hard realization.

I have been pretty tough battling through this infertility problem. Today I realized that I know of 12 people who are pregnant (at least) and 11 (at least) people who have delivered babies within the last few months (6 within the last few days)... I am genuinely happy for these people... why wouldn't I want them to have what I want too? It's just been 5 years... and I am getting sad and hopeless at times.

I know...

It's always like this. I post very little during the school year (except on long days off due to snow when I have nothing else to do!)... and when summer comes, here I am... posting like crazy.
Well, my camera is broken, so picture taking has been minimal.
And I feel almost as busy as I do during the school year.


Pat Murphy, Jon Paul, Shelley and I all "ran into each other" in Steubenville this weekend. It was awesome to chat with these ol' comrades... and just reminisce and catch up. Oh, how I miss the good ol' days!

Feeling like a child again...

SNOW DAY! Who doesn't love a good snow day once in a while?

Snow Angels for Mary :)

Pounce was so cute in the tunnel of snow!

I guess I'm not going anywhere any time soon!

Gordon is MARRIED!

Rome Day 4

Sorry that it has taken so much time to continue to post on the trip. Sometimes it takes being away from home and just having a nice relaxing holiday weekend to get things like this done!

First stop was St. Paul Outside the Wall Basilica... this was an AWESOME experience! First of all, since it is the year of St. Paul, going to the church in his name was such a great pilgrimage. I also had the opportunity to go to confession there and the priest told me a lot of things I needed to hear and also that I needed to live life as a Child of God! hah!

We also had the priveledge of walking in through the Pauline Doors which I think were a special addition for his year. We walked OUT the Jubilee Doors which are only usually opened every 25 years... yeah plenary indulgence!

Next stop was the colosseum... we never got to go inside last time, so we made sure to go in. Thanks to Rick Steves for providing the free audio guide and my friend Amy for showing me the link on the internet!


Next we took the metro over to the Vatican Museum primarily to see the Sistine Chapel... which disappointed the group because of how far you have to walk at a FAST pace to get to the chapel... then once there, you can't enjoy it because there are so many people in there.

Finally, we ate some gelato from Old Bridge... it was delicious and we were ready for the cool treat and an opportunity to sit! Our feet were killing us by this time!

You've got to love seeing friends for the first time in 3 years and meeting their husbands and babies :)

You've also gotta love weddings when the couple "gets it".

Rome - Day 3

That's how close we were to Pope Benedict for the angelus at his summer house in Castle Gandolfo (about 15 miles south of Rome)
A close up of the Papi
Jon Paul inside St. John Lateran
It was Alicia's birthday... we might have had a little too much wine - enough said!