weekend recap...

well, MY weekend was full of cake, cake & more cakes!

but, thanks to the ABSOLUTE BEST HUSBAND AND FATHER ON THIS EARTH,
my kids were fed, entertained, bathed, and well - just basically cared for!
curtis, i truly don't know what i'd do without u
(well, i know i wouldn't b making as many cakes ~lol~)

you are my rock!!!

no jokes about my hair ok?! i'm currently trying to get an appt. scheduled....hey, i'm a busy lady! ~lol~


saturday, was full of baking, decorating & wedding cake delivery/set up for me....but curtis & the kids had multiple playground visits & a fishing trip (that i hated to miss).....i did manage to get in a neighborhood walk with the fam that evening tho.....i HATE to miss out on any time with my family - i guess that's why i justify staying up through the night to work on cakes.....i'd rather miss sleep, than miss out on watching my kids grow/learn/explore


we had a family reunion to attend on sunday - my father's mother's side
most of my family is from WVa, so a majority of our reunions are held at the Lost River State Park - it truly has to be one of the most beautiful parks around!

the creek is the main attraction for the kids - it's full of crayfish & other critters
and look at those gorgeous ferns!

both of my girls left with wet bottoms, and my nephew, matthew, took a nose dive all the way in....after getting over the initial shock, he was LOVING it! it's so cute to see him hanging with his big cousins now :0)


corinn was thrilled to see cousin timmy - he's the son of my dad's brother, but the same age as corinn (suprise/miracle baby after my aunt & uncle thought they'd never conceive)
corinn & timmy used to be in the same daycare class before i moved the girls to another daycare, so they had a great time catching up :0)

after the reunion (and a change into dry clothes), we headed back over to my brother's new farm....curtis hadn't been there to check it out yet, and they had just gotten their first shipment of roosters (3 times as many hens, as roosters, were to be delivered today) - the kids were anxious to see some chickens!

again, the girls had to get all dressed up in their "farm clothes" ~lol~

i'm soooo jealous of their home, land, farm, etc...
i was telling curtis while we were walking around, that i so could see myself living on/running a farm.....as i get older (like 29 is old, right?!), i find myself forgetting about my long ago, big city dreams, and being more drawn to the simple country life.....i think it has more to do with my desire to raise my children simply, rather than my age

and the kids fit right in on a farm.....they're not afraid to get dirty & explore....i LOVE it!


and one of my blog posts wouldn't be complete without some randomness, right? ~teehee~

2 more pretty blooms popping out in our flower bed

and the latest drawing by jaden - his talent amazes me to no end!

a chinese dragon

i hope all of you had a wonderful weekend! after getting a total of 9 hours sleep over the last 3 nights - i'm anxious to just CRASH tonight!

happy monday!

last week's cakes...

This week's cakes started off with Madeline's 1st birthday bows cake that i posted already

Next, came a replica of a 1970 Plymouth Road Runner that was rebuilt by the birthday boy.....his wife requested the cake as a surprise......she wanted it to be on a drag strip, complete with burnouts......all dark chocolate cake, iced in butter cream.....the car is decorated in my homemade fondant.....the christmas tree is not completely edible


Then, the weekend kicked off with Katie & Jesse's wedding......Katie & her family attend our church.....I had the chance to make Katie's older sister's wedding cake back in May - and now it was Katie's turn.....she had a beach theme & wanted have the cake done in that style.....all fudge chip cake, iced in my homemade butter cream - the "sand" is brown sugar & the shells are gum paste.....the fence is not completely edible


The bride also had me make a surprise groom's cake for Jesse......more fudge chip cake, decorated in a Mario Bros. theme :0)


Next up, was my new favorite cake - this one was for 13 year old Trent.....I've been making cakes for Trent's mom & all their special events for quite some time now. I love this one so much, because it's very personal and special......and what a great idea for a teenage boy (the hardest people to design cakes for!)! Mom asked that I create 13 items that represent her son.....she gave me a list of ideas & here's what we came up with together - can you spot them all on the cake?

