This and That

After Elizabeth and Mark's wedding I kind of crashed for a bit. ha! Came home and started getting stuff ready to go to Washington Camp. The kids always look forward to this time of year. We were only able to go from Fri. to Tues. this year but it was great seeing everyone again! I missed helping out in the kitchen!

Brooke started school Thurs. Aug. 14. I don't like school! I miss my kids. Christopher didn't start until Aug. 25, thankfully. But......he's a senior this year. Sarah took some awesome pics of him and Brooke for me. Here are a few of our handsome son! :-)

And one of our baby girl, who isn't such a baby anymore!

We went rollerblading with Lisa and the kids lots this summer and loved it. Well, the kids roller bladed, Lisa and I walked! lol Sometimes we got together and scrapped afterwards! I'm blessed with an awesome friend!

I know I've left lots out, not that it's gonna break anyone's heart,(ha) but that's the most of it.

My sis and I did pass Course 3 of cake decorating and I'll post the pic of that later. I start Course 4 on Sept. 9.

Christopher wants the computer so I guess I'll catch up the rest some other time!!!

Cakes, Cupcakes, and more Cakes!!!!

7/18/08
We're home. Momma is doing great so far from her cortisone shot.
It hurt when she had it done and she was really numb and couldn't walk at first (almost fell and scared me. lol) We had such a wonderful time this time we were there. Played games, my niece came over and fixed us Chinese food, etc. We laughed so much. We are spending the week home next week and just doing family stuff together.

7/26/08
Heading to Momma's. We're gonna work on flowers for the wedding cake. The lilies have to be made ahead of time so they will dry. We'll be there a few days!

7/30/08
Home but exhausted. I worked another $120 off of the car (we bought it from people I clean for and am paying it off that way) , made 128 lilies for the cake, Baked lots of cakes and cupcakes, made icing, made icing, made icing,......you get the picture! lol Home for 2 days and then back to momma's to assemble and decorate the cake.


Making the lilies!



Peeling the foil off the lilies after they had dried for a few days.

8/1/08
We're heading back to momma's tonight to finish the cakes. We'll work on them tonight and tomorrow. The wedding is Sunday at 11:00. I slept off and on all day yesterday. I just needed to get rested for my busy weekend. :-)


Building the cupcake stand.

Setting up for the wedding.

Almost done!

Elizabeth and Mark's first look!
I love those kids!!!!!
8/5/08
Last Sat. we went to momma's and I started on making the lilies.and got about 25 made. Sun. our church was closed due to the Nascar race and we can't get out (they block the roads) so my sis came over and helped me make some more flowers. After she left, momma helped me finish them up. I would make the flowers, put the green in the bottom, use the brush to smooth it out, sprinkle the edible glitter,(Brooke, also, helped put the sprinkles on) and it took that long for momma or Elaine to just put the stamens in. They were tedious! We made 128. Mon. Elaine and Elizabeth came over and we started baking cakes. We got all of them made and the cupcakes. I made several batches of icing, too.
On Tues. my sis came over and we took all the foil of off the lilies and then after church that night we went home and then back to momma's on Fri. and started on crumb coating the cakes. On the way I went to so many stores trying to find a top and shoes and couldn't find anything. Aunt Lois, momma's sister, was at momma's by this time. Elaine got really sick, vomiting and such and wasn't able to help me any more. Soooooo, everyone pitched in. I iced the cupcakes, momma put the lily on and sprinkled the glitter, I put the leaf on and Aunt Lois put them away. I drew up rough plans for the cupcake holder and Chris cut the wood. Momma and Aunt Lois helped me wrap it in silver, then Chris put it together. Brooke, Chris, and Christopher helped in lots of different ways. Christopher even made some icing for me while I fried green tomatoes. I was so sick of making icing by this time. Sat I iced more cakes and made more icing. Went to some more stores (two different times) had to buy more powdered sugar, ribbon, and other stuff. Actually, finally found a blouse at a USED clothing store that matched perfectly. I had been to C.J. Banks, Christopher and Banks, JC Penney's, Kohl's and couldn't find a thing. It was fun. Went back to momma's and got busy on the cakes. Aunt Lois stayed up with me and done everything she could to help. Anything that needed washed or put away, Aunt Lois was right there to do it. She took lots of pics. :-) I told her I thought I'd have the last cake done by 1:30 am and I was done by 1:25 am. :-)
I got really nervous but by the time we got there and was setting up the cake it was awesome! On the way home after the wedding I told momma and Aunt Lois that I wanted to do it again!!!!
Elizabeth was sooo impressed. I have a pic of her expression when she saw it. I think I wrote a book! lol I'm almost caught up on my blog. Just 15 more days to go! lol
Thanks for listening! :-)

Behind and trying to catch up........

First I want to share this recipe. I made it for momma for Mother's Day and even tho I don't care for circus peanuts.....It was awesome.

