Horribly emotional day - a recap

I'm not sure why I want to remember this day, but for some reason I'm compelled to blog about it.

This morning I got up and got ready to go back to Cincinnati for another week. It's hard to leave when there's so many things I'd rather do in the evening than work late, but I offered to do this and I need to complete things. So I took 71 South instead of 75 to make life a little easier, but the drive seemed longer than ever.

I got to work and the piles of boxes to go through have grown and there's a stack on my desk. There's a few things that annoy me about my job and they were staring me down this morning. So I feel like I was on edge as soon as the day started.

At lunch I called 5/3 bank to check on some unauthorized charges on my card and although they froze my card months ago, they didn't resolve anything like they said they would. They also told me that there were quite a few more attempts to charge on my card. Ugh. So I get online to look at this myself and I see something that looks like a check against my account. They had my name, my address and my account number! I was so upset, I printed out the check and marched down to the nearest branch.

I presented the check to the teller/customer service manager and asked her how this could happen. She looked at it and brought up my account. While I was explaining to her about my identity being stolen and confused about how they got my account info, she starts smiling at me. It was a deposit slip, not a check. I didn't recognize the hand writing because a teller filled it out for me. I had completely forgotten about going into the branch to make a payment instead of doing it online.

So I headed back to work feeling incredibly relieved and stupid. I suddenly appreciated the piles of work waiting for me - I needed to work on something that would feel normal and build my confidence back up.

A few hours later I get a phone call from my mom. I was happy to hear from her and was really looking forward to camping with them in North Carolina this weekend. My mom and step-dad are volunteering at the Pisgah National Park this summer. They're not working this weekend, so we thought it would be a great time to go down and visit them and hang out with them at their RV. The plan was to bring our tent and stay on their site - which is away from the camping area. However, Mom called to break the news that no guests in tents are allowed. (Seriously?!?)

So Jason and I frantically started searching for campgrounds in the area. Everything was booked! We started wondering if we should postpone our camping trip and just stay home this weekend. I called Mom back to find out the areas around them and we found a few other places that might work, but they're a little further away. We still don't have a reservation yet, so it's really up in the air on what we'll end up doing.

Then my cell phone rings and it's the vet. Kinzie has lost weight and she just isn't herself. We took her to the vet yesterday and the diagnosis wasn't good. She got some blood work to try to figure out what's going on. The vet called with bad news. All her levels were real low, and with a galloping heartbeat and tumors, she thinks it's cancer. We discussed all our options but bottom line, there's not much we can do. We have the option of doing x-rays to figure out if it really is cancer, then putting her through chemo, but she's 14 and we could spend all the money to help her and it might not do any good.

We've decided to just do everything possible to make her comfortable while she's still with us. We're changing her food to one that is better for the kidneys and liver, and also doing twice weekly subcu injections (which we'll do at home). The increased fluids should help her heart and her other organs function better. As far as we can tell, she's not in pain - she's still running around the house and keeping the other 2 cats in line. The vet said the cat she saw yesterday doesn't match the tests she was looking at today and then she called Kinzie a tough kitty. She's a fighter and she hasn't given up yet. We'll keep trying to help her as long as she keeps fighting, but we're not sure how much longer that will be.

And then after dealing with all this, I check my emails and find that the pastor of our village in Honduras was sent to the hospital with really bad kidney stones and stayed overnight. In the US this would be easy enough to treat, but down there it's really questionable the kind of care he'll get. So we're praying and trusting that he'll be taken care of and that he'll be able to go home soon. Please also be praying for Pastor Roberto, Olga and their sons.

So now I'm sitting here watching Dancing with the Stars and waiting to see who wins. It's really is a nice little escape while life swirls around me and teases me with situations out of my control. I just have to sit and wait and see what happens. My mantra this year has definitely been "seek peace and pursue it." (Psalm 34:14)

Good night, thank you.

We're Going to Honduras - and Looking for a Miracle!

A few weeks ago Jason and I started talking about going to Honduras with the construction team in June. We did a lot of praying and considering and we finally decided that we're going to try to go.The last time we were both in Honduras together, we built a house similar to the one that will be built in June.

