Annual Trip to DC

I mentioned before that Foster and I have made a tradition. The past 3 years we have gone on a romantic trip to our nation's capital. There is something extra special about being a soldier and seeing all of the history behind our country and being in the middle of everything we are fighting for.

We were doing really well on timing on our trip there until we hit the mountains.

BLIZZARD!!!

Traffic was AWFUL!!!

We only had 120 miles left to go, but it took us 4 hours!!! We were really bummed, because we were supposed to get military tours of the Pentagon, it is a little better than the civilian tours, because they take you to a few different places, and plus, Foster's friend worked there, so we would get to see him there. Instead, we net him out for dinner when he got off work. Foster and he played rugby together in college, and he went through the program Foster is debating applying to in the Army. It was a lot of shop-talk, but it was nice to meet him and get a glimpse of Foster's past.

Later that night we made our yearly trip to the National Christmas Tree. We had our picture taken with Santa, and that night pictures were open to all age groups!

this was taken with our camera, we have the copy of the real one taken

We were so excited! We got some beautiful pictures, headed back to the hotel, had a few glasses of wine, and headed to bed. We had a full day planned for Friday, and had to start early.

Our first full day was packed. We had a tour of the Library of Congress. I would have to say it is the most beautiful building in DC. I have been to nearly all the buildings, and the art and architecture of the library beats them all hands down. Here are just a few pictures.

After the library, we were off to our state representative's office. We had a congressional tour scheduled of the Capitol building. I got to talking to the aid about submitting my letter to Congress about changing stillbirth leave and she gave me great advice, so after the lame duck session is over, and our new members take office, I will be sending my letter.

We sat in on both a House and Senate session, and I was really disappointed that the Bush tax cuts had already been voted on, because I was hoping we would catch the vote, but it had passed at midnight the night prior. Too bad, that would have been real history in the making. Foster really enjoys watching the sessions, because he feels like he is actually taking part in our government. I think we all take it for granted, and maybe instead of complaining all the time about our politicians and the decisions they make, more citizens should take advantage of the fact that this is still our nation, and we can be a part of it! Even if it is only as spectators from the balcony.

Before heading back to the hotel, we had time to take the metro to one of our favorite spots. The Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception. I took a TON of pictures, but here are just a few.

Our Lady of Guadalupe

Each time we go, I find new beauty in this place. I was thrilled because once again we were there right after the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe. If you remember, I mentioned that Foster and I got married on her feast day, 12/12. She holds a special place in my heart. She is also one of the "pregnant" Marys. The bow around her waist signifies she is pregnant with Jesus. We stopped in her shrine, I lit a candle, and said a few prayers to God for Rosie, our future children, and asked for Mary's intercession. I searched for the perfect necklace of her, but I failed miserably. I had one image in mind, and was really disappointed the the Basilica did not have a nice necklace. I wanted a necklace before we get pregnant again, because I was hoping to wear one through the next pregnancy for a little extra hope and faith that Mary would help watch over us next round. I know, it sounds like one of those "goofy Catholic things", but it brings me reassurance and piece of mind, so please don't criticize.

I even tried to find one at the local holiday bizarre, and came close, but the artist said he would make a custom designed piece for me. It would cost close to $200, but if I couldn't find something else, I would be willing to pay it.

That evening we went to our favorite restaurant in DC. Honestly, I don't even know the name of it, but it specializes in Greek and Lebanese food. They are  unique in the fact that each plate is small portions. Enough for two or three bites for each of us. We ordered 6 different plates ranging from lamb to veal sweetbread. Most of the dishes were amazing. Foster and I were not too fond of the duck we ordered, but hey, we only had to have 3 bites of it. We had a few drinks, but saved the dessert for the hotel. My "cake lady", as she has so fondly been named by family and friends, made our anniversary cake. Cake Lady is a nurse practitioner in my ER, and she makes cakes as a hobby. She took on the challenge of making her first wedding cake for my big day. It was BEAUTIFUL!!! However, the top was a little too big to freeze and save for a whole year. It would have taken up the entire freezer and we would have had no place to put meet and such. So, she agreed last year to make us a 1 year anniversary cake. Instead of recreating the original flavors, Foster wanted to have German Chocolate cake, so we did. It was AMAZING!!!!

