Life as I know it

My new interest, Pinterest

2011-08-11T19:27:00.004-05:00

Ok, so I have to admit, house cleaning has been put on hold this week....wait, who am I kidding?? housework has never been my forte....but thats beside the point, I have been addicted to a new website this week and it is taking every ounce of free time I have! I must introduce you all to it incase you haven't met.

Bloggers, meet www.pinterest.com

Pinterest.com, meet my fellow bloggers!

Have you ever been on a website and seen that perfect recipe you just had to re-create and then days later when you wanted to bake it you couldn't remember where the recipe was from? Well Pinterest is the fix for that problem and so much more! When you join this site, you create boards of all kinds and then pin stuff that you see on the web or even on your friends boards onto your own boards. You are basically creating an online scrapbook of all the things you love! Just go their, you will understand. And be warned, it is consuming! Then, let me know what your favorite pins are!

(They should really pay me for this!)

I'm baack

2011-08-08T21:37:00.002-05:00

Hello Bloggers! Not sure if any of you are even still out there, but with a little inspiration from my new addiction pinterest.com I have decided to get back in the blog world.

Just a quick update on life: Josh and I are still living in San Antonio and have really grown to love it. It is home now. I am entering my third year of teaching in 2weeks. Not completely stoked about it, but very thankful to have a job. Josh is officially a Doctor now and has a steady flow of patients. I'm still in remission and life feels normal again. A different normal, but normal none the less.

Man this is harder than it sounds

2010-01-23T17:19:00.002-06:00

Hey there! Well starting this thing is harder than I thought! I realize now if Josh doesn't do this with me, it will not happen. You have to have the support.

I went to Whole foods Wednesday night to get all the stuff I needed to start this detox. Then, Thursday I had to grab a quick dinner with Josh before I went to a meeting. That meal I ate with Josh was well, uh, pizza...from Costco. Probably not on the raw food detox diet. From then I haven't been able to really get back on the horse. But, that meeting I went to was to sign up to run a marathon with "Team in Training." Running a marathon or atleast a half marathon has always been on my "to-do" list. But even more a reason to run is that the funds I raise are going towards the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. I'm really excited!!

So...here's the new game plan: Still going to try and detox with this raw food philosophy. I need to be healthy more than ever now. I'm hoping though to talk Josh into doing it with me.

Here is one of the fundamentals for this new lifestyle, a special drink, "Green Lemonade." It is stocked full of nutrients that aid in digestion and fill you up with vitamins.

1 head of romaine lettuce or celery
5-6 stalks of kale
1-2 apples
1 whole organic lemon (rind and all)
1-2 tbs fresh ginger

You are supposed to put it into a juicer one vegetable at a time. Pour into a glass and drink!

If any of you try it, let me know what you think. I plan on making it tomorrow!

On a side note if you'd like to donate to a great cause that will aid in finding a cure for blood cancers please click on the link below:

I really appreciate any and all support. It is near and dear to my heart and the hearts of thousands that are affected by blood cancers.

Now, here's to getting healthy!

Day 1

2010-01-19T20:56:00.002-06:00

Hello fellow bloggers. Thanks for not giving up on me!

Today I said I was going to begin my 21 day detox. Well....that is sort of true. After looking at some bookstores this weekend for my book, I couldn't find it anywhere. I'm not sure why? Maybe it just isn't all that good? So I decided to try something else. It is called the "Raw Food Detox Diet." It is the 5-step plan for vibrant health! And I liked it alot after sitting in Barnes and Noble for a while, reading it. Don't you love Barnes and Noble??

Another speed bump to beginning this great detox diet: I drove in from Dallas really late last night and didn't have time to go to the grocery store. SOOO...the plan is to officially start Thursday (after I've had time to shop and make some of the goods). Although I did eat mostly raw foods today and plan to do the same tomorrow.

Now, back to the book. I learned some good stuff this weekend from it. The premise is not only eating healthy foods in their natural state, but also mixing the proper foods according to transit, or exit time.....the time it takes to digest the food.

Interesting concept that I've never thought of. But if you think about it, foods like fruits only take about 30 minutes to leave the stomache whereas other foods take up to 8 hours to digest. If we stuff out bodies at a minimum of three times a day with an 8 hour digestion rate for each, we are going to have a major backup. Also, fruits are very acidic. If you eat something that takes 8 hours to digest with fruit, the fruit will get stuck in the digestive track alot longer than neccessary and in the end cause fermentation in your stomache...a perfect enviornment for diseases!

Now that is just a small bit about this diet, Each day I will give you more and let you in on what all I'm eating and how I'm feeling! My tip of the day...via the book...Eat fruit alone or leave it alone!!!

Until Thursday,

Linds

New Year, New Me!

2010-01-13T20:43:00.002-06:00

Hello...is anyone there??

Well here I am...6 months into my first year of teaching and I have written zero blogs. It's not because I don't think about any of you or wish I had some funny stories to write about (trust me, I wish I had funny stories). The truth is, it has been a difficult season in my life. The teacher gig is not even close to easy. I have been stretched in ways I didn't even think were possible. But here I am, still cranking, and I have a little idea.....

I have NOT been good to myself or my body during these last few months. I have worked myself to death and fed myself crap in the meantime. I feel lathargic and tired all the time. I'm running on little sleep and empty calories! Soo, I think I am going to do a 21 day detox. No, not a diet. For the most part I am against those and I try not use the "d" word. But I have got to rid myself of the toxins and yuckiness floating around my body that keep me feeling depleted. My energy level is not good for me, my kids and especially my husband.

So here's the game plan: With a lot of prayer I am going to begin a 21 day detox called "The Clean Diet." It is written by a doctor who developed his program to treat chronic symptoms such as irritable bowel syndrome, allergies, headaches, depression, fatigue, weight gain, and insomnia. He says these problems are due to a build up of toxins and that his plan addresses this factor so as to restore the optimal functioning of the body. Sounds good??

If anyone is interested in reading about my daily doses and how I'm feeling, let me know and I will blog about it all. I plan on starting it next Tuesday, Jan 19. So if I don't hear from anyone I will just let you all know how it turned out in the end.

I hope everyone had a blessed Holiday season!

-L

Obsessed

2009-08-02T20:22:00.002-05:00

I have a new obsession...teacher websites! Anything from bulletin board ideas and lesson plans, to creative ways to get students to follow rules and do their homework! I can't stop! I'm probably going to be sick of school before it even starts! But I'm sure having fun...hence the reason for my lack of posting on the blog lately. Tomorrow my mom will be here for a couple of days to decorate the classrom and I will be posting pictures. So get ready! Until then, have a happy Monday!!

Lindsay :)

Follow-up on my AH-Mazing day!

2009-07-28T22:19:00.004-05:00

Soo....as some of you might have read, Thursday was a great day for me. It went from no hope at all to me receiving 2 interviews...God is so good!

Well I escaped for the weekend to a great little resort that you all must visit once in your lifetime. It's called Hyatt Regency Lost Pines. So cool! Thats all I will say. Look it up online. I got to relax and enjoy time with my wonderful parents and some good friends. Sunday we drove to Houston to stay the night with Josh's aunt before my appointment at MD Anderson. Such a fun time. I love Josh's aunt and especially his little cousin Kristin, which I guess is sorta my cousin now too. Monday we spent a day of waiting, waiting, and more waiting. The only thing that kept me going was a call I got from the HR department wanting me to come in Tuesday (tonight) to fill out some paper work. They didn't exactly tell me what for, but to just bring my SS card and drivers license. Needless to say I was hopeful that the job was mine!

About the dr. appt....we loved the hosptial and the doctor, but hated the waiting. The Dr is infact brilliant and pretty much the best in the world when it comes to CML. We felt very confident with him being my new doc. Blood work looks good, but we won't know about my bone marrow results for another week or so. But he thinks it will probably be just fine.

Anyways....so that brings us to today. Another day of waiting for my mysterious appointment with HR. I think God is trying to teach me patience.....so I got to the appointment at 6 tonight and they told me I was reccomended for the job by the principal at Foster Elementary and would like to know if I would accept. I ofcourse blurted out yes before she even finished speaking, but I was so excited! I signed my contract and will continue this week with lots of paperwork, processing and fingerprinting. But I had to share the news with ya'll. I will be teaching 5th grade math and science. YAY!!! Here are pictures of my school!!!

It is an older school in a slightly poorer part of town, but I know this is where God is going to use me and I can't wait!!! Plus, I'm sure it will keep you guys entertained...lots of good blog material!!!

Thanks for stying interested in what God's doing in my life. You guys are wonderful!

Good night and sweet dreams,
Linds

My AH-mazing day

2009-07-23T17:56:00.003-05:00

Ok, so I must tell you about my day....

I woke up this morning feeling pretty down thinking I would never get a job and what was the use in passing out my resumes when nobody probably even looks at them! BUT because I am a fighter, and probably because I wanted to be doing anything but cleaning, I decided to call schools first to see if they were hiring rather than driving around to pass out resumes only to get told they were fully hired out....so I did that.

I started with the San Antonio ISD at the top of the list, and p.s. they have like 150 schools. Halfway down the list a school said they were in fact hiring and that I should bring a resume by if I could....so ofcourse I did. I hopped in the car and drove over there.

When I got back I started calling more schools I got a beep from a mysterious number. I decided not to be rude and click over because more than likely it was a vet calling to check on Harley..he gets more calls than me, no lie! So when I got off the phone with one school I checked the message and it was a school!!!! Trying to set up an interview!!! With me!!!! The only problem was they wanted it to be for Monday...well Monday is when I have an appt with MD Anderson...ugghh. I had to explain to them that I had leukemia and was on a study and could not reschedule my appointment at the hospital. Luckily they understood and said they could work with me, so Tuesday I have an interview at 9AM....keep me in your prayers then.

SOOO to celebrate my first interview I decided to go get something to eat. It was either that or celebrate with Ramen Noodles. I think we know I made the better choice. So I found myself at McAlister's Deli, which I never eat at, but I hear people rave about there Tea, so I thought what the hey? Let me start off by saying I was not wearing my wedding ring because for some reason I got it in my head if I'm passing out resumes at schools (which I was earlier) in poorer parts of town, the last thing they want to see is this little blonde with bling bling. For some reason, I feel like it makes me look not very teacher like...who knows where that came from?? But anyways...I'm walking into McAlisters and I make my order. The cashier was this younger guy and I noticed he didn't charge me for the tea. I checked to make sure he rang it up and the receipt showed he did, it was just $0.00...so here I go with my cloud nine, I'm on a high cause I got an interview, thinking this boy thinks I'm cute, and oh yeah I didn't have a ring on so he thinks I'm single or something and is hitting on me. So I ate my salad and drank my tea and thought aww...what a cute boy, if only he knew how old I was and that I'm married....well I proceed to walk out and notice this big poster that says Free Tea Day, July 23rd...I did the math and yes it was July 23rd....reality check hit. HAHA!!!

So then I was humbled again and rushed home to go make more calls. Well I got to this one school and the secretary said she thinks they are hiring and to send my resume to the principal. She was also going to tell the principal to check her email and be watching for it. So I did and continued on calling more schools. One hour later I got a call from the principal asking if I minded teaching science AND math for 5th grade. I said very quickly, no mam, not at all. Then she asked if I could come right then for an interview. 5 minutes later I was in the car. The interview went...AWESOMEEEEE!! I don't feel like I could have answered the questions any better. And I really clicked with them! I think they liked me?!?!!! So basically she said she can't offer the position, but that they make reccomendations to HR and if HR clears me, they will call me. So I took from that, and I could definitely be wrong (I was definitely wrong about the whole free tea situation) but I think she meant they were going to reccomend me. YEEHAWW!!! If I don't get this job, its not because of me, its because God has something better out there waiting on me. Atleast thats how I feel. So we will see. Keep praying my prayer warriors out there! Cause its working! I also have the interview on Tuesday too. YAY!!! What started off as a not so good day, turned out pretty cool!

I hope everyone has a great weekend! We are meeting my parentals in Bastrop, TX for a fun getaway. Then Monday I have my first appointment at MD Anderson in Houston.

Week of Celebration!

2009-07-20T11:47:00.002-05:00

This week is a week of celebration in my life! "Celebration of what?" you might ask...well it all started this morning when I got my email saying I passed my generalist teaching exam for grades 4-8. I had passed my science already but in hopes of having more options for jobs I went ahead and took another test that will allow me to teach any subject from 4th-8th grade. It took forever for my test results to come in, but they did and I am so thankful! Now I just have to speed up the job search!
Second thing to celebrate in my life this week is my remission. Yes, I have been in remission for quite a while, but tomorrow (Tuesday) will mark the one year date to when I was diagnosed. All I had hoped and prayed for this time last year was to be in remission by tomorrow. Man how I underestimated the power of God! Just looking back to all the miracles God has worked in my life this past year and to see where I am at today brings chills down my spine. (If you have no idea what I'm talking about, go to my archives and look up July 21st 2008) Thanks again to all my prayer warriors out there. I wouldn't be where I am today if it were not for you! And I truly mean that! There were days this past year when I just couldn't pray anymore, but I knew you all were out there lifting me up and I could rest in that! So I hope you celebrate with me! Go out and eat some cake, or icecream, or both for that matter. This remission is your victory too!
And the third thing I will be celebrating this week is my 3rd anniversary on Wednesday to my true love, Josh. I feel like we've been through so much together and it can't just be 3 years, but it is, and I wouldn't have wanted to spend these last 3 years without him, thats for sure! Josh is my rock. He is always there right alongside me through the good, bad and the ugly. We laugh together, we cry together and I love doing life with him! I am soo thankful! I feel like the luckiest girl on earth! (cheesy, but true ;))
So needless to say, its already a good week and its only noon on Monday. I feel so blessed!

Lindsay :)

Sister bonding...

2009-07-16T11:13:00.003-05:00

In a few short hours I will be picking my sister up in Salado, TX where my mom will be meeting me halfway between Dallas and San Antonio. Nat is coming for the weekend and I am SO excited! I can't tell you how nice it is being so close that we can plan short trips like this.

Not sure what we will be doing, but I'm thinking Fiesta Texas is on the list. It'll just be so good to hang out. Then I'll be going all the way back to Dallas with Nat Sunday so I can get my hair done! I'm definitely taking advantage of the convenience factor! Anyways...just wanted to give an update. I've been buried under books the past week studying for another test. Now I am anxiously awaiting my scores. I will let you know how that goes and post pictures of my tme with Nat sometime early next week.

Have a great weekend Ya'll!

Linds

Adventures come in all forms

2009-07-08T16:08:00.002-05:00

So technically a job fair is not my idea of an adventure, but searching for a job can be. Each day is different. Some are full of hope and some not so much! Well today was a day of hope! I went to a job fair where I was asked to stay for a screening interview. The HR department has to screen you before they send your names out to the principals. Well I felt pretty good just being asked for a screening interview. Anything excites me these days.....but anyways, I was feeling good just b/c I was asked (not everyone was) and then when I went to the interview, I totally rocked. I felt like I gave really great answers. At the end, the lady said she was going to really push for me getting a 5th grade position. She liked my energy and thought I'd be good at that......so can you see me as a fifth grade teacher?? I sure hope so!

Now I'm studying big time this weekend for another certification test I take on Tuesday and start praying the phone starts ringing with interviews from the principals. They all start back this Monday...so say a prayer for me. I'd really appreciate it!

Lindsay

I love weekends

2009-07-06T09:26:00.003-05:00

After a couple of days with no Josh, I was SO excited to have our weekend together. Doing whatever we want and sleeping in as late as we want is the best thing ever!

When Josh got home on Friday night, to his surprise I had a meal waiting on the table. I had come across this delicious watermelon and feta cheese salad that I wanted to try, so I did. And it was great! Basically it had watermelon, feta, green bell pepper and cucumber, mixed with some olive oil and topped with yogurt. YUMMY!

Saturday we hung out and lounged around the house all day. Then we met up with some of Josh's fellow interns for dinner at the famous La Fogata and saw Public Enemy ( I think thats what its called). Good food, fun people, and a pretty good movie.

Sunday I probably made my biggest discoveries of the weekend. We went to church and then met some friends for brunch at a place called, "The Egg and I." I loved it! One of my favorite things about Wheaton was the endless breakfast restaurants to eat at. So this was exciting for me. The next thing we did was venture up to San Marcos for the Outlet Mall. Josh needed some cologne and we thought we might as well go check it out....Whoa!!! It was huge! And I know I've been there before so either A) they built more shops, like LOTS more, or B) I just didn't appreciate shopping the way I do now. I'm not really sure, but I think it might take two, maybe three days to make it through all the stores. So that was a big discovery for me. We didn't get anything but the cologne, but when Tax-free weekend comes (I hope they still do that in Texas) we are gonna make a trip up there. Hopefully I will need teacher clothes by then!

So my advice to those of you who might find yourself coming to San Antonio is first call me so we can meet up for dinner...or breakfast! and second, plan an extra day to stop at the outlet mall in San Marcos!!!

Linds

Life in San Antonio....

2009-07-02T21:23:00.003-05:00

Life in San Antonio so far is pretty cool. We have been here for 1 month and it has not rained yet. A native would say that is a bad thing, but for a girl who LOVES the sunshine and has been trapped in Illinois for 4 years, I count it a blessing!

