Ever changing

Every day we change, we change our hair,our clothes,our weight and our names. We change our religion and our beliefs.
Our family has been changing as of late. We have moved, we have changed our children's schools, we have changed our marriage and our family balance. We have changed our beliefs and our look on life.
I have always been some what of a free spirit. I have always had my own ideas of what God and religion is. I can tell you that growing up a preachers kid, I have plenty experience in knowing what the others are led to belief and force fed. I started to realize the older I got the more I saw fault in that belief system. Now I'm not saying I don't believe in God or the Almighty, I'm simply saying I don't believe in the bible. Sure it's inspirational as any other book but, I just don't believe in it. The bible was written by man and well lets face it we mess up everything. We mess up God by making religion instead of just keeping it simple. God is for everyone,just not one religion or another. We mess up nature, we take something so perfect and great and destory it. We trash it,and never see it's beauty. We take our lives,something beautiful that the Almighty has given us and we tear it apart. We fill it full of saddness and harmful things. We find fault in all things bright and beautiful.
For our family we are changing that. We are teaching our children to simply just LOVE. Love the good,the bad,the earth,the simple dragonfly and even the most complex each other and everybody. To love without wanting something in return. To love freely and with a clear vision of pure happiness. To understand that not everyone will feel the same as you or even believe as you but, love them anyways. Love the person that brings you saddness. Not because they hurt you but because the Almighty loves them and created them for a purpose. Show them the love you want the world to see when they look at you. Love is not something physical it's one of the most spiritual connection there can be. The Almighty created love and he made it so simple and pure. So easy it to give and so easy to receive.
Our belief is so simple and pure. Our love is the perfect spiritual connection to the earth,to each other and most of all to the Almighty. It's our truth to share with others.
So embrace all things bright and beautiful and just LOVE.

Home made Granola

My oldest Jordan is in love with Granola. She could eat bags and bags of granola. After paying $5.00-$7.00 for a pound of Granola at the store,I decided that there has to be a cheaper and better way to give her something that she loves to eat.

After searching the web for hours, I was able to find about 1000+ recipes for granola. Each one had some different element to it. They were all basic with a twist. I took something from the ones I loved and developed my own just for her.

My son's teacher also love granola so we shared a bag with her and she was hooked. This lead to the granola being share with other teachers and now I have a list of people wanting granola.

Funny how something so simple to make causes a such a huge stir.

Home made Granola

6 cups of oats
2 bags of shredded coconut
2 bags of unsalted sunflower seeds
2 large bags of slivered almonds
6 teaspoons cinnamon
2 teaspoon sea salt
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup canola oil
4 tablespoons honey
3 tablespoon pure maple syrup
4 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
4 cups mixed dried fruit (raisins,cranberries,blueberries) I uses raisins,cranberries.
2 large bags of chocolate chunks
2 large bags of chocolate chips(semi-sweet or dark)
2 large containers of banana chips

Preheat oven to 375 degrees
Mix first 4 ingredients together in large bowl;set aside.
Mix next 7 ingredients together in another bowl. Mix well.
Pour wet mixture over the first 4 ingredients. Combine until every things is covered in wet mixture. May have to use your hands for this.
On large baking sheets that have been lightly sprayed with cooking spray. Spoon mixture on to cookies sheets until it is just covered. Bake in oven until Oats are lightly toasted. I always turn mine with spatula to make sure both sides are getting lightly brown. This process could take up to 10 different baking to light brown the whole batch of oat mixture.
Take the light browned oats out of oven and place on another cookie sheet to cool.
Once all the oats are cooled place in another large bowl and being adding your last 4 ingredients. MIX WELL!!
Store in air tight container for up to 4-6 weeks. (no worries it never last that long)
This makes 4 large Ice cream buckets full of Granola. You can reduce this recipe to your needs.

FIRED

Well I was officially told I was fired from Wedding cake duty. I'm not sad about it at all.

This whole thing had stressed me out and had me sweating bullets. Being let go was actually freeing and actually made me glad that the groom and bride will be getting their cake FREE.

The cake they choice was a $800.00 cake that I agreed to make for $250.00. I was saving them a large portion of money and was happy I could do it for the $250.00. In the end they wanted me to do the cake for $150.00 and I just couldn't do it. Buying the supplies + my time + delivery and set up. It was just to much. The supplies was going to cost me in the end close to $230.00, the rest was just the gas to get to the place.

