Been a While

Oh, it's been a while since I posted. Like a long, long while. Like a month's long while. A lot can transpire in a month.

First things first I'd like to thank my friends and family members who have been so kind in offering encouragement to me these past few days. For those who don't know, my Aunt has passed away after a two year long fight with cancer. She is surely missed.

This picture was taken during my visit with her over the summer. Cancer is a wicked, wicked thing, huh?

On a brighter note, I'd also like to take the chance to welcome home my friend Charity! After gallivanting around the globe for a year she was finally returned to the old Meade County. I'm so happy she's home, and that she lives just a hop, skip, and a jump

down the road from me! Here is an extremely unflattering photo of Charity and me from back in our college days, about four (could that be right?!) years ago:

I think it's only fair after showing this dreadful late night picture to show you something like this, which just proves that I have the prettiest friends a gal could ask for:

Two

While the rest of the country tuned in to their televisions on Tuesday night to keep pace with the election results, I gathered with my family to celebrate a very special little girl.

Gabby, I know you can't read this yet, but you'll never know how much joy you've brought your family the two short years you've been with us. Three is going to be a good year, I can tell.

Homework Cat

Rudy is the opposite of helpful during my all night homework marathons.

Catching Up

I am currently trying to keep my head above water in one of busiest seasons of my life. Between school, youth stuff, and my "bustling" social life I haven't had time for much else! So here's a breakdown:

I'm reading this book. It's a winner. You should get you one.

A few weeks ago our youth had a free car wash. It was great fun, but everyone got a little whiny towards the end. And there was a leaf tornado. Not kidding, this huge bunch of leaves slowly started swirling till it was full speed throwing stuff all over the place. It lifted a bike helmet, a bucket, and a trash can and carried it all into a nearby field!

Note how everyone is just watching Dusty wash the car...

The leaf tornado-- you kinda just had to be there for this but it was the craziest thing I've experienced in a long, long time!

Also in this month we've had a wedding:

Frankly, just thinking about the rest of the stuff that I have to post about from this month is making me sleepy. And since I already have my computer in bed because I'm supposed to be doing online homework well... it's too good of a scenario not to rest!

More later, to be sure.

Simply Put, Pumpkin Vol. 1

This is the first installment of my experiments with pumpkin recipes. Enjoy!

The Recipe: Pumpkin Angel Food Cake

The Process:

So I did a really poor job of documenting the "process"--could be because the basis of this cake is semi-homemade at best, using a boxed angel food cake mix. Let's just say that about ten minutes after this pictures was taken, my house smelled lovely!

The Result:

The Test:

This was Dusty's reaction after taking the first bite. Actually probably the fourth bite. He hates having his picture taken. Also, considering he has not gone back for more, he was not a huge fan of this cake.

In all, I was not a huge fan either. The recipe called for a creamy ginger filling, but I didn't have any whipped cream so I had to skip it.

To be fair, I'm not a lover of angel food cake in general. This cake wasn't bad at all, but it was definitely not the best thing I've ever made.

It did, however, pair nicely with a cup of Harden's Vienna Roast Medium Dark Coffee!

24

Happy birthday to my

first love,

best friend,

one,

only,

companion.

24 will be a good year

Cancer-- This is a Depressing Post

Today we got the news that we've been dreading for a year and a half.

The news that chemotherapy is now ineffective, that cancer has spread, and that my aunt is on the downward slope.

Cancer is the scariest thing I can ever imagine facing. Everything about this news frightens me, down into places that I didn't even know could be scared. Scared that my aunt is alone, scared the she's not a believer, scared that my mother could get cancer someday, scared that I could.

When you get news like this it's uncomfortable. Like a weight has descended onto your chest that makes breathing difficult. You know that you've got to get the weight off but you know this is a heavy weight to move. How can I fit this weight into my everyday life, because I'm not strong enough to move it?

And part of me hates that right now I'm also thinking about myself: how I'm bad with hospitals and with silence and with finding the right words to say. I'm bad at comforting and I'm bad with tears.

This whole death and dying thing is really quite awkward, wouldn't you agree?

I wish I had all the time in the world; I would go to Ohio and sit with my aunt and talk and keep her company and make her smile and maybe even laugh and I would take her shopping and feed her ice cream.

Because more than I dread the awkwardness, I dread being alone. And I dread loneliness not just for myself but for those that I love. Being alone is one of the most hollow feelings on the planet, and being sick is also hollow so that makes for a lot of emptiness.

And as a Christian I've heard that we should not fear death and that we should celebrate a person's life when they die. But what if I'm afraid of death both for her and for everyone else and what can I celebrate knowing that if she goes in her present state she will go not knowing the Lord?

What is there to celebrate with that? Nothing.