New pets, cakes, and more...

Meet our newest animal friends. "Speedy" and "Shadow", I think are the names sticking now. They are European Black Hamsters and were adopted from the Petco store that my sister manages at. Small animals that get to about 6 months of age, go up for adoption instead of sale. These guys are SO tame and we are already enjoying their company.

I think we harvested the last of our summer crops. A small pumpkin (I once thought was a watermelon), and two green peppers. Oh, and I got two ears of corn too, but didn't get those in pics. :)

Here is the sheet cakes I was making and posted about on Saturday.

I also made my dad's retirement celebration cake on Sunday. It was a banner cake pan. Next time I will have to decorate it with a stick, so it LOOKS like a banner. LOL

Oh what a day... I am beat!

Except for minor fixes and add-ons after delivery, this cake is complete. I bought blue flowers at the cake decorating shop. I brushed them with gold accents. I made color flow numbers and brushed those gold too. I used store bought silk flowers, and quickly removed the extra green leaves from them. I put them on with gold paper leaves and added the "happy anniversary" logos on the front edges of the cakes.
I still need to perfect my icing recipes. I like to decorate with buttercream, but mixing in butter is no fun... since it melts as you pipe it on the cake; from the heat of your hand. In and out of the freezer takes too much time. However making it from all shortening makes it taste and feel like wax. Yummy! NOT! LOL

Anyhoo... back to the delivery prep. :)

Another busy weekend...

I swear I never let life slow down! I work today and then start a busy weekend. We start with my niece's birthday party tonight. Then I make a 50th anniversary cake (X2 sheet cakes actually) tomorrow before 4pm. Then Saturday evening is mostly free! I make a cake for my dad's retirement lunch on Sunday.
My oldest sister and I set up a lunch for my parents and my siblings n' immediate family members. Just to celebrate. My dad is SO excited to have more time to spend with the grandkids. I get teary just thinking about how sweet my dad has become lately. We grew up with no "I love you"'s. We just knew it, but heaven forbid anyone say it. We got hugs... and spankings. LOL
Well... that is changing. YEAH!
Anyhoo... I'll have update photos to post soon. Hope ya'll have a great weekend.

Oh, and GET out and enjoy the weather. It is supposed to get warmer here, and I can't wait to take a walk and just veg n the scenery. :)

Wanna know YOU better?

Whatever you do, don't cheat!



This is cut n paste from an email I got. It is interesting. It looks at YOU. Try it. Just grab some paper and a pen / pencil. Write the things it asks for. The first that comes to mind. Then read through what the numbers tell you. :)

CHINESE HOROSCOPE:

THE YEAR OF THE IRON DRAGON, WISHING YOU PROSPERITY AND GOOD FORTUNE IN THE CHINESE NEW YEAR


FOLLOW THE INSTRUCTIONS - DO NOT CHEAT OR IT WON'T WORK AND
YOU WILL WISH YOU HADN`T.


TAKE 3 MINUTES - TRY THIS - IT WILL FREAK YOU OUT.
THIS GAME HAS true meaning if you finish it all.
DO NOT READ AHEAD, JUST DO IT.. IT TAKES ABOUT 3 MINUTES - WORTH A TRY


1st. Get PEN and PAPER

2nd. WHEN CHOOSING NAMES, MAKE SURE THEY ARE REAL PEOPLE THAT YOU ACTUALLY KNOW

3rd. GO WITH YOUR FIRST INSTINCTS!!!!! It's very important for good results.


4th. SCROLL DOWN ONE LINE AT THE TIME
DON`T READ AHEAD
otherwise

YOU WILL RUI N THE FUN.


On a blank sheet of paper, WRITE NUMBERS 1 through 11 in a COLUMN on the LEFT.


BESIDE the NUMBERS 1 & 2,


WRITE DOWN ANY
2 NUMBERS YOU WANT.
DO YOU HAVE A FAVORITE NUMBER?















BESIDE the NUMBERS 3 & 7,


WRITE DOWN THE NAMES OF TWO MEMBERS
OF THE OPPOSITE SEX.












CAUTION: DO NOT LOOK AHEAD or IT WILL NOT TURN OUT RIGHT














WRITE ANYONES NAME (like FRIENDS or FAMILY. ...)


next to 4, 5, & 6 .














DON`T CHEAT OR YOU`LL BE UPSET THAT YOU DID













WRITE down FOUR SONG TITLES in 8, 9, 10, & 11






Finally, MAKE A WISH

























ARE YOU READY?
HERE IS THE
KEY TO THE GAME



THE NUMBER of PEOPLE YOU MUST TELL ABOUT THIS GAME is found in
SPACE 2






THE PERSON IN SPACE
3 IS THE ONE YOU LOVE







THE PERSON YOU LIKE but your relationship CANNOT WORK is in
SPACE 7







YOU CARE MOST about t he PERSON you put in
SPACE 4








THE PERSON YOU NAME IN NUMBER 5 IS THE ONE WHO

KNOWS YOU VERY WELL.







