Cancun, Mexico (Just the two of us)

     So, we have officially been to Mexico and back. This was a relaxing trip and exhausting trip all in one. The hubby and I have never really been on a honeymoon so this was very much needed after five years of marriage. We know we deserved it, but it took a lot of soul searching to give ourselves this break for a week of fun..... and we will always try to do better about taking breaks now!

I have added some photo's from our vacation and hope to have a break from work sometime today so I can explain our experiences in Mexico.. Below are photo's when we were on the beach, went swimming with dolphins, and played with a monkey. We did snorkel with sharks and stingrays, but didn't have a waterproof camera to take in the water with us. Best and busiest day of all. 

 

 

National Infertility week!

I love Dawn's information and would love for some of my friends and family
To learn a little more about these things. Here is a link of Dawn's latest article for good measure!

http://www.creatingafamily.org/blog/infertility-fertility-trying-to-conceive-ivf-donor-egg/fertile-care-infertility-1-8-care/
I love informing people who ask because that's when I know they are there for me ;-)

Weight Check in...

Forgot to mention... Since this knew lifestyle change 48 days ago, I am down 10 pounds and counting! Hoping to see a little more results by the time I hit the sunny beach of Cancun on May 21st!!!

Social Networking less!

So, as most of my readers have figured out by now. I am closing my Facebook account. This is part of a challenge for myself. Though, I could use the excuse that all my family is on there, everyone has my phone number or email (Melkasal@yahoo.com).
I have been trying to do better for my own health and hubby is on board. We have been looking toward the future and wanting to be prepared to be healthier parents if the time were to ever approach us. Since hubby had eliminated most social networking (mostly Facebook), I thought I would take the challenge as well. Realistically, this is a place where I blog my thoughts and that is all I need. If people are so interested in my life they can call or message me. We all know just because they are on facebook doesn't mean they are your friends saying.,, Well, this makes me take it to the challenge. Those who want to keep contact can and those who never did, won't!
I am excited to take this challenge and hope many more will attempt to follow. As we have gone over a year without cable, I'm guessing I can live without this as well. I promise, I'm not going crazy, we have just realized how much FAMILY time we have given ourselves. We don't feel obligated to watch out tv shows on schedule because we don't have any! This feel less stressful...
So, if this is one of the things anyone can do, I encourage it. Television and social networking seem to be taking up a lot of family time.... Now if I can have hubby cut back on his movie reviews! Buahahaha!

Family photo's from October

These are family photo's we had done in October 2011. I'm sure we are due for some new photo's since we have both been working on our "healthier" selves!

