Woops! Forgot One!

.... this was one of my favorite cakes. I made this one for my cousin's baby shower. Just wanted to post it too so Tiffy don't feel left out!

My Cake Adventures

I wanted to post pics of cakes I've done for the boys. I'm about to embark upon the adventure of doing a wedding cake for my sister & new bro-in-law. I told her I don't promise perfection, but I do promise to do my best. And, hopefully, it'll turn out. I love making cakes and I'd love to do cakes for people to create a small biz, but I'm so slow at making them. It takes me nearly 6-8 hours to complete a cake. And, I could use more training. I took a whole semester of Cake Decorating in high school and loved it. But, geez... that was many moons ago & I've forgotten lots of what I was taught.

Here's a slide show of the cakes I've done in the past.

Seth's Haircut.... sigh....

Ok, so I know Seth's hair was a bit out of control. But, there were times when it would really curl up that would make me not want to cut it. Then, there were times where it was just a crazy mess and he was lucky I didn't grab the scissors.

But, with the scorchin' heat in Georgia, I felt that he couldn't stand the long locks anymore. So, we called Allan's mom to see if she would cut it. She did Nate & Alex's first haircuts. So, it only made sense for her to take on Seth.

Well, he wasn't her best client in the world, but she did the best she could with it. Everytime she'd get ready to snip, Seth would jerk his head. First time jitters I guess?! hehe! Maybe next time he'll be better.

I didn't cry, but I do have to admit he looks so much more like a little boy. But, not only older but almost a different child. I thought that Seth's curls is what made Seth, Seth. It'll just take a little time to get used to his new look.

Thanks, BUH for the cut!!
Here's a little slide show of the haircut!

Praise Him

Psalm 66:20 ~ Praise be to God, who has not rejected my prayer or withheld his love from me!

BENIGN. What a wonderful word.

Psalm 149:15 ~ He fulfills the desires of those who fear him; he hears their cry and saves them.

The LORD definitely heard my cries and has fulfilled my desire to not be sick. Thank You LORD. I know it could have just as easily gone in the other direction. But, I know He heard the prayers from me & those who were lifting me up and he most graciously answered.

Amazing Space Vacation Bible Camp 2008

This week we'll be in high gear! It's Vacation Bible Camp at our church all week. The boys this morning looked at me crazy when I woke them at 7 to get ready to go. I have to be there by 8:15 to help out with the four year olds. It's going to be an 'amazing' week. But, I know all three boys are going to be exhausted since it'll be so go-go-go and we're normally homebodies.....

To Eternity & Beyond!!! Blessings.

One Year Ago Today

One year ago today, we had to have Brutus euthanized. It was very sad and emotional for Allan & me. But, we also know it was for the best. We still think of him every day and all the little quirks about him. Hopefully, one day when the boys are a bit older, we'll try to find another dog. But, we also know there will never be another Brutus. He was truly one of a kind! Man's best friend. We love & miss you Brutus Tugboat Rainey.... our Boosie Dog!

National Doughnut Day.. June 6th

Today I get an email letting me know that tomorrow is National Doughnut Day.

Have you ever heard such garbage?? Like I really need an extra excuse to scarf down a Krispy Kreme Doughnut!! So, to celebrate, they will be giving away a FREE doughnut of your choice. They're smart little cookies..err, I mean doughnuts. See, they know that Krispy Kreme dougnuts are like Lays Potato Chips.. no one can eat just one. So, they lure you in with one FREE doughnut and bank on you buying at least a dozen. Genius. I can't tell you how many times we've gone for the freebies and ended up coming home with a dozen. I'd probably be embarrassed to tell you. Hello... I am on Krispy Kreme's email list!! What does that tell you??

We just devoured a dozen of those things last Sunday evening... 12 of them and I can guarantee Allan & I ate more than half of them. We ate 'em so fast the boys didn't have time to whine for one! hahaha
So... if you need your doughnut fix.... stop by your local Krispy Kreme tomorrow, June 6th & celebrate National Doughnut Day and pretend like you needed an excuse to eat a FREE doughnut!! I'm sure the light will be on all day long!!

Where my peace comes from....

I've had several people ask me about my thyroid issues lately. And, my response is that I'm at peace with whatever comes of the biopsy on Thursday. I've prayed for peace and that's what I've been given. I know that no matter what happens, my God is in control & I trust in Him that He knows what's truly best for me.

My daily devotion for today...

Matthew 8:23-27
As Jesus and His disciples crossed the Sea of Galilee, a storm came up and waves swept over their boat. Incredibly, Jesus was asleep. The disciples woke Him and said, “Lord, save us! We are perishing!” (Matt. 8:25). In a gentle rebuke, Jesus asked, “‘Why are you fearful, O you of little faith?’ Then He arose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm” (v.26).

Like the disciples, the more we learn about Jesus, the more we trust Him. Our greatest risk is failing to depend on Him when life seems out of control. — David C. McCasland

Keep your eyes on Jesus and you’ll soon lose sight of your fears.

Memorial Day 2008

We had a pretty great Memorial Day. We started the day off by going to watch the annual Dacula Memorial Day Parade. It was a great parade, lasting nearly 2 hours! The boys loved the tractors, horses, the fire trucks, police motorcycles and all the fast cars & monster trucks. In my opinion, the absolute best float was the Marines float who depicted the raising of the flag at Iwo Jima. Now, I'm no history buff and I have no idea what we were fighting for and whether or not we were right, but that image brought tears to my eyes. It made me very proud to be an American, extremely appreciative to the men and women who defend our country every day and thankful for all the freedoms I have that others in the world can only imagine.

