Picnic Table Makeover

Over the past three days I have been working diligently to refinish a picnic table that has spent the last 18 years waiting for someone to love it and use it!

I had to scrape old paint off rinse off the dirt.

Then I used the deck paint that I found in the basement to complete the makeover. It looks like a brand new table!

A field of Flowers

Here is the view of my yard. As you can see it has been overtaken by Dandelions. I am afraid that when we get rid of them I will only have dirt left! Right now it is a haven for the bees. I must admit that at this stage it is a pretty sight!

Garden Up Dates!

I have been checking my garden each day for signs of life. Today I was so excited to see baby asparagus popping its head through the ground. So far I have three shoots standing tall.

I am also very excited about how my rhubarb is growing. I should be able to harvest enough for a crisp or two before summer is out.

Here is my lettuce, spinach and radish row. It also is growing very nicely. The neighbor who's yard is mostly garden is impressed that it is already growing.

My onions are growing the fastest. It is amazing at how tall they are.

Now if I can get my potatoes to come up that would be great. I also have other things including corn, peas and beans to come up but I just planted those so it may be a while before they rise to greet the sun.

Mothers Day!

Today Tim's parents came over for lunch to celebrate mothers day.

We enjoyed playing pool for a better part of the afternoon.

It was a nice way to spend the day.

We decided to play teams. We switched several times so that everyone could have a chance to play. Ansir is getting pretty good at sinking the ball. His grand parents were impressed with his skills.

This is Irene with her beautiful dog Snowflake. She is getting up there in years and loves her mom.

Even the pets enjoyed the day watching us all play pool.

8th grade Recognition

This is a picture of the certificate that Ansir received last night.

Each of the 8th graders and their families created a picture board and displayed some of their work. Ansir had his Autobiography on display for people to read. It definitely tugged at the heart strings and received lots of compliments.

This is the daughter of one of my friends. She is so beautiful and sweet. She has also accomplished so much in her 8 years. She had a scrap book on display that she started when she was about 8 years old.

This is another picture of our graduates standing by their displays. They were excited to be celebrating all of their hard work.

There were 5 graduates all together.

All of the graduates and their parents went up front for a prayer asking God to bless the next four years of study and thanking Him for all the accomplishments.

Our little family. We are so proud of Ansir.

Ansir's aunt Brandy and her children came from Montana for the special occasion.

Ken and Ireen, Ansir's Grandparents also made the trip from Montana.

We were able t o get some nice family pictures.

All of the grand children posing with Grandma and Grandpa.

Over all the evening went well and fun was had by all. We also had some family friends the Reiners stop by to help celebrate.

The Finished Cake!

This is the cake after I had covered it with fondant.

This is the finished product.

I think it took me Approximately 4 hours from start to finish. This does not include the baking and cooling time. It is definitely not perfect but for a first time I am very happy with how it turned out. I also added a little vanilla flavor to the fondant frosting I think it made it taste a little better.

I must confess that I am a frequent watcher of Cake Wars, Amazing Wedding Cakes and Ace of cakes. I have been wanting to create a fun and unique cake and this was the perfect opportunity. I hope the kids like it. Next month I will be creating a special cross cake for Ansir's Conformation.