be still and smile

It has been about 938 days since I was told I had breast cancer. Since then I have had 1 year of chemotherapy, radiation and 4 surgeries. Oh and therapy for over a year. All with little girls needing a mama. Since then, my hair has grown back. My eyebrows have grown back and I have started meeting new people. I have become part of new circles. Most when they look at me would absolutely never guess of what a horrific few years I’ve just had. So when I walk into a party or the

Well it is half way through October and we have seen post after post about breast cancer. I will be one of the first people to tell you about my story and all the symptoms I had, the signs leading up to my diagnosis, the ways I could have detected it earlier, support for when diagnosed. But you know what I really wish someone would have shared with me? Prevention. I mean I remember reading a random magazine article or two about preventing cancer. I think I knew just as much a

I am so thankful for you both. When I was a girl all I ever played at and pretended was “house” and being a mom. With the help of the Lord my dream came into fruition. You both have changed my world. You help me yearn to be better with every breath I take. You remind me what a child-like faith is. You remind me how to trust, how to be brave and how to love everyone regardless of our differences. You both give me courage, grit and help me open the door to being the best versio

I remember growing up and going over to friends’ houses to spend the night, the obligatory pizza was served and of course pop to go with it. Okay okay, here in Texas everything is a Coke. Or soda I guess. (When your parents are from Michigan, you are raised saying pop.) But we never had pop in my house, we were one of the families who were becoming healthier and venturing out of the 70s microwave dinner phenomenon. So, I never wanted pop. I wanted milk. We were raised on milk

May is the motherload (pun intended) of months for me as a mom. Both my daughters are born in May and my cancer-versary is in May. This gives me a lot of time to ponder the meaning of motherhood and of course to analyze myself to see if I am on the track I thought I’d be on. Re-evaluate myself, push myself, pray and try to really tune in to my girls and our life. Lately, I feel myself being pulled in so many different directions, say yes to all of the things and feeling like

Today starts a sale for the Beginner's Box with Young Living. I have to be straight with you all and tell you how much this bundle has changed my family's life. Especially after my diagnosis with breast cancer. Halen was constantly sick as a baby... it broke my mama heart. I had to find a different solution for her. Evan always had headaches and skin issues, I had to find a different solution for him. I always had digestive issues and then had cancer... I had to find a differ

We were driving around last night looking at Christmas Lights and when a commercial came on our Christmas song station, I immediately switched it to the cd I had in my car. Johnny Mathis. Not many of you may know him, but he brings back all kinds of nostalgia from my childhood Christmases growing up. My mom always had his cd and Nat King Cole's ready to play. I am humming to the tunes as Johnny sings while the twinkling lights pass by. My heart is full... this season is full

During this season of Christmas, many embrace joy and gladness. The twinkling lights dazzle and the spirit of the season stirs up an awakening of magic and…hope. Others are experiencing, struggles and the reminder of such a season of cheer drowns them in their own despair and brings relentless thoughts of fear. Both of these feelings are completely valid and are allowed to co-mingle during the season of Christmas. The message I learned at church this past Sunday focused on ju

Formal Definition: A DIEP flap is a type of breast reconstruction in which blood vessels called deep inferior epigastric perforators (DIEP), as well as the skin and fat connected to them, are removed from the lower abdomen and transferred to the chest to reconstruct a breast after mastectomy without the sacrifice of any of the abdominal muscles. Nine months ago, I had a unilateral mastectomy to remove the cancerous tumor, because it was the immediate need. I chose to leave my