Update: Life, Surgery, Cancer

It's been a really long time since I posted. It was never my intention to take such a long time off from my blog, but here we are in October and I haven't posted since the end of April.

Those of you that are friends or family are probably aware of what all has gone on in the past few months, but I wanted to give an update and catch everyone up to speed.

This past year has been one for the books. It seems like it has been one thing after the other. The only thing that has kept me from losing my head or crawling into a hole to hide has been the Lord. He has sustained me and my family in ways that I can't explain. There has been peace in times I never thought I'd have it, and comfort that only comes from Him.

So just to recap; Last August 31st, my grandfather passed away from a massive stroke. A little over three months later my other grandfather passed away. Then my grandmother passed away in April of this year. So, in a little over seven months, I lost three of my four grandparents.

After my grandmother passed away in April, once things settled down a little, it was the end of the school year. Things were really busy, and frankly, I just didn't feel like posting anything or being creative. That's when I decided to take the summer off from blogging, fully intending to start back after school started back.

Surgery
That brings me to my surgery. I had a major surgery (more about that later) on August 15th.  While they were in there, they found a hiatal hernia and repaired it as well. So instead of having maybe a couple of weeks of down time, I ended up having to take it easy for around five weeks. I was in a lot of pain and didn't have a lot of energy. Finally, around four weeks out my pain went away and I started getting my energy back. I'm seven weeks out now and feel great. Recovery took longer than I expected, but I'm doing great now.

Cancer
Some of you may remember me posting about my mom's cancer a few months ago. She has a rare form of lymphoma called Follicular Mycosis Fungoides, which is a cancer of the hair follicles. She's had it for four years or so maybe. Around a month ago, she called and told me and my brother that she needed to talk to us. She drove down and we met at my house. She told us that she had had a PET scan and that it showed cancer in many parts of her body. It's in her lungs, liver, chest, spine, spleen, leg, arm, bones, jaw, and cheek. She also has bone lesions on her back, ribs, and hip.

I was not expecting to hear this news. She had managed her cancer for a while, but now it seems it's just taking over. We meet with her oncologist tomorrow to find out if all of those spots are metastisization of her current cancer, or if it's a secondary lymphoma in addition to what she already has. We'll also know more about treatment options depending on the results, although, my mom doesn't want to do chemo.

I'd really appreciate prayers for her and for our family as we continue to walk through this. I'll update as soon as I know something.

Thanks in advance for your prayers and support!

Why I Blog

                                                                                                                 

When I first started Cultivate Create, I had grand dreams of daily inspirational posts and lots of DIY how-to's. I planned to document taking our fixer upper from dated and drab to done and daring. While I have documented that, the fixing up process now comes in spurts rather than a steady stream. But, over the course of the last two and a half years, I've discovered my love for crafts, pretty tablescapes and parties. Because of my blog, I started being a contributor for Southern Holiday Life magazine and hope to expand that to freelance writing for other publications. I've learned a lot about photography and am still improving in that area. But, one of my favorite things is connecting with you! I love to get feedback from readers and  questions that hopefully I can help answer. I'm not an expert and didn't go to school for design, however, I love design and DIY and have become a student of it. I've immersed myself in that world, and while I'm still learning myself, I love to pass along what I have learned to you guys.

My Favorite Things About Blogging
*Sharing tutorials for DIY and craft projects.
*Learning more about home design and DIY.
*Writing! (I've loved writing since I was a little girl!)
*It motivates me to accomplish things around my home. 
*Sharing resources for shopping for your home.
*Developing Cultivate Create into a source of income for my family.
*Sharing ideas and motivation for making your house a home. 
*Sharing ideas about how to decorate on a budget. 
*It enables me to have a "portfolio" of my work and writing.
*Offering free printables and other ways to decorate for "free."
*Documenting our home and family life. 
*Using it as a creative outlet.
*Encouraging others.
*Sharing party ideas and DIY party decor tutorials.
*Sharing gardening and landscaping tips.
*Connecting with others. (people who are also passionate about crafting and DIY projects, other writers and bloggers, other moms and families, anyone at all!)

