Happy Birthday to Me!

I've got the best co-workers in the world! As I entered the building at work this morning, I was a little creeped out that the alarms were off and the door was unlocked. So I quietly sneaked my way into the kitchen and screamed my head off when I saw Donovan flipping pancakes in the pitch dark! Jeremy was right behind me, filming my scream! They got me good.
I couldn't believe it, but Jeremy Tracey and Donovan Hill (on air in the afternoons) came in at 4:30 a.m. to make me breakfast. They made pancakes, bacon, eggs, sausage, grilled pineapple, sliced oranges...the works! And, of course, a fabulous pot of coffee! Isn't that sweet?

And Scott blew me away by bringing in my favorite treat of all time--clown ice-cream cones from Baskin Robbins! Is nothing more fabulous than that? When I'm having a hard day, I head straight to Baskin Robbins for a clown cone and it always cheers me up! I can't believe Scott remembered that! It's the sweetest thing.

And a special thanks to the staff for gift-wrapping 27 Skor bars to mark my 27th birthday. My favorite candy bar of all time is Skor (chocolate-covered toffee) so it's ridiculously crazy that I've now got enough to last all year. And Katie baked me a delicious cake while Lindsay brought in yummy ice cream. I wish I took a picture before blowing out the candles.
Thank you to everyone who made my birthday extra special...from my AMAZING co-workers to my wonderful in-laws (who created the most delicious seafood feast that rivals Jonah's)...It's because of the incredibly special people in my life that I feel so blessed this year.

I GRADUATED...

...from Course 1 of "the Wilton Method of Cake Decorating." I know, I know. It's not a big deal. And it's tacky to brag. Especially about things that are not a big deal! But I'm so proud of myself for actually completing something. I like to give up on things when they get tough. But I stuck this one out for a month and I'm so happy I finally learned how to decorate a cake! At least an average one. I'm not even good enough to work for the Kroger bakery but at least I can bake dessert for my family! Pictured on the left is my birthday cake. It's a little weird to make your own b-day cake, but I figured, "What they hey?"

It was the thrill of my life to make a rose with icing. I still haven't mastered it, but I love the process! When I'm creating a flower or lacing a cake with borders, I'm in this Zen-like state of concentration and lose track of time. It's a great stress reliever! It's just so time-consuming. Now I know why wedding cakes are so expensive! It's like an art form that takes ages to complete. Maybe that'll be my next challenge...making a wedding cake!

Saying Farewell to Friends

I'd be lost without my small group of friends who meet every Friday night for dinner and Bible study. Our "small group" has actually ballooned into a "large group" of 17 people from all walks of life...single, married, college-students, middle-aged believers, etc. (Not pictured are core members Jada, Jennifer and Jason). They are my favorite group of people and I simply could not function here in Peoria, 3,000 miles away from my family, without their love and support.
But yesterday was bittersweet because we had to say good-bye to a dear small group friend, Peter, who's leaving for another adventure in Wisconsin. Peter has always impressed me with his generous heart and desire to follow the Lord despite the many temptations life brings...He's still in college but he's worlds more mature than 90 percent of the grown men I know! Tears were shed and hands were laid on him in prayer as we said good-bye. Of course, this farewell isn't final--he'll always have an open invitation to visit our small group family whenever he wants and we're praying that the economy turns around and Caterpillar hires again soon so that he can return.
Sadly, the winds of change are blowing in our small group. We might be losing five other members in light of school changes, job offers, and the opportunity to start another small group as ours becomes so large! I know in my head that change is a fact of life and the growth it brings is good for our spirits--but my heart can't reconcile with the departure of people I've grown to love so dearly.

Open House

No, you're not seeing double...this is Delaney and her cardboard cut-out Mii (as in the Mii you create on the Wii). She made is specially for her Open House which was last month but I forgot to blog about it...I've been way too tired. I thought it'd be fun for you to see her artwork. Jeff and I had a great time meeting all her teachers...and are especially impressed with her Challenge Class. She's one of the top readers in her class and we're proud of her.

Max was darling and formally introduced us to his teacher. He was especially proud of something called a "Smart Board." My goodness...technology has come way too far...instead of a simple chalkboard, the kids can now interact with the "Smart Board" and play games like Tic-Tac-Toe along with math problems. That's way too cool for school for me.

Cake, Games, etc.

First off, here's a picture of my latest cake creation. Not my best, but I learned how to make 3-D clowns with icing...and I learned how to "stripe" a pastry bag and make a tie-dyed effect on a cake. Fun, fun, fun! Speaking of which, I'm looking at the activities we can enroll the kids in this summer, and I'm thinking Jeff & I could use some more activity in our lives, too! I want to sign us up for boating--learning knots, sailing techniques, water safety, etc.--but it's so time intensive, I've got second thoughts.

