Castle Cake

Keep in mind, we had much better pictures, but I haven't been able to get them yet. This is the cake I made for my nephew Hunter's 8th birthday. He saw it in a book, and I tried to recreate it. The one tower in front kept coming off its skewer and was leaning a little, but other than that, I think we were pretty happy with it. (especially since I only had about 24 hours to make it, from start to finish) which isn't a lot of time, considering I usually bake the cake a little ahead of time, and freeze it.

Gabe's First Soccer Game

Gabe is playing soccer again this year, but we are discovering that U-10 division is much different than even the U-6 or U-8. Its an all boys division, and very competitive. And while we thought we had quite the little competitor on our hands, compared to the cut throats he's playing with, he's quite the little pacifist.

Matt has to sometimes hold me back, and shush me, because I'm one of those competitive team moms who isn't afraid of being loud, cheering the kids, and saying (under my breath to the single dad who stands on the side line telling my kid what to do, and what not to do) "hey bud, why don't you coach your own kid, and leave mine alone". Gabe LOVES playing forward, and the coaches right now, are really good about moving the kids around to figure out where they are the best, and which positions suit them.

The irony of Diet coke and 8000 calories worth of chocolate.

I had a really bad day last week, and took this picture of my purchases at Target that night on my way the tanning salon. If your a girl, and you have that special friend that comes to visit you once a month, the contents in this photo cannot be a surprise to you. The funny thing was the girl at the check out stand. She rung up my stuff, than said "wow, all this chocolate is making me hungry." I said "ya, its just something to wash down the Midol" I don't think she was more than 12, so she didn't laugh, or even get my joke. But when I got home, I just had to take a picture of what I had walked out with.

Don't worry...I shared with Matt. (except for the Midol)

He loves me, Loves me more!

My little Morgan is so cute! Everyday, she comes up with something else hilarious to say. Today, we were walking home from Grandma's house, and she had picked some flowers (typical 4 year old girl). Gabe and I were showing her how to pick the petals and do the whole "he loves me, loves me not" thing. She really got into it, but instead of the typical "he loves me, (pick a petal) he loves me not (pick another petal)" She decided to change up the words a little bit. What can I say, my child likes variety, and understands that sometimes, our feelings are not ways so cut and dry. So here's her variation of the childhood rhyme.

He loves me (pick a petal)
He loves me not (pick a petal)
He loves me (pick a petal)
He loves me more! (pick a petal)
He loves me (pick a petal)
He loves me most! (pick a petal)
He loves me (pick a petal)
He loves me more than Mom! (pick a petal)
He loves me not (pick a petal)
He loves me the mostest! (pick a petal)

Gabe and I were cracking up!

Gabe and Hunter's Baptism.

Ok, here's the first of several weekend posts. I warned you there were lots of pictures. Isn't that why we all read other people's blogs anyway? For the pictures? Here's Gabe's baptism, which was combined with his cousin Hunter's .



Here we are practicing the kids song before we started. Gabe and Hunter, waiting for their dads to finish changing.

Still waiting. Gabe was very anxious, and excited to get the show on the road.

Cousins by chance. Best friends by choice. Congratulations on your decision Hunter and Gabe. We are all so proud of you two boys. Thanks for being good kids and choosing the right. Daddy and his boy.

Obviously, since I had no camera with me, I was at the mercy of my sweet SIL to take all the pictures. Thanks Sally.

Me and the Princess.

The Proud Grandparents. We wish Matt's parents could have been here, but after years of missing the other kids and grandkids stuff like this, we are happy to share them. Love ya Grandma and Grandpa Stastny!
Morgan "insisted" on leading. Or so that's what Grandma said. Personally, I think she just wanted out of the job herself and the kid was a convenient excuse.

Here's her and Dotti leading the closing hymn.

All the kids singing Baptism song with Matt doing a Solo on the second verse. They did really good.

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Upcoming blog....Promise!

