cake and Conference and cooking

...okay, I'm giving fair warning that this post is definitely random, relatively long, and possibly boring...

CAKE:

I dream of making girly cakes, but with two boys it seldom happens, so I had to laugh when Aidan angrily approached my finished butterfly piece (that Angie kindly let me make for her girlies' 1st birthday).   "That's a girl cake, Mom.  Why do you always make girl things?!"

(a bit out of focus!)

I have been wanting to work more with melting chocolates, so this seemed like the perfect opportunity.  The butterflies are colored chocolate.  First you pipe the wings onto waxed paper.  Once those harden, you fold a piece of cardstock into an "M" shape, cover with waxed paper, place a wing on each side and fill in the body of the butterfly.  When it hardens the wings will be held together.  They turned out very fragile, but I loved their vibrance.  

One of the smash cakes: (a tiny 3" in diameter...and the main cake was 6" 3-layered)

CONFERENCE:

On Tuesday night of this week we had our Young Women's Evening in Excellence.  The night was beautiful, but as the culminating moment of much planning, it had occupied most of my thoughts for the two weeks prior.  So when I woke up on Wednesday morning able to take in the rest of the calendar, I saw that General Conference was coming.  And I realized that I hadn't told the girls I teach how I feel about conference.  That I love it. 

I wanted them to know that.  And I want my children to remember that about me, too.  So I'm going to paste the note of testimony & advice I gave to them with a package that held notebook, pen & treats. 

"Feast upon the words of Christ; for behold, the words of Christ will tell you all things what you should do."  2 Nephi 32:3

I love Conference weekend.  It's a time when all else can be put aside, and I can focus and feast on the words of Christ.  It's a time when I can take personal inventory of where I am in my life when I feel prompted to strengthen my weakness and reorganize my priorities. 

I hope you use this notebook and pen to do the same this weekend.  As a missionary in California, I met Elder Richard G. Scott at a Zone Conference.  He offered insights into note-taking that have impacted me deeply.  I'd like to pass his ideas on to you.  He suggested drawing a vertical line down the middle of your page.  On one side, record parts of the talk that stand out to you.  On the other side, record the promptings you feel as you listen ot the talk.  Those promptings may or may not have to do with the subject of the talk, but they will be what the Lord wants you to know right now.

I also want to give another challenge.  Before Conference begins, take a few moments to consider any problems or questions you are currently facing.  kneel and pray about these.  And I promise you that you will receive answers as you listen to the General Authorities speak this weekend, and they will be the answers that the Lord wants you to have.

I know that this is His gospel.  I know that you are His daughter.  And I pray that you will invite Him into your life by Feasting on the Words that He has given and continues to give (conference!).  

We madly rushed to deliver these on Saturday morning before 9, and I was very grateful for a boy old enough (finally!) to do the running to and from each door.  After 8 young women and 2 visiting teachee drop-off's (go here for gooey caramel popcorn recipe), his end prize was jumping into a rolled down front seat window.  I laughed and wished I'd had my camera.  So I made him recreate the feat today.  He must be Jim's son because this definitely wouldn't have been my dream prize. 

COOKING:

One joy of cake-making is leftover filling.  A few weeks ago we made crepes with extra of a strawberry whipped cream.  And today we did cream puffs.  Yum!  These were often a treat in the family that grew me, so I enjoyed them today with a good deal of nostalgia (and even more so because Cyn & Mandi were snacking by my side). 

for the recipe we use, go here.

We also made my favorite, easy crock pot roast today.  The joy of this roast is that it makes its own flavorful gravy as it cooks.  I posted the recipe months ago, but finally remembered to take a picture for those who are like me and don't ever try recipes that don't come with a picture.  This one is worth trying either way, but you'll have to click the Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner icon on my sidebar because I've been trying to link it for the past twenty minutes, and am now giving up because it's late, conference left me too filled for squarespace hate, and I'm wiped. 

The End.

adventures with A

After wrestling the boys through three sessions of Conference, I was so glad when Mandi and Nate came over this afternoon with their girls.  And all of the kids went to the backyard for most of the blissful hours of the last session.  After the closing prayer, I came down and found my Aidan in this get-up. 

With these weapons:

The boy cracks me up.  He is caught somewhere between small and big.  Still easily swallowed up in imaginative play, but more and more intrigued by the realities of the grown up world (the serious way he approaches his school work both warms & worries me).  And he has melted my heart more than once this week. 

