Tonight we finally got to watch Watseka’s fourth of July fireworks. Fourth of July this year brought lots of rain so they had postponed the fireworks until a later date. I can’t believe we had them in September! We had tons of fun though. The church (Faith Lutheran) sold popcorn, soda and glow sticks and people brought there lawn chairs out on the church grass and watched them. Jacob and Lily both found friends pretty fast to run around with and chase bugs or each other with glow sticks. All in all a great night, here are a few pictures of it…

Sisters

 

 

 

 

 

Lily braved it very well while clinging to her friend Alaina’s hand, two very brave four year olds.

 

Joe & Hannah watching them, she absolutely loved them and wasn’t bothered by the noise at all, lots of pointing and smiling.

 

Jacob did great the second half of them. Before they started he told me that he was going to hide underneath me during the “big booms”. When they first he crawled under a blanket to hide on Mary’s lap when I wouldn’t let him hide under my shirt. Then was content with just sitting there when he got used to the noise.  Such a fun night for all of us.

I can’t believe summer is at it’s end. Really this has to be the fastest summer I’ve ever experienced. September is going to be such a full month that I’m sure it will be gone before I know it. Lily started preschool today at Calvary Lutheran, she looked so cute all dressed up for her first day. Jacob was a little put out that he isn’t going to school so I’m in the process of converting one of the desks in the office into a schoolroom area for him, a fun project for sure. Virginia Garrett one of my dearest friends and cousin is starting her freshman year at Concordia University in Milwaukee which is only 3 hours away!!! I’m hoping to make it up there on weekends as often as possible!! I’m also going to be flying out to Seattle this month to visit my best friend Nicole and her hubby Jeff. And Hannah is turning one years old!!! Can you believe it, really this tiny little baby goddaughter of mine is no longer a baby…. toddlerhood here she comes! This is truly going to be a memorable month and a busy one, but I’m really looking forward to it. Certainly going to be a lot to share with everyone. I know Mary posted some pictures of the kids that Ruthie took (http://dapelofamily.blogspot.com) but here are some more, they are just so adorable and are getting so big I thought I’d share them…

  

Day Celebrations

• 6 Fight Procrastination Day 
• 7 Labor Day
• 8 National Date Nut Bread Day
• 8 World Physical Therapy Day
• 10 Swap Ideas Day
• 11 Patriot Day
• 12 Naional Pet Memorial Day
• 13 Grandparents Day
• 17 Citizenship Day
• 18 National Play-doh Day
• 19 Rosh Hashanah (Feast of Trumpets)
• 21 International Banana Festival
• 21 Feast of Gedaliah
• 22 Autumnal Equinox
• 22 Dear Diary Day
• 22 Dad's Birthday
• 26 National Good Neighbor Day
• 28 Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement)
• 30 National Women's Health and Fitness Day

Month Celebrations

• World Leukemia/Lymphoma Awareness Month
• Self-improvement Month
• National Piano Month
• College Savings Month
• National Preparedness Month
• National Rice Month

The NOBA awards have become my field of wildflowers. When I cannot do, I read. I have never really taken advantage of the library system. The last couple of months though it seems that I go to the library probably twice a week. Watseka Public Library has an excellent summer reading program once a week for preschool age kids that Lily and Jacob love. I’ve filled my evenings with reading both to the kids and for myself. It has been marvelous, sitting down with a cup of tea and a good book. I have indulged my heart with great devotionals, works of fiction and of course the dreaming and scheming of the next trail or park I’m going to take myself to and saturate my spirit with the beauty all around. The National Outdoor Book Awards or commonly known as NOBA’s each year feed my frenzy for the outdoors. I’m working my way through last years books and am so excited (bolded are ones I’m planning to read). Here are the books from 2008…

