I wanted to make sure I shared some good things that helped lift my spirits this weekend. First, I attended my new work team's holiday party on Friday night. It was held at the Lakeshore Bed and Breakfast, and we got to see the sunset over Lake Michigan...spectacular! We had a Secret Santa gift exchange among the HR/Communications staff, and I think the gift I gave (a Dwight Schrute Bobblehead) was a hit.

Saturday, despite crazy cold and lake-effect snow (and Drew being sick), we ventured out to brave the crazy holiday shopping traffic. The good news is that my Christmas shopping is now officially done. That night we watched the latest Harry Potter movie on DVD (we hadn't seen it in the theatres yet). For some reason, Drew was under the impression it was the "final" Harry Potter movie, because at the end he said, "Well, that was disappointing..." I asked why, and he grumbled about a certain someone not dying, etc., after which I had to remind him that there are still two more to go.

Sunday was laundry, bills, cleaning, and starting to get ready for our trip to Washington. We fly out to Seattle on Friday, then we'll drive to Yakima on Saturday to spend Christmas with Blaise, Nicole, Alex, Conor, and my Mom and Dad (they are taking the train out from Fargo). I am a little sad we won't be able to see Becky and her husband Justin or Phil and his girlfriend Abbi, but hopefully we'll all be able to get together in one place one of these days.

Sunday night, I talked to Kate on the phone for a couple hours, and I hung up the phone feeling a lot less focused on my own troubles. It is good to have distractions to aid in making the current disappointments and obstacles seem less daunting.

Updates on the infertility front are: 1) another negative HCG blood test last Thursday, 2) another one scheduled for this Thursday (c'mon doc, really? This is starting to seem excessive), and 3) another ultrasound scheduled for Thursday to check up on the cyst before we go ahead with scheduling surgery.

-Em