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Unexpected Realities

Fighting infertility, growing in faith, and enjoying life through food, wine, and travel

  • About
  • Blog
  • Health
  • Infertility
  • Parenthood
    • Down Syndrome
  • Recipes
    • Breakfast
    • Main Course
    • Desserts
    • Drinks
  • Travel
    • DC Daytrips
    • Croatia
    • France
    • Germany
    • Iceland
    • Italy
    • Slovenia
  • Wine
    • Winery Reviews

Welcome to Unexpected Realities!

I’m so glad you’re here!

Unexpected Realities was created in 2003 and was relaunched in April 2016 as a platform to share about our infertility struggles and encourage others who are in the same wait. If you have been looking a place to feel understood and that you are not alone, you have found the right corner of the internet. If you have been bitten by the travel bug like us, you will also find musings about all of the amazing places we have been to as a family as we seek to guide and inspire fellow travel addicts! My husband and I have both discovered a passion for cooking and learning about the typography and craft of winemaking. So if you like traveling, cooking, and wine, this is also a place for you! Our daughter was unexpectedly born with Down Syndrome, so you can find some insight into life with a special needs child as well! I think it’s safe to say there’s a little bit of something for everyone here.

For more information on what you can expect to find on the blog, read below! Want to know why I chose “Unexpected Realities” and the history of the site? Head over to the Domain section.  

Infertility journey

My husband and I began TTC (trying to conceive, for you non-infertility-lingo folks) in the spring of 2013. We did multiple diagnostic tests between the end of 2014 and 2015 and were diagnosed with unexplained infertility. In November of 2015, we did our first IUI cycle, which ended in an early miscarriage. The next four cycles in December 2015, January, October, and November 2016 were negative. In June 2017 I was diagnosed with endometriosis and underwent surgery to remove it. On September 4, 2017, we received an answer to our prayers with a positive pregnancy test! Our miracle daughter was born in May 2018. We would like to have more children, but will have to wait and see what God has planned.

Traveling

Our travel-bug was first sparked when we went to the Costa del Sol in southern Spain and Gibraltar for our honeymoon in October 2009. After that, we knew that traveling would be a priority for us. In November 2011 we went to Cancun, Mexico; in August 2012 we traveled to Budapest and Vienna; in August 2013 we went to northern Italy, including Verona, Vicenza, Venice, Milan, Florence, and Montepulciano; in July 2014 we went to Thessaloniki and Sarti, Greece; in August 2015 we traveled to Portugal with friends to Porto, Nazare, and Lisbon; in May of 2016 we celebrated my husband graduating from his master’s by going to the Mosel Valley in Germany, Reims and Paris in France, and a stopover in Reykjavik, Iceland; in December 2016 we went to Avignon and the Provence region in France for Christmas; in August 2017 we went to Bled and Ljubljana, Slovenia, Rovinj, Croatia, and Fruili-Venezia Guilia, Italy; in January of 2018 we went to Barcelona and Catalonia in Spain for our babymoon; and in October of 2018 we traveled back to Ljubljana, Slovenia and some of our favorite spots from our previous trip. This doesn’t include our domestic travel that we have done together, including Sonoma County, San Francisco, Sacramento, and San Diego, CA, Denver, Boulder, and Colorado Springs, CO area, Nashville, TN, and Naples, FL and southern FL/Miami, and the travel that we have done separately. You can check out the Travel section to see the destinations I have already written about!

We are open to all types of destinations, but our travel philosophy is generally 1) finding the best deal, and 2) locations known for great food and wine. We absolutely love Rick Steves and follow his guidebooks for most of our European destinations.

Have suggestions for where we should go next? Message me on Facebook or Instagram!

Food and Wine

One of our passions that we share together is good food and wine. Our traveling has given us an appreciation for international food, which has translated into our cooking done at home. It has also led to discovering new grape varietals and wanting to learn more about how grapes are used and grown. Locally, the Virginia wine scene has become progressively better over the last five years, and we love to visit new establishments and discover what winemakers are accomplishing as the wine industry grows.

