If you would like to vote no "Harvey Milk Day" in California public schools: Call Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger at 916-445-2841. Listen to the recorded message and enter in the following order: 1 (English) 2 (legislation) 1 (SB572) 2 (against). Try until you get through.

Much to catch up on

As I sit here actually composing a new post, I feel like I should be stretching and yawning as if waking from some long hibernation or something. Its not an unfamiliar feeling, I'm probably one of the least diligent or consistent bloggers around. I actually got to the point where I missed looking at my own new posts. I'm just so tired of looking at the Disneyland pics from March already!

Anyhoo... we've been busy since March.

1: April- My Mom came for a visit during Easter to accompany me to Santa Clara for a few IVF appts- the doc is 3 hours away- bless her heart. I took her to San Fran for the first time while we were in Santa Clara. She LOVED it and we had a really nice time. See how cute she is!:) It was cold and windy, of course. Im a city girl so I love San Francisco. (well, most of it...)
I still have like 4 giant candy bars in my fridge from Ghirardelli square.


2: May- Craig and I went up to Mammoth for some late season skiing with some friends from Utah. We had a great time. The snow in May is kind of like mashed potatoes, but you can't beat the weather. It was sunny and warm and beautiful. We actually got to ski together, which I love. I did have the biggest wipeout of my skiing career, but since it was a slow (..embarrassing, awkward, stupid...) fall, there were no injuries to report. It just lasted a long time because I slid down a steep section for what felt like forever. In front of dozens of people. I was actually fuming. I get really mad if I fall.

3: June- Craig and I went down to (down?..is it up? Im not from around here.) over to Las Vegas with Steve and Linda for a work retreat/ conference thing. It was really nice. We stayed at the Bellagio and while Craig attended his sessions, I chilled out by the pool, did a little shopping and went to the Las Vegas Temple. We also saw the Donnie and Marie show at the Flamingo. I have to say, it was fantastic. Those Mormon kids can really entertain! Seriously, if you're having a bad day, this show can't NOT cheer you up. Its Donnie and Marie!? All smiles and happiness. This was the picture that was taken by a photographer at the show. I wont tell you what we paid for the little folder with our picture and a signed picture of Donnie and Marie on the other side. WELL WORTH IT!


Also in June, we went down to Fallbrook to celebrate Craig's grandparents' 80th birthdays. Man, they know how to throw a bash, it was so much fun. There was square dancing, pony rides, a bounce house, games for all, and tons of food. Good times!



It was also Craig's birthday on the 26th. We had another appt in Santa Clara so we packed Craig's gifts and opened them in the hotel. Craig likes to say that he doesn't really care about his birthday, but I know deep down he loves it when people fuss over him;) LOVE YOOOOU!

4: July- Last week the Saunders family went to Lake Tahoe. We're used to going every year to ski so it was nice to see Tahoe in the summer. It was BEAUTIFUL and the weather was unbeatable. We golfed, did a little hiking, went to the beach, laid out by the pool, got pedicures, cried when we came home to 111 degrees, it was a nice vacation. To add to all of the excitement I flew up to Washington so I could drive down with my sister-in-law, Stephanie, and her two little ones. I loved being able to see a new part of the country and spend time with them. The boys were amazing for such a long drive- 17 hours one way! Whew! Yes, I still want to have kids. These were the only pics we managed to take. Pathetic.


Also in that time, we did IVF twice- one "fresh" and one "frozen." (It does sound like we're talking produce, but no.) Still not expecting. Its the challenge of a lifetime. We just keep trying until something sticks, I guess, so on to attempt #3. I've had the chance to connect with many others in my situation through all of this. I have one friend who in 4 years and multiple ivf tries, JUST got to the point where they retrieve your eggs. She responds poorly to the drugs. I am reminded that no matter how low you feel, there are always so many things to be thankful for, and so many reasons why things could be worse. I sent out an email to my family recently explaining where we are and what we're doing next, and I said that no matter how much they can get right with IVF, the embryos have to attach on their own- no way to stitch them in or apply velcro (that was my brother's idea- he also asked if these docs were sure they were putting them in the right place? "they're not supposed to go in Craig, you know?"). My Dad said "Well I dont know how it would be difficult to become attached to you, I've always found it very easy to become attached to you. I was attached to you the moment you were born." He always says the best things. You just have to keep everything light. And humor always goes a long way.

We love you, Taylor!

Ok, I'll admit, it was friggen hilarious and I should have included these in my original post. I laughed to the point of tears and I almost broke my neck because I kept turning around. We took our nephew, Taylor-3, on Big Thunder Mtn at Disneyland for the first time. He donned his snow boots for a little extra lift and away we went. I think it was a shocker going from rides in toontown and storybookland to thunder mtn. The pics really don't do the event justice- probably because we were laughing so hard and, well, the ride was flying around the track. We did the best we could. They're still funny as all you-know-what. (The best part was that Stephanie, his mother, laughed the hardest.)

This was in the beginning- before the fright really struck. I love the super stiff, fingers together- little hands in the air. Sure, he looks like he's having a blast.








We caught Craig's 5 year old cousin, Brock, in the background. Another great shot. And Taylor has got to be on the verge of tears here.



His face really reminded me of a scene in the movie "Spies Like Us," with Chevy Chase and Dan Akroyd- a classic. Seriously, Taylor's face looked exactly like this:

Disneyland!

