This Post Brought to You by the Letter "C"

When you don't know where to start, start with a phone dump. That's what I always say. Well, that's what I started saying today.

This is my attempt to catch up, and a small ode to caffeine. And carbs.

What's been going on...in pictures. Some are instagram filtered for your viewing pleasure.

I updated the chalkboard. Just in time for MS' deacon installation Sunday, which deserves a post all on it's own. He's also dropped like 30 lbs. He's been busy - and I'm so, so proud of him.

 He also did some traveling for work. While the cat's away...dinner consisted of peanut butter fudge cake, ice cream, and sangria. All three provided by the in-laws. They know my love language.

We celebrated a milestone birthday with a dear friend.Which always involves cookie cake. 

  We had a date night at one of our favorite date night restaurants.

 Grizz and I were tired at this point, but it had only just begun.
 

 It was my turn to go out of town. Which involved some good food....

 Coffee.

 Late nights.

 Missing this guy.

More coffee.

 More good food. Lots more coffee. We'll leave it at that.

I was so thankful to have a day off to regroup with the Grizz. We watched some Andy Griffith, with some coffee, of course. Sometimes the soothing words of Andy Taylor are just balm to the soul, right buddy?

I have the very best intentions to rejoin the blogging world again. You know what they say about good intentions...but stay with me anyways:)

Wordless Wednesday

It's humpday. The circus is in town. Let's do some tricks.

Who's Bad?

MS has been wanting to see some live music for a while. Usually the conversation goes something like this:

MS: "I want to go see some live music."
ES: "Ok. Find something you want to go see and we'll go."

Then weeks go by and the conversation happens again. So, when he mentioned Who's Bad - a Michael Jackson cover band, I was skeptical. Actually, in the spirit of transparency, I did not want to go at all.

What kind of people go see a MJ cover band?

Apparently the kind of people that try to make the bar into their living room. No snuggies allowed. 

I kid. Who's Bad was incredible. I laughed so hard at this guys dancing. He was dead on. Sometimes, husbands know best.

For your viewing pleasure on this snowy day.

Let's just moonwalk right into Friday.

Wordless Wednesday

Notify me when it's Friday, or sunny, or whichever comes first.

Friday Favorites - Christmas Edition

I could get used to this three day work week. Next week will be brutal, but fortunately, I have a few Christmas goodies to share to make every week better.

1. Olay Pro-X Facial Brush

My mom put this on her Christmas list. I've been eyeing the Clarisonic for some time, but just couldn't bring myself to spring for a $150 facial brush. I thought I would do the 'one for you, one for me' gift game and got one for myself as well. Plus, it was $20 with free shipping. Add to cart, proceed to checkout please.

I clean my face at night with facial wipes, but there's always a little makeup left behind. This gets the last of it off and does a great job exfoliating. I started using it Christmas Eve, and can tell a difference in my skin already. It really has helped my products and moisturizers to work better as well, and my makeup goes on a lot smoother. The reviews on Amazon are great, if you don't believe me. Plus, it's just fun to use.

2. The Kennedys

Last year over Christmas break, we watched the entire first season of Homeland (another favorite. If you aren't watching, you are seriously missing out.) This miniseries was on over Thanksgiving, and it caught my eye. We added it to Netflix for Christmas break. We are three episodes in and are loving it. I would not have guessed Greg Kinnear to be such a great JFK....love him or hate him (JFK, not Greg. I don't think anyone has strong feelings about Greg Kinnear). Great way to pass the grey month of January. After all, it's an EPIC movie EVENT.

3.  Gone Girl

A few people recommended this book, so I was excited to start it over Christmas.

I read it in one day. It was that good. Pick it up at your bookstore, library or via iBooks. However it is you roll, this one is worth the read. Even better if you have some Christmas Blend coffee to go with.

Happy Friday, folks. Hope you have a great weekend mentally preparing for FIVE DAYS OF ALARM CLOCK WAKE UPS. Sigh.

Christmas and Beyond

  Helloooo....is anyone still out there?