THE PERSON YOU NAMED IN 6 IS YOUR LUCKY STAR








THE SONG IN 8 IS THE SONG THAT MATCHES WITH THE

PERSON IN NUMBER 3





THE TITLE IN 9 IS THE SONG FOR THE

PERSON IN 7








THE 10 TH SPACE IS THE SONG THAT TELLS YOU MOST ABOUT

YOUR MIND






AND 11 IS THE SONG TELLING HOW YOU

FEEL ABOUT LIFE






NUMBER 1 IS YOUR

LUCKY NUMBER

Jarod is doing ALGEBRA!

Oh my! My son Jarod (10) is doing algebra. He is in the 5th grade, and this should be happening. However, I have to shout my praise... because he is GETTING IT! He is getting his math homework... without a fight, without him feeling like "I can't do it mom!". :)
He also got a 100% on his multiplication test, that was a "teacher needs to see where the kids are at after the summer!" YEAH!!!! Jarod!

When God closes a door, he opens a window...

Is it SO true! My life continues to show this theory time and time again. Every time I get to the point of decision... trust or struggle... I find a way to trust and jump in with both feet. Things just work out!!
I may not be horribly religious, but I know that there is a "God" watching over us. I truely and positively believe in angels. My life experiences make me believe. I think we are shown things through-out our lives that we are then given the choice to believe or not.
We are each given reasons for us to take internal. We have the bonus of living in a country that allows us to act on our own beliefs. To live as individuals and as a group of human beings. What a wonderful way to live and raise kids.
I wonder what life will be like in the coming months, years, decades, etc. How will the economy work out? How will the political world control us? How will we choose to live?
Are you registered to vote? Do you feel like our vote really matters? Are we ruled more than really choosing? Have the decisions already been made? By higher powers or our higher power? Humm...

Bedroom cleaning

I spent 4 HOURS in my daughters room yesterday. The room is still not done. I sorted and cleaned and sneezed my way through so much STUFF. She has been in her room "cleaning" so much lately. I just don't get how to get her to want to keep it clean. I am frustrated at the amount of stuff she has gotten into. I found flower buds from the yard in toy dishes. I found torn up paper in her cash register. All little annoying things that she does when I am not looking.
I know that I am working more now... so maybe I am just feeling guilty for not being here in the afternoon with her. My husband is a man, he doesn't get that sitting on the couch is not quality time with the kids. @@
He's mostly a great dad. But, I feel a bit of an arguement brewing in the near future. I just want to fight with reason, and in a way that he will hear me and not just pretend to hear me. Know what I mean.

Oh... I don't know... I guess I am just frustrated with my entire house needing spring cleaned and knowing that spring was only 6 months ago. :(

What's for dinner??

So what is everyone doing for dinner this evening?

We are having BBQ chicken, garden cuc's, and yummy pasta. Oh yeah!!!
So, leave me a message... I would love the ideas. I hit Costco yesterday and most of this week will be chicken or sausage dishes, using the frozen bagged stuff I bought. Easy Peasy dinners!!

Forgiveness?

When do you forgive. When is the point that something becomes unforgiveable? Is there ever a point? I grew up hearing the God says to forgive 70 X 7 times. Wow!! Well... I can't seem to forgive a situation between me and my sister-in-law. She choose drugs and herself, over her kids, family, and ME. She sent CSD to my house (this was a few years ago) to do a well-child check.
I can't get rid of the guilty feeling, for not forgiving her. I am not sure how to find the line between forgiveness and forgetting. Maybe I have forgave her, but am not willing to forget it. Maybe it is more about "hurt me once, your fault... hurt me twice, my fault!"
What about hurt me NO MORE.

UGH! Ok... this probally makes little sense without the drama between the lines, huh! Oh my!!

Well... I just wrote her. She is currently in jail for various charges, mostly dealing with drugs and fraud I think. I also helped her send her husband to jail for molesting their daughter. He always said he was innocent but took a 5 yr plea deal. A really crapping legal attorney didn't help that. :(
They are so much drama together, and I don't know what to do. UGH!!

I don't need any more drama in my life. I like my simple plain life with my husband and kids. I am often afraid to make new friends now, because I don't want to deal with drama. But, then that just makes me feel like I should feel more lonely. I don't though. But, I worry about the day when I don't have kids at home and become less busy and begin to notice the lonely times.

