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Sophie said it all!

Childhood Memories

In June while we were home visiting family I was able to get together with my childhood friend, Skye. She is still such a great friend to this day and I am so impressed with all that she does and accomplishes. We definately had our fair shares of ups and downs as friends do, but in the end we are still great buds. It was so fun to take a walk down memory lane with her. I drove to her parents house in Mendon (where I grew up) and drove past my old house. It was weird because I felt like I did when I was little kid going up the 'hill' to Skye's house, but the difference this time was that I had a baby girl in the back seat. Its like the past 25+ years flashed in front of me. It was so much fun to sit and have breakfast together and get all caught up. She has me beat in the kiddo count. She has 2 good lookin lil boys who are adorable. Her baby boy is only a couple of weeks older than Sophie so it was fun to see them interact. Although we were only able to spend a couple of hours together it was so worth it! She is one talented little lady! Check out her Etsy shop http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5594317. Isn't great to have such great friends! Everyone needs a "Skye" friend!

Little Sophster

This is a "We Love our Little Sophie" post. She is getting so big. Travis and I just left her room again for the second time tonight. We put her down at 8:30 and she was still playing and talking in crib at 9:40. So we went in to tell her it was bedtime...and she just cuddled with us on the bed while jibber jabbing about an airplane outside. It was the cutest thing ever. She is so attached to "da-da"! The long weekend was so fun for her because she was able to spend so much time with daddy. This morning was confusing for her when she ran into our room to wake up daddy....she was so sad when she realized he wasn't there. She loves him so much! All day long she kept saying "da-da"! Anyway here are some cute pics of her from the last couple of weeks.

This is Sophie and her new kitchen! She's not quite tall enough for the microwave but she loves the parts she can reach! She plays with it EVERYDAY!

She is such a happy girl! Her smile always makes me so happy!

She was a great HELPER when making strawberry jam. She loved to dip the spoon in the sugar and lick it! She is getting big into being my helper or at least watch everything I do!

She loves to swim. She has no fear of water which is pretty scary....since she hates being in a floaty device. We have to watch her every second. She'll just run and jump in.

She likes her booster seat on the floor not the chair!

WE LOVE YOU Lil Soph!

Wilton Course 4 - Fondant and Gumpaste

Yes, its true...I am finally finished with all of my cake classes. I'd take more but they only offer 4 courses. The 4th course I just finished is actually called the Fondant and Gumpaste course. We learned more about fondant and worked with gumpaste to strengthen the decorations. We learned fun borders, carnations, daisy's, the fantasy flower, leaves, and much more. I'm still not a fan of how fondant tastes but it sure looks pretty. The last 4 months of cake decorating classes has been a lot of work but a lot of fun too! So for now I will just be making cakes for fun occasions...Yeah Travis' birthday is in a couple of weeks so I have an excuse to make a cake:) My mom's birthday is also in a week so we may just have to have a cake even if she isn't here! Below are some of the cakes I made this month for class.
This was a cake for class where we learned about drapping and the fantasy flower (There is no such flower that looks like this). This cake was sent to school with Travis. I think his classmates expect a cake now each week :)

This cake was for my friends baby shower. I had leftover cake batter so I made matching cupcakes.

This was my final cake for class. This also went to school!

Nanny Fe-Fe Visit

This is a very special post to me. My dear friend, more like 2nd mom came to visit us a couple of weeks ago. It was so much fun. I loved talking with her as well as watching Sophie love her. Phyllis is one of the most amazing people I know. I met her during my college years at Lamar. I would go with my classes to her school to teach lessons to her students. I was fortunate enough to get her as my mentor teacher while I student taught. Our friendship grew everyday and she became my 'Texas' mom. After I graduated I was able to teach at the Elementary school right down the street from her, plus I was able to coach the middle school volleyball team from her school. So, it was great I was able to see her everyday. During the two years I taught in Beaumont we spent a lot of time together. We went to two teaching conventions together, one in Galveston and one in Fort Worth. She seriously reminds me of my own mom. We would laugh and cry and do all the things moms and daughters do! On the way home from our trip to Fort Worth we hit a deer. She made me feel so safe and comforted me. We hitched a ride with a stranger, but I never felt scared because I knew Phyllis we take care of me. I get tears when I think of her because she is so special to me. I wish I could see her more. We have a hard time calling eachother because our phone conversations turn into 3-4 hour marathons:) But its worth it! WE LOVE YOU NANNY FE-FE!

Our little Sophie

Poor little Sophie. Once she learned to walk it seemed like every week she had herself another black eye. (Balance/coordination not quite up to par yet). But it didn't seem to stop her from having a good time.

This is Sophie's first OREO experience. Daddy was soooo happy she likes OREO's (what kid wouldn't). He now has 2 people to share is favorite treat with. She hasn't quite mastered the cookie/milk dipping motion yet.

Here are some pictures of her and her buddy Dylan. The first picture was when we dropped off Sophie to be babysat while we went to a movie. Dylan would push her around in this. Then the next picture was the one that made us decide she needed a slide of her own. (pictures to come of her and her favorite new slide). (Thanks Melissa for those 2 pics) The last picture is priceless. She had just woke up from her nap and Dylan wanted to 'hold the baby'. It was too cute. This is our SUPER SASSY SOPHIE picture. She makes us so happy. She truly is such a special little girl. We can't believe how fast she is growing up.

Wilton Course 2 & 3

In June I started the Wilton Course 2 cake decorating at Michaels, but didn't get to finish due to our trip home to Utah. So, I was able to finish Course 2 while I finished Course 3 in July.

This is the final cake for Course 2. We learned the basketweave and many different types of flowers. (daffodil, victorian rose, daisy, petunia, apple blossom, primrose, pansy, and chrysanthemum). The flowers were all made from a special type of icing called Royal. It dries hard but tastes just like pure sugar. I sent this cake with Travis to school so we wouldn't have to eat it at home.Then for Course 3 we touched on Fondant and Wedding cakes. Some of the techniques we learned were Cornelli lace, Sotas, bead border, brush embroidery, stringwork for draping on wedding cakes, ruffle borders, Fondant Roses and Leaves, and then we learned 4 types of flowers that you make using a Lily Nail. (Easter Lily, Poinsettia, Petunia, and Morning Glory). This is a picture of my 1st Fondant cake. I made a chocolate cake with mint buttercream icing and then covered it in Fondant (which I do not like the store bought fondant...it is awful tasting). Then this was my final project....A wedding cake. I made a 10" white round cake and a 6" chocolate round cake and iced them in Ivory Buttercream. Then I decorated the beadwork and swirls with white decorating icing. The flowers I had made ahead of time. I made Ivory/White Morning glory flowers and Petunias with stamens. I was super happy how it turned out. I actually wouldn't have mind using it for my own wedding cake. I had a horrible wedding cake disaster when I got married. It was supposed to be fondant but came an ugly buttercream design. Luckily my flower lady covered most of it in fresh flowers. Then the day after the class my friend Kaylynne and I had a 'wedding party'. We had some friends over and looked at eachothers wedding albums and videos. It was super fun to look back on everyones special day. Then we watched 'The Wedding Planner' and finished the night off with wedding cake.

Well 1 more course to go....Next Monday I start my "Fondant and Gumpaste Course".