobody even asked us if we planned to come.  We just got thrown into the secret santa thing and now we have two people we need to buy for.  Enough, I say!  I'm going to give them a call and let them know we have other plans for Christmas.  Not sure what they are yet, but that's okay.  Even if its just a quiet Christmas Eve and Christmas day with my husband, I will be happy!  I feel like a rebel.  Not going to the traditional festivities.  How can I do that?  Well, it's easy, I just won't go.  I'm not waiting until I have kids to stop doing something I don't like doing already.  Don't get me wrong, I love my family.  It's just that I want some space and some respect that my husband and I are our own family now, kids or no kids.  Thus, we will make our own plans.  Wow, that just went on way longer than I planned.  You get the picture.  Well I better go check on the soup.  Have a nice night!

Advent, Piano and more

I love to decorate.  My husband and I have taken out our Advent wreath and some other things from our basement.  We have a little strand of green garland with lights that I put in our dining room and it just adds the perfect touch of colored lights to the room.  Then I put some pretty Christmas ribbon on our stair railings.  I love making things pretty and festive!

We got a piano this weekend!!  My husband plays, and I am eager to learn.  The piano was FREE, by the way, and we love anything free. It is an upright piano, but a shorter one.  It looks nice in our dining room.  We had talked about getting a piano someday, but I never thought we'd get a good one for free.  God is so generous.  The piano needs tuning, but that's pretty much it.  Hurray for free things and God's generous love!

Our Thanksgiving was nice, but my husband came down with a cold the day after and has been fighting it since.  I feel bad, because I think he may have gotten it from me.  I had a few mornings where I was waking up with a sore throat and when I started feeling better was when he started feeling sick.  :(  Neither one of us gets sick very often, so I'm not that used to when my husband is sick.  I hope I'm doing a good job taking care of him!

We have our third appointment with our charting instructor this Saturday.  I think we are ready to make another appointment with the Napro doctor in December.  I will have two full cycles charted soon.  I am hopeful going to the Napro doctor will help us.  I just really hope that I wont need any surgeries.  I hope that the problem is simple and we can fix it with supplements, progesterone or something similar. I had one day at the end of my period where there was cm that was brownish.  I am guessing that isn't good.  Maybe the problem is low progesterone?  Prayer buddy, please pray that we can have a simple solution to this. 

Happy Advent to all!  I am praying for a peace-filled and joyful Advent for all of my readers.

Thanks be to God

God has always taken care of us.  I am so amazed at the providence, protection and power of God.  Let me share with you a little story.  It means so much to me because I have been stressed about money a lot recently.  First let me say, I am moving forward with the direct selling business.  I'm at peace with it and feel like I can take things as slow as I want.  So, along with being stressed about money, my husband and I have been talking about money saving ideas, possible ways to pay off debt sooner and everything.  Well, yesterday my husband comes home with great news!  He got a "compression" adjustment at work.  He didn't know what it was until yesterday, but it is an income adjustment that takes place to ensure that he is in line with market standards right now.  It takes effect his next paycheck!  The amount we were hoping to make extra, he will now be getting plus a little extra.  And this isn't even a normal raise.  Those take place in April.  So, long story short, we are super thankful!!!!  I don't need to do this part time job after all.  But since I've already kind of got things rolling, I am going to keep at it and see how things go.  Any extra money coming in will just help us pay things off faster.  I am so thankful to God.  I know things like this ought to teach me how to trust in Him even more, but I am always trying to improve in that area of my life.  Trust is so important though, because as God told St. Faustina, the more a soul trusts in Him, the more He will bless them!

On another note, I am so excited for Thanksgiving.  My husband and I are making this: 

http://blog.fatfreevegan.com/2007/11/double-layer-pumpkin-cheesecake.html

with the oatmeal cookie crust.  I am so excited!  Husband also has a shorter week this week and we are going to be getting our permit for the wood stove.  Another thing I'm excited about.  :)  Our stove gets installed December 5th, for any one out there who is interested in that little tidbit of info. :)  Oh yeah, and the apron I was making is done.  I'm going to give it to my Mom for Christmas.  Other than that, everything is going well.  We are mid way through our second month of charting.  It is not fun, but we're getting through it.  Per our instructors recommendation, we are "avoiding" this month.  Funny, because I didn't think I had to actively avoid, but I think she may be worried about a conception that wouldn't survive for some reason.  Either that or she just wants me to not be confused when trying to read the cm signs.  Anyway, we'll be happy when this learning period is over and we can see the Napro doctor to review my charts.

