Holy Guacamole!

I know, I know. It has been a while. BUT I have good reasons. Life has been so hectic, and down right crazy! Our computer crashed taking with it some super important documents that I need for both of my jobs. We had to buy a new one, and since I am so computer saavy and know so much about them *note sarchasm* I purchased a super nice, really pretty HP computer. That came with Microsoft Vista. Period. End of story. IT HAS BEEN PURE HE*L for the last 3 weeks trying to get everything converted to use this lovely system. So, this is how my life has been:
New computer $750.00
Upgraded software $250.00
Reconfiguring everything on your computer - countless hours...
Getting your computer to finally work...priceless!

PLUS, we are in the swing of crazy life right now!

Kylee is in soccer 5 days a week, and they are preparing for the State Cup which takes place in May.

Cayden is playing baseball for not 1, but 2 teams. A city league team that has 2 games and 1 practice a week, and a superleague traveling team that has 2 practices a week, and a double header every Saturday.

Halle is preparing for her dance recital, so she is going extra times a week. She has recital pictures on Saturday, and then the following Friday she gets to spend (notice how I said "gets") 6.5 hours at the High School for a Dress Rehearsal. Then she has the recital that lasts 3 hours...uggggghhhh! But it is all worth it to see her up there, dancing and looking so stinking cute. Oh, she is in soccer as well, 1 practice and 1 game a week.

AND, I am the ward camp director. That in it's self is enough to make you contemplate slamming the bottle. Can't wait!

SO, I promise to down load pictures, and update more frequently...

I Imagine...

That Jack and I would be really good friends...

JACK DANIELS that is! It has been a rough week or so. It is probably, I mean really a good thing that drinking anything stronger than diet Dr. Pepper is against my religion, or I would be a lush. But, I imagine that Jack and I would be grand friends!

Our computer totally, and completely crashed on Thursday. We couldn't revive the little sucker. We had to purchase a new one. We didn't really have the money for that right now.

I hate Microsoft Vista.
I hate that I lost lots of important emails.
I hate that my hotmail isn't compatible with Vista.
I hate that my mortgage information didn't back-up correctly, and now I can't email anything from that system.
I hate that the people in customer support can't even fix it.
I hate that they want to sell me "THE NEW AND ENHANCED VERSION" for $1000. Take a hike.

So much for my grains of gratitude post this week...

Matilda jane...

how I love thee! There is 1 good thing about having your baby be 6, and know that there isn't the slightest possibility that you could have another baby girl...wanna know what it is?

You might be able to afford to put your kids through colledge, because you won't be spending your life's saving on any of this wonderfulness! Some of their pictures are wierd, but I am telling you, their clothes are divine! I love, love, love them. Fortunately for my wallet, and Clay, Halle is almost too old for these clothes. sniff. sniff. I bought her a couple of things at their clearance sale last fall, and loved them so much I actually paid full price for something last month. I know...full price! That is so unlike me, but trust me...it was worth it!

Seriously yummy!

So, I have a couple of baking sites that I LOVE to read/stalk. I love to bake. Anything. And, I really enjoy it (not to get confused with "I am a really good baker"). I saw these "cake pops" on a website called "Bakerella", and fell in love with them.

She makes the round ones, bunnies, chicks, little lambs, smiley faces, and she has also made the cutest ones in the shape of a cupcake (fear not, I have already ordered the cupcake cookie cutters online, as there is not a single store around here with them in stock!), she has made eggs for easter...you get the idea.

Anyway, I decided these would be so cute for the upcoming baby shower that we are having for my cute SIL Jessi, and their cute baby (no name yet...hint, hint), but I wanted to try them out before hand and make sure I knew what they entailed. I read the instructions, gathered all of the ingredients, and was ready to BAKE! I decided to make them for my inlaws birthday party, as well as give them to my visiting teachers, and Halle's primary teacher (it was her birthday).

They weren't hard at all to make, just time consuming, but I think they turned out soooooo cute! Mine aren't nearly as cute as hers, duh. That is why she makes the big bucks, and I just copy! Here are the instructions on how to make them. I am going to try the cupcakes as soon as I get the cookie cutter in the mail! 1 batch of these babies produces around 50 cake pops (depending on the size), they are like rabbits, they just keep comin'! So, here are some pictures of the lovelies.

I realized that I have no camera skills. NOT A ONE! So, sorry for the awful pictures!

OH, and also the cutest way that I displayed them was I got a couple of those terra cotta pots from Roberts, some floral styrofoam, and cute ribbon. I cut the styrofoam to fit the top of the pot, jammed it in, stuck in around 8-10 of the pops, and then tied a cute ribbon around the edge of the pot. It was so stinking cute, it looked like a pot of flowers.

Also, I bought the littles sucker bags that I could find (again at roberst), and tied them around each pop (of course not a picture of that either). I also made them with skewers because I didn't have any sucker sticks, but I have some now, so the next batch I make will have cute white sucker sticks! Enjoy!

Chocolate with chocolate sprinkles

(unique I know!)

White chocolate with sprinkles (I had a 6 year old helper with the sprinkles, that is why some of them there is a plethera of sprinkles, and some not so much!)

You have to let them dry in styrofoam, so here they are drying. I also dipped some in pink chocolate, they were the cutest, but unfortunately no picture...I see a pattern here!


Oh, yeah, here is my lovely assistant! Isn't she cute, fresh from the tub with wet hair and all! They were a huge success, everyone loved them...can't you tell by her smile? :) She was the one who assisted in the sprinkling of the sprinkles!