It's been almost three months

since I last posted. It could be because there hasn't really not much going on here.  However, I've been meaning to put up some pictures and fill you in on some things, so I'll just go with bullet points.  Probably easier to list things that way.

• We had a great visit with Gil, hubby and Petite last month.  It was so great to be able to hang out for a weekend rather than our usual 2 hour brunch when we're in their neck of the woods.
• DH is working a hellish schedule right now but it's lots of overtime.  Although I don't see him much because he's working nights the OT will be helpful in our need for first and last for our upcoming move.  We've seen a number of things but nothing has been perfect.  We saw a place this week that would have been okay, but the appliances weren't full size.  I could have lived with them, but really, why puts a super small fridge in an apartment and a smaller than full size stove?  We're still looking, but confident we'll find something soon . We have to be out by the end of May and there is lots of stuff out there.
• I got in touch with the clinic this week to make sure there weren't any surprises.  Our savings schedule had us on track for May which is about 4 weeks.  However when I heard back from the nurse, although everything is in place (we have three embryos with our names on them) the price has gone up again, only $250, but still, that's an extra two weeks.  So, it looks like it could be June.  I'm trying to be as  optimistic as possible for this cycle.
• They've also requested that since it's been a few years since I was a a patient, they want a new referral from my family doctor (I've never really understood that request) and I need to go in to meet with the RE before we cycle.  I'm assuming it's more to go over everything and run initial bloodwork in case he wants additional testing.  So, I've spoken to my family doctor's secretary and she's getting the referral taken care of and I'm booked in for what they're calling a follow up appointment with the RE on May 6th.  I just happens that this appointment is going to fall right around my next CD2.  So who knows, if the funds are in place, we might be able to start right then.  Not holding my breath.  We've had so many things get in the way....
• So since we last met, I've been busy baking.  I've finally mastered the art of the cake ball.  I've always had this aversion to them because of the texture. However, I had cake and icing left over after making my brother's birthday cake (more on that in a minute) so I gave it a whirl. They were a chocolate cake with a bit of a chocolate swiss meringue butter cream, dipped into either white chocolate or dark chocolate.

• February is a busy month for birthdays in my family.  However, the only person who had a significant birthday was my younger brother.  He didn't want a party (he was hanging with his friends the night before) and just wanted a family dinner at my Mum's for my mother, me, DH and himself.  My mother had asked me to make a cake for him.  We've always had a family birthday cake since we were all small,  what we've always referred to as "cc and ic" which is chocolate cake and ice cream.  She expected a standard 8" round cake for him, as did him.  I did use the family recipe but changed up the icing to my SMBC.  But for two years I've had a cake in mind for him with the expectation that he would be having a party, so a larger cake than your standard 8" round.  I decided to screw that and make what I always was intending to make.  My brother has played the violin since he was 9 years old.  He's very good.  So now, in his free time he has a trio that plays clubs, bars, weddings etc.  So, I made him a life size violin.   I have to say that at that time this was my most challenging to date but I'm extremely proud of the way it turned out.  And he loved it!  My mother was astounded.



• Whenever I go in for a hair cut, my hairdresser's assistant always asks to see the latest cakes.  When I went in a month ago, the latest cake was the violin.  My hairdresser, who never gets overly awed by any of the cakes, reacted completely differently.  He was astounded and very impressed, so much so that he took my phone and went and showed someone else.  He then sat down and told me he wanted to discuss business (very seriously and all) and asked how much for a guitar cake.  His oldest son was turning 30 (which was a milestone and celebration because he has an illness and wasn't expected to live past 11) and he played the guitar.  He was looking for an actual size guitar.  This order was more challenging in that the violin because it was much bigger.  The board it's sitting on is 24"x48".  It was definitely my most challenging cake so far.  It wasn't perfect, but everyone was very impressed.  And it tasted good too!

• Finally, V and I will be married 10 years  in 2014. I can't believe how fast the time has passed, and we've been TTC for most of that time.  Anyway, two couples we are friends with will be married 15 years and 20 years in 2014.  For the last 5 years we've talked about going on a trip together to celebrate our anniversaries.  It was supposed to be a 5-10-15 trip, but it's going to be the 10-15-20 trip.  And it's happening for sure.  We've gotten together to start planning budget, destination(s) and timing.  It looks like August 2014.  We're not sure yet, but we wanted it to be somewhere none of us has ever been, and we wanted it to be a unique.  This is going to be fun!

Anyway, that's all there is for now.  I'm putting cakes on hold until after the move.  It's possible that I'll have to limit what I do due to space limitations.  I'll keep baking, but guitar's may not be on the list. LOL.