*cell phone*iPod*money*contact lens case*weights*wrestling head gear*push lawn mower*sombrero*frying pan with eggs (his specialty)*football*beach towel*hair gel*a key to his dream car (a Dodge Charger)*

She also asked that I decorate the cake in Trent's favorite team colors - The University of Miami. Mom was THRILLED - I hope the birthday boy loved it just as much! :0) The #1 is fudge chip & the #3 is funfetti cake - all iced in butter cream, then covered in fondant stripes (took FOREVER). I made all the little items out of fondant - the lawn mower handle & the weight bar are not edible.


And lastly, was a duck & goose hunting cake for an adult birthday. Jon is an avid duck hunter & his wife requested this cake for him. All white cake, decorated in homemade chocolate butter cream. The ducks/geese, the gun & the lanyards with calls are fondant.


Thanks for looking! :0)
♥Sharon

my fav 3 are still in it!!!

curtis & i get obsessed with So You Think You Can Dance every year!

we pick our favs & watch religiously! even if i'm working on cakes, i've got the kitchen tv tuned in & i stop to look up when the dancing starts :0) they're down to the top 6 & my 3 picks are still in it!

my 3 favs (well, cause i can't decide which guy i like best) are:

katee - my girl pick & she's been partnered with both my guy favs
twitch & joshua - they're both soooo good!

i'm sooooo glad twitch didn't get sent home last night! it was down between him & will (who was also pretty darn good).....i'm one of those ppl that watches, but doesn't take time to vote.....after last night's close call, i might have to start

here's twitch's contemporary performance with katee last night (love this song too)....wish he had danced more - this routine really let katee shine....but u can check out his solo here


and here's joshua with katee in one of my fav routines this season! LOVE it!


omg - i LOVE this show! ~giggle~

regarding Michael Savage remarks - what an ignorant idiot!

I pulled the following from Estee's blog - The Joy of Autism

Today, ASAN and other organizations including The Autism Acceptance Project released Outrage over Michael Savage's Remarks Grow: ASA, UCP and The Arc and many others join the disability community's joint statement:

We, organizations representing people with disabilities, family members, professionals and other concerned citizens, are calling upon you to withdraw support for Talk Radio Networks in response to the outrageous comments by TRN personality Micahel Alan Weiner, also known as Michael Savage.

On July 16th, Weiner announced: "Now you want me to tell you my opinion on autism since I'm not talking about autism? A fraud, a racket...You know what autism is? I'll tell you what autism is. In 99 per cent of the cases, it's a brat who hasn't been told to cut the act out. That's what autism is. What do you mean they scream and they're silent? They don't have a father around to tell them 'Don't act like a moron. You'll get nowhere in life. Stop acting like a putz. Straigten up. Act like a man. Don't sit there crying and screaming, idiot."

These comments represent dangerous misinformation. The refusal by Talk Radio Networks to condemn the comments or undertake any steps in response to them, as well as Michael Savage's refusal to apologize, is absolutely unacceptable. The autism spectrum is a very real developmental disability affecting millions of Americans [and Canadians]. It includes a series of impairments in social interaction and communication, executive functioning, sensory processing, and motor skills. Adults and children on the autism spectrum often require substantial supports and services and education across the lifespan.

Comments like those on the Savage Nation do real damage to autistic people by increasing public ignorance and misinformation about autism, thereby putting at risk vital education supports and services. Contrary to the remarks by Mr. Weiner, there is no evidence whatsoever to suggest that autism is over-diagnosed -- in face, research suggests that there is substantial under-identification of the autism spectrum, resulting in lack of vitally needed services and education. In addition, these remarks revive outdated and damaging misconceptions about the source of autism, recalling the "refridgerator mother" myth in which parents were blamed for having autistic children.

Talk Radio Network's sponsors must consider whether or not to associate with the hateful and offensive comments spoken by Michael Weiner. Because TRN has taken no action, we urge you to communicate the need for Mr. Weiner's immediate removal by withdrawing sponsorship for TRN's programming. There are over 50 million people with disabilities in the United States representing approximately $200 billion disposable income. We represent a market that cannot be ignored. By disassociating your businesses from the ignorant and hateful remarks made this past week and taking practical steps to help educate the public about the true nature of the autism spectrum with other disabilities, we can move forward towards creating a world that will recognize the rights of all people to respect, dignity,support and inclusion.