I'm not gonna lie, now that Josh is working all I day, I'm a bit lonely, which inspired me to get back on the blog. But then I thought, I have nothing going on, what am I gonna be writing about?.....so I have decided I will go exploring as much as I can in San Antonio and write about my adventures on this here blog. I'm not promising everyday will be exciting, but it will give me something to do and write about!

My first find in San Antonio was new to me, but maybe not for some of you. I was just made aware that they have one in NorthPark Mall. But have any of you heard of "Orange Cup?" I have to say, it is my new love. It is this frozen yogurt place that has four flavors, natural, zum, acai, and a new flavor, glo. I'm not going to tell you what the flavors mean so you will check it out yourself. But they are healthy and delicious. You can also pick toppings to put on it. Anything from fruit or nuts to different cereals. It is like a party in your mouth!...Then to top it off they print off a nutrition label and put it on your cup that tells exactly what nutrients and calorie count you are getting according to your yogurt, toppings and size. It is very personalized and very cool in my opinion! You must find the closest Orange Cup to you and try it out.

Till my next adventure in San Antonio,

Lindsay

Internship begins today!

2009-07-01T08:16:00.004-05:00

Today was Josh's first day of internship, the reason we moved down here. He was a little nervous, as most people are on the first day of anything. But I on the otherhand was so excited! This is what he's been working on and we've been talking about for the last 4 years.

A lot of people ask what exactly he's going to be doing and all I know to say is a little bit of everything. He is going to work at a hospital, a mental health agency, and another hospital for the criminally insane. At those various places he will be doing therapy, testing, and crisis work with kids, adolesents and adults.....like I said, a little bit of everything, ha!

I wanted his day to start just right, so I made one of his favorites, waffles and eggs!

So for me today? I think I'll clean a bit, drop off some resumes at some schools, take Harley for a walk and wait anxiously at the pool for Josh to come home. I might as well wait at the pool, right??

So does anyone have any fun 4th of July plans this weekend? I think Josh and I might go down to the River Walk for the first time since we've moved.

Until then, I hope the sun far outshines the rain wherever you are!

Lindsay

I'm baacckk!

2009-06-29T11:25:00.003-05:00

Hey ya'll! I've been back in Texas now for almost a month and I already got that Texas accent back!

Sorry to be so absent but our life has been way too busy for me to even have a second to write on the blog. Let's see if I can give you a quick update. Let's see...last I wrote we had just gotten back from Europe. April flew by as we decided to do some last minute home improvements to our condo while packing up all at the same time. Probably not our best idea, but hey the bathrooms look great and we got some real bonding times with our friends as we rotated between them all using their bathrooms. Yes, for a whole month we had two non-functional bathrooms in our condo. Not good!

May was a fun month though. We got to spend some time in Dallas. My cousin got married and we vacationed in North Carolina for a week with our Wheaton friends. When we got back from the vacation we moved down here to San Antonio where I quickly started my certification classes to teach. Now I am done with those and waiting on a job. It's getting a little stressful, I'm not gonna lie. But I'm sure it will all work out. If you think about it, lift up a prayer for me to get a job.

Nothing has really changed with my health. As of my last bone marrow biopsy in May I am still in remission. I am transfering to MD Anderson just as soon as they get all the details worked out. Luckily my study is also being conducted there, so I won't have to change anything but my doctors.

I will try to blog as much as I used to, it's just been super busy the last couple of months. It has definitely slowed down though.

Lindsay

Europe....where to begin?

2009-03-21T16:59:00.009-05:00

After two weeks of traveling through Europe I am pooped out. We had sooo much fun though. I don't even know where to begin. I guess the beginning is a good start.

We started off our first night in Munich, Germany. A very cool place, but I'm afraid we didn't stay long enough. We went out for dinner our one night there to this famous place called Hoff Brau Haus...anyone ever heard of it? Well they serve really big pretzels and amazing apple struedel. We woke up early the next morning to catch a train to Schladming, Austria to visit our good friends Tobi, Beth, and Henning for a few days. Can I just say Austria is BEAUTIFUL!! And even better was the company we had! While we were there we managed a trip to Salzburg, where the Sound of Music was filmed. A must-see if you're in Europe!

The first two pictures are in Austria, the last one is in Germany.

After a few chilly days in the Alps we headed to warmer climates in Venice, Italy. This city was sooo cool!! Definitely tied with Paris for my favorite place overall! The food was amazing, the scenery like nothing you could see anywhere else, and the ambiance...very romantic! Our favorite dish from the whole trip was eaten at a small cafe there. It was spaghetti with olive oil, basil and clams. Sounds a little different, but it was to die for! Here's some pics from Venice:

From Venice we headed to Rome. Rome was very cool and unique in its own ways. There were things I loved about it and things I didn't so much. The night life was fun, the fountains and architecture were beautiful, and ofcourse seeing Keiffer Sutherland and Reese Witherspoon made it even better. The downside of Rome was the cost of Diet cokes (average cost for a bottle was 4.50 Euros which equals about 6.00 American) and the other downside was our hotel. You just don't get that same bang for your buck in Rome as you do in the good ol USA. BUT all that being said, we had a great time in Rome and ate more pizza than one could imagine! I will have to say the Sistine Chapel was incredible as well as the Trevi fountain: two must-sees if ever in Rome!

Okay...onto the last leg of the trip and a personal favorite, Paris!! What a city! IT was everything the movies make it out to be. AND all the French people were pretty friendly. The Eiffel Tower ofcourse was amazing, especially at night. People watching and just walking down the street and admiring all the buildings was fun too! The shopping was phenomenal. And not to mention the food! It was the first country that really new how to serve breakfast (My favorite meal of the day). Infact, you could get an omelette at pretty much any meal of the day your heart so desired. I just LOVED Paris!

This was a trip of a lifetime, and I thank God we were able to make it, but there is nothing like being back in the good ol US of A!

Europe, here we come........

2009-03-04T21:21:00.002-06:00

So I will be checking out for a while. We leave tomorrow for Europe, as you have heard me mention many times. We are so excited to just get away, the two of us, with no school work, meetings, or anything tying us down. A vacation could not come at a better time. Europe is just the icing on the cake. If I have internet access I will try to write about my travels as they are fresh on my mind, BUT I don't want to put too much pressure on myself. So it might be a while before you hear from me...or not. We will see!

Pray for safe travels and rejuvenation before we begin the next exciting chapter of our lives. Until next time......

Lindsay :)

My shows....

2009-03-03T07:23:00.003-06:00

Ok, I must admit, since finishing school in December I have caught up on all the shows and reality TV I missed out on when nights were filled with classes, projects and studying. My top shows right now are/were Monday nights, "The Bachelor," Wednesday nights, "American Idol" and "Top Chef," and Thursday nights, "Grey's Anatomy." I have become quite the couch potato!

Well last night was the finale of The Bachelor and let me say, "You know you have issues when....you can't get to sleep because you are so mad at the people on your TV shows." That was me last night. I had horrible sleep because I could NOT believe how awful Jason (the bachelor himself) was and he STILL gets the girl. The wrong girl at that, but he still wins in the end and poor Melissa was sent home....If you have no idea what I'm talking about you're better off....I mean come on, who doesn't love a fairytale where the jerk hurts the girl and gets another girl to replace her?!?! And the sad part is I really liked Jason at first, but I learned last night he is a wuss who won't fight for anything, and if Molly takes him back, she deserves whats coming....Ok I'm done venting!

Did anyone watch something uplifting last night cause I'd really love to hear about that, ha!

Hope ya'll have a great Tuesday!!
Lindsay

Today...

2009-03-02T08:04:00.003-06:00

It is days like today when I am especially happy to be moving back south. When I woke up and took Harley outside, to my surprise, snow had covered the ground (keep in mind it is officially March now). I had no idea this was coming. Apparently today's high in Wheaton is 26...San Antonio's high is 74!

Luckily today I plan on staying inside most of the day. I want to finish packing and cleaning by noon, then I head to the University of Chicago to get some blood taken that they had forgotten to take while I was there last time. As if my bone marrow wasn't enough?!? Then I plan on spending a nice cozy night by the fire watching an oh-so-intense episode of "The Bachelor!" Anyone else planning on watching? I have read some spoilers online that I hope are far from the truth, otherwise Jason moves to my bad list. We will see....

Lindsay :)

The details...

2009-02-25T15:34:00.004-06:00

So the last couple of days we have been on cloud 9! Josh got an email today with the information on the other interns, which added even more excitement! It sounds like he will be surrounded by some really smart people and learning alot next year. I have been on the internet pretty much 24/7 looking for places to live, information on how to get my teacher certification, and minute to minute weather details, haha! Last night when it was 29 degrees here in Wheaton, it was 70 degrees in San Antonio...that is heavenly! We plan on moving the beginning of June sometime and I will start teacher training classes around the 15th and Josh will start his internship July 1st.

My nurse is checking into MD Anderson in Houston to see if they are doing the same study. If so, I will just transfer in. My reports on Friday were great. I was basically at my 3 month checkup where they expected to see me at my 1 year checkup. They are amazed! And I give full credit to God!

Its really hard to focus on anything but the move right now, but I am trying to get in travel mode. A week from tomorrow we will be heading to Munich, Germany. It seems so unreal right now, but I think by next Monday it will start to sink in. Again, if any of you have last minute suggestions or tips, PLEASE post. We will be in Mucnich, Germany the first night we arrive and spend the night there. The next couple of days we will explore Schladming, Salzburg, and Vienna, Austria. From there we head to Rome for 3 days, and then we end the trip in Paris. Ok....just typing this is making me excited!

I hope this post finds each of you feeling blessed and joyful this Ash Wednesday.

In His Hands,
Lindsay

Texas on my mind.....

2009-02-23T08:21:00.002-06:00

Well, the weekend was definitely an answer to prayer. Thank you so much!

The ballots are in and the decision has been made............We're going to TEXAS!!!!! San Antonio, here we come! And we couldn't be more happy! We will be moving in June sometime as Josh's first day is July 1st. He will be interning at the University of Texas Health Science Center. WaHoo!

More details to come, I just have to run! Thanks again for your prayers, love and support!

In His hands,
L

Friday=Bigday

2009-02-18T16:06:00.003-06:00

Hey friends!

So here I am again, asking those of you who join me in believing that prayer is powerful, to pray. This Friday is a HUGE day in my family's life.

First of all, my brother left today to fly to Indianaoplis to participate in the NFL's combine. It's a try-out I guess. He punts this Friday, and he only has one shot. Ofcourse I want him to do great, and making the NFL would be a super bonus, but most of all I want you to pray for his spirit. Pray he does his best and is satisfied and at peace with whatever comes. It's no secret that I think he's the greatest brother a girl could have and that he's been such a support in my life. Pray he feels that same support and love no matter what happens.

The second thing I ask you to pray for is Josh and I. This Friday we find out if Josh has matched for an internship position. I have briefly mentioned this before, but now applications are in, interviews are finished, and the results are released Friday. If you have ever talked to Josh about his passion for helping people, you know it is straight from God. It is his gift and he is darn good at it. In these few years of being married, Josh has taught me so much about loving people, caring for them, meeting them where they are and challenging them to be their best. My prayer would obviously be that he would match. He has worked so hard for this and deserves this more than anyone I know. That being said, I know from a lot of experience that our plan doesn't always match up with God's....and thats a good thing, He knows best. So I would ask also that you pray for peace and patience as we await the next phase that God will take us through, whether it be at an internship somewhere, or in good ol Wheaton. Friday we find out IF he matches, but they don't tell you WHERE until Monday. I will let you know next week what happens.

On top of all of this I have another bone marrow biopsy at 12:30 on Friday. I don't anticipate any news, but I still get minorly anxious about it all....you know, that little pain factor. I'm sure it will be fine, it always is, but it never hurts to pray! And ofcourse, pray that the cancer is still undetectable!

God is Good ALL the time....thanks in advance for all your prayers.

In His Hands,
Lindsay

Healthy Meals

2009-02-16T09:25:00.002-06:00

Josh and I have been on sort of a diet this past week. I'm hesitant to use the word diet, because I feel like diets are just a set up for failure, and even more weight gain in the end....but we gave in and did a diet for the last week that really helped us both. No, I don't think I'm fat, But I do think things need to change in my eating and lifestyle habits or I won't be far from it, and you have to start somewhere. This diet really helped Josh and I form some good habits. We ate far fewer calories than normal, and realized we can do it. It forced us to eat smaller portions, more often, which is great to keep your metabolism going strong all day long. And lastly, it made me realize you don't have to have dessert after every meal. Yes, dessert had become the most important part of my day, and that was not good! If any of you are interested, this amazing diet can be found at my mom's spa, and if you want to research it online, its called Medifast. Josh and I loved it and feel its a great way to kickstart healthy habits!

Anyways...I'm writing and telling you all this to see if any of you have really good healthy recipes or if you know where I can access some. We are tapering off this diet sometime this week and I'm gonna need good recipes that will help us stay healthy. I know, most of you would think since I'm a nutrition girl that I would have access to tons of healthy recipes, but I can always use more. And in fact, I really don't have too many recipes that are healthy and delicious too.

Thanks for your help!

Linds

Spinning Class

2009-02-11T20:42:00.004-06:00

I just got back from a class at my gym and I literally feel like a noodle....and I Love It!!! During most workouts I'm so exhausted and wanna quit only to look down and see I've been going for 3 minutes. But its the feeling you have when you leave the workout that keeps you going. It's something hard to describe but anyone who worksout knows exactly what I'm talking about.

About 4 years ago I did a spinning class at a college I was attending, and for some reason I didn't go back. I don't know why though cause I remember really liking it. So thats why I decided to give it another try tonight. Again, I loved it, but this time I plan on going back. It was so fun, and even better, at my gym they drop screens down in front of you that play a video of what it would be like if you were riding through the Grand Canyon. So cool. Kept me going for sure! So hold me accountable my fellow bloggers. I want to continue going 3 times a week to spin class. I loved it and I love the way it makes me feel.

What kind of classes do you guys enjoy when it comes to working out?

P.S. Incase I wasn't clear in some of my previous posts, Josh and I will be going to Europe March 5. Soo...I have some time to plan if any of you have tips and advice for traveling in Europe.

If only EVERYday could be my Birthday!

2009-02-07T09:22:00.005-06:00

So yesterday was my birthday and I loved every minute of it! I wokeup and got a call from a friend to go eat breakfast at one of my favorite places! It was Yummy-O and the company was so fun! From there I went and got a facial and haircut. Obviously the facial would have been better if it was from my mom, but it was still so relaxing. When I left there, I felt like a million bucks! From the spa I met up with another great friend and had coffee. It was so special to have friends make time for me on my birthday. When I left Starbucks, I went home to change for a some-what surprise date with my husband. I opened the door and the house was SPOTLESS....soo clean! My heart jumped for joy! He had also bought me some beautiful flowers that he arranged himself...I'm telling you, he has a real knack for flower arrangements. If this whole psychology thing doesn't work out...haha!

Josh surprised me and took me to a favorite of ours, Meson Sabika. Its a spanish tapas restaurant located in an old mansion. Very romantic! We left there and he took me to a yummy dessert place called Honey where I ordered a Science Fair Sundae. The concept is they bring you 24 test tubes full of different toppings in each and you create your own sundae...not only delicious, but so fun! I felt like a little kid.

BEFORE:

AFTER:

From dessert we headed into the city and went to a really fun Piano bar. It was a new experience for us and we had a blast! The music was soo fun and we can't wait to take some friends back again!

Overall, it was a GREAT day! There a definitely people I wish I could have seen back home, but I thoroughly enjoyed my whole day!!

The weather is soo nice, so I think I might go take a walk! Have a great weekend everyone!

Lindsay :)

But for the Grace of God, There Go I

2009-02-05T22:35:00.003-06:00

This past June I got a job working at a place called "Feed My Starving Children." I know I have briefly talked about it on here, but today I am feeling compelled to share more with you. The organization is a non-profit Christian organization that sends food to starving children in third world countries. And its not just food, its food packed with all the essential vitamins, minerals, and love a child needs. This organization focuses on feeding God's children hungry in body AND spirit. And that is what I love about my work. I can't tell you how many times I leave that place feeling so thankful for what I have and blessed to be able to help others. I want everyone I know to feel that same way.

At our staff meeting tonight we were introduced to a painting by an artist named Joey Velasco. The painting is entitled "The Last Supper with Street Kids"

These are the kids we feed all over the world.

The painter wrote a book and also made a video-type documentary where he went to the kids he painted (they are real), fed them, and told us their story. One story that touched my heart was a girl named Nene. She lives in a cemetary all by herself in the Philipines, with no parents or family at all. They pay her to clean the graves. And Joey says how sad it is that "the dead give her more life than we do"....talk about a sting to the heart. And that was just one story, of millions. Another that comes to mind is about a girl that a mission group called "Love a Child" had found basically dying of starvation with many others. They got our food and began feeding them all. After a couple of weeks, she was the only one not getting better. They decided to run some tests to check for pregnancy and ended up finding 8 pounds of rocks in her stomach. Something she ate to keep the starvation pains to a minimum. Can you imagine?? It just breaks my heart.