• Natural History Literature Category - The American Chestnut: The Life, Death, and Rebirth of a Perfect Tree. By Susan Freinkel
• Outdoor Literature Category - Forget Me Not: A Memoir. By Jennifer Lowe-Anker.
• History/Biography Category
  • Grand Obsession: Harvey Butchart and the Exploration of the Grand Canyon. By Elias Butler and Tom Myers.
  • Fallen Giants: A History of Himalayan Mountaineering from the Age of Empire to the Age of Extremes. By Maurice Isserman and Stewart Weaver.
• Classic Category
  • Through the Grand Canyon to Mexico. By Ellsworth L. Kolb.
  • The Pacific Crest Trail (Series, 3 volumes)
• Children’s Category - The Pole. By Eric Walters. Puffin Canada/Penguin Group,Toronto
• Nature & Environment Category
  • The Last Polar Bear: Facing the Truth of a Warming World. Photographs by Steven Kazlowski.
  • The Great Lakes: The Natural History of a Changing Region. By Wayne Grady.
• Design/Artistic Merit Category
  • Surfboards by Guy Motil.
  • Bruce Aiken's Grand Canyon: An Intimate Affair. Paintings by Bruce Aiken. Text by Susan Hallsten McGarry
  • Honorable Mention - Soul of the Heights: 50 Years Going to the Mountains. Photographs and text by Ed Cooper
• Nature Guidebook Category
  • Birds of Peru. By Tomas S. Schulenberg, Douglas F. Stotz, Daniel F. Lane, John P. O'Neill, and Theodore A. Parker III.
• Outdoor Adventure Guidebook Category - Florida Keys Paddling Atlas. By Bill and Mary Burnham.
• Instructional Category
  • Road Bike Maintenance. By Guy Andrews.
  • Whitewater Kayaking: The Ultimate Guide. By Ken Whiting and Kevin Varette.

* Full List and details can be found at http://www.noba-web.org

Since I actually want to keep track of each month’s holidays that way i can celebrate them year after year, I’m still posting this months. Although half over, it’s always better late then never right… I got to celebrate many of them, just never seemed to find the time to blog about them. I’ve been super busy potty training Jacob AND Hannah. Little Miss Hannah decided that she wants to be potty trained at the age of 11 months! Her older sister Lily was potty trained by a 1 1/2 and it looks like Hannah wasn’t about to let her sister beat her on this one. They both absolutely LOVE the potty that my mom bought for them when she was out visiting for a couple of weeks. It sings any time anything lands in the bowl… instant reward and it’s been working like a charm. I’ve really had to encourage Jacob with rewards but i think we’ve finally found a system that works. If he sits on the potty he get’s one little smarty, if he goes in the potty then he gets a nickel for his nickel jar and a sticker for his potty chart. I found the cutest little potty chart for him. Free downloads a for behavior charts can be found at http://www.freeprintablebehaviorcharts.com/ My two favorite are the policeman and froggy ones at the bottom of the potty training page http://www.freeprintablebehaviorcharts.com/toilettrainingcharts.htm. They are perfect for little tykes who don’t really understand the concept of the days of the week. This is so much better then normal charts where they get new stickers for each day of the week. Every time he is able to go in the potty he helps the froggy (the one he chose) jump closer to the lily pad. This gives them a goal to getting stickers and it carries on from day to day that way they don’t feel like a failure if they don’t get any stickers for the day. I loved the Holy Spirit conference and I have so much I can write about it, I don’t know where to possibly begin (so I'll leave it for now, I might get to it later ~ no promises though) :D Peace for now…

AUGUST CALENDAR

• 1 Friendship Day
• 1 National Rasberry Cream Pie Day
• 2 Sister's Day
• 3 National Watermelon Day
• 4 National Chocolate Chip Day
• 6 Ruthie's Birthday
• 7 Purple Heart Day
• 8 The Day to Create
• 11 Mom's Birthday
• 12 Middle Child's Day
• 14 Koolaide Day
• 15 National Lemon Meringue Pie Day
• 15 Bangladesh's National Mourning Day
• 18 Cupcake Day
• 19 Aviation Day
• 19 Birth of Norway's Crown Princess Mette Marit
• 24 National Waffle Day
• 30 National Toasted Marshmallow Day
• 31 National Trail Mix Day

 

• Simply Your Life Week (1-7)
• Waffle Week (31-9/6)
• Peer Gynt Festival
• The Hamsun Festival
• Telemark Folk Festival
• Oslo Jazz Festival