Vaison-la-Romaine, Provence, France – December 2016

More About Us

I’m a 30-something who lives in Northern Virginia with my husband and our miracle daughter. We met in college and were married in October 2009. My passions are cooking, traveling and discovering new places, food and wine, Washington Nationals baseball, and sanctity of life issues. More than anything, we have desired to blessed with a family. But that process hasn’t been easy for us or gone the way we planned, and we have learned to trust God during a difficult time of waiting. God has given me a heart for other couples who have to walk this same road, and is helping us to praise Him even in this unexpected reality.

Welcome!


I'm Jennifer, a foodie and wino that's learning to cook healthy(ier). Waiting with hope in God's timing for building our family, and supporting others who have to walk the same road of infertility. My husband and I can't stop/won't stop planning trips and traveling to new places. Thanks for joining me on my adventures! Read More…

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Word of the Week

Latest on Instagram

Beautiful Budapest at night for #traveltuesday!
⠀
Back in 2012, [almost t e n years ago!!] my husband and I went on our second trip to Europe to Budapest, Hungary and to Vienna, Austria. I took this picture on a sightseeing boat on the Danube with my little Sony point-and-shoot. I still can't believe that this picture turned out so well. It's one of my favorite photos I have ever taken and we have it printed on canvas in our house. The Parliament building in Budapest is an amazing piece of architecture, and at night when it's lit up it becomes an incredible sight to behold.
⠀
Budapest is on our list to make it back to someday! We had a good time, but we were still very new to traveling and there's a lot that we would do over.
⠀
Do you have Budapest on your travel list? If you have already been, what did you like about it? Let me know!⠀
•
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.
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#budapest #budapesthungary #budapesttravel #budapestgram #budapestatnight #budapestparliament #travel #travelpic #travelphotography #lifewelltraveled #traveladdict #travelmoments #travelmemories #traveler #imisstraveling #instagood #discoverunder5k #momentsofmine #thehappynow #wanderlust #keepexploring #keeptraveling #travellikealocal #theworldshotz #beautifulplaces #beautifuldestinations #nightshot #picoftheday
"Only as we reflect on the Gospel can we go from s "Only as we reflect on the Gospel can we go from someone who desires self-protection to someone who desires to protect others. The Gospel motivates us to see every person as someone God values rather than merely a statistic. The Gospel empowers us to value those society rejects as those who have been created in the image of God." - Raleigh Sadler
⠀
📸 My beautiful girl at Ida Lee Park in October
w e e k e n d vibes ⠀ One of my favorite charcut w e e k e n d vibes
⠀
One of my favorite charcuterie boards that we have done was the one we made on Thanksgiving to hold us over until the turkey arrived. Olives, nuts, jams, berries, pomegranates, mustard, cheese, salami, chorizo, and prosciutto - we had the whole gang! We paired our spread with a Beaujolais. I usually try to space things out on my charcuterie boards but I have discovered that my favorite ones are when everything is basically just piled together 🤣 Hope this gives you some  charcuterie-inspiration for your own creations!
File this under "Things I Forgot to Post Last Year File this under "Things I Forgot to Post Last Year"
⠀
2020 definitely had its lows, as everyone can attest. My sister got me this shirt from a local lady who puts everything on shirts and personalizes anything you can imagine. I took these pictures on one of the days in September when we were trying our best for things to start to feel "normal" again. I have a feeling I will get a kick out of this shirt for a few years to come. Or maybe I need to wait 10 years or so for it to actually be funny 😂
⠀
While I can't recommend 2020, I *can* recommend @walshfamilywine, which felt like a second home for us last year! Getting to go on a few dates and also having the opportunity to let Dayna run around outside in their beautiful grounds while the weather was still warm was a big blessing. Also I'm pretty sure their Friday night Drinkwell virtual tastings saved our sanity, especially through March-May last year 🍷 just sayin'
⠀
p.s. speaking of which, local friends... did you see that @pauliesitalian is going to be at Walsh this weekend serving up fresh pasta dishes? Run, don't walk...what I mean is, click away from IG and go open your bowser right now and make a reservation!
Hey there #hungrythursday! ⠀ I think I've shared Hey there #hungrythursday!
⠀