I've been thinking a lot about Cultivate Create's purpose and trajectory lately, hoping to soon migrate over to a self-hosted site with a new and improved design as soon as my web designer has an availability. I've also been brainstorming for future posts as well as preparing to share some projects I've been working on around our home. So, my question for you guys is:

What kinds of posts would you like to see in the future?

 More DIY projects? Tutorials? Kid crafts? Family friendly activities? You tell me!

I've asked this question before on my Facebook page and took note from there, but I wanted to again here. Please leave a comment below or you can comment on the link to this post on my FB page or send me a pm or email (cultivatecreate@yahoo.com).I would greatly appreciate the feedback as I work to improve Cultivate Create. 

A challenge for fellow bloggers:
Want to reflect and remind yourself why you started blogging? Write your own "Why I Blog" post and share with hashtag #whyiblog. Be sure to let me know! 

Before I leave you today, I wanted to quickly share with you just a few of my favorite posts so far from this blog. Check them out. I hope you enjoy! Be sure to join this site or follow by email to never miss a post. (Both on the right sidebar.)

How to Stain Vinyl Shutters

I Do BBQ

DIY Fringe Party Backdrop

Dough Bowl Succulent Planter

Waverly Chalk Painted Dresser

Spring Monogram Letter

Stock Photos: Ashley Ella Design

Group Messaging and Text Etiquette

A couple weeks ago, there was a day when I had three separate group texts going on simultaneously. Let's just let that marinate there for a second. Three. Separate. Group. Texts. My phone was going off all day and usually it was for a simple response such as "ok" or "praying" or something similar to that. It made me wonder if there is or should be some group text or message etiquette. I mean, I doubt Miss Manners wrote a chapter of the dos and don'ts of social media and cell phones. 

I took to Facebook and asked my friends what they thought about group texting and messaging. I found out that some people like the convenience of them and others vehemently despise them. Here are some responses that I got. I think these are a great way to ensure we aren't driving each other batty with incessant dings from FB messenger or constant text message alerts on our phones, and just good rules of thumb for being considerate. 

"Unless the group is texting about a common activity the group is doing together, a person on the receiving end should reply by private text to the sender. I do like the convenience of group text for the sender. I hate it when people group text me about things that don't have anything directly to do with me and my phone blows up all day." 

"Ok for the sender to send out in a group text, but I don't need to hear everyone reply yes/no. That can be done directly."

"The first one I thought of is being in a group text and I don't have all the numbers saved in my phone. I want to know who I'm saying what to! But that's just my OCD and paranoia kicking in."

"Keep the number of people in the group small. Make sure that they know each other (and therefore likely know exactly who is in the group, as opposed to knowing a couple of people and just seeing the numbers for others)."

"Being a nurse and in people's homes, I need to keep my phone on but forced to turn on silent when added to a group text because it's so rude to be caring for someone and their phone continues to go off. " 

Group Texting and Messaging Etiquette:

1. If you aren't asked a specific question in which requires a response, don't send a text back. If you want to respond to the sender, send a private message back. That way all the others in the group message don't receive a lot of responses that aren't for them.

2. Don't have a conversation between just two people in a group text.

3. Be mindful of what time you start the group text. A good rule of thumb is if you wouldn't call that person at that time, don't text or message. 

4. Be considerate. 

Group texting can be a wonderful thing! It's a great way to send out prayer requests, get information out to a group of people quickly, and to plan an outing or get-together. We just need to be mindful of our responses and what others are receiving on the other end. 

Would you add any rules to this list?

Life Lately

My goodness! It's Wednesday already and it's been too long since I've posted. Life, sometimes, seems to get in the way of my projects and plans and it turn, posting here. I wanted to stop in today and let you know what's been going on. 

Last week, I was busy getting my articles finished up for Southern Holiday Life's spring/summer issue. I had two articles due and had mislabeled the due date on my calendar so I had to really bust it to get it in. When writing articles (and even blog posts) there is a lot of time and effort that goes into the finished product. There's the planning/shopping phase to get what you need for the project, then you have to actually do the project, take lots and lots of photos, then edit photos and write the article or post itself. One article or post can represent a lot of hard work and time that goes on behind the scenes. And I absolute love it! I love having a deadline to work toward (that's what us procrastinators need to get things done). Deadlines usually force me to get creative juices flowing. The above photo is only one from my craft article, but you'll have to wait until this issue comes out for the full how-to.

