Of "merminaid" and memories...

So on this day 12 years ago I said, "I do!" to my best friend, confidant, and love of my life. It's been a tremendous walk of bringing me out of my shell, welcoming new little lives into our lives and helping each other grow. I couldn't have done all I've done these past 12 years without my husband beside me. I'm so thankful each and every day for this priviledge I've had of being his wife. Thank-you, Troll, for loving me...even on those days where I wasn't likeable, for helping me out...when I'd come to wits end, for being my best friend.....when I felt there was no one out there that loved me, for standing beside me....when things got tough, for making me laugh...when the last thing on earth I wanted to do was laugh, for making dreams come true.....when I didn't feel that that was possible, for teaching me and guiding me....when I felt I was unteachable, for being everything to me that I could ever imagine or hope for....YOU have done that for me. If I had it to do over again a million times................I'd happily say, "I do!"!!!! I love you so very much. You are my one and only.....and I'm yours forever and always.

Early morning surprise.

So. This morning I woke up around 7ish to the smell of food. Troll was still in bed beside me so I started to freak out and was gonna get up and investigate. He said, "No. The kids told me I wasn't allowed downstairs cuz they are doing a surprise for us." So I calmed my nerves and relaxed. About 10 minutes later we were told we could go down. So down we went and here Austin, Jetta and Reag had set their alarms on their DS' to get up to make us breakfast for our anniversary. They made pancakes and toast and coffee. Jetta had colored a very nice picture of two ppl and wrote happy anniversary on it. I sat down and started to cry. They did the whole thing all by themselves. Sure they've helped me cook before but it was always by instruction. This time they made it by themselves. I was so proud of them and absolutely pleased that they would do this for us. Austin kept coming back and rubbing my back!! I don't think he was expecting me to cry. He said, "well we know your anniversary is tomorrow but we knew we couldn't get up that early and make breakfast and then feel like going to church!!" So anyway...that was our morning surprise. Thanks, kids, so very much. You made our day!!!

Pix round 3...

Here are the last of the graduation cakes I did. This one was for Justin E. and Courtney H. I had allot of fun doing this one. Someone that was watching me do this (via web cam) thought these were actually crayons...that was great!!! Made me feel really good.

Pix second round

Here is a bday cake I did. Didn't remember if I'd put it on here or not.
This was sheet cake for 6th grade graduation.

This sheet cake for kindergarten graduation.

Another 6th grade graduation sheet cake

And another kindergarten sheet cake.

The sheet cakes were nothing special. Just the colors I needed to put on them. I believe that is all for cakes at this time. I'm going to be doing Bia's 3rd bday cake soon and Ethan's 5th bday cake. Look for those pictures.

Pix

Here are some of the cakes I did for graduations. This for Ron H., high school senior that likes basketball.
This for Alissa W., high school senior. I was actually impressed with this one...takes allot to do that for myself!!!

This was for 6th grade graduation.

This for kindergarten graduation.....course u can read!!

This was our church in the front decorated for Memorial Day. The whole church was beautiful.

More pictures of cakes to follow.

Ball photos

At Austin's game last week. He usually plays center field.

Up to bat. He scored this game for the first time. He was pretty excited. His jersey is #20.

On our way back to our house. It's fun to be so close to where they play all their games. Such a nice walk for us.

Here's Reagan's team lined up and listening to their coaches. His jersey is #10. They are so cute!!

He plays first base. As I said before...coach told him that if he wants to play anything else he'll have to ask!! He can't belive how well Reagan can pick the ball up off the ground for his age. Here he was throwing to the kid he was practicing with.

News

So school ended on Friday for this year. Yeah!! So glad to have everyone home. Troll endured graduation in the heat and then he and Jetta headed out to Ohio for Charlie's funeral. They will be home late tonight.

