The Penderosa

How Crazy is THAT?

2011-11-14T12:50:00.000-08:00

So, the other day BaileyRose (who is now 11) and I were driving home from bowling league. BaileyRose has been on a league for over 2 years now and is quite a little bowler. Anyway, we were listening to AFR (American Family Radio) and the subject of abortion came up. I shook my head in response to one of the comments a caller made and BaileyRose asked me why. I said,"Well, you know what abortion is, don't you?" "No", she replied.

These are the things they don't prepare you for in prenatal class...... how to carry out these conversations is NOWHERE in the "What to Expect When You're Expecting" book. So I did what I usually do...... I plunged ahead into a full blown teachable moment. Forever a teacher I guess.

I explained as best I could, in terms that an 11 year old could grasp, exactly WHAT abortion was. As I got deeper into my explanation, the words that were coming out of my mouth seemed more and more ridiculous. I was saying things like, "Abortion is a surgery that some women CHOOSE to have so that they will no longer be pregnant" and "Yes, they have to pay for the abortion" and "Yes, even though doctors are supposed to HELP people, they still do this surgery"....... "No, the babies don't live after the abortion but they were alive before"....... "Yes, sweetie, their little hearts WERE beating before the surgery".

At one point BaileyRose asked me WHY the pregnant women don't just HAVE their babies and give them to people like our friends Missy and Kyle or Amber and Dave (Who have trouble conceiving). I told her I wasn't sure. I begin to explain that many women simply didn't want the inconvenience of giving birth...... or they were embarrassed....... or they had been raped....... or they were scared. Again, my own words sounded flat out crazy.

BaileyRose quietly took all this information into her precious little 11 year old heart.

I have always said that she was born with her hip out...... just far enough out to perch a baby. She LOVES everything about children...... she helps teach a toddler class at church and she does it all...... from snotty noses to dirty diapers. If you are ever searching for her in a crowd, find the little children and BaileyRose won't be far away.

After she pondered all the subject matter we had discussed, she looked over at me in disbelief and said, "Momma...... they are KILLING those babies."

Funny how an 11 year old can figure that out.........

I simply replied, "Yes, baby, they are......"

Like I said before...........CRAZY.

Kids Are a Hassle.....

2011-10-04T19:27:00.000-07:00

So I had an interesting conversation with a lady the other day..... a teacher actually.
Me: "Have you read this book by Janet Evanovich?"

Interesting Teacher Lady: "I don't read...."

Me: "You don't read? Oh..... ok?"

Interesting Lady (with a little attitude): "Yeah, I have four kids! You wouldn't understand..... you only have two kids...... four is way different. And the older they get, the more time they take."

Me (trying to keep it light hearted): "Oh, well I didn't know this was a Mom contest! I love to read..... I will leave a dirty kitchen sink and clothes to fold for a good book....."

Not so Interesting Teacher Lady: "You know where I am going after this??? To VOLLEYBALL practice! Yeah, til EIGHT tonight....!!!!"

Me (turning to another teacher at the lunch table): "Have you read this one by Janet Evanovich?"

Now...... here is the deal. Kids are a BIG hassle. My momma has said this for a long time......They smell funny, they produce lots of laundry and require lots of food, they whine, they argue and they are ALWAYS doing SOME type of fundraiser. It is soooo much easier to go to Wal Mart WITHOUT a two year old..... A. LOT.

I know kids are a blessing and a heritage from the Lord and all that..... but, truth be told, they take a lotta work. And when we signed on for this rollercoaster, we kinda knew that. We didn't know to what extent (cause no one can really tell you, ya just gotta live that part). But we knew that our lives would be different.

So, I am wondering if this lady with four kids was somehow surprised with how different her life had become? And does she have a life outside of her kids? Does she have an identity?

Kids are a hassle. But the reward FAR out weighs the hassle.

Kids are funny and snuggly and they smell good after they get out of the bath. Kids turn to smile at you after they score the winning point and they write essays about how they wanna be just like mom when they grow up. Kids tell you your zucchini casserole is the best and they laugh at your dumb jokes. And when you hear your children pray..... well, forgettaboutit.

Yeah, they DO need you more as they get older and I will certainly BE there more until they just can't stand me.

This is Oscar.....

2011-09-18T20:01:00.001-07:00

This is our newest family member..... his name is Oscar. He is a Chiwennie. I didn't make this up- that's what he is. He is half Chihuahua and half Dauchsund. Now, just ONE of either of these breeds is a very high maintainece, high strung little creature. When you MIX them- heaven help us! He is one of the most nervous animals I have ever met. His security level is always on high alert. Someone is always out to get him. Or me. Or one of the kids.

But, stressed out as he is I am not sure how we got along without him. He came to us via a friend of my momma's who rescued him from a family that was moving. When he came to our house, he was quite skinny and all the hair was rubbed off of his ears and tail. I wondered how he would respond to our "raw feeding" practice.... he is so little and skinny. Let me assure you, there is a bit of wolf in EVERY dog and he took to the raw with no problem! His fur also came in thick and shiny on both his tail and ears. He also gained some weight....not too much. Just enough to get rid of the "rat" look.

Oscar has also been great for our elderly dog, Anney. Oscar is 5 and Anney is almost 15. She is a standard Dauchsund and her best trick is sleeping. Since Oscar has joined our family, Anney has had occasions of frisky, playful behavior and has taken almost a motherly role toward Oscar. In a few situations she has even disciplined him. We were concerned how she would do with another dog in the house.... she can be a female dog (in every sense of the word!) but she has been nothing but a lady. And I believe that Oscar has helped her regain a bit of her youth.

You may notice in these pictures that he is RIGHT BESIDE me as I sit on the couch. He gets as CLOSE as he can and then buries his nose between my leg and the couch cushion. I'm not sure how he breathes. Apparently he does..... And while he is RIGHT NEXT to me, he makes these awful groaning sounds. Like he is in pain. When we first heard him make these sounds, we thought he was uncomfortable or hurting. After close examination we realized he is just full of drama.

We sure do love you Oscar Tequila.... we are so glad you came to live with us. Now, relax........

BaileyRose's Bloomin' Bash! (AKA: How'd my baby turn Eleven?!)

2011-09-13T08:48:00.000-07:00

Each girl went home with a goodie bag of flower themed cookies!

They all crashed to watch "Madea's Family Reunion"...... Tyler Perry is a big fav with BaileyRose.....

She opened her gifts....

She ate cake.... ready as we were, I forgot to get candles! So we had to use tea lights (see them on the top tier on the side?).

They painted their own flower pots.....

Serious business folks.....

Upon arrival, the girls sat down for a game of Tri-ominos.... a twist on the usual dominoes and one of our favorites. They also played Uno but those pictures contained too much violence so we couldn't post them ;-).

We had lots of activities..... painting flower pots......

Making hair flower clips......

Making lavender scented bath gel......

Tying hair tinsel into their hair......... (this is super cool fun if you haven't done hair tinsel yet! We ordered ours on line and have PLENTY to last us a long while!)

We made bracelets.....

BaileyRose had a MILLION design ideas and flavors for her cake..... each time I made a cake she liked, that was the inspiration for her next design. Finally, after we picked out plates and napkins I told her I was taking over and I would come up with the design and surprise her. She seemed almost relieved! I took my cue from the napkins/plates that she choose and also got to experiment with some brush embroidery technique with royal icing. The flavor is our new summer favorite.... Lemonade!

Don't Lie.....

2011-08-31T19:31:00.000-07:00

So this may turn out to be more of a rant than a post. Be warned.

Yesterday, my darling, charming, sweet, gentle, white haired, blue eyed, Apple of my Eye Boy.... LIED to me. Now,if you know me- even the LEAST little bit- you know that if you lie to me, it will never end well. NEVER. Wreck my car, rob a bank, misplace my dog..... BUT DO NOT lie to me. When I was little, my momma used to say, "Emily, you don't have to tell the truth about Everything!" But, I did and I have and I will til I die. It's who I am. And I am also a terrible liar so I rarely practice in areas in which I don't excel.

Here's the deal- it wasn't even something that merited lying. He messed with the top to a spray bottle and the contents emptied out onto the kitchen floor. When I asked both children, both replied "Not Me!". BaileyRose held fast to her story. After I repeated the question a few more times, Isaac began to waver. Oooooo honey! Don't even!

Now, here is a tip if you Live in my Life..... If you suspect that I am angry and I stop yelling- Leave. Run. Get far away from me and anything breakable. So, when I started speaking very low and controlled, Isaac got a tad freaked out. And rightly so. The "Yes Ma'ams" and "No Ma'ams" started flowing freely.

Tears ensued, along with restriction from the tv and a very clean bathroom (compliments of Isaac) and things were back to whatever is Normal around here.

Then I got to thinking......my amazing Husband has been traveling for the last three weeks. Mike and Ike are VERY tight. When Mike comes home from work, I pretty much become invisible. And that totally works except for when Mike isn't here. You know that feeling when you are leaving for a trip and you feel like you forgot to pack something or you wonder if you left the stove on? That is what it feels like When Mike is Gone.

When Mike is gone, it always feels like something is outta whack. It feels like something is missing. When Mike is gone the house just feels off balance. When Mike is gone.... lies get told...... about lids and spray bottles.

So, while it doesn't excuse it, it DOES explain it. So, even though he doesn't get TV back right away at least I know he probably won't become an axe murderer. When Dad comes back home and our family is together again, maybe.... just maybe my spray bottles will be safe once again.

It's been a while....

2011-08-29T15:37:00.000-07:00

Well, I finally decided to re-join the world of all that is Blog. I am a faithful follower of several wonderful blogs but for some reason I slacked off on my own.

The "trigger" that snapped me back into blogging was this nice person:

BaileyRose made me a momma for the very first time exactly eleven years ago today. Turns out, she is a super cool person and is WWWAAAAYYYY more fun as an eleven year old than she ever was as a newborn.

This year BaileyRose entered middle school. In Cabot, 5th/6th grade is considered Middle School. She was super excited and Momma was super nervous. Ask anyone.... the weekend before school started I was NOT a pleasant person to be around. The first day of school Michael had to travel so it was just BaileyRose, Isaac and me. I asked Rose if she wanted me to walk her in and her "a little too quick response" was an enthusiastic "YES"! So, we braved the traffic, found a parking spot and piled out of the car. We made our way through the (really big!) halls and came to the double doors for the courtyard. This is something of a common area where ALL the kids in the ENTIRE school gather before the bell rings. There are a LOT of kids.... and BaileyRose didn't know ANY of them! She turned around and looked at me and gave me a sheepish wave and..... went out onto the courtyard. GAH! Can you say BRAVE? As she was about half way out onto the yard, two girls from our church came running up to her.... "BaileyRose! BaileyRose!" She turned around one last time and gave me a thumbs up. And I left her there.... for a whole day.

Flash forward to week 2 of Middle school. BaileyRose came home on Monday and said there was a girl in the lunch room that no one talked to/sat with. "I wanna take some extra cookies tomorrow and sit with her and try to get her to talk to me....ok?" And she did... and the girl talked. BaileyRose asked her if she had a church. She didn't. BaileyRose invited her to youth group. She told her the location, the time and dates. She mentioned that "We have free pizza and talk about Jesus." A couple of days passed and BaileyRose told me the girl's name was Ivy and that she liked Hello Kitty. "Don't you have a Hello Kitty hair clippe that you made Momma? Can I take it to her?"

Today, I went to eat with BaileyRose...... it was her birthday and I wanted to surprise her with a special lunch. After we found each other in the mass of kids, BaileyRose asked me if I wanted to meet Ivy. "Sure...." We started walking toward a table where two girls were seated. They were both dressed, head to toe, in black. Black hair (dyed), black nails, black pants and shirt.... all black. Ivy was quite a bit larger in size and height than BaileyRose. We sat down and they looked at me like my hair was on fire. I smiled and introduced myself. BaileyRose chirped to them about classes, the lunch and her birthday. She talked to them like they were both characters in a Disney Movie. Bailey's little sidekick, Shelby, sat right beside her chirping in unison. Both Girls-In-Black spoke very little. They were polite when they did speak. Pretty soon, Rose spotted a girl sitting by herself at a corner table. "Oh, poor LaRae..... " Pretty soon, LaRae was sitting with us too. LaRae is scared of EVERYTHING... other kids, boys, speaking outloud, her shadow. She sat down, shoved her lunch box in her lap and looked at the floor until she left for the courtyard.