We each need to raise $1,600 to be part of the team. (This covers airfare, hotel, meals and trip supplies.) When we went in 2008 we had to raise $2,000 each and we did it - with time to spare! However, this year we have less time (7 weeks), Jason is unemployed, and I don't think Obama is going to give us each $600 stimulus money like Bush did two years ago. (Ha.) We're feeling a bit overwhelmed but we are creative and we know the money will be there when we need it.

First, WHY are we going? Our church has a sister church in El Quebracho Honduras. We started the relationship with the village down there back in 2005 and have sent medical and construction teams down there each year.

I have been there four times now and have built relationships with the people down there. I don't speak much Spanish and they speak little English, but through translators, dictionaries, and a lot of pointing and waving arms around, we've shared our lives with each other. The pastor and his wife first prayed that I would find a good husband. They were very happy to meet Jason, and for the past year they've been praying that we would be blessed with children. And of course we've been praying for them - through the storms, earthquakes, and political unrest.

It thrills my heart to go and see their smiling faces and hear them say our names as we get off the bus. I never thought that one person could go and touch lives so far away. I've been so blessed to be able to go back several times and stay in touch with my brothers and sisters in Honduras.

The WHY is because I have one more opportunity to go. (I do believe God will answer our prayers about having children soon.) Because we've already built a house down there and having experience will hopefully help. Because we can't stop thinking about it, we just have to go. Because we have faith that God will provide and we can't wait to see how he pulls this off. :)

WHEN are we going? Saturday, June 19th through Saturday, June 26th. (Yes, we'll be in Honduras over our mothers' birthday - June 25th.) We leave in 7 weeks! Our deposits are due this weekend - $400 each.

WHERE are we going? We fly into San Pedro Sula in the northern part of Honduras. We then travel south to the to Heart to Honduras compound in Canchias. The first night we stay at the compound (bunk beds and cold, refreshing showers). The following day we travel down the Transcontinental Highway to Comayagua where we stay the rest of the week at the Hotel Santa Maria. Each day we'll take a 20 minute drive to El Quebracho where we'll do construction during the day and services or outreaches in the evening. The day before we leave we'll travel back to San Pedro Sula.

HOW are we going to afford this? We decided this year we were going to work for our mission trip money. (We believe this was God directed.) If you would like to help us work for our mission trip money, please let us know! Here's the list:

Decorated Cakes for all occasions - buttercream or fondant - prices start at $50.

Lasagna Dinner for 4 (plus leftovers), including bread and salad - $50.

Clowning/Ballooning - half an hour to two hours, starting at $50.

Tutoring/Instruction - Math, Basic Computer Skills, Word, Excel, getting started with Facebook and/or blogging.

Yard and House Work - mowing & trimming grass, trimming bushes, other miscellaneous work.

Photography by Darrin Ballman - the friend of ours who did our engagement and wedding photography is offering several specials and donating the money to our trip. (w00t!!!)

We have other ideas, but we're still putting them together. If you have any ideas, let us know. Please let us know if you're interested in any of the above services. (Contact information below...)

Please pray for us while we raise support for our trip. Thank you!!

Jason - 937-623-3964, jasonj.parsons@gmail.com
Cyndi - 937-272-0622, cdp7227@gmail.com

Honduras on my mind...

This is actually a blog that I've been thinking about for a couple of years. I finally got all my pictures in one place (on this computer) so I can finally show you what's been on my mind - the changes I've seen over the past 4 years.

First a recap of my past 4 trips to Honduras. The first time I went (June 2006) was the 2nd time our church sent a team to El Quebracho, the village our church helping. We helped with leveling the dirt so the cement floor could be poured. We also assisted with putting the beams of the roof up (which was amazing). At that time there was no electricity in the village and the only water was from a well at the entrance of the village (off the transcontinental highway).

 (Our team in June 2006)

The second time I went (June 2007) we had a large group and we were able to have a medical team, an education team (for vacation Bible school), a plumbing team (to put a well in at the church), and a painting team (to paint the church - this was my team). This time when we came into the village there were TV's and radio's playing and they had lights - they had electricity!

