Thursday, August 25, 2016

Cupcake Wars!


Hubby turned 60 years old on July 31 and our family was able to get together to celebrate

and have a fun time. We sure needed some joy in our lives because truthfully it just hasn't
been joyful since we lost precious baby Eden and believe me she was in our thoughts
the whole weekend long!
It was supposed to be a camping weekend in our yard, but the weather did not cooperate...
so we had some in the camper, some in the house and one family went to a motel!

**********************************************************

The kids have been talking about having
 CUPCAKE WARS 
for awhile and this was the perfect time.

Have you seen that show on TV? Ours was a tad different because there is no way
each family was making 1,000 cupcakes. ha!
Hubby and I were dubbed the judges! NOT fair! HA!
It was really okay and we had fun doing it.

We were blown away by our kids creativity!
I thought they would use sprinkles etc, but they took this contest very seriously.


Each contestant was judged on Presentation, Menu Design and Taste.


Thought for sure these would win just for presentation alone.

Can you believe it?

Campfire cupcakes 

They sure put a lot of thought and time in these.


Alas, they tied for 2nd place.
I think if they would have amped up that menu design they would
have given the winner a run for 1st place!

This is our daughter and her family.
Allysha, Daniel, Matt, Jon, Joshua and Amanda


Next , we had a S'mores theme complete with Minions!!

NEAT menu design!

To be fair, I really blew it because I didn't even realize there were Minions
roasting their marshmallows until the judging was all over!!

 I think I was too enthralled by everyone's creativity.
I just kept saying I could NOT believe it. Oops. Sorry guys!


Colette made the minions and they were amazing. I wish I had a shot of them from the front
because they looked exactly like them!

 Look at them roasting their marshmallows over the campfire.
TOO cute!!




Alas, they tied for 2nd place also.

Colette, Ainsley, Annika and  our son Nathan


Our oldest son and his family chose a golf theme.

What a creative menu!

 His wife came up with that and I thought she did great!


 The weather wasn't kind to the frosting on the cupcakes.

Hot and humid, but they preserved. 







The grand prize winners by three points!

Melissa, Korrah, our son Jason, Keira and Kanaan

We really had a great time and I think it should be an annual tradition.
I told them this was a "trial run" for the next one. lol.


The kids had a lot of play time together and
some of them also had fun with fake mustaches.









The

"icing on the cake"
for hubby and I was that on Sunday morning our whole family went to church with us.

That was definitely a RARE TREAT!
This pic would have been up farther, but I forgot. OOPS.

 Little sweetie Korrah was enthralled with my fountain and loved adding stones
 to it and playing in the water.

I have many more photos, but I already had to redo this whole thing once
pictures and all so I gave up. I am tired.

We are so very thankful for our family and we feel so very blessed.
It isn't about how much money is in your bank account
{God knows we would be in trouble there}
or how famous you are, but it is all about God and family.

WE ARE BLESSED...in spite of the pain of losing Eden...

and oh how we do miss her...terribly!!

Someday we will know why, but for now we must trust
in our Heavenly Father and His love for us!

Please continue to keep us all in your prayers.

Blessings~

Tuesday, August 16, 2016

God's Wisdom..


{a single pink rose for our precious angel granddaughter Eden}


This saying came across in my memories today on face book.

It really made me stop and ponder the ways of God.

I know He could have prevented the loss of Eden,

but He chose not to.

The first thing I want to ask Him when I get to heaven is

WHY???

We just have to trust that His ways our higher than our ways
and that He knows what is best for every single one of us.

That is not always easy at all.
We are human and we want answers.



Our grief has been profound since losing her...

our 10th grandchild...

EDEN RAIN


back in May.

I have been taught since a wee girl that

 God doesn't give us more than we can handle..

that just is NOT true.

 I have come to understand in the past several months that HE DOES
 give us more than we can handle because that makes us turn to Him
to carry us through. Otherwise we would think we can do it all on our own.

Also, since Eden passed I have heard well meaning people say:

 Just be grateful for the kids/grand kids you DO have...

SERIOUSLY?

WHO says that??!!

We are very grateful, but that doesn't lessen the pain or the grief

 and

let me ask you this:


"which one of your children/grandchildren would you want to give up?"
Also, the well meaning, but awful phrase:

"you can just have more children."

PLEASE do not say this to anyone who has lost a child no matter the circumstances!

While it may be true...

They wanted

THIS child,

they loved

THIS child,

she carried

THIS child

they had dreams,

so many dreams...

 for

THIS child

and they are heartbroken!


I could go on and on, but I will leave you with this saying:


My child{grandchild} died.
I don't need advice.
All I need is for you
 to gently close your mouth,
open wide your heart and
walk with me until
I can see in color again.