Secondly, anyone who knows Jeff knows that he loves games. An evening at our house isn't complete without playing a good board game. I was upset that Jeff won last night when we had our friends Bryson and Danell over, but he and I have been waging a war against each other by playing a German-imported game called Elasund. There's a thematic connection between Settlers and Elasund but the mechanics of the game are entirely different. It's highly competitive and the most fun two-player game. What's not fun is when you lose twice in a row that I did! I've got to beat my husband!
I apologize for not blogging often. I need to take more pictures and updates of the kids. Life has been very busy...I've applied to be a volunteer chaplain at a local hospital and am researching service opportunities for my radio station. Between concerts, station events and the kids, I'm very sleep-deprived but it's worth the work!

Steven & Smitty Rock!

Worshipful. Intimate. Nostalgic. That about sums up my experience of enjoying the United Tour. Scott and I had the pleasure of attending the fabulous concert featuring Michael W. Smith and Steven Curtis Chapman. The concert opened and closed praising God. My heart was so moved by the stories Steven shared of his children and moving through the grief process in the wake of the tragedy that claimed the life of his beloved Maria.
As Scott and I shook hands with Steven backstage, I desperately wanted to share how much I rely on his music to provide a backdrop for my life and how he inspired me to pray about adopting a child of my own after hearing him share how the heart of God is really about caring for orphans. But I just thanked him for his music and being an inspiration. We were warned by Steven's dear friend beforehand that he's still navigating the waters of grief and we should keep stories brief and err on the side of being very respectful.
Steven was incredibly gracious and sincere and thanked us profusely for supporting his music...He signed autographs and listened intently to people sharing their thoughts with him. We got to introduce him to our lucky winner of the grand prize drawing to win front row tickets and backstage passes. It was very cool!

After the concert, I rolled into my house at about 11:30, absolutely beat and ready for bed...But Delaney bounced down the stairs and greeted me with a hug. She must've been on a sugar high. My mom bought her jelly beans with the weirdest flavors--ear wax, baby wipes, vomit, pencil shavings, etc. Gross! So...we did a taste test for about a half hour before I tucked her into bed! It's now past midnight and she's anything but tired. She keeps asking me for stories and won't let me bathe and go to bed! But I wouldn't have it any other way...

Cake decorating

I was about to give up on my cake decorating class but Jeff insisted I stick to my commitment. I'm so glad I did! I made a 2-layer rainbow cake today and learned how to use a few different decorating tips for making stars and writing...It was so much fun that I lost track of time and stayed a half hour later than usual. I'm so relieved that I'm at least a little better at cake decorating than I am at abstract art. Delaney was proud of me! I need to bake at least one cake a week from here on out so my family will always have dessert!

Wii are not Fit!

Jeff looked darling doing the hula hoop on the Wii Fit. We're in love with Laney's present. I'm so glad she asked for a Wii Fit. I think it'll be great for the whole family to get active. My Wii Fit age is an embarrassing 38! Jeff made me step on the board and register my weight which was terribly embarrassing but I'm so thankful it registered that I'm at a normal weight. I just have terrible balance.

I love the hula hoop game. It's super fun and surprisingly hard! I feel like I just ran a marathon, too. Jeff and I raced around the track...now he's doing a simulated snowboarding. He looks pretty entertained and he's working up a sweat. This is better than joining the gym!

Happy Birthday, Delaney!

Delaney is celebrating her 10th birthday! I truly can't believe she's entered the double digit phase. She's growing into quite the young lady. When I tucked her into bed last night she asked me to tell her the story of when we first met. I distinctly remember being at Jeff's dinner table with Delaney and Max whizzing around, and they were totally oblivious to me and how we'd change each other's lives. My how time flies.

Delaney was so excited by her many fabulous presents! Her grandparents spoiled her with tons of fabulous gifts, including a CD player, books galore, a pretty dress, a music box and turtle earrings. Jeff & I bought her some clothes and a Wii fit! She desperately wanted the Wii Fit which surprised me at first...it seemed like an odd request for a kid. But she liked the hula hoop and snowboarding game. I think it'll be fun for the whole family. As I blog, Jeff just stepped on the Wii board. It flashed that he's overweight and his fitness age is 52! Wow. We've got lots of work to do.
Anyway, it's cake and ice cream for tonight in celebration of Delaney's life. We love her.

Eggs-travaganza!

Imagine a park filled with 15,000 eggs! Easter came a little early for Max and Delaney...Jeff and I took them to Detweiller Park because the Jaycees hosted a monster egg hunt. I bumped into an old colleague of mine from WMBD who's in the Jaycees club and she said they rolled out 15,000 plastic eggs for the kids to find! It was amazing to see the swarm of hundreds of kids racing around in the cold, rainy weather to gather candy-filled eggs. Max was thrilled to have gathered 70 eggs of his own! Each of the kids also won a prize of a little basket and bunny.

This Easter egg event is apparently among the largest in Central Illinois...normally they even have carnival games and Fun-on-the-Run rides...but with the bad weather they weren't able to offer all those options to the kids. Nonetheless, they had a blast!

You know Easter eggs are a symbol of life in many countries, and of course, in the United States, the Easter egg hunt is a popular festive activity. I think it's such a fun tradition that brings joy to so many children...but I also hope in the midst of all the fun, we don't lose the true meaning of Easter as we honor the death and resurrection of Christ.