 (Our team in June 2007)

The third time I went (August 2008), Jason joined me and our team built a house for a family that was about to become homeless. (Heart to Honduras and the pastor of the church decide on who gets the house.) Looking over the pictures from the previous two trips I saw many pictures of the family - cooking meals for us, helping with construction, and also praying for us. The church, along with many families in the village along with Pastor Roberto, had running water - for their bathrooms and kitchens.

 (Our team in August 2008)

Last year was my fourth time going (November 2009) and we put screens on windows and doors of many houses in the village. The best part of the trip was getting to know the people of the church better. It was like they were part of our mission team, helping us accomplish the greater goal - showing God's love to the people of Honduras.

 (Our team in November 2009)

So I wanted to share some pictures of the progress of our sister church and the people of El Quebracho...

This is where the church was meeting in 2005.

When the church outgrew their building, 

they started meeting under this tree in 2006.

Our church helped buy the land and the supplies for the new building.

This was what the church looked like June 2006.

Here's the completed building in June 2007.

This is what the church looked like a week later - June 2007.

Our next visit was in August 2008 - they added landscaping.

Here's the front of the church - November 2009.

They added the name of the church above the door,

but then added the awning which covers the sign.

Another way to show progress - Pastor Roberto's and Olga's house:

Here's the bathroom/pila in 2006.

(In 2005 they had curtains instead of doors.)

Then they got a well in 2009 and running water...

 The bathroom was redone to be larger and 

the pila was replaced with a washing machine!!

This is the same corner as 2 pictures above.

(The pila was moved to the backyard.)

Here's the doorway to the kitchen in 2006.

(I believe the stove ran on a generator.)

Here's the pass-through to the kitchen in 2006.

The sink is below the window.

Here's the same pass-through in 2007. 

The stove was moved closer to the sink, 

a refridgerator was sitting where the stove used to be.

Here's the sink and stove in 2009.

See the stainless steel sink with a faucet?

Here's the fridge (with magnets!) and the cupboard has moved.

 Last I have you show you how the family has changed over the past 4 years...

2006

2007

2008

2009

Wrap-up of the Women's Retreat

(Background - the retreat took place at Bergamo Center near Beavercreek. On Saturday we spend 6 hours in silence, seeking God. I decided God and I needed to have a long discussion about the pregnancy and miscarriage during this time period. The following is what I entered in my journal at the end of the 6 hours.)

There is no answer to why a miscarriage happens. I've stopped asking because I won't hear what I want to hear anyway. There are no promises or guarantees that we'll have a healthy baby. There's also no way to know if we'll end up going through this pain again.

To keep trying is to risk. When I think of "risk" I think of the phrase: "there is no love without risk." So many have been hurt so deeply that we question whether we ever want to love again. I have. And yet I kept trying and one day the risk was worth it. To find someone who loves you like you want to be loved is an amazing reward for taking the risk over and over. I know this and yet when it comes to a child, I'm suddenly afraid to try again and end up feeling the loss again.

While you're trying to get pregnant it can be frustrating looking around at all those women with children. Including the ones who make the news who don't deserve children. It seems everyone has had kids - except you.

You go through doubts - wondering if it's your fault. If God doesn't think you're good enough. That you're either being punished by not getting pregnant or that God is waiting for you to get your life together before blessing you with kids. But if you're lucky you have a good friend who points out how ridiculous this is. (See reference above of mothers who make the news.)

Then you have a miscarriage (or three) and you hear all the stories of friends who have gone through it too. So many of them, and they all have kids now. I've heard that 1 in 4 women have had a miscarriage. But I think that 1 in 4 women have had no problems getting pregnant and staying pregnant. The others have gone to fertility specialists, tried for over a year, and often used ovulation prediction methods. Others have spent thousands of dollars on the hope of getting pregnant, and still others have had to endure daily (or twice daily) shots to have a baby.