I am very happy that the Bride's mother is going to make them a wedding cake for FREE!! I am happy for them and truly sorry that I couldn't meet what they could afford. I wish that I could have done the same deal for them. I can't wait to see what the cake turns out like and I hope they get the cake they were wanting.

CONGRATS to the HAPPY COUPLE!!

Lazy Summer afternoons

OK with 3 kids it's never truly a Lazy Summer afternoon. It is truly nice not to have to be on the go all the time with school being out. We have spent the first 3 weeks of summer rather busy and on the go.
We have spent most of the day time hiding from the heat. It's exhausting just to walk outside to get the mail. It's been in the 100's during the day and not out of the 80's at night. We get blessed with wonderful late afternoon thunder storms and the kids and I look forward to the cool down they bring. We are looking at heading to the library some this summer and maybe a few trips to the beach. The kids and I are going to pull out sometime towards the end of this month and go to my home town to stay with my mom for a week or two. They really enjoy being with their Nana and I love spending time pampering my mom. She works really hard and when I am their her and her husband never have to cook and they get a break from having to worry so much about that. I am hoping to get out to my Granny's farm as well. I haven't seen her in a while and I need that time with her. Then we will do some school shopping and get all the stuff that all 3 of the kids will need and we may even do some shopping for Rob and his back to school items he will need. That seems crazy to say but it looks like it will be a reality soon enough.

Here is a little update on everyone:

Rob is doing great. He is still working hard at Pizza Hut. He has decided to go to school in the fall. We are waiting to here back from the Pell Grant office to find out if he is able to get some assistance in going back. He wants to do story boards for commercials and for TV shows. He is super excited and I am hoping it all works out for him and for us. We need a change.

Jordan is doing wonderful, she is getting ready to enter high school in the fall.She will turn 14 this July and is super excited about the possibility of getting a job soon after her birthday. She is truly an independent soul. She loves to spread those wings of her's and fly. I am really proud of who she is becoming and who she wants to be. We are truly blessed to have such a bright and smart and beautiful daughter.

Logan is doing really well. He will remain in Kindergarten for one more year. He has a few things he has to work on to get him ready for 1st grade. He is happy that he gets to have the same teacher again and is really excited that he will know most of the stuff already. He has been informed by Mrs Dean that he has to be a leader and a big help to her. He loves the idea of being the big helper. So I am sure he will do fine.

Serenity is just a ball of energy. Now that her crohn's is being managed better she is non-stop. She loves to learn and loves to have all eye's on her. She loves to show everyone how smart she is. We can be with people she doesn't know and she will randomly start counting in Spanish or she will start naming shapes and counting to 20 with no help. She loves to have people tell her she is smart. She starts Pre-school for 3 yr old's as a model student at Logan's school in the fall. We are working really hard at losing the pacifier so far it's going well. She really loves that thing.

I am doing great,trying to keep up with everyone and make time for myself. Really enjoying not having to cook so much now that school is out. The kids don't like to eat as much during the summer so I am going with the flow. If they want sandwiches for lunch and dinner then that is what we are doing. If they just want yogurt and home made granola then we are doing that too. I am not getting as worked up as I normally do over what they are eating. I tend to stay pretty worked up over little things and I am trying hard to let all of the worrying I do be only over the things that matter. I have 3 cakes to make at the end of July. One is the wedding cake for my nephew and his beautiful bride. I am really excited about getting the chance to make a wedding cake. It's something I have never attempted before so I am praying with everything I have in me that it all works out well. The heat has me concerned but I am going to work around it the best I can.

Well time to go enjoy that afternoon thunder storm. HAPPY SUMMER EVERYONE!! Hope that you all stay safe and that you do something fun with your love ones.

Jordan's 8th Grade Formal

Jordan is growing up so fast. She just had her final dance as a Junior High student. It was fun doing her hair and her make up and watching her eyes light up when she looked in the mirror. It was a wonderful mother daughter bonding time. We went to Ronnie Vanzant park and took pictures out at their pond. It's beautiful out there and plenty of places to take pictures. As we were taking the pictures my heart was breaking, she isn't that tiny baby we brought home from the hospital,she is a beautiful young lady now. She is getting ready to spread her wings soon and take everything we have taught her and fly on her own. We have but just 4 short years left of her being here every day. Jordan is heading to college and she has no desire to stay in state. It made it hard today watching her take another step towards spreading those wings.

