April Adventures

April was packed w adventures! The highlight of our month was  a visit from NeNe &Cowboy(Papa),around Easter time.
Parker is attached to them the minute he gets to be with them.
Kaden took about 3days to warm up to them(typical 2nd born/mama's boy).(sigh).


The boys started swimming lessons while NeNe & Papa were here. They LOVED them. Kaden did a Mommy& Me class with me. I completely forgot that he needed "ear plugs" for his ears since post tube surgery in Feb. FYI;(He is DOING FABULOUS since his tubes!) It was the best thing we did for him. He is a completely different child, back to sleeping peacefully, takes 2-4 hour naps daily and we have not been to the Pediatrician  since March! I am SO grateful for his healing and comfort that has occurred! (So here is a photo of Kaden with NeNe and his bright neon orange ear plugs.) He is really great about letting me put them in too, and doesn't try to pry them out!
During our visit with NeNe&Papa we celebrated Easter Sunday,dinner @The Old Mill with them & our good friends (like family), The Hoeyes.Dinner buffet was great and we ended the day visiting with some good friends and celebrating their daughter's 2nd birthday!



The week was BUSY for Mike at work. A few late nights of work for Mike (past10pm)!It helped lighten my load just having Mom & Dad R. here! Parker got a new bike over Spring break and enjoyed a few strolls with NeNe.He is still gaining confidence riding it.

Kaden has continued to be a delightful 2year old,filling the daily roll of taking my hair brush or running with my phone or better yet,feeding himself on HIS schedule,his way!(10 AM cheerios all over the kitchen floor) or a fruit popsicle!I think it is time for locks on the fridge and pantry!!!
The "Aglow" book launching party was alot of fun.We had Flat Stanley visiting from OH,so we took him w us!

Parker got to meet some of the other red -headed kids in the book.
We are so excited he got to be a part of this special project and definitely proud of him and the special boy he is becoming!
Aglow Book is now being sold on Barnes & Noble and Amazon.com.
 We are of course smitten to one sweet little red-head in the book and we have a copy in our home to share with you all.

Aglow

I will never forget the moment I heard the nurse say,"I see red hair" as I was in the final stages of delivering our first little boy,Parker.
Honestly,I was just so wanting to see him and in denial that our little boy would have RED HAIR.
However,I wasn't in true denial.
My paternal grandma had red head & my two aunts were also red headed. So,I knew that the red hair was destined to come back in the family. Well, I inherited it. I married my college sweetheart who also has red-heads in his family. So, we were destined to have a red- head!
So,it is an honor to carry the gene and pass it on to our first born son, Parker.
Here we are 4years later and in love w our "red head"/Orange haired little boy.
Two years ago,Parker was invited to do a free photo shoot in an Atlanta with a very gifted photographer,Oana Hogrefe. She was seeking red-headed children to fulfill a book with their unique beauty.
We were so excited to participate.
We didn't even know if he would make it in the book.
Here is a photo from that shoot.
(Parker is 26 months old here)
He has grown up so much since we had the photo shoot.

Fast forward two years~  he made the cut!
The book just got published and is now available.
The book is called "Aglow"
That word "aglow"  is a beautiful definition of the beauty that lies behind each little red-head in this book.
God made them all with a distinct connection,their red hair.But, they are all so unique and different. Some have light red hair and blue eyes.Some have darker red hair and brown eyes.Some of these children,like Parker, have definite "red" hair and green eyes.We are excited to go to the publishing party and meet some other red heads that also took part for the book.
To this day,Parker has LOVED his "orange"hair.
Thankfully, he has not questioned why he is the only one in our family with "orange"hair.
Our prayer is that he continues to love his unique hair color,and understands how much God loves him and has great plans just for him(Phil.1:6).
Here is the website for the book and you can get a sneak at some of the other children in the book, and look for our little red-head!

http://www.aglowbook.com/

:)

Living life in the construction zone!

We have had a BUSY 4 weeks.

(Honestly, more like "Can't catch a break kind of 4 weeks!")
And we felt like this ALOT the past month.