My second article was a spring porch update and here are a couple of my favorite detail shots I got. ( I LOVE the up-close detail shots.)Aren't these calla lilies gorgeous?  I got a new camera, by the way, and I'm loving the photos I'm able to take with it!

 OH! This shot! I took this in the early morning light when the dew was still on the ground, and little droplets of water were on the plants. I just love this photo with that little drop of water. It made me smile so big!

Another reason I haven't posted as much is I've been having horrible, horrible migraines almost daily. It had gotten to the point that I could call it chronic and it was no fun at all! I couldn't figure out why I've been having headaches so frequently. I've had migraines since I was a little girl, but never this often. For the past few months, they've grown in intensity and in frequency. I thought it was my sinus issues and snoring (even though I don't have apnea), but I took antibiotics and tried some oils and things to help with that, but didn't get much relief. Then last week, I finally had a breakthrough.

It was time for my yearly eye exam and my prescription had changed and I had developed an astigmatism in my left eye. I got new glasses, which has prompted my husband to call me Velma. Does that mean he doesn't like them? I don't know. Anyway, I've had glasses for years, but haven't had to wear them much more than for driving at night or at the movies. And speaking of movies, my friend Stephanie and I took our girls to see Zootopia when it came out, so I wore my glasses during the movie. I had had a headache all day and it wouldn't let up, even after ample amounts of caffeine and pain reliever. But by the end of the movie, my headache was easing off! Then it dawned on me. Maybe my headaches are from my eyes straining. So, I starting wearing my glasses all day, every day and my headaches have been much less frequent and painful! I'm so very happy to have figured that out. I guess I should've thought about that before, but I've never had to wear my glasses that much in the past. My eyesight has gotten worse so I guess I shouldn't be surprised. That's what getting older does for you.

Since this past Saturday, my Katlyn has been running a fever. It has spiked up to 104 and 103 so we were really concerned. I took her to the doctor yesterday and it's just a viral infection so we just have to let it run its course. I hope she can go back to school tomorrow. She's finally feeling a bit better today!

There have been lots of other things keeping us busy around here, as well. Ashlyn went out of basketball season and straight into softball. But, I'm loving this season of life and wouldn't trade it for anything!

Are you on Snapchat? Add me!

Dear Fellow Car Line Mom

I just want to apologize for the lack of fashion prowess on my behalf during the morning car line drop off at school. It's not pretty at all and I subject you with it on a daily basis. For this I am truly sorry.

For the lack of proper day-time attire. I'm sorry. Pajama pants and hoodies do just fine in my book to get my kids to school. But Heaven forbid something happen and I have to step outside of my vehicle in said attire. It would scare everyone. (Maybe I should put forth a little more effort to dressing myself for the car line. Nah. Who am I kidding? I'll take my chances.)

For the unbrushed coif of bed head, I'm sorry. It likes to do its own thing after being slept on for a few hours and I don't have it in me to fight with it that early in the morning. I just don't.

For the don't-cross-me-I-haven't-had-my-coffee-yet look on my face, I truly apologize. I don't mean to look like a death row inmate staring down the rival prison gang leader, but my face doesn't relax until cup of coffee number one has been consumed and that usually doesn't happen until after morning car line.

 Please don't take it to heart if I don't wave at you when you pass. I'm not dissing you or trying to hurt your feelings, but it's taking all I can do not to merely grunt out one syllable words to my offspring, much less coordinate my ungainly limbs into wordless gestures of acknowledgment in your direction.

Seriously, guys. I am really, really sorry. I wish I were a morning person, but I'm not. AT ALL.

To the poor teachers and faculty who have to see me up close and personal when I drop off my two littles, bless you. You get a closer glimpse of She Who Should've Gotten Dressed and I implore you not to hold it against me. And I promise not to hold it against you when I run into you at Grocery Outlet on the weekend and you're sans makeup and in yoga pants. It'll be our little secret.