God has touched me with these stories. I'm not sure what I am exactly supposed to do with them at this point, except keep working, praying, and telling others, like you. I didn't mean to depress you, but this is real life and but for the grace of God, there go I.

Please pray for me, our organization, and kids all over the world.

In His Hands,
Lindsay

Bentley Fodge

2009-02-04T07:20:00.002-06:00

Since my parents and sister's lives seem a little more interesting right now I am going to blog about whats new with them today. I would like to introduce to you the newest Fodge in the family.....(drumroll).....BENTLEY!!!!

Isn't he the cutest thing you've ever seen?? I am just so sad I can't hug all over him right now! I don't know how Brody, their other dog is quite handling him, but I'm sure they will best brothers in no time!

I just had to show him off! Don't you want to go out and buy a puppy now.....I sure do. But I'm not. I'm trying to practice self control, wink wink :)

Lindsay

Heat wave

2009-01-31T15:44:00.002-06:00

Ladies and gentlemen, Wheaton has encountered a heat wave!! Today's high was 38 degrees....WAHOO!! It felt so good to see the sun shining and then to walk outside in a hoodie with no coat. I'm sure all you Texans have no clue what I'm talking about, haha! Even better, the forecast looks the about the same all the way through to my birthday!

Speaking of my birthday, Josh and I decided last year, shortly after my diagnosis that we would celebrate life and go on a trip to Europe. We got a killer deal on plane tickets that we couldn't resist. Also our friends Tobi and Beth live in Austria and we've been dying to go visit. So we will be seeing them for about 4 days, then heading to Rome for 3 days, and on to Paris for the last 4 days of our vacation. We are soo excited! If any of you have been to any of these places, please send some tips and suggestions on what to do. I will probably be like a little kid in a candy store the whole time I'm there, and I won't want to miss a thing!

I hope wherever you are the sun is shining bright!

In His Hands,
Lindsay

Tag You're It

2009-01-29T14:49:00.005-06:00

My cousin Jill tagged me...and i thought this would be fun. so, here's what you do:
1. go to your 4th folder where you store your photos.
2. select the 4th photo (no exceptions).
3. post the picture with an explanation and link it back to your tagger.
4. tag 4 people do do the same.

Ironically, this picture was taken last year at this time, and has been re-lived many times since, especially lately. See, here in Illinois, school and work don't get cancelled for snow. We just have to clear our cars off and go with the flow! Something I've had to get used to!

Thanks Jill, I always need something to post about on my blog. Now I tag Jennifer , Farrah, Haley, and Holly

Georgia

2009-01-26T18:07:00.008-06:00

Last week we went to Georgia for Josh's last and final interview for his internship. I decided to go along since this might be a place we live. I thought it would be good to see what its like. We ended up getting to see a lot of family since it was about an hour outside of Atlanta too.
Thursday night, after the interview we went to a really fun place with my Aunt SuSu, Uncle Paul, Josh and Laurie! It was so good to sit and visit with them, as that rarely happens, and the food and atmosphere was so fun too!

Friday, it just so happened (this was not planned ahead) that my parents were going to be in Atlanta as well since they went to my brother's Ray Guy award ceremony in Augusta, Georgia that Thursday night. So cool!!! We hung out with them that day where we ate a good lunch and went to the Georgia aquarium. It was such a cool aquarium too.

My parents flew back to Dallas that night, but we got to see more family. Josh's uncle also lives in Atlanta. He cooked us a great meal, and then we went out to the famous Fox Theatre in Atlanta to see the James Bond movie. The theatre is actually like an opera theatre and is designed similiar to a planetarium with a starry sky as the ceiling. I know my my words don't do it justice, so if you are ever in Atlanta, check it out.
I guess we had so much fun with Josh's uncle Garry that we forgot to take pictures :(
All in all we loved the Atlanta area and had a lot of fun....oh yeah, his interview, the main purpose for going, went really well. If you think about it, please please remember us in your prayers as we make decisions for Josh's internship site. It will be life changing no matter where we end up and we really want to make wise decisions.

In His Hands,
Linds

History in the making

2009-01-20T09:50:00.003-06:00

In my short lifetime I feel I have witnessed a lot of history. Some good, some not so good. But as I write, even though I may not agree with everything Obama stands for, I am witnessing good history! Not only is he the first African American President, but he is bringing hope to America. The everyday people being interviewed on TV are so emotional and inspired. This gives me hope. It is not just Obama who can bring the U.S. out of this slump, but the people of America as well. And as I am now an adult, pay bills, etc. it effects me more and more. Or atleast I realize it more.

I think I got most emotional (and by emotional I mean my heart melted, no tears) when the Bushes greeted the Obamas at the White House for coffee and Michelle Obama had a present for Laura Bush. I really do love the Bushes, especially Laura. And I'm sad for them. But I am excited for change and pray that Obama's presidency will be one of greatness.

I then got emotional (and by emotional, I mean tears, I don't know what got into me?) again when Rick Warren led the prayer. Wow, that was touching!

I hope you guys witnessed this historical day and would be interested in your thoughts about what took place.

God Bless America!

Old School Fun

2009-01-15T21:39:00.004-06:00

As most of you have heard, if you watch any kind of news, its COLD in the midwest. Right now it is -16 degrees. Schools were actually called off today, for the cold!! Harley wouldn't even go out in the yard to poop, and when he peed, he wouldn't leave the porch, he peed right on the concrete, which I guess is better than peeing on me, but still....you know its cold when.....

So tonight Josh and I had fun, old school style. We definitely weren't going out. We sat by the fire and started a puzzle. A really big puzzle! Like I said, we just started it. Here's a picture of the project today, and when we finally finish I will post a picture of the final project. I actually had a lot of fun doing it. Sometimes we forget about the simple things, but they never seem to fail us.

Freezing in Wheaton

2009-01-13T22:37:00.003-06:00

Don't worry, I haven't been blown away in the blizzard, but I am FREEZING!!! The temperature right now is 1 degree....yes, that is one degree away from being negative. And I think its only going to get colder. I am sitting by the fire trying to warm my toes, praying that I'm snowed in tomorrow so I don't have to leave my warm home. This is the first chance I've had at updating in a while and I'm drawing a blank. I got nothing! I think my brain is frozen too. I'm hoping to get my paperwork finished for substitute teaching tonight so I can start subbing next week. I'm sure that will lend for some interesting blogs! Until then, pray for a heat wave!

Freezing in Wheaton,
Lindsay

Bad dog & Things you should Never say to Someone who has cancer

2009-01-08T23:11:00.004-06:00

I kid you not, Harley is punishing me for something. What...I'm not sure?!? Here's the story. I got home from a night out with a good friend. You would think Harley would be happy to see me. He was at first. I was petting him, ya know making him feel loved and all of the sudden he lifts his leg and PEES...yes PEES!!!!! I jumped faster than you can even imagine and started yelling BAD DOG (emphasis on the bad). Then I swatted him like a million times, ran him outside to finish his buisness, and pushed him in his crate. He usually sleeps with us in our room, but not tonight. Ofcourse I feel all kinds of guilty...like I should be called into the pet protective services or something, but then again I think "He peed on me!!" and I don't feel so bad...its a repetetive cycle. Has this happened to anyone else?? I'm trying to figure out what he was trying to tell me. Josh said he had just taken him out to pee. So it wasn't that....I just can't figure it out. All I know is I am soo mad at him right now. First the pillow and cord, now the pee. What am I gonna do with him?!?

Before all this happened though, someone said something to me that had definitely NOT been thought through. Here's the story. I was talking to someone who shall remain nameless. This person had unfortunately had many people in his life die this week. He was telling me how sad it was. He then went on to tell me about how they all died and how young they were. The youngest being 28. Very sad stories. I was trying to comfort this person and he proceeds to tell me, and I quote, "Well it seems like people are dying younger and younger. Watchout, you're probably next." Then this person walked off. I had to just laugh. Poor person probably forgot I had cancer and realized it later and felt like a fool. I know sometimes people speak without thinking, I'm guilty of it too, but come on.....lesson of the day, thats one thing you should never say to a person with cancer!

Anyways...I hope you guys all have wonderful weekend. I will try to post more. I'm expecting my computer cord any day now!

Lindsay

My new obsession...

2009-01-04T17:10:00.002-06:00

Ok, so I confess, I have not been writing on this blog much lately because a) Harley chewed up the cord to my computer and I only get onto Josh's computer when he's not working, which is never, and b) I cannot be peeled away from the TV. I have been hooked on the show Heroes. Have any of you seen it? It is addicting! I am almost through the entire season 1 and I only started Monday night. The show is currently in season 3 and starts up again pretty soon, so we'll see if I catch up. I love TV on DVD! What are some of the shows you guys enjoy?

Happy New Year!!

2009-01-01T22:20:00.002-06:00

I can't believe its 2009! I hope you have all had a fun day celebrating. We started off the morning and saw a movie, "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button." One I will have to reccomend...if you have 3 hrs. It was long, but good! Josh and I then went out for lunch on some of our Christmas gift cards, but before we left I decided to soak some black eyed peas for dinner. I'm not sure if this is a southern thing or what, but your "supposed" to eat black eyed peas for good luck on New Years day. So thats what I planned on doing. I read the directions and it said soak for 6-8 hrs and then cook for 2 more hours. I didn't have that kind of time! I had to get some down before midnight so I thought I'd soak them in warm water to speed the process up. We left the house and decided to leave Harley out in the living room since we weren't going to be gone very long. Well, I should have ordered black eyed peas at lunch because I got home to some not-so-good luck! Harley had chewed up a pillow on our couch along with my computer cord and Josh's belt. I was SOO mad! This was not like Harley. I think he was mad at us for bringing him back to Wheaton and taking him away from his friends in Texas, Brody and Cisco. This was our "payback" I guess. I felt like we were living out the movie Marley and Me except it is Harley and Me, ha!
Well anyways...here I am at 10:30 eating my black eyed peas, hoping for better luck with Harley this year...I really thought he was past the chewing phase! Oh well, Happy New Year!

Rested....well almost

2008-12-29T19:20:00.002-06:00

So Josh and I are back in Wheaton after a much needed break, and technically my break is as long as I want! No more school....what a weird feeling!
Since we got back, I have cleaned our home (somewhat), run errands, and gotten groceries. We are settled in and I am all tired again. I plan on sleeping in tomorrow for sure!
I also plan on doing better at this whole blogging thing. I needed a break, I got it, and now I am back! I'm sure you all missed me so much, haha! The chronicles of Lindsay will return just as soon as something interesting enough happens to write about! Until then, I hope you all had a good Christmas and got some rest!

Linds

What a Year!

2008-12-19T08:30:00.003-06:00

I'm sure many of you are wondering where I've been. I think this has been the longest I have gone without posting a blog for sure. Life has been a little hectic lately, sorry. But I couldn't let 2008 go by without me thanking God for all wonderful things He's been doing in my life and my family's.

We started off the year in the Essery household as usual. With two semesters left before graduation I had ants in my pants. At that point it seemed like the year would not go by quick enough. Josh had a huge exam he had to take in February that was required for graduation as well, and he passed with flying colors. As spring break appraoched, we were in desperate need to get away from all the snow winter was dumping on us, so we headed to sunny California. What a blessing! The semester came to an end and it was back to Josh's school "To Do" list. Next up was dissertation proposal, and internship applications. Well, check, check! He has an awesome dissertation that I believe God can really use. Josh is enjoying working on it, and especially working with the chair of it, a great friend. Josh also finished his internship applications and is in the process of interviewing...as I write in fact. We are praying mostly for peace and patience in this situation as we wait. I am fully confident in where God will take us, its the waiting part that can be so daunting.

As many of you know, that was not all summer brought us. In July, I not only celebrated two wonderful years with my husband, my love, but I got diagnosed with chronic meylogenous leukemia all in the same week. More blessings from God! No, no one wants leukemia. But it could be so much worse. In fact, I live life so normally at this point, no one would ever know if I didn't tell them. Yes, it feels like a desert some days, and I question the purpose of it all, but just like God fed the Isrealites in the desert, HE is feeding me. I have grown so much, I have felt so loved and so greatful for my life, that the days I am down and in doubt are few and far between! There is much to be thankful for!

The fall semester approached, as did football season! And what a football season it was. Not only did the OSU Cowboys do better than they have since my brother Matthew has played there, but so did Matthew! Most of you know at this point that he won the Ray Guy award. We were just elated!! It was another blessing from God! My sister Natalie also had an awesome volleyball season too. I do not want to make that any less important. I have no doubt, mark my words, that she too could be winning a national award some day for her talents. I just have two really talented siblings thats for sure!!

Then came Thanksgiving. One of Josh and I's favorites! We had so much fun with his family, and then with mine the weekend after. Spending time with family really is a blessing for Josh and I since we live so far away!

The last couple of weeks have just been so great, I got the wonderful HALELLUJAH email from my nurse letting me know there was no evidence of CML in my bone marrow. Thank you God! Matthew got his award on ESPN! My beautiful cousin got engaged to a wonderful guy!! My best friend from college is getting married this weekend, and I am done with school!!!!! HALELLUJAH!!! Matthew and I both graduated this Decemeber, haha, who would have thought!

As Josh and I reflect on 2008, we are thankful! Thankful to God for the good and bad times. He has always shown Himself through them, and that is the biggest blessing of all! Thank you for reading my blog and being a part of our journey!

In His Hands,
Lindsay

Can I get a Hallelujah??

2008-12-05T21:00:00.004-06:00

Ok so this is gonna be short cause I am overwhelmed with feelings of joy and am pretty much speechless, but I had to share with ya'll, my prayer warriors, my family, my friends. I got an email from my nurse tonight when I got home, and I quote..."your bone marrow biopsy showed no evidence of CML (leukemia)!"

Ha-Le-LU-JAH!!!!!!

They had prepared me for quite the opposite. They thought it would be 6 more months before they could tell me that. And if I am honest it is still hard to believe, but I will believe, with everything I have. As my favorite scripture says, " Ah sovereign LORD, you have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and outstretched arm! Nothing is too hard for you." Jeremiah 32:17

Thanks for all your prayers! Keep praying. No matter what, God is in control!!!

In His Hands,

Lindsay

Take a second and Vote :)

2008-12-03T12:12:00.002-06:00

Hey friends!

I have been swamped with school work this week and plan on posting a great blog with pictures from Thanksgiving sometime this weekend. But first, do you remember that award I said my brother was up for??? Well you can help him out! I got this email from my dad and since I barely have time to eat lunch I'm just gonna copy and paste it right here:

http://sports.espn.go.com/chat/sportsnation/story?id=3723628

Hey everyone go to the above link and vote for Matt for the winner of the Ray Guy Award. This award is given to the top college punter and Matt is one of three finalist. We will be with him in Orlando at the College Football Awards Ceremony on 12/11. It will be on ESPN. The vast majority of the voting has already taken place by selected coaches, sportswriters, and other media members. This is simply ESPN's way of allowing fans to participate and vote for their favorites. As you scroll down to the Ray Guy section you will notice it says "Jeff Fodge"(don't laugh too hard!!) That is simply a typo. When you click on the vote link it will properly identify Matt. As you will see the "popular" vote is extremely close, so every vote counts. Thanks for taking the time to do this, and for your friendship and support of Matt.

Jeff and Glenda

ps - feel free to pass this on to anyone you know!!!

He REALLY deserves it. He's coming out of a nearly perfect season and what a way to end your senior year!!! Voting only takes a second. So if you have one, please vote!

I hope ya'll had a great Thanksgiving. I sure did!!!

-Linds

Thanksgiving and the holidays

2008-11-26T10:07:00.002-06:00

Can I just say that I LOVE Thanksgiving all the way to New Years. Its my FAVORITE time of the whole year. Its full of family, traditions, good food, and time off of school! With the big Turkey Day tomorrow and all, I definitely have food on the mind....okay let's be honest, food is always on my mind. We have no secrets here! Anyways...This Thanksgiving we are spending the day with Josh's family in Garland and then Friday we are heading to Oklahoma to see my family and enjoy a little football on Saturday!
So back to food, I know everyone has their favorites they think of when they think of Thanksgiving. My top 5 would have to be (and in no particular order): 1. Stuffing/Dressing 2. Sweet potatoes with Marshmallows 3. Macaroni and Cheese 4. Cream Corn 5. And tied for Dessert, Pumpkin Pie and Carrot Cake! YUM-MY!!!
With Josh and I really still beginning our life together (I think 2 years of marriage still makes us newly weds!) we are starting our traditions. I've got a few ideas up my sleeve, but still interested in what kind of traditions other people have done over the years.

I'm curious, what are your favorite Turkey Day foods or holiday traditions??

Family

2008-11-24T12:55:00.004-06:00

Family is so precious to me and today I am going to honor two of my favorites (technically they are all favorites, hehe).

Today is my Mom's birthday!!! Happy Birthday Mom! You are truly the best mom a girl could ask for. You have taught me over and over again how to love. You have brought smiles to my face when it seemed impossible! I am so BLESSED to be you daughter! I love you and hope you have another 45 AMAZING years (and more) ahead!!!