OK... this is depressing. LMAO

I really am happy for now... maybe I should just stick with living for the moment. LOL

Fundraising season is upon us...

Oh yes! It's fall and time for the annual school fundraisers to come home. Wanna help us out?? Go to Cherrydale.com and browse around. See something you like... please give my kids credit. Jarod OR Meghan Huntley (family prize sharing ability!! WooHoo)
Cherrydale.com
School Code # 156280
Free shipping with a $60 order. If you are near me, just email me and we will get together to get payment or ordering completed.
Orders come 3-4 wks. from turn-in. Orders must be paid and turned in by Thursday, Sept. 25th. Thanks for looking!! :)

Wedding cake

In 85 degree heat and humidity... making a wedding cake with butter in the frosting is not fun. However, once I remembered that I could put it in the freezer in the garage to chill out... I was able to get it smoothed enough to go to the wedding. UGH! I decided to try a ribbon wrap technique that I saw in photos online. I wrapped silk roses into and between the ribbons. I think it looks beautiful, if I do say so myself. :)
Now the tendinitis I had in my wrist has moved to my elbow. Ouch!!

Makin' a wedding cake today!

Yep, I am making a wedding cake today. Ok, so why am I here blogging away? LOL
I will be making a tiered cake in heart shape pans, with red roses in the design. I am thinking of sheer red ribbon around the sides of the tiers too. This one is not an exact thing. I have open design suggestions with definite flavor choices. Ok... off to make the batter. Who gets married on a Tuesday night?? LOL

Mood Swings

So do you think that mood swings are part of puberty? Or is it just being an emotional teenager?? My son is driving me nuts. While I love him, I don't really like him alot of the time lately. Is that ugly to say? Maybe just bluntly honest? Not the first time I have caught myself being so.
I was just sitting here thinking about how much he will be changing soon. Over the next few months, year, etc. Then he comes in to chat with me and within minutes he is in tears and upset that "You don't listen".
I know... open my ears further... try harder to hear what he is telling me, frustrated about, etc. I don't want him to not come to me. Yet when he does, I feel like I can't say anything right.
Kinda feels like talking to Sean sometimes!! Is it just the male part of our species?? LOL

UGH!

It's Thursday already!

Jordan as he was leaving yesterday for the bus ride to school. His first day of 8th grade! Leaving out the door... half a chuckle at mom with the camera, half asking if I remember where the bus picks up at. Oh the silly boy thinks he is so funny!
Jordan is so funny... with his first part of braces on, he eats so oddly now. His teeth are moving REALLY fast. A girl at school noticed his braces and asked about them. I think he liked that someone noticed and he could think about his teeth getting straighter. :)

Wow... this week is flying by. The silence is still creepy, yet enjoyable. I miss the kids but not the bickering. On Tuesday, I took Jordan out to lunch, just mom and son. It was fun! We then came home and the cleaning kicked into me. I got the shower scrubbed and removed the caulking on the tub. Time to refresh that. I got the dusting done on the TV and entertainment center & vaccummed a good clean of the carpet and dusty areas. Jordan and I got the kitchen scrubbed too.
The younger kiddos came home and we made Zuccuni choc. chip bread & coffee cake too. I tried putting the coffee cake into a bread pan and it didn't cook through the center. Eww!!! Lesson learned there!

Jordan has his baseball meeting tonight to begin Fall Baseball. He has his sports physical tomorrow, so he can play school sports this year. He will be in Cross-country to begin the year, and I think Wrestling is interesting to him this year too. Basketball will come too. Oh MY!!!

I am going to look for a dance class or gym type tumbling class for Meghan to start. She wants to start one, and now I just need to give her the chance again. She tried when she was like 4, and was just to shy to go to class without Mom by her side. I think she has matured enough to try again now. :)

Anyhoo... I am closing the store tonight, so please cross your fingers that DH makes more than Mac n cheese or "Mcd's" drivethrough for dinner. LOL

School is in session!!

Meghan began the 2nd grade today. Jarod began the 5th grade! Meghan has the teacher that Jarod had (before her pregnancy leave) when he was in 2nd grade.
Jarod refused to wear pants today. Oh well... fight the big things, I say! Meghan choose the largest size of new clothes she could, I think.
I found this hair-do in an "American girl" book at work. I had to try it on her. Next time, I will braid between the rubberbands I think.

Last night, Jarod tried to pay me $70 dollars (I think he has $71 in his account), if I let him stay home today. LMAO (Jordan is an 8th grader, and the 7th graders only go the first day at his school) Jarod was upset at that idea. LOL


Meghan seemed to like her new class. She was nervous, but happy. :)
LOL