Lunch was over by this time and so BaileyRose and Shelby walked me to the door. We hugged goodbye and I left. And as I drove away I thought "Wow! This is her life everyday!" What a friend, what a ministry, what a JOB!

I am pretty much blown away by who my daughter is becoming. I certainly didn't do this. All this stuff that is coming out of Rose was in the Original Recipe. What a cool chick...... and she is only eleven. Heaven help us!

Hide and seek...

2010-08-21T07:54:00.000-07:00

Do you see them? How many can you find?

Church Volunteer Retreat

2010-08-21T07:42:00.000-07:00

The last weekend before school started we attended a retreat for volunteers at our church.
When we were going back to our cabin it began to rain..... this explains the goggles!

Boys who would rather be outside.... never fear, they received food soon after this photo was snapped!

So, as the girls were going back to their cabin to get their flashlights (on the 4 wheeler), it began to rain..... I am guessin the goggles acted as some kind of windshield........yeah, let's go with that.....

The Farris Family Visit

2010-08-21T07:21:00.000-07:00

The girls really bonded this visit.... typically, Bailey takes the "baby" (Sam) and Grace and Ike hang out together. THIS visit was the one that changed it all. The boys wrestled and the girls did each others hair. And BaileyRose read to Grace each night and they did crafts and fingernails and other various girl stuff......

Isaac says that Sam is his "Cousin Brother"....... I'm not really familiar with this term but.... whatever works!

They wrestled like this for most of the visit!

"Here, lemme tweak your nose..... that's better!"

Boys!

My hair is getting longer! I can't decide if I wanna cut it or not? It's not long enough to put in a real ponytail yet but it is kind of a hassle to fix everyday!

Bailey Rose's Room Re-Do!

2010-08-21T06:52:00.000-07:00

While BaileyRose and Isaac visited both sets of Grandparents in Kansas and then Oklahoma, we re-did Bailey's room for her as an early birthday gift! She was sooooo excited! Several of the girls from church came over and did "consultation" work so as to keep the "vibe groovy, man".

Our dear friend Steph, worked all day on the desk! Bailey loved it!

2010-07-26T21:28:00.000-07:00

I have a new blog featuring my cake designs! Check it out!
www.laughingcakes.blogspot.com

New cakes and Zoo creatures....

2010-06-07T21:04:00.000-07:00

This cake was for a pastor that is turning 40....He loves Starbucks and doughnuts and this is what we came up with!

This "cake doughnut" is actually 2 ten inch rounds.... glazed in melted buttercream and topped with dark chocolate fondant (my new fav!).

The napkin and the "sweetener" packet are in fondant. The coffee cup was also cake. The base of the cake (the "table") is a double sheet in buttercream covered in chocolate fondant. This was a HEAVY cake! You may not be able to understand the size but this cake will feed 100.... did I mention it was HEAVY?!!!!?

The Falcon's last game of the season....lemme tell ya, spring ball is a LOT sweatier (is that a word?) than fall ball! Whew!

Isaac and Coach Dewayne....

For Isaac's end of the year Luau..... I will try to get a pic/video of him doing the "Hookie Lau".....

Everything is edible but the umberella pole!

On Memorial Day we went to the zoo.... it was pretty hot and they had the misters on! The kids LOVED them! We needa get one of these at our house!

Riding the train.... classic scene at our house..... BaileyRose is excited about something and Ike is lookin' at her like she is crazy!

Isaac made this shirt with his GrandTone.... we tried to convince him NOT to put his name on his shirt (safety reasons and all that boring stuff). At one point, GrandTone mentioned that if he wrote only his name on his shirt that he would not be able to pass it on to his (much beloved) cousin, Sam. This was Isaac's solution to THAT dilemia....... gotta love a man with a mind....

Our blonde beauty riding the carosel....

This cake was for a little gal that was turning 90 and was an avid golfer! This was such fun to do and I learned a lot about golf equipment (thanks Rae Rae!) !

I didn't have a pic of what she looked like so I had to come up with this figure from a verbal description..... the "sand" is graham cracker/raw sugar. I FINALLY got to buy those chocolate rocks! Everytime I see them I wish I had a reason to buy them! This was a full sheet in buttercream and fondant....

Easter egg hunt (And more cakes!)

2010-05-18T06:52:00.000-07:00

Boy baby shower... copied from the invitations.

My handsome man at his school Easter egg hunt.

"Look Mom! It's a cool dinasour one!"

For a going away/birthday party... buttercream finish with gumpaste flowers and bow.

More Catch up (Not the kind you eat with fries!)

2010-05-18T05:52:00.000-07:00

Ok, this one is out of order.... BaileyRose's class attended the Arkansas Travelers baseball game and I got to go along! I thought I would sit with the rest of the chaperones but she actually asked me to sit with her! What a treat! We had a big day! That girl gets more and more fun!

This is a Tinkerbell themed cake for a little gal up in the northern part of Arkansas. All edible except for the topper.... given to me by the client (It's a top to a bubble bath!)

All buttercream... this is a 2 layer 10in cake.

Designed by the birthday girl herself... this was for a 16 year old (groovy) girl! The bottom is actually purple but it came out blue on the picture.

Little man trying to fill a big man's shoes..... ready for a flag football game! This little dude is FAST and bad! He is always good for at least 2 toughdowns a game..... ok, I am a little bit of a proud momma.

For a boy baby shower... these are my first cowboy boots (Fat Babies is the style of boots I'm told).

At the Arkansas Travelers game! Go boys go!

Isaac's birthday cake.... this was fitted together like a puzzle! Fun but quite time consuming!

My Brownie... but not for much longer! We have our bridging ceremony at the end of May!

What? A Post? Could it BE!!!?

2010-05-17T16:20:00.000-07:00

We are ALL busy so I can't really use THAT reason for my lacking posts.... But here is a new post (finally!) that will mostly be pictures-

Ike's 7th birthday was April 29th..... not sure HOW my baby turned seven but it came and went in a blur. His legs have outgrown his old bike and it was time for a new one. Mike had the final word on this... he said the pegs on either side of the wheels were a MUST for "trick riding" (aka: things that make a momma very nervous).

THIS is what has been keeping me so busy! Happy but busy! This cake (buttercream finish and fondant and gumpaste accents over Butter Pecan cake) was for a "Blast Off" party held right before Space Camp.

Baby shower cake.... at the client's request I added a sleeping baby as a topper. Kinda made me pause... an edible baby seems strange.

This was made for the kid's school secretary who is leaving to pursue a career in the medical field. They were having a going away party and asked me for a cake.

Field day at Northside! I didn't get any of Isaac's field day.... dead batteries! But here is BaileyRose in all her glory!

"Balloon Volleyball".... was this in the summer games? I can't remember....

25 yard dash... she came in second. Legs, legs and more legs!

Baby shower cake for a boy.... this traveled to Russelville (about 1 and 1/2 away) so this dude was built to last! All kinds of unseen support! It arrived safely after being picked up by the client and was somewhat "tested" by a curious 5 year old.

This one is for an 11 year old boy's birthday. I had an up-close model for this one.... an XBox controller. The console is next......

The console... triple chocolate sour cream cake with buttercream covered in fondant....
There are also some cupcakes that went with this order but for some reason they didn't upload... I'll try again later.

Our bowling beauty....end of the season for BaileyRose's league. This was an award for "All Star Attitude". She had a great time bowling and learned a lot! We will be ready for more in the fall!

Baby shower for a late in life baby girl- Elizabeth Joy. I did a personal table cake and then double colored cupcakes. The inspiration came from the baby bedding.

Random happenings.....

2010-02-17T20:27:00.001-08:00

A sculpture I did for a joint effort cake..... I didn't design it I was the manual labor on this one! This is "Super Caitlin"! Isn't she so cute! Did 24 of these for Isaac's class and the 100 day of school......

Did 24 of these for BaileyRose's class and the 100th day of school..... my first encounter with royal icing.

Baby Girl had a pretty good cough last week and was out right before we got all the snow. Sis had to sleep in the recliner a coupla nights to be comfortable. She's all better now!

Ike's car is number 3.... with the flames baby!

There might have cuter Boy Scouts at this year's Pine Wood Derby but I sure didn't see any.... Isaac and his Pack Leader.... so proud of his car!

This is what we came up with (thank you Family Fun!) for BaileyRose's Valentine box. They had a contest in 3rd grade and she came in second! A leash and wheels were later added so the cat was actually mobile.....

The kids finished their Valentine boxes during our WEEK of snow days!!!!! I will have to take a pic to Isaac's finished truck.... it too had wheels so it could roll.

WHAT!!???? Really? IN ARKANSAS? Ughhh.....Snow snow and more snow!

Made this for Isaacs class for their Valentine's day party. Since I was making the cake, I got to choose the color and since Isaac can't do red dye..... ta da! Yellow heart! The white is royal icing... which I have recently figured out and LOVE!

Isaac and his table mate at the Valentine Day party.... hmmmmm ... not sure I like this picture.

This is a cake that I did for my sweet friend's 14 yo daughter. (Love you Lisa!) I did two sheet cakes with buttercream frosting and a set of heels and braclet on one and a purse and its "contents" spilled out on the other. Happy Day Katie!

I got some much needed help on this one. Can't really tell here but the purse opens and out spills an ipod, phone, compact, nail polish and lipstick. The purse was my contribution and the rest were results of some sweet friends!

Diva Cake!

2010-02-08T20:33:00.000-08:00

This is a cake that I did for a friend of mine that recently turned the big 30! Course, now that I am well past the "big 30" it doesn't seem quite so big! Ha! She is always wearing high heels... even when she was pregnant! So the theme for this cake was a no-brainer! The shoes are gumpaste and the rest is fondant over an almond cake with buttercream frosting. They ended up sharing with the whole resturant so it was gone by the end of the party!

So Cool!

2010-02-02T05:32:00.001-08:00

I am soooo doing this! I could make bags til they come out my ears! Check out this site for knitting a bag from old "Walmart" bags. You can crochet the bag too.

www.pieandcoffee.org/2005/11/17/how-to-knit-a-plastic-bag/

And BTW, they call it "plarn" not yarn.... get it? PLASTIC YARN???? Ha!

Climbing and Cakes!

2010-01-17T13:11:00.001-08:00

See that little gal climbing that wall? That's MY girl! We went to our Girl Scout Council cookie rally the night before cookie sales started. They had lots of cool stuff but THIS was the activity my girls most wanted to do.
Bailey Rose had no fear (she had done this last year so she was familiar with it). She hopped right in the harness and started climbing!

My latest cake.....Wait for it.... Wait for it.....

Do you know where you are?

You're not in Kansas anymore Toto!

This is the cake I did for a "Wizard of Oz" themed bridal shower. So fun! The shoes are my favorite! This was a vanilla almond cake done in almond buttercream and covered in fondant. All accents are fondant and gel paint. I delievered the cake and got to see the shower decor..... they were so neat!
This was a cake (2 tiers) done for a set of twins who are real-deal techies. They love their Macs and wanted this Apple logo for their cake. This is vanilla-almond cake iced in buttercream.

Shine!

2010-01-11T18:15:00.000-08:00

New cake! I have done several cakes recently (an X-Box console and controller cake, a snowman cake) but I keep forgetting to take pictures! This picture is actually a "bootleg" pic from Facebook! It was for our Children's pastors birthday. Her motto in life is "Shine" and because we all knew it was her birthday, I thought this was appropriate. This weekend, a bridal shower cake and the theme is.... wait for it..... "Wizard of Oz"! How FUN! I promise I will take pics!

Natalie.... The Hampster

2010-01-05T16:53:00.000-08:00

This is our newest girl.... Natalie. GrandTone and Grandpa Trumpet gave BaileyRose a new cage for Christmas. Well, an empty hampster cage is just sad.... so, off the pet store we went! After an exhaustive search, we found Natalie. She is so cute and very busy. BaileyRose about wears her out! She has her out all the time! But Natalie likes to play and stuff her cheeks (something Buddy the Hampster doesn't like to do). Now we have two hampsters in residence. BaileyRose is such a good hampster momma and keeps the cages nice and clean. Thanks for the present GrandTone and Trumpet! Welcome to the family Natalie!

Christmas Pics!