What Healthy Will Look Like For Me

Guys, I'm having a really bad day. I woke up (once again for the bazillionth time) with a horrible headache. I missed my morning workout, had zero energy, and reached for carbs for breakfast for an energy boost (in the form of a chocolate chip muffin). Not a great start to my day. 

I've been eating low carb for the past month and the last three or four days have been really hard. I've been very, very tempted to go off plan. What am I saying? I have gone off plan. Today, waking up not feeling well, missing my workout, then eating what is a no-no for me just completely put me in a funk. I'm so tired of not feeling well, tired of the constant lack of energy, the incessant headaches. When my head hurts like it does now, I really, really just want to chug a 20 ounce Mountain Dew just to get a little relief. Right now, I'm itching so bad to go the a convenience store to get that Mt. Dew that I feel like a junkie wanting a hit. Ugh!!!! I don't like feeling like this, like a beverage or a food can control me. 

Right now, I'm putting my foot down. I'm not going to let this spiral out of control like I've done in the past (i.e. eating to make myself feel better, then feeling so much guilt that I ate something bad for me, then eating again to make myself feel better from the guilt that I just had for eating to feel good the first time, then guilt again.....you get the picture.)I'm going to combat this. I'm going to war on the offensive, not the defensive. 

Making a lifestyle change over the long haul means breaking habits and making new ones. It means stopping the cycle and facing things head on. So instead of going and getting that Mt. Dew and letting the rest of my day be ruined and my choices spiraling out of control, I'm simply making this list of reasons I want to get healthy, to lose the weight I need to be at optimum health. And then I'm going to go for a walk. 

What Being at a Healthy Weight Will Look Like For Me:

1. No longer being too large to ride a roller coaster.
2. Not having to worry about knocking things over with my rear end.
3. Having the energy to play and be active with my children. 
4. Not feeling like poo every day.
5. Not being self-conscious about "being in other people's space" all the time.
6. Being able to buy clothes from any store or brand that I wish.
7. No longer paying an exorbitant amount of money on over-priced, plus-sized clothing. (I call it fat people extortion.)
8. Being able to cross my legs easily.
9. Not being embarrassed to wear a swimsuit to the beach or pool.
10. Taking more trips to the beach since I'm no longer too embarrassed to wear a swimsuit.
11. Being in the best physical shape of my life. 
12. Not snoring anymore and therefore sleeping better.
13. Having energy to accomplish my goals. (daily and long-term)
14. Being a good example to my girls.
15. Not feeling the need to wear shapewear all. the. time.
16. Being proud of myself for reaching a goal.
17. Not cringing away from physical contact because I'm embarrassed of my body.
18. No longer having the mentally draining sparring matches with my body's stupid food cravings.
19. Regular sized towel. Enough said.
20. Being comfortable in my own skin. 

Are you on a weigh loss, get-healthy journey, too? What are the things you look forward to after accomplish your goal? What will healthy look like for you? Comment below!

Class Valentines The Easy Way

Valentines for my children's classes this year took me sooo much effort. I mean, I had to park my car and walk half the length of the parking lot into Target. I had to walk from the front of Target to the opposite rear side and locate the Valentine's Day aisles. I had to spend a whole three minutes deciding which pre-made candy Valentines to choose. Then, as if all that wasn't enough, I had to walk back to the front of the store and pay. Whew! Wasn't that just so hard?

The dawn of Pinterest ushered in a massive barrage of "cutesy" ideas, projects, and plans for perfect everything. Perfect homes, perfect parties, perfect tablescapes, perfect teacher gifts, and perfect class Valentines. A great majority of us, myself included, bought into it. We decided that we needed to do everything little thing up to the standard of the magazine editorial's and full-time blogger's spreads. I mean, I have friends who try to craft and DIY every class party and get so anxious when they can't make it just how they want it or how they saw it on Pinterest.

What happened to the simple birthday parties of pre-Pinterest years? You know the ones I'm talking about. They consisted of cake, ice cream, chips and dip, and something to drink. You might have had balloons and streamers and a matching tablecloth, all bought in a themed package for your convenience. Kids just played together, ate, opened gifts, played a little more, and that was it. Piece of cake. Clean up was a breeze and you hadn't spent hundreds of dollars and hours and hours of time preparing for a two hour party.

