Cake Class Update

I haven't blogged lately about our cake class, but we finished Course 2 a few weeks ago and here's a picture of our final exam cake

Me and Tracy with our final exams.

The class was a lot of fun. Throughout the entire course we worked on flowers and the birds that are on the cake and then for the last class we brought our cake in to put everything on it.

I also was Ms. Domestic and decided to make cute Easter cupcakes for Brody's class. They were a huge hit with both his class and my work.

This is just an extra cake I made for a friend.

We have now started the Fondant and Gum Paste class which is quite different. We weren't really sure how the fondant would taste but it wasn't too bad - real chewy. Of course Brody liked it.

Easter Part 5 - Final

One of the strongest desires for Jason and I is to raise our children to love Jesus and teach them that He loves them. I find myself thinking quite often on how will I be able to teach Brody and Trevor about having that personal relationship with Jesus. It seems so hard to understand for adults so how in the world can a child understand it. Think about it- someone living in your heart, Jesus is everywhere - wouldn't that seem strange for a child to understand. However, God is constantly teaching me that we should all have that childlike faith and to trust Him. Jason and I are amazed at the things that Brody says and this Easter was no different.

About a week or so before Easter Sunday, Jason and I sat down and went through the Resurection Eggs with Brody. There are 12 eggs with something in each one like a donkey, coins, spear, crown, piece of cloth, dice, rock, etc. They were all to tell the story of Jesus's crucifixion and resurection. We (aka Jason because I can't explain things very well I get too detailed) had to simplify the story quite a bit but we were amazed at how much Brody understood. It also helps that he hears the story at school and at church. He was so excited to open up a new egg every day and even so much that he was ready to open up another one that same night but we had to teach him patience - not easy for a 3 year old.

We would always ask him different questions about the Easter story to see if he understood it. One day I asked him if Jesus was dead and he said NO, I asked so where is he - Brody - He lives in our hearts. Let me just say that makes a parent smile. We loved to hear him tell the Easter story and most of the time he got it right, but Sunday night as we opened up the last egg which was empty to show that Jesus is alive and no longer in the tomb, Brody decided to give us a run down of the Easter story using the eggs. The funniest part was when he said a donkey was on the cross. Jason and I had to turn our heads to keep from laughing because Brody was so serious and kept right on with Roman soldiers putting Jesus on the cross and then He went into the tomb.

So how do you transistion from what Easter is really about - the resurection of our Lord, to the Easter bunny coming to our house - there really isn't a good way. So here I go, the bunny came to visit and after going through my pictures I realized I didn't even take a picture of the basket before everything was taken out - oh well. Here's a few that show a few things but not how well the basket was presented. I don't think Brody really understood at first because he didn't show too much excitement - maybe because it was before he ate any breakfast - he is a hit the floor and need something to eat kind of boy.

What better thing then Toy Story?


An Easter basket is not complete without Peeps.

The Easter bunny even came to see Trevor with some biter biscuits, wagon wheels and linking blocks.

Here's some excitement - Toy Story beach towel.

I just love this picture. It was taken before church and Brody is already yawning.

Sunday evening we went over to Tara's house to visit with everyone.

Nana with all of her boys.

Opening up their Easter presents from Nana.

A great big thank you hug for Nana.

Easter Part 4 - One BUSY day

Like I mentioned in an earlier post - this time of year is very busy. So why not have 2 Easter Egg Hunts in 1 day - 1 1/2 hours apart from each other. Doesn't that sound like a blast? Well, that was our agenda for the Saturday before Easter.

Heading out for our very long day.

First, we had our church's preschool Resurrection Egg Hunt out at the "Farm" as we like to call it. They had a bouncy house which seemed to get over taken by older brothers and sisters so Brody didn't go in it that much. We had hotdogs and then the kids went on a hayride while the adults hid the eggs.

Best buds - Brody and Baylie in the jumpy house - before it got too crowded.

Nini with her 2 boys.

During the hayride, Trevor and I stayed back and hung out on a blanket - he had just had a nap so he was in a great mood.

My happy little boy.

Trevor even got in on the egg hunt - finding his first egg. They didn't stay in his basket long before big brother came over and took them. I guess he realized Trevor couldn't eat what was inside but he forgot that mama could.
Of course where else would an egg that had been in the dirt and grass go?

