weekend recap...including Jaden's 10th bday party...

when i pulled up to the kiddos' summer daycare after work on Friday (Jaden's bday), it was pouring down rain! we've been without rain for weeks now! that, mixed with the outrageous temps we've been having = drought!

our grass is brown & crunchy...i've been having to water our garden with the hose every night...& i'm sure the local farmers were starting to really worry!

we got home (only about 7miles away) & found out that not a drop had fallen in our neck of the woods yet...so the kiddos & i did a little rain dance ;0)

the sky was gloomy & the breeze was blowing pretty good...so we had a feeling the rain was on it's way...but i was fearful that it was going to go around us & we wouldn't end up getting any

while we waited, the girls got out Gab's butterfly identification book & started trying to figure out what kind of moth they'd just found...

& in the process we found this...

i wish i'd put something by it, to show the scale in this pic...cause this bee had to have been 3 or 4 inches long! it was pretty scary looking!

i also checked out the garden while we waited...& look what i found!

now, it wasn't exactly ripe all the way...but i couldn't help myself! i had to go ahead & taste that first tomato out of our garden...& boy was it good! ;0)

anyway, about an hour later, the skies finally did open up on us...the kiddos were so excited - & so was i! we all played in the rain for a while...

it felt so good after going so long without...& the drop in temp was even nicer...goodbye 100 degree days! well, at least for this week ;0)

thank u Lord for this rain! it poured down again yesterday...& it's getting ready to storm again right now...i'm so thankful for the rain...the thunder & lightning is a bonus! ;0)

Saturday was Jaden's 10th birthday party...we had the immediate family over for pizza, presents, cake & ice cream

my sis got Jaden a real gumball machine...& u could say he kinda liked it ~lol~

uncle Joe got him a huge sketch pad...a really great gift for Jaden! Joe noticed last time he was over, that Jaden was taping pieces of paper together so he'd have one big sheet to draw on...super thoughtful gift brah! (of course, from the fellow artist)

& of course, Jaden got Legos...

from Nana & from us...Bionicles & Atlantis sets - his fav!

after the party, we all headed to the movies...Jaden couldn't wait to see Despicable Me! it was a really cute movie too...highly recommended!

(btw, for those wondering - we didn't go 3D...since my sis knew she'd have trouble with it...& cause i'm always trying to save a buck ~wink~)

that evening, Jaden drew in his sketch pad & built with Legos until bed time...& he told me that he'd had "the best birthday party day ever!"...although i think he says that every year ;0)

(the girls are doing a craft here - painting wooden picture frames i picked up from Michael's for $1...score!)

the rest of the weekend was spent relaxing (daddy worked, of course)...we took lots of walks & spent a good bit of our time outside, enjoying the cooler weather

the girls left for part of the afternoon on Sunday to play at their friends' house...Jaden really enjoyed that alone time with Ma...then we took a family trip to 7-11 for free Slurpees!

Sunday was 7-11's birthday...get it? ...7/11
did u make it out to try one? i had the sugar-free peach mango...yum!

weekend cakes...

sisters, Autumn (12) & Alyx (9), had a joint birthday pool party on Saturday...their mom decided to get each their own small cake on their actual bday, but to do cupcakes for the big party...they needed 6 dozen in all

Autumn chose a Twilight theme (just like her small cake)...i made 1 1/2 dozen rooting for Team Edward (the vampire)...
(yellow cupcakes, iced in buttercream & decorated with fondant & piping gel)

& 1 1/2 dozen rooting for Team Jacob (the wolf)...
(yellow cupcakes, iced in buttercream & decorated with fondant)

Alyx wanted something a little different...plaid.
yep, she simply asked for plaid ;0)
so she got 3 dozen too...i painted the plaid using her fav colors
(funfetti cupcakes, iced in buttercream & decorated with fondant, painted with edible gels)

her small cake will come next month...she also wants that in plaid...i've done plaid on a few cakes already, using strips of fondant...i hope to do something cute for Alyx too

the girls' mother sent me this note...
"They loved them and I didn't have one cupcake left to bring home!"

----------

Saturday was also Jaden's birthday party...luckily, he's easy to please! we did the low-key, just immediate family sorta party...& he was more than happy with that!
(more details coming in my weekend recap post tomorrow)

he's been asking for a sand castle cake since his 9th birthday party was over last year ;0)

& he took it really easy on me...wanting only a door & single window included...he requested that he (as Jaden fish-boy) be peeking out the window...then he said he's actually shouting out the window to his sand dragon - "coming Sand!" ~lol~

he didn't want water, seashells or any other details added...just the simple sand castle - with 7 towers - & he must be looking out the window of the tallest tower ;0)

it was funfetti cake, iced in buttercream & covered in a brown sugar/graham cracker "sand" mixture...& Jaden said it was "just perfect"...that's all i could ask for!

& get this...he's already busy planning next year's vampire cake (not influenced by any of the latest vampire craze tho...he's clueless about the whole Twilight thing)...he sure doesn't waste any time with getting his order in to Ma! ;0)

double digits baby!

