august adventure: chicago

After I got back from Grand Cayman Island, Emily, Brielle, and I went to Chicago. 

We spent a couple days touring and eating our way through the city!

 

We visited the coolest candy store ever,  picked up some iconic popcorn, and took a walk down the Pier.

 

 

 

The next day we visited the Chicago Hot Dog festival...enough said. We also visited the BEAN at Millennium. Park.

 

 

The next day...was a pretty full day...the Sears Tower (now called the Willis Tower), then Brielle and I went to the Museum of Natural History...then we RAN across town to meet MIA HAMM who is my childhood HERO. {there were only a FEW tears involved.}

 

This is looking down...over 300 stories up. Barf. 

  

This is Brielle...picking the nose of the Tyrannosaurus Rex head..its in this box because it is too heavy to put with the rest of the reconstructed skeleton on the first floor. It is the most complete skeleton in the world! {and were acting like classy women around it, clearly}

 

Since the 1999 Women's World Cup, this woman has been my idol. Emily texted me while Brielle and I were at the museum...about a 40 minute walk from the hotel...and we ran/walked/took a cab to get to her hotel as fast as we could to get a picture with her. It was amazing.

 

 

august adventures: grand cayman island

Since this blog is still entitled the Adventures...I decided to fill you in on a couple adventures we had last year.

Grand Cayman Island:

  

Our first night there...it was SO pretty. This was the sunset at the beach right outside our hotel. 

  

This is a starfish we found BY OURSELVES! After hiking to place called...Starfish Point. 



So, they drive on the other side of the road there...it's actually quite difficult to do...I may or may not have almost killed us..twice. 

 

This was an excursion we did that took us to three different places to snorkel and to a place called Sting Ray City. It is a sandbar where fisherman use to dump their extra bait before heading in to shore. The sting rays decided that was a perfect place to camp out to eat the free food and have been there ever since. 

We obviously have a TON more pictures, but these four sum up our vacation pretty nicely. 

best. concert. ever.

For Scott's birthday I decided to buy us him tickets to the Imagine Dragons concert.

We went with Scott's brother Chris and his wife Emily and our niece Brielle and her friend. The tickets we purchased were general admission...for the floor. Which means there was going to be a huge line right? Well, I got to the Energy Solutions Arena at 3 pm that day for our 8pm concert...and waited. Emily and Brielle came a little later and Scott brought me dinner when he finally got there....

The result?

This is where we were standing:

 

That's right people. The only thing between that stage and me was a fence. THE FENCE. This was my view for the rest of the night: (This picture was taken by Chris...in fact that stupid arm right in from of him...was mine.)

It was was most definitely the best. concert. ever.

san fran.

Since this blog is still called the "Adventures of Brandee and Scott," I figured that maybe I should post some adventures.

Here is our visit to San Fransisco to visit the city, watch ReAL at the new Avaya Stadium, and to visit my bestie: Kristin!

Our visit starts in an amazing breakfast place before the soccer game. Yes...that is soft-shell crab eggs Benedict I am eating...while Scott is eating a breakfast beef stew thing.

life changing.

This is dessert. From our breakfast. Breakfast dessert. It's a thing.

This is apparently the only picture we have of the soccer game. We were not sitting in the visitor's supporter section, and because we were winning we tried to kind of keep to ourselves. Avaya Stadium is a brand.spanking.new stadium bragging the biggest outdoor bar...so we did not want to mix with a bunch of drunk angry soccer fans. The game ended 1-0 and we quickly and quietly left after the final whistle to walk what felt like 100+ miles back to our car.

After the game we traveled to our hotel in what was most likely the scariest ride ever. Not only were we in a rental car (a Kia Soul) in a city neither of us had been to, but it was also night and raining so hard we had to yell at each other to hear over the sound of rain on the car. And I don't know if you know this, but San Fransisco's streets are not flat. It was mostly just a game of chicken with every hill.

Our hotel was right on Lombard street in San Fransisco, a couple blocks from Ghirardelli,  the Golden Gate Bridge, and Fisherman's Wharf. We took a walk the next morning. And by walk I mean we almost died as we were walking UP streets that I swear were steeper than some stairs I have traversed. This was our first view of the bridge. Apparently, during this time of year it can get really foggy..but we were lucky. It was beautiful weather the whole time.

We hiked to the top of Crooked Street, which is part of Lombard. What a cool road! And people live on it! Cray cray.

It was really sunny that morning, and I am very bad at taking pictures with the sun. The one on the right was the best one we could get..and for laughs, I will post one of the bad ones {see left}...These are from when we walked down Crooked Street to the bottom.