Also today I would like to announce that my brother made the top 3 finalists for the Ray Guy award!!! YAY!!! Now most of you are probably thinking what in the heck is that?? Well it is the national football prize honoring the nation's top collegiate punter. And yes, my brother made the top three. He will go to Orlando, FL on December 11th and attend the college ESPN awards ceremony where he will find out who the winner is. No matter who they announce, Matthew is a winner in my books. I knew that kid had skills when he kicked that 47 yd field goal in 7th grade! I've so enjoyed watching him grow in his abilities as a punter, but more importantly I've enjoyed watching him grow as a person! No matter how he punts, he is so humble! His character and integrity far exceed most college football players. Congrats Matthew!!! I love you!!!

My angel

2008-11-22T22:34:00.003-06:00

I don't know if you remember before my diagnosis I was having a hard time getting into see the doctors. I had written about a special lady by the name of Peggy Green who had been my last chance, the last person (of many) I got transfered to on the phone who finally got me an appointment at the University of Chicago. I think I had even referred to her as my guardian angel. Well, when I got to the hospital on Friday for my bone marrow biopsy I got in the elevator with my empty pill bottles in hand and anxious about what lay ahead. I looked next to me and noticed a nurse had a much bigger bag of the same pill bottles. I looked a little closer and noticed my name on the bag. I said "oh those are my pills" and the lady said "oh are you Lindsay?" Ofcourse I said yes and she says. "Hi, I'm Peggy Green, I spoke with you the very first time you called and got you that appontment." I said "Oh my gosh (tear, tear) you saved me." (and more tears ofcourse) I was just flabbergasted. She was there and I finally got to give her that hug I had wanted to a few months ago. And the fact that she remembered me meant so much. It made the whole appointment, the waiting and all, worth it, and so much better! I was so thankful God had put her in that elevator with me!

The biopsy went as expected. Nothing new. I was just a little more sore today than normal, but nothing to complain about. I will know what the results look like in about two weeks. And that much bigger bag of pills that Peggy had was a three month supply, so I'm hoping that means I won't have to come back for another three months! Yay!!!

Hope you guys had a good weekend and have a great Sunday.

In His Hands,
Lindsay

p.s. Did anyone see the Tech/OU game?? That was a little shocking!

Pie in the Sky Thursday

2008-11-20T20:02:00.005-06:00

Todays recipe is pretty good! Its a new twist on Buttermilk Pie. I cheated and didn't make the crust, but it sounded really good! I hope you enjoy!!

Cardamom Buttermilk Pie

Ingredients:

1 1⁄2 cups plus 3 tbsp. flour
1 tbsp. plus 1 cup sugar
1⁄2 tsp. fine salt
14 tbsp. butter (10 tbsp. cold,
4 tbsp. melted and cooled slightly)
2 tsp. white distilled vinegar
1 tsp. ground cardamom
3 egg yolks
1 cup sour cream
2 cups buttermilk
Finely grated zest of 1 lemon
1 tbsp. fresh lemon juice

1. Combine 1 1⁄2 cups flour, 1 tbsp. sugar, 1⁄4 tsp. salt, and cold butter in a sealable plastic bag and freeze completely. (This may be done up to 3 months in advance.)

2. Mix vinegar and 1⁄2 cup ice water in a bowl. Turn the freezer bag's contents out into a food processor; pulse until chunks of the butter have been reduced to the size of large peas. Add vinegar mixture to flour mixture and pulse briefly to just incorporate. Form the dough into a disk, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or overnight.

3. On a well-floured surface, roll dough out to a 13" circle about 1⁄8" thick. Fit into a 10" pie pan; cut away excess dough, leaving a 1 1⁄2" border. Tuck the overhanging dough underneath itself to form a thick edge; using your fingers, pinch the edge to create a wavy pattern. Cover and chill for 1 hour.

4. Heat oven to 400°. Prick bottom of dough with a fork; line with foil and fill with dried beans. Bake the pie shell for 10 minutes. Remove the beans and foil and bake until light brown, about 10 minutes more. Let cool on a rack.

5. Whisk together remaining flour and salt with the melted butter, cardamom, egg yolks, and sour cream; beat in remaining sugar, buttermilk, zest, and lemon juice. Pour into cooled pie shell, place in oven, and reduce heat to 325°. Bake until set on the edges but slightly wobbly in the center, about 1 hour. Let pie cool completely on a rack and refrigerate. Serve the pie cool rather than cold.

Please keep me in your prayers tomorrow or today if you're reading this on Friday. I will be getting a bone marrow biopsy done at 2:00. I don't believe we'll be getting any news, but the procedure is not exactly "fun."

Hope you all have a great Friday!!!

Lindsay :)

Some Things You May or May Not Know About Me....

2008-11-19T16:36:00.003-06:00

I totally got this from a friend's post today, but thought it was fun!

1. Where is your cell phone? in my purse
2. Where is your significant other? Thankfully at home with me, but only for a bit
3. Your hair? clean and straightened
4. Your mother? in Texas :(
5. Your father? in Texas too :(
6. Your favorite thing? a kitchen
7. Your dream last night? can't remember
8. Your favorite drink? Diet Cherry Limeade from Sonic
9.. Your dream/goal? to have a happy family
10. The room you're in? living room
11. Your fear? losing a loved one
12. Where do you want to be in 6 years? cancer free and somewhere the sun shines over 9 months during the year
13. Where were you last night? at work
14. What you're not? rested
15. Muffins? pumpkin
16. One of your wish list items? $$$
17. Where did you grow up? Rowlett, TX
18. The last thing you did? let Harley out
19. What are you wearing? jeans and a hoodie sweatshirt....my favorite
20. Your TV? is off
21. Your pet? is wrestling with Josh
22. Your computer? needs to be hooked up to a printer
23. Your life? blessed
24. Your mood? lousy cause I have SOOO much to do, no motivation and no time to do it
25. Missing someone? family
26. Your car? Volvo
27. Something you're not wearing? socks
28. Favorite Store? Nordstrom
29. Your summer? not what I expected
30. Favorite Color? green
31. Describe you? right now...too tired to move
32. Last time you cried? a few hours ago
33. Who will/would re-post this? probably no one
34. Four places I go over and over? school, school, work, and...oh yeah, school
35. Two people who e-mail me (regularly)? ummm not so much people...amazon and facebook
36. Four of my favorite foods? mac and cheese, sushi, pumpkin anything, and chicken spaghetti
37. Four places I would rather be right now? Texas, Colorado, Hawaii, and maybe NYC

My new love

2008-11-17T20:02:00.006-06:00

I have a confession....I am in love....in love with the state of Colorado!!! Yes, Texas is my first and true love, but Colorado...whew! It's something else. It is truly God's masterpiece, something only He could create. How you could go there and not believe in Him is something I will never understand! When we left Sunday I was so sad!! I already want to go back!

The first day we were there it was just Josh and I. We really needed some time away, just the two of us. It was perfect! That precious time doesn't happen near enough! We started the day off finding this amazing Mexican food restaurant (surprise surprise) and then wandering into the Rocky Mountains! We started on one side and found ourselves in Estes Park by dinner time! It was great!! Here are some pictures. The ones without snow were closer to the bottom. The higher we got, we found snow! Pretty snow, not Chicago snow...see for yourself!

Then the second day my family joined us! So great seeing them too! There's nothing like family time! We checked out a strip of local shops after eating a late lunch that my mom and I swear the movie "Catch and Release" was filmed in. Then we went over to Zac Robinson's (Matthew's roomie and the QB) house where his family threw a really fun little party! He is actually from that area....lucky duck! Unfortunately my camera ran out of battery so I got no more pictures.

Then Saturday, the game!! If you missed it, we won!! The Cowboys have had a great season. They have one more game to go and then a Bowl game!

Such a fun weekend...now back to reality! Count Down to being done with school, forever, is 3 weeks...woohoo!!!!!!!!

Linds :)

Pie in the sky...Friday!!!

2008-11-14T18:03:00.003-06:00

Sorry this is a little late. I was a little distracted with the amazing place we are in. Can I just say I LOVE Colorado!!!! I also forgot my computer, so pictures of this week's pie might come a different day. I didn't want to load them on some random computer for anyone in the world to see.....well I guess anyone in the world could get on this blog anyways...either way...here is the recipe for a delicious pie, minus the pictures :)

White Chocolate Pecan Pie

Ingredients:

1 9" pie shell
2 Tbsp. butter
2 cups chopped pecans
2 cups white chocolate chips
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
7 tablespoons milk
2 cups heavy whipping cream
1/3 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla

Preparation:
Prepare a pie crust and place it in a 9" pie pan or a 10" tart pan. Bake the crust until golden brown. Cool completely.
Melt butter in a heavy skillet over medium heat. Stir in pecans and cook until nuts are golden brown, about 6 minutes, stirring constantly. The nuts can burn very quickly, so make sure that you watch carefully. Cool completely.
In small heavy saucepan, melt white chocolate chips in 5 tablespoons milk over low heat. Cool to room temperature. In another small heavy saucepan, melt semisweet chocolate chips with 2 tablespoons milk, stirring until smooth. Cool to room temperature.
In large bowl, beat whipping cream with powdered sugar and vanilla until stiff peaks form. Remove 1/2 cup whipped cream and place in saucepan with cooled semisweet chocolate.
Fold 1-1/2 cups cooled pecans and cooled white chocolate chip mixture into whipped cream in bowl. Fold together remaining 1/2 cup pecans, the 1/2 cup whipped cream, and semisweet chocolate mixture in saucepan.
Spoon the semisweet chocolate mixture into cooled crust and smooth. Top with white chocolate mixture. Cover and refrigerate at least 4 hours before serving. May also be frozen and served frozen; remove from freezer 15 minutes before serving to make slicing easier.

The pie was very RICH!! If you love rich desserts, this one's for you! I know its not a warm fall pie, but most of you who read this are not necessarily living in cold conditions. So I thought you might like it!

I give it a four star rating! I hope you enjoy!!!

From my kitchen to yours!
Linds

CRAZY week

2008-11-09T21:10:00.003-06:00

Hello blogger friends!

This week will be especially busy for me. I don't exactly know how I'm gonna make it, but I'm sure I will (and thats just Mon, Tues, Wed)! Then Wednesday night Josh and I leave for Colorado for the OSU booty whooping against Colorado next weekend. It couldn't come at a more perfect time. A few days away will do us some good! And I LOVE Colorado. Its soo beautiful!

If you could escape anywhere in the U.S. for a couple of days to get some good R&R, where would you want to go???

Lindsay :)

P.S. Get ready for Pie in the Sky Thursday. I won't be missing that!

These are a few of my favorite things....

2008-11-07T17:53:00.009-06:00

Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens,
Bright copper kettles and warm woolen mittens,
Brown paper packages tied up with strings....ok ok, if you've never seen "The Sound of Music," your probably thinking I'm a bit strange....

Lately I've found myself with some new obsessions and I thought I'd share with you. Here are a few of my favorite things:

1) Dunkin Donuts flavored coffee!
I have to say that toasted almond and hazelnut are the best, but blueberry is not a bad choice either!

2) College football

Obviously my brother has a lot to do with that, and his team is my no. 1, but this season I have found myself getting really into it. I check espn.com like 3 times a day, including the rankings, as if they change, haha, but it is fun for me!!

3)Reba, the show

Its an oldie, but a goody!!

4)Hoodie Sweatshirts

This is a common obsession of wintertime for me. I would wear one everyday if....wait a second, I pretty much do wear one everyday!

5) My calendar

Counting down the days until I'm done with school gets me through each day! You think I'm kidding....haha

Well there you have it! What are some things that you guys have found yourself obsessed with lately?

Lindsay

Pie in the Sky Thursday!

2008-11-06T09:39:00.008-06:00

So we changed it up a bit in November if you didn't already know....no more Pumpkin Thursdays, but its Pie in the Sky Thursday, cause the sky is the limit! Let me tell you how excited I am! One of my favorite movies is "The Waitress."

If you haven't seen it, see it. Its a cute love story about a waitress who makes amazing pies!! Ever since I saw this movie I wanted to learn how to make great pies! But the key word is learn! I'm no pro at making pies. So keep that in mind!

I thought I'd go with one of my favorite cooks, Paula Deen, to start the month off right. I made one of her Apple Pie recipes. Let me start by saying, I burned the crust! Outside of that minor detail, the pie was great! Not too hard to make and still a tasty treat even with a burned crust. I'm sure if you made this at your home and cover the pie with foil while it bakes, you will Fall in love with this one!

Ingredients
3/4 cup light brown sugar
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon, plus more for sprinkling
Freshly ground nutmeg, to taste
5 medium apples, peeled, cored and thinly sliced
1 lemon, zested and juiced
Paula made a home made crust, where I cheated and used store bought dough!

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.

Mix together the brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a small bowl. In another bowl, sprinkle apples with the juice of 1 lemon and toss. Stir in the sugar mixture to evenly coat the apples.

Set aside. Roll out chilled dough into 2 circles and use 1 round to line a 9-inch pie pan. Chill the other round.

Mound the apple and sugar mixture into the pie pan lined with dough. Dot with the cubed butter.

Using a pastry cutter, cut an even number of strips from the remaining rolled out dough. Transfer every other strip to the pie top and weave in the lattice by folding every other strip back onto itself and laying another strip perpendicularly. Fold the strips back across and repeat until completed.
Brush the top of the pie with egg wash and sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar. Trim the overhanging dough and crimp edges.

Bake pie for 45 minutes. Let rest 20 minutes before slicing.

Even with a burnt crust (due to my stupid oven) I still give it a five star rating!!!

From my Kitchen to Yours,
Lindsay :)

Get out and Vote!

2008-11-04T07:45:00.002-06:00

As you all know, today is election day! It is your patriotic duty to vote, so go get em! Either way the ball lands, it will be a historic day and I am so glad to be a part of this history. A black President or a woman Vice President? After all this buildup and campaigning, we will finally know in about 20 hours!

In front of me on the TV they are showing Barack Obama casting his vote. Hmm...I wonder who he's voting for?!?!

Either way, its a big day!....One little bit of info....not sure if this is a Wheaton thing or a national thing, but up here if we show our little receipt/proof of voting, we get a free coffee at Starbucks! Needless to say I will be stopping by Starbucks today! I was at the poll this morning at 7:15! I need my coffee!!!

Happy Voting!
Lindsay

Weekend Wrap-up

2008-11-02T18:22:00.003-06:00

Josh and I were able to go to another OSU game this weekend! As always we had a blast. The team won and even better we got to see tons of family! Here are my top 10 moments of the weekend....and in no particular order:

1. Getting to see my parents, Mema, Uncle Bynum, Aunt Debbie, The Marecle family, Uncle Stuart, Aunt Glenda, and ofcourse Matthew!!!

2. Madelynn and Tate both wanting to hold my hands...even if it was for just a few seconds!

3. The BIG win, duh (59-17)!

4. Matthew giving us a tour of the athletic department and when we went on the field, seeing little Tate take off running down the ENTIRE football field and then back again!

5. Eating Taco Bueno!

6. Paying $1.93 per gallon for gas, yeah baby!!

7. Talking politics with Josh and my parents. It made me feel like a mature adult, which happens rarely, haha!

8. The amazingly tasty free breakfast our hotel served!

9. Eating at the famous Eskimo Joes restaurant (does anyone else notice how much I love food???)

10. Still making our 1:55pm flight today when we arrived at the airport at 1:35pm...God was watching out for us!

We had soo much fun! It was good to escape reality for a bit and see great family and eat good food!!

Speaking of food, I love the idea of doing "Pie of the Week" in November. Thanks for the suggestions!! This week we say good bye to Pumpkin Thursday and hello to "Pie in the Sky Thursday".....maybe thats a little cheesy, but thats me :)

Have a WONDERFULLY Blessed week! And don't forget to vote Tuesday!!!

Lindsay

Pumpkin Thursday!

2008-10-30T08:03:00.004-05:00

Hello friends! It is our last Pumpkin Thursday in October and I have another good recipe. I actually stole this recipe from Country Living magazine. I couldn't resist. Today I made Pumpkin Biscuits! They were definitely tasty, but not quite as pumpkiny as I had wanted. However, it didn't keep me from eating three! The interesting ingredient that really made my tastebuds jump was the cayenne pepper. Yummy-o! Here's the recipe:

4 cup(s) all-purpose flour
2 1/2 tablespoon(s) baking powder
2 teaspoon(s) salt
2 teaspoon(s) ginger
1/2 teaspoon(s) cayenne pepper
1 cup(s) (2 sticks) unsalted butter, chilled
1 1/2 cup(s) pumpkin purée
1 tablespoon(s) honey
1/2 cup(s) buttermilk

1. Make the biscuit dough: Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Combine flour, baking powder, salt, ginger, and cayenne in a large bowl. Cut the chilled butter into small pieces and cut the butter into the flour mixture using a pastry cutter, two knives, or your hands until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Set aside.

2. Combine the pumpkin purée and honey in a small bowl. Add the pumpkin mixture to the flour mixture and stir until just combined. Add the buttermilk and stir just until mixture clings together and is combined.