I absolutely hate the song "Only Women Bleed" (which is about domestic abuse). But the person who wrote it seemed to understand how different women are from men. When it comes to pregnancy, there can be so much sadness associated with starting or spotting. And this is something that only the hopeful mother goes through. The hopeful dad has to be told.

So how am I doing now? I'm making peace with the situation. At first I was angry at God for letting me go through this. But then after I let go of the disappointment and anger I realized that God had set up a safety net for me to land into. He knew from the beginning that this would happen and set so many little things in motion that while I was going through so much pain (emotional and then physical), that I had a safe landing where I would be held onto until it was over.

One of the safety nets was the Beth Moore class I took, Living Beyond Yourself, which is a study of the fruit of the Spirit. (That being love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self control.) Beth Moore went into great detail about the Greek roots and how the Bible uses these words. When it came to faith I questioned what would happen to my faith if we lost the baby. I decided then that God has not changed, He still loves me more than I'll ever understand. He still wants to protect me and provide so many blessings for me. That if God brings me through a situation, there's something better waiting for me at the end. I decided this is how I believed and that if anything happened to the baby, that I would hold onto my faith.

And then it happened, the unimaginable. And suddenly I wasn't sure if my faith would make it. The facts were running around in my head, but my heart was numb. The lesson we had just gone over was about submitting to God. I wasn't sure how to do this, mostly because I was bitter and didn't want to let go. It was the movie "Bruce Almighty" that finally caught my attention. (See previous blog.) When you're at the end and your so broken and your emotions are so raw, all you can do is surrender and say "God, I want what you want. Your ways are better than my ways. You allowed this to happen and I will trust you that I'll be okay."

What really hit home during the retreat was that we were singing my favorite songs, the ones that made me so grateful for Jesus dying on the cross to save a wretch like me, the songs that normally gave me so much hope and joy. And the hope and joy came back as I was singing the songs. And when I realized what I was feeling I just started crying. After all I had been through I still could trust God and see goodness in what He was doing in my life. I could still praise Him and thank Him. My faith was still in tact.

That, my friends, is a miracle.

That's the end of the wrap-up. Other wonderful things happened that weekend including a beautiful nature walk, laughing with old and new friends (that would be length of friendship, not age), and really appreciating all the loving and encouraging family & friends in my life. (This includes all of you wonderful people who have been part of my safety net the last few weeks.)

To answer some questions that people keep asking... The actual miscarriage happened 6 days after we found out that had lost the baby. (If you're ever going to go through this, contact me, you seriously need to be forewarned.) We get to start trying again (to get pregnant) in the next 4-6 weeks. I have to start the heparin shots as soon as we get a positive pregnancy test. (We're tempted to start sooner though.) And I've been instructed to take the baby aspirin every day for the rest of my life. And next time we get pregnant, I don't think we're going to tell anyone until the child is 2 years old. Just kidding, probably around 3-4 months is when we'll start telling people.


I have other thoughts running around my head, but this will do for now. I promise my future posts will hopefully be a lot more light-hearted.

Thank you God for getting me through this. Thank you for the safety net you started to lay in place months before this all happened. Thank you for all the old friends who have been through this and are encouraging me to keep trying. (Their beautiful children are encouragement enough.) And thank you for all the new friends that you put into my life during this time to help me get through. Thank you God for allowing me to feel love, and peace, and happiness after experiencing such loss. Thank you for holding me together and keeping my life from spinning out of control. Thank you for the constant reminder that you love me so much and that you're looking out for me. I'm holding you to your promises and believing you'll deliver.

loss and recovery

I guess this is part 2 to yesterday's blog.

Last night my Ob/gyn (Dr. Guy) called me to see how I was doing. He had not seen the ultrasound pictures yet, but he had talked to the doctor that I talked to. He said that I had a blighted ovum, which is basically placenta with no baby. This is information from http://www.americanpregnancy.org/pregnancycomplications/blightedovum.html:

A blighted ovum (also known as “anembryonic pregnancy”) happens when a fertilized egg attaches itself to the uterine wall, but the embryo does not develop. Cells develop to form the pregnancy sac, but not the embryo itself. A blighted ovum usually occurs within the first trimester before a woman knows she is pregnant. A high level of chromosome abnormalities usually causes a woman’s body to naturally miscarry.