So proud of his find.


Stopping long enough for a picture - Baylie, Hannah and Brody

After 2 1/2 hours at the first egg hunt we were off to the next egg hunt - way out in Green Cove Springs to Jason't Aunt Joyce's house. It only took Brody about 15 minutes to fall asleep and he was out for the next hour or so. My boy can sleep in the car - he has always been able to and we are very thankful. Trevor is following right behind him because it didn't take Trevor too much longer to fall asleep either.

The kids getting ready to go and find the eggs.

Caleb showing Brody his great find.

Granny and some of her great grandkids.


Granny and some of her grandkids - 2 were missing.


Granny and her 2 daughters.


Aunt Jessica and Brody - he's finally trying to smile AT the camera instead of always smiling and looking away from the camera.

Such brotherly love

Brody being such a good big cousin - pushing cousin Cale around.

Darren, Jason's cousin, pulled the 3 cousins around the house on the tractor about 30 times.

They loved it.

Not so sure what to do with hat.

Such focus on the ball.

Sweet cousin Cale loves to give kisses.

We had a great time visiting with Jason's family and all the kids enjoyed an egg hunt. Brody even got 2 prize eggs so he's $2 richer!! What's so funny is that he doesn't even open the eggs while we're there. It probably took about 4 days before we emptied all the eggs into the candy basket and we saw the 2 prize eggs.

Although it was a very busy day, it was a lot of fun spending time with family and friends.

Easter - Part 3 - Dyeing Eggs

This time of year seems so busy - it was difficult to find time to dye eggs but we knew Brody would love doing it. At about 7:45 we realized that we needed to get started - maybe it was a tired little Trevor telling us if we wanted him in a picture we needed to get a move on. I quickly got everything out and here's our picture - thankfully with all of us.

Now, right after that picture Trevor went to bed. Poor guy just can't stay up much past 8:00.

Brody had a blast coloring the eggs. We had the marblelized kind as well as some Lightning McQueen stickers. He loved using his new Easter tongs - or scissors as he called him. He was actually pretty good at doing it all by himself.

After coloring the eggs he wanted to eat them - I really don't think he's ever eaten a boiled egg so I'm not sure why he was so into eating one, but we told him we had to wait until Easter. What a fun night but it surely is a mess to clean up.

Easter - Part 2

The Thursday before Easter was Brody's school party. The night before I had made the cutest cupcakes for his party and he of course picked the biggest one out that he wanted at his party. Everytime I go up to his class I know God did not bless me with the gift of being with 2/3 year olds all day - it takes some really special AND patient people to do that.

Enjoying every bite of the cupcake I made for this class.

The party started at 2:30 and it was SUGAR galore so I knew he would be wired. After 3 cupcakes and some chips we were ready for the egg hunt. A few of us mom's went out while they were getting ready and "hid" the eggs. Hiding is an understantement because for 3 year olds you just put them out in the grass.

Check out all the eggs all over the ground.

Ms. Patti explaining what to do - like you really have to tell 3 year olds how to run all over and pick up colorful eggs.

I wasn't quite sure how Brody would do with finding eggs meaning if someone else picked up one first. Thankfully he did great. Once he had his eye on a certain egg he would run over 5 eggs to get to that perfect egg.

A proud boy with all of his eggs "candy"


He had a great time and once we got home and let him run and run to get out as much energy as possible.

9 down!!

March 31, Jason and I celebrated 9 years of marriage - WOW!! Time has flown by and the thing is we dated for 6 years so it's been 15 years - a bigger WOW!!!

I actually can still remember our wedding day like it was yesterday. That was some words of advice I received - take in every moment. I can remember the way I felt when I walked down the aisle and seeing Jason standing down front waiting on me - I was so excited. Our wedding day was one of the HAPPIEST days of my life. I had waited for that day for such a long time and waited patiently for God to bring the person He had for me. It was so worth the wait. I don't think I stopped smiling that day.

Jason truly is my best friend and I can't wait for what God has in store for us in the future.

9 years later - a little different look :)

Beautiful flowers Jason brought home for me that day.