3. Roll out the biscuits: Lightly coat a baking sheet with vegetable oil and set aside. Turn the biscuit dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead about 10 times. Roll the dough out to 3/4-inch thickness, cut biscuits out with a 3 1/2-inch round cutter, gather the scraps, gently press together, and repeat until all of the dough is used. Place biscuits 1 inch apart on the prepared baking sheet and bake until golden, about 25 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.

And tadaah...

As you can see in the first picture I added honey to the biscuit. It was amazing!

This was the first time I have ever made biscuits without a teacher standing over my shoulder in a food lab at school and I thought it was pretty easy. If you love homemade biscuits, you will love this pumpkin biscuit!! I give it a 4.5 star rating!!!

Just wondering....is there another theme ya'll would want me to do in November? For instance, Nutmeg in November, or even Chocolate Thursdays?? OR do you guys like the pumpkin recipes? Let me know what you think!!

From My Kitchen to Yours,
Lindsay

A step back in time...

2008-10-29T12:04:00.003-05:00

On Saturday night I lost my phone. I couldn't find it anywhere! It was either at a restaurant we ate at, the movie theatre, or my friend Audrey's car who I could not call because her number was in my phone! I quickly realized how important that little piece of technology was to me. I was lost without it. I had no one to call and no one could call me.....what was I supposed to do???

However, by Monday I was starting to think, "man this must be what it felt like in the olden day," haha! It was like a step back in time, and I kind of liked it. It was almost this free feeling.

It's crazy how we can become so dependent on things like cell phones and the internet. We think the world is going to move on without us if we don't have it. Our lives come to a screeching hault. But in reality, the world didn't move on and I got soo much more done. Now yes, I am so glad to have the technology we have in our world. How else would I talk about my little nothings to all of you on this here blog. And how else would I keep up with friends and family at home when I'm in the car so much during the day? But I would be lying if I told you I didn't enjoy it a teensy bit! I kind of like having a little more "me" time!

Well, today as I was looking for a pen in my purse, I found it, right there in the bottom of my purse. Thats so typical of me. Right under my nose!! I was excited to find it! But I learned a great lesson that life goes on without cell phones, and it goes on quite nicely.

Football, Blood tests and Snow

2008-10-26T09:32:00.004-05:00

Most who know me, know I LOVE football, but even more I LOVE football when my brother is playing on the team. Yesterday, his team, Oklahoma State #6 went up against Texas #1. What a game! Talk about high blood pressure!!! Yes, we lost, but what a game it was. OSU definitely held their own. Only losing by 4 points, not even a whole touchdown, I was so proud of my Cowboys! This next weekend, I think I will be pulling for Tech to beat Texas, so that when we play Tech the following week and beat them it will look really good, not to mention feel really good!!!

Talk about feeling really good. I had my normal check-up on Friday and blood work looks amazing! The doc actually used the word remission. I am not in full remission, but I am in a hematologic remission, which is just a fancy word for a blood remission. Next month they are going to dig a little deeper (literally) and check out my bone marrow. This will show them a better picture as to how deep the cancer is and how well and fast the meds are working. Not to get me too built up, they were very careful to say they fully expect to see the cancer and not to get hopes of being in full remission within the next 6 months. No matter what my bone marrow looks like though, God is my real hope and thats all that matters.

Anyways....I want you all to feel really sorry for me now so listen here. I was looking at the weather forecast for this week thinking I have a little free time here and there, I wanted to take that "mental health day" I never really took and go to that beautiful park! Well guess what, we are expecting SNOW tomorrow! Snow in October!!! If this is a window into what lies ahead I am one sad girl! You guys know how much I love winter!! Alright...time for me to go to now!

Lindsay :)

Pumpkin Thursday!!

2008-10-23T09:24:00.004-05:00

Okay, I know I say this every week, but I have found a true gem!! This recipe is soo good. Not only does this taste amazing as soon as it touches your mouth, but it makes your home smell like the Thanksgiving or Christmas! This is definitely something I would make at a holiday brunch or group gathering! Here it is:

Orange Pumpkin Loaf

1 large orange
1/3 cup butter, softened
1 1/3 cups white sugar
2 eggs
1 cup canned pumpkin
1/3 cup water
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 cup chopped raisins

DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 9x5 inch loaf pan.
Cut orange into wedges, and remove seeds. Place orange, peel and all, in a food processor. Pulse until finely chopped; set aside.
2. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until smooth. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then stir in the pumpkin, water, and the ground orange.
3. Mix together flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and cloves. Stir into batter just until moistened. Stir in nuts and raisins. Spoon into the prepared loaf pan.
4. Bake for 1 hour in the preheated oven, or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Let stand 10 minutes, then remove from pan, and cool on a wire rack.

Now you do need a food processor for this one. If you don't have one, borrow one from somebody...its that good! Also, make sure you do let it cool for atleast 15 minutes. I was so excited to try it, I burned my mouth. You also don't get the true taste unless it is completely cooled. That goes for most all baked products!

I give this a FIVE STAR rating!!!

Confirmation....(and not the catholic kind, haha)

2008-10-22T11:13:00.004-05:00

(FYI...this is not a happy, warm fuzzy feeling post today...sorry)

Yesterday was the first day in my clinical class where we went into the hospital and received case studies. We looked at actual patients, spoke with them, and looked into their files to begin a study on their medical status. Two years ago this was what I was looking forward to more than anything! I would have been like a little kid on Christmas eve the night before last, getting ready to look into my first real case. Well that is not exactly how I felt. I was actually a little anxious about it all.

When I arrived I was directed to the oncology floor. The first case I got assigned to was a 34 year old blonde female. I only got one peak at this patient, and I thought I was seeing myself. A wave of emotions flooded me. I felt sick. I don't know if it was God intervening or what, but the doctors were so busy with her file, the teacher said I should move on to another patient or I might be waiting all day. So I moved on. Thankful with all my heart. I didn't even get a chance to see what kind of cancer she was dealing with or what all was going on with her, but I will never forget her face, and I will pray for her every chance I get.

The second patient I got was a 64 year old male. So ofcourse, I immediately thought of my Papa. Not a great start to my day...Luckily God gave me the strength to deal with it and it worked out ok. The man had a good prognosis and was very nice. I'm sure he will be ok and I will learn alot from his case, but it was not what I consider a day of fun.

The last case I got was a 73 year old man suffering with head and neck cancer and dealing with tube feedings for the rest of his life. Let me just stop there...it was too sad for words.

I left the hospital feeling like crud...speechless pretty much. But thankful at the same time.

I think I am too emotional and emotionally connected with cancer patients and hospitals for that matter that I cannot work in them. More than ever I was looking forward to Pumpkin Thursday!

It takes special special people to work in hospitals. For them, I am soo thankful! We could not go on in this world without them. But I feel like yesterday was more than enough confirmation that God has something different in mind for me. I DO want to help people and even people who deal with cancer and are facing tough life situations, just not in the actual hospital setting. If you know someone who does work in the health field, whether its a hospital or an outpatient center, thank them...today....they deal with a lot and probably don't get enough recognition.

By the way...I am doing great! If the doctors didn't tell me I had cancer I wouldn't think I had any kind of health problems. I'm practically normal! I go into the hospital to get more blood tests on Friday. Just typical protocol. I probably won't learn anything new, but thought you could pray none the less.

Have a Happy Wednesday!!

In His Hands,
Lindsay

OSU Weekend!

2008-10-19T21:46:00.007-05:00

This weekend Josh and I got to escape to Cowboy land...that is the OSU Cowboys. It was their homecoming weekend and it was full of fun! Not sure we knew what we were getting into, but Matthew informed us it is "only the biggest homecoming celebration in the country!" And indeed it was! My parents, sister, Mema, Aunt Debbie and Uncle Bynum all met up with us on Friday where we soaked in all the college life we could handle. The game on Saturday was great! We won and ofcourse Matthew did awesome! Overall, the weekend was a great time to catch up with family, relax, rejuvenate, and watch some good football! Here are some pictures we took:

Me and the superstar!

Josh and I with a picture of Matthew in a magazine

All the girls!

Nat and I with the sign we made.....can you tell we love our brother?

One of their best players and future NFL-er, Dez Bryant....and Matthew :)

Getting ready for the big game

Matching Dip'n Dots....Go Pokes!

My sweet Mema wearing the shirt for the Leukemia Walk they did tonight!

Speaking of.....Tonight was the Dallas, TX "Light the Night Walk" for the Leukemia and Lymphoma society. Over 150 people walked in honor of me. I cannot express in words how touched I am. Just thinking about it sends goosebumps up my arms and tears to my eyes. Thank you, thank you, thank you! Without any of you, I don't know how I could go on. Your love and prayers are continually felt and thats what keeps me going!

I really wish I could have been there and can't wait to see all the pictures. Thanks again from the bottom of my heart.....you are changing lives!

In His Hands,
Lindsay

Pumpkin Black-Bean Turkey Chili

2008-10-16T17:22:00.003-05:00

This is a GREAT chili!! I am definitely going to make this again! Here's the recipe:

Pumpkin Black-Bean Turkey Chili:

1 c. chopped onions
1 c. chopped yellow pepper
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 Tbsp. oil
1.5 tsp. dried oregano
2 tsp. cumin
2 tsp. chili powder
2 15-oz cans black beans, rinsed and drained
2-3 c. chopped turkey or chicken or Bocca sausage (cooked)
16 oz. can pumpkin
14.5 oz can diced tomatoes
3 c. chicken broth

1. Saute onions, pepper, and garlic in oil until soft
2. Stir in spices, cook 1 minute. Transfer to slow cooker
3. Add remaining ingredients
4. Cover. Cook on low for 7-8 hours or high for 3-4 hours.
5. Serve with crushed tortilla chips and/or cheese

And Voolaahh!!

It doesn't have a strong pumpkin flavor...actually I don't think you can really taste it at all, but you get the nutritious benefits of the pumpkin and thats good enough! I hope you all enjoy this FIVE STAR recipe!!!!

From my kitchen to yours,
Lindsay

Pumpkin Thursday

2008-10-16T08:50:00.003-05:00

I have a different kind of recipe that will be served at dinner tonight in the Essery household, so I haven't made it yet. It is Pumpkin Black-Bean Turkey Chili!! Man, if that don't get your tastebuds watering, I don't know what will!...But you have to wait. I didn't think Josh would want that for breakfast. So after dinner I will post pictures and a rating on just how good it is. I have a feeling this is going to be another 5 star!

I was really hoping to post pictures of the beautiful scenery I saoked in on my "Mental Health Day" yesterday, but it was pouring rain all day. So my mental health day is going to have to wait! I hope you all had a beautiful day yesterday in whatever part of the country you are in. I will be back tonight with the Pumpkin Black-Bean Turkey Chili....YUMMY-O!

Lindsay

Good news!

2008-10-13T15:43:00.003-05:00

Good news, my platlets are back to normal!! Everything is going so well. I have no side effects from the meds anymore and all my blood work seems to be in the normal range. Now we just wait for God to keep doing His thing. In a month and a half I go in for another bone marrow biopsy to see how deep the medicine is having an effect. Hopefully down to the core! Please keep praying!

No matter what, I know God is with me, and that is all I need!

In His Hands,
Lindsay

A Mental Health Day?

2008-10-12T11:06:00.003-05:00

Many of you have taken a sick day, but what about a mental health day??

My Wednesday night teacher, who is an adjuct and doesn't understand exactly how Benedictine's schedule works, gave us this week off. When she looked at the calendar she noticed it was Fall break. What she didn't know, (to my delight) was that unlike Spring Break, Fall break is only 1 day, Monday. When she realized her mistake she decided to go ahead with the day off. Her rationale was that we all probably need to take a "mental health day." She said, and I agree, that Americans don't put near enough importance on the mental status of employees or students. People can take a day off, no questions asked, if they have the flu or a really bad cold. But just like the flu or a cold, stress and anxiety can be just as potent in the work place or in a school setting. I know my moods can definitely imapact my work, and even the work and attitude of my classmates.

So the assignment while we take a "mental health day" is to do something to calm us down and pamper our minds. Whether its getting a pedicure, taking a nice walk, or just taking a long nap, she wants us to do it, and write a page about our experience. How cool is that??

So for my mental health day I am going to this beautiful park close to where we live, spending some time with God and doing some good journaling. The fall colors are absolutely gorgeous right now. Sounds like the perfect medicine for my mental health! And who knows, maybe I will fit in a pedicure. I mean, the teacher basically assigned it. I don't want to let her down!

What do you think about taking a mental health day? What would you do to calm your senses and relax??

Lindsay

P.S. How about them OSU Cowboys???? If you missed it, my brother's team, ranked #17, beat the #3 ranked team yesterday!!! Woo Hoo!!! It was such an exciting game! Can't wait to see what the rest of the season holds!

All tuckered out....

2008-10-10T19:02:00.003-05:00

Have any of you experienced a week that never ends....well this was my week! Luckily this weekend is a 3 day weekend. Thank you Christopher Columbus! It came at just the right time!

I have been doing some soul searching this week, yes soul searching! As I said above that this was the week that never ends, I can give the credit to ALL my classes. Usually its just one or two that stress me out, but I don't have to point my fingers at just one this time, it was all of them. I think the teachers get together and plan out one really hard week just to see if we can take it, no kidding! But because of all this more than ever I do not want to be a dietician anymore in the near future. I decided whatever I do next semester (after I graduate!!) and the semesters following, it will be fun, not stressful (do you get to call them semesters when your not in school anymore??). So I looked into cake decorating classes, photography classes, how to become a substitute teacher in Wheaton, dental hygiene programs, and even grad programs such as Occupational Therapy and Psychology (I know, random). By the way, I did this in all my spare time, a.k.a procrastination, I sure hope my grades don't reflect!

This process has left me confused though, and pooped out! Whats a girl to do when she has so many interests?

In the mean time, Josh has been stressed out with all his internship applications. He could really use your prayers...and when I say him, I mean we! This is a long and tedious process that I'm trying to help out as much as I can (in that spare time I have) but there is only so much I can do. He is trying to get most of them mailed out by this Wednesday. He'll interview all winter, and then find out the end of February if he got matched. He is applying to places in Boston, all the way down the east coast to Georgia, then over to Texas and Tennessee, and last but not least California. So we could be anywhere next year....talk about anxiety. Again, I think God is teaching me patience!

On a final note, I got my blood tested today to see if my platelets went back up. I have this weird feeling they didn't, but we will see. Thankfully, its in God's hands, not mine! I hope ya'll had a wonderful week!!

In His hands,
Lindsay

Pumpkin Thursday

2008-10-09T08:49:00.004-05:00

Today, by request, I have a pumpkin pancake recipe. Ladies and gents, I think I have a winner. These pancakes are so fluffy and tasteful! They are not overpowering with a strong pumpkin flavor. Just enough to satisfy your craving. I think even those of you who don't care so much for pumpkin flavor will like these. They don't even require syrup. Just eat as is.....or for those of you who can't stand the thought of eating pancakes without syrup, use syrup, you won't be disapointed!

Pumpkin Pancakes

Ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons brown sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground allspice
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups milk
1 cup pumpkin puree
1 egg
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 tablespoons vinegar

DIRECTIONS
In a separate bowl, mix together the milk, pumpkin, egg, oil and vinegar. Combine the flour, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, allspice, cinnamon, ginger and salt, stir into the pumpkin mixture just enough to combine.
Heat a lightly oiled griddle or frying pan over medium high heat. Pour or scoop the batter onto the griddle, using approximately 1/4 cup for each pancake. Brown on both sides and serve hot.

I also put sugar and cinnamon on top for added sweetness! I hope you enjoy. I give this recipe a

From my kitchen to yours,
Lindsay

Happy Birthday Dad!

2008-10-07T05:51:00.004-05:00

Today is my Dad's birthday. He's turning....well we don't have to go there. Let's just say he's had a long and happy life so far!

If you don't know my Dad, get to know him! He's the most loving, giving, fun, kind-hearted, family-supporting, dog-loving, kind of guy out there. I feel like the luckiest girl to have him as my Dad! So today, this blog is dedicated to him!

Josh, Harley, and I wish you the happiest birthday you've had yet (and you've had plenty, hehe) Dad!!! We love you!!

Halloween, Shmalloween

2008-10-05T13:05:00.002-05:00

So I'm just gonna say this at the risk of offending some people, sorry, but I HATE Halloween decorations!

It's that time of year again when everyone decks out their front yards and houses with things like life-size men holding real axes and chain saws with blood all over them, or bloody graves all over the lawn, and I mean ALL over the lawn. What happened to jack-o-lanterns and a possible bat or spider. People are bringing horror stories to life for all the little boys and girls coming to trick or treat...what?!? Key words: little boys and girls. I guess I just don't get it. It baffles me that a country who's economy is not so great, and who's people hate "violence" and wants to bring our troops home will spend so much money on turning their front yards into a muder scene, all in the name of Halloween?!?

Ok, now I've vented, I feel a little better. It just tore into me when we were driving home from church and I saw a chain saw murderer in one yard and basically a "dead" body hanging from a tree in another. What is this world coming to?

When everything seems to be ok

2008-10-03T22:46:00.002-05:00

So I'm just gonna be honest here. Something I have been struggling with, and have often found myself struggling with, is depending on God when everything seems to be ok.