(this morning, when we woke Jaden up with his birthday cupcake...yearly tradition)


Jaden is 10 years old today...

that's an entire decade

seriously...double digits

can u believe it?!

i sure as hell can't!!!
i mean...i'm not old enuff to have a 10yr old, right?
;0)

i'm sure i don't have to tell u...but this boy is my heart! my first born, my son...my inspiration in life! he teaches me so much...& he makes me want to be a better "Ma"

happy birthday Bub!
i love u more than u'll ever know!!!
♥ ♥ ♥

random Wednesday...

campfires are in full effect out this way...although, the sweltering daytime heat is making it very difficult to enjoy having them too often...

----------

Sunday, i took the kiddos to a fireworks stand...a fond memory i have as a kid...i'm loving being able to pass along the tradition...

daddy had to work, but the kiddos & i (& my bro, my sis, & her son) sat at our usual spot for the New Market show...the Shenvalee golf course!

the kiddos have a great time playing on the greens & looking for frogs in the water hazards while we wait for the fun to begin...

the show was a little disappointing for me...especially when the field caught on fire & they had to stop for a break half way thru (yikes!)...but the kiddos are easy to please & thought the fireworks were great...then we went home & set off the ones we picked up earlier, plus a few my sister had recently gotten in TN...they may or may not have been illegal ;0)

----------

Monday, my BFF & her family were passing thru (both Curtis & i had the day off too!)...they were on their way back to NC, after visiting family in MD...we were so glad they could swing by - not only to visit & play for a sec, but to stay for grilled burgers & dogs for dinner! we miss them so much!

----------

i worked from home yesterday...stayed inside pretty much the whole time, only stopping to take the dog out for a quick break...but i kept seeing my weather channel desktop update with the current temp...it got up to 101 (with a heat index of 105)!! when i went out to go pick up the kiddos from daycare, this is what the thermostat in my vehicle read...

whew!
it was so hot, my chewing gum (that had been sitting in my truck) couldn't be chewed...it would just dissolve & crumble in my mouth! is summer over yet?

i get up & walk the dog at 6am every morning...then wait & do it again as the sun is going down (between 8 & 9pm)...that's about the only time it feels somewhat comfortable outside

i had a walking buddy last night...she's my little tag-a-long these days ;0)

----------

get this...Friday, Jaden turns 10!
i know...that's double digits people!

we're having a low-key party on Saturday (complete with the sand castle cake he's been planning since last year)...then after, we're taking the fam to see Despicable Me (it opens on his actual birthday...there's 2 more countdowns that have been happening in our home lately ~lol~)...the question is, do we go 3D or not?

i've heard both good & bad feedback regarding 3D movies..all 5 of us sat thru a 3D show (Spongebob at Kings Dominion) - but it was only about 10-15 minutes long (Despicable Me is 1.5hrs)

i have a friend who's 2 small kiddos got sick during the movie...& my sis suffered a headache the entire day after watching a 3D flick...any of u have motion sickness issues?

or were u not affected in any way & totally enjoyed it?

i worry that i may even be sensory overload for Jaden...was sitting thru a full feature in 3D annoying/overwhelming for u or ur kiddos?

or was it worth the xtra $ for tickets?
cause u know i'm cheap! ;0)

let me know what u think...

weekend wedding...& of course, cake!

Saturday, my cousin Tiffany married her sweetheart, AJ...it was such a beautiful, yet simple event...going with the theme of the weekend, her patriotic decor was just perfect!

and thankfully, the heat wave held off just long enough...Saturday was absolutely beautiful! (Sunday, & every day since, is a totally different story!)

their cake was a combo of 3 flavors...fudge chip, classic yellow, & marble (AJ's favorite)...it was all filled & iced in my buttercream...then decorated with a navy blue ribbon & fresh gerbera daisies

they were married in their backyard...really, the perfect spot!

it's always fun to get to serve one of my cakes - i got to hear lots of great feedback from the guests at the reception...& it was an honor to get to create this sweet couple's cake - best wishes guys...i know u'll be sooo happy together!

here's the message i got from Tiff...sounds like they loved their cake!
"Thanks for your beautiful creation! It was perfect! AJ loves the marble cake, and we heard a lot of compliments on the design & actual cake taste - it was good and moist...of course like expected!"

the kiddos' favorite part of the wedding?

the pinata! ;0)

happy 4th!

i have some pics of my cousin's wedding (& of course, the cake too) to post soon...but today, we're hanging out, doing a little cleaning, maybe checking out the parade later, & definitely going to see the fireworks tonight! (well, except for daddy...he has to work)

we've been enjoying some AWESOME weather over the last several days (like 50 degree nights, 70 degree days)...but it seems as tho the sweltering hot days are back...it was 70 degrees by like 8am this morn, & check out our 10-day forecast...

ouch.

oh well, what's a little sweat amongst family?
~lol~

i hope u have a fabulous 4th...sweaty or not ;0)

the Father's Day gift that keeps on giving...