Here she is before the dance

Should I or Shouldn't I

I have been given a great opportunity to make a wonderful cake for some wonderful people. My nephew and his fiance have asked me to make their wedding cake. I was thrilled with the prospect of making the cake and the process of being creative and getting to do what I love most. Then reality hit and well it took the wind right out of my sail.
First big down fall is when they are planning the wedding, SUMMER.. Anyone who bakes cakes in Florida can tell you the weather here during SUMMER is not ideal for cake making. HUMIDITY is a huge issue and NOT TO mention the HEAT or the chance of RAIN! July is a great month for a beach wedding. So I can't say I blame them for wanting to do it then.
Second they choose to have the reception in a hotel ball room. I am not a license baker so I am not to sure that the Hotel will allow me to bring in the cake. I have asked them to check on this but no word yet from them on what the rules are. I will for sure need a cool room to place the cake in and a place to set the cake up at for the reception. I have read the laws and know what I can and can not do here in the this state. And I for sure don't want to be fined for bring it into a hotel. I just hope they let me know something soon.
Third the task at hand is overwhelming all in it's self. I am worried about getting there, worried about the amount of stuff I will have to buy just to make this cake. And then the set up and the transporting of the cake it's self. IT'S very scary to think about but, really exciting that they would ask me to make the cake.

The bride and the groom have gone through about 60 cake ideas that I sent to them and have picked 3 that they really like.

They really like this one and the way it is set up but they want it in a square shape and they want different flavors per cake. They also want to room the shells and add ribbon and flowers.



I think they are leaning more towards this set up with the square cakes.


I am hoping it all works out and I will for sure keep everyone updated.

Teacher Appreciations Week

Teacher Prayer

Dear Lord, bless these teachers mightily
as they seek to teach, enrich and guide
Your precious children.
Grant them abundant resources to do their job,
intelligence, wisdom, sensitivity, kindness,
and the material things that make it possible
to turn some of these tender green plants
into the strong, stable trees that will lead our nation,
to transform some of these buds into brilliant flowers
that will bring light, color and happiness
to all who encounter them,
and to give every one of them the tools
to be creative, and productive and to develop
their own kind of success in the world.
Lord, wrap Your loving arms around these teachers
who give so much of themselves to grow our youth
into creative, responsible adults.
We pray that You will immerse them
in your boundless, transcendent love.
We pray that You will strengthen and soothe them
when they have given so much of themselves
that they need Your extra attention, Your extra care.
We love, respect and admire these teachers, Lord
and we pray that you will watch over them always--
these special people who hold our children
and our future in their hands.
Amen.

By Joanna Fuchs



It's the time of year where we say THANK YOU for all the hours, they put in the time they spend and give to the kids.

This year I have had the privilege of working with one of the most amazing teachers anyone could ask for. She loves the kids in her class like they are her own. She worries when they are out and she gives them a hug when they are feeling down. She cheers them one when they have that light bulb moment, she praises them when they get the answer right and encourages the ones who didn't get it right to keep trying and to never give up. She guides them in making good choices and helps the ones that have made bad choices to make better ones the next time around. To her it's not just a job that pays her bills, it's something she was made to do. She has a great love for teaching and you can tell it the moment you walk into her classroom. Her walls are decorated with thank you cards and I love Mrs.Dean pictures. She keeps them all and hangs all of them up. Makes every kid feel important and she doesn't allow others to tear the other one down. I am amazed everyday by the growth of the kids in her class. I am happy that my kid got lucky and got to spend a whole year with her. It will be sad to move on to 1st grade and have a new teacher but, I'm hoping that the next one will be equal to Mrs Dean.

So for all the teacher's out there who give of yourself each day to our kids. THANK YOU!! Thank you for caring more about others then your pay check, Thank you for spending your own money on the supplies that aren't always covered by your school district. Thanks for spending the extra time with each kid, making sure they are on target. Thank you for your devotion and dedication to our children and their future!