I'm not saying that putting in extra time and effort on a party or class Valentines is wrong or bad. Not at all. I love to make things with my hands, to be creative and put something special together. What I am saying is that it's still okay NOT to do these things. That to put so much pressure on ourselves to make everything perfect and cutesy is not healthy. When you're getting anxious and stressing out about what you're sending to school with your child for their Valentine's Day party, or any other occasion for that matter, it's time to take a step back and simplify.

Sometimes, maybe you really don't have the extra time to devote to DIYing everything. Maybe mentally and emotionally you just don't have it in you spend so much time on a project. Maybe financially, you need to find ways to save money. Or maybe it's just not your thing. IT IS OKAY! Stop putting so much pressure on yourself.

My girls ready to bring their store-bought treats and Valentines to their classmates and I'm not even stressing. Ha!

In years past, I've made DIY Valentines for my kids' classes. I've made special treats for them to eat. But this year, I decided to simplify, to give myself a break. I need a break from the Pinterest-DIY-perfection-is-everything mindset. I'm a blogger who shares ideas to inspire others and I straight up bought pre-made Valentine's from Target. And the treats for their class parties? I bought....wait for it....something from the bakery at a local grocery store!

It's okay to give yourself a break from cutesy and perfect.

It's okay to buy pre-made items.

It's okay to not spend tons of time crafting DIY everything. 

It's okay to simplify. 

This is just a friendly reminder to cut yourself some slack sometimes. 

It's okay!

I Karate Chopped a Cake

Yes, I karate chopped a cake. Yes, it was completely cathartic and I'd recommend it to anyone. No, I didn't have a psychotic break.

I guess I should back up and explain myself. Recently, I bought a small cake for an occasion and we ended up not needing it and it just sat in the refrigerator. Actually, it was in our extra refrigerator that we use for stocking up and for larger items that I can't fit inside our kitchen fridge. I had cases of water in that refrigerator and every time I would open the door to get a bottle, the cake would mock me, taunt me even. I'm not sure why I didn't just throw it away then and there, but I didn't. Instead, I kept thinking, Stupid cake. I just want to punch you in the face! I know, I know. That's probably not a normal reaction, but it was my true reaction.

Once again, let me explain myself. Sweets are my weakness. Sweets and bread. Those are the two things that I absolutely do not need in large quantities in my body. Me and sweets, we just don't mesh well. We are natural enemies because once I meet a sweet, it never wants to leave me. It clings to my thighs and legs and arms with a vengeance and it takes an act of God to shake it. Some people are very carb tolerant, able to eat bread, potatoes, and cake without it negatively affecting their weight or health. And some people are carb keepers, where every carb that passes the lips goes straight to the hips. I am one of the latter.

Last week, I wrote about my one word for 2016: Overcome. I didn't get specific about what exactly it is that I need to overcome, but if you've been reading Cultivate Create for a while, you probably could guess I was talking about my battle with my weight. I'm not going to get into my long battle today, but I'll link my first post that I opened up about my weight HERE in case you haven't read it. At any rate, I'm ready to be an overcomer in this area of my life. It's something that is so much bigger than a number on the scale. It's not a vanity thing for me. It's not about simply wanting to fit into a swimsuit to wear to the beach. This is about regaining my life, my health! This struggle affects every area of my life from my relationship with God, my husband, friends and family to just my mental and emotional health. It is a mental, emotional, and spiritual battle that I fight every day. And in the past few months, I've had setbacks and I've gained weight back that I'd lost in the last couple of years. And I gained it back fast!

I am getting back on track and as of yesterday, I've lost twelve pounds of the weight I'd gained back. That's a good first step. I've been doing a low carb, high protein diet and it's working for me. I'm telling you, me and carbs just don't get along. But more on that later. Let's talk about karate chopping a cake.

That cake that was mocking me from inside of my refrigerator got what was coming to it. I'd had enough of being ruled by food. Had enough of the temptation and the mental battle. So, I decided to do something about it. It wasn't just to silence a taunting voice, it was visible picture that I could always remember. A physical act that could remind me that I can overcome. I removed that cake from my fridge, placed in on the table on my back patio and karate chopped it in its face! Take that, cake! Take that, carbs! You can't control me! I tell you what to do, not the other way around. Hi-ya!

