California in collages and an update...

First, an update on the IF front... This afternoon I had my annual (which actually hasn't been so annual - my last appointment was almost 2 years ago!) GYN appointment, which I was dreading (one of CCRM's requirements is to have an up to date and all-clear pap test result).  It's funny (actually, it's not), because prior to my collision with life as an infertile, I despised this annual, invasive exam.  But since basically becoming BFF's (not by choice) with every doctor in my local RE's practice, this exam is a piece of cake... and the invasive part of it is actually the thing that bothers me the least! 

You see, the thing I dreaded the most about today's appointment was having to sit in a room full of pregnant women waiting for their monthly check-up.  Just thinking about having to deal with this appointment made those terrible feelings of infertility isolation come out full force... and those feelings just about suffocated me.  Somehow though, by the grace of God, there was not one (visibly) pregnant woman in the waiting room at my appointment this afternoon.  I'm left to believe that He must have known it was all I could handle to just be back there for my annual exam as opposed to eagerly awaiting to hear my baby's heartbeat for the first time with my husband...

Enough on that though (sorry for the rant).  I'm really here to share some California collages that I threw together.  We had THE.BEST time.  A vacation during all of this infertility stuff was very much needed - for both of us.  We were on-the-go pretty much every day and I'm beyond thankful to God for affording us this opportunity (especially at this point in our lives).  We were busy for 8 nights and 9 days and our minds were shifted just a little bit from the heart-ache that we experience on a daily basis.

Day 1: San Francisco - first sight of the Golden Gate Bridge, amazing snack at Hot Spuds, Fisherman's Wharf, city tour on an open roof top bus, Pier 39 and delicious clam chowder in a sourdough bread bowl

Night 1: San Francisco - Alcatraz

Day 2: San Francisco - bike riding across the Golden Gate bridge, Alamo Square, Sausalito, Lombard Street and Ghirardelli goodies

Night 2: San Francisco - Delicious dinner in San Fran's Little Italy (North Beach) and enjoying a bottle of red wine (an early birthday surprise from good friends) in front of the fire at our hotel

Day 3: Monterey - first day driving down the PCH, AMAZING brunch at the Wagon Wheel in Carmel, Cannery Row in Monterey and 17 mile drive

Day 4: Big Sur, Danish town of Solvang and Nick's golf debut at Pebble Beach

 Day 5: Santa Barbara & Los Angeles - SB palm trees and pier,  The Grove in LA and the Hollywood sign

Day 6: OUR BIRTHDAY in LA - Warner Bros. Studios tour, Grauman's Chinese Theatre, pool day at the Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills and dinner at El Coyote

Day 7: Laguna & San Diego - feet in the Pacific Ocean at Laguna Beach, delicious crepe breakfast in Palas Verdes, San Diego Zoo & more Ghirardelli goodies

Day 8: Coronado Bay - Pool day in Coronado and a beautiful sunset to end our amazing vacation!