We had some renovations done on the downstairs of our home. We had a new ceiling, lighting and flooring installed. The journey getting there was a challenge with two small kids. It is ever so challenging to live mainly on the upstairs of your home, when your children are way too curious about all the construction on the lower level~!STRESS!
I had to be creative with the cooking, amongst all the drywall floating around.
Only so much $ allowed for takeout. I for one love to cook! However, I do not love a messy house and cooking in one. It was alot of added stress to my life and trying to contain our busy two year old and keep him out of the big buckets for drywall, and the raftors=super stress!

(Caught in action "jumping"on the raftors during renovation time).
I don't recommend cleaning the drywall on your countertops nightly. It was a waste of my time to go into the kitchen and clean every night!
Needless to say that part of the construction took just about 11 days and dead smack into the end of the contruction we hit a HUGE curve ball.
As I blogged earlier-we had been waiting for Feb. 3 to come. We had sleepless nights and a miserable two year old. He had not been responding the last 3 antibiotics for ongoing ear infections. So, Feb finally arrived and it was the night before Kaden's surgery.
Day 8 of renovation was the night before Kaden's surgey.
I had to take Parker over to a friends to spend the night. We had to be at the hospital super early for Kaden's surgery.
Therefore, a sleepover was in the plans for Parker.
I got home 1 hour later to find our hot water heater exploding in the garage.YUP!
A flood of water came streaming down our driveway.  I was shocked! I opened up the garage storage room and it sounded like a shower was running in our garage. I just stood there starring and was completely NUMB. I was in complete, utter, shock!  It really felt like an out of body experience. I was not really seeing it. But I snapped back into reality ~and it was REAL!
Mike was still at work (wrapping up a corporate meeting);I call him in a complete panic and demand that he leave immediately.
I was not a sweet "Proverbs 31" wife at the moment.
I think my tone was calm, but I honestly have NO clue what I said?
I was still trying to unwind from all the construction inside, and preparing for Kaden's surgery in the AM. I was really not prepared for the Hot Water Heater explosion. I was actually saying "WHY!?The night before surgery!?" Really God!??? (A lot of laughter because tears had already overflowed the week before.) "We really can not take anything more."
I called our neighbors, the Hoeyes, and they came right down while Mike was in in route.
They figured out how to shut off the water and gas. Mike was home within 20 min and they investigated the outside meter and it appeared to be a leak going on underground as well.
We called the water company and of course, it was our fault! Not theirs. So the water was shut off!
LOVELY!
No water before a 4:30 wakeup time....NOT fun! We had to be out the door by 5:30 for Kaden's surgery. I don't really think Mike nor I slept much that night.
All Mike was seeing was $$$$$ in his sleep and all I was seeing ?????!!!and thinking~ "OH NO,one more thing of chaos"
So, first thing in the morning we headed up to the hospital and got Kaden all prepped for his Tubes.
  
About 7:20AM they came and wheeled him off to surgery in a wagon.
 He LOVED it! (SMART distraction for a 2 year old!) No tears at all.

Once he was wheeled off, guess what we were doing?
We were on the phone calling plumbing companies.
Great distraction while your child is in surgery...just spend the time and call all the plumbing companies and see who can service you ASAP!
I was on the phone with the local plumbing company setting up a 9AM arrival and in walks the surgeon.
(WOW! That was a fast 13 minutes!.)
I quickly hang up and tell them I will call them back and we hear from the surgeon~
"Everything went great! I drained out his right ear! He was a trooper. No tears the whole time and everything was smooth sailing, he should be peacefully sleeping come today!"
He did fabulous and only cried for about 30 min following surgery.
He has been a different kid ever since!
We are so happy we went through with it for him. This construction was so worth it for him.
His little body had been exposed to so many antibiotics and could not snap those ear infections out of his system. The ears are draining and doing well.
Speaking of draining~As for that water damage that was going on the night before his surgery,it got it all fixed by 3PM.
A 6 hour job; a new underground pipe,a new valving system completely replaced and a new hot water heater!