We have had one doosy of a busy week at our house. Matt had a BBQ at work, (how's the eyebrows Karin?) Morgan and Gabe each had their first soccer games of the season, we had two birthday parties, which I had to make cakes for both, and we had a kid getting baptised. (don't worry, relatives out of state, your invites are in the mail...tomorrow:) Unfortunately, I hardly got a single shot off on my camera. I was either taking pictures with my SIL's camera, my mom was taking pictures with hers, or my SIL's dad was taking pictures on his.

So.... it'll be a day or two before I get those pictures posted. But don't worry. When I do, it'll take you a few days to go through everything. I mean, you'll probably have to settle down with some popcorn and a soda. But you will not be disappointed. Promise.

I Wike Dem Kissing!

Matt and I have always been very affectionate...even in front of our family. We both feel like its important for the kids to see a healthy, happy mommy and daddy who clearly love each other very much. When the boys both got into 1st and 2nd grade, we of course started hearing a lot more "ewws" and "gross, kissing" from them. And Morgan followed suit, mostly because she copies everything her brothers do. When they do this, we usually try and gross them out even more by making exagurated kissy noices, just to bug 'em.

Well, the other day, the kids caught us kissing, and the boys started in with their "oh, great. They're kissing again" and "ewww, no kissing!". And then Morgan surprised us by saying "no, don't stop. I wike dem kissing". I thought Matt was going to loose it. "You do?" I asked. "Ya, now your getting married, and I'm coming to the wedding".

Yup, we've got a romantic on our hands folks. A 100% no mistaken it girl. Poor Matt. She's going to be a hard one for him to handle. He's torn between wanting to sit there on the porch cleaning out his guns in another 10 years in order to scare away any prospective suiters, and making his little girl happy. She does, after all, have him completely wrapped around her tiny little finger.

My Top Ten!

This week, my Monday was the Monday of all Mondays.

But I learned a few lessons.... and these are my top ten:

#10. The road is not necessarily smoother on the other side. (when that road is a 4 wheeler trail in a forest covered in peat)
#9. my 9 year old is not yet ready, or mature enough to change gears and push on the gas of the car while I'm in front of it, trying to push it out of a ditch.
#8. ALWAYS carry a charged up cell phone with you, no matter how far you are driving.
#7. Never stand in front of a vehicle, while my mother is in the drivers seat, and there's a big black mud puddle between us.
#6. Happy Hookers charges $150 an hour to come get you out of a ditch, plus $65 just for the call to come get you. (and yes, that is a towing company out here in the valley)
#5. There is nothing better than a bunch of wonderful ladies stopping at your distress and trying to help you when your in a jam, even if all they do is take pictures of your muddy face and make you laugh at the situation your in!
#4. My Kia Sadona is not an off road vehicle. (duh!)
#3. Black Alaska mud is nearly impossible to get out of cloths, no matter how much Oxy Clean you use on it.
#2. Looking back, I probably shouldn't have Duke's of Hazzard'd it out of my van in front of my kids, cause now, they think that's how we should always exit the vehicle...through the window. But in my defense, how else was I supposed to do it? I had 2 feet of muddy water on all sides, and come to find out, there's no way to open the tail door from the inside of the car.

and the #1 lesson I learned on Monday
MY SISTER IN LAW IS A BEAST! And I mean this in the best possible 2007 kind of way. She was wonderful enough to come out to pull me out of the ditch. She not only came right away, when I'm sure she had plenty on her own list of things to do with 5 kids at home. But she also came prepared with rubber boots, a shovel, and towing straps and ropes. Me, my mom, and two friends and neighbors stood by and were amazed at her preparedness. She got down in the muck, slinging mud to dig out my towing hook, tied knots in the rope that a sailor would be proud of, and with one quick, but gentle pull of from her car, we were out of the mud, and back in business. Oh, and then she proceeded to wash my mucky, dirty car before dinner once we were all back at my moms. Thanks Sally, your are an amazing woman, and I am so glad to have you close by, and know that you've got my back!