Yesterday I went to Greenwood park up past Belleville; my old stomping grounds. Some of my mom's family were getting together for a picnic. We had a great time. The kids found the creek right close to our pavilion so they spent about two hours in that. Occaisionally a couple of us threw in coins so they had to find them. I had a great time playing hillbilly horseshoes and cracking up at how some of my aunts played!! It was great fun. After that we went to the fabric store and then Kmart. Got McDonald's and got home around 6:15 p.m. We watched a movie together and then I jumped online to chat with my friend from "down undah". After three hours that went like 20 minutes I decided I'd best get to sleep. Three hours after that I finally passed out due to exhaustion!! Was awakened probably 30 minutes after that to a wet back and horrid smell. One of the dogs had decided to hose me down. I felt like skinning them. But since I didn't know which one had done it.....I couldn't. Today it looks like a dreary day so we're doing laundry and numerous piddly things. Am looking forward to seeing Troll and Jetta late tonight.

Did 3 more cakes this weekend for graduation. If I ever remember to bring my camera upstairs I'll post all the pix. Later........

Coach O'Toole

Well evidently that pep talk from Coach O'Toole did the trick. Austin's team won that game Monday 14-14!!! And then last night they won 17-4!!! Austin scored for the first time last night. That was really exciting for him! I'm proud of how he's been conquering his feelings of not being perfect!! I know it's been really rough on him to realize he can't be perfect at all things.

Reag plays for another team tonight. I got a phone call last night from another coach that he'd received Reag's name as a replacement for tonight's game. He's hyped about that.

I did six cakes yesterday/today. Got done at 2:10 this morning. Was pretty tired. They are for PVCA 6th and kindergarten graduation party tonight. Went thru 16 cake mixes, 4 dozen eggs, 10 batches of icing......and more hours than I'd like to admit due to only have one cake pan in the sizes I needed. Thankfully graduation only happens once a year!! Austin was asked to carry the American Flag in the graduation ceremony tonight. Since today was just a staff day at school he went with Troll to hang out with him until this evening. Tomorrow is the last day of school. Half day at that!! I'm excited for summer. It will be nice to have all the kids home.

Scotch has come home today. The kids were thrilled beyond words when I walked out of the vets office with him. He is confined to the one room in the basement until his paws are completely healed. Hopefully he doesn't do his normal perch on top the dryer. Would be catastrophic with the jump down.

Our dear friend, Charlie Highfill, passed away yesterday morning at 11:10. He's been struggling for a couple weeks on just 10% of his heart working. Hopefully the funeral arrangements will be conducive to Troll's schedule so he can run out. He'd have to leave tomorrow after school and then come right home Saturday night due to church, baccalaureate, church and then graduation on Monday. Our sympathies go out to the Highfill family. We love you guys.

Just news

Well we made it through a week of revival. Matt and the Shrouts did a great job. It was nice sitting under Matt's preaching again. Although he did say that were I to actually be listening to him I'd be allot furthur progressed!!! :) It's so nice to have your previous pastor's vote of confindence!!!

Had to take Scotch to the vet today. He'll be staying until Thursday. Declawed and neutered is on the agenda for him. Eth wasn't at all happy to leave his buddy at a strange place. He cried when we left. He wanted to sit in the parking lot until Thursday!!! Had a struggle with explaining to him why Scotch had to stay for a couple days. Then we got home he decided that the dogs needed to go too!!!

This week is another hectic week. May is just a mess with a capital M. With graduations happening I'll be doing cakes galore. I also need to plant more of the garden, do laundry every day, etc. etc, etc. But....as the old people say....staying extra busy keeps ya alive!!! (course it could send we younger ones to an early grave)

Reagan's team has won the three games they've played. Austin's team havn't won any. They have a great team but every one of them get stage fright as soon as they step up to the plate. They do great on the field but batting.......another story. Practice time is amazing to watch. They do a great job. Coach told them Sat. that they just needed to get it in their heads that it is no different and to come out to the game tonight with this in mind. Hopefully they win. Poor things have been going home with hanging heads and drooping shoulders!! Austin does a good job but being a perfectionist... he struggles with loss. Beats himself up over and over when he makes a mistake. We are trying to remind him that it is a game and to not think that everything is his fault!!! But how do u reckon with a perfectionist??!! Reagan's team is a bunch of hyper little things!! His coach has put him on first base and won't move him!!! Told Troll that Reag is the best first base player he's seen for a kid his age. That was neat thing to hear.