 Emergency funds are a great thing to have when you own a home! :)
We finally were back on the uphill journey as the end of renovation was wrapping up and then Kaden picked up a virus following surgery. :( That kept us housebound.
Kaden finally recovered, was back to sleeping 3-4 hour naps daily and 13 hours of sleep uninterrupted at night.
And then the very next weekend, Parker's asthma flared up and he went into a really bad attack! So, we added the nebulizer back into his life, 3 days of Prednisone and finally got him back to well.


I had days that I felt like I could take anything! And I had my days where I felt like there was nothing left of me to conquer another "disaster" or "issue."
Many mornings-I would pray; "What is going to happen today? God, we are in this together and I am ready!"
Thankfully, both of the boys are on the mend and Mike and I stayed well!
We are coveting all the prayers of protection around us.
I know Satan really wanted to get in the middle of Mike and me.
However, I kept praying "Lord, help us come out shining like gold!" I don't want to look ugly!" I trust in your timing but I really don't like all that has happend in just 2 weeks!
I had my days that I really got down and discouraged and panicked alot about the list adding up financially.
However, God continued to remind us that he has never once let us down and his ways are greater then ours! (And he always provides!)
I kept coming back to Jeremiah 33:3,"Call unto me and I will answer thee, and show thee great and mighty things that thou knowest not!"
Isn't that the truth! Our home is his and our lives belong to him.
He is in charge yet we have plans! But he can wake you up and change plans in an instant.
The Lord was in the midst of it all! The night our water heater busted, I happened to have been out.(Many nights we are home and boys are in bed by 8PM) Good thing I had to be out, or we may have found out about the end of it's journey in a bad way.
Our water heater was withinin a few hours of a gas fire! (Quoted from the Plumber and Gas specialist who had already seen the copper burning away at the bottom of the water tank).
So, we could have had a gas fire occur. Our water heater was 17 years old. Most water tanks have a 10-13 year life span. EEEK!!! (Sadly,we have been homeowners for 7 years and just learned this.)
So make special note and go check your water heater. If your water heater is older then 13 years get it replaced and save some chaos and $$.
I don't want to go through it all again.
However, I am thankful for the lessons, new renovations and most of all happy to have our home AND Kaden all fixed!

 *Happy moment they were enjoying a cakepop from mommy on Valentines Day!:)
Until our next "piece" of excitement,
Blessings to all,
Jenn :)

Kaden's 2nd Birthday,&ENT update...

We had Kaden's birthday party@
Chic Fil A.
I highly recommend it, if you are looking for a fun way to celebrate, but don't have the time to clean the house (or the room) to house the family and friends! Best thing is, it is inexpensive,there's an indoor play place for activity for the kids,ice cream can be given in place of the toy,and the adults always love some good ol' sweet tea!

Homemade cupcakes for Kaden's friends! :)

Everybody looking at Mike (as he sings his version of Happy Birthday to Kaden).

Kayleigh-Bugg and Parker having a sweet moment!

Kaden chilling out with Emma Kate!

I didn't order the party package,we just got kids meals for all the kids.
At the end of the party, we passed out Elmo Cake Pops!

