Camping pics!

Ok so Betho hasn't sent me the pics we took of the cupcakes but be looking for a post that looks like a picture of a bunny that melted and then got run over by a car and you are at the right place! But for now here are a few pics of our WONDERFUL camping trip! I look forward to this trip each year b/c it is always so much fun and so nice to get away for a little while and hang out with so many people I love! However, we SO missed the Bradford family. I can't remember the last trip I had without Rox and it was just not the same. But of course little miss Avery's safety comes first and I don't think Rox wanted to end up having her baby in a tent....so it was probably best that she listened to her doctor and stayed home.

It was kinda cloudy but hardly rained and we were able to stay outside all day and hang out. We ate a LOT too and is was awesome! I have been slacking on my cooking and on these trips I get to be the kid again and have people cook for me, that's the best kind of cooking!

Little Josiah is not so little anymore either and it was so fun to have him at his first camping trip. I kept imagining how crazy this trip is gonna be when we all have kids and there are like 15 little ones running around the campsite!

It was hard to leave and go back to Lubbock so far away from everyone but every day that passes of grad school makes me that much closer to getting done! Oh what a glorious day that will be! However, as crazy as Tech is I am really starting to find my niche in this field and really do enjoy some parts of speech pathology. I have been really fascinated lately with cleft palates and helping families deal with this with their little ones and am kinda thinking that's what I wanna do when I get out. However, it changes everyday and I bet next month I will want to do something different!

Ok that's all for now I am off to bed. Well off to watch Friends on DVD until I fall asleep!

The whole group after church on Easter Sunday!

Some of the girls hanging out on some rocks.

I put this one up here so you could see that sweet little face! I LOVE that little man!!

Lance somehow managed to get down there and then couldn't get up. It was priceless watching my Dad & Cody try to pull him up!

I wish I had some more pics but my camera is still broken and I just use what other people give me. But I WILL fix it soon!

Posts and pics to come!

Hello again blog world! Lance & I were cursed with the worst stomach bug eaither one of us have had in a looooong time & I have been out of comission for over a week! We got back from camping last Sunday and were almost instantly sick. But I have lots of pics of the trip & Betho and I made the cupcakes that I promised. However, they were a DISASTER! But I will post pics of them soon too. But for now I have to make up for lost time and get tons of stuff done today!

Camping fun & cupcakes!

Ok so I know I promised to post my fondant cupcakes on the blog....but I have YET to have time to make fondant icing! I think I was aiming a little high with fondant in grad school! BUT I am definitely making these on Thursday with Betho. We are all going on our traditional Easter camping trip Friday and Lance and I are going to Austin Thursday to stay with the Girod's so we can all go together Friday to Pedernalis Falls! I am soooo excited. Anyway, these cupcakes are so easy and I really will post these on Thursday night after we make them! Aren't the so cute!! Happy Spring!!

Here is the recipe!
container (16 ounces) vanilla frosting
2 cups flaked coconut
12 unfrosted cupcakes
12 plain donut holes
12 large marshmallows
6 pink jelly beans, halved crosswise
Chocolate sprinkles
Miniature semi-sweet chocolate chips
DIRECTIONS
1. Tint frosting pink or blue, using 4 drops red or 4 drops NEON blue food color. Place coconut in resealable plastic bag. Add 4 drops red or 4 drops NEON blue food color to coconut in bag; shake until coconut is evenly tinted.

2. Spread top of each cupcake with tinted frosting. Press each cupcake into tinted coconut to cover top completely. Spread donut holes with remaining frosting. Press a donut hole into top of each cupcake to form the bunny’s head.

3. For the ears, cut a 1/4-inch slice off the flat ends of each marshmallow to make 24 slices. Dip cut sides of the marshmallow slices into the coconut until completely covered. (Reserve remaining marshmallow pieces.) Attach 2 marshmallow slices to the head of each bunny with frosting to create ears.

4. Press a jelly bean half into the face for the nose and sprinkles for the whiskers. Use the chocolate chips for the eyes. Press the plain marshmallow pieces into the cupcake for the belly.

World Autism Awareness Day

Being in the field that I am preparing to be in I have been more than touched by the families and children affected by Autism. I have had the opportunity to get to know a few families very well that have struggled every day for years trying to cope and understand their child who is affected by this difficult disorder. Although these kids are different and stand out from their peers they have something so special as well. They have things to offer that typical children can't and if you really take the time to get to know them they are such unique, kind hearted, special kids!