I did a bit more searching and I guess this is more common in "older" moms. Dr. Guy also said that due to my age, I'm more likely to miscarry. (He gave me a bunch of statistics, which helps.)

We talked a bit about what to do next. He suggested we do some genetic testing to see if we can find out why this keeps happening. He also told me what to expect in the next week or two, which helped.

So this *isn't* like the miscarriage 9 years ago. Nine years ago there was a baby on the ultrasound. Jason and I talked and all we saw was a black spot, there was no baby inside. By the way, saying there was never a baby is incorrect. We had a baby for a few weeks, and must have lost it around 4-5 weeks pregnant. However, with a blighted ovum, your body still thinks it's pregnant and you don't find out you've lost the baby until the ultrasound. Which is what happened to us.

We're thinking that we didn't start the heparin shots early enough and probably lost the baby around the time I started the heparin shots. This is making us think that if we start the heparin shots as soon as I'm ovulating, then maybe next time I'll be able to carry the baby the full time. (Misty, thank you for sharing your experience with me. If you can do it twice - from conception to labor - I'll make it.) I plan on discussing this with the doctor next week, along with how soon we can start trying again. From what I read it'll be a couple of months.

Emotionally I'm okay but once in awhile the sadness hits and I cry again. Bruce Almighty is currently on the TV and there's a part where Jim Carey's character yells "God you suck!" I started crying. What's going on right now sucks, God doesn't suck. But there's a part of me that still is asking God why he let this happen. I trust that there is better yet to come, and that in a year or maybe 5 years this will make a little more sense.

I've never been one who felt like everything had a purpose. I realize that God can turn bad situations into something good, but I've never been convinced that there's a purpose behind everything that happens. However, suddenly I am trusting that there is a purpose behind what Jason and I are going through right now. (Two miscarriages in two months.) Maybe there's a genetic problem that can be avoided now. Maybe I have a medical issue that would go undiagnosed without these problems. I just don't know, and probably won't for some time. But right now it feels better to think that there IS a purpose behind bad things that happen.

By the way, I did go to the Easter Egg Hunt this morning as Cupcake the clown. I wasn't as together as I would have liked to have been, but I made it. I had a lot of friends hug me and thankfully nothing else had to be said. I enjoyed the children's smiles and a few that weren't sure what to think of my clown face and outfit. I walked past a baby who looked at me and started laughing. This absolutely thrilled my heart and I kept making faces at him. (Of course then the dad said he smiles at everyone. I told him that wasn't helping my ego. Ha.)

I did pretty good around all those families and kids, but I was pretty emotionally wiped out when it was over. I had a wonderful nap on the couch this afternoon with the windows open and the breeze blowing through the house. Life seems to be back to normal, but my heart is still heavy. I keep wondering when it'll be our turn. How many more times will we have to go through this. (Oddly enough I think of Celine Dion who is 42 and is on her 6th in-vitro procedure hoping to have a 2nd baby. Her strength is amazing, especially with her life being so public.)

Please continue to pray for us. Also, please pray that the actual miscarriage happens soon so I won't have to have surgery next week. I'm hoping my next blog post will be a bit happier - sorry to keep posting such serious and personal stuff. I guess it's what's on my heart and typing helps gets things straight in my head. So thanks for listening/reading.

loss

I'm blogging this because I don't want to have to keep telling this story over and over. However, the more people who know, the less of a chance of someone saying the wrong thing at the wrong time.

About 5 weeks ago we found out we were pregnant. We've gone through a miscarriage before, so we were hesitant to get excited about it. However, as time went on we got more hopeful. What also helped was that they found out I had antiphospholipids syndrome. This means I have antibodies that fight off the embryo. So about a month ago I started getting twice daily injections of heparin. (Jason gave these to me.)

I followed all the rules and had quite a few symptoms of pregnancy - morning sickness, being over emotional and all the fun pains that come and go. So we were confident that this baby was going to make it.

