Spring Break: Collecting Donations and Moab

Spring Break couldn't have happened at a better time. The weather was beautiful (for the most part) and it was great to have some time to dedicate to our Pound the Pavement for Parenthood event. I spent most of Monday and Tuesday making phone calls and visits to local businesses to help donate items for our Bowling for Babies event in September. Our plan is to gather as much as we can to raffle off, give as prizes, and auction off in gift baskets. I have been so impressed with the generosity of so many business owners! We still have a lot of work to do, but it's been such a blessing to see so many tender mercies as we plan for our event. It's great to see things coming together so well!

On Wednesday, we left for a trip to Moab with Brandon's family. It was our first time bringing Blizzard on an overnight camping trip, so we were a little nervous. He did so well though! He loved meeting other dogs, taking walks, and exploring new places. It was adorable to see how much fun he was having! 

On Thursday, we went to Canyonlands and stopped at a few of the lookouts. Utah is such a beautiful place! Later that evening, my arms started stinging and I noticed that a bright red rash with yucky bumps was forming all over. It was a little odd, because I hadn't touched anything that may have caused an allergic reaction. I remembered, though, that the last time I had this reaction, I was in Moab, and I haven't had it happen since. Brandon encouraged me to take some Benadryl (which I soon regretted because it knocked me out at 8:00) but the rash was gone in the morning, so I guess it worked!

We set out on a hike to the Double O Arch the next day, and I just hoped I didn't come in contact with whatever was causing the reaction. Sure enough, the rash came back, but this time, it was worse. In addition to the stinging, it started to itch. We were so confused! I know I'm not allergic to the sun, because I spend tons of time outside in the summer, and this never happens (unless I'm in Moab). Who knows! Needless to say, I wore long sleeves when we hiked Delicate Arch the next day. It was a little warm, but luckily, there was a nice breeze that kept me from getting too hot. The rest of the trip was filled with amazing food (thanks to Barry), beautiful walks along the campground trails, and late nights filled with games and laughing. All in all, it was a great trip and we had a lot of fun!

Our First PPP Meeting (Pound the Pavement for Parenthood)

Last night, Brandon and I had our first meeting for our fundraising event. We got to meet all the other couples who are being sponsored this year, and we can't wait to get to know them better! It's so comforting to have a built-in support group of people who know exactly what we're going through. Although we're still in the planning phase, we know our event will be called "Bowling for Babies" and it will take place this September. At the meeting, we were given some paperwork to get started, and our next step is to contact as many businesses as we can to help sponsor/donate/advertise for our event. We feel really blessed to be given this opportunity for many reasons. Of course it will be amazing to
raise money to help us pay for IVF (it's not exactly cheap) but I'm especially excited to help raise awareness for infertility. I feel that I have so much to learn from so many people, and I hope that as we share our experiences, people can learn a little from us as well.