2009-12-07T05:25:00.000-08:00

Hello to all and a Happy Christmas! Our first official act of Christmas was getting our Christmas card pics done. And here they are......

2009-11-19T20:18:00.000-08:00

This is a cake that I did for our pastor's twin boys. They love Legos so the theme was obvious! Had lots of fun making this and learned that corners on a cake really aren't that tough! Next up (both for this weekend) is a "Littlest Pet Shop" cake and then a two tiered brown and pink polka dot.

"Laughing Cakes"

2009-11-15T06:20:00.000-08:00

"Laughing Cakes" (Named after own son, Isaac) is officially open for business! As many of you know, I have been playing with cakes and all that is buttercream for some time now. If you find yourself in need of a birthday, Christmas or "Hey, It's Wednesday" cake... gimme a holler! I promise to have reasonable prices and delicious cake. And, as healthy as I eat on a daily basis, I can tell you my cakes are decadent and full of every ingredient a cake should have. I figure, it's cake, don't skimp on ingredients.... just eat a smaller piece! If you haven't seen pics, please take a look at older posts and then dream up your own!

A cake that will "bowl" you over~

2009-11-08T20:49:00.000-08:00

Bailey Rose has joined a Saturday morning bowling league and has actually gotten quite good! This was her second time to bowl and she had a blast! She wants you to know that she uses an 8 lb ball..... apparently that is a big deal.... not sure why, it just is (at least to a nine year old!).

I got a new kit that makes fondant roses. I love it! (Can you tell! Ha!)

This was a three tiered soft pink cake in fondant. The roses are fondant and the ribbon is fabric. This was for a baby shower and the theme was inspired by the nursery bedding. The "E" was in gumpaste.

Happy Birthday and Happy Halloween!

2009-11-01T14:25:00.000-08:00

October 31st is known by many to be Halloween but if you are a Girl Scout you know that it is also Juliette Gordon Low's birthday (The founder of Girl Scouting and Girl Guiding!). Our service unit had a birthday party in honor of Juliette. It was big fun! I made the cake for the event; one table cake and two sheet cakes (there were 90 people!!). This is a close up of Miss Juliette atop her birthday cake. The two tiers of the cake have different badges taken from the Brownie and junior and Cadette badge books.

The whole crew on a halloween adventure! Isaac, Jordan, Morgan, Bailey Rose, Kloe, Niki (in front of Kloe), Lesley. Some friends that live out in the "country" came to trick or treat in our neighborhood. What a bunch of goblins!

Mrs. Lisa (Morgan's Step momma) brought an edible craft for the kids to do. The idea was to construct the treats and then go trick or treating and come back and eat the treats.... yea, didn't quite last that long!

Smile!

Again, my pics are out of order... who knows? This is a tattoo that BaileyRose got at the Girl Scout party.

Even little brother got in on the action....

Wonderful Weekend!

2009-10-25T18:53:00.001-07:00

Ok, I always post these thing backwards... aggghhhhh!!! So bear with me as I explain picture by picture!

This cake was for Isaac's football team. They were in the playoffs Sunday afternoon. Kind of a "4-6 year old Superbowl"! Holy Moly! How exciting! We played a tough team and even though we didn't win (32 to 14) the kids still had lots of fun! Let them eat cake! Ha!
This is a double sheet cake I made for a friend's daughter who was turning 11. She wanted lots of stripes and polka dots..... so that's what she got! :) This cake was a new challenge for me. They didn't want the cake completely covered in fondant. Usually I give the cake a good icing in buttercream and then top it off with fondant. So this cake had a base icing of "crusting buttercream" with fondant accents. It was fun to do and, as always, I learned even more!

The concert was very elaborate. Lots of scene /costume changes..... really amazing. This gal sang forever! I was quite impressed at all she was able to do..... We got these tickets for BaileyRose's birthday. We had super seats so we had a blast!

This is what a sweet little nine year old girl looks like right before she is going to see Miley Cyrus- LIVE!

So, Saturday night was the MILEY CYRUS concert baby! We had such big fun! It was a total GNO! (Girl's Night Out is a Miley song, for those of you that aren't in the "know") My BaileyRose was such a little cutie.... a bit overwhelmed by everything. She has such a grateful heart and made me such a proud momma. Love you girlie!

On Friday, the kids were out of school and Mike had the day off! Yippee! So we all went to the movies! We had been waiting for "Where the Wild Things Are". The reviews from the family are mixed. The kids and I really liked it but Mike.... not so much. It is really more of a "film" than a movie. And it is perfect for kids around BaileyRose and Isaac's ages. I am not sure it would hold a younger child's attention. Cute boys, aren't they!?

Ike's class had a field trip to the Discovery Museum in downtown Little Rock. Such a cool place and really tough to do in just one visit~ especially with 100+ first graders! We saw a super neat demo with dry ice and various household objects. Now Isaac wants to put everything in that "hot ice" (as he calls it!).

Halloween Buzz!

2009-10-23T07:43:00.000-07:00

We attended a halloween party with our couples group from church. Michael and I dressed as a bumblebee and a bee keeper! I need someone to keep me in line! Ha! I made a Halloween cake for our treat to share.

Cool Spider!

2009-10-23T07:39:00.000-07:00

This spider spun a web right over the gate to the backyard. Mike discovered her as he was coming in to mow. He said he had to enter very carefully. I am a real spider enthusiatist and had to take a picture of this beautiful creature! Check out the cool "Zipper" in the middle!

2009-10-23T07:22:00.000-07:00

Hungry Boys eating after long ride!

Me and my Lidda Dad! I love you Daddy!

"Eight dogs is too many!" Ok, maybe there weren't QUITE eight dogs but we were gettin close....

I would trust these two.... would you!? GrandTone is teaching Ike how to knit. He loves anything that has pieces and parts.... the knitting needles were very intriguing to him.

GrandTone and Grandpa came for a visit and we had big fun! As always! Grandpa and Mike had a bike ride down at the Rivermarket. GrandTone found a nearby dog show and took the Wolf Cub and Brother James. The rest of us just hung out and were glad to have them around!

More Cake Fun!

2009-10-09T18:36:00.000-07:00

A friend of ours wanted a cake for his wife's birthday. They have a cabin on the Little Red River and this the cake version! I had to bake and decorate the cake all on the same day.... not ideal circumstances- especially when the cake is weighted down with heavy fondant. I learned A LOT about cake carving. Can't wait to do another "carving"! Happy day Mrs Ann! We love you!

This cake was for a young lady on her 15th birthday. A friend of mine connected me with her sis-in-law who wanted a cake for her daughter's birthday party. I have to say this was one of the MOST fun cakes I have done! And, I used a new buttercream icing recipe under the fondant..... OH MY GOODNESS! Even a sugar Nazi like me had to eat up a BIG OLE glob of that icing! I mean, anything for quality control, right? I didn't want to send off a yucky tasting cake! Ha!

Are you ready for some FOOTBALL!!!???

2009-09-19T09:02:00.000-07:00

"Hey guys! Good game! High five!"

Paying close attention!

Takin' a break!

Down, Set!

Isaac- ready for the hand off!

Focus! Focus!

Ike had his first flag football game of the season! He did GREAT!!!!! He has played for the last two years. This year, he is really understanding what the game is all about...... positions, plays- all that football stuff. He scored one touchdown, got an extra point and pulled a flag. Best of all, he hustled during the entire game and really gave it his all! Can you tell I am a proud football momma!?! I came home a little hoarse from screaming and yelling so much! BTW, his team is the Patriots so if you have anything royal blue with the Patriots logo laying around the house, send it my way! Next weekend, I planned to be all decked out in football fan garb! Woo Hoo! Go team go!

Finally! Spa Birthday party pictures!

2009-09-13T15:28:00.001-07:00

This year BaileyRose's birthday party was a spa theme. With the amazing help of some priceless girls from our church, everyone received a pedicure and manicure, made a necklace, customized lip gloss and scented soap! Somewhere in there, the girls ate cake.... everyone got their own cake and watched the new "Hannah Montana" movie. Around midnight, everyone settled down and went to sleep. In the morning we sent them off with muffins and smoothies.

A Cake Weekend....

2009-09-13T15:06:00.001-07:00

There was quite a delicous smell in our house this weekend! On Saturday my friend, Christy, had a surprise 40th birthday party for her husband. They were expecting a lot of people so I made a double layer chocolate fudge sheet cake with milk chocolate icing between the layers. The top of the cake was iced with the same milk chocolate icing and then chocolate sandwich cookie crumbs were added on top of that..... hope he likes chocolate! The tombstone (made of french vanilla cake) was set down into the cake and covered with fondant. We had a real adventure getting the cake out to Christy's house! Let me tell, you this thing was heavy! Michael is the perfect driver for this mission! Thanks Mike!

Then, on Sunday, another friend Michelle, had a sending off party for her oldest daughter before she went to the army. This cake was made of french vanilla and vanilla icing.

After all the powdered sugar was wiped off and the dishes were done we started planning the next cake! Michael has become a wonderful consultant when it comes to the construction of the cakes. Our next cake will be a cabin at Little Red River for a birthday party. I will be sure to post pictures!

Lock In Aftermath!

2009-08-15T13:12:00.001-07:00

Isaac went to his first ever lock-in last night at our church. Apparently the boys room went to bed kinda late..... I know, shocking-right? Ha! I had to MAKE him lie down. See, he wasn't tired. That was 2 hours before these pictures were taken. Love you, Ikey!

Back to School Bootcamp

2009-08-14T13:21:00.000-07:00

So, I have been experimenting with "food painting"....... don't worry, it's all edible. This cake is for our churches Back to School Bootcamp Lock-In. Hence, the boot! Ha!

Happy Baby Cake!

2009-08-08T20:09:00.000-07:00

This was a cake that I did for a dear friend of mine who is having her second child but her first girl! Very soon the world will be graced by Miss Elizabeth Abney Sawyer! Kinda hard to tell here (I am just glad Steph got a pic! I forgot!) but this is a 4 layer French Vanilla cake with hot pink/spring green/white fondant with light pink piping between the flowers. If you click on the picture, you can get more detail. Super fun to do- even though I was quite sleep deprived after a week at church camp. Love you Sawyers! Can't wait to meet you, Baby Elizabeth!

I'm a Pesca-Vegetarian!

2009-08-07T07:49:00.001-07:00

So, I finally found out "what" I am ! Go to http://www.self.com/fooddiet/2009/02/different-types-of-vegetarians-slideshow#slide=2 and find out what you are!

Birthday Invites....

2009-08-04T18:22:00.000-07:00

This one is really for Bailey Rose...... while she is away in Kansas with Grandma Sheila and Uncle Matt, I made up her birthday invitations for her spa themed birthday party. Michael and I were in Blytheville, AR (Michael had a work trip and I tagged along) and I found a kit to make these pretty butterfly cards. SO, here ya go Brp! Whadaya think? Not sure if you can tell, but these butterflies are coated in glitter. I love you!

Where Jesus Goes to Camp!

2009-08-04T18:05:00.000-07:00

Let's go HOME!!!! Cute, little stinkin' kids... sweethearts..... everyone of 'em!

She had just come off the go-karts where she had a near miss driving experience- hence the scared expression... drives like her momma! Ha!

Can you see her? Our super duper children's pastor, Miss Stephanie, went with her! She had a great time!

Her first time down the waterslide.... she wasn't quite sure about it at first but after she went down the first time she was hooked!

Bailey Rose's bunk!

We just got back from church camp at "Dry Gulch USA" (near Pryor, OK). Our church took 32 kiddos (minus Ike... he spent the week with Grandtone and Grandpa Trumpet.. next year he gets to go) Lemme tell you, this is the place to be! We had a BLAST!!!! They had go-karts, bumper cars, horseback riding, a water park, bouncy, inflatables things, lake activities (with jet skies, a "Wet Willy" water slide, a banana boat), canoes, a trampoline over the water (called the "Blob"), a carousel..... that is all I can think of right now. But the best part was the incredible Chapel time we had in the morning and evening. A rockin' praise team, captivating speakers and a little humor mixed in for good measure. The kids experienced God in a very real and beautiful way. We are already making plans to go again next year! I always post pictures backwards so please forgive me and view these from the bottom up. I have LOTS more pics but these were some of my favorites!

Little Red River Trip and the First Fish!