Ari Ne'eman
President
The Autistic Self Advocacy Network
www.autisticadvocacy.org

trudging along

this week started off kind of up in the air with the news on our house being sold (our downstairs neighbor is currently working with the landlord to possibly buy the house before foreclosure on tuesday???), then it turned to awesome with the arrival of my birthday camera & new phone, but has slowly been getting harder and harder to trudge through as we reach the end

the sucky:

i'm going on day 2 without my mini-van......that has to b the hardest thing - being responsible for the daily activities of myself & 3 rugrats - WITHOUT a vehicle! ugh!

i dropped it off for a tune-up & needed to find out why the check engine light is on & why our back driver's side brake light isn't working, even after replacing the bulb.....they started work yesterday, but won't finish up until today.....thankfully, my mom has been helping me deliver the kids in the morning & then bring me to/from work (another nice thing about working with my ma)

then yesterday, the girls' daycare provider called out sick - pink eye false alarm that thankfully turned out to be dry eye syndrome caused by contacts??? so i had to scramble for a back-up plan for the them yesterday

running on little sleep today & probably pulling an all-nighter tonight....it's a VERY busy week for cakes, including a wedding tomorrow afternoon - making the wedding & groom's cake for this one.

at this point, i really can't see there being enough hours in the next 2 days for me to finish everything i need to do - but with God's help, i always find a way somehow....and hey, i work better under pressure ;0)

on the flip side:

i am LOVING my new phone & camera! still no time to sit down & read up on/play with either of them - but i'm using them both blindly....& so far, so great! :0)

and jaden's 2nd jiu-jitsu class went AWESOME last night.....curtis took him, so i missed it, but i hear that the sensei (and some other parents watching with curtis on the other side of the glass) are VERY impressed with how quickly jaden is picking everything up.....they did more work with the upper body this time (instead of the ground work & grappling they concentrated on monday)....he has that knack at being able to watch you draw/motion/act out something & then he can repeat it exactly & almost immediately - i have a feeling that as long as he enjoys it, he's going to go really far with this martial arts thing

and, who could dwell on the sucky stuff, when u have these smiley faces to look at every morning

*note about jaden's outfit - it's pool day at daycare, so he wears his trunks to summer school (then straight to daycare)....and the shirt is 1 of 2 that an older girl at daycare (maybe 11 or 12?) gave to jaden....they have dragons on them & she knew he'd LOVE em! i'm really starting to dig the fact that the kids insist on picking out their own clothes every day - i'm all about personal style & self expression! :0)

indoor camping & jalapeno thingies

the girls were invited to a sleepover on tuesday night, so we let jaden set up his tent (that he just got for his bday) & "camp out" in the living room (cause it's freaking huge & wouldn't fit in his room).....he calls it his home & says he doesn't need his bed any more ~giggle~.....we did move it to his room last evening - we just didn't set it up all the way - and he doesn't mind.....he slept there again last night :0)

jaden reading by the light of his lantern, right before calling it a night

and last night, i made Pioneer Woman's Bacon-Wrapped Jalapeño Thingies - mmmm, mmmm, good! of course, i'm the only one in the house that will eat them (actually, Corinn wanted to try them...cause well, she's like Mikey & will eat ANYTHING...but I didn't let her because of the heat)....i brought the rest in to work today to share

i used some banana peppers out of mom's garden (that are still pretty darn hot!) & i bought some regular jalapeños at the store.....i topped some with fresh pineapple pieces (for like the last 5 minutes of baking) - even better! :0)

good luck Danielle!

I wanted to 2nd what Shanna said & give my best wishes to our dear blogger friend Danielle! Danielle will be testifying tomorrow in front of a Joint Economic Committee in DC about the price gouging going on at Questcor, the manufacturer of Acthar Gel (ACTH) for infantile spasms. Read the article. And read about her invite to speak here.

I can't imagine what these mother's go through - having their tiny child riddled with seizures & not knowing how/if they can afford the meds that are so desperately needed to stop the them!

