Blogging Break

Please bear with me as I take a little break from the blogosphere. There are a few reasons for my hiatus:
1. This week and next are extremely busy.
2. I need to find some new inspiration for posts.

So, until then...

Summertime, and the Livin' is Easy!

Ahhhh. Summer. For me, the word alone brings about feelings of rest and relaxation, and adventure and fun. Yesterday, I was looking online for pictures of animals to show my class, and I came across this photograph. Immediately, I was taken back to my childhood in deep East Texas. I miss those days. Sure, I'm glad to have the convenience of living in a large city, but there was something so special about experiencing all that the country summers had to offer.

Now, when I consider what it was that made those days so magical, I just can't quite put my finger on it. I don't know if it was the countless hours spent in the sweltering sun, the treasure trove of gardening with my grandparents, the days spent at the community swimming pool, the sights and sounds of late nights at the baseball field, the daily Coke float break on the patio, or the many adventures through pastures and barns. Whatever the reason, each day seemed to be open for new opportunities and exciting adventures.

Maybe that's why I always wanted to go into education - so that I could operate my life in a way that would forever include summers. So, as I approach the month of May, my heart begins to beat a little faster, and my outlook becomes a bit brighter, for I know that adventure is upon me!

Lazy Days

My favorite days always end up being the ones that require little preparation and minimal activity. I just love to spend unscheduled time with my husband. Fortunately, we've been able to keep a very open and flexible schedule during this first year of our marriage, and I think it's really been good for us to have time to bond and connect, without the constant presence of obligations and other people.

Last weekend, we had some of this restful time. And, I do apologize (sort of) for the countless pictures of my dogs on this blog, but they are a huge part of our life, and so it would be inauthentic for me to leave them out.

Gladys and Brian (she's getting droopier and droopier as she gets older).

Vito, sleeping is what he does best.

Oops, I broke a nail!

I used to really be aggravated by those girly girls who teared up over a broken nail. I couldn't believe their shallowness!

Well, I guess I've joined their ranks. Notice my thumbnail and the nail on my index finger in the above photograph. See the dark lines? That's right, my nails are disconnecting from my finger. Isn't that disgusting?

I was told when I began chemo that there was a chance that my fingernails and toenails could fall off during treatment. Well, treatment came and went, and I was feeling pretty proud of my trusty old nails.

Then, just this past week, I happened to notice that they are falling off. I immediately started crying when I found this out.

I don't think that it had much to do with the nails, though. I think that it was more about the fact that I just thought that I was DONE with chemo and its nasty side effects. Alas, life will go on. Nails or no nails. I'm not defined by my fingers and toes!

To answer your question...

Hardly a week passes without me either talking to someone or hearing about someone who has recently been diagnosed with breast cancer. Y'all it doesn't get any easier. Each time I hear the news, my heart sinks. I feel so burdened for them, regardless of the specifics of their situations, because I know exactly how they feel. The panic. The unknown. The fear of what's to come. Appointments, screenings, tests, consultations, surgeries, chemotherapy, wig shopping. I know. I've been there.

Last week, I had the privilege of talking with a lady who has just started chemo. She had her first treatment a week ago. So far, she's doing great! But, just like me, no matter how well you feel after that first treatment, there is a huge burden in not knowing when your hair is going to fall out. It's so stressful. I really can't even describe the feeling.

And, as a little side note, never tell someone who is likely facing hair loss that they may not lose their hair. I can't even tell you the number of people who said to me, "Well, you may not even lose your hair. I know someone who didn't." At the time, the patient doesn't give a hoot about who you know or what happened to them. The reality of chemo is that most women (especially) lose their hair.

So, today, here's my tribute to these women. Those who are about to lose their hair, those who have already lost it. It doesn't make it any easier to hear about other women who have lost their hair, but somehow, someway, for me it made easier to SEE those women.

And, to answer the most common question that people ask me - Yes, my hair is starting to grow back. Praise God! He has taught me so much just through the simple act of losing my hair. Thank you, Lord, for your lessons of truth!









(Please bear with me as I post a lot of pictures. I'm trying to figure out how to get the best quality BIG pictures. I'm sick of the itty bitty ones, and I'm having to play around with the html coding.)

TGIF, ANYONE?!?

In the Kitchen with Lindsey

Today, I used these things:

To make this yummy breakfast meal (baked french toast):

Read about it here . I don't know this chick, but she's got one of my favorite blogs. Her photos are great! She makes me want to switch to typepad for the bigger pictures.

Friendly Competition

Brian and I often turn things into competitions. We always put up a wager, but rarely follow through with the original stakes. In this case, we're having a gardening competition. Now, neither of us are known to have particularly green thumbs, but we wanted to try our hands at growing some common plants. We started out, put our plants in pots, according to each one's own knowledge of gardening, and waited. Well, after a couple of weeks or so, this is what my plant looked like:


Not too shabby, huh? Especially considering that I just started with roots, and no green growth. I put packing peanuts in the bottom of my pot so that the soil would drain properly and so that I could move my pot easily in and out of the sun. I was quite proud of my accomplishment!

