Near and Dear

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Lupus is an auto-immune disease that can damage any part of the body, from the skin to the joints to organs.  It is a disease of flares and remissions and can range from mild to life-threatening.  It is not contagious.  It is not cancer.  And it is actually a much more common disease than most people think.

It is also a disease that is very near and dear to me, as my beautiful sister was diagnosed with lupus a few years ago.  Here she is with my sweet nieces and nephews.  Precious, yes?

So, for that reason (among others), lupus awareness is important to me.  Great progress has been made in diagnosis and treatment over the last several years, due to increased awareness.  Knowing what lupus is and how to recognize symptoms leads to earlier diagnosis and better treatment options.  It also helps to fund research to determine a cause and cure for this disease.  Please take a few minutes to read more about Lupus Awareness Month here.

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In other news, Hubby and I are slowly but surely getting some flowers planted.  One of my favorite things about spring time is getting to buy and plant new flowers and see everything come alive with blooms and pretty colors.

I love these pretty pink Dahlia's.

And these pretty pink flowers, too.

I bought this really cool silicone cross cake pan from Avon a few months ago and had never used it.  So, I decided to bake some yummy brownies in it.  They turned out really cute.  And delicious!

   

If you love it, you can buy your very own here.

Anndddd...that's about all we've been up to lately.  Here's one last (and pretty hilarious) photo for you guys.  

It's sweet Jasper kitty in the middle of a yawn, looking a lot like he's about to swallow my face!

Y'all have a good week!