Great Friends & Fruit Pizza

The month of April is going to be insane for us. Of the four weekends during the month, I will be gone three of them. I needed to feel a bit sane yesterday, so Todd and I stayed around the house all day tackling our lengthy to-do list.I took a break and turned on the Food Network. If you're a little tense, Giada or the Barefoot Contessa have a way of putting you at ease. I think it's their calm voices...

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Tacos in Pasta Shells

Last Friday Todd and I headed over to Josh and Christi's - if you have read my blog long, you will notice I mention those two a lot. Because we ♥ them.Josh & ChristiBecause Christi slaved over an amazing dinner the last time we were over, it was my turn to cook for them. I made one of my very favorite dishes - a recipe I found when I was 13 or 14 in one of my grandmother's magazines. It was the...

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Spring Fever

It's spring fever. That is what the name of it is. And when you've got it, you want -oh, you don't quite know what it is you do want, but it just fairly makes your heart ache, you want it so! ~Mark TwainI got a glimpse of spring this week. Actually it was more like summer, but I wasn't complaining. It was 80 degrees and sunny in Houston. I almost needed to reach for the sunscreen. I got back to Nashville...

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Family Ties

I always come back from Ozark just a little exhausted. I have a good excuse this time. I caught a cold while we were in town, but the weekend wasn't all lost. It was actually just what I needed.First, an update on Todd's mom. The tumor in her breast is malignant, but because it was caught so early, the doctors believe that they can remove it by doing a lumpectomy and radiation. This weekend was really...

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A Quick Trip to Atlanta

Yesterday I left for a quick work trip to Atlanta. I was a little hesitant about going because of everything going on with Todd and his family. It just felt like bad timing to leave him. But God knew how much I needed the quick getaway and He had reasons for letting me escape for a little while (even if it was work-related). How foolish am I for forgetting his timing is perfect?I rode down with two...

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The "L" Word

I have a bit of a struggle with this blog. I actually started reading blogs when my favorite magazine Cottage Living went out of business. I thought blog stalking would help save on my magazine budget! But as I got started writing myself, I realized that my blog would be more like a journal with pictures. Now I can look over the past couple of months and relive the moments I have experienced. Most of the time my posts are glimpses into our simple life filled with family, friends, and food. I can't forget the food! But I'm also realizing that if I want to truly record and remember the events in my life, I can't just write about the happy ones.

Today is not a happy post, but it is a hope-filled one.

Yesterday was a day I won't soon forget. I had only been at work for a little while when my cell rang. It was Todd. I figured he was calling to tell me about something he heard on the radio on his way to work, so I let it go to voicemail. Then, during a meeting, my office phone lit up with his number. My meeting would be over in 20 minutes, so I let it ring. He immediately called again and I told my coworkers I needed to answer. It wasn't like him to be so impatient.

I answered and the following minutes were a blur.

Todd had just got off the phone with his mom. She was leaving the doctor's office and had called to say that her mammogram results came back and they found the dreaded "L" word: a lump. A large mass in one of her breasts. If you know me very well, you know that I tend to freak out. I tend to always assume the worst and well, freak out. But at that moment all I cared about was taking care of Todd and making the pain go away. I could literally feel his fear in my bones. I felt helpless. But I was also filled with a strength I have never known and a calm I've never experienced. I knew I had to be strong for him and if nothing else, pray.

I immediately started e-mailing everyone I could think of. Within minutes our closest friends were texting and e-mailing. Todd and I were humbled by their love for us. We knew that when they said they would drop everything they really meant it. One of our pastors came by last night to check on Todd and talk football. It sounds silly to "talk football," but that's the magic button for my husband and I could tell he was happy to get his mind on other things.

So now we wait. Todd's mom has a biopsy on Tuesday and we find out the results on Thursday. But thankfully we were planning a trip to Missouri next weekend anyway, so we're thankful for God's timing that will allow Todd to be with his family that day.

We know God is in control and that this isn't a surprise to Him. We fully trust in His provision for our lives.

"Now glory be to God! By his mighty power at work within us, he is able to accomplish infinitely more than we would ever dare to ask or hope."
(Ephesians 3:20)

Todd's mom Tracy getting her groove on in downtown Nashville. Now you know where Todd gets it. :)

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