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~

Treats for Valentines Day

... and now abideth faith, hope and LOVE, but the greatest of these is

LOVE.

I Corinthians 13:13



Are you ready for Valentines Day?

I think I am.

This year I decided to make cupcakes for our neighbors.

I have never done this before {not for this many at once}  and I decided it was time to

spread the love!

There is so much heartache and brokenness in the world today that a little kindness

goes a long way.

 I have been making cupcakes for the last two days and enjoying every minute of it.

I packaged them up and delivered part of them last night and hubby delivered the rest today.

I always try to keep cupcake boxes on hand. The ones I purchase hold four cupcakes so it is a perfect
gift for two people. 

It is also nice to have these cupcake holders for a single person.

I don't have a specific "recipe" that I use. I just wing it.

SO...

Make your favorite chocolate cupcake and let them cool.

Then make your favorite butter-cream frosting and add in a couple tablespoons of
Smucker's Simply Fruit in seedless Red Raspberry flavor.

It makes it so yummy and  it also gives the frosting a pretty pink hue.

Next, take a chocolate candy bar and use your carrot peeler to make some
sprinkles or curls...Top with a fresh red raspberry and wa la...you are done
and you have a beautiful and delicious gift!

SO YUMMY!!

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!

Fall fun with Family

Our son and his family came from North Dakota to visit us for a few days and we made the most
 of the time we had together with our two precious granddaughters. We miss them very much
since they moved away, so it was great to spend some time together.

One day the girls and I made Halloween cupcakes together and I tried to capture the process.
I took a few more a LOT MORE photos, but I realized that you don't want to see 500 photos
of my grandchildren. Although I just can't understand why not! ha!

LOVE this one of Ainsley and her little bare feet. 

They took turns putting the batter into the cupcake liners...

Then they started frosting them...

 ...and they added sprinkles.

There was a lot of laughing and licking going on. Too fun and great memories!

We also visited a corn maze one day that is a few miles from our home and Ainsley hopped up here
to have her picture taken.

Grandpa took them a wagon ride. They always love to do this. I think he enjoys it as much as they do.

What little child doesn't like to pick up stones and leaves and all kinds of treasures?
I haven't met one yet. 

This is our family in the middle of the corn maze. 

The girls also love to play dress up whenever they come and it did not take them long
to pick out some dresses and put them on.  I keep a stash of them just for times like
these. 

Sisters Annika and Ainsley.
{Annika is wearing my sunglasses}

There was a petting zoo and the girls loved the animals!
A calf, pigs, goats and sheep. They really were cute little creatures!

This girl is limber! I remember those days...very faintly. ha!

This little gal is such a hoot! Her daddy told her to tell him which way to go and
she did pretty good, but this time she didn't tell him so he kept on walking
right into the corn. She thought that was pretty funny.

We love these witty, spunky, beautiful granddaughters of ours and we are so thankful that
they were able to spend a few days with us. They have moved on to North Carolina now and
we miss them already.  Annika will be going to another new school and their parents will
 be getting new jobs.

 Hubby and I are adjusting to a "new normal"with them so far away,
 and we are surviving...barely. lol

Prayers appreciated for them all.

Blessings~

A Parisian Birthday...♫♪♫

Happy birthday to me...♪♫♪
Happy birthday to me...♫♪♫
Happy birthday dear meeeeeeeeeee...♪♫♪
Happy birthday to me!! ♪♫♪

It just so happens that I love anything to do with Paris or the French style so it was
a pure delight when my daughter surprised me with a Parisian style birthday party a
couple weeks ago.

{way back on March 8...my birthday is the 10th}

 The lighting wasn't that great for pics , but I did the
best I could and I loved every little detail. 

 She said she googled "Parisian brunch" and found out they have lots of pastries so that
is what the party was all about .

Cream puffs sprinkled with powdered sugar and croissants along with those little pastry sticks.

YUMM!!

She also used small goblets and served me sparkling juice...

and  she filled a second one with fruit and cream.

The main course was quiche and asparagus.

OH MY WORD!!! 

They were just delicious!!!

All made from scratch by her loving hands.

{ I gotta find me some "scratch" }

YES, I ate both pieces because they were two different kinds.

{that is my excuse anyway}

Swiss Chard Quiche

 and Bacon Quiche
{click on them to get the recipes}

She also whipped up some chocolate cupcakes with raspberry filling and icing.

The Eiffel tower chocolate...Yep she made that also!

In fact I forgot I have a couple of those!

Wait a minute while I run out to the kitchen and take a bite!!

Okay I am back. tee hee.

Just what I needed tonight.

 Seriously!!

As if that amazing meal wasn't enough, she also gifted me with these two huge mugs and I love them.

{along with a book and seems like something else, but I forgot what...haha!}

Oh, I forgot to tell you that we were out shopping that day and she said we had to stop at
one more store so she could run in for something. I waited in the car and when she got back
she said she had to dig through tons of these "things" to find the specific one she wanted and
they only had ONE in the print she wanted. I found out later it was the tablecloth with the
 coffee cups on it. She didn't miss one little detail!

Thank you Mandi...I love you!!!

Then on my actual birthday my son and his family brought me dinner and these cupcakes
that granddaughter Annika picked out for me.  I now have FOUR heart shaped rings...
one for two fingers on each hand. :)

They brought chicken, baked beans and coleslaw that was delicious as well.

I LOVE family times!

I was headed for bed that same evening and I received a phone call from my oldest
son Jason. I picked up the receiver and I said, 

"Hello"...

...nothing...

"Hello"...

...all of a sudden four precious voices started singing Happy Birthday to me.
 Mommy,daddy and grandchildren Kanaan and Keira.

 It was the perfect end to a perfect day. ♥

Today, my bff took me out for my birthday lunch and handed me this adorable card!!

{I love stretching my birthday out over several weeks because then it seems like I celebrate me all
 month long. lol}

She also gave me this belt which I absolutely L.O.V.E.

In fact I have it on right now.

Her and I quit exchanging gifts a few years ago and I reminded her of that , but she informed me
that she could get me something if she wanted to. haha!! Love you Peggy!!!

I just love it when my family and friends "get me" and understand what it is that I love.

Now, they may think that I am cracked, but they indulge me and that is fun.
After all, we all are unique creatures and that is what makes the world go round.

55 years old...oh my goodness!!
Where in the world did those years go? Funny thing is that I don't feel that old...at least
not most of the time. ha!!

Here's to another 55 years...bring it on!