Bangladesh…

SO this post is a little late. :D I didn’t get around to posting this last Saturday with the fourth being so busy. The fourth of July is one of my favorite holidays. It has always been a HUGE deal for my family. In Bangladesh we would either drive or fly to Dhaka (the capital) and celebrate at the American Embassy and the American Club. It was special (and rare) for us kids to be able to be around other Americans. The missionaries my parents worked with would be from all over the world but mostly Norwegian and so whenever we were in Dhaka we would spend as much time as we could hanging out at a enclosed club for American foreigners. As a child being American meant swimming in pools, eating hamburgers, getting to play on a playground, renting videos and being able to wear pants/shorts and t-shirts (while at the club). Every trip to Dhaka was a treat and I always looked forward to “being American”. My mom and dad did a fabulous job teaching us about American history and various customs that Americans celebrated, especially at holidays. I feel like growing up as a missionary kid I clung to my American heritage furiously because it wasn’t an everyday fact that I was aware of. Fourth of July was the epitome of what it meant to be American to me as a child. We would watch the raising of the flag at the embassy and I would stare in awe as fellow Americans all dressed in uniform would raise that flag. Then we would head over to the Club and with tons of other Americans, that I knew nothing about but didn’t matter since we were all “American”, celebrate all day. There were relay races, swimming races, playground fun, games, face painting, and the coveted “American food” (hamburgers). It was a huge deal. When I came to the States I was so disappointed that although people would celebrate, it wasn’t as big of a deal. Families might get together for a potluck and maybe watch fireworks but there wasn’t the same intense passion. I have noticed that whenever I’m in other countries, when I’d meet other Americans, our patriotism would be awakened and would create a bond of kinship. (Below picture is of the American Club… it’s changed a little since I lived there)

Columbia…

After a couple years in the States I was so blessed to become a camp counselor and celebrate the fourth with a bunch of kids. All the campers and staff would dress up in their camp t-shirts and head out to a town called Columbia in Tuolumne County, California. (http://www.columbiacalifornia.com/) Columbia is a state preserved historic park and a National Historic Landmark. It is a former California Gold Rush boom town and has been preserved to still look like one. On the fourth, we would see people dressed up in pioneer and Native American outfits, we would as a camp walk in a parade, then spend the day walking around visiting the blacksmith, candy shop, soap making shop, a various antique stores and gift stores that all looked like they stepped out of a history book. We got to mine for gold, ride a stage coach, participate in watermelon eating contests, egg tosses, races, grease pole climbing. We got to here a cannon fire a shot and listen to bands play. It was always a little funny for me because as a kid growing up this is the America I thought I knew. :D Needless to say I returned every year regardless of whether I was working a camp or not. This year has been the first in 10 years that I haven’t been up there celebrating.

Watseka…

I was so looking forward to spending the fourth in a small town with all of its charm unfortunately it rained. Boo! But it was still so much fun to spend time with family. We all got to go over to Legion Park and have a pork chop barbeque (in the rain) then we drove home, hung out for a while and watched a movie. We picnicked on the porch since it was raining still and had such a fun time. Joe made delicious brauts, corn on the cob and baked beans. I feel so honored in many ways to be a part of this beautiful country and to celebrate with my beautiful sister and family. I am blessed indeed!

FREEDOM

As the day wound down I spent some time reflecting on the reasons why I love this country and how I am thankful that the Lord granted me this heritage. I think it came down to two things. I am struck my the beauty of this land and the people here, both will be forever etched into my heart. Second, I get to live in a community where people are passionate about freedom (in as many forms as they can think of). Whenever I think of the freedoms we seek as humans on this earth I am always challenged to examine the difference and similarities to the freedom that God desires for us. What does freedom mean to me? What is the biblical understanding (both Old & New Testaments) of freedom? Is freedom ever attainable for those who do not have a right relationship with God? Am I free? What areas in my life and heart still need to be freed or embrace freedom?  I am overwhelmed with so much when I think of this concept. Overwhelmed by my weakness… by God’s strength… His omnipotence… the fact that God is love… how much God has changed me and what he has delivered me from. I think that the most influential work of freedom in my life that I am aware of other then the God’s forgiveness of my sins is the freedom he has given me in my relationship with him… He has not only freed me from death but has granted me so much freedom in my intimacy with him. He is truly my closest and dearest friend and the Beloved of all that I am and know. This love he shows me brings me to Him in adoration. He has freed me to be loved and to love Him in return.

“Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.” (2 Cor. 3:17-18)

“For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.” (Galatians 5:1)

 

How and why are you free? Are you free? I want to encourage you let it ring. :D Share your stories with each other, the Lord will use it to bless and encourage. 