Was chopping a cake conventional? Not in the least. Would I do it again? In a heartbeat!

I couldn't get my video to upload here, so I'm sharing on my Facebook page. 

Five Ways to Overcome the Winter Blues

It happens to me every year: the dreaded winter blues. Without fail, it seems I pack away a little cheerfulness with each Christmas ornament I put away. I'm not sure if it's the post-Christmas let down, the fact that January is often dreary if not all out rainy, the colder weather, or a combination of all of these, but they seem to have a big affect on me. And not just me, a lot of friends, too. This year, I don't want to get in as big of a slump as I have in winters past. Here's what I'm doing to move past those winter blues.

1. Take Vitamin D. It sounds simple enough, but as the sunlight wanes in the winter, our bodies crave that vitamin D-producing sunlight. I tend to be deficient in vitamin D anyway, so a little extra never hurt.
2. Go outside. Speaking of sunlight....when the sun actually peeks through, take advantage of it and bask in all of its glory. It sure does beat being holed up inside in a lethargic stupor. It always makes me feel better.
3. Get Moving. Exercise may be the last thing you want to do when your battling the blues, but it really does help to improve mood if you can make yourself. I've been making myself go walking even when I don't feel like. After a bit, I'm more into it and end up being really glad I did.
4. Reach out to a friend. It's easy to stay to yourself, choosing to be a loner when the blues set in. But, pushing yourself out of that into a social setting can help combat it. If it's just going to lunch, exercising together, or catching up, make an effort to get yourself out of isolation. 

5. Plan a gathering or outing. Sometimes having something to look forward to and something to occupy your hands and/or mind helps to get out of a slump. Also, this helps get you out of the loner mode as well.

So far, I think doing these things is helping me not feel so blah! We'll see how it goes as winter continues. Do you deal with the winter blues? Are there some ways you've learned to cope and move past it? I'd love to hear! Leave a comment below!

One Word 2016

I'm a little late coming up with my One Word for 2016, but I suppose that it's better late than never. I didn't make any New Year's Resolutions, but I wanted to choose a word to focus on throughout the year. Just one word that I can reflect on each day that sums up how I want to live my life for the next 365 days (and longer). (If you aren't familiar with the #oneword365 movement, you can find out more and join HERE.)

It didn't take long for me to settle on a word, the perfect word for 2016. As I reflected on my life, took a long, hard look at 2015,  it was more than obvious what word would be appropriate for me:

Overcome. OVERCOME. OVERCOME! OVERCOME!!!  I am so ready to overcome my struggles, some that I've been wrestling with for a very, very long time. We all have things in our lives that set us back, things that cause us to stumble over and over. These are the thorns in our flesh, the ever-present obstacles that trip us up repeatedly. You let your guard down for a moment, and there they are there to take you out.

I realized after looking back on 2015, that I've hit a wall. I've let my struggles control me, OWN me. And I'm so exhausted and sick of it! I'm tired of the constant tug-of-war! I know I'm being vague about exactly what that is for me, but I'll get into that specifically at a later date. But, now that I've hit a wall, I'm not just going to sit there and stare at it. I'm ready to find a way over it, around it, under it, or through it. I want to overcome.

What does it mean to be an overcomer?

"Overcomers are followers of Christ who successfully resist the power and temptation of the world’s system. An overcomer is not sinless, but holds fast to faith in Christ until the end. He does not turn away when times get difficult or become an apostate. Overcoming requires complete dependence upon God for direction, purpose, fulfillment, and strength to follow His plan for our lives (Proverbs 3:5–6; 2 Corinthians 12:9).

The Greek word most often translated “overcomer” stems from the word nike which, according to Strong’s Concordance, means “to carry off the victory. The verb implies a battle.” The Bible teaches Christians to recognize that the world is a battleground, not a playground. God does not leave us defenseless. Ephesians 6:11–17 describes the armor of the Lord available to all believers. Scattered throughout this narrative is the admonition to “stand firm.” " Source

I know that being an overcomer is not going to be easy. It involves a fight, an all-out battle. It takes perseverance when times get tough. It takes consistency and steadfastness. It takes grit, and gumption. And it takes a complete reliance on the Lord for strength and guidance. It's not a one and done thing. It's a life-long thing.