Circus Peanut Salad
2 cups boiling water, add 2 small boxes of orange jello, stir, then add 1 bag of circus peanuts and stir until they are melted. I left some small pieces. Put in the fridge til firm. Take out and add 1 lg can of crushed pineapple with juice, 1 tub cool whip, and walnuts or pecans and stir. You can garnish with fruit on the top. I used mandarin oranges.
Now this is gonna be like sharing my diary.....
6/18/08
We came home this evening. Momma is having trouble with a sciatic nerve and possibly a pinched nerve. They are gonna do an MRI! She was in so much pain and I was so helpless to do anything. I took her to the dr. 3 times and took care of her. She's on steroids and pain meds for now. She's hoping and praying that the meds will take care of it and she won't have to have surgery.

6/22/08
I managed to twist 2 of my fingers up in the beaters of the mixer. The knuckle of my one finger was bent backwards. Chris was laying down in the back bedroom at momma's and momma went and got him. I was trying to be big and brave because I didn't want to worry momma. When her and Brooke saw how they were twisted they got all worried. Chris tried to cut them (the beaters)but it wouldn't work.
By this time I was getting so sick from the pain. Momma was looking for different cutters so I let him know how bad it was and I went to the floor. I tried the release several times and it wouldn't work. He finally tried bending them apart and asked if I wanted him to bend them. It helped so much that I was like "oh, please!" He got them apart enough for my fingers to slide out and I basically wilted the rest of the way to the floor.
The pinky is gonna be ok, just sore and skinned. It cut the next finger and the knuckle is kinda weird. I may have to get it checked. I just wanted to finish decorating my cake so Chris mixed my colors for me and helped me put it in the bags! (It was for our pastor's wife) Brooke helped put the tips and stuff in for me. It hurts! Only me. I forgot to unplug the mixer between icings and had put the beaters in and was pushing on them with one hand to make sure they clicked and my other hand must have slipped and hit the on button!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!




The cake I made for B.J. "before" I got mixed up in the beaters. This was my first time decorating with whipped cream icing.

This cake was after. Chris mixed the icing colors for me and the kids helped fill the icing bags. The color is really a pretty violet but the camera refused to show that!

6/24/08
Brooke wanted to know if Butterscotch can have pecans and I told her I didn't know. She wanted to know if I could go to whathamsterscaneat.com and see what they can eat! lol
Brooke is talking 90 miles an hour this summer. I don't know what's gotten into her! lol She's doing great at violin lessons. Christopher is away at youth camp. His guitar teacher told him that he is one of his top 2 students and the other guy is 44 and doesn't have as many (something, I always get the name wrong) memorized as Christopher does. He wants to give Christopher 1 hour lessons for the price of 1/2 hour lessons. Christopher said he hadn't been this excited since Christmas! lol
Chris hasn't had as many hours at work and sidework is helping us not to struggle too bad. He's worked some evenings and has been in the best mood lately. Such and jokester and so much fun. Maybe he had been working TOO hard. :-)

July 4, 2008
We were on our way to Lisa's mom's for a big get together and Christopher was heading there from youth camp. Chris' cell rings and it was Christopher. He'd been in a wreck. He was getting on the interstate and it was raining. When he got of the ramp he sped up to get in the flow of the traffic and his truck hydroplaned and spun him. He was headed toward the guard rail and enbankment so corrected but overcorrected and a van hit him and spun him around the other way. He was in the middle of the interstate. He checked to make sure he was ok, dialed 911 and talked to them, and then because his door wouldn't open he crawled out the window. A nurse stopped and stayed with him until the police got there. We went straight there and he was helping the police clean up the debris. His suitcase went to the opposite side of the interstate and stuff was everywhere. When I saw the truck and realized how bad it could have been I just about went to pieces. I am just thanking God so much that Christopher is ok. A friend of ours check him over at Lisa's mom's and worked on his neck and back. He has whiplash and his ribs on one side had come loose and he put them back in place. Christopher felt fine until about 15-20 min after we got to Shirley's and then he started hurting. I put stuff on his back and he fell asleep for hours, even with tons of people there.
My heart hurts for my little boy! I can't imagine the terror and now the pain. You just wish you could take it for them, don't you?


7/11/08
I am so behind on emails, my blog, facebook, housework........ I've been busy with helping momma so much. She is better but I will be there from Sat to Wed as I'm doing some stuff for her and also working for Debi and then Wed I take her for her cortisone shot.
Hoping for a miracle so we can still go to Texas! It cost over $300 just to get Christopher's truck, counting the tow fee and it's totaled. He's still paying on it and we only had liability because it was an older vehicle. Chris van got broken into yesterday and over $2,000 worth of tools were stolen. Some were Chris' and some were his boss'. Insurance won't cover unless Chris has all the receipts and Chris doesn't have enough to be more than the deductible.

They busted out a window on the job site. Chris went in, came out 2 1/2 hours later and it was done.
This was in July! Elaine and I did this cake together in class. It's actually fondant on a box. We don't like the bought fondant and didn't want to ruin a real cake! :-)


Well, this catches me up to mid July.........Now I'll try to catch up on the rest later. Making Elizabeth's wedding cake etc. That was a blast!