Creating More Cakes

This cake was for the niece of a good friend of mine.
I experimented with getting buttercream frosting to look
as smooth as fondant does.

Not too bad!

Family Reunion - July 2008

My Grandma Miller (MorMor) and one branch
of grandkids from the family tree...

I missed Bryanna so much while we were gone that it was hard to share her with anyone else at the reunion. I don't think her feet ever touched the floor for the two days we were there. I was even more shocked when I first saw Bryanna because my mom had taken her to have her hair braided while I was gone - she looked to much older to me! What a precious gift from God!!!

And this one is pretty cute, too,
don't you think!?


Clara & Sadie...

just hanging out at the lodge!

Four Generations of Clara

Summer Vacation in Tennessee

We came up with a really good way to spend our economic stimulus check...

Let's go on vacation!

A week before our family reunion in Arkansas we headed down to Tennessee. Bryanna got to have some very special one-on-one time with Grandma and Grandpa because we figured our hiking and sight-seeing plans in Gatlinburg would be a bit much for a 10 month old baby. That following weekend she traveled all the way to Arkansa with Grandma, Grandpa and Aunt Patrice to meet up with us at the reunion.

We had such a wonderful trip. We hope to go back again when the kids are older and try some longer hikes. The kids did so well - even Clara! She is only three, but she would hike out for a good two hours on her own two feet to earn a ride back on her Daddy's shoulders.

The smoky mountains are so beautiful!

Summer Vacation...part 2

We got an amazing deal in Gatlinburg through my parent's vacation club. Our "cabin" was amazing. It seemed a bit like a cabin for the rich and famous. Everything was beautiful and brand new. I was a little nervous walking into such a nice place with the kids, but all went well. The kids shared two really big bedrooms and bathroom upstairs, and Bryan and I had our own master suite with an amazing walk-in shower and screened in porch complete with hot tub. We kept the hot tub to ourselves mostly, but the kids really enjoyed the pools and waterfalls at the lodge...

Summer Vacation...part 3

A few other highlights from our trip:

The Creation Museum
in Cincinatti, OH

Everything was amazing! The kids thought the dinosaurs were the best. My only regret was that they wouldn't slow down enough for me to take in more of the information. I thought that all of the Noah's ark exhibits were fascinating!

Creation Museum Petting Zoo:

new additions: a zonkey and a zorse

Ripley's Aquarium of the Smokies
in Gatlinburg,TN
It was hard to get very good pictures in the aquarium,
but I thought this one of Daniel was pretty cute.

Bryanna @ Ten Months

Catfishin' After Dark

Daniel's first time out fishing after dark,
and his very first catfish...

What a treat it is to go out with Daddy (after dark) catfishing. Not only do they get to stay up ridiculously late - by mom's standards after midnight is LATE - but Daddy treats them each to a pop when they stop for bait. I guess that is what memories are made of!