The Waning Days of Summer

The last ten days of Madeline's visit to Grandpa and Grandma's was unique. Both Jay and I were up in Valencia trying to settle the house and make it habitable after all the remodeling had been done while Madeline was soaking in every bit of spoil she could pull out of her grandparents. She liked swinging on the swing that Jay and his dad had built and hung for her in their frontyard. And she loved reading books, singing songs, playing with lots of new toys and putting on "lipstick" found in Grandma's pocket.

Bonding

Even though being away from home and from our beloved Jay was hard, Madeline and I had a wonderful time together. Some days were hard (when she was sick) and some days were beyond delightful. She has a growing understanding that she will soon be a big sister and that baby brother is in mommy's tummy. And she began to share her sweet affections with him.

More fun at Grandma's

Every morning, Madeline loved feeding the birds and a neighbor's dog, Scotty, at Grandma's. She also enjoyed playing in the water on those hot summer days when we just had to get outside. And when the weather was too warm to even play in the water outside, we went to the mall and rode the "merry-go-horses", as Madeline affectionately called the Merry-Go-Round. Sometimes we indulged in a little ice cream, too.

Flowers' Flood of '06

On the last night of our cruise, we got word that there had been flooding at our house. Our entire downstairs was covered with about an inch of water from a broken ice-maker hose behind our refrigerator. Dear friends and neighbors worked feverishly to remove all our belongings and call the necessary people to dry out our floors and walls, all while we were en route to Valencia from Vancouver. By the time we arrived, most of the hard labor was done. Of course the work with the insurance company, etc. was just to begin, but the Lord was so gracious to us in surrounding us with helpful, knowledgeable folks and friends willing to house, clothe or feed any/all of us. Jay's parents drove up from El Centro to help us decide what steps needed to be taken next. Madeline and I ended up going home with them the day after they arrived; the work to be done would require us to live in severe circumstances for too long. We couldn't have asked for a better rescue team. Jay stayed on to deal with the house and our separation would end up lasting over a month with his visiting us on the weekends. In the meantime, Madeline and I enjoyed our visit with Grandma and Grandpa. The pictures of the proof.

Alaska Cruise 2006

After we returned from Texas, we repacked our suitcases for our trip to Canada and Alaska. We were blessed again this year to attend Grace To You's cruise. We started out with 3 days in Vancouver, B.C., and then boarded the ship with the rest of the GTY staff. One of the highlights of our trip was being able to spend time with some dear friends, Mike and Jill and their little boy, Fisher. There's nothing like the beauty of Alaska when you're enjoying it with precious believers. Madeline acclamated to every room and time zone and had a super time watching the wildlife. Pics will be posted ASAP.

Vacation on the Bay

This past July, we vacationed with my dad and his wife, Amanda, in Galveston, TX. The Stire clan also joined us to complete the party of 11. We had a wonderful time at our U-shaped house and enjoyed swimming, visiting the beach and Schlitterbahn water park, fishing off the dock, watching the rain and lightning storms, and just playing games together. We also celebrated 2 birthdays: Madeline turned 2 and Sierra turned 6; a dinner at The Rainforest Cafe enhanced our celebration. And despite some of the family being sick with the flu, we had a splendid time!

New Do

Madeline's hair is just getting long enough that I can put it back in a pony tail. Although it doesn't stay for long, we are enjoying seeing the changes.

4th of July Fun

This is our third annual celebration of the 4th of July with the Ficketts. We walk down to a neighborhood park with Bill, Kerry, Campbell and Cooper and enjoy snacks while the kids run around. Then we all settle in to watch some beautiful fireworks set to music through a local radio station.

Jay's parents came up for another visit a while ago. While they were here, Jay and I bought some patio furniture and Jay's dad helped him put it together. Madeline warmed up to Grandpa and Grandma almost instantly this time; Grandma brought her some new books and Madeline climbed right up into her lap to enjoy them. And Grandpa took her for walks, which she loves. We're looking forward to seeing them this summer.

Celebrating a quarter of a century

I made this cake for my friend, Jennifer, who just turned 25. I hadn't used fresh flowers on my cakes before so I was glad to see that it all went well. I used peach "Marilyn Monroe" roses, white sweet peas and mint leaves, all from our garden. Jennifer celebrated her birthday by having ankle surgery a few days later.

Blast from the past

I recently had 2 rolls of film developed and discovered some old pictures of Madeline with Grandpa and Grandma. I'm not exactly sure when these were taken, but Madeline had very short hair. Not much has changed; they still help prepare her food and play with her. But now, she plays so hard with them, they take naps when she does!

Forever plaid, but not 26

I finished this cake yesterday for Stephanie, Jay's assistant's birthday. She just turned 26. She was the one who inspired me to take the cake decorating classes as she has taken them and makes beautiful cakes herself. The flowers are made from colored fondant and painted with cornflower blue icing color.

Official Cake Baker

I can now officially bake cakes (according to Wilton). This was my final cake for my Wilton classes. We practiced the basketweave pattern. Because it can be a time-consuming pattern I chose to do on the smallest cake. This was also my first monochromatic cake. I really enjoyed the classes but I'll enjoy baking cakes for fun even more.

Visit with Grandpa and Grandma

Just a few weeks ago, Jay's parents came up from El Centro, CA for a short visit. We had all spent Christmas together in Idaho with Jay's brother and family, but hadn't seen his parents since then. So their coming was a welcome sight. It took Madeline a couple of days to really warm up to them again, but in the end she was happily sitting in their laps reading books and working puzzles or going for walks. Now we know that the first day we see them we will start out reading a book together; that should speed up her hesitation during the reunion process. We just had a wonderful time together and look forward to another visit from them in May.

More pictures of my trip to Houston

I am finally able to post more memories in pictures of my recent trip to Houston and Montgomery, TX. In Montgomery, Kris and Chelle (bro-in-law and sister)welcomed us into their home for 3 days and the cousins had a wonderful time playing. Chelle and I decorated cakes (big surprise). Then it was on to Houston where my dad and his beautiful new bride, Amanda, put us up at the Paradise Boyd Hotel. Madeline had a super time reading books, playing with toys and running through the house. We can't wait to go back.

newest pictures of Madeline

These were taken on or around Easter. Madeline is now saying words like, "sandwich", "blocks", "trash truck" and "Madeline". Today she even held up a foam letter "M" and said "Madeline". Who knows if she truly knew the connection between that letter and her name.

Cake Creations

In February, my neighbor, Kelly Trinh, asked me if I wanted to take a cake-decorating class with her. Over the past 3 months, we have learned skills from frosting cakes to making apple blossoms out of royal icing. We will never look at cakes the same way, and we have tremendous respect for pastry chefs! Here are the cakes I've made so far.

In Houston

This is Madeline playing at Poppy and Amanda's house.