the great state of Texas...

Mom & I had a wonderful time in the great state of Texas.

We loved spending time on the Riverwalk where the river is beautiful, the music is fun, and the food is spectacular!

We ate lunch Wed. at this excellent Mexican restaurant, Casa Rio, which we later learned was the 1st restaurant to open on the Riverwalk but was originally owned by Germans...crazy!

We of course couldn't forget the Alamo...

The conference was great, somewhat overwhelming, but great.
There were over 5,000 attendees, but everything was so organized we rarely felt like we were in the midst of that many people. At the opening ceremony, we had the opportunity to hear an inspirational speech by breast cancer survivor, Geralyn Lucan.
I can't wait to read her book "Why I Wore Lipstick to My Mastectomy".

My presentation on Thursday went very well, and many people seemed very interested in my poster.

Here I am with my poster all set up.

We didn't get time to do too much shopping, and I didn't find many souveniers, but I did bring back something that I'm tickled about!

For those who don't know, I love children's books & I'm always on the search for books to add to my ever-growing collection.

I found this one & couldn't turn it down...it's sooo adorable.

From what we saw, I loved the city of San Antonio.
Perhaps I was most amazed by the beautiful array of tropical flowers.
I love to take pictures of flowers wherever I go.
Here are some of my favorite flower shots...

I'd definitely love to visit San Antonio again!

a year from now...

It's hard to believe that in a year from now we'll be moving into yet another new phase in our lives.

This weekend is graduation weekend at both Duke & U.N.C.

That means one more year and it'll be mine & Chris' turn to graduate (again!).

Although we don't know yet whether Chris will graduate in December or May of next year, he will be able to walk at the May ceremony meaning we'll both graduation on the same weekend!

I can't believe that we've been here for nearly 4 years...

the time has flown by!

We've found wonderful places to work & further our education,

we've found a church that we love,

and we've made the best of friends.

We have no idea what we'll be doing or where we'll be going a year from now,

but no matter where we go it will be hard to leave here.

This has become our home.

For now, we'll keep working & studying hard all the while waiting to see what's in store for us in the future!

this time next week...

I'll be here---the Marriott RiverCenter, San Antonio!

Can't wait to visit the great state of Texas.

I've never been before.

Looking forward to seeing the Alamo, shoppping at the Spanish market (El Mercado), eating some delicious Tex-Mex food, and most of all spending time with mom.

Add in all of our conference events (since that is the whole reason we're going), and it'll be a packed schedule.

Bring on the fun!

look what I made...

my version of a "taggie" baby blanket...

I was feeling crafty last night & whipped it up in about an hour by hand.

Imagine how much faster I could sew it with a machine.

Can't wait until my birthday when I can get a sewing machine.

This one's not perfect, but for my 1st attempt it's pretty good.

I plan to make lots more!

Earth Day

Happy Earth Day!

I want to know that my children & grandchildren can enjoy the earth and all of it's bounty just like we do today.

I've become very passionate about recycling, my reusable shopping bags, and growing our own vegetables.
It may not seem like much, but every little big helps.

Do what your part to keep our earth beautiful!

The earth is the LORD’S, and all it contains,The world, and those who dwell in it.

-Psalms 24:1

grief

The last week has been an odd week.

My classes are winding down-a great thing;
I have more time on my hands-usually a good thing;
and it seems that the events of the last 6 weeks are catching up with me & reality is setting in-not as good, but it needs to happen.

I'm really learning first-hand that grief is a process not something that just happens & then is gone.
I've always studied the stages of grief & such but have never experienced for myself just what a process it is.

A dear friend of Peppes' sent me a card a few weeks ago with this quote in it...

"Grief is the wake behind a boat.
It starts out as a huge wave that follows close behind you and is big enough to swamp and drown you if you suddenly stop moving forward.

But, if you do keep moving, the big wake will eventually dissipate.

After a long enough time, the waters of your life get calm again,

and that is when the memories of those who have left begin to shine as bright and enduring as the stars above."

-Jimmy Buffet from "A Salty Piece of Land"

I love the imagery of this quote & how it sums things up for me.

Although this week has been hard just in that I've had more time to reflect on how much I miss Peppes,

it's also been so beautiful in that I've had a chance to reflect on the wonderful memories I have of her.

There are simply too many to recount, but I feel so blessed to have them to hold onto.

(I promise all of my future posts will not be depressing.)