I think I've shared these lamb bowls before but we made them again recently and they are too pretty not to share again. They are basically Cava-like ripoffs at home! Once you get everything together for them it does take quite a bit of time, but very worth it and it makes great leftovers! We usually make a big thing of tzatziki and make lamb burgers around the same time so it can be used for both recipes. The pickled onions we almost always have a batch of in the fridge, and the hummus is the kalamta olive hummus I get at TJs. After chopping up a few more things (depending on what toppings you want) you put it all in with the turmeric rice and spiced lamb. Has definitely become a family favorite! You can find the recipe over at @foxandbriar or send me a DM.
⠀
(Btw I have no idea if Hungry Thursday is a thing. Just decided to declare it 😆) #feedfeed
Anyone else on the struggle bus heading into 2021? Anyone else on the struggle bus heading into 2021?
⠀
Because that's where I am. I know there's the usual January, post-holidays slump, but there's an extra heaviness that seems hard to shake off this year. I especially feel bad for Dayna now that the holidays are over and she's had so little interaction with people other than us. She thrives from spending time with other kids, and being an only child makes it even harder. Cue the guilt over my inability to give her a sibling, and the cycle starts all over again.
⠀
Here's a few things I have decided to do to get me through the next couple of dreary, cold months:
⠀
x Decorate my bedroom. I can't say that it needs to be redecorated because I never really did it in the first place. I have put a couple of things on the wall and bought a few things here and there, but it has always taken the back burner and I would really like to make it a space to enjoy.
⠀
x Pray every morning. Before I touch my phone, get up, or do anything. Even if it's just for a few minutes.
⠀
x Learn more about wine! We signed up for a trial of SOMM TV in December and became hooked. Think we will sign up for a subscription because I don't think we can live without it now 😆
⠀
x Read Beauty in Barren Places by my friend Betsy Herman @lovethatbetsy and Pain Redeemed by Natasha Metzler @natashametzler
⠀
What are you doing to fight off the January slump??
A look back at our NYE wine dinner... ⠀ We do a A look back at our NYE wine dinner...
⠀
We do a lot of hosting and a lot of cooking. One of our favorite events to host is our huge annual NYE wine tasting party. But with things the way they are we weren't able to do that this year. So instead we had a small dinner party where we were able to pair 5-courses with wine, show off some skills, and had friends contribute some great dishes too!
⠀
Here's what we had so you can have some inspiration for future events:
⠀
~Garlic shrimp paired with a 2018 Muscadet from the Loire Valley
⠀
~ French salad with goat cheese crumbles and radishes paired with @keswickvineyards 2018 LVA Viognier
⠀
~ Cote du Beouf, accompanied by twice baked potatoes and brussel sprouts & spinach made by friends paired with 2017 Guigal Crozes Hermitage
⠀
~ Mocha Trifle Cups made by a friend paired with @revalationvineyards Melange a Quarte
⠀
~ Blue cheese and honey paired with Chateau Miselle Sauternes
⠀
We also had a Cava for the midnight toast but by the time it came around we had forgotten about it, and we were all done drinking anyway 😆
⠀
Did you open anything good for New Year's? I would love to hear what you decided to open! Unless you opened some Barefoot. That you can keep to yourself 🤣
What kind of beating did your tree take this year? What kind of beating did your tree take this year? 😂
⠀
Dayna enjoyed removing, playing with, and engaging in an occasional chew with our Christmas tree ornaments this year. Thus the lower half of our tree looks slightly worse for the wear, but thankfully I have learned from last year to only put non-breakable ones/ornaments I don't care about getting slobbered on 🤦
⠀
The mangling of my ornaments did not land this cutie on the naughty list, however! She still received several fun and thoughtful gifts from family members and friends this year.
⠀
Hope you all had a wonderful and blessed Christmas! Swipe to see some more pics of our Christmas love bug 🤩 #CTFOB
"All that you have is out of His grace... ⠀ Jesu "All that you have is out of His grace...
⠀
Jesus Christ, the eternal Word, who became flesh and dwelt among us, is the open channel through which God moves to provide all the benefits He gives to [everyone]…. You cannot believe that you have earned it. You cannot believe that it has something to do with whether you are good or bad. Confess that it is out of His grace, for the entire universe is the beneficiary of God’s grace and goodness.”
⠀
--“From Heaven: A 28 Day Advent Devotional” by A. W. Tozer
⠀
📸 Christmas Eve 2016 in Avignon, France
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My Life in Pictures