I love fudge and any excuse to make fudge. All that delicious chocolate as it melts in my mouth (although my favorite is still Russian fudge) brings a whole new meaning to the word “savor”. I didn’t plan enough time yesterday to make Russian Fudge but the kids and I did get to try our hands at a new recipe. Chocolate Caramel Walnut Fudge… absolutely delicious.    

Then today Lily asked for a tea party so we spent all afternoon planning and decorating for it…

With the table set, the caramel drizzled “fancy” on the plates (everything has to be fancy like Fancy Nancy), the invitations made and posted on every entry door to the house (we didn’t know which one Mary would come into), the stuffed animals/dolls seated, and accessories found and displayed… we sat in anticipation. Lily instructed me in a very serious tone that we had to hide until mom got home so that we could surprise her, and so the hunt for the perfect hiding place began. We crawled under the table and practiced several times jumping out and yelling “SURPRISE!” until Lily felt like we had mastered the skill. Then we sat (under the table) waiting... five minutes went by… ten… fifteen…the anticipation was completely overwhelming. Finally, Lily instructed me sternly to sit by the window with Hannah and watch for Mom to get home (a much better solution for an anxious 4 year old). Not quite sure though if I could handle such an important job she kept eyeing me asking every few minutes “are you watching??”.  Just when she could not wait any longer all was not lost, Mary pulled up in the driveway and I haven’t seen a little girl move so fast. When Mary walked in she properly exclaimed how surprised she was to get the invitation. Lily either couldn’t remember what to say or wasn’t sure what to do because she stayed hidden under the table! Mary kept talking while Lily tried to figure out what she was supposed to do. Mary finally asked where Lily was because she wasn't sure where she was supposed to go. This clicked for Lily and out she jumped with a big “SURPRISE!”. Mary did fabulous acting completely surprised.

Accessorizing before sitting down to tea.

           

Fancy fudge. Monkey was the guest of honor until Mom got home.

     

Hannah loved being part of the party and thoroughly enjoyed her empty plate and fork. She looked so grown up in her little chair, she hardly looked like the little baby I thought she was when I first got here. Mommy kept a hand on her leg just in case.

 

All in all a fun time to be had by everyone. Lily was quite excited about the way it turned out and had all sorts of ideas for the next one. The planning has begun and this time with LISTS!! A girl after my own heart.

Yesterday was Relay 4 Life,  and Mary, Joe, the kids and I spent an amazing but emotional night walking around Blake Field (high school track just behind the house practically). Raising money for the fight against cancer, participants and teams walked from 6pm to 6 am. We only stayed from 530pm until about 10pm and then brought the kids home but it was one of the most memorable nights I have spent. The event was so beautiful and I found myself with tears streaming down my face several times throughout the night. The first Relay for Life was held in Tacoma Washington with 300 members in 1985. Now it has grown into an annual event in which more then 3.5 million participate. The entire event celebrated the lives, courage and strength of those battling, and the many caregivers who support them. We got to hear and speak with many of cancer survivors, those battling and the many caregivers that support them. It also honored those many loved ones who have lost their lives to cancer. They had a survivors lap as the first lap around the track following the Opening Ceremony and it was so inspiring to see these beautiful men, women and children walk.

The kids had such a fun time too, the event had a lot of children’s activities but the kids probably enjoyed walking the most. :D They LOVE to go walk/run around the track and are so sad when they have to leave. So for the last week they could hardly wait until they were allowed to walk “as long as they wanted!” SO exciting. I walked with Hannah pretty much the whole time and it was such a  peaceful time with her. Their is such beauty in this tiny little person. She was asleep most of the time but whenever she was awake, she thought it was about just as much fun as a baby could have… to sit in her carrier and bounce around… so many giggles! The kids also loved the free face painting and were so sad that they had to take it off when they went to bed. Poor Jake would only concede when he was told that he might be scared if we woke up in the middle of the night and saw a tiger.  

Jake was hilarious about the tiger he got, it was so ticklish! The nice lady changed from a paint brush to a sponge, and still the faces he was making cracked me up, but he was so happy with the end result… so cute!

      

He got quite into his tiger role but poor kid couldn’t get his “claws”  pointing the right direction. :D After quite a bit of coaching he was able to get them pointing out.