This morning we got our first ultrasound and that's when we got the bad news. At 9 weeks there was no heartbeat and it looked like the baby hadn't developed past 7 weeks. I asked "the baby is dead?" And the doctor said yes. My doctor wasn't in, but they said that they would be in contact with me.

What is most devastating is that I went through this exact scenario 9 years ago when I was previously married. At 11 weeks I got my first ultrasound and was told there was no heartbeat. I then waited over a week to miscarry and when this didn't happen, I had a D&C. This severely messed me up for a long time.

First, I was trying to function knowing that I was still technically pregnant, but that the baby was dead. When I was about to go mad (literally), I called the doctor and asked him to do whatever it took but I couldn't keep going on like I had. That's when they scheduled the D&C.

Second, I had two Christian friends tell me (separately) not to get the D&C because technically it's an abortion. They tried to convince me that God could still raise the baby from the dead and having the D&C was going against God's will. Their reasoning was that if God wanted me to get rid of the baby, then it would have happened naturally. (Neither of these women are in my life anymore.)

Third, while I was at the hospital for the D&C a nurse tried to talk me out of it. I guess she hadn't seen my chart. She asked if I was sure I wanted to have this procedures. I looked her straight in the eye and said "the baby is already dead." She left me alone after this. (If looks could kill.)

Then there was the recuperation after the surgery. I couldn't hardly function and ended up going into a depression. At the time I worked with wonderful understanding people (the Vineyard - my church) and they really helped with my healing. But I struggled with getting out of bed in the morning and ended up leaving that job to go to school full time. (Skipping classes was easier than skipping work.)

I remember one of our pastors, Scott Sliver, looking at me several weeks after the miscarriage and pointing out that he finally saw me smile for the first time since losing the baby. I just wasn't myself for a long time. A few of you knew me back then and probably remember all this.

And here I'm dealing with it. Again. I hate to say it but I don't feel so devastated this time around. Jason said I'm a stronger person, my faith is stronger too. Maybe I'm just numb and I've been through this so many times that I don't really care any more.

However I will say that I have fear. Fear of ending up non-functional again. Fear of going through depression again. Fear of so much crap that happened in my life 9 years ago happening again. I have a great job at a very wonderful law firm, but I have so many responsibilities. If I can't keep it together I won't have my job for long.

Not to mention that I'm supposed to travel to Cincinnati next week for work and if I have to have any surgery done, this is going to mess up my project. (I'm the only one in my law firm that does what I do.) Yes, they'll cope, but I might not be seen as valuable as I once was there.

Also, it's Easter weekend. How appropriate that I'm dealing with death on Good Friday. I've seen so many posts on facebook today about "it's Friday, but Sunday's coming." (It's a message that today might be your worst day ever, but there is so much hope that comes with the resurrection of Jesus.) I do believe "Sunday is coming" but I don't think I'll be okay by this Sunday. Do I go to church and fake it? Do I go and not fake it and cry the whole time? Do I just skip it because I don't want to be around people and have to tell them over and over that we lost the baby? I don't know and probably won't decide until Sunday morning. It's 2 days away and 2 days can sometimes be a long time.

Here's the crazy thing. Tomorrow is our church's HUGE Easter Egg Hunt. 15,000 eggs, and hundreds of children, it's so much fun. I've been planning since January to make my clowning debut there. I've been getting ready for months, and have my entire costume completely ready to go. I've been so excited about tomorrow's Easter Egg Hunt and now I don't think I can make it. And yet, I still really want to go.

Here's my thinking... I'll be in clown make-up, being someone other than myself. Only my friends who will be looking for me will recognize me, probably. I can pretend that life is fine, and I'm fine, and not focus on what happened today. But then I worry that I'll see all those happy families, all those children, maybe a few babies, and I'll just lose it. Tears are bad for clown makeup and what's worse than driving home after bawling your eyes out - driving home in a clown costume with clown makeup smeared all over your face. See, not quite sure if I'm up to it. Not sure I want to risk losing it on a day that is so happy for so many people.