Shanna said it perfectly...
"Thank goodness for strong people like Danielle Foltz giving the families affected by IS a voice. Please take the time to post a comment and show your support for Danielle and her tenacity in putting a stop to drug companies trying to profit at the expense of our children's health."

gadgets & a wednesday funny

my husband is the absolute WORST at keeping secrets.....he can't stand the suspense & always tries to give it away early......i, on the other hand, LOVE surprises - so i'm always trying to hold him off & not let him give it away

well, this year was no different - except, he got the kids in co-hoots with him this time! ~lol~ the girls kept asking "can we give you your birthday present now?!" and "can i tell u what letter it starts with?!"....it really has been amusing

monday night, curtis says "ok babe, i know u want to wait until ur birthday....but i really think u can use ur gift before then....and the kids & i are still planning on making u a cake & cards & stuff....so can we just give u ur present now?" what a whiner! ~lol~

i say ok, having no clue what it could be that i can "use" now

and they gave me this:

and here's what curtis is getting:

what an awesome week (well if you don't count all that crap going on with the house - we're still not sure what's gonna happen yet)!

Jiu-Jitsu training

last night, Jaden had his very first Jiu-Jitsu training class! :0) we had checked out the local DoJo place a few months ago & then it kind of got put on the back burner....we had researched the local martial arts places, trying to find the right fit for Jaden....we really liked this place (& the sensei) and thought that jiu-jitsu would be great for Jaden....it's more hands on than karate....& not so much about the punching, kicking 'hi-yah' stuff....it teaches kids not only discipline, and how to defend themselves, but also how to learn to control a situation and get away from a bully if need be....it teaches them self-control & confidence....bullying is not something that Jaden has to worry about yet, but we're looking at what may be an issue for him in the future....and with his size (he's waaaay bigger than most 8yr olds! 4'7" & 90lbs to be exact!), we want him to know how to defend himself safely & responsibly, without hurting others....our hope is that Jaden will be able to focus his energy on this and will excel at it....the trouble that he has with being distracted and losing focus easily might hinder his training some, but we hope he'll have the opposite reaction and will really get into it....we've seen how when Jaden is interested in something, he goes ALL the way with it! :0)

it was funny last night, because he kept asking the sensei about all the "Chinese" artifacts & lettering around the office & studio - but DoJo & Jiu-Jitsu are Japanese martial arts....so now, Jaden is learning about Japan & how similar it's culture is to his favorite country - China! ~teehee~

he did really well last night - especially for his very first try......he wasn't as easily distracted as i thought he'd be (except for having to check himself out in the full length mirrors every five minutes or so! ~lol~), and he followed directions well.....i'd of course talked with the sensei several times prior & let him know what might b helpful in working with Jaden, as well as what obstacles he might face in training him.....the sensei is a very calm & relaxed person - but also very authoritative & stern....the class is for ages 7-12....the other boys in the class were respectful & quick to help out without having to be asked....i was so impressed! i think that this will be really great for Jaden! :0)

here's his "kung fu" pose - before class started ~lol~

the class bowing at the beginning

jaden working on one of the grappling drills

the sensei teaching him the forward roll drill

weekend recap...

whew - what a week! not because we were crazy busy, but because of all the weird/exciting news & events that have been happening!

first, let me share more from VBS.....the kids had a blast & it was so much fun watching them sing friday night (the last night) & checking out the video & slide show of the whole week...

singing "pharaoh, pharaoh" - one of my favs when i was a kid! ;0)

sweet key chain that jaden made & gave to me

and i wanted to also share this message that i got from corinn's teacher - too sweet!

"I love having Corrin in my class! She is one of the few kids that answers my questions with coherent answers and remembers the stories! She is nearly always the last one finished with a craft, but hers is always the most detailed. You can tell she takes after her mom when it comes to making sure every detail is just the way she wants it. She wants it done right!"

and here's 2 pics she took...

saturday was awesome! daddy worked :0( but no cakes for mama & super nice weather to enjoy! :0) we had picked up this inflatable pool for the backyard & blew it up friday night.....i have to say - the box was sooooo misleading! look at the pic on the box....


ok, so it's not huge, but judging by the size of the kids in this pic, we're thinking it should b plenty big for our 3, right?.....well, it doesn't look quite as big in person, huh?


