Saturday, February 2, 2013

thank YOU, uncle sam.

We just spent an exciting Saturday night preparing and filing our taxes-- woohoo!! Actually, it was insanely exciting compared to how we spent the rest of the day. Maybe I'll fill you in on that later. But for now, what's truly important is this:

We're getting a higher-than-normal return this year, primarily because we were able to itemize our medical expenses. Yeah, thanks so much hospital visits, millions of trips to the RE in Atlanta, and surgeries 1 & 2, you were freakin' expensive and freakin' stupid and WAY MORE than 7.5% of our AGI or whatever. But that's all water under the bridge (or under the plane!), because now we're looking ahead to the positive things in life: getting money back. And what do you think we're gonna do when we get that money back? Money that I see as a personal gift for dealing with crappy medical problems all year/life? (Sure, a bunch of it is probably from boring stuff like interest paid on our mortgage and charitable donations, but those don't bother me. MEDICAL CRAP BOTHERS ME.) 

MEXICO, BABY!!!!

I was gonna give you three guesses, but you probably knew where this story was going before I even started, right? I mean...a fabulous vacation is a pretty good runner-up prize for a year of crappy and so-far-pointless medical expenses that did not even result in a baby, right? 

Did I ever see myself as the kind of person who would get to go on Caribbean vacations two years in a row? No. But I also didn't see myself as a person that would go without children for five years in a row, either, so...life isn't always what you expect. As I learned last year-- planning a fabulous vacation makes life SO MUCH BETTER because you have something concrete to look forward to. So let the giddiness begin! Let the anticipation begin! Let the working out with a PURPOSE begin! Let the government hurry up and direct-deposit my refund so that we can actually BOOK the vacation...ha. 

Unlike last year, I am not debating where to go. I am not reinventing the wheel. We are going to go exactly where we went last year (but for one extra night!). It was perfect and amazing and I can wholeheartedly look forward to it, rather than wondering whether I made a good choice, whether wherever we pick will measure up to last year, whether the food will be good, etc. Let's not let ANY unnecessary stress enter the equation!

So YAY!

I especially needed something like this (discovering the return would be good enough to almost entirely fund a vacation) because the first part of today SUCKED MAJORLY.

See this?

It's me doubling up on heating pads. Apparently six months was as long as my body could make it from surgery before deciding to freak the freak out again to announce the arrival of my period. If I'd had three heating pads, I would have used them all. I felt like I was in labor. Absolutely unbelievable cramps in my abdomen, back/booty, and thighs. I've heard tales of these infamous thigh cramps that some endo girls get to experience, but had never felt it myself. Well today must have been my lucky day. It was unbelievable. Thank God for prescription painkillers, wonderful husbands, and two heating pads (plus I used my hot laptop on my thighs as a makeshift third heating pad). At one point when I was like howling in pain, I informed Matt that "MOST WOMEN GET AN EPIDURAL FOR THIS KIND OF PAIN!!! AND A BABY!!!!!!" So, yeah. Not one of my more graceful mornings, but that's (my) life.

Let's refocus. I'm GOING BACK TO MEXICO, so eff endometriosis and infertility and everything else that sucks. I WIN.     


And THIS TIME I know in advance about the unlimited cotton candy, and if you think I'm not already dreaming about how much freakin cotton candy I'm going to slam...you're wrong. It's gonna be insaaaaaaane!!



17 comments:

  1. Yay, excited for you guys! Especially excited that you got such great news after being so miserable all day :(

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  2. Take that crappy infertility problems!!! Have fun planning your awesome, fun-filled, sugar over-loaded retreat :) BTW...cotton candy freaks me the freak out so much that my kids (10 & 8) have never had it! Bahahaha!

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  3. Excellent use of your tax refund! Mmm cotton candy!!! Yay for something exciting to look forward to!

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  4. I'm so sorry about your awful pain. Yuck. But I'm excited with (and jealous of!) you for your vacation!!! "YAY!!!" is right. You will have an awesome time!

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  5. You sound like you are describing my cramps the last two times?! I don't know why!! I don't have endometriosis, but MY GOD. No sleep. Tears. And (1) heating pad that wasn't doing the job. :(

    I love this post. YEAHHHHHH for your mexico trip!!! :) :) Cancun was our favorite part of our honeymoon cruise. Beautiful!

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  6. A- booooo for endo. that sounds horrible. thigh cramps!?! what the heck? your period hurt in your thigh? sorry friend.

    B- consolation prizes suck. period. however, if you aren't going to have a baby, and you have to live through infertility, in my opinion Mexico is the least you deserve.

    C- Holy moly, you're going to Mexico! Freaking AWESOME!!!

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  7. YES!!! I am SO glad that you get to go back and am way excited for you!!! (I can come watch your home and Lola again if you need me to)

    UGH about your cramps/miserable pain/endo. Call me if I can bring you anything.

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  8. Yay! So glad something good is coming out of something crappy... dare I even say, something beautiful? :)

    Also, any advice on itemizing your medical expenses? We are planning to do the same thing and I'm not sure if there's anything I need to have prepared in advance (besides my spreadsheet with a breakdown of 2012 costs).

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  9. Hope the cramps are over soon!! So glad that you guys are going to - book a vacation! Trips are about the only thing that got me through this year - always need something to look forward to! What resort do you guys stay at!?

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  10. I love vacations!!! We can both look forward to our upcoming trips to Mexico :)

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  11. We are getting more money than anticipated as well!!! Not enough to afford a week in Mexico. But enough for a mid-week jaunt to Vegas. If all goes well we plan on winning us a baby while we are there.

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    1. PS-I just tweeted this blog link. I don't think I'm following you on Twitter, or even if you are on Twitter.....but yeah, hope that was ok. I really loved your positive spin on the infertility shiz. And I hope your cwamps (yes, with a W) get better.

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  12. Yay for something good... Something great! So excited you will be enjoying yourselves in Me-hee-co!!

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  13. Boo on the need for a heating pad but YAY FREAKIN' YAY on Mexico!!!!

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  14. I love that you are focused on the positive! Mexico and all you can eat cotton candy sounds amazing! My husband never lets us plan stuff with our tax returns. He always says: "it goes into savings." What a poo.

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  15. Stupid endo :( Sorry to hear you were in so much pain. No fun and not fair.

    Following your cue to look on the bright side - HOORAY MEXICO!!!

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  16. We also take vacations when we don't have kids... funny how that works and people wonder why we travel so much sometimes.... We have been to Spain, Germany, and France..Thanks for sharing your " letter to new moms" and your story. Praying for you.

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I love comments almost as much as I love Mexican food. Seriously.