I took the past couple weeks off work, off blogging, almost off showering. I think after 7 years in the working world, I've earned a little end of the year staycation.

First things first. I'm aware I take entirely too many pictures of my dog. I can't help myself - he's just funny. At least to me, anyways.

After several attempts at a picture in front of the Christmas tree...

 We somewhat succeeded. Merry Christmas?

 We did our annual Christmas eve eve tradition of Chinese and Christmas Vacation. If I haven't talked about Costco enough, I'll go ahead and tell you, their stir fry veggies are top notch.
 

 MS spent some time with Namath, since it was a family night. If this isn't the poster child for unimpressed, I don't know what is.

  Maybe this?

 Namath got a new bed for Christmas (from Costco). Despite the look, he's barely left it in two weeks. 

 I don't think he's a fan of Matt's gift. No matter how many times I tell him that UA degrees pay for his prescription diet dog foods and ACL surgeries. Dogs can be so unreasonable.

Whoever filled my stocking knows me well. Two of these four items never made it to 2013.
 

 We spent our mornings here. 

 Which was pretty exhausting by lunch time.

 By afternoon, well, forget it.

 We took a break from being completely worthless and had a spend the night party with the nieces. We cooked pizza, cookies and Uncle Matt made pancakes in the morning. The girls slept until 8...I was impressed.

 Harper loved the chocolate chips in her pancakes. They went well with the coffee. Sorry, mom and dad.

 After the kids left, we ventured into some more adult activities.

Bad reading. (I still don't know the answer to this question after reading this article).

 Good beer.

 We went for a good meal New Year's Eve, to some friends for a drink, and were home by 11:30 to ring in 2013.

 Just the three of us.

Hope your holiday left you grateful for the blessings in your life. I know ours did.

Guest Post - Lessons in Cancer

 Today I'm sharing a guest post from Heather Von St. James. When she contacted me to share her story, I was honored. But when I read her reason of  wanting to turn "pain into purpose", I understood and was even more excited to have her guest post. 

We all so often take for granted marriage, kids and a long life. I think this week, more so than most, we know that nothing is promised except the gift of today. 


 I really believe the saying that it takes a village to raise a baby. When my daughter was born, all of our loved ones surrounded us, excited to meet Lily for the first time. They all wanted to be there for baby Lily and for us. Life was really just good after that beautiful day in August 2005 when she was born.

 

Things didn’t seem as good after I returned to work. I was feeling sick. Tired, fatigued, exhausted, breathless, and very weak; most people assumed that this was all part of being a new mom, and so did I. But after a while, it got to the point where I knew it was something more. I went to my doctor and he diagnosed me with malignant pleural mesothelioma, which is a form of cancer caused by exposure to asbestos, which I learned I was exposed to as a child.

My doctor told me I’d live around 15 months without treatment. Looking at my little family, I knew that I had to do more than that. I chose to do whatever was the best chance of saving my life and I went to Boston and had my left lung removed by the best mesothelioma doctor around in a surgery called an extrapleural pneumonectomy that you can read about on my blog I recovered in that Boston hospital for 18 days, then spent two more months recovering, and then underwent chemotherapy and radiation. While I was in Boston, my little girl was in South Dakota, living in my childhood home with my parents. They had their own village with them, helping them to raise my daughter. I’d made amazing friends in Boston, people who were going through the same things I was, and it was these people who all make it possible for me to get through every day.

My parents were also surrounded by love during this time. Their church friends, work friends, and other friends were there for them. Some of the girls I babysat many years ago were taking the time from their own families and lives to watch Lily during the day while my parents worked. They were truly given so much support and love that it makes me happy. It was hard, however, seeing so many of Lily’s firsts in grainy photographs my mom sent to my husband that he printed for me. I missed her so much when the nurses came into my room to look at her photos, and I tried not to cry.

I learned a lot from being diagnosed with cancer. What I learned is that life is precious. There is always good with the bad. Lily has an amazing bond with my parents now, and no amount of time or distance will change that. I am appreciative and thankful for every minute of every single day; that is what cancer taught me.