Happenings

So to fill you in...

Friday afternoon I jetted over to St Clair to pick up my kiddos for a sleepover. We sang our lungs out on the way to the doughnut shop (I didn't feed them doughnuts for dinner...they were for breakfast). We ate Bandana's BBQ for dinner, played dance on the WII, and of course had chocolate milk and candy. I moved the couch (once again) into the bedroom, cause everyone has to be together. Sleeping is kinda of a wishful thought with four kids, one adult and a dog in one room! It was great. Saturday the weather really didn't work with us, but the kiddos got home just as the snow started which is good. They had gotten breakfast in the car...doughnuts and soda. (I know, I know horrible nutrition, but I gave them grapes too!)

Registration started for the fall semester today, so I got my schedule all worked out and filled in. This summer I am going to Australia to study abroad for about three weeks. It will be a good change and I hope that it is enough shake up in the mundane routine of school to get me ready to put my nose to the grind stone and get through the next semester. I am carrying 18 hours, so it will be a little bit rushed.

This coming week I am going to Fort Chaffee, Arkansas to sponsor a couple of kids for a warrior competition. I will be gone for the week, which will be a break of sorts, but it will put me behind in school so I will spend the next week catching up.

That's really all the happenings in my life right now. What's new with y'all?

Sick

I have been officially diagnosed...with SPRING FEVER!

Spring break is this week and I am sure the doctor would prescribe a trip to the beach, right???

I headed south Friday afternoon...took the scenic route through Arkansas and into Louisiana. I made it to my Louisiana church in time for Sunday School on Sunday morning. It was a great visit and so relaxing to be in a church with friends again, instead of always being the visitor!

After service...oh, and a delicious meal of jambalaya which the church youth had put together as a fund raiser. Mmmm, no one can do cajun, like a cajun!!!!

Right back to the trip (as my mouth waters from the memory!), I headed further south to Galveston, TX. The trip was almost better than the stay. The scenic route parallels the gulf pretty much all the way down.

The drive was incredible...most of the time. Azlan went with me. She did great, but got a little restless at times. (I am sure I was singing at this point, hence the confused stare look on her face! LOL)

 I stayed on the seawall for a few days. It is really windy, but the weather was beautiful.

There is still damage from the many hurricanes in the past five or six years, but the rebuilding continues and the area is looking great. This is one of many rock piers. The water was freezing, but the sand warm and inviting.

Azlan was not interested in the water at all. The first couple of times the waves would go out and I would be able to trick her into coming down the beach and then the waves would come in, much to her surprise.

After Galveston, I headed back north to Houston. Got to visit with an army friend, Tanis, and then stayed with an college friend, Shannon and her family. I haven't seen Tanis in almost two years, so dinner was a lot of reminiscing and catching up. I had never been able to meet Shannon's family, so getting to catch up with her and meet two of her adorable children was fantastic.

Overall, it was a great break and much needed relaxation time!

Spring Fever!

I had a request for a hiking/camping cake for a relatives birthday. As I was making it, I thought back to all the camping memories that I have. There aren't many as an older teen/adult (unless you count field time in the military...haha), but many great memories as a child. Anyway, I went about making this cake which had a lot of firsts for me. They wanted an orange cake, so I made about three different cakes before I got the right taste (or what I thought might be the right taste as I have never had orange cake before). I have also never used other foods beside cake or icing to decorate.

The trees trunks are Honey Wheat Pretzels with green icing piped around the top. I used gramcrackers covered in icing for the tent and the chair. The little marshmellow is really a marshmellow...which brings us to the only unedible piece on the cake and the is the toothpick that the marshmellow is on.

With all of this camping and outside fun on my mind, I found myself wishing for the summer and sunshine more than ever before. Spring break is just arond the corner. Maybe I can get my fill then, but that's another post altogether.