Beautiful Budapest at night for #traveltuesday!
⠀
Back in 2012, [almost t e n years ago!!] my husband and I went on our second trip to Europe to Budapest, Hungary and to Vienna, Austria. I took this picture on a sightseeing boat on the Danube with my little Sony point-and-shoot. I still can't believe that this picture turned out so well. It's one of my favorite photos I have ever taken and we have it printed on canvas in our house. The Parliament building in Budapest is an amazing piece of architecture, and at night when it's lit up it becomes an incredible sight to behold.
⠀
Budapest is on our list to make it back to someday! We had a good time, but we were still very new to traveling and there's a lot that we would do over.
⠀
Do you have Budapest on your travel list? If you have already been, what did you like about it? Let me know!⠀
•
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
#budapest #budapesthungary #budapesttravel #budapestgram #budapestatnight #budapestparliament #travel #travelpic #travelphotography #lifewelltraveled #traveladdict #travelmoments #travelmemories #traveler #imisstraveling #instagood #discoverunder5k #momentsofmine #thehappynow #wanderlust #keepexploring #keeptraveling #travellikealocal #theworldshotz #beautifulplaces #beautifuldestinations #nightshot #picoftheday
"Only as we reflect on the Gospel can we go from s "Only as we reflect on the Gospel can we go from someone who desires self-protection to someone who desires to protect others. The Gospel motivates us to see every person as someone God values rather than merely a statistic. The Gospel empowers us to value those society rejects as those who have been created in the image of God." - Raleigh Sadler
⠀
📸 My beautiful girl at Ida Lee Park in October
w e e k e n d vibes ⠀ One of my favorite charcut w e e k e n d vibes
⠀
One of my favorite charcuterie boards that we have done was the one we made on Thanksgiving to hold us over until the turkey arrived. Olives, nuts, jams, berries, pomegranates, mustard, cheese, salami, chorizo, and prosciutto - we had the whole gang! We paired our spread with a Beaujolais. I usually try to space things out on my charcuterie boards but I have discovered that my favorite ones are when everything is basically just piled together 🤣 Hope this gives you some  charcuterie-inspiration for your own creations!
File this under "Things I Forgot to Post Last Year File this under "Things I Forgot to Post Last Year"
⠀
2020 definitely had its lows, as everyone can attest. My sister got me this shirt from a local lady who puts everything on shirts and personalizes anything you can imagine. I took these pictures on one of the days in September when we were trying our best for things to start to feel "normal" again. I have a feeling I will get a kick out of this shirt for a few years to come. Or maybe I need to wait 10 years or so for it to actually be funny 😂
⠀
While I can't recommend 2020, I *can* recommend @walshfamilywine, which felt like a second home for us last year! Getting to go on a few dates and also having the opportunity to let Dayna run around outside in their beautiful grounds while the weather was still warm was a big blessing. Also I'm pretty sure their Friday night Drinkwell virtual tastings saved our sanity, especially through March-May last year 🍷 just sayin'
⠀
p.s. speaking of which, local friends... did you see that @pauliesitalian is going to be at Walsh this weekend serving up fresh pasta dishes? Run, don't walk...what I mean is, click away from IG and go open your bowser right now and make a reservation!
Hey there #hungrythursday! ⠀ I think I've shared Hey there #hungrythursday!
⠀
I think I've shared these lamb bowls before but we made them again recently and they are too pretty not to share again. They are basically Cava-like ripoffs at home! Once you get everything together for them it does take quite a bit of time, but very worth it and it makes great leftovers! We usually make a big thing of tzatziki and make lamb burgers around the same time so it can be used for both recipes. The pickled onions we almost always have a batch of in the fridge, and the hummus is the kalamta olive hummus I get at TJs. After chopping up a few more things (depending on what toppings you want) you put it all in with the turmeric rice and spiced lamb. Has definitely become a family favorite! You can find the recipe over at @foxandbriar or send me a DM.