We toasted to our first year of marriage, ate, and made the big plans I had been looking forward to the whole trip, meeting my best buddy from my online support group.

We were supposed to meet them in Baltimore, but we found out Friday night that the MARC train does not run on Saturday and Sundays. We were really disappointed, because we had no back up plan. However, Mrs. Strength and her hubby said they would take the two hour trip into DC because that is how much she wanted to see me! I was so relieved, because I had been looking forward to this encounter for weeks, and was seriously crying at the thought of not being able to meet this amazing woman in person.

Since our plans for Baltimore were scratched, Foster and I decided to go see the war memorials again. Last time I went, it was dark and raining. This time it was cold, but at least I could see everything, and I could take my time because I wasn't trying to stay dry. There is something so surreal about standing amongst these memorials that were raised in honor of the soldiers who fought and died for this country.

I love how you can see the Washington Monument reflection in the Vietnam wall!

Dave goofing off and joining the men in line during the Great Depression

He is all proud of himself because he cut in front of everyone! lol

I HAD to pose with the women in the military monument!!

After a lot of walking around, we stopped by the Smithsonian of American History to check out the First Ladies' Dresses since the exhibit was closed last time we went and then it was off to see Mr. and Mrs. Strength.

I was afraid Foster would be uncomfortable because he can be weird around strangers, but he actually was really talkative. He seemed to really hit is off with Mr.Strength, and started getting a little TOO talkative after a few too many beers. Oh well, we were on vacation.

Unfortunately, after about thirty minutes of being there, Mrs. Strength started to feel nauseated and light headed. She was not feeling well at all. I was worried for her, and felt really bad, because she had made such a long trip and was not even able to enjoy her meal. We made the best of the circumstances, and it was just great to spend time with her in person for once. We talk on the phone all the time and text back and forth, but just getting to sit next to her was awesome.

My best buddy!!

Before leaving DC on Sunday, Foster and I headed back to the Basilica for Sunday mass. It was awe inspiring. Such a beautiful setting for mass! I said a little prayer while we were there to God to help us conceive, but if we were not pregnant this month, I asked that He not get my hopes up, and let my monthly visitor show up on time. No joke, as soon as I stepped out of the pew, she showed up!! How funny is that?!?! I guess it just goes to show that I am not in control of any of this. It is all in Gods hands, and Foster and I will do what we have to, but we are going to have to put faith in God that he knows the right timing for Rosie's sibling.

Here is my favorite picture I took:

Some Peace and Quiet

For the first time in a while, I feel like I don't have much to talk about. Things are at a standstill in just about all aspects of my life for the time being. This is probably a good thing! I am going to bask in this week of very little action. With the holidays approaching, I know it will start getting really busy!

Foster and I did run into some problems with Tricare (the military health insurance). We were under the impression that I was signed up since last December. We had gone in the week after our honeymoon and had me put in the system. I had a dentist apointment this past week, and when I gave them United Concordia as my secondary insurance, they called and the insurance program said I was not listed under his dental OR medical insurance. When Foster called Tricare today, they said I was not qualified for the insurance. I had been denied but no one had bothered to inform us about it for 12 MONTHS!!!

The ONLY real "qualification" I need to fall under his insurance is to be his wife, his dependant. We had me put under him in the system, so there should be no issue. He has to wait till tomorrow to go into the DEERS office and find out what happened. I wonder if there were some wires crossed since I am in the system for being a soldier, and since I am considered a reservist, I don't qualify on my own unless I pay for it, which I don't since I have insurance through my job. Thank GOD I have insurance through my job and decided to keep it after we married, because my insurance covers my high risk doctor and we weren't sure if Tricare would. Because of this, my dental visit was covered with no issues, and it also gave us the heads up that I wasn't under Foster.

