In Memory of Cohen

If you haven't read the Cohen's story, you should.  My thoughts and prayers are with his family. 

Wordless Wednesday - Maddie's New Cheer Uniform

Back to Normal...or at least semi-normal

I'm back to normal, or at least semi-normal.  Dad's still in ICU.  Apparently the 2 days they anticipated him being in ICU were the best possible time-frame.  This is day 15, but things are finally looking better.  It was touch and go for a while, and although he's been through a lot, I think he's probably only a few days from being moved into a step-down unit and then finally into a regular hospital room.  He's just hoping and praying that he'll be able to drink liquid at some point.  He's gone 16 days without anything to eat or drink!  How dreadful!

Last Friday, my baby graduated Kindergarten!  Where has the time gone?  It seems like only yesterday she was learning to stand, talk, walk, and lately...tumble!  I couldn't be more proud of her.  She's growing up into a beautiful, intelligent, little girl, and makes me happier every day.  Some pictures:

(Maddie & her Kindergarten teacher)

Of course I've been baking as well.  I made my very first wedding cake a few weeks ago for my sister.  It didn't turn out as wonderfully as I'd pictured it in my head, but it was nice.  I've made a few baby shower cakes, over 100 cupcakes, and a retirement cake.  I did finally figure out how to write on cakes.  If you've never tried, it's not easy!  I've practiced and practiced and while it's not perfect, it's better than the first several attempts in prior months.  Here's a picture:

The best part about all of my cake making?  The leftover icing!  The kids LOVE it!!!

Hope you're having a great month!  Happy June!!!  Steph

Waiting, Hoping, Praying...

The title of my post pretty much sums it up.  It's a day of waiting, hoping, and praying.  My dad went into surgery shortly before noon today, and now 5 and a half hours later, we're still waiting for him to come out.  They're anticipating another 2-3 hours, but so far, it sounds promising.  We need this surgery to work.  I need my dad to be cancer free, and live many more years.  It's not a matter of want, it's what we need. 

So please keep us in your prayers.  It's going to be a long road to recovery for him.  The surgeon told us that he's going to spend the next few days in ICU, and then another week in the hospital recovering.  The next few months will be hard on him, as he won't be able to eat anything, and will have to rely on a feeding tube.  But at least he'll be alive, and that's all we can hope for right now. 

Hope all is well in your world!

Steph

Cookies, Cakes, Desserts, and Parties!

I've been noticibly absent for a few weeks, and I'm sorry!  May is quite possibly the busiest month of the year for me for many reasons. 

1 - Like a crazy person, I agreed to plan and organize a field day for Madison's school this year.  In case your children don't have field day, it's a fun-filled day of water games, inflatable bounce houses and slides, relay races, etc.  It's a huge undertaking, and I'm not sure if I'll succeed, but I'm going to give it my best. 

2 - My dad's chemo and radiation are finally done, and it's time for him to have surgery.  He's a nervous wreck, and we're all biting our nails hoping things go well.  There's only a 40% chance that the surgery will work, so prayers would be appreciated!!! 

3 - I've been a baking fool!  I've made cupcakes, cakes, cookies, marshmallow pops, chocolate covered oreos, you name it, I've made it!  My friend Amy let me help make desserts for her son's 3rd birthday party.  Everything turned out so cute!  I can't take credit for everything, she and I both did the work, but it was a blast! 

4 - It's my birthday month/Mother's day month!  We're going to Chicago next weekend to celebrate my birthday with my mom and dad, and I'm hoping to get some retail therapy!

5 - My favorite sister is getting married!  I got to host a bridal shower at a local winery, and a bachelorette party!  I love hosting parties!!!  I wish I could be at the wedding, but since she went out of the country, I wasn't able to go.  Oh well...I can't wait to see pictures.  I'm sure she'll look beautiful!!!

That's all I've got for now!  The rest of the month is going to be filled with cookie orders, cake orders, and more baking.  YEA!!!