⠀
(Btw I have no idea if Hungry Thursday is a thing. Just decided to declare it 😆) #feedfeed
Anyone else on the struggle bus heading into 2021? Anyone else on the struggle bus heading into 2021?
⠀
Because that's where I am. I know there's the usual January, post-holidays slump, but there's an extra heaviness that seems hard to shake off this year. I especially feel bad for Dayna now that the holidays are over and she's had so little interaction with people other than us. She thrives from spending time with other kids, and being an only child makes it even harder. Cue the guilt over my inability to give her a sibling, and the cycle starts all over again.
⠀
Here's a few things I have decided to do to get me through the next couple of dreary, cold months:
⠀
x Decorate my bedroom. I can't say that it needs to be redecorated because I never really did it in the first place. I have put a couple of things on the wall and bought a few things here and there, but it has always taken the back burner and I would really like to make it a space to enjoy.
⠀
x Pray every morning. Before I touch my phone, get up, or do anything. Even if it's just for a few minutes.
⠀
x Learn more about wine! We signed up for a trial of SOMM TV in December and became hooked. Think we will sign up for a subscription because I don't think we can live without it now 😆
⠀
x Read Beauty in Barren Places by my friend Betsy Herman @lovethatbetsy and Pain Redeemed by Natasha Metzler @natashametzler
⠀
What are you doing to fight off the January slump??
A look back at our NYE wine dinner... ⠀ We do a A look back at our NYE wine dinner...
⠀
We do a lot of hosting and a lot of cooking. One of our favorite events to host is our huge annual NYE wine tasting party. But with things the way they are we weren't able to do that this year. So instead we had a small dinner party where we were able to pair 5-courses with wine, show off some skills, and had friends contribute some great dishes too!
⠀
Here's what we had so you can have some inspiration for future events:
⠀
~Garlic shrimp paired with a 2018 Muscadet from the Loire Valley
⠀
~ French salad with goat cheese crumbles and radishes paired with @keswickvineyards 2018 LVA Viognier
⠀
~ Cote du Beouf, accompanied by twice baked potatoes and brussel sprouts & spinach made by friends paired with 2017 Guigal Crozes Hermitage
⠀
~ Mocha Trifle Cups made by a friend paired with @revalationvineyards Melange a Quarte
⠀
~ Blue cheese and honey paired with Chateau Miselle Sauternes
⠀
We also had a Cava for the midnight toast but by the time it came around we had forgotten about it, and we were all done drinking anyway 😆
⠀
Did you open anything good for New Year's? I would love to hear what you decided to open! Unless you opened some Barefoot. That you can keep to yourself 🤣
What kind of beating did your tree take this year? What kind of beating did your tree take this year? 😂
⠀
Dayna enjoyed removing, playing with, and engaging in an occasional chew with our Christmas tree ornaments this year. Thus the lower half of our tree looks slightly worse for the wear, but thankfully I have learned from last year to only put non-breakable ones/ornaments I don't care about getting slobbered on 🤦
⠀
The mangling of my ornaments did not land this cutie on the naughty list, however! She still received several fun and thoughtful gifts from family members and friends this year.
⠀
Hope you all had a wonderful and blessed Christmas! Swipe to see some more pics of our Christmas love bug 🤩 #CTFOB
"All that you have is out of His grace... ⠀ Jesu "All that you have is out of His grace...
⠀
Jesus Christ, the eternal Word, who became flesh and dwelt among us, is the open channel through which God moves to provide all the benefits He gives to [everyone]…. You cannot believe that you have earned it. You cannot believe that it has something to do with whether you are good or bad. Confess that it is out of His grace, for the entire universe is the beneficiary of God’s grace and goodness.”
⠀
--“From Heaven: A 28 Day Advent Devotional” by A. W. Tozer
⠀
📸 Christmas Eve 2016 in Avignon, France
Merry Christmas from our family to yours! ⠀ "And Merry Christmas from our family to yours!
⠀
"And you will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at His birth, for He will be great before the Lord." Luke 1:14

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