A lot can change in a year

I'd like to think that every year Mark and I are together we do great things.
We are not the type of people to waffle or be stagnant.
We are always doing, moving, hustling, dancing, drinking, spending, upgrading...making our lives better.

Mark is the dreamer. I am the realist.
Mark thinks up grand schemes and I try and figure out a way to make them a reality.
Read: Mark likes to buy eccentric things and then I have to figure out how to finance them.

Before I get into my recap, I wanted to share with you a glimpse as to how purchases happen in our home.

I mean, don't get me wrong, I like them too. I guess I just didn't realize I liked them until they are thrust upon me. Take the boat. This has been a part of daily chats since, oh, I don't know...ten years ago?!

This conversation is from approx. 2-3 months ago:

Me: Are you on ebay Motors again?
Mark: Yea...just browsing
Me: Always. You really shouldn't be staring at that thing every day. it's not like we can afford anything you actually want
Mark: But I need a speed boat
Me: No you don't
Mark: Yes, yes I really do. I need to have one and I already have it figured out. It'll be just like Miami Vice.
Me: Okay, well I hope you have figured out how to pay for it because if you don't remember, we have to pay to have a baby and that is not going on the back burner, mister (aren't I pleasant?)
Mark: Oh, no worries babe. We can wait until tax return season next year

Fast forward one month:

Mark: Um....so I found the boat. And my heart dropped because I don't think we have enough money. Maybe we should trade a car? Opportunities like this don't come around that often and I have been searching for years for this one boat and it's finally here but the timing isn't right!
(news flash: it never is)
Me: Okkkkaaayyyy. You need to go upstairs and count how much we have in savings. You know as well as I do that if we trade a car for this stupid boat you are going to regret it. Also, are you getting paid this week? I just got paid and have X in my account. If we drain our accounts outside of the necessities, I think we can make it work
Mark: And this is why I married you
Me: Seriously! If we do this, we need to pay X each month and you seriously can't have any weird last minute funding issues because we are now broke as a joke.
Mark: On it. I also need you to negotiate the price down.
Me: Done

And the rest is history. You guys, I have been listening to my husband preach on and on about this fucking boat for as long as I can remember. It's been never ending. I haven't even been talking about having a baby that long!

Speaking of babies, it's funny how different your life can be after one little year.

In September 2014, I started a new lifestyle change while taking Clomid pills in an attempt to clean up my act to get pregnant naturally. This included easing up on the drinks....which is probably the funniest thing I have ever written.

My aunt was married in Indiana and I got to reconnect with my cousins that I didn't really know. Turns out we had a lot more in common that we thought!

Three rounds of clomid later, and still nothing, I started looking at something more natural as a way to beef up the baby-making skills in October.

I had my first troll, calling me out for my drinking habits..saying that was the cause for my infertility.
BWAHAHAHAHA...we sure showed her, right?

I realized my biggest role has yet to be formed, and I am ready to embrace it.

We started our bathroom renovation in October. Spent a couple weekends completing demo, then let the professionals wrap-up. The reveal was just before Thanksgiving.

Our Annual Shrimp Boil Party went off without a hitch!

In December, I questioned my gyno capabilities and the idea that we would have to move forward with IUI, ultimately deciding IUI was the best route. Oh, and I switched docs too.

We met with our new RE December 19th, and were elated to finally have the opportunity to make a baby! but first, we decided to get some genetic testing done....just in case.

In January, with our IUI looming, Mark's results came back positive for a mutation. Still wanting to move forward and not cancel our cycle, I pushed to get my results back quickly.

Mid-January, I finally got my results....and they weren't good. Feeling defeated, I took a three month hiatus from blogging, and man did a lot more stuff change.

I opened a Go Fund Me account out of desperation. And cried every time someone donated.
Then we put the baby on a two year hiatus to be a little selfish and get some shit for ourselves.
It was supposed to go kitchen, then family friendly car, then boat, then baby.

But then I got laid off in April.

And landed a new job in May.

And then we had a few summer parties.

And we ended our summer with buying a boat. The kitchen will come in a few years.
But the baby? That's next year. And the car will come before the baby, I assume.

And just typing of all this stuff we did is exhausting....hope you have some good reads!

Oh, and also?
That photo above is what I'm writing to the people that donated their hard earned dollars to our cause. We decided to give everything back. As our lives shifted, so did our income, and we were able to change the plan to suit our needs a little bit better.
We are so very grateful for the people that came to our side when we needed it most, but we will move forward solo, although, I will keep blogging so I hope you keep reading about our journey!