 (Now available with my business~ Riese's Pieces Cake Pops & Truffles).
Kaden LOVES CFA,so I knew it was a great match.
Thanks to all our friends who brought their kids out,New Years Weekend.(We felt like we had the whole restaurant,no one was there but us that Friday night).
The day of his party,he was NOT feeling well(ears),and had a super early nap.But as soon as we got there he lit up w joy!
I am still working on his 2yr video.
He just got a CD for Christmas from NeNe and Papa,and the songs all say his name...so it will eventually get done!We are excited to see what lies ahead in this new year w Kaden.One thing we know for sure, he is getting tubes! We are so anxious for a happier boy and not in distress at night.
Kaden is getting Tubes,Feb.3rd.
That in and of itself is a miracle! We don't have to wait 1month (many kids needing tubes do).The visit at the ENT went great. He is a candidate for tubes with the 7 ear infections, from 2011 & he has "glue ear". The fluid in his ear is so thick,they call "glue ear". The glue ear is usually not painful but can be for some cases.  And it appears in Kaden's case it is painful-because he is NOT sleeping. The Nurse Practitioner that we saw, said it was like we were describing her son when he was little (*who got tubes around the same age as Kaden). So, she was so gracious and understanding that she pushed us up on the surgery schedule. I had in my mind a DR. that we should go with, but at that point ...we said who can get us in first!?
 It turns out God was SO good, we got the head of the Practice (who we wanted) and are getting in 2 weeks! Dr. Parks did our friend, Trey's ear and also a few other kids we know. So, we are encouraged that there is a light at the end of the tunnel. We really thought that he was possibly just giving us a hard time at night and needed to be moved out of his crib. So, we converted his bed and we still have the same sleeping habits. So, therefore we know it is his ears. Mike,me& especially Kaden,have not slept since mid Dec.
So,we are hopeful for Feb and TUBES or "New Ears" for Kaden. For us,this is what we are choosing to do.
I am not content to just keep medicating him every time an ear infection comes, and have possible hearing loss with all that fluid built up.
His poor body has been exposed to so much.So,going forward...the tubes can do their work to keep that fluid draining properly!
I know many parents are against tubes and surgery for what they think can be corrected other ways, But for him this is what we believe and have prayed about.
I am so thankful my sisters and friend(s),Joy&Liz, have all walked through this journey.
So,it almost feels like I have already experienced it.
However,it is our first time with our own child. So it is a bit deeper now that it is our little boy.
We are praying for a smooth process. We are dreaming of the the day again when we have a happy,sleeping boy! It seems like an eternity from now. (Feb 3 is just around the corner), but he has been miserable since Christmas!
I just cry with him some days, because there is SO little that I can do but hold him!
Amongst all these long days and nights he has these phrases lately- "Hold You!", "Mommy lay down,"
And of course one of the sweetest moments, I was walking out the door with him to run an errand because mommy could not be out of his sight, and Mike was home. Kaden overheard me say "Good Bye, Honey!" and instantly we heard an echo at the door;Kaden said "Goodbye, Honey-Kiss,Kiss!"
It was a priceless moment! :)
We know he is hearing well, because he is repeating almost everything we or Parker says.
So,thankful for this ray of hope! And thank you for all the support from my MANY friends who have reached out and been some support for me.
Kaden, we love you to pieces,even when you are at your saddest moments. We are praying for comfort and for God to heal you and most all that you will grow into a sweet, little boy who loves the Lord!
We are looking forward to a new year and "new ears!"
We thank the Lord for another year with you and can't wait to see all that you will learn (and even explore in your creative curious mind).
Happy 2nd Birthday, Kaden!
Love,
Daddy, Mommy & Parker

Happy New 2012 "Ear(s)" please?!

(Christmas Day-2011)

Well, Happy 2012~ And where have I/we been?!
Well, trying to deal with Kaden's stubborn ear infection(3weeks long) and his 2 year old molars all at one time! All of this=lack of sleep for mommy, daddy & Kaden! And to top this all, Mike had Year End Closing at work, we had a trip to D.C, for Christmas, Kaden's 2 year birthday and somewhere in there I slept little...but really prayed more!
Therefore, NO BLOGGING has even been an option!

We made it to DC and the boys LOVED seeing the family. Kaden was good till the last 2 days! And it has been a down hill, sleepless journey since we have been back.

Wow! I have lots to share about the good ol' trip to D.C. a few candid shots of Christmas,

Kaden's 2 year birthday, New Years and of course a few other fun moments! However, that requires me to upload, search and even edit and NO TIME! Kaden has been a Velcro child begging to be held and wanting my undivided attention! So, the photos will come later. :(

We had 3 big blessings for our family the last part of the year! ....The boys got 3 new cousins in the last 4 months! We are happy to welcome, Owen (9/21/11), Malcolm(10/12/11) and Lucas (12/22/11) into our extended families! I promise to be back soon and post some of these sweet moments!

