Weekly video 7/30/10

This one is definitely funny! If you've seen Mystery Men, you'll get it...or if you just like Dane Cook.

Enjoy! :)

Warning: Vagueblogging ahead

I am requesting extra good thoughts, prayers, vibes, juju, whatever you can spare in the next month or so.

I'm sorry to be so vague, but I don't want to devulge too much information right now. I will update with more detail when I'm able.

I love you all.

Hi Auntie Karen. :)

Blueberry Sour Cream Pound Cake

I haven't posted (or tried) a new recipe in a while. I saw this one on allrecipes.com and the only thing keeping me from making it was that I didn't have a tube pan. Bed, Bath & Beyond is awesome, I tell ya.

Blueberry Sour Cream Pound Cake

Prep Time: 20 min, Cook Time: 1 hour = 1 hour 20 minutes total

16 servings

Recipe by Taste of Home & allrecipes.com, photo by Laurel Smith

1 cup butter, softened

3 cups sugar

6 eggs, separated

1 cup sour cream

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon almond extract

1 teaspoon butter flavoring (I didn't find this so I skipped it)

1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries

1. In a large bowl, cream butter; gradually adding sugar and mix well. Add egg yolks, one at a time, beating well after each addition.

2. In a separate bowl, combine sour cream and baking soda. Add alternately with flour to creamed mixture. Beat egg whites until stiff peaks form. Fold egg whites, extracts, butter flavoring and berries into the batter.

3. Spoon into greased 10 inch tube pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 60-70 minutes or until cake tests done.

Enjoy!

Weekly video 7/23/10

This video is so funny, but it's got some cursing, so beware.

Enjoy!

Farmers Market finds

Yesterday was the weekly Farmers Market in our little town. I enjoy Wednesday nights. It's a day to grab from freshly picked produce and talk to the people that live here as well. I usually don't purchase very much, but this time I went whole hog. I know exactly what I'm doing with what I got. Here's my list:

3 small green bell peppers
1 bunch green onions
2 broccoli bunches
2 artichokes
1lb bag of pistachios
6 pluots
3 white peaches
1lb mushrooms
5 large zucchini
2 ears of corn
1 very large bag of baby spinach
TOTAL: $20.00

That's right...$20 for all that. My arm was so tired from holding the bags that I'm still sore.

I love the farmers market.

Jaxon Maddox Rouse

Jaxon Maddox Rouse was born to Summer and Jason on Sunday July 18th, 2010 at 5:34pm after 27 hours of induced labor. He measured in at 9lbs, 15.4 oz and 21 inches long. Jake and I met our new nephew approximately 2 hours after his birth at Santa Teresa Kaiser hospital in San Jose. He's awfully cute..but of course, I'm biased.

To Reach a Goal

For the past few years, I've been wanting to participate in Team in Training for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. I was on the fence about it for a long time, and was even more into it when my Grandmother passed away in May 2007 (4 days after Jake and I got married).

My grandfather passed away from Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma on December 19, 1992 when I was 8. He and I were very close and to this day I go to his gravesite every year at Christmas to let him know I still think about him and miss him.

My grandmother passed away from Lymphoma on May 23, 2007 after a years-long battle with the disease. She and I were not very close, but I did love her and I still miss her. She was always kind to me, and I regret not knowing her better.

Also, Jake and I have been wanting to join in on the Couch-to-5K program. I used to love walking and running when I was in high school and I do miss it. Walking/running is my exercise of choice. So in addition to starting the Couch-to-5K program, Jake and I will be participating in our first fundraiser walk with LLS. It's on October 9th in Walnut Creek, called Light the Night. I am inviting friends and more specifically, my family, to join me in honoring "Bud" and Mary in their memory by participating with me. I have to get more information, but I am proud that I'll be able to give something back to a great organization in the fight against these cancers.

Won't you join me?

How I feel today...

Today isn't a good day. But I have to keep smiling right?

Weekly Video 7/9/10

An oldie but a goodie...Enjoy!

IF and the 5 stages of grief

I've been reading up quite a bit about the 5 stages of grief. Some call it valid, some call it psycho-babble. Being the wife of a future psychologist doesn't make me biased, but I am more aware of the stages. Jake and I have talked about it from time to time and I believe I'm going through the five stages of grief in relation to my infertility.

Stage 1 - DENIAL: I admit in the beginning of all this, I wasn't so much in complete denial that I had a problem, but I did have those "I'll never get to that point" moments. I never believed in a million years I'd be on the cusp of injectables, and then IVF.

Stage 2 - ANGER: I admit I still have a toe in this stage. I'm still a bit angry, but I don't know how to not be. It's frustrating, it's enough to pull your hair out. To hear month after month that you didn't ovulate, or didn't get pregnant while seemingly EVERYONE around you gets pregnant is enough for one to want to jump in front of a high speed train. Believe me, I've considered it.

Stage 3 - BARGAINING: I hit this stage a while back. I kept saying to myself "I'll keep going until the end if..." It's bargaining with yourself that if you keep going, things will change. When they don't, it's even more bargaining. It's not the best stage, but it kept me going.

Stage 4 - DEPRESSION: I've most recently hit this stage in the past 6 months to a year. I've been asking myself "Why keep doing this to myself? It's only hurting more and more the time goes by", asking "what's the point, this won't happen for me", and more notably "I guess I'm just not meant to be a mother". It's the toughest stage, let me tell you. All the insecurities and self-doubt come rushing forth like an angry river.

Stage 5 - ACCEPTANCE: I think I might have been "testing the waters" with this stage most recently in the past couple of weeks. I've been thinking "this is how it will be, and it will be OK" and "No amount of me getting angry is helping the situation, nor will my time come before it's supposed too, so I might as well just work with what I've got". It's a tough stage, but it's easier than Depression, believe me.

I'm not sure if any of this makes sense, but it does to me.

And it's begun..again...

This morning, AF showed up. The cycle has begun. The day after tomorrow, I will begin taking Femara and we'll go from there. I'm hopeful and happy that we're on our way to trying again, but a little guarded because I am tired of feeling sad.

Here's hoping...

Weekly video 7/2/10

So I know I haven't done a weekly video in a LONG time, but I'm getting back into the swing of things and hopefully be able to keep up this time.

For the 4th of July edition of this weekly video, I found this random little snippet on youtube. I thought it was fitting for the holiday and kind of funny at the same time.

Enjoy!