      

Sweet Lily had made up her mind that she wanted a red butterfly and was pretty pleased with the fact that it turned out just right, even though she has a goofy look on her face. Hannah and I got matching pink ribbons.

 

At around 9pm they turned out the light and with darkness as our covering we walked in silence remembering those who had lost their fight with cancer. They had surrounded the track with about 1300 luminaries, each in honor of a loved one. As bagpipes played and with Hannah in my arms I walked and I wept.

I wept for all the names they played on a screen and their families. I wept for my family and the loss of my father’s brother Uncle Ed, his sister Aunt Virginia. and his parents (my grandparents) Aubry and Effie. And I wept and prayed for my Uncle John who is battling it now and my high school best friend Angela. There is so much pain in this world as a result of this disease, so many lives devastated and so much hopelessness in the hearts of many. Please pray… pray for a cure and most importantly pray that people will find their hope in Christ. That they may see He is the light of the world and to trust Him to be their Savior and their strength.

My Evening…

• Make dinner (white chicken chili. yum.)... check
• Go grocery shopping... check
• Make pie with kids... check
• Read stories and shadow hand puppets... check
• Prayers and goodnight kisses... check
• Bake pie...check
• Watch Gran Torino...check
• Reflect on God's many blessings to me...double check. Children touch a place in my heart that desires above all to love.

My Grandmother Effie (my father's mother) was an award winning pie maker. Therefore my dad grew up with delicious pies and when he married my mom (who didn't make a whole lot of pies) an interesting conversation was bound to take place. Now my mom and dad were newly married and one day my grandpa got wind of the lack of pies that she had apparently not been making. The next time he came over this is what transpired. Now my Grandfather would kind of take over a kitchen when he would walk in, so I can only imagine what my mom must have been feeling to have her newly acquired father in-law in her kitchen. Here's the story my mom tells: Grandpa... "Have you made Robert any pies?"

Mom... "Nope" (Actually she said she was thinking "No way am I going to compete with his mom")

Grandpa... "Are you going to make him any pies?"

Mom... "Nope"

Grandpa (very sternly)... "I'm telling you, you have to make Robert pies"

My mom said that she was totally horrified at the "order"  she had just been given. (Lord have mercy on me and give me quiet in-laws) :D So she started making my dad pies and has (of course) become an amazing pie maker. :D Her crusts are always flaky and her lemon meringue pie is a thing to behold. Literally it is probably the most beautiful and tasty pie I have ever seen. So as a teenager I made it my goal to make a good pie and after 10 years I'm still baking them. She graciously says that there isn't any difference between hers and mine, but I still call her every once in a while freaked out that something has gone terribly wrong and if she's ever around I still drag her into the kitchen at various points of the baking and ask for her advice (mostly reassurance that I haven't destroyed it beyond repair). She always laughs and tells me that it's fine. The times when I refuse to be consoled she just cuts a little dough off here and pastes it there. Amazingly just her presence comforts me and lets me know that the pie will survive. She has been the most amazing teacher since no one has yet complained or died from eating a pie of mine. ;-D This pie is a new one for me... actually my first mixed berry pie. Hope it tastes as good as it smells...

Recipe

2 pie crusts
2 cups  Blueberries, picked over and rinsed
5 cups Strawberries , roughly chopped                                                                  1 cup Blackberries, picked over and rinsed
3/4 cups sugar, plus some for sprinkling top
2 tablespoons cup flour, plus some for rolling the dough
2 tablespoons cornstarch
zest of 1 lemon
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. The dough should be in a ball in wax paper for 1 hour. On a lightly floured surface, roll out half the dough, 1/8-inch thick, to fit a 9-inch pie pan. Chill the shell while assembling the filling.

 

In a large bowl, combine the blueberries, strawberries, blackberries, sugar, flour, cornstarch, lemon zest, cinnamon and ginger. Stir until well combined. Remove the pie shell from the refrigerator and pour in the fruit mixture.

Roll out the other half of the door on a lightly flour surfaced. Cut into strips to make a lattice topping. Arrange the dough into a lattice pattern. Crimp the edges. Sprinkle sugar over the top.