Here are the boys with NeNe and Papa and 2 new cousins, Owen and Lucas(who was 4 days old in the photo).

 I am really hear coveting prayers!
My mind is in a funk. I JUST got Christmas decor down...YESTERDAY! Yup! I am so exhausted. Mike only has closing 4 times a year, and it requires a heavy amount of hours. He worked about 18 hour days the last 2 weeks. However, his boss resigned 3 days before Christmas and caused more of a load on Mike's  year end schedule the last 2 weeks of the year. So, we are praying for Mike's work load and anxious to see what will come with his job. We are trying to find a new schedule that will work best for ALL of us as he takes on a new role (temporarily).

Coveting prayers for Kaden. Hence the whole title "New Ears"-After 7 ear infections in the calendar year (2011) ,looks like Kaden is a candidate for tubes.However, Mike is (more then mommy) CAUTIOUS about the whole surgery thing! So, pray for wisdom tomorrow. We are heading to an E.N.T. with Kaden and I am ready tomorrow to get Tubes for him. We have a totally different kid. He has not slept in about 3 weeks and has been up 2-4 times a night. Before this last ear infection, he would sleep 12-13 hours per night. Of course, there was always little sleep when he was dealing with an ear infection! I have 3 niece and nephews who all got tubes before 2.So, am I surprised that Kaden has been battling ear issues? NOPE!
Do I want this for him? Nope!
However, I know and have heard how life changing it becomes following the "simple" procedure!
Scared? Yes.
He may not even need tubes. And if that's the case, I have NO clue what solution there will be!?! We have exposed his little body to every antibiotic (most common in kids).Amox, Augmentin,Zithromycin, Omnicef....You get it! I do not want to be an over medicating mom/parents! When the kids is sick for other infections, we want the meds to work.
My sisters saw amazing changes after their kids got tubes. I am very educated and hopeful in that part of the world if that is what is best for Kaden!

(Kaden with NeNe and newest cousin,Lucas)

We have stopped him on Cow's milk and that has cut back on his congestion. However, he has built back up another runny nose, and back to irritability and no change in his sleeping at all. Prayers please for this little guy to get better for the best of health!

So, off to the ENT we go and praying for a good,and best solution for Kaden.
I am just being real and appreciating the prayers tonight! I have a God who is greater then all my worries and fears. I was reminded last week, that in my weakness he is strong! He is my provider and always knows what is best for me and these sweet little lives I get to take care of (and sweet lives includes) sweet, awesome daddy who is working hard for us all!
I sleep SO much better when I share all my anxiety and leave at his feet!
Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.~1 Peter 5:7
 It does me no good to worry! However, I want what is best for our little boy and can't keep battling these nights like this life that has been "our new normal!"

(This photo is just one of many sleepless nights.-he got up at 4AM that morning!...It is almost 11:30,and he needed a nap! Look at him he is checked out!!!!)

Thanks for letting me vent and unwind tonight, and THANK YOU in advance for all the prayers past, present and future!

Baby gender truffle reveal

I am so happy I got to be apart of the Chandler Baby revealing "Party!"
They had a sonogram the week before Christmas,and I had the honor and privilege of making truffles for them and their extended family!They announced to the whole family on Christmas day with the truffles!
My computer is down and I can't upload my photos,:(
I do have a couple Photos on on my FB page.The best part of the reveal is the sweet video that Chad &Kristin uploaded on my personal FB page.You have to watch it:).
The reveal is on the video!
Super sweet and again,it was an honor to be apart of their celebration!
Looking forward to the next baby gender reveal!
Who is next?
One dozen truffles buttercream blue or pink cherry!($15.00)
Or 2 dozen truffles ($20.00)
I would love to help you announce to your family and close friends:)
Looking forward to a great 2012!

Super Hero Cake Pops and Special request #1...