I have another family shoot coming up this Saturday. Another one of Foster's families is wanting a Christmas shoot. I am excited, because if the kids can handle the cold, there is supposed to be snow on Saturday, and I think it would make for some beautiful pictures!

Finals start next week, and then after that Foster and I are off to our nation's capitol. Every Christmas for the past 3 years we have gone. It is beautiful this time of year, and we look forward to the National Christmas Tree and getting our picture taken with Santa. At the end of our trip, we are heading up towards Baltimore where we are meeting up with one of my closest BLM friends. I met her on my support group, and we talk to each other on the phone at least once a week, sometimes more. We have gone through this journey together, and we seem to always be in the same spot emotionally. We really bonded, and I consider her my "soul mate" in this journey. I am ecstatic to FINALLY meet her in person! I am sure I will have TONS of pictures, and look forward to sharing our trip with all of you.

So right now, I am enjoying the little break of peace and quiet before life starts picking up again.

The Three Amigos Take on Chicago Part I

WOW! It has been quite a busy few weeks. I can honestly say I do not want to go anywhere else for at least a couple of months. I am not so patiently waiting the call from Foster telling me that he and the boys are on their way home from white water rafting. I miss him. I have seen him a total of about 16 hours in the last 2 weeks and realize how strong I am with him around.

JJ Bug and I had quite the adventurous trip to Chicago. We left of Thursday afternoon, and I thought the biggest problem I would have on the six hour trip would be my upset stomach. I truly felt bad because Bug and JJ were trapped in a car with the gassiest girl around. I think it may have something to do with the high fiber in the WW diet. I should have seen it coming, however. I should have known that a long car ride could not go without an obstacle or two when us three girls get together.

Bug slept the majority of the trip, so imagine her surprise when she woke up and we were parked in front of an Advance Auto store. JJ and I had pulled off an exit to grab a quick cup of coffee outside of Indianapolis, approximately half way through our trip. As we were heading back towards the highway, we were stopped at a red light when the driver of a minivan to our left started to rev it's engine. JJ took this as a hint that they wanted to race. We knew there would be no competition because she drives a SAAB with a turbo engine. When the light turned green, JJ stepped on the gas, and within seconds we were already way past the minivan. As the car's turbo kicked in, I heard what sounded like rocks under the passenger side wheel. We slowed down as we approached the on ramp of the highway, and all of the sudden her dashboard started flashing "Battery not charging, please pull over safely and call SAAB."

"Oh crap, I think your alternator belt broke back there," I stated as JJ did a U turn back towards the shopping center.

"How do you know?" she asked.
"Well I heard something drop, and I figured it was rocks, but I think it was the belt falling."

We saw an auto parts store on the left and pulled in. As JJ entered the store to get a service representative to assist us I popped the hood and glanced down and noticed the belt missing. Sure enough, after the diagnostic machine was hooked up, it confirmed our fears. This is about the time Bug woke up and tried to make sense of the whole scene in her groggy state. Lucky for us, there was a repair shop about two blocks from the auto parts store. We prayed the car would not drain of power before reaching our destination.

The mechanics were so accommodating, and had the SAAB all fixed up within an hour and had us safely back on the road. I have to admit that it was a blessing that we broke down close to all of the necessary resources. We could have broken down in one of the twenty mile long stretches of nothing but fields and windmills in Indiana or Illinois. After our six hour trip turned into almost eight, we were relived to make it to the hotel.

As we let the valet take our car, we wheeled our luggage into the W. Instantaneously I felt completely out of place. We walked into a very trendy, upscale, modern hotel. I was dressed in cargo capris and t-shirt. Bug was once again awake, and in RARE form. Her hair was a little disheveled and she was sporting a pair of athletic shorts and a tank top. JJ was the only one who remotely looked like she belonged.