In my small group we are studying Ecclesiastes (sp?), and we talked about how we find ourselves crying out for God in our greatest times of need and then not so much in our everyday experiences. And if we are all honest with ourselves, that is definitely true or has been true for us at some point.

I started thinking about my own life, and some of the times I felt closest to God were when I lost my Papa, when I lost my good friend Rachel, the long road following my car accident, and now with the leukemia, especially the first few weeks. The common denominator: devastating hardships! Now you might be thinking, well you still have leukemia, and yes I do, but I get to live a pretty normal life (thanks be to God). Now that I am adjusted to the meds, I have random days where I am pretty emotional, and yet again, those are the days I feel closest to God.

I want that to be the case everyday! I long for that, and somehow the need for God seems to fade when everything seems ok. I get in my own world and just forget. In a weird way it makes me thankful for those hardships. Now don't get me wrong, ofcourse if I could change all of those hard times in my life, I would, but I wouldn't take back the ways God has comforted me and taught me and shown me His love. Kind of an oxymoron...maybe...english wasn't my strong suit, but you know what I mean. So the question is, How do I need God and depend on Him not just in the hard times, but the good times too?

I know, this is not something easy to answer on the little comment box, but I'd love to hear feedback.

Still In His Hands,
Lindsay

Pumpkin Thursday!

2008-10-02T08:02:00.004-05:00

Here it is again, Pumpkin Thursday, and do I have a treat for you! One of my good friends, Lindsay (what a great name!), made me this tasty treat last weekend. They are called "Pumpkin Dessert Squares." And here is the recipe:

1) Take 1 box yellow cake mix, reserve 1 cup
2) Mix remaining cake mix with 1/2 cup melted butter and 1 large egg
3) Press lightly in the bottom of a 9x13 pan.
4) Mix 1 jar of pumpkin butter with 2 large eggs and 1/8 cup of milk
5) Pour over cake mixture
6) Mix the reserved cake mix with 1 tbs flour, 1/4 cup sugar, 1/4 cup softened butter, and 1 tbs cinnamon.
7) Mix and crumble over Pumpkin Butter mixture.
8) Bake at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes or until golden.

And this is what you'll have.....

I promise this will delight your tastebuds!! I give this recipe a 5 star rating!!!

From my kitchen to yours,
Lindsay

My Playlist

2008-10-01T07:54:00.002-05:00

I am a little overdue on my blogging, sorry! The beginning of the week is just crazy for me. Mondays and Tuesdays I am in class ALL day long and on Tuesdays I work until 10PM. Needless to say I am pooped!

Something that helps get me through my long days is the ol' faitful iPod!! My top 10 songs right now that often get played over and over again are as follows:

Shaun Groves- Welcome Home
Jason Mraz- I'm Yours
Sara Bareilles- Love Song
Nicole C. Mullen- Redeemer
Natasha Bedingfield - Unwritten
Our Song - Taylor Swift
Multiple Artists - Just Stand Up
U2- Beautiful Day
Nicole C. Mullen- One Touch
Shaun Groves- Jesus

Most of them are oldies, but goodies! What are some of your favorite songs?

Lindsay

Road to Remission, day 28

2008-09-26T20:56:00.003-05:00

Yes, its hard to believe it's been 28 days since I started my treatment, and I am happy to report that....we are right on track!!! All praise be to God!

A casual, yet powerful saying I have used quite a bit in my life when things seem to be straight from God is, "That was a God thing" or "Its a God thing." Today I thought "Man thats a God thing" more often than not. Let me start at the beginning.

God thing #1: I woke up this morning with an incredible peace in my heart, and I want to thank you all! I truly believe it is because of the prayers you have all prayed and the kind emails I've received. As I write this I have tears in my eyes and goosebumps on my arms thinking about how God has used each of you in my life. What some of you may not realize is that these past few months you have ministered to Josh and I in ways unimaginable, even in the things you might consider small. And not just these past few months, but my entire life. I have not once questioned God's love for me or the love of my family and friends, and that is a blessing....thank you! I am eternally greatful!

Back to the day.....God thing #2: We got there right on time only to wait on the pharmacy to get my meds filled. Luckily they put me in a room with a TV. Nothing good was on so I just told my nurse to find something. She put it on the Mike and Juliet Show, a show I have only seen once when my friend Biz was on it (yes shes a TV star!), but I was like, "Okay, it's better than nothing." Low and behold, it was the day that the author of one of my favorite books, Crazy Sexy Cancer Tips, Kris Carr appeaared. She had a great interview. It inspired me and motivated me throughout the day. Something I would not have watched on my own.

God thing #3: Everytime I had an EKG done today (9 times), it came back completely normal. I don't know if I've posted much about the EKG issues I've had, but they have never gone smoothly or turned out normal. This was a blessing!

God thing #4: My blood work came back completely normal. A normal white cell count is anywhere between 3-9. When I got diagnosed mine was 29. It is now at 4.5!!! YAY!! A normal platelet count is between 150-400. When I got diagnosed mine was around 700. It is now 133....yes a little low, but that was expected with the meds I am on and he said will return to normal in the next couple of weeks. YAY!!! These are two key features they look at with Leukemia patients and mine look good!!!

God thing #5: My doctor seemed very knowledgeable and encouraging. No, he's probably not someone we'd hang out with for fun and I definitely think he didn't get my sense of humor like my last doctors did, but he did a great job explaining what to expect from hear on out and gave me much hope!! He's the only doctor who has flat out said he has no reservations about my treatment and has no doubt I will not go into full remission in the near future. We left the appointment encouraged and full of hope!

God thing #6: Harley didn't pee in his crate today. I know some of you might be chuckling, but because of the long appointment and traffic we got stuck in he was in his crate for 12 hours. I just knew I would come home to a mess. I feel soo bad for it too, but I had no control really and Harley did great. We got home, let him out and I kid you not, he peed for like 2 minutes straight. It was a record...him holding it so long and how long it took him to pee...haha! Not to be gross, but I do feel like that was a blessing. Don't overlook the small stuff!

I am tired and I'm going to bed! Thanks for being my co-survivors!

In His Hands,
Lindsay

Pumpkin Thursday

2008-09-25T08:03:00.005-05:00

Since I have a somewhat busy day ahead I thought I'd make the "Pumpkin Raisin Muffins" to start the day off right. Here is the recipe:

1 cup Fresh or Canned Pumpkin
3 1/2 cups Flour
1 cup Sugar
2 Eggs
1 1/4 cup 2% Milk
1/4 cup Soft Butter or margarine
1 cup Raisins
4 teaspoons Baking Powder
1/2 teaspoon Cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon Nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon Salt

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Put muffin cups into muffin tins or grease the tins.
3. Cream butter(or margarine) and sugar until fluffy.
4. Beat in pumpkin and eggs.
5. Dredge raisins in 1/2 cup of flour.
6. Sift remaining flour and spices together.
7. Pour milk into a mixing bowl.
8. Mix in dry ingredients by hand until just mixed.
9. Stir in raisins.
10.Spoon mix into paper cups in muffin tin.
11.Bake at 400 degrees for 20 - 25 minutes.

Serve pumpkin raisin muffins warm or cool. Spread on butter or margarine, if desired

When my first batch was all said and done I was a little disappointed in the presentation. They just weren't pleasing to my eyes and thats important. Your sight is very much a part of the eating process. So for my second batch I sprinkled brown sugar on top. You can never go wrong with brown sugar!!!

Before:

After the brown sugar:

The taste of the muffins were actually pretty good. Josh even liked them and he isn't real crazy about pumpkin flavor. They had a mild and delicate flavor. Not too rich! I don't know that I would serve them for a brunch or party hosted at my house, but they are perfect for the family on a Saturday morning. Not only are they tasty, but they are healthy! Here are a few pumpkin nutrition facts that should make you pumpkin lovers smile!

Pumpkins have zero cholesterol, zero...

Pumpkins are low in salt, real low.

Pumpkins contain beta carotene which helps to reduce certain types of cancer and lowers the risk of heart disease.

Pumpkin seeds help to reduce the risk of prostrate cancer.

I rate this recipe a 3.5 out of 5

From my Kitchen to Yours,
Lindsay

Update

2008-09-24T11:58:00.003-05:00

This Friday I will be going back in to the hospital for yet another 6 hour appointment. They will be running all the same tests they have previously run and will be able to tell if the medicine is working, and if so, how well it is.

I don't know if I told ya'll I have a new doctor. My previous doctor's schedule conflicted with mine so I will now be seeing Dr. Artz. I will be meeting him for the first time Friday. He will be the one going over the results with Josh and I.

Please pray that everything goes smoothly Friday, my test results show that I am right around the corner from remission, and also that I will "click" with the new doctor just as well as I did with my last ones. That is important to me and I am a little nervous about switching doctors. I need to trust my doctor, and I definitely trusted the last ones.....I can just imagine God is thinking, "Hello, Lindsay, I've taken care of you this far, just trust Me, I'm the real physician anyways!"...so maybe what I need to be asking for is to pray for faith. I can always use more of that!

On a sweeter note, in honor of Fall and my great love for "all things pumpkin," I've decided to post a new pumpkin recipe that I will make every Thursday. So be looking tomorrow for that! I hope the recipes will bring warmth to all your homes!

In His Hands,
Lindsay

Texas!

2008-09-22T18:30:00.006-05:00

This past weekend Josh and I were able to go home for a quick visit to celebrate birthdays and see our families. As you know Josh's birthday was a week ago, but so was my brother's. Mom made a favorite cake of the family's: Strawberry Cake, yum yum!!

If you know my family at all, you know that I did not receive the athletic genes. I've come to terms with that, its ok. I have my own special talents, one of which is giving unique yet accurate descriptions of icecream flavors for those seeking the perfect dessert(ask my family) but I will save that for another post....anyways, back on track....My brother, who's picture will appear all over the internet if you just google his name (Matt Fodge), is a stud punter at Oklahoma State. It has been so neat to see him start as a little tot kicking a football off my Papa's toes, and sometimes kicking my Papa's toes, haha, to kicking on Saturdays for a Big 12 college! I am so proud of him! And so is our dog Brody....

And then you have my sister, Natalie, who has been pretty awesome at all sports she has ever tried at. But this weekend I was able to see her play volleyball for the first time ever (I know, I can't believe its taken this long). She is a superstar, let me tell you. I would not be surprised a bit if she too played at the college level.

All this to say, both my brother and sister are great athletes, and I am so proud of them! But more proud of who they are as people. It was great seeing them this weekend as well as the rest of our families!

When I grow up....

2008-09-18T08:11:00.003-05:00

These last couple of weeks I have been doing a lot of thinking. Here I am, less than three months away from graduation, and I don't know what I want to be when I grow up! Most of you are probably thinking, "don't you love nutrition?" And the answer is yes! I LOVE nutrition, but as I am in my senior level classes right now, doing some of the things I would do as a dietician, I realize it's not for me. The hospital/clinical side of it atleast. I see myself more as a nutrition educator or working in a community setting. Not a hospital!

In one of my business classes we had to take a career assesment test and it said I would be a good teacher, physical therapist, photographer, cruise line coordinator (haha), a librarian, and a school counselor. All things that have crossed my mind at some point in my life...well maybe not the cruise line coordinator, but that would be fun!

For those of you with a little more life under your belt, how long did it take you to decide what you wanted to do, or what your calling was? I feel like it's critical that I decide soon what to do with my life, but I'm sure at 40, I will still be asking the question, "What do I want to be when I grow up?"

Just Stand Up

2008-09-15T14:00:00.003-05:00

I don't know if you remember the "Stand Up 2 Cancer" campaign I wrote about a couple of weeks ago, but it was a huge success. They raised over 100 milion dollars for cancer research. It was such a touching show, so if you Tivo-ed it, be sure and watch it with a box of tissues. Many of the famous music artists wrote a song called "Just Stand Up" and performed it live on the show. Well now you can buy the song on iTunes and the .99 goes to cancer research...they are always accepting money.

It is a great song with some moving lyrics, not just for us cancer survivors, but anyone having a rough day. Lately I can't help but listen to it over and over on my iPod. Here are the lyrics:

The heart is stronger
Than you think
It's like it can go
Through anything
And even when you think
It can't it finds a way
To still push on
Though

Sometimes
You want to run away
Ain't got the patience
For the pain
And if you
Don't believe it
Look into
Your heart
The beat goes on

I'm tellin' you that
Things get better
Through whatever

If you fall
Dust it off
Don't let up

Don't you know
You can go
Be your own miracle

You need to know

Chorus:
If the mind
Keeps thinking
You've had enough
But the heart
Keeps telling you
Don't give up

Who are we to be
Questioning
Wondering what is what
Don't give up
Through it all
Just stand up

It's like
We all have better days
Problems getting all up
In your face

Just because
You go through it

Don't mean it got
To take control, no
You ain't gotta find
No hiding place

Because the heart
Can beat the hate

Don't wanna
Let your mind
Keep playin' you
And sayin' you
Can't go on

I'm tellin' you that
Things get better
Through whatever

If you fall
Dust if off
Don't let up

Don't you know you
Can go
Be your own

Miracle
You need to know

You don't gotta be
A prisoner
In your mind

If you fall
Dust it off
You can live your life

Let your heart
Be your guide

And you will know
That you're good
If you trust in the good

Everything
Will be alright, yeah
Light up the dark
If you follow your heart

And it will get better
Through whatever

You got it in you
Find it within
You got in now
Find it within now
You got in you
Find it within
You got in now
Find it within now
You got in you
Ffind it within
Find it within you
Find it within

Still Surviving, In His Hands,
Lindsay

Happy Birthday Josh!

2008-09-14T13:41:00.003-05:00

Ok, so I have been avoiding the blog. Yes, I admit it. It has been an off week in the creative part of my mind and frankly nothing remotely interesting has happened either. But today is a day of celebration in the Essery household and it is definitely worth telling you. It is Josh's 27th birthday!! Happy Birthday to the best friend I've ever had and the love of my life!

About 9 years ago today Josh and I went on our first date ever for his birthday, with my parents, haha! I knew then, when he was willing to go out with me and my parents to celebrate his one and only 18th birthday, he was a keeper.

This year we technically celebrated on Friday night with dinner to one of his all time favorites, Texas de Brazil! We ate till we could eat no more. Then this morning we had another celebration with breakfast at one of our other favorites, Egg Harbor. Can anyone tell we love to eat in this family?!

Anyways, Happy Birthday Josh! I hope this next year brings you lots of laughter and love!

Linds

It's a Beautiful Day (to be read as if you are singing the U2 song)

2008-09-09T16:11:00.006-05:00

Man is it a beautiful day!!! Nothing can get me down. Not even the darn cancer! Its one of those days you drive with the windows down, your hair blowing in the wind (if you have long hair...sorry Papaw, hehe), and your favorite tunes playing in the back ground. Even better, you have a sonic drink in your hand too! The sun is shining and the temperature is 70 here! Are you getting the picture?? If not, I took one...laying down in the grass. And here is what I saw:

In Wheaton today it feels like the first day of fall, and with fall things like football, state fairs, caramel apples, pumpkin anything, and hoodie sweat shirts come to mind. I think it is one of my favorite times of year...along with spring and summer! It seems like everytime the seasons change, I am soo ready for it and so excited! And that is not any different this year. Not only is the season changing around us all, but a season in my life. A season of hope! I can feel it in the air and I can feel it in my insides!

I pray that God has spoken to you in some special way like He has to me today!!

Light The Night....what a blast

2008-09-07T15:53:00.005-05:00

Hello friends!

Sorry I have been out of touch lately, I've been feeling a little under the weather. But I am feeling much better now!

Last night we had an incredible time at Light the Night here in the Wheaton area. Our team, which consisted of 9 people, did a phenomenal job raising funds and having fun as we lit the night with illuminated balloons all in honor of leukemia and lymphoma awareness.

First I would like to thank those of you who gave money. We could not have done it without you, and soo many lives will be touched by your generousity. We raised enough funds so that they had a special sign on the path we walked on, with our team name on it. When I saw that, I just about cried. It was the neatest feeling.

We saw soo many adorable children who are fighting for their lives right now. It made this "cancer thing" even more real to me. Cancer is something you never expect to get at my age for sure, but even younger....there are no words, it's heartbreaking. They were such an inspiration to me, not only to keep fighting with all my heart, but to also keep giving to this cause, whether it be with my time or what. Last night pulled at my heartstrings.

Here are a few pictures I managed to take. Our friend Brad who walked with us took some much better ones and when I get those, I plan to post them. Until then....

What happens is those who are surviving with leukemia or lymphoma carry the white balloons, and those supporting them carry the red balloons, all of which have lights inside of them. As it gets dark the sky is illuminating with colored balloons. Very Cool!!

I encourage all of you to try and find the walk in your area and participate. You won't be disappointed! If you are in the Dallas area and would like to walk with my mom's team, I know she would love to have you. Just email her at glendafodge@yahoo.com to let her know.

Thanks for you prayers and love!!

In His Hands,
L

Stand Up 2 Cancer

2008-09-04T14:19:00.002-05:00

Hi ya'll....