Healthy Family = Happier Family

So, It has been a bit since I blogged. Most of my blogging was our of depression or annoyance. For those of you who keep getting bad news thrown at you time and time again, blogging is the route to go!
 These last few weeks we have taken a new approach at our lifestyles. We have thought time and time again about our healthy eating habbits (Derek's worse than mine). I would try my best to eat organics when I could because of the chemicals in food that can cause harm to your immune system and overall health. Derek really didn't care what he ate, as long as it tasted good!
  In looking at all we have gone through we have realized, why don't we do something better for ourselves! We already cut out t.v. watching my canceling cable over a year ago (by the way, all families can benefit from this). There are other forms of entertainment for a family besides daytime t.v. We enjoy listening to music and playing game, reading, and actually eating dinner together. We do pop in movies some times and watch movies while eating or on the weekends, but not as often as we did when we had cable.. Not to mention saving $100 a month for the services we would pay for t.v. 
 Healthier eating is the newest agenda for us. NEWS FLASH: This is a huge milestone for Derek because he HATES healthy food. We are making sure to have fruits and veggies as part of our nightly meals so we get a little extra health to our diets. In all the eight and a half years I have been with Derek, vegetables are his number one hated foods, but now he is gradually learning to like them. Alone, he is noticing the positives of all of this. I have always known, but couldn't force him on the band wagon. We do allow ourselves to eat out once in awhile because it is okay to cheat and give our taste buds extra yummy flavors, but while eating at home, we have turned!
 During the day, we drink nutrition shakes to give us the extra nutrients that our bodies need on a daily basis. This has already made a change with my body as I have lost a few pounds. I do cheat and have snacks that are tasty, but I do try and have fruit. Our newest favorite fruit is Grapefruit (thanks to the local 4H for selling them in bulk and getting us hooked)!! 
 The biggest change is the energy that all of this is providing! We have been wanting to spend more time outdoors. I unfortunately have been too sick lately to do anything, but Derek has never had soo much energy. I have never seen him get home from work and want to walk the dogs every day, then still have a little energy at the end of the night!! This is awesome for me, as I am still in shock as I type this and smile. Those of you who have been in relationships for a long while know the amazing feeling change can bring! Wondering if I will have a jogging partner in my future.... haha!
 Some may laugh at the Chemical in foods thing, but there are reasons it scares me. I for one, have a reason to wonder a lot of health things. My main wonder is the unexplained infertility. In doing tons of research over the course of these last few years. Health and Chemicals play a major role in pregnancy and getting pregnant. As often as you here about people around you getting pregnant, believe it or not, it takes that perfect moment of egg and sperm to meet. It my case, there seems to be something with the eggs that cause it to not happen. Though the doctors won't admit what it could be, in all the surgeries I have voluntarily  put myself through, this seems to be where the issues lay. Science has only made it so far, but some day they may make a new discovery. Think of all the chemicals in food more these days and the number of infertile couples that have risen.. Coincident?!? We can't say. So you take all these factors, plus that exact moment and you have the 0% chance that the doctor gave us to conceive. This doesn't make us give up a lifetime of what if's! We will always wonder and try our best to better the situation. Whenever we have new information, we act on it. It never hurts to try as long as we are mentally okay with going forward with it. In the last few years we have tried everything from all treatments, remedies, to even suggestions.. probably suggestions that most would laugh at! lol. 
 Bottom line, we have finally hit the part in our lives where being healthy is the best option we have going for us. Not that we shouldn't have been healthy in the first place, but this makes us wonder if chemicals play a role in our "unexplained", not to mention the rise in obesity for Americans. People always say, why don't doctors recommend these nutrition meals and such... Duh, that is a no brainer. Where do doctors make their money? Answer: Sick People! Where do pharmaceutical companies make their money?  Answer: Doctors who prescribe and patients who want/ need! Think about this and laugh at me or really think about what is wrong with America! I saw a first grader the other day that was 120 pounds... that's what I weighed when I was 18!
 Anyways, enough with the complaining and on with the healthier life style. I encourage more people to be healthier, but mostly choose wise foods for your children. Don't give gummy snacks, give apples. Its just as simple to hand them :)

Hates seeing Pierre suffer...

 As some of you know, one of my boy dogs, Pierre, has been having some skin/ear issues that have been making him depressed. Like the worried parent's that we are, we have been taking him to the vet constantly in hopes that they figure out what is wrong with him. After three months, two rounds of medications with steroids both times, many dollars later it was time for them to admit they don't know what is wrong with him. They were then ready to admit that he was better off seeing a specialist.
 Yesterday Derek took him to the doggy dermatologist and after two and a half hours of poking and testing they finally found many problems. As relieved as we are that there is something they can do, we are not sure what route we want to take. He has some allergies that have built up over time and caused many infections internally. For this, he welts up on the outside and loses hair because that is the only way the infection can push its way out. We have known there was something wrong with him and now feel really bad that it has gotten this bad. We know that we have tried our best to get him help, but sometimes relying on the local doctor just isn't the best choice (this is just the same for a child too). After having the doctor mess with him for three months, he could have been healed up a long time ago.
 They put him on medications to help heal up so he isn't depressed and miserable. He has to take special ear medication that could cause deafness, and he is on two different pills. This will last about four weeks before we go back for further treatments.
  Now we are faced with a huge decision when he is healed. We have to choose to pay for allergy testing to find the real problem or just treat it the rest of his life with steroids. We have three allergy options that range from different prices. We just know that these options will cause his life span to shorten. As tough as that is to sound, we also want his life to be happy and healthy. This will lead us to believe that as long as he is healthy, the money doesn't matter.
 We will continue to weigh our options until the day arrives that we have to make the decision. Our dogs are our children so this is hard to see when they are suffering. We love all three of our dogs (even when they annoy us unintentionally (we hope it's unintentionally)). They are the greatest gifts that have come into our lives and will be sad when the day comes to part. We love Levi, Pierre, and Chloe.