CAKES!

I have really been so excited to be getting some good business for my cakes. It is alot of fun, and I'm betting my name out there!

Hello Kitty for a birthday party. White cake with vanilla buttercream.

I made these cupcakes for school. The pink one is french vanilla cake with vanilla buttercream. There was dark chocolate cake with chocolate mousse filling and chocolate buttercream frosting. And, red velvet cake with whipped cream cheese frosting and pecans. They were a big hit!

Amy asked me to do an Atlanta Bravves cake for Ryan's birthday. It was layers of french vanilla and chocolate cake with chocolate mousse and vanilla buttercream.

My friend, April got married yesterday and wanted just plain poundcake with buttercream frosting. Her husband MIke wanted a the cake to have strawberries on it. This is what I came up with. I hate that the piccture is so bad, but because I'm a genius I forgot to bring my camera. This was taken with my phone in the practically un-lit room where the reception was.

In case you ever wondered, this is what happens to my house when I'm in the kitchen making a cake...

Our ward trunk or treat was Friday night...

these "candy corn" cupcakes were my contribution. But guess what else???

I won the chili cook-off! I won "best white chili" but then I also won "best chili" overall! Yay for me!!!

6th Annual Walk to Remember

"We walk for the steps they will never take"

I participated again this year with Amy in the " A Walk to Remember" and Time of Remembrance put on by the Heartstrings organization. Again, it was a wonderful experience. I am always moved to tears at Amy's strength... she is a wonder to me. I am so grateful for her presence in my life. I am proud to call her my friend, and even more proud to share the title of 'Mother' with her.

Amy, April, Sharon and Kasey, Charlotte and me

me and my best girl!

This year they made butterflies for each baby and during the reading of the baby names, the parents clipped these butterlfies to the tree. It was really beautiful.

My friend, Brad, snapped this picture of Amy and me during the butterfly ceremony. I love her!

Emma Grace McKinney

Joshua Ryan McKinney

It breaks my heart that I have so many friends that have been lost their babies. An old and dear friend of mine lost her son, Will earlier this year as well. This was his butterfly.

This is my friend, Royale's, memory candle for her son, Dallin

"We Remember Them" - Rabbi Sylvan Kamens

At the rising of the sun and at its going down,

We remember them.

At the blowing of the wind and the chill of the Winter,

We remember them.

At the opening of the buds and in the rebirth of Spring,

We remember them.

At the rustling of the leaves and in the beauty of Autumn,

We remember them.

At the beginning of the year and when it ends,

We remember them.

As long as we live, they too will live,

For they are now apart of us as we remember them.

When lost and sick at heart,

We remember them.

When we have joy we crave to share,

We remember them.

As long as we live they too will live,

For they are now apart of us as we remember them.

“Parents are entrusted with the education of their

children, and, ultimately, parents must ensure that their

children are being taught what their

Heavenly Father would have them learn…

It is our sacred duty to do our very best.”

-Elder L. Tom Perry

SASSY... all capital letters

I laughed out loud when I saw this shirt at Target and knew that my Sassy girl had to have it!

My Birthday

My 29th year is off to a great start! I had a wonderful birthday!

Cameron and the kids woke me up singing "Happy Birthday" with a card and the necklaces that the kids picked out all by themselves. Cameron told me that when he asked the kids last week what they wanted to get me for my birthday, Jackson said, "a green light-saber" and Caroline said, "a baby." Then Jackson said, "a necklace and a bracelet." They settled on two necklaces. It was really sweet.

Then Dalene watched the kids for me for a few hours so I could go to lunch with Amy and Kasey (whose birthday is just two days after mine). We went to the Olive Garden, of course and it was so nice to have a girls' lunch.

I probably can't even count the number of pictures we have exactly like this one from over the years.

Then the fun started. We went to the fair for my birthday because I LOVE the fair and because they were having unlimited rides. Mom came up and David and Leda came with us, too.

Jackson had fun helping me open presents.



Mom made me my favorite dessert for my birthday instead of cake... pudding dessert

We had so much fun at the fair! Everyone took turms with the kids when someone wanted to ride something that Caroline couldn't get on. Jackson was able to go on everything except the pirate ship and he LOVED it. I'm so glad he likes rides like I do!

This was a pool that had beah balls that were big enough to get inside and walk/bounce across the water. So cool!

Everyone was able to ride the Ferris Wheel and Jackson, Caroline and I were the only ones not freaking out about the height and not beig well secured.

I know you can't tell, but Cameron was freaking out and was about to come un-glued in this picture

view form the top

I made Caroline wear a baby leash... a little white-trashy, but after our experience in Kohls, I wasn't taking any chances. I got a few eye-rolls, but you know what, she was safe and was still able to run and walk and not have to be confined to a stroller. It was a win-win!