-Angela Miller

Please check out Still Standing website. It is a great resource
for grieving parents.

{I didn't mean for this to sound snarky or that I am berating any of you.
Just kindly asking people to stop and think....}


It's been 2 months, 3 weeks and 5 days...

Wednesday, August 3, 2016

A Memorial for Eden


It's been 2 months...1 week...and 6 days...

If you have read my previous posts you know by now that we lost our 10th grandchild,
a precious little girl, Eden Rain to stillbirth in May. It was such a shock to all of us and
 we are still coming to terms with how this could happen to a perfect and beautiful child.

Her parents {my son and daughter-in-law) had a brick engraved with her name and two hearts
and had it added to a beautiful park as a memorial to our little baby Eden.





It is such a beautiful little park. I'm glad they chose this one.

(I added little pink butterflies on each picture so you can see where her brick is)


Her brick is laid in the middle of two other bricks that have her aunts names on them.


Their family calls it...

Butterfly Park

...because they always see lots of butterflies there.





This gorgeous fountain stands at one end of the park.

 It is so nice to come here and sit on one of the benches on a nice,cool day or a day when
 rain is coming down ever so gentle...

...after all...

her name IS

EDEN RAIN.

We love her and miss her so...

*************************************

This is the latest poem that I have written :

I think of you daily 
And I'm wondering again 
Who you would look like 

Who you would have been
Are you smiling a lot?
What color are your eyes?
What are you doing now 
Since we said our goodbyes?

Is heaven full of beauty? 
Are you loving it there? 
Do the angels tell you 
When I whisper a prayer?

Do they sing to you Eden 
Their sweet lullabies? 
Do they hold you and kiss you 
Up there in the sky?

I know in my heart you're 
the most beautiful one there 
With your daddy's little nose 
And your mommy's dark hair

I wish heaven could send 
down photos of you 
So that we could see 
All the things that you do.

Your wings must be tiny 
And glistening white 
And to see Jesus hold you 
Must be quite a sight.

I wonder if the angels 
Take turns holding you too 
Because I'm sure they love babies 
Just as much as we do

"This baby is special" 
I can just hear one say 
"Because she came to us 
On her birth day..".

"She'll never know pain 
Or heartache or woe 
But her family on earth 
Still misses her so"

"So Eden, flutter your wings 
A little extra today 
And maybe they'll feel it 
And look up and say"

"Did you feel that soft breeze 
And that light gentle rain? 
I just know it's our Eden 
Saying hello once again".


Written by Grandma Sandi Boothman ...July 19, 2016

A Memorial for Eden


If you have read my previous posts you know by now that we lost our 10th grandchild,
a precious little girl, Eden Rain to stillbirth in May. It was such a shock to all of us and
 we are still coming to terms with how this could happen to a perfect and beautiful child.

Her parents {my son and daughter-in-law) had a brick engraved with her name and two hearts
and had it added to a beautiful park as a memorial to our little baby Eden.





It is such a beautiful little park. I'm glad they chose this one.

(I added little pink butterflies on each picture so you can see where her brick is)


Her brick is laid in the middle of two other bricks that have her aunts names on them.


Their family calls it...

Butterfly Park

...because they always see lots of butterflies there.





This gorgeous fountain stands at one end of the park.

 It is so nice to come here and sit on one of the benches on a nice,cool day or a day when
 rain is coming down ever so gentle...

...after all...

her name IS

EDEN RAIN.

We love her and miss her so...

*************************************

This is the latest poem that I have written :

I think of you daily 
And I'm wondering again 
Who you would look like 

Who you would have been

Are you smiling a lot?
What color are your eyes?
What are you doing now 
Since we said our goodbyes?

Is heaven full of beauty? 
Are you loving it there? 
Do the angels tell you 
When I whisper a prayer?

Do they sing to you Eden 
Their sweet lullabies? 
Do they hold you and kiss you 
Up there in the sky?

I know in my heart you're 
the most beautiful one there 
With your daddy's little nose 
And your mommy's dark hair

I wish heaven could send 
down photos of you 
So that we could see 
All the things that you do.

Your wings must be tiny 
And glistening white 
And to see Jesus hold you 
Must be quite a sight.

I wonder if the angels 
Take turns holding you too 
Because I'm sure they love babies 
Just as much as we do

"This baby is special" 
I can just hear one say 
"Because she came to us 
On her birth day..".

"She'll never know pain 
Or heartache or woe 
But her family on earth 
Still misses her so"

"So Eden, flutter your wings 
A little extra today 
And maybe they'll feel it 
And look up and say"

"Did you feel that soft breeze 
And that light gentle rain? 
I just know it's our Eden 
Saying hello once again".


Written by Grandma Sandi Boothman ...July 19, 2016