Later that day, we decided to rent some bikes. We went on a 20+ mile bike ride..including going over the Golden Gate Bridge!

 Good thing Scott is here. Else the bridge fall.

We stopped at a little outdoor restaurant to get some seafood fare lunch...and it was such a warm lazy day, we had some company.

That night, we decided we deserved some chocolate. because ya know, 20+ miles REALLY hurts when you are not used to riding a bike that long. It was amazing.

This picture is Scott's contribution to the Ghirardelli pictures. Not the beautiful building or the incredibly HUGE sundae that we shared. No, Scott's contribution is the machinery. Not surprised. Once an engineer, always an engineer. He was like a kid in a chocolate shop....

The next day we decided to take a drive over the bridge and up by Muir Woods. We had actually biked right by it the day before, but decided to drive this time. Good thing too, a small rainstorm came while we were out at the beach and it would have been miserable.

This picture is me doing a yoga move. There is a lady that I follow on insta who does just way cool yoga moves in way cool places. Here is my contribution. It was actually scarier than it appears...there was a wicked amount of wind, and you can't see it, but there is a sign that says don't cross the fence, loose rock....

Muir Woods is a beautiful place. If you are ever in San Fransisco, and have a couple of hours to kill and good shoes, you should go there. Nothing makes you feel small like GIANT trees.

 To top that adventure off, we finished with a pretty rainbow over the city.

Scott went home the next morning and I stayed to meet up with bestie Kristin and her kids! We went hiking at Yosemite National Park. I had heard it was beautiful and it was, however it made me very aware of how severe of a drought California is in..

Silly faces with Carmen.

Wonder Woman! Now includes: Carmen and Oliver at no extra charge!

I got this picture on the way back to the airport hanging my phone out of the car. That buidling down in the front is the Ferry Building, right by Fisherman's Wharf. It was a way cool trip and a way cool view to end on!

the worst two weeks.

Nurse: "Okay, all done! Now, just take a home pregnancy test in two weeks and call us if it worked! Good luck!"

The door to that tiny room in the University of Utah Infertility Clinic closed with more force than I think she was expecting.

Good luck? Thanks. Wait two weeks?? No thanks.

The rational part of my mind is thinking, "Calm down. You have been waiting for a lot longer than two weeks...it's not going to kill you."

But the other part of my mind is going crazy. "Are you serious? Two weeks! To see if it might have worked? And I have to do it at home? With a home pregnancy test? Is that even the same technology?"

My mind is also going a million miles a second calculating EXACTLY when two weeks will be. And just my "luck," a Sunday. Which does give me a day to cope with results before starting work again...so win there. 

So, after 10 minutes of laying in an EXTREMELY cold room, we left the clinic.

Let me share what the worst two weeks of my life feels like (and then remember that every time we do this particular procedure...this is what it feels like)

Day 1:
Morning: 
I woke up feeling a little sick..OH MY GOSH! It worked! I have morning sickness! Surely it has nothing to do with the Mexican food I had last night.  Then, a couple minutes later, Scott rolls over and says his stomach hurts. Dang it.
Later morning: 
I get to work {late} and have students waiting for me. Which is fine, except its morning...and I hate morning. OH MY GOSH! I hate morning! It worked! Except I always hate morning. Dang it.
Lunch:
I already have to pee! {researches pregnancy symptoms for the 1983479387295th time}. Yup, its on there. Having to pee a lot. {ignores 64 oz bottle that I have already drained 75% of}
Afternoon:
Is it hot in here? OH MY GOSH! It worked! Surely it has nothing to do with the fact that I am wearing a long sleeve shirt with a sweater and its 70 outside and there are a ton of kids in here and its afternoon with the sun shinning through my windows...
Evening: 
I don't feel like eating something with cheese. OH MY GOSH! It worked! Cheese is my favorite food, and I don't feel like eating it?

This goes on for Days 2-13...except that I am strangely getting more and more angry with the little things, hot and cold flashes, and overall stressed.

Day 14.
It came.
The day finally came.
Test taken.

Longest.
Three.
Minutes.
Ever.



Negative.

{throws pregnancy test} Well, it had to of worked, right??? Maybe I just don't produce enough HCG for it to be read on one of those dumb tests anyway. Maybe I have to go get a blood test. I'll wait until tomorrow to go in and see. Yea, I'll do that. {twenty minutes later...Aunt Flo shows up...with a vengeance.}

I think back to the most common of my "symptoms."
Anger. I was getting more and more mad at students...oh, it was close to a test and they were stressed out too.
Hot and cold flashes. UTAH won't make up its stupid weather mind.
Overall more stressed. Yea..that can happen when you are teaching 3 different classes and coaching 3 different soccer teams.

