My dear cousin-in-law (sister-in-law is more like it - we decided to upgrade to that title this weekend) is a walking miracle. Carrie was not supposed to last till Thanksgiving after her stage 4 cancer moved into her spinal fluid. We thought we would lose her so many times and ech time, we prayed so hard for her to feel better no matter what God decided.

Seven months after they moved her into Hospice and decided to "make her comfortable", we are thanking God for every moment we have with her.

This weekend, Carrie came to a graduation party that my mother-in-law threw for some family friends and she looked amazing. I even got videos of her dancing and laughing! It's truly a blessing to see her happy and spending quality time with her little girls. I thank God every day for giving her more time with us. Her cancer has spread to her liver now and she is trying a new chemo. Things haven't changed much but I still hope beyond hope that another miracle will happen and she will wake up one day cancer free. She is such a strong person and if anyone can beat such an awful disease, Carrie can. Please keep praying for her (I know many of you have been and I truly appreciate it). While you're at it, check out this beautiful miracle woman!

This weekend, we went to a wedding for Husband's cousin Lindsey.  It was a small, family wedding and it was beautiful.  Lindsey looked so incredibly happy during the ceremony and during the first dance, I don't think she realized that anyone else  was even in the room.  I'm very happy for her and I wish her many, many years of happiness.  

The decorations at the reception were so gorgeous and Lindsey put a huge amount of time and thought into them.  Though I wanted to take a picture of EVERYTHING, I tried to limit myself to only a small sampling of her great creativity.  Below are examples of how precious her decorations were and some of the things that truly scream "Lindsey."

My friend Gretchen is an amazingly talented artist.  She is so creative and has such a broad range of abilities.  An article was published this past week at examiner.com about how she started her Etsy shop and where her inspirations come from.  Read the article here.  Gretchen tries to recycle things and turn them into art and that makes for some incredibly creative items.  You can find her shop at here.  No matter what you want, I'm sure Gretchen can create it for you. She does jewelry, pop-up books, paintings, sketches, makes boxes, paints designs on floors and walls (even computer monitors haha!), clothes, and she can make items such as curtains or books.  Below is a tiny sampling of some of her work but it doesn't even begin so show off her talent.  Take a look at her site and you'll see even more of what she can make!

As a side note, not only is Gretchen an incredible artist but she is also a dance teacher and a heck of an Irish-step dancer.  Above all, she is a good-hearted, amazing girl :)

I made this delicious South Beach Diet meal last week (with a slight variation) and it was incredible. Got lots of compliments from the Hubs and it was filling and tasty!

Chicken Breast Stuffed with Goat Cheese and Spinach
INGREDIENTS:
4 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 (1/2 pound) bunch spinach, tough stems removed
4 (6-ounce) boneless, skinless chicken breasts
4 ounces low-fat goat cheese (I used locally made sun dried tomato and basil goat cheese - amazing)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Special equipment 
Wooden toothpicks

DIRECTIONS
Heat oven to 400°F.

Heat 2 teaspoons of the oil in a large ovenproof skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in spinach and cook, stirring constantly, until spinach is wilted and liquid evaporates, about 2 minutes. Season the spinach well with salt and pepper and transfer to a plate. Wipe skillet dry with paper towels.

Beginning at the thickest end of 1 chicken breast, carefully insert a sharp knife into center and cut a pocket as evenly as possible, leaving a 1-inch border on three sides. Repeat with remaining breasts. Open each pocket, sprinkle with salt and pepper, then fill evenly with goat cheese and spinach. Seal each with two toothpicks and season outside with salt and pepper.

Heat the remaining oil in the same skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken and cook, turning once, until well browned on both sides, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer the skillet to the oven and bake until juices run clear, about 8 minutes. Serve hot.

Nutritional Information 
280 calories
10 g total fat (3 g sat)
3 g carbohydrate
42 g protein
1 g fiber
390 mg sodium

On May 15, 2008 an angel returned to Heaven leaving behind hundreds of people whose lives she touched more than she ever knew.

Just a couple days after graduating college, MB was in a fatal car accident and this world lost someone irreplaceable. She was one of my best friends in college and only a day younger than me. I don't think there will be a year when I won't think of her on my birthday and miss her great laugh and incredible voice.