After checking in, our first order of business was to clean ourselves up and check out the accommodations. Although our room was a little cramped, it had some great details like plantation shutters that looked right into the bathroom. Unfortunately, it did not give much privacy for showers or other bathroom duties, but when they were open, they gave the illusion the room was bigger than it was, allowed for conversation between rooms while we are all getting ready, and of course made for some great pictures:


Then there was the view. The view made up for the size of the room. Imagine waking up to this every morning. I was blessed to get to wake up to it for three mornings, and now envy the people living in the apartment building next door.

We were all a little tired from the trip so decided to stick around the hotel. We poured ourselves a few cocktails, and set out to explore. The W had a great rooftop bar, unfortunately it was all enclosed. I would have loved to enjoy a drink on an outside patio thirty-three stories above Chicago. We decided since the rooftop bar was not yet hopping, that we would mingle in the lobby bar. We were each given a complimentary drink and made ourselves comfortable on one of the couches. Soon I noticed everyone getting quiet as the energy started to fade and you could tell JJ and I were exhausted. Bug was not of course, because she slept the entire trip. We returned to our room and were lame the rest of the night, jumping into our PJs and watching a movie. We figured we would conserve our energy for the next two days worth of adventure. If the trip up was any indication of how the rest of our weekend was going to be, we would need all the energy we could get.

To be continued....

Girls Weekend and "New Blog Friday"

As you are reading this right now, I am in Chicago with my two best girls. It is a much needed "girls weekend." Foster is off gallivanting around in the back woods of West Virginia. He and Ky. Mr. JJ and Mr. Red are all enjoying a weekend of White water rafting, drinking, and camping.

This time last year it was Foster and I rafting the New River rapids. I was jumping off 30 foot cliffs and braving Level 5 rapids while unknowingly being pregnant. I was about 2-3 weeks pregnant at this point, but it is just one more adventure that Rosie was present during. It was at this point where I noticed weird things happening to my body. I was EXTREMELY gassy, and thanking God that Foster and I had just gotten engaged, because I finally felt semi-comfortable passing gas in front of him. I was braving the dark, bug infested woods to get to the porta-johns 5-6 times each night to use the restroom. I figured it was because I was drinking beer, but a few weeks from now, I would find out it was because I was expecting.

Foster was planning this trip WAY before we lost Rosie. HE wanted it to be his later "bachelor party". I was intending to stay home with the baby, and letting him enjoy a man's weekend away. So, when we lost Rosalynn, Bug and JJ decided we had to do a girls weekend since our guys would be gone. Now, don't get me wrong, I am excited to be here enjoying time with the girls, but I officially have seen my husband 2 days in the last 2.5 weeks. I miss him, and wish we had all gone down to WV together with ALL of our friends. However, I know JJ better than most, and she would not fare well in the wild. Instead, we are staying in the luxurious "W" hotel overlooking Michigan Lake. We have a day full of shopping and drinking ahead of us. THAT is her kind of vacation.

When I get home I will make sure to update you on all of my adventures. Until then, if you are not sick of me yet, hop on over to "The Infertility Overachievers" Where my quaint little blog is being featured as "New Blog Friday". I am always honored when I am asked to be featured on someone's blog. So hop on over and check out my post and her blog. She is definitely an inspiration!



P.S. A lot of people in real life have been BEGGING for Foster's next entry. As I mentioned earlier, he has been out of town for 2.5 weeks. He is wanted to add some feelings from when he wanted to go for a run, and when he held his daughter for the first time. As soon as he gives me the thumbs up, I will post. I promise I have not forgotten about it though!

I am Alive, I Promise!!

Wow!!! Life has been crazy this past couple of weeks, and sadly my blog has suffered. Foster and I just returned from Joe and Joe's wedding, and I will be posting about it soon. It was an amazing 4 day event!!! I have spent all evening posting photos of the wedding and my project from this weekend, which some of you fellow BLMs benefited from. Here is just a sneak peak of what my weekend involved:






Stay tuned, and I will write more tomorrow as I have a TON of laundry to do which is the perfect time to write!