june.  2014

i love it when i get a makeover i like…and i can never figure out how to replicate it at home though.  what the heck.  but if it turns out, i’ve got to share. 

may.  2014

when i was asked to make gluten free cupcakes for the r.s. women’s birthday celebration, i said, heck ya.  i love cupcakes.  i love them so much.  and i love the cream cheese whipped frosting on top.  it’s addicting, and therefore only can be made on special occasions.  they turned out delish!  chocolate cupcakes with cream cheese frosting, and lemon cupcakes with blackberry cream cheese frosting.  let’s just say, if you need cupcakes, i’m your gal…gives me a good reason to make and eat cupcakes.

may.  2014

i have heard a lot of mother’s over the years say they don’t like mother’s day, because it reminds them of all the things they fell short in as a mother.  well i say, don’t look at it that way.  here’s how i look at it.  it’s a day i get to spend with my family, being served, not having to clean up, being waited on, and having a day for ME where i catch a break, because, as we all know, being a mother is a blessing and a never-ending job.  so if i get a day off, so be it!  bring me my crumpets i say!

i have never seen such sweet cards from my kids…warmed my soul and made me feel so good.  good thing we are focusing on the good things mother’s do today:)  gives a good motherhood booster.

chicken and artichoke hearts…so good.

may 2.  2014

wow, i can’t believe madison is 13!  the days of hospital rooms, feeding tubes, and daily therapies still feel like a few weeks ago.  she has come such a long way.  she has such a sweet and tender heart, we are so blessed to have you!

in this last year, madison is getting better at math, learned she loves volleyball, loves to serve, had a blast at girls camp ziplining and water rafting, even though is small-can hike and kick hiney-never complaining and never giving up. 

this year was a friend party.  madison’s day started with bird watching with nadia, hanging out, opening family gifts, having friends over, taking them to play racquetball and swim, eating pizza and cake and opening presents.  it was a fun filled day!  now i need a rest.

april 29.  2014 nadia is six.  our little feisty, smart, reading at three-years-old little girl who loves science and history.  she is a bit sassier than our other girls, but i’m hoping that wears off…soon…nadia loved having new friends over and celebrating her special day, starting with french toast, a treat around these parts.  i especially loved nadia’s invitation that she colored…i heart it!  

nadia face-timing with her birthmother.

april.  2014

after moving in february, finding out our neighbors are expert beekeepers, we knew we wanted to become ones ourselves.  we ordered the hive and queen online, a beebox with windows and some bee gear, and became beekeepers.  voila’. 

bees are amazing creatures.  you want to be amazed, learn about bees.  we will be harvesting honey in august, and will have raw, organic, unfiltered honey with comb in it.  it will rock!  and be amazingly healthy to top it all off. 

april 2014

we loved celebrating easter on saturday, with an easter egg hunt and friends, and then focusing on christ and the resurrection on sunday.  we loved having probably 50 people over, eating, visiting, and hunting.  alex made an awesome gluten free cake, i made cupcakes…what else is there? 

by the way…april to may was crazy.  easter party, birthday party, another birthday party, r.s. luncheon, made 80 cupcakes for r.s. birthday, and did family pic’s.  whoooo, glad that’s over!

april.  2014

when you live only 7 hours from mt. rushmore, it just needs to be seen.  it was an awesome, long weekend, mixed with president faces on the side of a mountain and lots of swimming at the indoor water park connected to our hotel.  it was still cold out, so a lot of the business weren’t even open since it wasn’t tourist season.  nevertheless, it was perfect, since it was conference weekend, and we would listen to conference driving or in the hotel room, and playing in-between.  fun getaway, and it’s checked off on the adventure list.