Well, poor Brian just dumped his bulbs into an old pot of dirt, added some new soil on top and soaked the thing through and through. After the same amount of time, he had nothing to show for his gardening attempt.

One day, while I was gazing out in the woods by our house, I saw this beautiful pink plant that had survived being dumped out of an old pot by the last people who lived in our home:

I had no sooner mentioned it to Brian, when he headed out to the woods to claim it as his own. And, he purchased a new petunia plant for his pot.

So now, despite all of my hardwork and small amount of gardening knowledge, my husband appears to be the greener-thumbed winner of the competition. Oh well, at least we've got some color sprouting up, regardless of whose pot it's in :) [And, Brian would probably want me to mention that he's not really the gardening type, he is just always up for a challenge to conquer!]

Easter Day

After church on Sunday, Brian and I gathered for lunch with my family at my sister and brother-in-law's house. I'll have to say, since my parents divorced when I was four, I always enjoy times when they're both present. For most of my life, I ran wildly between their two houses, so it's nice to see them both at the same time. I feel very blessed to have four parents who love me dearly and who always agree to make things easy for their children. Thank you, Mom and Dad, for putting us first! Now for a few glimpses into our celebration...

Delicious petit fours. Almost too pretty to eat.

Hensley looking pretty in her Easter frock!

Brian and me (just a little longer with the scarfed look. my hair is coming in nicely :)

Brian and Ashley (brother-in-law and sister) - sorry for the washed out picture. I had a lot of trouble with the lighting in their house.

Nana (my mom) and her grandchildren.

Maddox is looking handsome, as usual! And, he ate no less than 10 chocolate eggs while we were there. That boy loves some chocolate!

Maddox and Nana do some artwork.

Papa (my stepdad) feeding Hensley.

Ashley and me (again, a grainy picture)

Brian prays over our meal while Chelsey and Ashley (my sisters) hug.

Maddox was quick to tell all of the women that only boys could sit at his table. As you can see, I was pressing my luck just by taking a picture.

Brian and I sit with the Easter Bunny (aka, Maddox)

Mom (you can only see her legs), Carol (my stepmom), Memaw (Carol's mom), and Ashley visit at the table.

Dad sizes up the room.

David (my stepdad) is ready for a nap after lunch.

Maddox, Ashley, and Chelsey make a dog pile in the living room floor.

It was a great way to celebrate the day!

Mrs. Bunny

Obviously, Brian and I don't have any youngsters running around (thank goodness!), so I decided to make an Easter basket for him for Easter morning. I know that it might seem kind of silly, but I just love finding special little ways to celebrate the holidays. So, I loaded up a little blue basket with candy, some running socks, and an athletic shirt. Nothing big. Nothing fancy, just a little something to make the day different.

Then, I thought, "Oh my goodness, what if Brian's family didn't do the whole Easter bunny thing when he was growing up?" This is our first Easter to be married, and I'm not sure that we've ever talked about our childhood Easter traditions. Many Christians, don't take part in any secular part of the Christian holidays, so I was worried that Brian's family might have been one of those families that didn't do this part. His dad is a minister, so I thought that it might be possible. Fortunately enough, Brian grew up with the Easter bunny traditions, too, so I was safe.

So, what about your family? Did you celebrate Easter with the Easter baskets and bunny?

I, personally, think that it just makes things more fun. I still appreciate all that the day stands for in Christian terms, and I don't think that there is anything wrong with the bunny tradition.

At Calvary

Words by William R. Newell

Luke 23:33"And when they were come to the place,which is called Calvary, there they crucified him,"

Years I spent in vanity and pride,

Caring not my Lord was crucified,

Knowing not it was for me He died on Calvary.

Refrain

Mercy there was great, and grace was free;

Pardon there was multiplied to me;

There my burdened soul found liberty at Calvary.

By God's Word at last my sin I learned;

Then I trembled at the law I'd spurned,

Till my guilty soul imploring turned to Calvary.

Refrain

Mercy there was great, and grace was free;

Pardon there was multiplied to me;

There my burdened soul found liberty at Calvary.

Now I've given to Jesus everything,

Now I gladly own Him as my King,

Now my raptured soul can only sing of Calvary!

Refrain

Mercy there was great, and grace was free;

Pardon there was multiplied to me;

There my burdened soul found liberty at Calvary.

Oh, the love that drew salvation's plan!

Oh, the grace that brought it down to man!

Oh, the mighty gulf that God did span at Calvary!

Refrain

Mercy there was great, and grace was free;

Pardon there was multiplied to me;

There my burdened soul found liberty at Calvary.

Today, I thought the words of this hymn could say everything that I wanted to. May you know the love of Jesus Christ today. May you make him your Lord today. He loves you! He can change you!

