21 years ago I looked into your beautiful eyes and experienced a love I never thought possible. We have laughed together, until our belly's have hurt, cried together ...argued( yes u are great at that ) I have thrown a shoe at you( house shoe) to get you to stop talking , Not one of my finer moments. We have sang many a song and two stepped around the living room...,, we have traveled this amazing country just to watch you play. .... You are my oldest , my first experience to get it right and wrong. I have no words to express how proud I am of you & how much I love you. 21 years ago I had amazing dreams of who you would be ..., you have made everyone come true. Happy Birthday my precious Landon Taylor.., what a blessing to be your mom!!
 — with Taylor Stephens .

In 5 years if making holiday pies I have never experienced this..... 10:00 we have cleaned up, finished up & heading home. My heart is full, my Heavenly Father has given me a bigger place, with more oven space to do what I love, I am thankful for my oven that bakes 20 pies at a time .woot woot, it's the small things yall

Sniff sniff.... Senior pictures ..... Proud of my B!!

Good Morning!!......"Increase". Yesterday early lunch I was doing my normal check list..... make sure all candles are lit, all set-up is done, all of the kitchen crew caught up and on the line, all of the front of the house are where they are suppose to be and then I make my way up to the front.... I put a quarter in the gum ball machine an anticipate what color will come out...( I have done this every week for 6 years) & the last thing I check is the pie case....the one thing every guest will see when they come in, this is where I was stopped by a guest. I did not hear her when she approached and I was startled when she began talking. " Our heavenly Father wanted me to tell you HE loves you and he brings peace to you." She talks of my countenance and how my face radiates HIS love, tears brimming from my eyes, I tell her how much I appreciate her words and that I really needed to hear them....the last thing she says..."He also wanted me to tell you Increase.....Happy Beautiful Tuesday yall, what an amazing feeling of peace comes over you when you hear "HE LOVES YOU", even though as HIS child you know it. I am not sure what the word INCREASE means and neither did she, as I am telling Shelby about her words he says..."Well did you tell her to go back to him and get more info?"....yep he always make me laugh. I will now be searching for his direction and what this one word means but I wanted to pass on.... Jesus loves YOU and he wants to reign in your life and that your face, actions and heart radiate him. Where there is chaos there is peace, where there is grief there is grace!.........hummmm INCREASE this will drive me crazy!

Good Morning!! Oh mylanta I am so glad to be home and back at "his" grill......Yesterday the pastor said something that really stuck with me, even though I knew it, it was powerful to hear. "our heavenly Father is not surprised this happened and how it happened....he knew her beginning and her end."Happy Beautiful Wednesday yall!! We talk of life's surprises but it is so comforting to know that nothing surprises him, he already knows how our beautiful life will unfold, he already knows the comfort we will need.....the grace we need.

1:52 pm with Shelby by her side and with absolute peace our Grandmother left her temporary home and was greeted with celebration and love into the beautiful gates reuniting with her daughter and mother. We gathered hands and bowed to pray.... Each of us grieving differently, my daddy's prayers was one of thanksgiving and peace. My heart breaks for Shelby's aunt.... Loosing a mom is tough. Thank y'all for your prayers they have been felt & appreciated. What a beautiful 89 year journey our grandmother had, I feel blessed to have been apart and I feel blessed to have been here.

The line is crazy and the CIG crew is rockin it.... The call came at 12:55 and I was asked to come to the kitchen. What's up? Shelby tells of his phone call...." It is no longer days but now hours." His words broke my heart . Here we are again on a Friday evening twice in the last couple of months trying to get to a loved one...... Not sure how the next few hours will go but I do know the next few days will be tough...... Lord I ask for peace and comfort!!

Good Morning!! When do you choose to let your loved one live out there life not knowing......enjoying what is to remain of this beautiful life. That is the desicion that is happening in my precious Shelby's life. 17 years ago when Shelby's mom was tragically taken from him, his grandmother really became a big part of our life and our kids life. She bought a second home here in Lubbock so she could be apart of our family. Her and I would spend countless hours in the car between Denton and Lubbock....her spending weeks here with us and then heading back to life in Denton, mine and her days were spent shopping, eating and decorating. A few years ago she was diagnoised with cancer and with every fiber of her being she fought and beat it.....but she was different. Her health weak she sold her house here knowng she probably would be unable to travel back and forth. Last week Shelby received a call that would change his course......."She is in the hospital and the cancer is back.....nothing can be done, she has 1 to 6 months until she will eventually just fall asleep and never wake up." Talk about knock the breath out of you. He made the journey this weekend to see his grandmother....he was concerned with the decision of not "letting her know".... and then he recieved a gift of "peace". Happy Beautiful Tuesday yall, Shelby's aunt, grandmothers only remaining child could not bare to tell her mom the prognoses.....her heart broken.....she would know how her mom's life would end. The journey this weekend was important for my precious Shelby.....he was able to sit, with no distraction and visit with this woman he loves so much. He talked of the "rehab" facility that she was in, learning the food wasn't very good but it was very nice and clean and the workers were all right. He came to peace with her not knowing the end was near because her heart was right.....when she leaves this earth she will spend eternity with our heavenly father and her daughter......and really knowing that is all that matters. Over the next days, weeks or months we will cherish the weekends we get to see her and spend time with her.....amazing Shelby has never expereinced the saying goodbye over time......his goodbyes never came because tragic accidents took his loved ones......and so he is receiving a gift, funny how I say a gift when it is about loosing a loved one. If you had minutes, hours or days and those that loved you chose not to let you know......would your heart be ready? God is good all the time.......I ask for prayers for my precious family and especially for Shelby and his 2 brothers.....I pray that their time with grandmother is special in everyway.....