I am amazed at the "word of mouth" referral I am getting for my sweet little business!
I absolutely LOVE helping others out to make these what can be "time consuming" hot, wanted items for parties etc.
In the last few weeks, I have had 2 very special orders. One just got completed! And if I may say so, SUCCESS!
We stayed home for Thanksgiving and I rested after making 7 dozen turkey cake pops! Then it was a nice 4 days of family time. We also had my friend, Joy and her family over for dinner. (They had closed on their new home that Tuesday, so I insisted on feeding them and letting the boys play). And the kids ate first, then we ate while they played...it was nice!
 I must say that we stayed home for the Thanksgiving holiday and it was so nice to just enjoy the time home and relax after 7 dozen Turkey Pops were made!

(And then of course, I jumped and went shopping @11 PM till 3AM).Yup, shopped and got alot accomplished. However, I am sure I could have gotten some of the same deals on line. But, the time spent with my friends was priceless.
I had a few days break and then it was time to pass off some sweet birthday pops for a little boy @ Parker's preschool. Following that order,I had my first challenge...Super Hero Cake Pops!
They were an absolute joy to make! All the cake pops were the basic butter cream cake pops and then character colors.(Only challenge was the "blue" for Spider man successfully accomplished after working with the correct amount of oil, dye and white chocolate)...the rest of the process and coloring was easy, thanks to WILTON!
The creativity came from the client to add the "rings"! I loved how they turned out and looking forward to making more "birthday" character cake pops. ($2.00 a piece with the special rings).

The next upcoming "special" order is for a very sweet couple in our small group. They are having their third baby in April, and find out in two weeks the gender.
However, it is SO close to Christmas Day when they find out, so they have opted to wait till Christmas DAY by biting into a truffle that I will be making "PINK" or "BLUE" to find out the gender!
How excited do you think I am???
Just a little!
NO A LOT!
 I cried tears of joy that night, after my friend asked me. I remember praying that God would use me to be a blessing to the community with my talent and business. But, I never would have seen this one coming and I am HONORED!
What a joy and privilege to make these special truffles in a couple of weeks and help them celebrate this 3rd child of theirs. :)
 I will not be able to reveal till after they find out! But, I sure will be SO excited to announce to all of you shortly after the holiday with the photos of the truffles. Something extra special about this!
So, Chocolate covered cherry PINK, for (GIRL) and Butter cream BLUE, for (BOY).
I guess I can add that to my list of options now available to all of you! :)

The next few weeks,I will be busy making Cake Pop Reindeer, Snowmen, & Truffle Baskets for many friends, family and clients.

I LOVE taking the load off of others and creating a unique and sweet treat for all to enjoy. I so call this my therapy and joy! Some of my friends call me "crazy!"
 But of course with the economy today, it is nice to offer something reasonable,special and homemade.
Can't wait to see what special orders will come in 2012!
THANKS to all of you who have been so supportive and passing on my business. I am loving this and so excited for all these Christmas Baskets.
Nap time is over...off to my boys! :)

Gobble-Gobble!

                      Happy Thanksgiving!

Turkey Cake Pops, $1.50 a piece.
I am taking orders for the holidays.
Why not add two of these Turkey's in one of my fall baskets for a total of $12.00? 
Or get a dozen for $18.00, and take them home to the family or have them as your little "centerpieces" for all your guests.
Great way to say "Happy Thanksgiving" to your loved ones this holiday!

I can't believe that Thanksgiving is next Thursday!
 Much to do before now and then, and happilly filling orders.
A new flavor was in the works today. And happy to report it is a success!

Any guesses?

The Three Month Mysterious Object

So MUCH adventure in our house.

Now that we have two busy boys, there is NO telling what they will come up with next.

But, I must say, that Kaden(our 22moth old  is at the age of "curiosity" and so intrigued with the beautiful porcelain thing we call the "toilet"!

In June we installed a new toilet in our master bath room and got one with a flush up on the top. Mike installed it and did a fabulous job.

 Kaden has been mesmerized by ALL toilets (public or private) he can find them anywhere we are! He gets his hands washed frequently [wink]

 He has to flush our toilet every day and now is even taking a deep interest to sit on the "potty" and go "potty" himself!