2009-07-23T15:21:00.001-07:00

Last Saturday we went to our friends cabin on the Little Red River in Pangong, AR. I am continually surprised by the beauty of Arkansas. The Little Red River is one of the MOST beautiful places on God's green earth. The weather was perfect (literally 72 degrees) with a cool breeze on the river. Not long after we arrived, the kids and Michael began pulling the most colorful rainbow trout out of the river. AND..... Isaac caught his very first fish! Miss Ann and I were visiting in their super cute cabin and suddenly Isaac appeared and was shouting and jumping up and down and saying, "I caught my first first fish! I caught my first fish! I did really, really!" The kids also enjoyed the boat rides (hosted by Mr Billy)- the faster the better! And Mr Billy was happy to oblige! We ate a wonderful dinner with lovely company. We headed home later on that evening and the kids were totally zonked! We will be back to visit Billy and Ann anytime they invite us!

Secret Keeper Girl Date

2009-07-18T20:37:00.000-07:00

BaileyRose and I have been doing a bible study called, "Secret Keeper Girls: The Power of True Beauty and Modesty". It is a really great study and I think we will continue even after the official study is closed. (There is another study set concerning friendships and relationships). Our date this time was to visit an art gallery and look for pieces of art the included women. Then we discussed what significance the women had and why the artist used them in the piece of art. We had a super time. My girl is growing up so fast! I hear people say that all the time in regards to their kids but, gosh! This is really fast! I am glad that we are spending this time together. Our next date is to go to a vintage shop. Twist my arm! Not sure what the lesson is on this date. Haven't read that far ahead. I, for one, am really looking forward to this particular date. It is right up my alley!

My Fav Lunch (or Dinner!)

2009-07-18T10:10:00.000-07:00

Okay, this posted backwards for some reason. This is my all time favorite meal, so I thought I would share. Can you tell that I am going a little picture crazy now that I am back in computer world!? Here is the dish: zuchinni and mushrooms and soy meat. Cook everything up and serve on 4 toasted corn tortillas that have been topped with light (not fat free-yuck!) sour cream and shredded cabbage. Veggie mix goes on top of all that. YUMMO!

Another Cake...

2009-07-18T09:47:00.001-07:00

So, here is the next experiment with cake fun. This one was for a friend of BaileyRose's who was turning 11. The "A" is for Annalise. She loves zebra print so I made sure to include that in the design.

Let them eat cake!

2009-07-18T09:09:00.000-07:00

This is my first attempt with fondant. We had a personal shower for a friend of mine who will be getting married in August. It is kinda hard to tell by the picture but this is a yellow cake with chocolate icing and a "Couple in Bed" fondant cake topper. She is using daisies in her wedding flowers so I added the petals under the bed to keep with the theme. The little bed has a fitted sheet, a dust ruffle and one little green pillow for the couple to snuggle on! I have since experimented with homemade fondant on another cake. I will post that pic soon. I have been making cakes for anyone that will let me in preparation for BaileyRose's birthday cake (Her birthday is in August). We wanna do something really fun and elaborate for her cake so I need all the practice I can get! Next in line is a baby shower for my great friend Amy.

Introducing our newest family member......

2009-07-13T14:12:00.000-07:00

It's here! It's here! Our new computer! I am soooooo excited! Hopefully I will be posting pics very soon! Our new 'puter is not too awful fancy but it does what we need it to do and fast! Of course, big as they are and small as the box is, the kids are playing in the box that the compter came in. Wonder what I should do with their room FULL of toys, books and educational kits? HA! Replace them with lots of boxes, huh? So glad to be back in the world of blog!

Hello!

2009-07-04T15:21:00.001-07:00

Well, I haven't blogged in..... forever! The biggest reason for my "blogger absence" is that my computer has depression issues and may not make it. If the 'puter does survive (a big DOES) then the kids will inherit it. In the meantime, we ordered (drumroll please!) a new computer! Yippee! It won't be delivered for about a week and I am wondering how I will survive. What a test this will be! Right now I am blogging on Michael's laptop but he is leaving for a week (work trip) and I will be computerless (is that a word?). I can check email and such at the church computer so I am guessing I will live.

Now I will try and catch up on little things we have done this summer:

VBS- I became the director by default and my husband became "Skeeter". If you attend the "Crocodile Dock" themed VBS then you will know who this character is. Pictures to follow when the new 'puter arrives. We had a great week and the kids learned a ton! We are already planning next year's VBS.

Homeschooling- The kids have been keeping up about 2-4 hours a day of home school. They actually LIKE it! We have taken "vacation" days when GrandTone and GrandPa came to visit. I love the flexibility of homeschooling. We finished reading "James and the Giant Peach" and have started "The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane". Kate DiCamillo also wrote "The Tale of Desperaux". I think this book is actually better than "Desperaux".

Traveling- We have traveled with Michael on two different work trips. The kids love this! They think that a hotel is about as much fun as any one person can have. (How cool is it to have a fridge RIGHT in front of your bed!?!?) Also, they LIVE at the pool while we wait for Michael to finish his work day.

Bible Study- I am continuing my Thursday Bible study through the summer. We are focusing on prayer, worship and spiritual warfare. Bailey Rose and I are also doing a SUPER fun momma/daughter bible study on Wednesday nights called "Secret Keeper Girl: The Power of True Beauty and Modesty". It is lots of fun and has really taught me alot about my up and coming "Tweener". If you have a gal between the ages of 8-12 I highly recommend this study. They also have a series for teens. I haven't seen it but I am sure it is just as good.

Exercise: We have joined a gym and I am back at the exercise routine that I left in Kansas. It feels great. My Baby sister has talked me into running the half at the KC Marathon in October. I love a deadline and a goal so I am glad she suggested it. Course, now I have to talk my body into actually DOING it! I ran a little today and I feel my legs.... they are still there and I have full confidence that they will cooperate.

That's about it for now. It is the Fourth so we are off to cook out with some surrogate family members and watch the fireworks! God bless you all! I look forward to regular blogging and pics very soon! Happy Fourth of July!

Some Vacation pics! At last!

2009-05-20T20:15:00.000-07:00

The end of a long and fun day at Hollywood Studios. The fireworks were so incredible! As you can see, everyone loved them!

We waited in line a LOOOONNNNNG time to see these mice and it was TOTALLY worth it! When you go, wait in line, no matter how long it takes.

This was the one purchase I insisted on. The kids each picked out their hats and we had their names stitched on them.

This was such a cool parade. The kids were able to dance in the street along with the characters! It was quite long and the best parade of all the parks.

A pic of me and (the second) cutest boy in the world. I love me some Ikey! Doesn't he look like little Michael here?

One of the first rides of our trip. This was "Toy Story" and this game was in 3-D. Very Cool! We even got wet at one point in the ride!

Here are a few pics from our first two days at Disney World vacation over spring break. I have lots more pictures and I am slowly looking through them and finding my favorites. More later!

The Puppy

2009-05-06T19:40:00.001-07:00

Well, the puppy is really 6 months old and is officially named "Trixie". The reason this dog ended up on MY porch is completely and totally my momma's fault. I absolutely blame her 100%. As a child growing up, we were always finding/nursing/placing in a new "forever" home, some kind of cat, dog, squirrel, bunny (those never fared well), hummingbird, litter of kittens. We (my sister and I ) served as her assistant- we ran to get the old washcloth or baby blanket, Epsom salts, tweezers, syringe, cotton balls, peroxide, newborn nurser or anything else Momma needed to fix our latest patient. We didn't really keep many of these animals. They just passed through on their way to their "forever" home. The little dog that arrived on our porch was finally classified as a French bulldog/Boston mix. She is soooo ugly she is cute! After three hours at the vet today, her new "Mommy" (not me, my friend, Christy) had quite a few medications to administer to her canine child. Trixie seemed to take it all stride. I think she knew that it was all for the greater good- all the poking and prodding and examination. She is great with children and very loyal. If we were in the market for a dog, she would still be at our house. I know she will be happy with Christy and her family. Trixie's new children are so in love with her. You may think you can avoid turning into your mother. Try anything you like, be anyone you want. Sooner or later you will do what I have done- give up. Go over to the "Momma Side" and embrace it. Really, it's not so bad.... Good night.

Finally!

2009-05-05T20:01:00.000-07:00

Well, I am finally posting something new! (I will look for your comment, Miss Stephanie) As many of you know, our sweet friends Mark and Renee` have recently adopted two beautiful children from Ethiopia! Hello Jordan Berket and Kloe Bertu! I love you! While they were off running around in Africa, we got to hang out/take care of/feed/laugh/snuggle with the two VanDruff girls, Katie and Nikki (NikNak, Nick-o-lea-lee, Birdie Girl). Katie is 16 and Nik is 2. We had a ball! We even got to play dress up with Katie and get her ready for the prom! She is already a lovely young woman but,let me tell you, mascara and a good hairpiece can do Amazing things! Also, if you ever become bored with your children, if you ever feel like your life lacks a certain spark- do this- rent a two year old child. I FORGOT!!! My own children are six and eight and are pretty self sufficient. Two year old kids are high maintainance! And Nik is really pretty easy! She is fully potty trained and a generally happy and cheerful child. Bedtime and naps are not a problem for this kid but, gosh! Renee`, you are quite a woman! BaileyRose saved my life- Nikki loves her and will do anything for BaileyRose. BaileyRose is a born momma and filled the role quite easily. One more quick side note- Today I came home after picking the kids up from school and went to raise the miniblinds in the living room window and as I looked out I stared back into the eyes of a little puppy! There she set on our rocking chair on our front porch. We haven't figured out just what she is (breed that is- she is a girl dog) and we have a possible home lined up. Between the dog, contacting "dog rescue people", taking a custom bow order (poor lady, probably thought I was crazy!),several extra children and Girl Scouts meeting at our house, it was a very busy evening. Did I mention that we are on our 11th day of rain? I truly expected to see TWO dogs- a male and female- on our porch! (Get it, the animals came two by two...) More on the puppy later. God bless you all! Goodnight!
PS: I hope you feel better Stephanie! I love you girl!

Our Last Day

2009-03-26T20:03:00.000-07:00

Can you tell we have had a great time on our trip!? I haven't had a spare minute to post! Tonight was our last night for the parks. We saved Epcot for last and it was WONDERFUL!!! We had such a good time and the kids were completely exhausted. So were we! As we were leaving the park tonight after the MOST amazing fireworks display/ light show I have ever seen, Bailey Rose said, "Dad, I just don't want to leave." Mission accomplished! We went to all the countries and ate a bite of something at almost every country. The kids got their portraits done in France just like my sister and I did when we visited Epcot a very llloooonnnggg time ago. The price hadn't changed that much and the quality was still very good. The artist said that he had attended art school and had worked at Epcot for ten years. Wow! The kids also had a great time trading pins with "cast members" at the parks. Uncle Matt bought them each a starter set and they traded and traded at each different park. So cool! They got lots of neat pins at every park and after a tip from a cast member, we discovered that there were extra special pins to look for. The workers at the parks get "special" pins that have a hidden Mickey on the pin. Only the workers get these and they have to trade if they are asked. Bailey Rose was immediately hooked and eveyone of her pins now has a hidden Mickey! Ha! After we get home I will update more and post pics. Needless to say, we had a super time and are already looking forward to the next trip- whenever that may be! Tomorrow we will travel back half-way. We will stay the night in Mobil, AL and dip our toes in the ocean. Saturday morning, we will head back to Arkansas and sleep in our own little bed. God bless and Good night~

MICKEY MOUSE!!!!! We're Here!

2009-03-22T17:21:00.000-07:00

After two days of travel, we have arrived! Thank you Lord! Really, it wasn't too bad of a trip. With the miracle of portable DVD and Grandma's bag of tricks, we are finally here in Orlando! Saturday morning we all loaded up in the rental van and headed for Georgia. We got a bit of a late start because of a mix-up with the rental car people. Michael and Matt cleared that up and we were off! We arrived at "Anut Sherry's" and Uncle Don's house to a delicious meal of Famous Corn Chowder, sandwiches and amazing Pineapple Cobbler! YUM! We crashed all over that warm and cozy house and we were back out on the road a little before 7am. This day of travel seemed to go much faster and we rolled into Orlando at 4 pm. Thank you Jesus for safe travel! We saw several wrecks along the way and are so thankful to have had a safe journey. Our condo is beautiful! Michael found a real deal with this company. Everyone settled in and after some grocery shopping, Michael and I went for our 12th anniversary dinner. Twelve years and I must say that I still like that boy very, very much! Tomorrow is Magic Kingdom. The kids are so excited and don't really know what to expect. The surprise of it all will be the best part! More tomorrow! I might even try pictures!