I just wanted to make sure you knew about the special airing tomorrow night at 8/7 central on ABC, NBC, and CBS for an amazing campaign, "Stand Up 2 Cancer." This is an initiative to raise money for ground-breaking cancer research. A few of those who will be a part of the special include Lance Armstrong, Sheryl Crow, Charles Barkley, Melissa Etheridge, Halle Berry and Jessica Alba. Josh, myself, Mom and Dad got to be a part of one of the tapings the first day I was diagnosed. I'm not sure if we will appear, and more than likely we won't, but if you watch, we were a part of the Lance Armstrong bit. I think it's going to be great, and I am so impressed with the primetime coverage its getting. Finally, the media is going to good use! My prayer is that it will truly move people to give and that cures will come of it!

Thanks a million times over for your prayers. We need em and feel em! I am doing really well physically. No side effects except a few itchy bumps on my fingers. I assume its a side effect, and a small one at that. So I'm not complaining. I will find out the week of Sept. 22 how well the meds are actually working. Pray that my body is fighting with the medications to rid my body of this cancer as quickly as they anticipated and that through this a great new treament for CML will help others!
I ask for special prayers as well for my emotions. I'm not sure if the medication has anything to do with it...I like to think so....but I have been especially emotional lately. I can feel satan slowly tugging away at me and trying to bring me down!

Something God has really been putting on my heart through so many avenues is that He is the same yesterday, today, and forever. I've heard this verse before, but it really clicked these past few weeks and reasonated in a special way. Because He is the same yesterday, today and forever, we have nothing to fear!

In His Hands,
Lindsay

Politics...yay or nay?

2008-09-03T20:25:00.002-05:00

So I am sitting here, parked in front of the TV, watching one of my favorite politicians, Mike Huckabee, anxiously awaiting another speech by Governor Palin. I hate to admit this, but I have become a political junkie.

Before I moved up to Chicago or really even started dating Josh I could care less about politics. I just thought part of being a Christian was voting Republican. So thats what I did. Can you tell I was a little naive? Well my naivety was shot down when I moved up to the midwest. I met all kinds of Christians who identify with the democrats....what?? a Christian democrat?? I thought, how can that be? Maybe I should start listening to what each side stands for. Maybe democrats aren't so bad. (haha...now I'm really showing my ignorance)You know, its kind of like faith, if you don't ask questions, how will you know what you believe and why you believe it.

Well, with Josh as a husband, it was not hard to get hooked to all the news stations. It kind of scared me the first time I asked Josh to hurry and turn the channel to Fox news cause I didn't want to miss Hannity and Colmes....I'm sure some of you are thinking "What the heck is that?" Its a show that has a Republican and a Democrat and they talk about all the issues from both points of view.

I definitely learned alot these past few years about parties and politics (and still alot more to come). There are a lot of amazing people I am friends with up here that consider themselves democrats. And we all want the same things for America. So I apologize to any democrats reading this for my ignorance and stereotyping.

Parties aside, for this election I wanted to be completely open minded, to hear both parties' stances and ideas so that I knew why I was voting for someone. And that is what I've been doing. Last week I watched the democratic national convention, and this week, the republican national convention. I'm not gonna lie, the idea of having a woman in the VP's seat really excites me. I am excied to learn more about Palin in a few minutes and what she is all about.

Is anyone else excited about this election? Or am I the only dork who pays attention to politics.

Back to the grit and grime

2008-09-01T16:56:00.008-05:00

Josh and I arrived back in Illinois today around 1:45 and I have already unpacked, done some laundry and gone grocery shopping. I am pooped! We had so much fun this weekend and got some much needed rest. Some good news, I think my body is officially adjusted to the treatment medications. Wednesday and Friday were a little hard, but I haven't had any side effects since Friday morning...YAY!

Door County, Wisconsin, the place we visited, is a peninsula extending into Lake Michigan. Its lined with towns full of shopping, lake activities, state parks, orchards and wineries. One cool restaurant we went to thats pretty well known in Door County is this Swedish restaurant. It's not so popular for its food, but rather it's landscape...or should I say roof-scape.

Wait, take a closer look. It's not just grass on the roof, but goats too!

Apparently, these goats roam all day on top of this restaurant eating grass. What the story is?? I still don't know, but I'm not gonna lie, it made me want a pet goat!

Another thing they have a lot of in Door County is light houses. Here is a picture of Josh and I holding onto each other for dear life. We climbed all the way to the top. I think Josh's fear of heights is rubbing off on me!

We couldn't have asked for better weather. It was sunny and 85 all weekend! We went to the beach in one of the state parks and walked along this beautiful shoreline.

If I wouldn't have known better I would have thought we were in California!

As I said before, they have many orchards. They are most known for their cherry and apple orchards. Here is a picture of me eating a delicious deep dish cherry pie, only Josh tried to take most of it and I am trying to eat it fast so he can't get anymore. He ordered a white chocolate raspberry torte. Good, but not as good as mine!

Hope ya'll had a great Labor Day weekend like Josh and I did. Now its back to the grit and grime!

In His Hands,
Linds

Labor Day Vacation

2008-08-29T19:04:00.003-05:00

Josh and I are in Door County, Wisonsin this weekend. We needed to getaway and just enjoy each other and beautiful Lake Michigan! I'm sure I will have lots of fun pictures to post when we return. Happy Labor Day Weekend Ya'll!

Lindsay

Road to Remission, Day 1

2008-08-28T10:52:00.008-05:00

I thought I was going to have to get my mom to guest blog today to update ya'll on what happened with my first day of treatment, but I wokeup this morning feeling a lot better, so here I am!

Yesterday was a long day, but an exciting one in my books. It was the first day on the Road to Remission! Thankfully my mom was able to be here with me for a couple of days since Josh's busy schedule would not allow him to go with me to the hospital. The day began with lots of waiting, whats new right? Sidenote: I think this whole experience is going to make me a much more patient person!...So after waiting about an hour and a half, they took me back for my first EKG and blood sample before I took my pill. When that was complete I got my first set of pils, 5 to be exact.

We had three hours to kill so we were off to grab some lunch (sporting my oh-so-fashionable EKG probes) and take a self-guided tour around University of Chicago's campus. It was so beautiful! It was the kind of college you see in the movies. Here are some fun pictures we took. Sidenote: If you think I take alot of random pictures, my mom's even worse, I was having to tell her, "enough pictures already." Haha....I'm sure I will be thankful one day!

The Rice Crispy treat was medicine for my heart!

There was a random tire swing on campus that we took advantage of...fun times!

Then (about and hour and a half after taking the med) I started feeling these weird pains in my stomach and decided it would be best to head back to the hospital. It was a good thing because the weird feeling turned into bad nausea (ofcourse mom took a picture)

Then the bad nausea turned into vomitting, and other things I won't talk about on here. Luckily it happened in my EKG room where there was a handy trash can and it wasn't in the lobby! Also my doctor walked by and wrote me a prescription for anti-nausea meds, yay!

Two hours, two EKGs, and two blood samples later we were headed home. And was it ever the longest car ride of my life...and I've driven from Chicago to Dallas many times! When we walked in the house, the vomitting was back. Thank goodness my mom was here! When I took the anti-nausea meds later, it got better. Josh came home, and that helped too! I slept well and wokeup feeling much better! I think it's just the first few...well 8...hours after the medication is taken are the worst. They said my body will adjust to it too, so I shouldn't expect this for too long.

All in all, it was an okay day and could have been a lot worse! The side effects for the other medicine, Gleevec are supposed to be worse, so I am thankful. One day down, remission, here I come! Thank you for your continued prayers, I feel it!

In His Hands,
Lindsay

Two more days

2008-08-25T13:26:00.003-05:00

I'm sitting here feeling frustrated and disappointed and probably other feelings I haven't been able to process yet. I thought you would all be interested to know my treatment has been pushed back yet again. I am now supposed to start on Wednesday. But we will see.

I got randomized to do the study drug, which requires additional testing the day I begin treatment. It will be a 6 hour appointment. Needless to say I am a little axious. Keep praying. I believe in God's sovereignty so I believe this is all His will, but somehow I can't get over these anxious feelings.

In His Hands,
Lindsay

We can LiveStrong because He is Strong

2008-08-23T11:47:00.006-05:00

As I write this blog, I am recovering from the denial that lived within me until about an hour ago. Let me explain.....

Josh has been an avid runner all summer, waking up early as I would keep sleeping, and going for a 3 mile jog about 5 days a week. As I have previously stated, exercise floods the body with oxygen, and that is what I am trying to do. So I thought I would start joining Josh on his 3 mile jogs, but I would need some new running shoes first. I haven't gotten new running shoes since before we were married and mine were pretty worn out from all the running I had done previous to my diagnosis. Last night Josh and I went to the Nike store to buy some new running shoes. We heard about the Nikes designed by Lance Armstrong for his LiveStrong campaign. 100% of the sales for these shoes go straight to cancer research, they are extremely comfortable, plus they look good too, so we were sold!
Josh's Shoes

My Shoes

We wokeup this morning ready to run. As I was putting my new shoes on I was getting pretty pumped up (this is where I enter La La Land, forgetting I haven't run in almost two months). I had no doubt in my running abilities. Sure I hadn't gone in a while, but I have always been somewhat athletic (don't laugh Dad) so I wasn't worried. As I was stretching like all good runners do I was imagining what routine Lance Armstrong does everyday to keep in shape? Maybe I could be the next Lance Armstrong??...I was thinking pretty high of myself at this point. I set my Ipod to a great playlist to keep me going and I was ready to go.

Well folks I think you know what comes next. I was highly mistaken about my running abilities. About 1 minute into it I thought I was gonna pass out. I am not ANYWHERE close to the shape I would like to be in. But ofcourse I wasn't gonna quit. My pride would let me pass out before that would happen. So I ran about 2 miles and I feel like dying now. My whole body hurts. Its all I can do to type in this blog.

As I was running God laid this passage in Isaiah on my mind and I want to share it with you.

"Do you not know? Have you not heard?
The LORD is the everlasting God,
the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He will not grow tired or weary,
and His understanding no one can fathom.
He gives strength to the weary
and increases the power of the weak.
Even youths (Lindsay) grow tired and weary,
and young men stumble and fall;
but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
they will run and not grow weary,
they will walk and not be faint." Isaiah 40:28-31

Man, this speaks to me in so many ways. Not just with the running, but with everything in my life: past, present, future. I gotta tell ya, I have been feeling pretty weak. Not physically so much, just emotionally and mentally. But, as God reminded me this morning, whether its when I go to run, when I walk into the hospital and see so many sick people and feel depressed, when I begin my treatment with fears of the unknown, or when I walk into my school on Monday as if nothing is even wrong with me, I can take comfort in the fact that my God never grows tired and weary and will renew my strength when I feel like giving up. He has done this so many times in my life and He's not gonna leave me high and dry now. We can LiveStrong because He is strong. And that is my new theme in life. I just decided that on my run :)

Monday is the day I will finally start treatment. I am ready for this. Please pray that the side effects won't be too severe and that I can carry on with school. This is my last semester...hooray!!

In His hands,
Linds

Confession Time

2008-08-22T08:58:00.003-05:00

For those of you who were mislead by yesterday's post, I would like to clear up some confusion. I myself do not eat a completely non-acidic diet. There are definitely acidic foods I eat, more than once a day. The five things I listed, I do try my hardest to do, but do not be fooled, Josh does not cut out red meat, or meat of any sort, ha! Although he is trying to be very supportive and eat as healthy as he can, haha!

Now it's confession time. After I had written that post, which I do fully believe in and hope one day to be eating like, I got a call from my nurse. She told me that once again I would not be starting treatment as soon as I thought. The EKG that was done Tuesday was showing, and I quote, "funny things." Now for those of you who are in, or going into the health field, don't ever tell a patient who has cancer that her EKG is showing funny things. That is the one organ this patient thought she could fully rely on, her heart, the thing that is giving her life!

Well after a while she called back and told me she thinks it was just done wrong and that I needed to come back in today (Friday) for another one. What a relief. I kinda saw it coming though. The lady who did the EKG was as sweet as she could be, but sweet doesn't always get the job done. A lesson I am learning now that I am dealing with hospitals, insurance companies, etc.

Anyways...on to the confession. I was so distrought and a little depressed that my treatment was being put off yet again, that we decided to go to that new Sonic I told you about a few posts ago. And...here it comes...I got a cheeseburger, tater tots with cheese and a strawberry limeade...yikes....do I sound like a hypocrite or what? I felt so guilty, but it tasted so good!! I decided I just needed that. My spirits were down, and nothing like good old Sonic to bring them back up!....There, now its out, and I feel so much better!!

Here's the kicker though...it was soo crowded, just to get into a drive-in stall to order our food, we had to wait 30 minutes....30 minutes before we could even order. The day before, they told us people waited 2 hours!! For SONIC! Now I know its good, and I would gladly wait another 30 minutes to order, but 2 hours?

I know there are some die hard Sonic fans out there, how many of you would wait in line two hours to order Sonic, and if you wouldn't do it for Sonic, which restaurant would you wait 2 hours for, sitting in your car, not being able to go anywhere???

Nutrition 101

2008-08-21T09:09:00.002-05:00

Those of you who know I am a nutrition major probably think that I am a health nut who shops only at Whole Foods and eats only organic, non-processed foods. Well
compared to some of you, I may indeed look like a health nut. I rarely eat red meats, I drink skim milk, and I will order things like veggie sandwiches on whole grain bread, cut the mayo! But I definitely have not completely practiced what I preach. Oh yeah, I do alot of preaching, just ask my husband and dad! However, when it comes to "practicing," that sweet tooth God has blessed me with can't resist dessert! Refined sugars are my best friend! But now, more than ever, I am trying to change my ways.

A question I was often asked at the nutrition/cooking cancer class was, "Is organic really alot better?" and what I would tell them was, "yes, when it comes to vegetables and fruits where the peel is also eaten, i.e. apples, blueberries, bell peppers, tomatoes, etc." But I knew the financial strain cancer by itself can put on a family. To tell them to change all their foods to organic...cha-ching $$$....it just didn't seem necessary. There is no proof that processed foods, like chips or sweets need to be organic as well.

Ok, now fast forward to my diagnosis. I don't know if I am trying to grab onto anything I can or I have come across some new, up-to-date research thats been eye opening, but I have changed my view and some of what I eat. I'm not sold out to ALL organic foods, but the lastest research and books that I have read point to some key changes I have started implementing into mine and most of Josh's diet.

Something they don't teach you in health class (don't worry I'm not going science on you) is that the key to general health, and especially cancer health, is to avoid an acidic environment in your body and flood it with foods full of oxygen! Here is a list of acidic inducing foods:

Meat, chicken, fish
All dairy products
Wheat, corn, barley, rice (even brown)
Black and kidney beans
Walnuts, peanuts
Sugar, **honey, maple syrup...these can be either acidic or alkaline, depending on who you listen to. I say use them anyways instead of white sugar!

Now your probably asking "What food is left?"....well here's what's left:

Most all vegetables, especially asparagus and leafy greens
Green beans, peas, lima beans, soy beans
Millet, quinoa (grains)
Almonds, pine nuts
Vegetable juices, wheat grass, and barley grass

Most doctors would say make 80% of your foods non-acidic, or alkaline and let the other 20% be acidic. I decided not to deprive myself completely, so here are the changes I am making that you too could make:

1. Cut out red meats, trying to eat tofu or soy as a protein source and occasionally fish and chicken.
2. Cut out dairy. I still eat yogurt and I have replaced milk with enriched rice milk. It's actually very good!
The rice milk is obviously from rice which is considered acidic, but I believe it is still a better choice than milk from a cow. Who knows how many hormones have been pumped into the cow. If milk is not something you can give up, organic is the way to go.
3. Add raw veggies to EVERY meal. Yes even breakfast. Make those veggies organic as well!
4. Add a shot of wheat grass from Jamba Juice to my weekly routine.
5.And lastly, exercise! Exercise produces oxygen in your body so it helps balance the pH in your body when you eat acidic foods!

Now slip ups happen, and I haven't been able to cut out desserts. I'm not perfect, and a girl's gotta have her chocolate! All I can do is try. And I feel like its a good start. Hopefully you find this somewhat helpful and will be able to make some small changes too. We all just have one body, why not give it the gold star treatment?!

Bone Marrow #2...check!

2008-08-19T15:47:00.005-05:00

Today was a day full of waiting, tests, waiting, doctors, waiting....did I say waiting??
Props go to Josh though because really all he did was wait. Atleast I had a purpose for waiting and then I got to do something. Yeah maybe it wasn't something exciting, but the tests broke up the waiting part for me!

We knew it would be a long day so we decided to have some fun the night before. We pricelined a hotel room in the city....thank you priceline....and we ate dinner at one of my favorite restaurants, Roy's! Out hotel room was on the 45th floor with a lake view. Yes 45th!! Those of you who know Josh at all are probably laughing right now. He is TERRIFIED of heights. Check out the views!!

Needless to say the curtains remained closed!