Well, thank you all for your prayers.  I really appreciate them!  I have peace with my decision and God has blessed us with extra income through my husbands job.  It's hard to not be tempted to spend the extra money on stuff we don't need, but I am being good and we are sticking to our budget! :)

Prayers

Last night I was unable to fall asleep until around 3 or 3:30 am.  I'm not sure why I've been having trouble sleeping lately.  Then, all day today I've had a headache that hasn't seemed to let up.  It's just been one of those days, I guess.  We don't have much to snack on at home, it's raining and I was crying this afternoon. 

I am not sure if I should be posting this, but I may sign up with a direct selling business soon in an effort to make some extra money.  It's been interesting.  I go from being excited about it and wanting to do really well, to becoming really sad and discouraged about the whole thing.  I don't want to fail, nor do I want to work hard at it.  Not sure how those two things are going to fit together, I just know what I'm feeling.  I'm so sad.  Why can't I be thinking baby things right now.  Or just plain household stuff.  Why did I even think doing a part time job was a good idea?  I feel like a failure.  I feel like I shouldn't have quit my job.  Now I'm looking to work again.  In my mind that means I failed and I'm having to go back to the page I thought I left.  I thought I left the working page.  Left it in order to have kids and start a family.  How foolish of me to think I knew what was in my future.  Only God knows that.  So He also knew I'd be crying today on this rainy November afternoon.  Should I go forward with this part time job to try and sell stuff?  I guess if I really don't like it then I can stop.  But I feel like I have this need to succeed to make up for the area in my life that I feel like I failed.  Sorry if this doesn't make any sense.  I hope I can fall asleep early tonight and sleep the whole night through.  I don't like being awake at night while my husband sleeps. 

I went to a meeting last night for this direct selling group.  Everyone was talking money, giving and getting rewards for financial achievements and milestones.  In my opinion, money seems to be the only reason anyone does this type of work.  And they tell you that the sky is the limit.  However much time you wish to devote to the parties and the selling, you can do that, and you'll get back the amount that you put into it.  Basically, if you work really hard, you can make a lot of money.  I don't know how hard I want to work at it, if I do move forward.  My heart doesn't seem to be fully in it, at least not today.  Then I think, we really could use money to help with a couple credit cards that we have had since we closed on the house and of course, student loans which we both still have.

I just want us to be a little more financially set.  But that's such a relative state, how do I know that I won't continue to keep wanting to make just a little more money?  To be just a little more financially stable.  Gosh, this is the reason I quit in the first place.  We can live off one income and we can live simply.  So why am I looking to make extra money now?  I guess the purchase of the wood stove and a possible surgery has made me more on edge about money.  We'll be getting a tax refund that we plan to put right into our credit card and hope to pay it all off. 

Maybe working part time will give me something to do and something new to focus on.  Maybe it will be a good thing for me personally.  I guess only time will tell.  Let me know if you have any thoughts on this.  Sorry if it is jumbled and hard to follow.  That would most likely be due to my lack of sleep recently.  Please say a quick prayer I can make the right decision and that I will have peace with whatever I decide.  Thank you!

Gifts

Thanksgiving is right around the corner.  I can't believe how quickly it seems to be coming.  My thoughts though, have been surrounding Christmas, which will be upon us before I know it!  There's a problem, though.  I'm not sure what to give anyone.  Last night I was really sad because I have no ideas for gifts for my family members.  I'm fairly crafty yet I'm having trouble thinking of what people will like.  My husband wants to make food for gifts.  He liked the cookie in a jar idea, and baking other sweet treats to package as gifts.  I suppose I like that idea too, but a part of me wants something that will last longer than food.  Food gets eaten and then it's gone.  Maybe we can make food in addition to something else I make.