A Blessed Woman....

2009-03-14T20:53:00.001-07:00

I was going to call this post, "A Sad Story" but then I got a little Divine perspective.
Let me give you some history concerning this latest adventure. My sweet, dear friend, Renee` and her equally sweet husband Mark, are in the final stages of adopting two siblings from Ethiopia. Their adoption journey has been such a beautiful witness and I am so excited about meeting these precious kiddos! Our women's group at church is hosting a shower for them this Sunday (tomorrow) and of course, I volunteered to make the cake. Now, many of you know that cooking is not really my strength but with baking, I'm not so bad. I pulled out my 11X13 in cake pan, 3 cake mixes and got started. I had never used this cake pan before and if you have a ruler handy, you will see that 11X13 is a good sized cake. I popped the cake in the oven and sat down to watch "Beverly Hills Chihuahua" with the kids. (Good movie BTW) The movie was over, the timer dinged and I went in to trim the cake and let it cool on the cardboard base. You already see where this is going, doncha? I really don't even remember the cake slipping or falling. I just remember staring down at the tile in complete and utter disbelief. The cake was in something of a tri-fold pattern. You know how you fold a piece of paper up to be a brochure? Just like that. Steaming and golden (and delicious, Mike had the kids taste it before he got rid of it) and all of it on the floor. I think I said something like, "Oh Gosh!" and Michael and both babies came running. "Are you burned? Are you burned?" was all Michael could say. He just kept checking me over to make sure I wasn't hurt. "You're okay, then?" They all hugged me and told me everything was fine and another cake could be made- no problem. I held my head in my hands and nodded. Off to Kroger..... Michael cleaned up the kitchen while I was gone so well that you couldn't even tell I had baked Cake Number One. Everything was washed and waiting for me to start again when I came home.

As I was making the Second Cake, I started listening. Listening to thoughts like, "What an honor you have to make this cake", "Wonder what all those kids in that transition home in Ethiopia would have done with that broken cake?", "Wonder if Renee`and Mark's kids in Africa have ever even Had cake?", "How lucky you are that you have a husband like Michael and children like Bailey and Ike", "Isn't great that you had the money to go out and purchase more supplies for this New cake?" Michael came in to check on me. He said, "Think about this, tomorrow you will have a great story to tell!" Typical Michael. By the time I put the Second Cake in the oven, I was smiling. Broken cake- what a great problem to have.........

Some of my New favorite things...

2009-03-11T15:27:00.000-07:00

I was waiting until I had pics of each of these things to post this but at the rate I am going the words will just have to do. I have collected these things in my mind here and there and now I want to share them with you. Here goes-

"Chiken Patties" by Morning Star: these are breaded faux "chiken" patties that taste so good! Defrost in the microwave and then cook in a skillet with a little Pam until the breading is crunchy. They are 2 WW points and (I think) they taste like the real deal!

PB2 by Bell Plantation: Dehydrated Peanut Butter! 57cal for 2 tbsps! You can order it from www.bellplantation.com or you can get some at your local Hyvee store (If you have one, you lucky duck). I eat some every morning on a Thomas Light English Muffin (another BIG favorite) and have even mixed it in my balsamic vinegar/olive oil dressing for a peanut version to pour over shredded cabbage salad.

Quinoa: My mom turned me on to this one. It's not rice and it's not a grain. I am not sure WHAT it is actually but it is super good AND good for you. I have eaten it as a side dish and as an ingredient in my egg white omelet.

Cedar brand Micro Fiber yarn push broom: We have laminate and tile through most of our home and this broom is a Lifesaver! It picks up everything! Even cat/dog/hamster/people hair. I sweep at least twice a day and it only takes 2 or 3 minutes. Then, when you are finished you can pull the broom head off and throw it in the washer/dryer. 10$ at (you guessed it...) WalMart. But I bet Target has 'em too....

Neutrogena Deep Wrinkle cream with SPF 30: I have started wearing this everyday under my make-up and I reallllllyyyyy like it. It is not greasy at all and has the sunscreen built right in. Yea! And Deep wrinkle, well, I have heard that such a thing happens to some women on occasion so it couldn't hurt.

Yada-Yada Prayer Group Book series: These are so cute and "real". I guess that makes them "real cute". Ha! If you have ever been a part of a women's prayer group then you "know" the characters of this series already! It has great scripture reference too so you get in a little bible study while being entertained.

OPI Nail Polish: Now, this stuff has been around forever but it is great stuff. It stays on fingernails over a week (even with tough housework). It costs a little more (around $7-8 at Target and salons) but they have great seasonal lines so treat yourself to a little spring.

That is all I can remember right now. What are some of your favorite things?

This is for you Astrid!

2009-02-12T12:26:00.000-08:00

Well, my sweet Friend Astrid.... this one is for you! I know that you are a fellow Scrapper so you will appreciate this! My Momma and I went for a scrapbooking weekend retreat at a nearby Lutheran Church Camp! Yes! No children and all of our scrapbook stuff! LOVE IT! Momma and I sat across from one another all weekend and scrapped and talked and laughed and drank coffee and borrowed scrap tools and admired one another's pages and drank more coffee. What a glorious time! And then, when we just couldn't scrap anymore we went back to our own private cabin (we had a cabin all to ourselves 'cuz Momma brought the Boys) and slept Uninterrupted sleep with Delicious Collies. The next morning, we did it all AGAIN!!! We had wonderful food (Thank you Sweet Chris) and drank our weight in coffee. I got 18 pages done! Yeah! I haven't scrapped in a LLLLOOOOONNNNGGGG time and this really inspired me to get going again. It was also fun to see other ideas and hear family stories from scrappers at the next table over. However, I must say that the Best Part of the weekend was time, in the middle of God's glory, spent with my Best Buddy who also happens to be the same woman that gave birth to me. I love you Momma- can't wait to do it again!

No more of that thank you very much.....

2009-01-31T20:37:00.000-08:00

So, at midnight on Wednesday, Isaac comes into our room, holding his throat and gags out the words, "Mom, I can't feel good." The gagging becomes coughing and then turns into a trip to the potty and he almost makes it to the toilet. Almost. Flash forward to the Dr ofc where Isaac gets a shot in the hiney for a robust case of strep. He feels better in less than 6 hours. Yeah! Everything is back to normal craziness. Except for Michael in Full storm repsonse because of the ice storm. He has worked his day off and Sat. Poor guy. This put a minor kink in my life as I had left many things for the LG Rally unfinished, to be completed by Michael and me on his day off. Hmmmmm..... Someone does not want this rally to happen.... Who could it be? Hmmmmm? Whooooo could it be???? (If you are a child of the eighties you can finish this monologue yourself!)
This morning we are up at the church getting ready for the Life Group Rally and Bailey Rose comes to me and say, "Mom, my tummy doesn't feel so great." Greeeeaaaattt. Boy did I start to work fast. I tell ya, that little gal is a trooper. She cuddled up on the couch at the church with an ice cream bucket in her lap and waited til it was time to leave. Just before we left, Bailey Rose left a "deposit" in the ladies bathroom (In the toilet thank you very much!). When we tried to flush it, nothing happened. It just so happens that the men working on the plumbing (of said church) accidentally broke the water main. The toilet remains unflushed. Ick.
Now we are at home. The Sat service rally went off without a hitch and we have two more on Sunday am. Then the training luncheon and we are home free. Life Groups are always sooooo much more fun after they are up and running. I love that part.
I have to give a shout out to all my girls who came through for us at the last minute. Christy and Michelle- you rock! I could not have done it without you guys! Renee` and Brandi and Kim- I love you so! I have the best pals in the world!
Bailey Rose was fussing for a saltine before she went to sleep tonight. We prayed for a miraculous healing and by golly, I do believe we got it! Thank you Jesus! A call into the DR says to leave well enough alone. Baby Girl is not running a temp nor does she have that weird "Strep Breath" so we are chalkin it up to a bad case of the stomach yuckies. I am off to play Tetris and then..... Goodnight!

Miracle on Elk Bear Street

2009-01-24T21:59:00.000-08:00

Really, this is a story of a Miracle. A little background- over Christmas break, my Mom and Sister corner me and say (in front of Bailey Rose), "We think it is time for a hamster!" Grreeeaaat. So, Bailey Rose has some Christmas money and works odd jobs for me and GrandTone and in a matter of a couple of weeks, she has enough money to purchase a cage, bedding and food- TaDa! You buy all that, you get the hamster for free! The random hamster becomes "Buddy" and Bailey Rose is in Love. I must admit, Buddy is very sweet and gentle and never once offers to even nibble. Three days into his life at the Penderosa, Buddy is happily rolling along in his little hamster ball and cruises into the kitchen. Our kitchen floor is tile and apparently the bumps between tile knocked off the lid to the ball. YES!!!! It knocked OFF the lid. Now, Buddy is not the only pet in our home. We have two geriatric cats (they could care less that there is a mouse in the house) and we have an equally geriatric Dauchsund. She, on the other hand, is Very interested in Buddy. And when I say interested I mean that she thinks he would be lovely with a side of brown rice and maybe some ketsup. Anyway, you know how this story goes, right? The dog walks into the kitchen, sees the hamster and........ Michael walks into the kitchen shortly after and sees Buddy, lying on his side, wet with Dauchsund drool and going toward the Light. Michael starts to react with something along the lines of , "OH NO! OH NO!" Now I run to the kitchen and Michael holds BaileyRose off to the side. By this time, Bailey Rose has figured out what all the shouting is about and she starts to cry. I go and pick up the dead hamster and begin looking for the fatal wound.
Holy Hamster! He starts moving his little hamster legs and blinking his little hamster eyes! He is Alive! I tell you what- we immediately prayed for that rodent. Per Bailey Rose's request. If you've never laid hands on a hamster before, it is quite an experience.

After much ado, a night spent in the recovery ward (also known as mine and Michael's bathroom) and some tape on the top of the hamster ball, Buddy is alive and well.

Horrible as this was, it was a great teachable moment on the Love that Michael and I have for Bailey Rose and for the Love that Christ has for us. Bailey Rose felt, first hand, what true love felt like. She glimpsed our love for her and even more importantly, Christ's love for all of us. We pointed out that as much as she loved this little hamster, how much more does Jesus care for us?

Think Christ doesn't work miracles anymore? Folks, come pay us a visit- we have one in a cage!

Saturday at the Penderosa

2009-01-24T21:53:00.000-08:00

Ok, I have been tying bows for THREE STRAIGHT HOURS now and my little hands are beggin' for mercy! I plan to finish a big batch tomorrow and then spend the rest of the week focused on the Life Group Rally. We went shopping (Michael and I) this am and left the children with a friend (Thank you sooooo much Christy!). We got almost everything we need for the Rally. I am excited as to how this will look when all is completed. I grabbed a quick nap before Saturday service. I teach the 3/4 yr old class and we are having lots of fun. We studied the story of "King Josiah". Do you know that one? I had not ever heard it! Huh- go figure. I am off to play my customary game of Tetris before bed. Good night all!

I'm Baaacccckkkkk!

2009-01-19T20:08:00.000-08:00

Well, I have been soooo delinquent in posting! I am so sorry! (We have had wireless card issues and I am tied to a land line!) Our Christmas season was so wonderful! We traveled to my sister's home in Kansas City, MO. Man! Is it COLD up there! We had a beautiful white Christmas and a too short visit. The great thing about going to Kathryn's house for Christmas is that my Sweet Mother-In-Law and brother-in-law live two hours south of KC. We stopped in, had Christmas eve morning with them and then headed up to see the Bailey side of the fam. While the company was warm, the weather WAS NOT! I was very happy to see the Arkansas state line and temperatures in the double digits!

Everyone is back to school (thank you Lord for public schools!) I have been doing some subbing and keeping busy with my bows. We are also in the process of planning our churches Life Group Rally. This is a big event that happens every 6 mths. We are Life Group Coordinators for our church. The congregation is growing at a Rapid pace and we are scrambling to keep up! The Rally is always big fun but I will be glad when it is over!

I am off to bed! More tommorrow! I promise!

Check out this Give-A-Way!

