Four months ago today I underwent surgery for cancer. Not long after my surgery, my husband looked me in the eyes, fear etched on his face like I’ve never seen before. “It was in 8 of your lymph nodes.” I closed my eyes because I couldn’t bear to see his. Heavy sigh, then, “But there’s more.” How could I open my eyes again and witness the pain in his? The look on his face was one that scared me, because Brian is not one to wear his heart on his sleeve. “It’s stage 3, and the most aggressive cancer as far as how quickly it spreads.” All I could do was cling to him and utter, “Oh, dear God.”  Read more... (929 words, estimated 3:43 mins reading time)

Mickey Mouse chocolate chip pancakes (blue and pink at that!), homemade biscuits with sausage gravy, bacon, scrambled eggs, coffee, orange juice, white grape peach juice… what more could you want? Yesterday morning our dear Tiff fixed us breakfast. Having just had minor surgery Thursday to get a port-a-catheter put in (no more icky IV’s!), I sat on my great recliner throne and watched the commotion in my kitchen through my percocet induced stupor. It was the highlight of my week to watch all the goings on. The boys were thrilled with every drop of batter poured onto the griddle and had to be monitored closely to keep from covering every inch of pancake with chocolate chips. Audrey, who has been clingy since my hospital stay, attached herself to Brian, sucking her thumb (something else she started up again while I was in the hospital) and enjoyed the chaos from the safety of Daddy’s arms. Christmas music was playing, the lights were twinkling, and there was a cheerful busyness in the kitchen. Our home was warm and full of life. Watching my children yesterday brought a sparkle into a difficult few weeks. There is nothing like the life and delight a child brings.  Read more... (1051 words, estimated 4:12 mins reading time)

St. Augustine in his Confessions says “You arouse [man] to take joy in praising you, for you have made us for yourself, and our heart is restless until it rests in you.” John of the Cross says in his work The Living Flame Of Love how the soul is meant to “cross over from its own empty silence into an expectant quiet that is alive with His presence.” But what does rest look like? What does God’s presence look like?  Read more... (728 words, estimated 2:55 mins reading time)

There is something about these pictures that just about breaks my heart in two. Perhaps it’s just the simple beauty of my children and their precious love.