But tomorrow is a day away and a lot can happen in a day. Maybe I'll feel a little more together in the morning. Maybe focusing on something other than the loss of a pregnancy would be good for me. Maybe having a real smile a day after such loss would be good for me. I guess I'll decide in the morning.

To my friends who have already contacted me, thank you for all your prayers and kind words. Thank your for your offers to talk or cry. I guess this is my way of "talking" it out. (Thank you for "listening.") I appreciate all your love and support. Feeling loved right now is a very good thing. Thank you.

This afternoon and tonight I'm going to balance the checkbook, clean and organize the living room (having some kind of control and order helps), and call my mom. If I can get through a phone call without completely breaking down, I think I'll be okay.

Oh, and I've already had a Diet Coke, some Advil, and I might even go running tomorrow. I miss running, especially when I have frustration to work out.

Our Adventures in Pittsburgh - Part 2

Sunday morning we had another yummy breakfast - yogurt parfait with fresh mangoes and granola, orange bread and stuffed french toast and bacon. We said goodbye to the Inn and headed out for the day. We saw a bit of sunshine in the morning but it snowed again most of the day.

We headed towards the Squirrel Hill Tunnel to check out the Morrowfield building. My dad's grandfather was the architect and engineer of the building. It's built on a hill so that you enter the apartments from the back and the stores are on the first level in the front.

(Click on photo to view larger)

Main entrance on the front of the building.

The lobby. (It was locked so I took this photo through the glass.)

The front of the building.

We saw 2 of these on the sidewalk in front of the building.
Anyone know what these are?

The back of the building - where the parking is.

We then went to the National Aviary. It was under construction so a few exhibits were closed. The perk to this was that admission was half price. We loved seeing the birds up close and personal. The penguins were so entertaining but the open room with the birds flying around was something we've never experienced before.

Green winged Macaw

Hyacinth Macaw

Sea Eagle (huge!)

And friendly :)

Bald Eagle

The African Penguins were having fun flipping us with water.

Jason being brave.

Penguin feeding time

The woman in front fed them fish while the one in the back recorded what each penguin ate.

In the open room with all the birds.

The sounds were amazing and there were beautiful birds everywhere!

Some we were able to identify...
Pied Imperial Pigeons

Fairy Blue Bird

Others we couldn't - no sign available.
(Maybe due to the construction going on.)

Mandarin Duck
This bird made me laugh the way he kept tipping his head and looking at me.



Victoria Crowned Pigeon
(These 2 were having a great time swooping past people!)

White Headed Wattled Lapwing
(This one would chase people around and then run from them.)
And one video so you get an idea of how loud it was in there. :)

In another area were more birds...
Rainbow Lorikeets
Micronesian Kingfisher
Rhinoceros Hornbills

It was a wonderful experience and we'll definitely have to go again when we're back in Pittsburgh. We were there less than two hours, but we definitely thought it was worth the money spent!

We then headed back to Station Square for lunch and then the Duquesne Incline.

Inside the car - with the track in the background.

At the bottom looking up...

At the top looking down.

Panoramic view from right to left...

The station at the top.

Jason taking in the view (and freezing his eyes).

And then it was time to head home. :(

Dear Pittsburgh, thank you so much for your hospitality. We enjoyed the historical buildings and all the creative shops and restaurants. Your pot holes were a little unbelievable, but hopefully those will be taken care of before we get back. We promise to come back soon and visit a little longer next time. Thank you for the memories!

Final thoughts on Pittsburgh... the people there were truly some of the nicest, most helpful and welcoming people I've ever met. They love their city and are truly trying to make it a better place. (Dayton could take a lesson here.) Also, with all the shops we walked through, almost every one of them had Irish and/or Steelers items to sell. Usually both. I know St. Patrick's day is coming, but I've never seen so much Irish stuff for sale. I really had to resist buying so many things and settled on a pretty Celtic cross ornament. No, I didn't buy any Steelers items. My dad's family was Irish, so that part resonated with me while I was there. But I wonder how my dad made it out of Pittsburgh without forever being a Steelers fan.