(Merry Christmas to mommy if he really is going potty by his 2nd birthday :)

Well, back up about 3 months ago when he was taking a deep liking for this "yucky" object in our home, and imagine his mind when daddy installed the NEW toilet in our home?

 He figured out after 1 month that the "flush" was at the top of the toilet!

***(please note)*** there is NO privacy in our home with our (Velcro child, a.k.a. "mommy's boy).

Unfortunately, if you close the door the precious blue eyed, 22month old, thinks that you have left him FOREVER! Therefore it is just easier to let him into the bathroom and be "happy!"

 So, he soon learned how to "flush" the toilet (after watching what mommy would do).

He got very curious one day with the object/toy in his hand/"his" phone (one of daddy's old phones), and "flushed" it DOWN the new installed toilet.

Fast forward...(I hear the flush) and think great, He found the flush, but I don't think much because it flushed normal and he can't talk and tell me what happened!

 I don't know that he has actually flushed a CELL phone down it...till 3 months later.

2 days later....toilet is no longer flushing and clogging up!

Yup, we are completely bummed that our NEW toilet is now "broke" and we are pretty sure we know why! We conclude that child #2 has flushed SOMETHING down the new toilet.

(Mike's response, "goodness we have 2 other toilets")

My response ("'I LOVE my master bath toilet and hate walking ALL the way down the hallway (in the middle of the night) to go potty.)

 Fast forward 2 months and we no longer have an upstairs toilet functioning at ALL-and where is Mike? In France!

Well at least I have 1 toilet working in the house, until the BUSY BOYS that God has blessed us with, are goofing around and decide to LOCK the downstairs door! 

 NOW.....NO toilet available at ALL! 

Lovely, it is 1 hour before I have a babysitter coming (to give me a "little" break) and I have NO working toilet.

(Master toilet has an unknown object down it, guest bathroom toilet has a broken chain, (but seriously have no time to open up the top and manually flush it), and now our working toilet is locked up!

Well, my sweet babysitter calms me down and gets the screw driver and takes the door knob off of the only working toilet in our home!

(At least there is no door knob to be locked any more!)

 And now we can go potty INSIDE the home.
Guess what Mike had to do, (within a night of sleep and jet leg") when he got back from Paris?

 Yup! Fix Master toilet and guest toilet.

However, the task was too great and only one toilet got fixed that weekend. 

Thankfully, we agreed NOT to invest a chunk of money with a professional plumbing company, and he found the time to "plunge" away and get the object out! 

It took 4 hours and 3 attempts and FINALLY that "object" (aka. cell phone), was pushed through and discovered!

(Uncle PHIL, "NO the phone does NOT work!")
Sorry it is not available for use to you! :(

For the future parents out there~don't let your kids play with old cell phones because they may just clog up your toilet one day!

So, the boys have been BUSY around here. Therefore, at nap time I can't sleep since I am so worried what they may do "in their sleep" (not really) They are actually FABULOUS sleepers!

I have chosen to stay busy myself making cake pops and truffles.

It is a true delight and stress reliever! :)

 Check out my "Cake Pops & Truffles Page" at the top of the blog for prices and details.

I would LOVE to make you a basket of goodies for some family and friends this holiday! :)

Until the next adventure or cake pop flavor,

Jenn :)

Now offering Riese's Piece's Cake Pops & Truffles

Here they are all wrapped! I just made these triple chocolate cake pops for my sister in law's baby shower! They were loved by all.
The joyful thing about a cake pop or truffle, is that it is just the right size for that sweet little crave! You walk away not feeling guilty for having one! They freeze well and are great to pull out when you just want something sweet.
So that's why my new business card says "enjoy some of life's sweet delights!"