To end on a happy note...here's a picture of Chris & I at the Easter picnic we had with friends at the Duke Gardens last Sunday...
I love my babe!

Easter

The legend of the dogwood tree...

Peppes taught me the story behind dogwood trees when I was just a child.

Dogwood trees used to be among the tallest, strongest, and straightest trees in ancient times.

According to legend, Jesus was crucified on a cross made from dogwood trees.

After this, God changed the dogwood trees into smaller, fragile, bent & twisted trees that would not be suitable for building crosses.

The 4 petals of the dogwood bloom form the shape of a cross.

At the outer edge of each petal is a stripe of dark red that represents the nails drove into Jesus' hands and feed as he was crucified.

The red berries that grow in the center of the bloom symbolize the crown of thorns our Lord wore while hanging on the cross.

What a story,

what a Savior,

Happy Easter!

a fun weekend

Chris' parents, Erin, & Big Nana (his grandmother) visited us this weekend.

They came Saturday morning & left Monday morning.

We really enjoyed their visit!

We spent some time Saturday afternoon at the Duke Gardens.

It's the perfect time to visit there with all of the spring flowers in bloom.

I got some great pictures I'll post below.

I cooked dinner on Saturday night & we just spent time catching-up & talking.

Sunday afternoon we celebrated Chris' 26th birthday by enjoying a picnic and some hiking at the Eno River.

We had dinner at Pepper's (Chris' & his dad's favorite Chapel Hill eatery) and walked around campus for a bit.

We came home & enjoyed cake & ice cream.

The weather couldn't have been more perfect and it was refreshing to spend some time outdoors.

Here are some of my favorite shots from our fun weekend...

Carolina's the place to be...

Congrats to the 2009 NCAA National Champion UNC Tar Heels!!!

Much to my dismay, since moving here I've become a college basketball fan.

I'll admit that I pull for Duke, but have nothing against Carolina.
Chris is of course a Tar Heel fan.

We watched the game on the big screen last night on campus with other students...so fun!

There was certainly lots to celebrate.

Carolina is an exciting place to be!

spring flowers & other spring things

Here are some of my beautiful spring flowers in the front yard...

I love my cute Easter tree!

I've been dying to use my Pampered Chef decorator bottles since I got them for Christmas.

Today I decided to make "spring" cupcakes.

It took me about 12 cupcakes to get the hang of using the bottles & tips.

These are some of the ones that turned out best...

things I love for spring...

Spring is finally here...thank goodness!

I can't think of a time when I've been this ready for spring.

I'm loving the beautiful flowers in our front flower bed...I'll try to get a picture tomorrow if it's not raining.

Seeing the beautiful flowers & feeling the spring air put me in the mood for spring cleaning.

So, yesterday I cleaned the house from top to bottom.

I'm talking washing windows, cleaning base boards & chair rails, washing all the linens, cleaning the oven, dusting, vacuuming, mopping...

It was warm so I left the windows open while I cleaned & into the evening.

I love the smell of a clean house & spring air!

Cheri told me about the Mr. Clean Magic Eraser so I tried it out for myself yesterday.
It's amazing...my kitchen sink & bathtubs look brand new!
I also used it to get some scratches off of our white chair rail in the kitchen. It's definitely my new favorite cleaning tool!

Speaking of new things I love...
my new favorite Bath & Body Works scent is the
Aromatherapy Orange Ginger.
My mom & I spent the night at the Evergreen Resort Friday night for an Oncology Symposium and our cute little toiletries were Orange Ginger from Bath & Body Works.

How springy is this???
This is my favorite new Vera Bradley print...Hope Garden.
Do I need another bag of any type...definitely not!
Hopefully I'll come up with a good excuse to get a bag in this print though.
Love it!

This is the scene in my kitchen window right now.
I cut these fresh flowers from the yard yesterday after I finished cleaning the house.
The hyacinth smells glorious & the daffodils just brighten up the whole room.

I'm so thankful for spring,
for beautiful spring flowers to see,
for the crisp spring air to feel & smell,
and for the ability to use my senses to enjoy the newness of spring.

Irish indeed

In honor of St. Patrick's day, for dinner Tuesday night I made Irish Beef Stew.
It turned out great so I wanted to share the recipe.
Also in the spirit of the Irish, I steamed some asparagus to go with dinner.
I love asparagus but had never cooked it.
Suprisingly, Chris liked it too.
Here's the recipe...

