bsmiles and sunny days

For a few months I lost my momentum, so forgive me for playing a little bit of catch up. Deisha's first birthday was a smashing success!!! There were Cheetos ... ...and presents, and siblings... ...and very cool toys and sippy cups... ...and of course a Pooh Bear chocolate cake! This wasn't your average Joe chocolate cake, this was a Hostess Cupcake. It's like a torte, four layers of cake and three layers of fluffy, white, delicious filling. It's the perfect celebratory dessert. Next time you come, I'll make you one. You'll love it.

These two spend quite a bit of time in the house while the other kids run the neighborhood. Because I do not entertain, they are forced to find ways to entertain themselves. Leila's favorite thing to do, besides drinking Kool-Aid, is walking the dogs. She loves to put Scooder on the leash and drag him around the house or the neighborhood if she can sneak him out. On this particular day, Scooder was tired of being dragged, so she disconnected his leash and hooked this one up to Deisha. Initially she was a good sport, but come on. Have you met Deisha? She's fiercely independent and fought tooth and nail to break free. Scooder looked on with envy. He just doesn't have the fight in him.

Due to an unexpected turn of events, Micah opted out of football, so we took the plunge into Karate. For almost two weeks, these boys fought and worked out and grappled in their gym shorts only dreaming of the day when they would have their own Gi to fight in. If you've met my sons you know that they don't like to exercise the full range of their wardrobe at any time. They would be content to own two pair of shorts and two shirts and rotate between the two outfits every few days. You can imagine my surprise when they asked if they could sleep in, play in, and run around in their new get-ups. I sternly impressed into their minds that these clothes are sacred, like most other things involved in karate. They could only wear them for karate-related events. They wear them with pride and fight hard and fight well. The first time I watched them during a class, I got goosebumps. This is something I cannot explain and do not fully understand about myself. I love fighting. I don't li...

I just want to throw in a few more little tidbits that might help your first attempt a little bit. The temperature of the water needs to be just slightly warmer than you would make a baby's bottle. After you stir the sugar and salt into the water, sprinkle the yeast in a single layer on the surface of the water, set the timer for 10 minutes, and walk away. Don't stir it or shake it or blow on it. Just walk away. The yeast will double. This how you *proof* the yeast. AFTER THAT add the oil. This method takes a lot of flour. If you have less than a full bag a of flour, don't attempt it. You will end up using that bag of whole wheat flour that is sitting in the back of you cupboard and it is much more simple to do your first attempt with white flour. I'm not saying you can't, but you'll be happier during the kneading process if you stick with white. During the first rise, cover it with a kitchen towel and walk away. My first batch took a long, long time t...

This kid... she's a wonder. I never took ballet. I also ruled it out for my own children because, well frankly, I have four girls and it's expensive. But I have taught them to pray for the desires of their hearts knowing that God cares about the small stuff. Kennedy has asked to take ballet a few times, but I always poopooed the idea in light of the cost. She started to pray that the Lord would give her jobs in the neighborhood so that she would be able to pay for the classes. She even delivered flyers to everyone we know offering dog-walking and babysitting services. Then heaven sent her an answer by way of her fairy grandmother; her dream has come true. Jasmine is taking classes too. They get so excited every week to get suited up in their tights and leotards. This month we started attending at a new studio that we all love. I wish we would've started there in the beginning. This is another answer to prayer, as I wasn't convinced that we were under the best guidance...

It's a fight almost every day to get Leila to take a nap. She's at that age where she knows she could get away with not taking a nap, but her little body really needs it. She seems big enough to pass on it sometimes, but usually she's crashed out on the couch by five o'clock and I remind myself that she's only three. Three-year-old kids still need naps; it's just the way it is. It's hard to believe she'll be four next week. Tre was only four when we moved here. The days go so fast somehow! So the other day I sent her to bed at nap time. She was in there for about five minutes when I went back in to make sure she wasn't digging through my drawers, and this is how I found her. As a matter of fact, I looked under the beds and walked out of the room calling her before I realized that that tiny shape under the blanket was her little body! She's so funny...

SHE'S ENGAGED!!! I wish we had some better pictures of this ring, I haven't even caught a glimpse of it's sparkle and shine, just a tiny peek from a cell phone picture. My sweet Sista has found the love of her life and they are getting married. For reals. DEY ARRE IN LOOOOVVVVEEE!!!! And we are so happy for you!!!