And thus we see the cycle continues.

This is just a brief glimpse into what those two weeks can be like. I do consider myself lucky that I have work to distract me. But every second I am not talking or with a student, I am thinking, "could that be a sign?" Every time I am sitting at my computer, I am looking up pregnancy symptoms.


The two weeks weren't all bad though. It was during those weeks that Scott and I were nicer to each other and were focusing on making quality time for each other {dinner at the table, not the couch}. My relationship with him grew. My relationship with my close friends and family grew as I let them in on what we were doing and they promised to pray and help in anyway they can. My relationship with my Heavenly Father grew as I always had a prayer in my heart and the scripture Luke 1:37 running through my head the whole time.

It was a long two weeks. It was a hard two weeks. But I would go through it 100 times and more if it meant that I had the slightest possibility of becoming a mom.

{Luke 1:37 For with God nothing shall be impossible.}

Okay, I'll say it.

Infertility sucks.

It's a special brand of trial. You have good days and you have bad days...

Example of a good day: When you are out grocery shopping and that screaming child in the isle over is giving her mother what for, reminding you that you get to grocery shop alone.

Example of a bad day: When you are out grocery shopping and that screaming child in the isle over is giving her mother what for, reminding you that get to grocery shop alone.

Every experience has two sides when you are dealing with infertility. You can be excited that you can go camping 20 minutes after you decided to actually go camping, or you can be sad by the fact that you don't get to share making s'mores with tiny hands and talking about the leaves on the ground and every wildflower {weed} they bring you.

Don't get me wrong---I am grateful for the experiences that Scott and I have had to ourselves. I finished a master's degree in mathematics and am successful at my job. Scott has {thus far} secured a position in a mechanical engineering firm. We have been to the Philippines, Mexico, Grand Cayman Island, and all over the US including Hawaii. I am even planning our spring break trip to Europe. I am a successful soccer coach who is moving up the licensure ladder. We have been working on updating our house that I always get to keep clean because there are no tiny hand prints on anything...

But then again...there are no tiny hand prints on anything. The only child-friendly things I have in my house include a small collection of plates, cups, bowls, and silverware from Ikea, some Dora the Explorer coloring books, a giant container of bubbles, and all the Tinkerbell movies saved on my DVR {those aren't necessarily for children...I in fact love them}.

Now, before you say any of the following:
1. You're so lucky! I bet your house stays so clean,.

2. But look at all the things you can do!

3. You're still young. You have time!

4.  Well, good thing you fill your time with things.


All of these are a VERY poor choice of words.  Here is why:

1. Never say "You're so lucky!" to a person who does not have children. ESPECIALLY while you hold your squirming child outside sacrament meeting. What I wouldn't give to be in your shoes. Lucky? All I feel is that "luck" has not come my way...but has in fact been poured on the sister a couple of rows in front of me as she hands out goldfish to her 5 kids.

2. Yeah...I did a lot of stuff...but ask my mom. Ever since I was a kid...all I played was house. I played kitchen. I set the table. I made food. All I every wanted to do...is be a mom. And it is the one thing I can't do.

3. Don't tell me I'm still young. I want to be an active parent in my kids lives. If I don't have them until I am 30...I will be almost 50 before the first one is out of high school. Not cool. Also, since when has that 35 year old said, Hey! That pregnancy was great! I think I will have 4 more. There are many health complications that can accompany mature pregnancy. And it doesn't matter how much time I have...I will always think about the time I have lost.

4. I fill my time? I do not choose activities to "fill my time." I choose things to do because I like them. Because I am learning who I am and what I like to do. I am trying new things and pushing myself because when those kids finally do come, I don't want to be that mother in the middle of post partum feeling like I have lost myself. I know too many women who have struggled after they have kids doing things they enjoy because they did not take the time to really get to know themselves. Besides, if I was doing things to fill my time, I would be in a comfy chair eating all day and reading Harry Potter.

Whew. That got a little ranty...sorry about that. The reason I bring this up is because Scott and I have started a medical journey to have children.

I would like to document my thoughts and feelings throughout the process...maybe it will help me cope with results and help you learn about the roller coaster of infertility.

Stay tuned...next time I will share about the worst two weeks of my life.

Well, it has been a while.

2014 flew by for Scott and I.

We traveled! We went to the Philippines, Fontana, Disneyland, Moab, and Mexico to name a few places.

2015 holds some interesting promises for us! We are going to be traveling again, I will finish my masters degree in mathematics from Utah State University, and hopefully some kids! We will see!

We wish everyone a Happy New Year!