2008-12-12T11:25:00.001-08:00

I happened upon a blog called www.RavingsofaMadHousewife.blogspot.com . They are having a Fiesta ware give-a-way! I love me some Fiesta ware! We have lots of the pink but the shamrock looks so cute with it! Check it out!

2008-12-11T18:13:00.000-08:00

HAPPY CHRISTMAS!!!! "Behold! I bring you good news of great JOY which shall be to all men!" Have a very beautiful and merry CHRISTmas from the (sometimes slightly strange) Pendergrass family! We love you all!

Minor Happenings and Random Ramblings

2008-12-05T19:28:00.000-08:00

Michael is gone this week to hunt rifle season in Kansas. This pleases me to no end as it is a true time of renewal and happiness for him AND we get to fill our freezer for the year. However, I have said it before, I miss him when he is absent. So, there it is. I miss you sweet Mikey! Come home soon!

We are finally putting up all the Christmas decor around the house. I am still somewhat lost as to where things "go"- this being only our second Christmas in this house. In Kansas, I had a pre-determined place for all the decorations and now I am starting all over! It is kind of like putting a puzzle together without the box!

I have had a big bow making week and my poor area rug may never be the same. Lots of bits and pieces. Add to that, Christmas wrapping paper and snuggly cat fuzz and mercy! My vaccum has certainly been working overtime.

I am off to read and then bed. I am sooo enjoying this book, "World Without End" by Ken Follet. It is a sequel to his "Pillars of the Earth" which is now an Oprah book. However, My Momma was telling people to read it ("Pillars") LONG before Oprah even knew who Ken Follet was!

Tomorrow (we "plan" to be on the road by 7 am! Heavens!) we have a Girl Scout excursion to Lake Dardanelle. I will post pics of our travels!

Ike the Football Playing Preacher

2008-12-01T18:21:00.000-08:00

We have had such a big time these last few days and have just a few pictures to document our adventures. This Thanksgiving we traveled to Kansas to spend a few days at Grandma Sheila's and Uncle Matt's. Before we went to Kansas, Isaac had his Thankgiving Pagent at school. The children were grouped in different catagories: Corn, Men/women Pilgrims, Men/women Indians, turkeys, Pilgrim Ministers. Isaac was a Pilgrim Minister and was just too cute. Whenever his "role" came up in the story he (and all the other ministers) yelled, "Praise the Lord!". Only in the South would you go to a public school and hear you child yell out "Praise the Lord!" God Bless America!

We had a wonderful visit with Grandma and Uncle Matt. It was so good to see them and also see some of our Pittsburg/Frontenac friends. As you may have seen from the previous entries, we had crablegs for our Thanksgiving feast. We also had shrimp, scallops, corn, potatoes, onions and some Amazing Pumpkin Pie (with carmel and graham cracker crust)- SOOOOO Good! Thank you Grandma and Uncle!

The next picture is of Isaac with his trophy from flag football. He had a super time learning to play this year and plans to play again in the spring. The trophies are really cool and even have their names on them! He was so stoked. "My first trophy Mom!"

We are glad to be settled back in our own little nest. We certainly had a blessed Thanksgiving! God bless you and yours! Til next time......

A Thanksgiving Note From Bailey Rose

2008-11-27T06:33:00.000-08:00

Hi. This is Bailey Rose. i am at my grandmas house .For the week end .And thanksgiving.I am thankful for my family and jesus.I LOVE JESUS!!!!!!!!!!and guess what {for those who like crab legs}on Tuesday {wich is today.}we are going to eat crablegs. I LOVE CRAB LEGs!

Thankful Thoughts

2008-11-24T19:51:00.002-08:00

I am thankful for many things throughout the year. This time of year just makes me even more thankful than I usually am. God is sooooo good to me. My husband is truly the love of my life. AND beyond that, we really like each other! HA! I miss him when he goes away, I light up when he walks in the room and he is the first one I want to talk to when anything happens in my life. My children are more than I could ever imagine. Beautiful and hopeful, funny and healthy. What more could any woman ask for? This first year in Arkansas has certainly been interesting. It has not always been easy and we have learned to praise Him in every storm. Through our thankfulness we have learned God has (once again!) proved graceful and steadfast. There was a time I would have been wary that things were going "too good". Can you imagine? But that is just a lie. A rotten, stinkin' lie. "Everything in prayer and supplication". Anxiety is not part of the plan for my life. Even though it tends to creep in occasionally, I lean on the promise that we are never alone. And there is just one more thing I am thankful for. Gosh, will this list EVER stop!? God bless and good night!

Fer Real, I'm So Sure....

2008-11-18T19:55:00.001-08:00

So Friday night was Bunco night. Guess what the theme was? The more I started remembering about the 80's the more nauseous I got. Lemme tell ya- that is some BIG hair. Yes, the eyeshadow is blue and the dress and belt is vintage 80's from the local Goodwill. I think I scared the kids... (I am keeping the belt). Can anyone say seventh grade? Fer real, don't be a dweeb, I mean, as if......

I Don't Think She Has a Future at Hallmark...

2008-11-18T19:46:00.000-08:00

This is a bit blurry but I HAD to share it with you. When Michael came home from Kansas with the stomach flu we kept Bailey Rose away from his "sick bed" so as to protect her from the "puke germs" (didn't work by the way...). Nonetheless, she was genuinely concerned about her Daddy's welfare. She broke out the scrapbook supplies and created a handmade card just for her Guy. He did recover and is feeling fine... just in time, too. Tuesday night Bailey Rose and I got a round of the stuff and spent most of the long weekend recouping. EVERYONE is better now! Thanks so much for all of those who offered up prayers!

Girl's Night Out Part Two!

2008-11-12T17:03:00.000-08:00

Saturday morning Bailey Rose and I hopped up and took off on a Girl Scout trip! Bailey Rose, another scout and I headed out for Toltec Mounds in Lonoke near Little Rock. So cool and so fun! These mounds and the civilization that built them existed in prehistoric times. Cool, right? This was a council sponsored event so we got to meet up with other Girl Scouts. After the tour we ate lunch and came home. For the rest of the day we did a little shopping and just hung out together. That evening, I gave Rosie a pedicure (she is super ticklish on her feet!). As she was getting her toes painted she drifted off to sleep, sweet little girl. I had so much fun just being with her and enjoying her all by herself. She is so funny and says some of the most curious things! Where does an eight year old come UP with this stuff?
The next morning, the boys were due home. Bailey Rose and I were headed off to church and to teach Sunday School and we got a call from Michael. "Guess who is sick now?" Michael said. Poor thing. He traveled home (a 5 hour trip that ended up taking 7 hours) with various "necessary stops" regarding his sickness. He made it home and went straight to bed. We were glad to have our boys home, sick or otherwise. Another adventure on the Penderosa!

Girl's Night Out!

2008-11-07T19:27:00.000-08:00

Well, we got rid of the men (it's deer season in KS) and the Girl's Have Gone Wild! Ok, perhaps a little toned down from the "original version" but fun all the same! Bailey Rose and I kicked off the weekend a little early on Thursday evening by eating tomato soup In the living room On the Floor for dinner! Then, between me tying up an order of bows, we played Jr Monopoly. She cheats BTW. She crashed in our bed and we slept and coughed and blew our noses until around 6 this am. I had mentioned to her the night before that "Monk" was coming on at 7am on Friday. IF she got all her chores done Before seven, she could watch it. Honey, she was up, brushed (teeth and hair), dressed and fed and poised in front of the TV by 6:58 am. HA! She only got to watch 30 min of it but some is better than none- right?

Sidenote: Bailey Rose is HOOKED on the "Monk" series! Grandma Sheila got her the second season for her birthday this year. She actually wanted to dress up as Monk for Halloween but I wasn't sure quite how to pull that off. Thank you Tony Shalub...

I subbed today and then we came home together. By 5:30 we were out again and went for dinner at a wonderful Korean restaurant, Kopan. Yummo! Our super dinner was followed by the new "Madagascar" movie. Pretty cute flick. The penguins are still the funniest characters. Now we are cuddled in bed getting ready for another big day.

Sidenote #2: Got a message from Michael after the movie tonight that our Little Man, Ike, was feeling yucky. A sour tummy (complete with a "dinner review") but no temp. Prayerfully, he is on the mend. Poor little guy. However, I am not worried. Daddy and Uncie Macky are on the job.

More updates tomorrow! Off to snuggle my girl and watch "Hannah Montana"!

I Wanna Be Like Her....

2008-11-07T19:23:00.000-08:00

So, you may have noticed something different..... I changed the background on our blog! I have attempted this before when my sister did it but had little success. Baby Sister has always been a little cooler than me. But then Renee' changed her blog and I thought, "I wanna do that too!" So I tried again and I must say that because of the modifications made by "The Cutest Blog on the Block" I finally had success! So, enjoy this background because this is just another crafty outlet for me so there is no telling What will happen next.....

We're Back!

2008-10-28T19:20:00.000-07:00

Because of the beauty that is my Mother-In-Law, my Sweet Boy (my big boy, Michael) and I ran away together for a weekend to Hot Springs! While Grandma Sheila and Uncle Matt watched the Rugrats we were headin' for the hills. Hallelujah, it was wonderful! Now, I am a cheap date so we didn't stay in a fancy-schmancy B & B. Nonetheless, we both slept like rocks after each day of sight-seeing. I had never been to Hot Springs and was taken by the history (I had no idea!) and the naturally occuring HOT springs. Get it?! They really are hot and are just here and there around downtown Hot Springs. You can even drink it. We took two jugs of it home with us. Michael and I both took in a traditional hot mineral bath. We signed up for the Real Deal- just like they did in the "old" days. In a REAL bath house. When you go, you gotta do this! Not expensive at all ($26 per person) and took about an hour. I loved it and will certainly do it again. We also toured Hot Springs National Park (right in the middle of downtown Hot Springs), walked by the river, saw Al Capone's original gangster car (!),ate at an amazing meal at a place called Rolanda's and shopped local boutiques (including two groovy bead shops). We also talked and laughed and smiled and held hands. We took naps and more naps and played cards. I am happy and relieved to report that I am married to my Favorite Person in the World. At one point, as we were walking by the river looking for rocks (both of us like this past time) Michael tossed pebbles into the water. Now, I was raised around lots of girls (my poor Dad was sooo out numbered) and as a momma of a boy I am constantly trying to "figure men out". I asked Michael, "Why do little boys throw rocks into the river?" I mean, anytime Isaac is around water at all, he wants to throw something (usually a rock) into it. Michael leaned down, picked up another rock and calmly said, "Because it changes the river." Wow. I was amazed. Cool trip. Cool dude. Cool answer.
BTW, I don't have any pictures to post! We were having such a good time we didn't even think to take pics! HA! Next time maybe....

And the Award goes to.....

2008-10-20T09:30:00.000-07:00

We are back from the dr and Isaac received the ear infection award AND a "touch of pnemonia" award! He is feeling better though. We got his medicine, some batteries for his V-Smile, Cars character noodle soup and Orange Juice. Life is good. Maybe back to school tomorrow or Wednesday. Get him on that prayer list you got and we'll use 'em.

Baby Brother

2008-10-20T05:07:00.000-07:00

Poor Baby Brother Ike is under the weather. He even had to miss a flag football game yesterday! So this morning when I told him that he wouldn't be going to school he was soooo sad! He said, "It's not raining and I will miss out on all my recesses!" He has been running a low grade temp since Saturday afternoon (between 102-99). The very best thing about all of his "puniness" is that he has been Super cuddly! Yummo! I love me some blonde headed snugly Baby Boy! Our "regular" dr that we found not long after we moved here has since moved and- Thank you Jesus!- we have not had cause to find another doctor since then because we have all been so healthy! Well, 'tis the season for snot noses so off we go to find someone new to poke and prod us. Michael is off on business so I am a single mom for a while. I continue to see blessing piled on my house each day. Here are only a few:

>When my babies are sick, I don't have to choose where I will be! My priority lies with them at that moment and I can give myself fully to them without guilt or financial strain! Thank you Father! And thank you Michael!

>We haven't had to go to the dr in MONTHS!!! I mean MONTHS!!!! Can I get an Amen? My children, namely BaileyRose, have been challenged with health issues in the past but gosh! Talk about healing! A snot nose is almost welcome!