That's pretty much it on the home front. Am looking forward to June so we can sit down and breathe again. At least for a week or so until camps start in. Tolley-HO!!

More late nite excitement....

Here are the kinds of things that happen when you stay up to 2 + 3 o'clock in the morning with 13 teenagers......
The eating of tex-mex flavored worms and crickets.... of which Katie was one of the braver of the girls and actually ate them!!

Playing "chubby bunny" with jumbo marshmallows.....(this pix is blurry as I was laughing so hard while trying to take the pix.) The object of this "game" is to put one jumbo marshmallow in your mouth at a time and say "chubby bunny" after each one. The other object is not to throw up!!!

Ron took the blue ribbon on the chubby bunny game after succesfully ramming 17 jumbo marshmallows in his mouth and saying "cubby bunny" before having to hurl them into the trash can!! We had mounds of slobbery white globs in the trash that early morning hour. :)

Attention '09 Seniors of PVCA!!!

Here you go seniors! The moment at Ripley's Aquarium has been captured by our friend Jason in Australia. :) LOL!!!

More on our trip to follow.........

Late Night Excitement!

So here is what kept us occupied for quite a long time. There were 5 bears that ventured up to our chalet tonight and we were thrilled. Unfortunately there wasn't a light and so we stole an extension cord from our room, grabbed a long lamp and hoisted it out to the deck and held it out over so we could take pix! The two bigger ones went off so I didn't get a picture of them. This is now the third day that we've been in contact with bears! It is sooooo cool!!

Survival!

So, the week is going well. As long as u walk around with pillows attached to all sides of your body and goggles on your face......you will survive!! The screams and hollers from the basement echo throughout the chalet as the boys determine to see who is the one that can withstand numerous shots from an air soft gun. I just don't get it. What is so fun about watching blood run from one of your buddy's?? Troll has managed to cackle through most of the couple days we have been here as he's watched them hammer each other into oblivion! Oh well. I grew up with boys and am raising them and still can't figure out what is so matcho about all of this. Two years ago it was paintball and welts the size of 50 cent pieces. This year it's air soft guns with welts not quite so big but blood streaming as a river!!! :)

Yesterday we did Gatlinburg. Ended up not leaving the chalet until around 1:00 due to sleepy heads and rain. Got back to the chalet around 9:00. It was a beautiful day. Not the 90% chance of rain it was calling for. So that turned out pretty well. Today we are hanging out here at the chalet with more screams of "Ahhhhh........you got me on the finger!" or "OK!! Don't shoot....I'm out!" then later we are headed into Pigeon Forge to doodle around and then hit the Comedy Barn for the 8:15 p.m. show.

And yes, for those of you that are wondering....my dearest hubby has joined in the proving who is the most macho!!!! :) Men!!

Arrived

We arrived! Safely and soundly. No, I didn't have to pass out the bottles of nyquil but by last night...I was feeling badly. We left school at 5:30 a.m. and got to our chalet at 5:00 p.m. Rain, rain, rain. Grrrr. You seriously wouldn't believe the roads we had to use to get to this chalet. After almost running into a school bus and an SUV, backing up the church van to make a couple of the switchback turns and our truck overheating.....we arrived. I was a mess. I declared right on the spot that I wouldn't be driving back down or up those roads until Saturday when we leave to go home. We will either walk or all pile up in the van. It just ain't happening. :)
Today we'll be doing the Gatlinburg hike around town, going to Ripley's aquarium and stuff like that. Hopefully this 80 and 90% chances of rain doesn't damper the kids' spirits. AND I hope all you mom's back at home are prepared with all the cough syrup and sinus meds that your kids are gonna need when they get home!!!

Ready for........

Well..Troll and I covet everyone's prayers. We will be leaving at 5 tomorrow morning for senior class trip to Gatlinburg, TN. With us just getting over sickness and troll his siatica problem.....it could prove to be very exciting. I have decided that I will be passing out bottles of Nyquil so that each student can chug it before we load up to leave. That should give us about 6-7 hours of blessed peace!!! LOL!! Hopefully tons of stories and pix will follow.