I have some Christmas fabric that I'm thinking of making aprons out of.  My Mom has a few aprons, and I think she will like to wear a festive one during Christmastime, and I know she will love anything I make.  I think I just need to dive in and make it.  Of course, I don't have a pattern, so it's all going to be made free-hand.  I think I will post a picture of it when I'm done!  Wish me luck.

The other idea I had last night is similar to a spiritual bouquet.  Is that appropriate for a Christmas gift?  I guess I don't see why not.  I can say prayers and offer things up for a family member, and then share the prayers that were said with them.  I think I got the idea from the prayer buddies that I've read about online.

Any ideas for thoughtful, inexpensive gifts?  I'd love to hear them!

Fall Days

Hi Ladies!  Thanks so much for your comments.  For some reason I am always surprised when I see comments, especially my last post.  I wrote it about random stuff and almost didn't even post anything.  So, thank you!

Okay, so we put a down payment on our wood stove.  The guy at the store must have gotten commission because he was very friendly after we made the purchase. The good news is we should have the stove installed in three to four weeks, a lot sooner than another place could promise us.  We haven't bought wood yet, the essential key to a wood stove, but I'm sure we'll get some at some point. 

So, the meeting went well. She said that things looked promising!  I had gotten my period yesterday, so my cycle was 26 days.  I had four or five days of bleeding, the last day being a little spotting that to me looked kind of redish brown.  She was a little concerned about that and said it could be a sign of low progesterone levels.  Any thoughts, dear readers?  Also, towards the end of my cycle I was having some signs of non-fertile cm, which she said could be helped with a B6 vitamin and also avoiding using dryer sheets (??) Apparently dryer sheets have formaldehyde in them.  Wow, didn't know that one.  She suggested using natural ones or none at all.  So my husband is out buying me a B6 vitamin.  I'm here with my trusty heating pad, thanking God that this cycle's pain has been, for the most part, very manageable!  The instructor said I noted the peak day correctly, mine was on day 11.  I was surprised because the days leading up to peak day had noticeably good quality cm.  Sorry if this is too much info.  I figure you wouldn't be reading if you didn't have exposure to this kind of talk in the first place, so hopefully it's okay.   I also had a day where I didn't chart anything because we left my chart at our house while the power was out (we stayed with my parents who thankfully have a generator!) 

It was kind of funny, I didn't expect to be quizzed at the session with my instructor.  Just basic things, like am I doing such and such each time I check and I had to answer yes or no.  I felt like it was a test and if I got something wrong I'd have to come back many more times to meet with her.  Money is on my mind, so that was a stressful thought.  I know she just wants to make sure I'm checking and charting as accurate as possible to make the findings as "scientific" as possible.  What I didn't particularly like was that she kept trying to show us how we would chart if we were avoiding.  We're not interested in learning that, even though I know it goes hand in hand with learning to chart to try and achieve a pregnancy.  But for pete's sake, why do they have to teach it now?  Oh well.  Oh yeah, and the other thing, she wants us to not abstain completely this month but to not actively try this month.  So maybe that's why they want to teach us how to avoid.  That got me thinking, does she really think I'd become pregnant this month if we just timed it right?  If we "tried"?  Huh.  Then I was upset that she wanted us not to try, what if this could be our month?  I guess she just wants to have another month of charting to verify things.  I need to trust God that this wouldn't be the only month that would work, if it is His will we have a baby, it will be in His time, too.  It's so easy to write that, but such another thing to remind myself that when I need it most.

This is kind of random, but yesterday my neighbor was raking his lawn.  It was really breezy outside, so combine that with my general laziness, I was like "what is he doing raking now?"  Our yard could use a good raking, but neither my husband or myself find it important enough to do.  I mean, I'm writing a blog post, that is way more important than raking!  Anyway, so I'm watching him rake, and all the sudden a huge gust of wind blows from our yard over to his, so all the leaves from our yard migrating to his yard.  I felt bad, but the wind continued to blow all over, so they eventually came back to our yard.  But I did say to myself, see, that's why I'm not raking! :)

Any Time Now

Thank you to those who commented on my last post.  I plan to look more into the anti-inflammatory diet, and actually have a book reserved at the library on that topic, now!  Thank you for your encouragement, advice and most of all for your prayers.  I appreciate them so much!