Last night Cyndee and I took the boys to Target (hence the new skeleton p.j.'s).  After shopping, we got to the car and were distracted for a minute as Davyn lost his shoe jumping out of the cart.  When that chaos settled, we turned to see that both front doors of Cyn's car were wide & welcomingly open.  And A stood behind an open backseat door beaming.  I desperately want to raise little gentlemen, so I beamed, too. 

But last Monday was what really melted my heart.  It was around 4 pm when Aidan decided that he wanted to be in charge of FHE that night.  I gladly said yes, with little idea of what to expect.  And he anxiously went about making props for the lesson.  When FHE time arrived, I'm not sure what stunned me more - his lesson or his demeanor.  The lesson was about missionary work.  He eagerly gave us each name tags that we taped to our shirts (why didn't I take pictures of this?!).  He told us we could be missionaries in two ways - by being kind and by teaching people about Jesus.  Short, sweet & sincere.  Then there was his whole demeanor.  Fully earnest and surprisingly reverent, he wanted to conduct as well.  He stood (sans coaching) and stated, "I'd like to welcome you all to Family Home Evening tonight."  My heart thumped as my mind was impressed that this boy will be a great leader some day.  I looked at Jim looking at his boy, and saw that he had felt the same. 

Raising sons humbles me.  Future priesthood holders.  Future missionaries.  Future leaders of families and congregations.  

For closing music, he chose, "Jesus Wants Me for a Sunbeam", a primary song notorious for being accompanied with shouts and bounces.  When the last note ended, he proudly stated, "I didn't even jump or yell during the song this time."  Indeed.  My boy is growing up.

for Always

It's not what I planned to do with the day, but yesterday morning I ended up trimming my overgrown front yard.  And when the results of the mad cuttery were amassed, I knew I was in trouble.  There was no way that bulk of branches, leaves & dead foliage was going to fit into our garbage can. 

I stood back.  And the situation seemed surprisingly familiar.  Reminiscent of the past few weeks, in fact.  When my own "mad cuttery" has amassed huge (self-inflicted!) lists and piles.  When I have all too often felt that no amount of pushing or prodding can possibly stuff all of my to-do's into the finite time available each day. 

So I did the best I could.  And swept the rest into a pile beside the garbage can. 

Then Jim came home.  And did his genius thing.   Topping the green mass with a board, he lifted the boys in and told them to stomp.  

So simple.  And everything soon fit. 

And I realized these three men do this for me all. the. time.   Sometimes they lend extra hands.  Other times genius invention.  Perspective.  Kisses.  Levity.  Or generous acceptance of peanut butter sandwiches for dinner again.  

Mostly, I bring chaos to the daily.  Always, I'm their girl and they fit me in despite...leaving me grateful that my life is linked with theirs for Always.

my two

the truth

Jim's new view:

In the cleaning process I found:  2 movie passes, a birthday card to Ras (from February!),  a sealed letter addressed to Mandy (from who knows when!), and space for my water on my own desk.  While the newfound order is nice, here's the naked truth - cleaning had nothing to do with either order or the state of my union. 

Jim built me a new computer this week.  And it could not come home to disaster.  Because this computer is "sick" (his words).  And I'll share some other words of his from a few days ago.

     J:  I don't think you fully appreciate how nice your new computer is or what it can actually do.

     A:  (doubtful look with silent "is he serious?")

     J:  (doubtful look with glaring "you're unworthy of this RAM")

     J:  Are you even excited?    

     A:  I cleaned the room.  I'm excited. 

     J:  I don't know if you deserve this.

     A:  I'm pretty sure I don't.  

We had this issue once before.  When my reaction was not enough.  Christmas 2002, our first one married.  He insisted that I unwrap my gifts from him in front of Tonya and Daniel, who were living with us at the time.  Well, that kind of attention flat out does me in.  So when I opened gift after gift with a fidgety, half-giggled "thank you" on my lips, disappointment clearly dressed his features. 

     J:  You didn't like anything.

     A:  I did. 

Well, six years later I'm prepared to tell the truth.  I did not like the tan pleated pants.  I do not like opening presents in front of people.  And I really, really, really, really, really like my 3 gigahertz dual-core CPU.