>We have put back monies to pay for dr bills and medical supplies. It is always fun to keep that money back but this is where it is meant to be used.

>I have a warm house to keep my children in and help them get better.

Okay, I will stop here but please know that the blessings certainly do not. God is so amazing to watch and behold. Each day I ask to have His blessings on my life revealed so that I can Know Him more. Let me tell you, He Always delivers. Have a day full of awareness that your Heavenly Father is blessing you in big ways and small.

She got me too!

2008-10-18T20:48:00.000-07:00

Okay, my super funny and rockin friend Renee' has "tagged" me. This means that I have to write 7 weird/random things about myself. I really don't think I am weird but here goes...

My all time favorite food is baked corn tortillas (til they are nice and crispy). Not tortilla chips, just the little round tortillas (MiCasa brand are my favorite).
I am a house cleaning zealot (I Swiffer AT LEAST once a day) but my Chrysler Town and Country is ummmmm, well not exactly tidy.
I often have dreams concerning the construction of bows and good deals on ribbon. In my dreams I usually get these deals at a mind-blowing garage sale.
I have a STRONG aversion to my husband's NASTY toenails. Really, these are BAD and had I closely inspected them BEFORE the marriage, they could have been a deal breaker.
I have known said husband since I was 6 months old.
I am 35 years old and I have never smoked a cigarette. Ever. Yuck.
I refuse to kill spiders (in or out of the house) and will very often scoop them up with a cup and transport them to a more appropriate home.

See Renee'? I am really pretty normal! Are you disappointed? I know on the surface I SEEM strange but after reading my sister's list I am thinking I am actually the most normal one in the family. Hmmm, that almost makes me sad! HA! I love you crazy VanDruffs! God bless you and Good night!

Today I am Thankful for...

2008-10-09T19:17:00.000-07:00

My Momma coming to visit and being crazy and silly with my kiddos
Enough money to purchase a super cool Bible for my Hubby
A super cool Hubby that wanted a new Bible
Crisp fall evenings
a yummy dinner waiting for our family in the crock pot!!! Love me some crock pot!

That's my list for today.....

Alright....

2008-10-09T06:14:00.000-07:00

So I am posting to quiet my Baby Sister. She is a Blog-a-holic and she needs a fix. If you have a blog, please post and leave a link for her. It's not her fault; she is trapped in the house with a 3yr old and a newborn. Please blog to support her habit.
Today my Momma is coming to visit. Tomorrow is Grandparents day. If you know my Momma, then you know she doesn't really fit the "Grandparent" mold so it strikes me funny that she will be an Honoree at this event. Monday and Tuesday I subbed at the kid's school. Crazy! (Pray for 1st grade teachers) Yesterday I did not get a call and got to stay home and CLEAN!!!!! Yea!!!! I know, even I was amazed at how excited I was. When I mentioned my "homebound" situation to BaileyRose, she commented on GrandTone's visit. "Now you can clean for when GrandTone comes to visit." Nah, not really. GrandTone brings her own mess with her. But I must say, I thoroughly enjoyed cleaning my home yesterday. God showed me what a joy being "just" a homemaker and SAHM truly is. And what an honor it is! Imagine that! Go figure! Shout out to the Big Man! I also switched out seasonal clothes for both children (Big Job!). So, GrandTone will be here today and we are very ready and very excited. She is bringing baby kitties. How fun is that? Okay, here is some more for ya Kat. My grocery list: Ovaltine, a new pillow, picture hangers, Cow Milk and Soy milk, tortillas, peanut butter, light bulbs, spray butter. I have Bible study in about 13 minutes so I better go smooth my curls. One more thang, go- today- and purchase the book, "The Shack". It will Change Your Life. I just finished it Tuesday. Amazing. Never have I heard the trinity explained so well. God loves us so much and He wants us to understand, as much as our human minds will allow, just How much He loves us. This Will redefine how you talk with Him. Really, go get it. Now. Stop reading. Get in the car...... Why are you still reading? GO! Carmel Corn......

Today I am Thankful for...

2008-10-02T18:52:00.000-07:00

My sweet husband who is back home from the hurricanes! For good! Yippee!
Cinnamon Altoids dipped in Dark Chocolate
Two working vehicles
A sense of self worth from Great Parents, an amazing husband and a beautiful Heavenly Father-BTW, I am reading "Captivating" by John and Stasi Eldridge if you can't tell! Every woman should read this book!
a HUGE garage sale in a neighboring subdivision that starts tomorrow at SEVEN AM!!!

That is my list for today.....

Go Get 'Em Boys!

2008-10-02T18:37:00.000-07:00

Check out his mouthpiece! Stretch it out Boys!

Michael and I helped the coach keep everyone on the field.

So tonight Ike had his last practice before his first big game on Saturday! Now, I wasn't raised in a football family- my dad was a band director and our family was not especially fond of marching season. But may I tell you that Flag Football for 4 and 5 year olds is one of the cutest things I have had the pleasure of witnessing! These little guys are gung ho and playing ball! My little guy is, obviously, the cutest one on the team but don't take my word for it.... see for yourself.

(Down, Set, Hut!)

Today I am Thankful for...

2008-09-29T21:21:00.000-07:00

a warm, dry house
fun and creative hobbies
children who ask to pray for their Daddy
75% Fat free sharp chedder cheese by Cabot Cheese! Yum!!!!
a loving Saviour who makes Himself known to me even when I am cleaning house
snaggle toothed grins!

That is my list for today.

New Haircut and New Smile!

2008-09-28T15:56:00.001-07:00

I am posting these together although they did not happen on the same day. On Friday I went to my amazing and very sweet hairdresser and got my "old" haircut back. I had been trying to grow out the front and be groovy but it just wasn't working. In our family, my baby sister got the groovy gene- I did not. I am OK with that- I embrace my "Nerdness"! Baby Sister can put together a knockout ensemble and wear funky vintage jewelry and everyone thinks it is very cool. I try to wear the same thing and people mutter and shake their heads. So I went back to my reliable Mom haircut and I am happy with it. It is comfortable and very "me". I'm a yoga pants, soft tee shirt kinda gal. I don't MIND getting dressed up I just have to have someone help me (please see, "My husband is a Fashionista" article).

On another and more exciting note, Bailey Rose lost another!!!! tooth! She was helping me at church in the toddler room today (Sunday) and was playing on the floor with a little girl. Seems that the little girl did something that resembled a head butt (she is a very sweet little girl) and the tooth got looser and Bailey Rose came back from the bathroom with one less tooth. So cute! Now we are asking her to pronounce all kinds of words that trip up her tongue and lack of teeth.

Today I am Thankful...

2008-09-25T19:10:00.000-07:00

A wonderful spiritual family made up of wild and crazy Christian women in my Bible study
My Little Sister and her humor that keeps me laughing
Blackberries... can you believe it? It keeps me in touch with my long, lost husband!
Candy Corn and popcorn- TOGETHER!!!!! What? It's only 4 pts!
Children that pray

That's my list today....

Today I am Thankful...

2008-09-24T16:20:00.000-07:00

Today I am thankful for:

My kids happily playing together
My Husband had a day of safe travel
I have a warm, dry house with electricity
I have TWO good books to read tonight!
I live in a free country where I can freely attend worship at the house of the Lord Jesus without suffering persecution (We are going to church tonight!)
My Super Cool Sister that takes wonderful care of my (sometimes) weary spirit
My Earthly Father and my Heavenly Father
My crazy momma who taught me to be Brave

That is my list today.....

My Husband... the Shopper and Fashionista

2008-09-24T13:06:00.000-07:00

So Michael got to come home for a little over 36 hours. He is still working the hurricane in TX. When he got to come home early on Sunday, we were Tickled!!!! During the day on Tuesday, we dropped the kids at school, came home and got ready for the day (details censored) and then went shopping!!!! Yes! I said Shopping! How great is THAT!?! My husband is home, has a day off and took me shopping! Glory Hallelujah! We went to Target, where he helped me pick out a dress. Then off to Toys R Us to purchase a Speed Racer Halloween costume (for Ike) and then down to the River Market! This is SO MUCH FUN! When you come to visit I will take you. We bought fresh veggies (Michael's favorite) and then walked all the way down Main Street to the Community Bakery. We had lunch there and it was delicious! I had a grilled veggie panini and Michael had a bread bowl of veggie soup. Aren't we Metropolitian? The walk was well over a mile so we treated ourselves to some snacks from the dessert case. Of all the things I could choose from, I got a snickerdoodle- my favorite! Then we walked back to the car and stopped by a little equal trade store and I got a rockin pair of earrings. 10$ bucks! Michael had to leave again this am but our little and precious time together on his short stay home was so fun. We are all learning to cherish our family much more through all this. God teaches us at the funniest times, doesn't He? Off to grab the kids from school! Have a great day!

Another One Bites the Dust!

2008-09-24T12:57:00.000-07:00

Well, the tooth saga continues at the Penderosa. Early on Monday morning (hence the sleepy face!) BaileyRose pulled out her second tooth! Check out that Big Gap! This child took her own sweet time in pulling this tooth. So much so that, when she pulled it, it didn't even bleed! I'm not sure HOW it was hangin in there. But it did and then it didn't. So now she is working on the one beside it. I am soooo looking forward to the "neighbor" tooth coming out! How Cute will that be?

My Projects

2008-09-16T21:24:00.000-07:00

I am trying to keep busy. It is not so hard. It IS kinda messy. So here is the plan. I am finishing up a shipment of bows, assembling my Christmas cards and cleaning out that little space beside my fridge. That last one takes some doin', lemme tell ya. That's tonight. Today, I walked three miles, took a friend to the airport, did some shopping at Michael's (they have Crikut stuff on sale!), came home and did up the rest of the laundry, returned emails (Girl Scouts, Life Groups, BaileyRose's teacher), picked up a friend's little boy that I watched this afternoon/evening (The airport friend's child), picked up my Own children, made crescent rolls for teacher's treat at school, helped with homework and made dinner for various children that were around my house (some I gave birth to, some I did not...). Bills got paid and movies got returned. Tomorrow I plan to make LOTS of cookies for my hubby and his buddies in TX and for the WatchDog dad meeting at school. It helps to stay busy at night so that I don't hear the quiet. My mom says I have always been pitiful whenever I don't have friends to play with but really it's that one voice I don't hear. Being sad is not something I am familiar with and I am not so good at it so I am gonna try something else. I DID hear from Michael a little tonight. He loaded trucks all day and is tired. The power is slowly coming back on here and there. Even people in Ohio were affected by this storm. Michael said they had some guys contracted out of Ohio and they are still cleaning up the mess there. Far out.
So tomorrow will be one day closer to Michael being home. We will probably strangle one another when we have to learn to live together again! HA! It's a risk I am willing to take. Good Night.

We Love ya Daddy!

2008-09-14T21:46:00.000-07:00

Well, this one is actually for Daddy down in TX. He came in town for 36 hours and left out on Saturday after lunch. The conditions in Texas are much worse than he saw in Louisiana with Gustav. We went to church this morning and asked a friend to take a quick pic to send to him. The utility guys/gals are working around the clock in less than great conditions. Michael is staying at the hotel even though they have no power (ie: air conditioning, TV). So after they work a 12-16 hour day, they go back and crash in a tiny and muggy hotel room. I feel so blessed to have a dry house with lights! Even here there are many families with no power. And restoration is slow because the crews are all in TX/LA.

While Michael is gone for this storm I have decided to be more productive than I was for the last storm. I have started working on my Christmas cards and am transfering my pictures from our desktop to our laptop/CD. After we transfer all the pics I will get rid of that dinasour of a desktop and Bailey Rose will have a much bigger workspace on her desk. I also have plans for my "Secret Corner of Shame". This little corner of the countertop collects clutter and such and should really be more organized. Perhaps I will do the junk drawer as well. So, more productivity and less pouting! Such a plan! Please pray for our dear work crews working so hard in the areas effected by the recent storms. God bless and goodnight.

CHEESE!!! Swiss cheese, that is....

2008-09-10T19:49:00.000-07:00

My Girl FINALLY lost her first tooth! Right before church tonight we wiggled Bailey's LONG loose tooth. It was sooo ready. But she had to be the one to pull it. No One Else! And truth be told, she didn't really pull it but kind of "bent" it out. First to the front and then the other way. She got that sucker out as little brother Isaac and I watched on, holding our breath and holding hands. When it came out we all started to scream and jump up and down in the bathroom! "It didn't even hurt! It didn't even hurt!" Isaac kept telling her he was so proud and she was so brave. NOT! That girl squalled and balled like a baby! But the tooth is out and at this very moment is under her pillow with a note to the Tooth Fairy. Whew! FINALLY!

