Easter Photoshoot 2013

Lena the Picky!

An important discovery was recently made in our household...Lena (who has become a most picky eater since transitioning to table food) will eat anything as long as it is covered in tomato sauce. This is something I can accept. =)

Half Marathon Training Update

I have always wanted to run the OC Half Marathon and the timing finally is going to work out!  I am officially registered for the race on May 5, 2013!  It will be the longest race I will run since I did the LA Marathon in 2000.  I am well into my training now.  Yesterday I did my longest run, 7.5 miles, although it was supposed to be 8 miles.  (I ran out of time and had to quit a bit early to get ready for church.)  I modified a training schedule from Runner's World and it has worked out quite well.

I am reminded how amazing our bodies are when I finish a long run.  It feels good to be healthy, to push myself, and be the athlete that I know I can be.  I had to buy some new workout pants as I have worn out my old ones.  I came across these on sale at Old Navy and I LOVE them!  They are compression pants and I can't believe how good they feel on.  I can't recommend them enough!

Old Navy Active Compression Capris

I also had to acquire a new pair of running shoes since I am putting in so many miles and my old running shoes are broken down.  I found these Saucony Triumph 9s on clearance on 6pm.com.  

I have been continuing to lose weight with a slight stall here and there.  This week I broke through a two week stall with a four pound weightloss by putting in some extra miles, making sure I get more sleep, getting in four boot camp classes instead of three, and drinking lots of water.  So excited that it worked!  I am officially in the smallest size clothes I own and they are getting too big.  What a wonderful problem to have!  I hope to lose 11 more pounds before my half marathon on May 5th.

This is me at a fitness event this past Saturday.

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Grandma bought Lena a special St. Patrick's Day dress so we dropped by Grandma and Grandpa's house for a short visit and mini photo shoot.

Lena and Daddy

Lena and Grandma

A Special Anniversary

Lena on March 9, 2011

Lena on March 7, 2013

Elizabeth and Lena on March 9, 2011

Elizabeth and Lena on November 26, 2012

Happy Transfer Day to Lena!  It is amazing to think of how much our lives have changed in just two short years.  God has blessed us beyond measure!  It is also the anniversary of renewing our contract for the cryogenic storage of Lena's siblings.  We received the contract in the mail this week:

If you look at our contract you can see where I marked our check mark a second time.  I actually got nervous that the mark wasn't dark enough so I went over my first mark.  It is amazing to me, especially after having seen the miraculous transformation in Lena from embryo to precious little girl, that "Dispose" and "Donate to Research" are allowable options for frozen embryos.  My stomach actually turns a bit at the thought and rightly so.  It also makes me so incredibly thankful and glad that Lena's genetic family chose the path that led her to us.  They like us received this same form and with a simple check mark could have snuffed out Lena's life.  Today and always I am thankful that Lena is with us.  Her life is such a gift!

Embryo Adoption Fundraiser: Vacation Rentals

Ready to plan your summer vacation?

Dan and I are renting a few weeks of our Marriott timeshare to raise funds for our next adopted embryo transfer this summer. There are two great properties available; both are two bedroom/two bathroom villas with full kitchen and sleep 8 people and are significantly discounted over what Marriott is currently charging. Both properties are very family friendly and have incredible pool complexes.  Here are links to the flyers for our timeshare weeks. They include all the resort and accomodation details as well as floorplans.

Please help us spread the word and share with friends, co-workers, and family who might be interested! 

Please contact Dan or myself if you have any questions! Dan: dshack50@hotmail.com    Elizabeth: eshack621@aol.com


Week 1 is at Marriott Grande Vista in Orlando, Fl June 7-14, 2013 . ($1200 OR BEST OFFER for the week and includes all taxes and fees which is $1300 cheaper than what Marriott is currently charging)
https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B0ytU7Sn3dtbYlBSdDNsZFAwekU/edit?usp=sharing


 

Week 2 is at Marriott Shadow Ridge Villages in Palm Desert, CA June 28-July 5, 2013. ($1400 for the week and includes all taxes and fees which is $1000 cheaper than what Marriott is currently charging)
https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B0ytU7Sn3dtbSy14aU5wUW9wQzQ/edit?usp=sharing
 

Family Fun Day March 2013

Sitting in the main courtyard of the San Juan Capistrano Mission

Dan has been super busy with his work studies lately but was able to take a break this week and we decided to have a family fun day in San Juan Capistrano.  It was a beautiful, sunny and mild day for our trip.  We started at the San Juan Capistrano Mission where we explored the ruins of the old church, touched and looked at lots of flowers and plants, and ran in the grassy courtyards.  Dan was able to get some great "door" pictures for a future homemade stationary project.  We were also able to feed the koi fish in the ponds and it was hilarious to watch Lena's reaction to the fish.  She at first loved seeing them swim around but when they would surface and suck the air she would get scared.