~lol~ the kids still have been having a blast! they got in about 4 times over the weekend and never got tired of it.....jaden can't do much - he's too big for the slide & just kind of hangs out at the other end - but he doesn't mind

the top part comes off to make a little more room too

during their first dip saturday morning (around 9am), we had a visitor.....a gentleman comes walking around from the front of the house & tells me he's looking for Mr. & Mrs. Porter.....well, that's our landlords - so i explain that they own the house, but don't live here.....he tells me that he read in the paper that there's going to be a trustee sell on the home on the 29th and that he & his partner are interested in bidding - SAY WHAT?!

yep! later that day, we got our notice in the mail, stating that on the 29th (my birthday!) at 2:45pm, the house will be sold on the courthouse steps....it says that the original loan was for $88,000 - $8,000 is due at the time of sale & the remainder within 15 days of sale.....i'm assuming it'll b an auction that will start at $88k.....that's actually a steal for this house! it's old, but HUGE!.....it was on the market for $187k about 2 years ago & never sold....not sure what it would appraise for, but it's definitely a fixer-upper.....unfortunately, curtis & i aren't in a position to buy any home at this point.....we pay $800 a month in child support (the boys will be 16 & 17 next month....so 1 & 2 more years to go) on top of all of our other bills.....so for now, we're just renting - trying to make it month to month & trying to save up for a home in the next few years

so, i called the landlady - she wasn't really trying to talk to me - said they were still figuring things out & she'd get back to me.....i'm really surprised - they're such nice people & i would have expected them to give us a warning.....hopefully, they're coming up with a plan to take care of things before the sale....if not, then hopefully it will b sold to someone else interested in keeping it as a rental & they don't jack up our rent so much that we can't afford to stay!

we live on a month to month lease, so if we do have to leave, we'll only get 30 days notice.....oh my, i don't want to think about it! :0( i'm just constantly praying about it & checking into other local rentals that are available.....letting go, and letting God

on the flip side, my brother & his wife & son just moved into their new farm saturday.....after nap, the kids & i headed over there to check it out.....the girls put on their "farm clothes" especially for the trip ~lol~


it's just beautiful! the house is perfect for them & the farm is soooo cool....up until now, i was just assuming that it was a poultry farm where they'd raise the peeps to big chickens & then sell them.....well, it turns out it's a farm where they'll have both roosters & hens in the houses together & they're raising them for the eggs.....my mom gave the kids & i a tour & explained the process

here's looking down one of the houses....both roosters & hens will live here in the middle
along both sides are the little "nests" for the hens
they'll eat different feed than the roosters.....the roosters' feed will come from those red feeders that are lined up down the middle of the house....they'll get lowered when it's time for the roosters to eat

then the hens somehow know to climb the ladder-like rails to go up along the sides of the houses to their feeders
once it's time to gather, there's conveyor belts that carry the eggs to a little room at the end of the house
it was soooo interesting!

i mentioned before that my parents are selling their home to move into a trailer on my brother's property & will be helping out on the farm for a while - trying to save up for their future "dream home".....here's a pic of the swing set in my brother's back yard - you can see my parent's trailer in the background

right on the other side of the swings, is this grape vine trellis

look what's up inside

sweet little pond out front

complete with fish & lily pads

and surrounded by beautiful flowers & mint/sage/thyme....so cool!

after our visit there, we headed to nana & grandpa's to play.....corinn helped nana pic some banana peppers, green beans & onions to take home (we're already loaded up on cucumbers & squash)

and she can't help but eat, while picking! ~lol~

and of course we played :0)

sunday was again low-key.....daddy worked :0( and mama had a wedding consultation (nana was sweet enough to watch the kiddos while i did that).....we hung out more & hit the pool again until daddy came home....then we had a family dinner at Denny's last night - the kids got these cute little rocket cups (which u know Jaden was super thrilled about)

on a random note - we discovered that the girls' shoe situation is out of control! does it really start this early?! ~lol~

and one more random....one of my good, good friends, cindy, got engaged yesterday! congrats girl! :0)

i hope everyone had a great weekend! happy monday!