weekend recap...

Saturday, we woke up bright & early for our yard sale...we've had an out-building full of toys, clothes & a few big items since we moved here last fall...finding a Saturday to devote to a yard sale was easier said than done, but my sis-in-law finally nailed me down to a date & we set up this weekend...

Matthew came along to play with my kiddos...& the girls had a great time making some money of their own, selling lemonade & cupcakes...unfortunately, the 100+ degree heat kept folks away & we didn't do as well as we had hoped (i made $75.50)...at least we got rid of all that junk tho - what didn't sell went to the Salvation Army

after packing up, delivering all the leftover stuff to town, & then showering & attempting to cool off (i mean, it was crazy hot...my face was red for hours after coming inside!), we had some lunch & headed out to join my parents at the campground

my parents set up the RV on Saturday & are staying thru tomorrow...the kiddos just came home this evening (just in time for VBS) - they camped the whole weekend, plus today...Curt & i went down to spend the days on Sat & Sun...then came home to sleep in our own beds & tend to the pooch ;0)

& all of us put a pause on camping for a family reunion on Sunday...we traveled back to Lost River State Park in WV for the afternoon

it's always great to see family...to eat & play in the creek - something i've done every summer for as long as i can remember...so glad that my kiddos look forward to it too!

oh, & i LOVE when i can get a pic like this...

Curt was sitting with the baby (my nephew, Levi) & Rocket, while the rest of us went thru the line to get our plates...i told him that he could have picked up any chick he wanted at that moment...a hot guy with a baby AND a dog? who could resist that?! ;0)

i hope u had a great weekend too!

Miami Hurricanes cake...

Amy is a regular cake customer...i mean, she has FOUR BOYS...so of course she needs a lot of cakes ;0)

her oldest son turns 15 on Monday...Trent loves the Hurricanes (u might remember Trent's cake from 2 years ago)...so naturally, when he was given the decision of deciding on a cake design, this year he went with his fav football team mascot...he told his mom that "If she can pull that off, that would be so awesome!" ;0)

Trent's cake is all almond (his fam LOVES my almond cake!)...iced in buttercream & accented with fondant stripes in Miami colors

i made the mascot from fondant...his legs have sucker sticks inside & there's a toothpick holding his head on...i was just glad i got him to stand up nice & sturdy

i hope Trent loved his cake...can't wait to make one for his big 16 next year!

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& that's all the cakes for this weekend! i'm actually having a yard sale this morning (cross ur fingers that we get rid of all this junk & make some scratch in the process)...then we're going camping with my parents for the weekend - FUN!!! i hope u guys have a great weekend too!

{this moment} forever ours

{this moment}
"Photos - no words - capturing a moment from the week.
A simple, special, extraordinary moment.
A moment I want to pause, savor and remember."

inspired by SouleMama - i plan to make this a new Friday ritual

office restroom self-portrait...

i'm considering this as a BEFORE picture...i've gotta get back on the ball & lose this post-cancer weight! i think i'm probably one of the only people that weighed more after chemo, than before! ~lol~

i don't know if it was me feeling sorry for myself throughout treatment...or if i was making up for lost time once i was no longer sick? & it wasn't just that year of fighting Lymphoma...i already had a decent start on the weight gain when i got the diagnosis (Dec 2008)

regardless - right now, i'm the heaviest i've ever been...& that just makes me sad! :0(

i mean, look at these 2 pics (taken summer of 2007) - i can't believe how much i've changed in just 3 years! yeah, i wasn't skinny minnie then either - but i was healthy & feeling good...& that's where i want to be again!


sooooo, time to do something about it!

i don't have time for, & can't afford, the gym...so i've gotta get motivated enuff to make moves at home...i've already been walking the dog at least a mile (sometimes 2) every morning & evening...but i've gotta step that up - harder, faster, farther

i ordered the Jillian Michaels 30-day Shred like forever ago...& it's still in its wrapper :0( Curt has since borrowed the P90X program from a friend & is obsessed with it! he also has a pretty decent "gym" set up in his workshop at home...& has offered on many occasions to "train" me or train with me if i'd like...so i really have no excuse when it comes to exercise...i just need to make it a priority & find time for ME!

then there's food - my major weakness! i'm an emotional & bored eater...& i just point blank LOVE food! there are also days when i'm on the go from the time i get up, until the kiddos are in bed (& even after)...i'll go all day & then finally realize i haven't eaten anything...& u'd think maybe at that point, i'd sit down & have a healthy meal? nope, i'm usually cleaning up leftovers from the fridge or zapping something convenient in the microwave...& usually pretty late at night - dumb move! so i've gotta get smarter...& take time to make better choices...stick to eating a healthy diet!