Irish Beef Stew
2 Tbsp. oil
1-1/2 lb. trimmed boneless beef round steak, cut into chunks
2 Tbsp. flour
1 large onion, coarsely chopped
1 can (14-1/2 oz.) beef broth
1 can (14-1/2 oz.) stewed tomatoes, undrained
1 env. GOOD SEASONS Garlic & Herb Dressing Mix
3 medium potatoes, cut into 3/4-inch chunks
3 medium carrots, cut into 1/2 pieces
3 cups hot cooked noodles

Heat oil in 5-quart saucepot on medium-high heat.
Coat meat with flour.
Add to saucepot with onion; cook and stir until browned.
Stir in broth, tomatoes and dressing mix.
Bring to boil, stirring occasionally.
Reduce heat to low; cover and simmer 30 minutes.
Add potatoes and carrots; cover.
Simmer an additional 30 minutes.
Remove cover; simmer 15 minutes or until meat is tender and sauce is thickened, stirring occasionally.
Serve over noodles.

Peppes...

Sunday, March 8th

After getting home from church my mom called with news that turned my little world upside down...

My grandmother, Peppes, had died unexpectedly.

After not feeling well over the weekend, she opted to stay home from church on Sunday morning, but insisted that Pop go on without her.

He always did what she wanted him to do so he went along.

When he got back home, she was gone.

He told us that it looked like she had just fallen asleep in her chair.

He said she looked so peaceful.

I am so glad she didn't linger and suffer. We all are comforted by that.

Chris & I immediately drove home...it was the longest drive home ever.

The last week and a half has been a whirlwind.

There have been moments where the reality of it hits me like a ton of bricks and other moments where I feel like she might call me at any minute.

Peppes meant the world to me.

She was the finest Christian lady.

In my eyes, she was a woman who could do no wrong.

She spoiled me and all of her grandchildren.

I had never once stopped to imagine life without her.

I knew how much she meant to me and to many others, but I had no idea just how many others.

At her visitation Monday night, nearly 600 people came to comfort us and share their memories of Peppes with us.

Many told stories of how she had touched their lives in ways that we did not even know.

Almost 300 people were with us on Tuesday for her funeral, or as we prefered to call it a celebration of her life.

Pop, my mom, aunt, and sisters stood to read words they had written about Peppes.

I was not composed enough to read, but mom read the words I had written for me:

My grandmother died on the most beautiful day in March.

I am certain it was the most beautiful day a March month has ever seen.

That's exactly how God planned it, and I know she would have approved.

Peppes is the name I gave her as a child, and it just seemed to stick.

She shared so much of herself with me.

Peppes taught me to love to read, she taught me how to make the best banana pudding, she set the most perfect example of how a husband should be loved, and most of all she taught me to love God.

Peppes was truly the finest example of a virtuous woman.

She walked right alongside God, and I am certain that is where she was when she left this world.

She was my lighthouse; always a shining source of light and constant encouragement to me.

Matthew 5:14says "Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hid.".

I know that her light has touched so many of us.

It will continue to shine on.

I love you Peppes.

There are hardly 10 consecutive minutes that go by that she doesn't cross my mind.

I hope it's that way forever.

We all have so many happy memories of her.

I don't regret anything about the 25 years I shared with her in my life,

I just regret that I don't have any more time with her.

She was there for so many major events in my life--

my baptism, my high school graduation, my nursing school graduation, our wedding...

I will miss sharing the future events in my life with her.

I am so sorry that our children will never meet their great grandmother.

You can believe that they will hear all about her though.

She was the greatest of ladies in so many regards, too many to name.

Her memory will live on with us forever.

flowers...

Our sweet neighbors gave us an amaryllis kit for Christmas.

Slowly, but surely it grew and grew & finally started blooming this week.

It's so beautiful...

Lent

Lent is the 40 days leading up to Easter in the Christian tradition.

It is observed as a time of prayer, service, and fasting.

Although I've always observed the Easter season, I've honestly never paid that much attention to Lent and what it represents.

This year, I decided to participate in the act of giving something up for Lent.

In order to really exercise true self-restraint and surrender, I knew I should give up something that I really loved...

So, I have been without chocolate in any form for the last week!

It's been a great exercise in self-control for me especially since we still have chocolate sitting around from Christmas & Valentine's Day.

I really had no idea just how many things I eat/drink every day that contain chocolate...no more mochas, hot chocolate, chocolate milk...

I'm so glad I'm doing this though!