Lena and I are standing inside the old church which was destroyed in 1812 by an earthquake.

Lena, checking out the original adobe brick and stone walls.

Lena checking out the giant koi fish.

She was freaked out by their wide, gaping mouths.

Dan doing his best to get Lena to look at the camera.  Ha!

After the Mission we had lunch at our favorite Mexican joint across the street.  They had remodeled and it was fun to watch the trains go by while we ate our delicious lunch on the patio.

Mexican lunch!  Pasole for Dan...Chicken flauta for Elizabeth...

Chicken and fries for Lena!  The girl cannot get enough chicken!

Following our lunch we walked across the train tracks to Zoomars petting zoo where Lena was in animal heaven!  We fed and petted the bunnies, guinea pigs, goats, sheep, cows, horses, and llamas until our heart's content and then took a dive in their new corn pit where you can "swim" in dried corn.  Since we scheduled our trip on a Monday we practically had the place to ourselves.

Piles of guinea pigs and bunnies to pet!

Feeding the sheep and goats...going fine until...

...we were outnumbered and they attacked our food supply!

Fun in the dried corn pit!

Feeding the lamas with Daddy.

Lena was shy at first but got really friendly with the animals after awhile.

She was equally as fascinated with the straw as she was with the bunnies.

Chasing down a victim...eh hem... a bunny.

After a thorough hand washing we walked over to the nearby park to play on the slides and swings.  Lena can't seem to get enough of the park slides lately and she is finally learning to climb up and slide down by herself which is awesome!

Lena loves going "weeeee" on the slide!

Swings are a newer attraction for Lena.

She was so funny and kept wanting to slide forward to  sit  like this in the swing.

On the way home Lena fell asleep pretty quickly after a full and exciting day.  Dan and I stopped at one of the nearby cheese stores to pick up a few favorites to add a nice finish to our family fun day.  I picked two Cypress Grove Farms cheeses (Lamb Choppers and Midnight Moon) and Dan picked out a stinky truffle cheese and and nutty aged Italian cheese called Piave.  It was such a satisfying day together as a family.  We did this same trip with my nephews  when I was pregnant with Lena and I remember thinking with anticipation how fun it would be to do this trip with our own kids one day.  God is good and we are so blessed.

Girls' Day Out

Last week Lena and I had to get out of the house so I decided we should have a "Girls Day Out" doing errands with several fun activities mixed in.  We started with a trip to Kmart to replenish our sticker supply and research hairdryers.

Lena's favorite thing at Chuck E Cheese is pulling out the tickets when we win a jackpot.

Then we headed to Chuck E Cheese to spend some our tokens.  Mommy hit a few ticket jackpots so Lena got to take home a giant slinky, stickers, and a fairy wand!  Lena tends to like the big kids part of Chuck E Cheese the best because of all the buttons you push on the machines.

Her favorite ride is the police car.  How appropriate!

Next we headed to The Pacific Fish Grill for lunch.  I have discovered that Lena loves tender grilled white fish and have been trying to encourage this healthy eating habit.  After a quick visit to the post office and the bank we headed to Toys R Us to cash in on a great coupon deal and play with the toys.  Lena's favorite was this Minnie Mouse car.  She loved getting in and out through the little car door.  She also favors the stuffed animal isle.  We always pick out several fluffy animals to hug and squeeze.

After an hour of playing we toys that we didn't have to pay for.. he he..we headed to Yogurtland for some mint frozen yogurt and a romp around their outdoor fountain.  Then we hit Threeway Thrift Store and scored some great Easter books, a beautiful hand crocheted shawl for me, and a new pair of size five Pediped Mary Janes for Lena.  Our total purchase was under $10.00!

On the way home we dropped by Amy's Farm to pet the cows and horses and pick up some organic greens for our fruit and veggie shakes that we make with our Vitamix.  This time we tried beet green thinnings which turned our shakes a pretty red color.  We also picked up a tub of fresh goat cheese with french herbs from a local goat farm.  Delicious!  Next time I will have to remember to bring our camera so I can take a few more pictures of our next Girls' Day Out.  I love spending time with my precious girl.  I never had so much fun running errands!