also, i have hypothyroidism (thx radiation!)...so that doesn't help any...the doc has finally figured out the right dosage of meds for me...& i'm finally remembering to take em daily ;0) so hopefully that will help me out too

i'm posting this entry as a way for me to be accountable...i plan on posting updates as i begin my journey to being healthy again...i'm not about the poundage - i'm over trying to figure out what a good weight is for this 6 foot, (almost) 31 year old...i just want to be healthy...& fit regular sized clothes again!

so help me out folks! if i don't post for a while about my progress, call me out on it! ask me how i'm doing & how come i haven't been updating...but hopefully, i won't need that - i think i'm finally feeling the push to stop putting this off, & make a change!

so, here goes nothing...

ps. here's another reason y i want to get healthy again & STAY that way...check it out...& sign up for yourself...Choose YOU!!!

wordless Wednesday...Gabby & Rocket...

our garden rocks!

even tho we've had a really dry summer, our garden is doing awesome!

the corn is now taller than Gabby...

& look, tassels! that means corn soon ;0)

we've been getting little cherry tomatoes every day for about a week now!

none of the big yellow or red heirlooms are ripe yet...but our 4 plants are FULL of em!

remember Jaden's cabbage plant & how the bugs almost killed it while we were away on vacay? well look at it now!!!

& Gabby's bean plant is just too stinkin' pretty...she was so tickled when those pink flowers started blooming!

our green beans are making progress too...we've had fun seeing who can spot the tiny ones just starting out, that are hiding in the leaves...

& check it out...we even have pumpkins already!!!

i tell ya, there's nothing more satisfying than growing a garden...and then EATING that garden!

we've been enjoying all the fresh tomatoes & cucumbers...& fried squash has been requested quite a few times in the last couple of weeks (by Corinn)...we're anxiously awaiting the arrival of the corn & beans (not so much the work that comes with it tho)...how's your garden progressing?

mmmm...summertime goodness!!!

weekend wedding cakes...

Jasmine & Alex are already husband & wife...they went the courthouse route back before Alex was deployed to Iraq...i had a wedding cake consultation & sampling with Jasmine & her mom while Alex was overseas...they had plans to celebrate by throwing a big reception when he returned

once Alex was back home (just a couple of months ago), i made sure to bake up some more samples for him too...so he could also be a part of the planning ;0)

today, they celebrated with more than 200 of their friends & family...& with this cake! ;0) it was alternating tiers of red velvet & marble, iced in buttercream...a purple satin ribbon was used for the border on each tier...i accented each tier with edible fondant pearls...& decorated the cake with beautiful sugar flowers

Jasmine made sure to also include a special surprise for her hubby...this groom's cake (look familiar?)...

it was fudge chip, iced in buttercream & covered in purple fondant...i made the pumpkins & tombstones from fondant...the fence, hill & moon are not edible

the weather today was just beautiful! & the tent was filling up with folks well before the reception was scheduled to begin...i could tell that these 2 are loved by many...i hope they were pleased with how their cake turned out, & had a fabulous day celebrating their recent nuptials & Alex's safe return!

{this moment} uno

{this moment}
"Photos - no words - capturing a moment from the week.
A simple, special, extraordinary moment.
A moment I want to pause, savor and remember."

inspired by SouleMama - i plan to make this a new Friday ritual

mark all as read...

i cringe at the thought of hitting that button...

i mean, it even asks u if u're sure...like, do u seriously want to mark all 1000+ posts as read? cause u know there's no turning back after that?!

but it must be done...i'm soooo far behind! work is hella busy...& when i'm at home, i'm either working on cakes, or enjoying family time...i mean, it is summer...who wants to be cooped up inside, in front of the computer?


& i guess i'm not the only one...i know my blog traffic & comments have decreased quite a bit here (although, i realize some of the reason for that is my lack of blogging...or the fact that my posts have been quite boring this year...& u know what they say, u've gotta read/comment to get readers/comments)...plus, i've been hearing the same complaint from my friends lately - how their readers are overloaded too

i try to keep up via Facebook & Twitter...& to catch up my fav blogs when i can...that seems sufficient for now...so even tho it hurts to click that button, i try not to feel guilty about it...i know that my bloggy buddies understand...& that i can always play catch up this winter ;0)

the tooth fairy forgot...again...

Corinn lost another tooth yesterday...pulled this one all by herself!

but...
the tooth fairy forgot to come...again...
she's really bad about that

i told Corinn that maybe it's because she'd made a little bed on the floor & slept there last night - hoping to catch a glimpse of the tiny fairy...maybe the tooth fairy is like Santa - you have to be snug in your bed for her to come? ~lol~

i sure hope she remembers to swing by tonight!
;0)