Today my husband went into work.  On a Saturday!  It's okay though.  He isn't able to get much work done during the week because he is always either in meetings, or being interrupted by the phone or by people needing help with something.  So he is putting in a half day today just to catch up on his actual work.  He is super busy at work.  Which I guess is a good problem to have in this economy.  I am thankful to God for his good job and for the fact that he loves what he does for work.

When he comes home we'll have lunch and then head out to another store that carries the wood stove we're looking at.  After that we are going to our second appointment with the creighton instructor.  We'll have a whole month done of charting so hopefully she will be able to give me some feedback on what my chart means.  I'm due for my period any time now.  The weird/funny thing is, yesterday I had a little spotting and immediately wondered, is this a sign I am pregnant?!  I must be losing it, because my husband and I have been abstaining this first month of charting so I'm not sure how a pregnancy would be possible.  :)

Wood Stove

Wow, it's been a while since I've posted.  My husband and I decided to hold off on plans for surgery.  I have started learning how to chart using the Creighton model and we want to see what information we gain from doing that first.  I am a little unsure if we will find help just through charting, though, but for now I am putting my trust in God that this is where He wants us.  We have our second meeting with our instructor this weekend, and I will have a month of charting done by then, so I'm eager to hear what she thinks of it.  It's a little frustrating that the only way to confirm that I have endo is through surgery.  Obviously, there are symptoms and signs, but I only really have the very painful periods as a sign.  Well, and the difficulty in getting pregnant.  Is painful periods alone enough to justify surgery?  Is it possible to have that surgery and still experience painful periods after? 

Honestly, the questions and uncertainties surrounding a surgery right now are hard for us to justify financially.  It makes me feel bad admitting that but it's true.  Less than a year ago we bought a house and I stopped working shortly after we were married. I think it's hard because we're not sure that this is a necessary expense for us at this time, too.  Painful periods have been my life since I was a teenager, and I always thought when I became pregnant "one day" that my periods after would be easier and less painful.  I'm mad at myself for not getting this taken care of before I got married.  When I was working, I could have underwent surgery, but I didn't know I would have difficulty getting pregnant, so I was unmotivated to look seriously at my painful periods.  I just popped the Aleve like it was going out of style.  My Mom always worried about me with how many pills I would have to take each cycle.  But apparently she didn't worry enough because I just kept doing it and she never took me to get it looked into. Ugh.  Oh well, there is no use getting upset about it now.  I think we will try charting for a while to see what information is revealed through that and if surgery looks more and more necessary down the road, then we will reevaluate at that time.  Right now we just don't have enough information pointing to surgery being the answer for us.

We recently had our power out for a week after a big fall / winter storm.  There were so many leaves on the trees still and the weather wasn't cold enough, so the snow that fell was heavy and wet.  Bad, bad news, people!  The weird thing is, about two weeks before this storm hit, which by the way, we were NOT prepared for one bit, I was talking to my husband and some of our friends wondering if we needed a back up heating system in our house, just in case the power went out in the winter.  I'm convinced it was my guardian angel trying to get things in motion, perhaps to prepare us for the storm that was coming?  But we ended up agreeing that the power hardly ever goes out in the winter from a snow storm.  Ha!  We were all laughing about that conversation while sitting around the fireplace one evening during the power outage.  How weird is that to have talked about the very situation we found ourselves in just two weeks earlier?  Especially since everyone (but me! :) ) was so certain that a back up heating system was not needed. 

So, I'm happy to report we are looking into getting a wood stove for our little home.  :)  I am super excited.  I love the idea of tending this future stove and keeping the house warm while my husband is away winning the bread, hehe.  I feel like I am a colonial woman and I love it.  We have electric heat, so it should save us money on heating for sure.  The brand we're looking at is called Jotul.  I'd never heard of it before, but it is cute, cost effective and will heat our home.  It isn't cheap, but we figure it's an investment and necessary for us, especially after this past storm.  Last week's Gospel was about being prepared and keeping your lamps burning, for we know not the day nor the hour.  The deacon advised us all to be prepared for the upcoming word changes to the Mass this November 27th and then said he hopes we all have our lamps (and furnaces, ha!) burning soon.  Stay warm, all!