Happy Easter!

Keepin' it Real

I was tagged by Whitney at My Journey Toward: The Glamorous Life of a Housewife.
Here are the rules:
Take a picture of yourself RIGHT now.
No primping or preparing.
Just snap a picture.
Load the picture onto your blog.
Tag some people to play.

This is me, after a day of teaching 2nd grade, on the last day of school before Easter - YIKES! Here's what I've done today:

-woke up at 5:45 to take the puppy to potty

-fed all 3 dogs

-took out the trash

-loaded the dishwasher

-taught some stuff

-ate some popcorn and an apple

-spent some time in prayer and Bible study

-taught some more stuff

-had a day-long text conversation with my hubby

-researched some weekend getaway possibilities

-prayed for some people

-drank a slimfast optima (or is it ultima?)

-taught some more stuff

-cleaned up some puppy accidents

-answered some emails

-got dinner for some friends with a new baby

-talked on facebook to my sister about a summer trip

-took some pictures

-edited some pictures

-told brian he should be smily-er about the 3 day weekend (wouldn't you like to be married to me?)

Now, as far as the tagging goes - I tag everyone. Let us see the real you. And, I don't usually respond to tagging, but since Whitney is my real-life friend, I decided to oblige, and this is one of the more fun tags.

Happy Easter!

An organized life is a happy life.

I'm sure that far too many of you would totally disagree with my title for this post, but I'll fight ya tooth and nail on this one. When my clothes are put away, my kitchen is clean, and the pillows are straight, I feel that my life is at peace and my soul can find rest. Unfortunately, the flip side is true for me, too. When things are in disarray in my home, I feel like my entire life is quickly spiraling out of control. I do think it's good to keep a moderately tidy home, but I am sure that I tend to go overboard. Granted, it's not perfect at all times, and I've relaxed my standards in a huge way since adding a husband and three dogs to my household. One of the first things that Brian said when we combined our things into one home was, "There. Now it looks like a house instead of a museum." I wasn't trying to be rigid, but I guess I was.

Well, I've added one more area of rigidity to my life this weekend. Remember sweet little Bertie? The adorable bloodhound puppy that we added to our home a few weeks ago? Well, Bertie has been quite the challenge to housebreak. I thought that I was some sort of housebreaking expert after having Gladys housebroken in about a week, but alas, I was too big for my britches (or however that ridiculous saying goes). You see, precious little Bertie is a scent hound, and thus she keeps her nose to the ground about 97.89% of the time. This makes it quite the challenge to determine when she's about to squat and go. Finally, after a couple of days in a row of utter failure, I decided to do some research about housebreaking bloodhounds. So, little Bertie doesn't know what hit her. She's met her match, and the poor pooch now has a Nazi running her life. But, after 2 days and only 1 accident, I'm thinking that success is just around the corner. We literally have a schedule posted on our refrigerator, outlining "Bertie's Schedule for Success." Some would say I have too much time on my hands, others would say that I'm OCD. I just choose to call myself unique and disciplined. If the shoe fits...

Under the Weather

It happens twice a year. Once in the fall and once in the spring. My nose runs like a faucet, I cough constantly, I scratch my eyes out of my head, and my head feels like someone is inside beating it with a hammer. That's right, I've been hit with allergies or sinus troubles or whatever it is that causes this grief. Only this time, it came with a high fever.

Brian and I were supposed to travel to Austin this weekend to visit some dear family members, but you would know that sickness would hit at just that time. I woke up at 2:00AM on Saturday to find myself with a fever of almost 102. If you've been a chemo patient before, you know that any fever requires an immediate call to the doctor. So, I was on the phone with my oncologist in the middle of the night. Fortunately enough, the fever went away on its own, and I'm beginning to feel better.

This time of year sure is pretty, but boy, does it come with a price!

I like a man who knows his way around the kitchen.

Okay. So, it's no secret that I am a big fan of my husband's. In my book, he is what every woman wishes she had. He loves the Lord. He is a great provider. He puts my needs above his own. He makes me laugh. He treats me with the utmost care. And....he helps me. That man can cook with just as much skill as I can. This weekend, he put his culinary skills to the test, and made my life so much easier, as I had a LOT to do!

And, Ladies, here's a little tip. If you want your husband to help in the kitchen, give him a setup with a great view of the TV. It works every time!

Spring has Sprung

Finally, after a long winter's nap, the earth is waking up and I couldn't be happier about it! I love warm, sunshiny weather, and thankfully, it's becoming the norm for us. We've really enjoyed spending time outdoors with our pups.

Brian and I are having a little plant competition. Let's just say, he'll go to great lengths to ensure the success of his plant.

Gladys is SO patient. I'm trying to be more like her.
Yes, she does have her entire foot in her mouth.

Brian with all 3 pups.

Maybe one day she'll grow into those ears.

Such a little puppy, such a big curb.