I have no idea what it must be like to have the huge job of raising a child with Autism. These parents are not only parents, but are required to take on the role of advocate, doctor, therapist ect. They work so hard for their children and I have so much respect for these parents! I know God hand picks special people to take on this job and although I want this to be a disorder of the past as soon as medically possible, the fact of the matter is that 1 in every 150 kids will fall on the Autism spectrum and for now it is very real. There are SO many parents out there that work so hard every day of their lives juggling careers, marriages, and trying to be the best parents they can be to their children. Some of these parents are doing everything they can think of for their child and are seeing little to no change. I can't imagine that frusturation!

Please just take a few minutes to pray for peace and happiness for these children, for wisdom and a God given peace of mind for their parents and for the medical professionals working to find a solution to this problem that is getting bigger and bigger every year.

I am so thankful for these wonderful people and will never forget the relationships I have been able to form with these families! Please know how wonderful and special these kids are and make sure you treat these amazing people and families with the respect they deserve. God knew what he was doing when he created each and every one of us and although we are all significantly different we are what HE made us and that means we are wonderfully and perfectly made.

If you don't really know much about Autism and want to learn a little more this is a great website! http://www.autismspeaks.org/

“Let the little children come to me,
and do not hinder them,
for the kingdom of heaven
belongs to such as these.”
Matthew 19:14

Lately....

So life around here hasn't been too bad lately. It is spring break and I have found myself with less time that I would have liked to get stuff done, but it has still be a nice break!

Last Thursday we left for Dallas and had such a good time! We stayed with my friend Heather Thursday night and did all kinds of fun stuff Friday. Then Friday night we met up with Brian & Roxanne for a b-day dinner at Maggiano's (they were sooooo sweet and came to Dallas for the b-day weekend). However, we got stuck in traffic and were an hour late!! I felt terrible and we didn't even get to eat until after 9:00!

Saturday we went to a St. Patrick's day street fair thing in Dallas and it was CRAZY! There were tons of people there all decked out in all kinds of green craziness! By the end of the afternoon we were pretty decked out as well. Betho & I somehow acquired face tattoos, beads and some nasty green wigs! It was a fun and interesting experience!

After the parade we met up with my parent's and had a little b-day party in our hotel room at the Embassy Suites & it was soooo much fun and they even brought mt fav cupcakes all the way from Houston! Yuuuummmmy! We went to dinner that night with them and then played cards for hours with them that night when we got done. I hadn't seen my parents since Christmas so I was soooo happy they came!

Sunday after the fam left we went to Six Flags and had SO SO SO much fun! I have been wanting to do this for over 5 years so I am really happy we got to! It was my b-day gift from Lance and I had the best day! I rode every ride which is NOT like me and even rode the huge scary wooden one! However, I must say that ride is rough! I have bruises ALL over my hips from being shaken around in that thing! The last ride of the day was this EXTREMELY scary one that dropped STRAIGHT down in the beginning and I freaked out and started crying as we were going up! I am such a loser I know but it was terrifying. However, I lived and it was actually really fun!

So that's what has been going on around here. I am trying to get school work done today b/c I am heading to Houston tomorrow for Kara's shower.

Have a good week!

Here are some pics of us opening our gifts and then at dinner. I will try to post some more later but this is all I have for now b/c OF COURSE I forgot my camera!

(if you look closely you can see the remainders of our nasty "St. Patrick's Day" wear!)

Spring Break Fun! (and cute commercial)

I was reading a friends blog and she posted her favorite commercial! It made me think of my ALL time favorite commercial! It is the same cute little kid that did the infamous "kicked him in the penith" commercial. It is soooooooooo cute and funny! I hope it will make you laugh & smile! It never fails!

On a different note......IT'S SPRING BREAK FOR ME NOW!! Although I have a lot of work to do over the break I don't have school for 11 days! YAY. I haven't been able to make my fondant cupcakes that I promised to make and post but they are coming!

Tomorrow we are off to Dallas for a Birthday weekend with the family & I am super excited. Then back to Lubbock for a few days of "responsibility" I have some projects to do.....then I am off to Houston for Kara's wedding shower! I am really excited....I haven't been there at all for any wedding stuff and I have felt like I was missing out so bad! Kara was my roomie in college and I so miss our life in the dorms and at ACU! Best Times Ever! I know she is going to wish she had a different Maid of Honor by the end of this whole thing! BUT I LOVE YOU KARA! SORRY I LIVE SO FAR AWAY! But I am so happy I am going to be able to be there! I can't wait for all the wedding fun to begin!

Ok, pictures to come after Dallas!

Have a great Thursday....I will be sleeping all day! Whoo Hoo!

Test time!

Hi blog readers......I don't have much time to blog today b/c I have the scariest midterm I have ever had in my life. I have studying TONS so it should be ok but if you are reading this and would pray for my test tomorrow at 9:00 that would be great! I figured I could use all the extra prayers I could get! We only have one test in this class so it is muy importunate! Thanks! :)