Curt has smoked Black & Mild cigars for years...he's tried to quit several times - would slowly work his way down to just smoking 1 a day...then somehow, he'd pick the pace back up & be right back where he started from

but this Father's Day, i got him a special gift...look closely...

that's no ordinary cigar...that's an eCig! an eCig is an electronic cigarette...it uses an atomizer & eliquid (juice) to create a vapor, not smoke...

the juices come in different levels of nicotine, so u can use them to slowly ween urself off & quit smoking all together...or u can continue to vape - with nicotine, or without...it's not the nicotine in ordinary cigarettes that kill u, it's the harmful tobacco, chemicals & carcinogens that they add to the cigarettes!

*here's just a few of the ingredients that go into the making of cigarettes...

Acetone - ingredient in nail polish remover
Methanol - used as rocket fuel
Naphthylamine - a carcinogenic
Pyrene - a carcinogenic
Naphthalene - moth repellent
Cadmium - used in batteries, a carcinogenic
Carbon monoxide - poisonous gas
Vinyl Chloride - used in plastic materials
Cyanhydric acid - was used in gas chambers
Ammonia - detergent
Arsenic - lethal poison
Dibenzacridine - a carcinogenic
Polonium 210 - a radioactive element
DDT - insecticide
Formaldehyde - used as an embalming fluid

*eliquid & the vapor it produces contain 3 main ingredients: nicotine, propylene glycol, and flavoring...these 3 ingredients are also found in regular cigarettes, but are known not to be carcinogenic, and are approved by the FDA
*source

not only can u get different levels of nicotine, but there r also TONS of flavors to choose from...Curt's currently waiting on an order from Ms. T's Bakery - just looking at her site makes me drool!

we gave Curtis this gift first thing Father's Day morning & he hasn't touched a single B&M since! it takes a little more time/preparation than just grabbing a pack at the store...but he sits down & loads up his cartomizers with the juices he likes, charges his batteries, & packs up his little case each nite - & he's good to go for the next day! plus, he's actually getting into mixing juices & finding flavors/combos that he likes (he's been mixing a tobacco flavor & juicy fruit flavor lately...has some caramel brownie & green apple lollipop on the way!)...it really becomes somewhat of a hobby

he's been getting a huge kick out vaping indoors...he loves the reaction he gets from walking thru the store & puffing away...i just pretend i don't know him! ~lol~ he delivered pizza to the police station the other night & had several cops/dispatchers gathered around, asking him questions about his eCig...he's also convinced a few of his friends to give it a try - they've purchased their own, & given up cigarettes completely!

the kiddos LOVE that daddy is no longer smoking...he's now vaping! ;0) they've forever been on his case to quit (& believe me, they throw up the C word at him every chance they get..."daddy, u're going to get cancer!" ~lol~), so they're super happy to know what he's doing now is safe...not to mention, he's tasting food again, feeling like he can breathe better, & his random headaches are gone!

it's the Father's Day gift that keeps on giving!
:0)

here's a link to the starter kit i picked up for Curt...the price is pretty great for what u get...& if u consider what we were paying for B&M's before Curt got this eCig, it's probably already paid for itself! & here's a video that Cigtechs put out (a tutorial on how to use the 808), in case u're interested in how it works...



also, here's a great link for the argument of eCig vs cigarettes...there r some additional resources linked on that site as well...eCigs r not currently FDA approved, but a much better choice if u ask me!!!

*special thx to our friend Mark for turning us on to the whole eCig thing...& for his help with getting Curt started...Mark has been cigarette free for over a year & a half now, & is quite the vaping expert ;0)

never trust a hermit crab...

Corinn & Gabby picked up hermit crabs at the beach souvenir shop with their spending money...they'd already grown used to handling them - we find tons at the beach every year...of course, those hermit crabs are tiny (well, mostly - we've found some pretty big ones on the sound side)...there's really no worries when it comes to watching out for their claws...

at first, it didn't appear we had to watch out for the store-bought kind either...they'd climb around in our hands & didn't seem to be too concerned with our fingers...for the first week or so, they never tried to do any pinching

but then one evening last week, i heard a blood curdling scream come from the kitchen! Corinn had been handling Sally (her hermit crab...Gabby's is named Spikey - he's pictured below) & apparently Sally had had enuff...she'd clamped that big claw onto a pinch of Corinn's palm skin & would NOT let go!

i'm talking the soft fleshy part too...right in the middle of her palm! i pried the crab's claw open, careful not to rip Corinn's skin or harm the crab...as soon as she was loose, she sighed deeply...i think it scared her more than anything else...but i bet that sucker hurt too!

Curtis was so pissed...he came running into the room & looked as though he was ready to throw the hermit crab to the floor & stomp it...i bet if it had been him releasing Corinn from the crab's grasp instead of me, Sally would be one claw short this week ~lol~

needless to say, we're a lot more careful about how we handle these critters...especially Corinn - she doesn't let those pinchers anywhere near her skin any more!