Hellllooooooooo

I don't even want to know how long it's been since I've blogged.  I have gotten so busy with my kiddos that the poor blog has been forgotten.  We are busy getting ready for Christmas.  The girls are sooooo excited.  I can't wait to have them wake up Christmas morning and open their presents.  Hopefully they will sleep past 4:00am.  Can't believe they woke up at that time last year.

Hope had her 1st Christmas program at pre-school.  She LOVED it!!!  She did AMAZING!!!  I couldn't have been prouder.  Will post pics later.  She definitely stole the show.

Halli is now on Winter break and loving it.  She will have her winter concert in January.  So glad it wasn't in December.  This way will get to completely enjoy her program.  She will also be having her birthday party in January.  Having a birthday two days after Christmas is hard.  It will be her first slumber party.  She is very excited.

Not much else going on.  Made banana-pecan cupcakes with caramel buttercream frosting the other day.  Forgot to take pictures.  Everyone said they were excellent.  I don't care for banana bread, so I only had one mini cupcake.  It was just ok.  Can't wait to get started on the holiday baking this weekend.  And of course, after the holiday's back to the gym!

Hope you have a very merry Christmas!

1st family summer vacation

 Starting our trip out with breakfast at the new bagel shop.

 We found summer in Idaho!!  Enjoying a dip in the pool.

 Cousins doing a day hike.

 Found a "cliff" to climb.  Hope loves to climb really high.

 Enjoyed an evening at the local park.  It had a great water feature.  The girls LOVED it.  Doesn't it look like fun?  Hope waited and waited for the water fall.

Halli enjoyed the park too!

Still on vacation.  Get to spend the 4th with family.  Can't wait to take the girls to the huge water park.  They are very excited!!!

Gods Heart: Adoption

Attachment Psychologist

Dr. Kali Miller, a well known psychologist, will be speaking on Sunday, June 26th from 2-4pm at Rolling Hills Community Church in Tualatin.  She will be discussing:  what attachment is, how it relates to adoption, how to develop a healthy attachment and what are the warning signs.  It will be a great afternoon!  Invite your friends and pass it along to others.

Hope to see you!
~Carey

Finally some sun!

We finally got some sun and some heat!   It's been a long winter and spring.  Of course when it get's to 80 degrees, you have to play outside in the water.  The girls had so much fun.  Hope enjoys the water much more this year than last.



They love pouring water on themselves.  I love seeing their reaction!

So cute!

This cracks me up!!!

Adoption Connection

A group of ladies at church organized an Adoption Connection potluck.  I had asked if they needed any help and they added me to their team!  There are three ladies currently adopting from Africa and one that already has.  I'm the only one that has done a domestic adoption.

We had our potluck last Sunday and it was great!  We had families that where interested in adoption, in process of adopting or already had.  What I enjoyed most was seeing all the children playing together.  Halli had so much fun!!!  (Hope was sick, so she stayed home)  I can't wait for our next event.  Hopefully my pictures turned out and I can post those later.

We are praying that this group will become a ministry at church.  It has been on my heart for a long time that we have some kind of adoption group at church.  I can't wait to see where God directs us and what he has planned for this group!!

My Girls!!

It's been awhile since I've updated with pictures of my sweet girls.  Here are a few pics.  Will try and get more on later.

Hope is loving her gym class.  I think she would like to go every day!  

This is one of most favorite things to do.  She loves to swing from these.

Halli and Hope doing an art project.  I think they are painting little bird houses.  I'm hoping I can start doing a different project with them every Saturday or Sunday.

Isn't she just the cutest?!?

What was I thinking???

Back in September I signed up to help with the school auction.  Of course I volunteered to be in charge of desserts.  I don't think I really understood what I was getting my self into.  A meeting every month from Sept - Jan.  Feb - Mar a meeting every two weeks. Apr-May a meeting every week.

Our theme was "No Place Like M****".   My daughter goes to a charter school and I rather not give out the name.  This was our first year in our own building.  Our theme was Wizard of Oz.  There is so much you can do with that theme.  I've posted some pictures below of my dessert table.  We had Munchkin Treats and Lollipop Lane.  ~Enjoy

Bunny Pics

We finally got the girls picture taken with the Easter bunny.  We have done this every year.  Halli loves it and Hope is just learning all about it.  It was so cute to watch the girls.  They both would sit there and pet the bunny. I wish we could of gotten some better pictures of Hope smiling.  But what can you do with a 2yr old.
Enjoy the pics!.

 Miss Hope

Doesn't she look adorable?

 Halli & Hope

Miss Halli

She is growing up too fast!

Easter Desserts!

Anyone have a favorite dessert they would like to pass on?  There are so many out there and I can't remember all that I've seen.  I usually make sugar cookies and probably will make some kind of cupcake.  I'm sure there is an Easter cupcake in Martha's book.  So...... what are you making for Easter????

Cupcake Adventure #5 - Coconut

Another late night of baking. A coconut cupcake.  I don't think I've ever had a coconut cupcake.  The batter was very fluffy.  There wasn't much flour in the batter.  Martha really likes to use buttermilk in her recipes but with this one she used coconut milk.

 The cupcakes baked up really fluffy.  After they sat for a little while they did sink and became a heavier cupcake.

This cupcake was topped with a seven-minute frosting.  I did learn that when it says to have egg whites at room tempt.... you really should have them at room temp.  The girls really liked this cupcake.  I think they liked it better with out the frosting though.

I would probably make these again but would top with a ganache.  I think that would be really yummy!

Crazy Hair!!

Last Thursday was St Patrick's day, but more importantly to my sweet daughter it was
 crazy hair and no uniform day at school!!

She wanted green hair and she wanted her hair to stick out.  So, I found some neon green hair spray and sprayed away.  She was very proud of her hair.  Doesn't she look happy?  I'm thankful it came out in one wash.  Now to make sure the spray is put away and my 2 yr old doesn't find it!

St Patrick's Day cupcake

Martha has a holiday selection in her book.  I decided to make the St. Patrick's Day cupcake.  It's a brown sugar pound cake w/ Bailey's Irish Cream frosting.  I was a little concerned about a cupcake with brown sugar.  OH MY GOODNESS, IT WAS YUMMY!!!  It was lighter than I thought it would be.  I could eat these all day.

 I was told the frosing is very yummy.  I don't like Bailey's. So I didn't try it.

Andy took these to work and they were a HUGE hit.  Glad everyone enjoyed them.

I did find out what happens when you don't get all the brown sugar mixed into the batter.  You get a hole in your cupake and a gooey mess.  Even though it's a mess, it's a very tasty mess.  I ate a couple that had a gooey mess.  Very yummy!  I will definately make these again.  In the regular part of the book these have a different frosting.  I'll have to give that a try too.

Cupcake Adventure #4 - Yellow Buttermilk Cupcake w/ White Fluffy Frosting

Time for a basic yellow cupcake.  This cupcake was really easy to make.  The buttermilk did make it really moist.

Don't they look yummy?  They baked up nicely!

Time for frosting!  Since it's close to St. Patrick's Day, I added some green sprinkles.  The girls love the sprinkles! 

I was recently at the coast for a scrapbook retreat and of course did a little bit of shopping.  Look at this cute cupcake stand.  I bought two of them.  If they had more, I probably would have got them all.  Can't wait to use these for all kinds of fun around the house.

By the way, Andy took the cupcakes to work and everyone enjoyed them.