Each year that passes, it gets a little easier but sometimes a person doesn't even know how many parts of their life is touched by someone until they lose them. The littlest things remind me of MB and I find myself laughing as I remember her little quirks.

The day of her funeral, we went to eat at an Asian place and I think she was looking over my shoulder as I opened my fortune cookie. It said, "Life is Short. Live today." Losing a shining star at the tender age of 21 is exactly what that fortune was referring to and to this day, I carry that fortune with me in my wallet. That way, I always have a little message from MB reminding me how important it is to live this life God gave us. She sure did. And during her short time with us, MB touched more lives than I could ever hope to.

I have always loved photographing flowers. For some reason, I have found them a beautiful art. Each flower is different and has its own elegance. Hernia weekend, we were at Lowes and saw some gorgeous hibiscus that I had to take a picture of. As I was reviewing those pictures, I thought I would share some of my flower pics I've taken over the years.

I hope everyone had a chance to tell their mom how special they are and how thankful you are to have them. I mean, you wouldn't be here if it weren't for them!

We started our Mother's Day by going to church together at my parents' gorgeous church and then having my family (and my mom's best friend) over for brunch. I made caprese fried eggs (my recipe I made up last week - recipe forthcoming), banana pancakes, chocolate chip pancakes, and fruit salad. It was delicious! Then Dad and Husband left to play golf while Hermano, Mom, and I went to pick out paint colors for my kitchen. We relaxed during the afternoon and then went as a family to Ciro's. Ciro's is an Italian restaurant with bocce pits outside! (If you don't know what bocce is, look it up. It's like the Italian version of shuffle board or horseshoes. Lots of fun!) Dinner was delicious and the weather was perfect for an evening outside. My mom had a wonderful time and I am so glad!

What did you do to celebrate Mother's Day?

Today, all my friends that I spent many days and nights studying with, crying with, escaping the the four walls of the building we were tied to for most of the hours of the 2009-2010 school year, will be graduating today and adding at least two letters to their title. 

After today, my will not be known by just the B.A. or B.S. they received in undergrad but will now receive the honorable title of Juris Doctor.  Some will also receive Master's degrees that they have worked so hard to receive the last 3 years.  I'm so proud of my friends and their accomplishments.  Though I will not be standing next to them as their names are called (and I do feel a slight bit of sadness but no regrets!), I will be there in spirit.  Cheering them on.  Praying the next few months of Bar preparation goes by as easily as possible.  As they disperse throughout the country to take a variety of jobs, they will hold onto something that few can claim.  The Syracuse University College of Law degree and memory.  I wish all my friends and former classmates luck in their future endeavors and I'm so proud of them! Wish I could be there to cheer all of you on today as you cross that stage!!

This week I'm thankful for the sweet notes Husband has been leaving me.  Recently, he has been making an effort to surprise me with notes when I wake up, come home from work, or just because.  It's such a nice surprise whenever I find one! Lucky me :)

I'm also thankful for the amazing support I have from my work Big Bro, David. He completely looks out for me and has been so supportive of me! Yesterday, he sent me this pic he found of a "big brother teacher little sister". It's soooo cute!!

My college roommate, Erin, just moved to Houston and is working a few blocks away from me. Instead of only seeing her every few months, I now get the opportunity to see her way more often. I'm so excited!! I've been trying to get her to work here for about 4 or 5 years. (Which tells you how old this pic is...) This was her first week at her new job and I get to have lunch with her today! YAY!

In honor of Mother's Day this weekend, I am thankful of my mom. (Isn't she cute here?!).  I'm thankful for all of her support and friendship over the years. 

Over the weekend, we went to the Insperity Champions Golf Tournament and were lucky enough to sit on the front row at the first tee-box.  We saw many great golf legends and got some good pictures of the guys.  The most exciting part of the day was watching how people like Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus, and Gary Player interacted and joked together.  It was so much fun to see three amazing players goofing off and just enjoying themselves.  You could tell that they really were out there to share the day together.  I love seeing "famous people" show off their real side; when they don't let their fame get to them and, instead, just act like they would any regular day.