Hope all is well!  Love ya!  Steph

I'm SO thankful!!!

It's been a while since I posted, because I've been BUSY!  I'm so thankful for my wonderful children, they are always cracking me up.  I had to take a picture of a drawing Maddie made for me, because I was having the worst day, and it brightened my day in ways you can't even imagine.  Poor dad!  As much as he may try, she's still a mommy's girl.  Lucky for him, Mackenzie is definitely a daddy's girl. 

Last Saturday was my sister's bridal shower, and I got to bake cookies!  I didn't have my camera, so I had to use my iPhone to take the pictures, so don't pay attention to the poor quality of any photos I'll be including on this post. 

How cute are these?  My girls and I were oohing and ahhing over how well they turned out!  The pictures really do not do them justice.  They weren't perfect, but it was good experience, and I'll be making more this weekend. 

Otherwise we've just been busy getting back into the swing of things.  Between cake classes, work picking up (thank goodness it's hailing), organizing an event for PTO, and getting started with my new Treasurer duties at cheer, I'm a busy girl. 

I hope all is well!!!

Steph

Random Sunday Ramblings...

I've been in a bit of a funk lately.  I can't quite put my finger on exaclty what it is that's been bothering me (truthfully, everything appears to be bothering me) and that aggravates me.  I want to know what my problem is, so I can fix it.  Some ideas:

I am almost 27 and I am not where I imagined I would be when I got this close to the big 3-0.  Ten years ago I was wrapping up my junior year of high school with high hopes of how awesome college life would be.  Well guess what?  I didn't go to college.  I got pregnant.  College was put on hold so I could scramble to provide for the most amazing child ever.  It was hard.  I spent almost the entire first two years of Mackenzie's life living with my parents, DYING to move out.  I did, and things just got harder.  Who would have thought that it was near impossible to come up with money for a mortgage, utilities, AND daycare?  The state of IL was no help, apparently you have to be making minimum wage to qualify for any type of support.  Lucky me, but then again, that's my luck.  Looking back, I'm glad I had to tough it out.  It made me appreciate every penny a lot more.  I've never had anything handed to me, and I'm glad.  I don't take anything for granted. 

Yes...I think that is part of what's aggravating me.  If you'd have asked me what I'd be doing in 2010, I'd have thought I'd be a lot better off than I am now.  I'm in a rut at work.  What was once a job I loved, is now one I dread.  I take that back, that's not entirely true.  Nine months ago we had a major layoff and I ended up in a HORRIBLE department.  I went from working independently and being appreciated to being micromanaged and treated like a slacker.  That's what I hate.  It's not the job, it's the way you're treated in the department.  Work is DEFINITELY a source of aggravation for me lately.

My husband is also driving me nuts.  He and I have completely different views on life.  I feel like I really try to go above and beyond to keep our marriage together for our children, and I'm starting to wonder if that's the right decision.   We fight constantly, and feel more like brother and sister than husband and wife.  Every time I tell him that I think we need to consider breaking up our marriage, things change for a few weeks and I feel guilty, as if everything is my fault.  How dare I even remotely consider taking my children's father away from them?  I was a child with divorced parents, and I know how hard it is on kids.  I would NEVER want to do that to my girls.  So I stick it out, and become bitter toward him.  Even when he doesn't deserve it. 

Lucky for me, hail season is starting up and at my company, that equals busy season.  I'll be working non-stop and running the kids to cheer practice every night.  I won't have time for bitterness, I'll be too busy.  That's exactly what I need right now. 

But for now, I just keep on baking.  Today I made an incredible brownie/cookie masterpiece that tasted like a little slice of heaven!  It's from one of my favorite blogs, Bake at 350, and is heavenly!!!   After I got that in the oven, I took out the rest of my aggravation on a piece of hot pink fondant.  I had to get a cake board covered so I can get ready to make my class finale cake.  Pictures will be posted in another week!

Have a great Sunday!  I promise I'll be back to normal by tomorrow!!!
Steph