I know that what I need to overcome and what you may need to overcome are probably totally different things, but I do hope that for you and me that 2016 is a year of overcoming!

When You Lose Someone You Love

I've never been good with funerals or wakes. I always end up blurting out something ridiculous or I don't say much at all. You know, on one end of the spectrum or the other. I'm always afraid that I'm going to say the wrong thing or say something to cause someone more hurt or pain than they're already experiencing. I haven't been on the receiving end of those bumbling, blundering comments very often and especially not for someone really close to me.

Gran and I around 1985. I loved being his helper. Judging by that smile on his face, he loved it, too.

But today, we lost my grandfather and I can see my past uncomfortable blunders or awkwardness at funerals or wakes in a new light. Those that offer condolences, even if it is an awkward hug or a simple I'm sorry, are much appreciated by the family. It's a comfort to know that others cared about our loved one, too. That they are extending a hand of love and understanding in a difficult time, even if it's just a handshake or a nod.  And in the future, I'll always keep that in mind when I feel like an awkward, blundering, ball of nerves before a mourning family. (Oh, and you know in the South, the way some people show they care is with food. By the time my husband and I arrived at my grandparent's house from the hospital, there were already friends of the family there with food and necessities like paper towels, toilet paper, cups, and ice. We're so grateful for those things,too.) 

The past week has been a bit of a rollercoaster for my family. Last Tuesday, Granddaddy had a mini stroke and was taken to a hospital about an hour away from our hometown. He seemed to be doing pretty well. He was even making all of us (some of the family that were there) and the nurses laugh. For the most part, he seemed like himself and it didn't appear that he would have any lasting major neurological damage. I left the hospital on Tuesday thinking that they would keep him a couple of days and send him home. 

The next day, however, he had a massive stoke. I didn't go to the hospital on that day because I thought he would be fine, so when I went to see him the next day, he was much altered from the way he was on Tuesday. His condition continued to deteriorate from last Wednesday until today when he was taken straight to the Great Physician and was healed for good. I'm sad but I have peace that he is with the Lord now and I'll see him again there one day. He walked into the arms of his Savior as he was surrounded by his family. We were with him to the very end and I'm grateful to have been there when he breathed his last.  We all knew he loved us and he knew we loved him. 

A couple years ago at Gran's 80th birthday.

My grandparents were together almost sixty years. (She'll tell you exactly how long.....they lacked one year and seven months being married sixty years. Her exact words.) I'm so grateful to have witnessed their love. My granddaddy loved to sing. I'll never forget the song he sang to her in front of friends and family at their Fiftieth Wedding Anniversary party. It's an old Southern Gospel song called I Hope We Walk the Last Mile Together:


I hope we walk the last mile together
Hand in hand, we can see the promised land
We’ve been through a lot of bad times but our love is forever
And I hope we walk the last mile together

We made our house a home for our little ones
We’ve known happiness, yes we’ve known sorrow too
Oh we’ve walked in the sunshine and we’ve walked stormy weather
And I hope we walk the last mile together

I remember when you first said I love you
I didn’t know that our love could be so strong
But today I find its still mine, for its come and go whatever
And I hope we walk the last mile together

And they did walk that last mile together. What a great legacy to leave behind....that he was man who loved the Lord, loved his wife, and loved his family. I could only hope that the same would be said of me one day. 

Love his smile!

These next couple of days are going to be difficult for my family as arrangements are made and we have the funeral. A lot of us are really tired from being at the hospital for almost a week with him, especially my grandmother, dad, aunt, and uncle. (Some of us drove back and forth, and some stayed either at the hospital with him or a hotel across the street.) Please keep my family in your prayers during this time. Thanks in advance. 

 For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. Philippians 1:21

Will You Please Help Me?

Today, I need to ask you all a favor. This is a very personal request, but I really need your help. 

A recent photo of my mom.