Me and mom at the end of the night, It was so fun!

Thanks to everyone who made my birthday so wonderful! It was so fun and I feel so loved!

Chocolate Pudding dessert:

crust:

1 c chopped pecans

1 stick softened butter

3/4 c flour with 1/4 c powdered sugar

cream cheese layer:

1 c powdered sugar

8 oz. softened cream cheese

1 c cool whip

pudding layers:

prepare a package of chocolate pudding and vanilla pudding per package directions

Combine crust indredients. Put in a 9x13 and bake A 350 for 20 minutes. Cool completely and then top with cream cheese layer (just combine ingredients and spread over crust). Then layer chocolate pudding then vanilla pudding. Top with cool whip and more chopped pecans.

The Cake Disaster

There have been times in making a cake where something has gone wrong... it doesn't quite look the way I want to to, it takes longer than expected, I leave the cakes in the oven too long and have to start over, it starts melting out in the heat, that sort of thing. But, nothing I would call a "disaster."

Well this weekend, it happened...

But before that, things were going great, except of course for Caroline getting my kitchen and herself covered in chocolate cake batter. My aunt Kerry asked me if there was anything she doesn't get into. Ihaven't found anything yet that she hasn't gotten into, but I'll let you know :) She also got the cookie monster I made out of gumpaste and took it apart and smashed it so I had to make a new one. Still, not disasters, all things that were fixable.

Then I made four batches of icing... typical for most cakes.

Dad, is your mouth watering yet?!


Now for the cake... it was another cookie monster cake for a 1-year-old little girl's birthday. I did the cake exactly as her mother wanted, and it turned out soooo cute. Usually when I make a cake, I see many things that I would have done differently, but I was so pleased with how cute this cake was. I got it loaded in the car and was so excited for the mom to see this cake because she was really excited about it, too.

I am getting ready to pull onto their street when a car pulls out in front of me and I have to slam on breaks and swerve slightly. Guess what... the top of the cake fell over, the cookie monster broke, and the dowel that is put in the cake to keep it stable made the bottom tier of the cake split in half when the top tier fell off. I was freaking out. What was I supposed to do? I couldn't turn around and go back home. I go up to their door crying, explaing what happened and they are so laid back and wonderful and tell me that I'll be able to fix it and everything will be fine. Thank goodness they are literally the most laid back, go with the flow people I know becuase if someone showed up at my 1-year-old's birthday party with the cake I showed up with I would have been freaking out.

Cameron brought me may cake stuff and I stood at their kitchen counter piecing this cake back together. By the time I was down, they were more than pleased (although I was mortified by how it looked) and told me they couldn't even tell there had been a problem. They were probably lying, but I left feeling better than when I showed up.

So I feel like I have experienced a cake disaster and hope I never experience another one like that!

Not Fair!

I have always felt like I got the short end of the stick when it came to my hair. Both of parents have rediculously thick, beautiful hair. David got it too. But guess who didn't... me! My hair is so fine and thin that I have to "do" it every day. None of that blow-dry and go for me.

Well Jackson got that thick hair, too. His is so thick, though, that it has to be kept REALLY short becuae it is so coarse and wiry that it sticks out in all directions. I love long hair on boys, but not my boy. It even takes a long time to get it wet because water just rolls right off of it.

A couple weeks ago, I gave myself a trim, put some layers in my hair and the wisps that fell to the floor were not even enough to fill up my hand. I cut Jackson's hair the next day. I use the term "cut" loosely because his hair is always so short that it barely needs a trim, and this is what I get to sweep up...

It filled up the entire dustpan, and then some. It just isn't fair. I could cut my hair as short as his right now and there wouldn't be that much hair on the floor. It just doesn't seem right!

after his haircut.

Candy necklaces

Except we made them with Fruit Loops and I think the kids loved them even more!

The other week at school, the kids were reviewing colors, so I thought we would a couple fun things at home, too. I got a box of Fruit Loops and we did some fun little activities (and eating).

The first thing we did was separate the colors in a jumbo muffin tin. Caroline even helped with this even though she ate more than she ever separated.

Then Jackson and I took turn making different patterns. I would start a pattern with the fruit Loops and then he would have to guess the pattern and finish it. Then he would make a pattern and I would finish it. Jackson loved this part... we did it over and over and over again.

Hands down, their favorite part was making neckalces with the fruit loops. I had to help Caroline, but Jackson did a great job. They wore them for the whole afternoon and they would walk aroung with them hanging out of their mouths chewing pieces off, just like a candy necklace.