Bake the pie at 425 degrees for 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and place foil over the edges because they will be browning lightly. Reduce the temperature of the oven to 375 degrees. Let bake for an additional 35-40 minutes until the crust is golden and the fruit filling has started to bubble. Best served with vanilla ice cream.

So a day living with three children always has the potential to teach me a lot! Let's take today for example... I woke up sometime in the night with this weird lump underneath my covers half asleep i fished around for the possible t-shirt or maybe I had fallen asleep with my journal who knows right?... yeah wet diaper!! Yuck! Definitely a preview to the day. I have learned something valuable after this day. The most trying moments are followed by the some of the sweetest ones.

• Wet Diaper steals my sleep and woke up so groggy (rare and throws my emotions off kilter a little for the entire day! Everything seems so much more dramatic. Thank goodness my God loves me)... but I wake up without a bad dream (also very rare).

• The kids were squirrely and it takes twice as long to get them fed and ready for the day. I'm totally behind already and it's only 9:30am... but found a really cool worship CD my mom had given me but hadn't gotten a chance to exhaust it.

• Hannah's been fighting a 104 fever and sore throat and is teething, such a sad baby. Takes me forever to get her to sleep for her nap... but got to stare out the window for 45 minutes and the day is incredibly beautiful with the wind blowing in the trees.

• Finally 10:00 sat down to breakfast and devos at the kitchen table. Lily and Jacob saw me sit and ran up to me with their devotion book that we've been working through. (The One Year Book of Devotions for Preschoolers, put out by Tyndale Kids Little Blessings. Written by Crystal Bowman) Our daily ritual. They each get to pick one story to read and Jake eats half my fruit and Lily eats half my white egg omelet while they listen. (I've learned to make a little more then usual :D) Today I was so busy reading with the kids I forgot about the food, big mistake... they sure hadn't. No food... but got to watch unbridled curiosity and hear the excitement in their voices as they tried to figure out all that God might be responsible for creating. “What!! He even created the grass!! And the sky!! Wow!”-Lily. (Priceless)

• After devos with the kids I go in to make myself something else I reach for the pan and poor Hannah wakes up after only a 40 minute nap. I scoop her up and try to get her to sleep again. I have to say the saddest thing is watching a tired sick baby cuddle against you desperate to feel normal... my heart couldn't figure out how to not break for her. Finally I gave up and figured i would just hold her all day. Looks like I'm not going to get quiet time this morning... but I have a blast with the new worship CD. Dance party with the kids and building forts! Had a blast. Then I hear this from Lily, “I love dancing and singing for Jesus.” My joy is complete.

• Lunch all around. Hannah won't eat anything and dumps the baby food all over the floor! ....but Jacob said “Don't worry, I get it" finds a towel and does an amazing job of cleaning it up! He is soo helpful!

• Hannah woke up every time I tried to put her down so I had to slow down and sit with her for an 2 hours... it forced me to stop my day and I got my quiet time with the Lord after all. :D

• Hannah woke up after another short nap when Jacob goes yelling and running down the hall. Oh no sad baby all day?!... nope. Fever is gone down tremendously and she's back to her sweet natured self (still no smiling though).

• Then I walk out and the house is completely trashed. There are toys scattered from one end to the other. I did not even know where all the toys came from, half I don't recognize! I think I'm only having 2 children. I go and put a very upset Jacob down for a nap (that was the last thing he wanted to do today). He was sobbing and wouldn't look at me at all, there was no love in the air. I panicked; I'm never going to have time to clean everything up before Mary comes home.... I come back out Lily had cleaned it all up without being asked!!!!! I love her!

• Mary comes home just as I try and cheer Hannah up before Mary sees that her children aren't happy. Mary walks around the hall and Hannah gives her the biggest smile. Then I go wake Jacob up wary of the reaction I was going to get after his meltdown... he wakes up immediately gives me a hug and says “I wuv you Auntie Esther “ before I could say a word to him.

All in all just another day, but a blessed one indeed.

Thursday was national applesauce cake day, so the kids and I tried our hands at making one. Here are a few pictures.



It turned out really yummy especially after I added the cream cheese frosting, definitely something for the recipe box. After we had fun baking I sat down at the computer and a few minutes later Jacob found me. He walked into the office and proudly announced "Auntie Esther, Auntie Esther I caught myself" So precious! Luckily I had the camera handy.