This is my mom. Her name is Letha and she was diagnosed with Follicular Mycosis Fungoides Lymphoma, a rare form of cancer. She's actually had it for about three years now, or maybe longer, but was mis-diagnosed not once but twice. It was so hard to be told that she had cancer, then that she didn't have cancer but that it was actually another disease. Then, to be told again that she does have cancer, then doesn't, then does. Talk about whiplash for her and for our family, especially knowing that it had gone untreated for so long because of the lack of a proper diagnosis. 

Grand-baby snuggles. My mom with my nephew, Liam.

Mom with my daughters at the Alabama Shakespeare Festival.

The thing is, since it's a rare form of cancer, she doesn't have a lot of answers. She doesn't know anyone else with this form of cancer or anyone who knows someone with it. Even with the doctors, it seems like a guessing game to me. She's researched online, and I've researched it too, but it still feels like we don't really have a lot of answers or that it's such a broad disease that what we know is just really vague.

Mom with my nephews, Tripp and Liam.

Recently, my mom put this on Facebook, hoping to connect with someone who 

is suffering with the same type of cancer or someone who may know about it. 

Here was her request:


"It's been on my mind that I don't know anyone else that has the same type of cancer that I do. It would 

be so nice to be able to talk to someone about the daily struggle to keep it under control, if the same 

things flare theirs up as does mine and what they do. Does anyone know anybody who has the rare 

lymphoma called Follicular Mycosis Fungoides?"

My mom has been such a trooper through all of this, but I know it weighs on her heavily. If you have that type of cancer, or know someone who does, we'd really like to connect. It'd be great to see what treatments others with this cancer are going through (Mom prefers a natural approach), what they do to manage the symptoms and flare-ups, progression of the disease, and so on. Please help if you have any information that could be of use. Feel free to comment below or email me at cultivatecreate@yahoo.com. And of course, we'd welcome your prayers! Thanks so much for taking the time to read! Maybe we can find someone for her to connect with as she goes through all of this! 

Whirlwind Summer

Summer.....well, what can I say about summer? It went by so fast, that I almost mistook it for the Roadrunner. Or the Flash. Seriously, I blinked and June was gone. I blinked again and July is gone. We're gearing up for back to school bashes, school supplies, and the first day of a new school year. In less than a week's time, we will once again be thrust back into the grind, the daily ebb and flow of drop offs and pick ups and ball and dance and....you get the picture.  

Grayton Beach

If you haven't noticed, I haven't posted much on the blog over the summer. Maybe once a week. That's been because of the sheer busyness and craziness of our lives during the summer break. But, I have a lot of projects going on and can't wait to get back to a normal posting schedule once the kids start back to school. Please bear with me! 

Destin, FL

At the beginning of the summer, I intentionally decided to forego signing my kids up to the multiple day camps and activities that were offered because I wanted our schedule to be open if we decided to head to the beach for the day or whatever came up. I am so glad that I made that decision because this summer was officially our busiest one yet. We had a lot of unexpected but wonderful surprises that I am so glad that we were available to embrace and participate in. If our schedule had been more planned out, we wouldn't have been able to do some of those things. 

Here are some of the highlights of our busiest summer yet!

Beach day with some of our Iowa family!

Having fun at Destin Harborwalk Village.

Cousins at Grayton Beach FL.

Friends having Fourth of July fun!

The down-side to all of that, was the lack of schedule all summer. Usually, we get into some type of routine that enables us to keep things going smoothly, keep bedrooms and the house clean. It just didn't happen this summer. I haven't even been to the gym all summer since we've been so busy. Mind you, I've walked occasionally and done some free weights and things at home, but nothing consistent. I'm really looking forward to getting back on a set schedule with that.

Our oldest, Kat, was baptized this summer.

Hiking to the falls at Chewacla State Park.

Chewacla Falls

Six Flags over Georgia

Georgia Aquarium

Minion Movie with cousins! This was an awesome theater.....fully reclining seats made for a comfy viewing experience. 

Spending time with cousins at Nana's house is always fun!

We love the theater! Had a blast with my mom watching The Little Mermaid at the Alabama Shakespeare Festival in Montgomer, AL.

We've made lots of memories this summer, but I'm welcoming the routine of the new school year! It's still hard to believe how fast it flew by!

How has your summer been? What are some of your favorite memories? Leave a comment....I'd love to hear!