The morning was full of waiting as I said before. Once the waiting part was over things went along smoothly! I had 9 viles of blood taken, an EKG, a Mugascan where they put radioactive fluid in me and checked out my heart, then I had a chest X-ray and a bone marrow biopsy. Yes I'm telling you this to sound real tough and all, but in reality, it was nothing too bad. If anyone has to get a bone marrow biopsy come see my lady. She's good!! No pain hardly at all. I actually took some pictures of the marrow and stuff, but after looking at the pictures and thinking it through I thought it was probably best not to post them. This is a rated G blog after all! But here is a snapshot of me right before my EKG.

From here, I wait for a call from the docs tomorrow sometime confirming I can move right into treatment on Thursday! Just in time to start school on Monday, haha!

In His Hands,
L

One Touch

2008-08-17T16:42:00.004-05:00

About a year and a half ago Josh and I were fortunate enough to see Nicole C. Mullen in concert at the church we were attending. For those of you who are not familiar with her, she is a Christian artist who sings the ever so famous songs "Redeemer" and "Call on Jesus."

One song I had not ever heard before, and I'm guessing most of you have not either unless you are a dedicated fan, called "One Touch," really stuck with me. Now this was about a year and a half ago, and all was well in Lindsay World. I had no obvious reasons in my mind to really be leaning on God and depending on Him like the girl in this song does. But I could not get this song off my heart. So I downloaded it. I listened to it over and over for about a month until it grew old. Well today it came back to me as I was listening to the message in church. It was a gift from God a year and a half ago that He knew I would need today allowing a much needed cry to come out and a renewal of faith in Him. It is so special and has even more meaning to me personally now. I just want to share it with you. If you are at work, I urge you to wait till you go home. It is one of those, "turn up the volume and sing from the depths of your soul" songs. It's only six and a half minutes and I promise you won't regret it. P.S. This is the actual concert we were at!

Just copy and paste the link below. It will take you to the YouTube page where you can hit play!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WbaDlPg18HU

Thank you for letting me share my journey with you!

In His Hands,
L

Today is a GOOD day!

2008-08-16T15:09:00.004-05:00

Ok let me first start off by saying God is good. Not just good on the mountain tops of life, but also good on the hill tops, like today.....

I started the day off by going to work, a place I am quite fond of. Ofcourse it's like every other job, some days are better than others. But most days I leave feeling so great, that I can't believe they actually pay me to do what I do.

Anywho...earlier this summer I saw that they were building a SUPER Walmart! Yes a SUPER! This is the first one in our area period. Very exciting for us southerners! Today Josh and I had planned on going to get some groceries there when I got off work. So I was already pretty excited. Well it gets better...As we were approaching the great Super Walmart, I thought I was seeing things, hallucinating, if you will, when all of the sudden I realized I was not seeing things. Right in front of me was this:

I'm not gonna lie, tears came to my eyes! It was as if God knew exactly what would get me through one more winter in Chicago. Hallelujah!!!

You might think this is corny, because it is, but I have no shame. God gives us huge things to be thankful for, but also small things like Super Walmarts and Sonics.

The Sonic should be opening this week sometime and as soon as I get a chance I am driving over and getting me a Diet Strawberry Limeade! I have feeling the Sonic employees and I will be great friends!

What is your favorite Sonic drink?

The many faces of Harley

2008-08-14T08:33:00.006-05:00

Today is Harley's 2nd Birthday!! He has brought so much joy to our lives and we are thankful for him! Happy Birthday Harley!

The first day we got him!

One of his first encounters with snow....a similiar face I made!

When he's begging us to play with him...thats a tennis ball in his mouth

At the dog park....one of his FAVORITE places to be

His face lately since our world hasn't revolved around him with the craziness our lives have had

Today however, I fully intend (key word: intend) on revolving the day around him. We are going to meet Josh for lunch at the Whole Foods cafe where we can eat outside with Harley and then I am going to take him to a special dog store where they have treats good enough for you and I to enjoy...no kidding! They use real peanut butter in them! Then we are going to the dog park tonight! Fun Fun!!

Another special birthday I did'nt get to acknowledge last week was my Papaw's. Happy belated Birthday Papaw. I thought about you often and wish I was there to give you a big birthday hug!

Lights for Lindsay

2008-08-11T21:51:00.006-05:00

I am not one to usually ask for help, but many of you have said, "Let us know if there is anything I can do." So here is something each of you can do.

As I said in an earlier post, Josh and I will be walking in "Light the Night" walk sponsored by the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. It is a nationwide walk to raise awareness and funds to cure leukemia, lymphoma and myeloma, and improve the quality of life of patients and their families. This especially hits home with Josh and I and it is something we are passionate about.

Here are two ways you can help. First and foremost, prayer. That is something I will need for the rest of my life. I truly believe God is hearing our prayers and working through them and I continue to ask for that. Please know Josh and I also try our hardest to pray for each of you as you come to our mids as well.

Second I am asking, if you feel led to give in other ways, financially in this case, your donation to either Josh or myself, for this walk would be most appreciated. I know these are hard times for everyone, but even a $5.00 donation helps.

My team that is walking consists of 9 people. Our team name is Lights for Lindsay. Thats about as creative as I get, haha! We have set a goal to raise $1,000.00 as a team by September 5th. If you feel this is something you would like to contribute to, you can copy and paste the following link. That page is our team page and it has names on the right hand side. Click on the name of the person you would like to donate to, however it all goes in the same place. From there it will guide you through. It is pretty quick and simple.

http://teams.lightthenight.org/LightsForLindsay

Again, please do not feel bad if this is not something you can do. Your prayer and love is most important.

We went to the doctor yesterday, with no real updates. I will be going through some testing this week so that I can start treatment on Monday. There is a chance I might have to get another bone marrow biopsy, which is a bummer, but I will survive!

In His Hands,
Linds

Good ol Texas

2008-08-09T18:43:00.007-05:00

As promised I have stories and pictures from our Texas trip, but not many. When I loaded up my picture card on the computer I realized I didn't take hardly any.

The Friday we flew in, Josh's dad picked us up from the airport and took us to there house for a bit where we got to spend some good time with him and Josh's mom. Josh and his dad love to play Wii, so the rest of us sat back and watched Josh's dad woop up on Josh in the air hockey game. For dinner that night we ate with my family at Papasitos..YUMMY!! But even better was the company! We trecked all the way to the Paciugo by American Airlines to get Josh's favorite flavor, since thats what there website said they had, only to find they were out...Sad days!

Saturday was a fun day where we surprised my Mom's family...well the girls atleast. None of them knew we were coming in town....happy tears were a flowing when we all got together. We spent the day celebrating Jenni's 30th birthday!! We shopped the day away.

That night we had a blast eating dinner at another favorite Pappas restaurant, Papadeaux and then we went putt-putting with Josh's parents. I will say I'm not as good at putt-putting as I remember, but had fun anyways.

Sunday was full of family and friends. We saw my dad's family and Kristen at lunch. Fun times and good food. Then Sunday night got to see some of my parents great friends, who are now my great friends!!

Monday we ended up eating lunch with Leslie and stopping in at my new favorite cupcake place, Sprinkles, in Highland Park.I highly reccomend it!

Needless to say we did not go hungry!!

There are so many people I wished I could have seen, but time did not allow. Luckily Josh and I will be going home alot more this next year. I love TEXAS and more than that I LOVE my friends and family in Texas! I cannot wait for our next visit!

We go to the doctor on Monday. Hopefully we will have a better idea of what my treatment will look like since I am doing the clinical trial and don't know which medicine I will be taking. Then hopefully I will start treatment the following Monday.

In His Hands,
Lindsay

Light the Night

2008-08-07T15:32:00.002-05:00

Cancer is definitely not what anyone ever hopes for, but I've always heard the saying, "When life gives you lemons, make lemonade!" So lets make some lemonade....

With chronic myelongenous leukemia I am actually very blessed. There is a great treatment out there with very little side effects. Not all cancer survivors get to take a pill everyday and continue life as normal (or as normal as possible).

I really feel like science is so close to a break through with better treatment options and even a cure! The only way that can happen however is if funds are raised to produce the research. I know you have all seen or heard of different ways to raise money for research, one of the top ways being walks or runs. If you participate, that is one way you can contribute, wherever you live to help stand up to cancer and find a cure!

The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society has their biggest fundraiser pretty soon called Light the Night. It is a really cool walk that takes place at night where participants walk 2-3 miles carrying illuminated balloons. I hear it is very touching!

Josh and I are for sure going to be walking September 6th, but wanted to spread the word and help you find your local walk. The following are dates in certain areas I have come up with. If you cannot find your location, or would like to sign up go to www.lightthenight.org

Lisle, IL
Lisle Community Park
Saturday, September 6th

Chicago
Grant Park
Saturday, September 13th, 2008

Dallas
SMU Doak Walker Plaza
Sunday, October 19, 2008

North Dallas
Dr Pepper Ballpark in Frisco
Saturday, November 1, 2008

Atlanta
Centennial Olympic Park
Saturday, October 11, 2008

Pensacola
University of West Florida
Thursday, October 9th, 6:00 p.m

Sorry, I couldn't find one in Arkansas!

Anyways, I thought this would be a cool way to "Light the Night" together and walk for hope wherever we live. Let me know if any of you decide to participate. I would love to hear how it goes. If you cannot however, but would like to contribute somehow, Josh and I will be accepting donations for our walk on September 6th, haha, or more importantly, we could use your prayers!

In His Hands,
Linds

Full of Emotions

2008-08-05T16:04:00.006-05:00

I find myself again, not sure how to begin. I am overflowing with all kinds of emotions right now and I want to share it with you all, my co-survivors. After reading an amazing book, "Crazy Sexy Cancer Tips." I have indeed decided that is what you all are to me. See, I am not a cancer patient, but a cancer survivor because that is what I am doing, surviving and living each day to its fullest. That would then make you my cancer co-survivors, because I could not do it without you. You support me, you love me, and most importantly, you pray for me.

The first emotion: Unexplainable Joy!
Josh and I arrived in town about 1:30 and had to go straight to his school to take care of some business. While we were there I received an email from my doctor with answers to many of my questions. The first thing he told me was last week my WBC had DROPPED to 15.9 and platelets had dropped to 593. This is an all time low for me people. I started at 29.2, and I am on no medication right now. I know my WBC can fluctuate, but for the last two weeks it has been on a steady decline and I can only say it is God's doing. The doctors say I definitely still have CML and treatment will begin sometime around the 18th-19th. I am OK with that, but I can't help but be giddy!

The second emotion: Scared
This is a feeling that lives in me about 24 hours a day. Always at different levels, but still very much there.

The third emotion: Hopeful
I don't know what the drop in WBC means, but I know God is preparing my body for something, maybe a quick remission, maybe complete healing. But I am hopeful in whatever it might be.

Fourth emotion: Comforted
It is hard for me sometimes to become too hopeful in fear that if God doesn't heal me or bring me into quick remission that I would eventually turn my back on him because of my human nature. I think what is important for me is not to believe that He will heal me, but that He can heal me. Whatever He does with me though, will be for His glory, and that gives me comfort.

Anyways...I just had to share what was on my heart. We had a great trip to Texas and I will have fun stories to share in the future. I have to go to work now!

In His Hands,
Lindsay

P.S. My doctor also told me he has been assigned a presentation on young patients with CML to give to the entire faculty of the University of Chicago. He is looking up and researching the latest information and treatment options on CML. I am looking forward to some good info at Monday's appointment.

The Secret's Out

2008-08-03T18:19:00.002-05:00

This past Friday, Josh and I flew in to Dallas to surprise our family and friends. We are still here and will get back into Wheaton Tuesday night. We've had a blast and got to catch up on some much needed family time. I will post pictures and fun stories when I get back!

Inner Beauty

2008-08-01T15:39:00.002-05:00

Growing up is hard. Period. But growing up as a female and more specifically as a middle school female is one of the hardest things to go through. You are in this awkward time where nothing seems to make you feel good about yourself. Your clothes don't fit right, you have braces and zits, and you compare yourself to EVERYONE else physically and materially. I must say I am glad I will never have to go through that again. One thing my mom always told me to try and make me feel better, and I will tell my girl(s) someday is, "what matters most is what is on the inside." As much as I didn't want to hear it at the time, she was right.

Sadly I still find myself reverting back to middle school comparing myself to others, wishing I could have this or that, or wishing I could look like this or that. I feel like somedays I still need my mom to tell me, "whats on the inside matters most."

Well today I made my momma proud! For the second time in the last couple of weeks I had an ultrasound done. Both ultrasounds were done in two different doctors offices by two different ultrasound techs and they BOTH told me that I have really beautiful insides and they love taking pictures (ultrasound pictures) of my inners, haha! Now ofcourse they were talking of my literal insides, but I couldn't help but think of what mom used to tell me! I figure if nutrition doesn't work out for me I can always be an ultrasound model, haha!

For Kicks and Giggles

2008-07-30T11:06:00.003-05:00

When your time is consumed with doctors appointments and serious conversations you have to find unique ways to make yourself laugh. Here is one way we accomplished that...at Harley's expense:

Some kids dress up their dolls, we dress up our dog. I must say he was a great sport and it made us laugh for a good while!

One quick update: I went to the gastroenterologist yesterday to have my liver checked on. (Remember the high enzyme levels) Well....he said they were all back to normal!! That is the first time a doctor told me something looked normal in a long time. I cried....yes like a big emotional baby with no shame. Tears of JOY ofcourse! I think the people in the waiting room thought I must have gotten some pretty bad news, but I didn't care. I was just happy to hear I was normal...or atleast my liver anyways. Praise Jesus!

The "A" Team

2008-07-28T20:51:00.005-05:00

Here they are folks....my "A" team. They are going to be walking Josh and I through each step of the way and we have full confidence in them. They are just as smart and compassionate as they look!

Today we spent 5 1/2 long hours at University of Chicago Medical Center. I feel like I am running on information overload! There is no new news on my condition obviously, still in Chronic phase, however, last week my WBC count had dropped to 22,000 from 27,000. Dr. Sharma said that didn't mean I was all of a sudden being cured or anything, but I was thinking that definitely couldn't be a bad thing. And with God all things are possible!

I decided to sign up for a clinical trial today where I could either be placed in a group that takes the standard dose of Gleevec (the normal drug prescribed) or I will take a standard dose of a different drug in the same family. The doctor said they are like cousin drugs. Knowing me and my cousins, they have to be pretty close and pretty close to the same thing! They are hoping this drug will be as beneficial, if not more beneficial than Gleevec. By signing up for this trial two great things will happen. They will pay for my meds and tests that go along with the trial as long as I am on it (which I can withdraw at any time) and they will also be monitoring me alot more closely. If you know me, that brings me much peace and comfort! All in all, we are feeling really great about this decision.

Pray for Josh and I especially in the next couple of days as we are making some hefty decisions about having children. One decision in particular has to be made before I begin treatments and treatments begin as soon as I make my decision. I honestly feel too young at times to be dealing with such serious matters, but I have a God who I trust will give wisdom and clarity, and a husband who is light years beyond me, so I think I am in good hands ;)

Speaking of the husband....this is what he does to pass time at the hospital:

If you can't tell he's playing games on his phone. Tetris to be exact!...I love that guy!

In His Hands,
Linds

Beautiful Feet

2008-07-27T17:52:00.004-05:00

When I was a kid, Christian music was the only music we listened to in the Fodge household. Besides an occasional Michael Bolton cassette tape or a Disney soundtrack my favorite artists consisted of Sandi Patti, Michael W. Smith, Newsboys and Steven Curtis Chapman. I have found myself more than once in a group of friends talking about favorite "old school" songs being completely lost. (Has anyone else had this experience??)

Of course I don't look back and regret it, wishing my parents would have just let me listen to a little more "Bone, Thugs and Harmony." -haha. I cherish my childhood and wouldn't change a thing. What I wish is that kids now a' days had a little more innocence and could sit down and appreciate Sandi Patti and the little Gerbert movies I so enjoyed.

I am sure I am in the minority when I say that one of my favorite songs by Sandi Patti was "Beautiful Feet." Most of you have no clue what I am talking about. But I couldn't help but think about it when a friend of mine, Audrey, came over yesterday and we went and got pedicures.

Before choosing our colors, we looked up the official colors for Leukemia awareness and found a bit of controversy on the internet. What we came up with was that orange is the official color with green being a good alternate....that is what the internet said?? My first thoughts were, "How fitting, my Papa's favorite color, orange, and my favorite color, green."

For those of you who don't know, my Papa, pretty much my hero, lost his battle with bladder cancer in 2002. He was one of the strongest people I know and I hope to take his strength with me a long the road that lies ahead. The color orange will be my constant reminder of his strength and legacy I hope to even slightly resemble, and the color green will be my constant reminder of God's unique journey He set forth for me and how He's not gonna leave my side, and the sides of those who surround and support Josh and I.

With all of that in mind, Audrey and I picked these colors to paint our toes. Here are our "Beautiful Feet!"

In His Hands,
Lindsay

P.S. For those of you who are wondering, I am going to use this blog as an update for anything pertaining to my cancer. That being said, some days there won't be updates and eventually updates will hopefully be few and far between as I go into remission. Please keep reading though, some days will be light and some maybe not so light, but this is my life, my new life with cancer, and I'd love for each of you to be a part of it!