I have to say though, that as much as I appreciate the soldiers who defend our country, it scares the beejeebers out of me the possibility of the boys deciding to join the military when they turn 18. Everyone says it's such a noble thing to do, but I don't know how I would take it. But, I know if that's truly what they want to do, I will embrace it...even if I am gritting my teeth the whole time.

So, after the parade, we came home & grilled out bacon cheese burgers and they were sooo good. The boys played in the kiddie pool all day and had a great time splashing.

Here's the pic of the Iwo Jima float....

Ok.. now I feel bad....

After we finished working in our new garden last weekend, we went to sit under the trees to relax in the cool shade. Well, once I sat down, I saw 2 snake skins. Last year after finding a skin, it wasn't long before I found the snake... in the kids playground area. So, I've been on the lookout for the one who decided to shed it's skin near my firepit. Today, he decided to make his appearance. I just happened to be looking over the edge of the deck & there it was, coming out from under our deck, slithering along the basement walls.

Oooh, gives me creepies thinking about it. So, I was sooo thankful Allan was home. I got him to kill it. It was about 4.5-5 feet long. Then I start looking up black snakes on the web & found that it was a black rat snake. They eat birds, eggs, squirrels and other rodents and are virtually harmless to humans. But, I can't help but be scared of those things. I mean, he looked like the Godzilla of snakes. What if the boys stepped on him while running in the yard?? Now, I worry that a snake will fall out of the tree on me if I want to relax under the trees. I hate being scared of them, but I really can't help it. Maybe if we see another, we'll catch him & turn him loose in the woods.... maybe.

Goooo Astros!

Tonight we had our Post-Season Tball Party at the Pavilion at Dacula Park. Great food & great fellowship. Nate & Alex were super excited to get their trophies. They had a terrific season. We were very pleased at the boys progress during the season. We're so proud of them!! Here's a few pics from the party!

I Love Our BackYard

OK. So, I know this isn't the greatest picture. But, I really love our backyard. The trees provide the perfect shade. We have big hopes & dreams of a pool one day, but that's pretty far off in the distance. In the mean time, we'll enjoy what we've already been blessed with. Thanks to our SS teacher, we've been reminded to renew our minds with all that God has done for us. Sometimes it's easy to get caught up in wanting more or thinking we have less than. But, look at this backyard. WE ARE BLESSED ABUNDANTLY!

.... blessed too abundantly w/ squirrels! :)

Life's A Garden... dig it!

This year, we decided to plant our own garden & test out our green thumb. The past few years we've gotten lots of vegetables from both of our parents gardens. We thought it'd be a good idea to work our own garden & let the boys have a little fun seeing God's hand at work growing the vegetables. It was a lot of fun even though it was a lot of hard work in the blazin' sun. It'll be worth every drop of sweat when we get to eat the fruits of our crop! We planted 103 plants total, 2 rows of corn & one row of okra. I know God is going to bless it abundantly! I want to be able to share with friends and neighbors! We should have corn, okra, tomatoes of all shapes & sizes, hot peppers, red & yellow bell peppers, squash, cucumbers, cantaloupes, & zucchini. I don't think I left anything out. Looking at the pics, it appears that I didn't do any of the work, but I did help out. I promise!But, you know, I have to take pics for the ol' blog!

Silly Seth

I just had to post these pics of Seth.

Today, he brings me Nate's baseball socks and sits in my lap wanting me to put them on him. Mind you, they went all the way to his hips! Then he crawled over onto the couch and watched Dora & tried to solve the Rubix Cube!... that's our Seth.

Thyroid Schmyroid

Monday, I found a lump/knot at the base of my throat near my collar bone. Of course, I panicked and quickly made an appointment to have it checked out Tuesday. The doc seems to think it's a thyroid nodule. Well, after being sent for an ultrasound on Wednesday, I got the call today that the results are in & my appointment to discuss the findings is scheduled tomorrow morning at 11AM.
I have to say that my nerves have been calmed and I'm okay with whatever the doc tells me tomorrow. Then I log onto RBC.org to find today's devotion about letting God surprise us... read below...

May 15, 2008
Surprise Me!

“My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways,” says the Lord. —Isaiah 55:8
When our family went out for an ice cream cone, my dad would ask my mother what flavor she’d like. Often she would reply, “Surprise me!” She told me she was rarely disappointed in his choice.
Do you like surprises? Would you ever dare say, “Surprise me!” to God? A lot of us are a little scared to do that. Yes, we have faith that God is good and that He loves us. Yet we’re afraid we won’t like what He chooses for us.
Throughout the Bible we read that God delights in doing the unexpected. Sometimes it’s folding back the waters for His people to cross a sea on dry ground (Ex. 14:21-22). Or forgiving and embracing those who repent of their sin (Ps. 130:1-4). Jesus’ time on earth was filled with amazing events that pointed people to His Father—He turned water into wine, calmed storms, healed the sick, and raised the dead.
What kind of God do we serve? One who is not confined by our finite imagination (Eph. 3:20). God’s thoughts and ways are not like ours (Isa. 55:8), and He wants to bless us with far more than a special flavor of ice cream. He delights in His children who trust Him and are willing to say, “Surprise me, Lord!”
— Cindy Hess Kasper
O Lord, give me the grace to beContent with what You give to me.No! More than that, let me rejoiceIn all You send me—it’s Your choice! —Anon.
Those who let God provide will always be satisfied.

I'm looking forward to what surprise God has in store for me tomorrow. He knows what's best for me & I trust that!