I'm Here to Help

2008-09-08T20:01:00.000-07:00

Well, I am on my way to bed. But before I go, I thought I would share a little experience I had this morning at Northside Elementary.
I volunteer as a teacher's helper in BaileyRose's class. My day to work is Monday morning from 8 to 9. So, after I deposited the kids to their room, I went off to check the volunteer box in the workroom. Even at 8:03 I was too late! There, poised at both copiers and at the work table were Mommies in full blown "volunteerism" (is that a word?). I smiled at everyone and made my way to Mrs Robbins red tote box. My instructions said to make "25 copies of each". The box was full. I was not About to ask if any one of the Mommies was finished at Their Copier. This is a major faux pax amoung the volunteers. Step away from the copier!
I casually talked to the Mommy at the worktable while she cut out laminated pumpkins. I chatted with the secretary as she breezed back and forth between the front office and the teacher's lounge. I carefully watched the copier status.
Finally! The risograph was open. I stood up from my stool and discretly shuffled to the machine. You see, apparently, once you use a copier- it's yours for as long as you have copies to make. This Nikon was MINE!
I finished up my copies- I even made a couple of transparencies- and left just as the 9 am shift was making their way into the workroom. As I stacked up the last of my paperwork, a new face smiled at me as she clutched her teacher's blue tote box. Smoothly and gratefully, she took over my spot in front of the humming machine. We exchanged a knowing look.
Next Monday, the kids will sleep in their clothes and are going to eat breakfast at school. I WILL be the first one in the workroom. "25 copies of each"? No Problem!

Do you See it?

2008-09-07T19:31:00.000-07:00

A picture that Daddy sent us from Hammond. Do you see what I see? Keep Looking!

Random Happenings on Elk Bear

2008-09-07T17:59:00.000-07:00

Not much happening here today. Actually, quite a lazy day. We went to church and came home for lunch. Later tonight we decided to make cards for Daddy.

During my "single momma experience" I have developed a new admiration for military wives. We have lots of them in our area as we live near an Air force Base. Of course we know when the soldiers go off on a deployment but what about those they leave behind? These gals are tough. So all you service gals out there- you Rock! Thank you for all that you do that no one knows about. I can't imagine living the life you live but I love you for it!

My New Brother Might be Named Noah...

2008-09-04T17:44:00.000-07:00

It has been raining here for, well, forever! Last night at church was communion and I really wanted to attend. However, I was a little wary of the rain situation. We went to service and came right back home. I wanted to make sure we could get into our neighborhood and not get washed away! The city crews have been in our subdivision all day trying to resolve the drainage problem. Apparently the storm drain catty-corner from us wasn't draining properly and consequently our neighbors' yard CAVED IN!!! Holy Moly! So the city crews brought in lots of earth movers and big black tubes and Lots and Lots of dirt (which is now mud). I am ready for things to dry out just a little so that I can try and mow my big Fat lawn! Glory Be that grass is thick! Hope you are all staying afloat! (This picture was taken from our driveway. See our little oak tree? His name is Frankie.)

WOW! Bailey Rose is Eight!

2008-09-02T14:01:00.000-07:00

Bailey Rose turned eight on Friday, August 29th. Impossible. I just can't believe that she is eight. I mean, how did that happen? So, on Saturday afternoon, lots of little girls filled our house and giggled and made crafts and compared cell phones. Cell phones are THE thing to have when you are eight. In all reality, they are glorified walkie-talkies. A cell phone was the big gift from Momma and Daddy. She couldn't quite grasp that the phone belonged to her. We sent her on a scavenger hunt and at the end she wound up calling her phone. Even when she found the phone, she answered it and expected to hear someone on the other end. HA! So now she is cool. I guess. If talking on the cell phone makes you cool, then I am at the head of the class!

The theme for her birthday party was Webkinz. For those of you not familar with this "world", it is a virtual world for stuffed animals with little coded tags. We made a cake to look just like the "Wheel of Wow". In Webkinz world you get to spin the Wheel of Wow each day. This cake is an Exact replica of that wheel. Yummo! This is probably the most involved cake I have ever done. Changing icing bags that many times was crazy! But it all turned out and it was delicious. WOW, another year come and gone.

I already KNOW how to do that!

2008-09-02T05:17:00.000-07:00

I am posting this before I have my Volunteer Training this morning. Yes, I have to be trained in the art of cutting out construction paper apples and laminating wall calenders. Nevermind that I took an entire class in college on how to do all of this. And anything the class didn't cover, Girl Scouting and scrapbooking took care of! So I am hoping they have good coffee and lots of it. That will be reason enough to go. Not really, I have coffee here and it is raining outside. I wanna stay home and work on bow orders and drink my OWN coffee! Oh well, I better go get on my "real people" clothes and smooth my curls (My momma's phrase- my hair is better flat-ironed).

Hurricane Gustav Hits Home

2008-09-01T20:49:00.001-07:00

Hurricane Gustav came ashore in Louisiana this morning but it actually hit Arkansas before that. Michael got the call last week that he would most likely be activated for restoration response for the hurricane. We did laundry, packed provisions and prepared the kids. Michael has been traveling with work for the last two weeks and we have really missed him. He planned to leave Sunday, after church. However, as Gustav quickened his pace, Michael had to leave earlier than expected. Early Sunday morning he threw his bags in the company van and came inside to say goodbye to the kids. We prayed together for safety and a quick return. They had just wrapped their brains around Daddy leaving again. When they realized that he was leaving right away, they just busted up. So, the floods of Gustav hit early. That was the first wave.
Now, anytime they hear anything on the news about the storm they ask about Michael. Where is he? (Sleeping in a warehouse) Am I sure he is safe? (No, that is what I am Praying for) When will he be home? (We have no idea) Have I talked to him lately? (Yes, thank you Lord for cell phones!) I try to keep the TV away from the weather channel. The warehouse still has phone service- for that I am thankful. And, just like the real storm, the floods have dissipated here at home. It wasn't quite as bad as we thought. But, now we are in for the long haul. The threat has passed but now we wait and assess the damage.
I must say, I am so glad that we miss Michael. The house seems almost "broken" without him. He is such a great husband and daddy. Just the other day, I was asking God to make me aware of every blessing He has placed in my path and in the world around me. My mother always says that, in tough times there is something to be learned. The lesson for me is that we are a blessed family. Blessed with one another.
So now I have learned the lesson and seen the blessing..... Now Gustav, send my sweetie home!

Whadaya Do? Huh?

2008-08-25T19:09:00.000-07:00

So my sweet little kindergarten boy came clean, literally, on his third day of school. While I was washing his hair last Thursday night, Isaac confessed (looking at me with his big blue eyes) "I was a little bit naughty at school today." When I asked him what he did, he just looked down. Finally, he told me that he had been talking to a little girl, Autumn, about the toilet located in the classroom. They decided that if it overflowed that they could go surfing on the excess water. They kind of forgot to listen to the teacher and be quiet when they were told so..... Yep, girls will get ya everytime.

Flashforward to the next day. I picked the kids up from school and noticed a sticker on Isaac's shirt. "Cool sticker Ike", I said. "Yeah, I used to have three", he said. Um, What? Seems that as you enter gym class, you receive three stickers. If you are wonderful you get to keep all three stickers. If you slap a little boy named Logan on the arm and then talk sassy to the coach afterwards, you lose two stickers. Hence, the singular sticker on my lovely boy.

We went home to do some biblio-therapy in the form of "I'm sorry" letters to the coach and to Logan. Lemme tell ya, that is some doin for a kindergarten boy to write two full length letters. After it was all said and done (insert a talking-to from Daddy somewhere in all of this) he looks at me and says, "Writing is fun! I like writing letters!" Great! Whadaya Do?

Today is Monday. Today we prayed for and received, a better day. Hallelujah!

Stopping for a quick breath....

2008-08-25T19:01:00.000-07:00

Hello! I haven't had a moment to blog since school started! Remember when I was wondering what I was going to do with all my new found time after the kids started school? Ummmm.... yea, that didn't happen. Glory Be! I have been nuts with the upcoming Life Group rally we are in charge of, my bow business orders, running all those errands that I never got to this summer and voluteering at the school (nevermind all the "normal" things that I have always done!). THEN the kids come home and we do homework (compliments of Momma). A select few people who knew, told me that I would be busier than ever AFTER the kids were in school. I shoulda listened. But, in truth, I do love to voluteer and work for a great cause and so my heart still smiles at the end of the day. Michael just laughs at me and shakes his head!

Today Was the Day...

2008-08-19T22:06:00.000-07:00

Well, today I took TWO children to school, the same school, and I left them there ALL DAY!!!! First we dropped off Bailey Rose in second grade with Mrs Robbins. Mrs Robbins is very young and pretty and her room was top notch. It is her first year at Northside. While I smiled and took pictures, I was secretly resisting the urge to tell her that while other children would be in her class, Bailey Rose would be the most helpful and charming. I wanted to tell her what a treasure Bailey is and what a blessing she is to our family. Bailey Rose sat down in her chair, tucked her bag away and smiled and said, "See ya Mom!". I took the information packet from Mrs Robbins and left. I just left. Bailey Rose was fine. I didn't really have time to let that sink in before Isaac was pulling on my pant leg and asking about his class. So, off we went. The kindergarten hallway was very congested with lots of mommas and daddies. We made our way to Mrs Saunders' class. There she was. Also, very pretty and very young. She was glad to see us and told us to let Isaac pick out a seat. He didn't quite know where to sit and we helped him find a chair. He sat down with his brand new Transformer backpack still on his back. I helped him hang it on the back of his chair. If he needed help with these small things, how would he make it through the day without me? I wanted to tell his teacher that this was my baby boy. That sometimes he got a scratchy neck if he got too sweaty. I wanted to tell her that Isaac was my last and maybe I should stay just for the first day. I looked down at Isaac's table and he was talking to a little boy next to him. They were working a puzzle. Wow. He looked up and smiled at me and said, "See ya Mom!" Mrs Saunders had her own version of an information packet. I took it and left. I just left. My kids were fine. So was I.

I was fine until we got outside and somebody actually asked me how I was. My quivering voice and tears surprised me. Michael laughed and hugged me as we walked. He said, "You did good sweetie". People told me taking both kids the first day of school would be hard but I thought they were talking about the kids!

They had a super time and are both ready to go right back tomorrow. I have to say that I missed them. I also got some good shopping done and had lunch at a place that does NOT serve chicken nuggets. I think I will be fine.

Whatever will I DO?!

2008-08-14T13:32:00.000-07:00

Now that my kids are BOTH off to school, people have begun to ask, "NOW what will you do?" I guess I am supposed to have a super plan that looks worthwhile to the outside world. Something I have secretly been waiting all these many years to do but haven't because of "the children". While this year will bring new adventures for the offspring, it will also bring a career change, of sorts, for me. One of my friends told me about something that service men do before they are discharged. They save up alllllll their days off and then, right before they leave their post, they take that time off all at once. It is called Terminal Leave. So, I think that is what I will do, for a while anyhow. At least a week or so. Terminal Leave. Yes, this will be my first day off in......
Well, in 8 years. So that is my super, life-changing plan. Actually, I do plan to sub a little at Northside (Bailey and Isaac's school) and amp up my bow business and be more involved at the church. So see I really DO have a plan but the Terminal Leave thing does sound tempting......

Our Last Trip Before School Starts....

2008-08-13T19:27:00.000-07:00

This is my first entry, obviously. We are visiting my sister in KC and had a mini celebration for Bailey's 8th birthday tonight. My sister, Kathryn, ordered some incredible cupcakes from her neighbor for the event. YUMMO!!!! Bailey felt pretty special and we ALL enjoyed the cupcakes! We have had a lovely visit and will all be back together as a family on Friday when we join Michael and Isaac back at Grandma Sheila's. Isaac has been at Grandma's and Uncle Matt's this week. Each night he has been reporting big fun and lots of "I love you's". Next week, everyone goes back to school. This year BaileyRose will be a second grader and Isaac will be in kindergarten! Wow! How time flies!