Woohoo! I love going to Disneyland! My brother-in-law and sister-in-law invited Craig and I, and Steve and Linda to join them on their family trip to Disneyland, and I couldn't resist! They brought their 3 year old, Taylor, and their 1 year old, Erik, and we all had a great time together. I will say I am the world's WORST, I repeat- W O R S T player on Buzz Light Year, and I was reminded what felt like 50 times over. I will not reveal my scores, but I will say that even Taylor came close. A couple times. Indiana Jones is probably my favorite ride, but Tower of Terror is simply fantastic. I mean- well done, Disney!
One interesting thing that happened was that Space Mountain stopped when we were right in the middle of the ride. All the lights came on and we had to see the guts of the ride. Seriously, it looked like some old boring warehouse.


The fantasy was ruined and we weren't too happy.

The best thing about this photo is Kent and Stephanie in the back- they snuck in. Priceless.

Me and Taylor on the rockets. He was a pretty good pilot.





Craig and I with Erik. Its a good sign that he's not crying:)

A ski trip to Lake Tahoe and Craig Didn't Get Hurt!

We went up to Lake Tahoe with Craig's parents again last week (we also went about a month ago). Saturday was the best day (unless you ask Craig). The weather was nice- almost too warm, as I dressed in layers, and the snow was nicely groomed to my liking. Craig is somewhat of an elitist (because he skis the pants off anyone that I know) and prefers lots of fresh snow and the ski areas...off the beaten path- I could say. Even though its less than ideal conditions for him, skiing the boring old groomers, I'm sure grateful for the time we get to ski together. Even if its just to ride the chair lift up together and then meet at the bottom, I'll take it! I tried biking with Craig- it was near disastrous. I tried going along while he took pictures, but soon learned that its kind of a one man job and I was more of a nuisance so that was a bust. So skiing it is!








...And then for the not-so nice-weather...





Guess which one is me.

Pleasantly Surprised

Crap! The photo was cropped weird when I posted. I'll work on it.

This past Sunday Craig and I went up to Fremont, CA, for another IVF Doc appt. We had to be there early Monday Morning so we decided to drive up Sunday evening and stay the night. Since we had one appt in Fremont at 8am and another in Santa Clara (20 min away) at 11:30 I wanted to book the hotel closer to the 8 AM appt, in Fremont. I pride myself in finding the best all-around-deals with regards to price, value, location...etc. It usually takes a lot of time searching on various internet sites, but its always worth the extra effort. I would NEVER pay more unless it was absolutely worth it- and, yes, sometimes it is. If any of you either travels a lot, or is simply interested to hear about a great value, especially in today's crappy economy, listen here! After searching on google maps'- "nearby hotels" and not being too overly impressed by anything that I found, I found a link to a site called "California Hotels." The site introduced me to "Hyatt Place," of which I will now forever be a devoted fan. The building was new, probably in the last 5 years, and looked impressive as we drove up. Craig even said "Wow, we're staying in a Hyatt?" His comment meant that he assumed I was being a hotel snob, and booked the nicest place I could find. "On the contrary," I said, "this was the cheapest non-sketchy place around- cheaper than Holiday Inn Express, Best Western, Fairfield, La Quinta, etc- and cheaper by 30 bucks and more. I had to point out that it was a Hyatt "Place" not "Regency." Like Marriott's Courtyard to its..., well, Marriot. -Only this was way nicer than any Courtyard I've ever stayed in, and about 50 bucks cheaper. They even had self check-in machines- like at the airport. They print out your room keys and everything. We didn't like the assigned room (Im not a fan of 1st floor rooms) so the girl working there chgd or room to top floor in about 2 minutes.
The guestrooms are all suite-style, with an area with a large COMFORTABLE couch and over sized ottoman(*see above photo). They even had a large throw for cozy movie-watching. One of the most impressive features was the huge 42" flat screen* with HD- Ive never had HD in a hotel. And the free wi-fi connects directly to the screen if you want.
To make this already too long of a story short, we were seriously delighted by our Hyatt Place experience. They even have a 24 hour food service, not room service, although they can bring it to your room. Its not a restaurant either. You use a touch screen in their downstairs cafe area (where the cont breakf is served) to order from a menu of apps, salads, sammies, and desserts, and they prepare it for you. Reasonably priced, too:) The only thing I can really do is provide a link and you can check it out. Our total bill, INCLUDING the room price, taxes and fees, our $11.99 purchase of the movie Slumdog Millionaire, 2 bottled drinks, and a big cinnamon roll, was $107. Again, I've paid much more and received much less, so this made me very happy. I will be a supporter whenever and wherever possible. Happy Hotel-ing!

http://www.hyatt.com/hyatt/place/about/

And the winner is...

Dr. Malan: Tvs in the ceiling?! say no more. (...And maybe because he was the only one suggested that was in our network.) But seriously- my last dentist had the ceiling tvs. They could have given me a full set of dentures and I wouldn't have noticed. For the record, April, I tried Dr. Sweet first. I didn't want to feel like I was being a party to any snooty, exclusively mormon- dental group or anything. Plus, Sweet had the cave room! But oh well. Mormon guy it is! Wish us luck, its been....well, a while, and I'm kinda scared.

That's a picture of George Washington's teeth- not bad considering the time period. I thought it was pretty cool. Hopefully not too relavant to this blog...