I have officially started a business!
I am dipping cake pops all week for a fall festival this coming Saturday. I am loving it and hoping not to come home with any or very little.
My cake pops and truffles can be shipped 8 months out of the year too. September -April.
Current flavors are:
*Apple Cinnamon,(dipped in white and cinnamon/sugar for garnish)
Butter cream,(dipped in white and Pepridge Farm cookie crumbs for garnish)
Triple chocolate( dipped in chocolate and seasonal colored sprinkles for garnish)
Oreo Cookie( dipped in White or chocolate upon request and cookie crumbs)
Strawberry (dipped in white& red sprinkles for garnish)
Reese's Peanut Butter Cup (homemade batch of cookie mix and dipped in chocolate and peanut butter)
*Pumpkin-(Dipped in white chocolate and pumpkin almonds for garnish)
Red Velvet(dipped in white or chocolate upon request and red drizzle for garnish)
Chocolate Mint( dipped in chocolate and garnished with Andes Mint Pieces)
Smore Bites-(Marshmallow bites dipped in chocolate and garnished with graham cracker crumbs)


Let me know what flavor and colors you'd like and allow me to make a unique favor, or gift for all.
Cake Pops and Truffle =$1.00 a piece.
Custom orders that need extra detail =$2.00 a piece.
Shipping $8.00 

Take me out to the ballgame

"Take me to Oregon Park! Buy me some peanuts & cracker jacks.

I don't care if I ever go back!
For it's root,root,root,root for the GIANTS,if they don't win it's a shame!
For it's 1,2,3, strikes you're out at the old ball game!"
Parker is off to a great start of Tee-ball! His team is "San Fransisco Giants!" And he LOVES being on a team with his buddy, Tucker. :)
Tonight, he earned one of the game balls, for hitting his first pitches in both at bats.
We are very,very proud of P!
He has taken a love for daddy's favorite sport!:)
And there may just be some deep down talent~practice and time will tell.
Hope you enjoy seeing a few photos of P in action!

Parker in action just before he hit the ball!

He got to play "catcher" tonight and loved it!

"Can I play Base-ball too?" K Loves watching his brother, "Par-par!"

We will miss you, Abbey Girl!

This is by far a post I thought I would be writing a few years from now! It's a post that I don't want to blog about but it is a chapter of our lives that has ended. Things have changed in our home. I am moved how the chapter ended, and must share about our goodbye with our sweet dog Abbey!
Last Friday, we lost our West Highland Terrier of 8 years. Abbey was the joy and spark of our lives 4 years before we became official parents to our boys. She had spunk, personality and she had unconditional love for us all! I will never forget the day we got her, Mother's Day, 2003. It was just one month before we celebrated our 1st Wedding Anniversary and we were SO excited to go and pick her up. After searching and searching for a "Westie" we finally found her! We fell in love with her the moment we walked in!
 I will admit there was some frustration and sleepless nights in her "puppy days!" Mike would come home during his lunch shifts to let her out and by summer she was ALL mine.  I was off during the summers since I was a teacher.  Abbey was the sweet puppy, that only ate the left shoes, and always ate the bottom of my long flow skirts. She loved to get into the trash and shred it ALL over the kitchen!!! And she was the puppy that loved to go for car rides! If we just took her on 1 -2 car rides a week, she was a well behaved dog. If we didn't give her that attention she would act up or take it out on us in other ways... :)  And she was that "puppy" that went on every trip with us and she was "that puppy that was secretly snuck into hotels" cause she was SO little and was so easy to handle :)  Abbey and I made a couple special visits to see Mike the year he was auditing a client about 2 hours from us! Those were some LONG weeks for Mike. And HE loved having her and I come and visit (at the hotel...that of course we snuck her into.)  We boarded her 1x and we never did it again. No comment needed. So, thank you to ALL our close friends & family, especially Mom & Dad Riese, The Hoeyes & Yvette for being our "dog sitters!"  As you can tell, she was our first "baby" and we made sure to make that clear to all. However, we welcomed Parker into our home when she was almost 5 and she accepted him...but fell in LOVE with him when he had leftover dinner for her! :) He was her best friend during meals! One of her ALL time favorite snacks was Peanut butter and Tuna. She was my "assistant" in the kitchen and was always more then happy to try anything out :) I couldn't cook in the kitchen at all last weekend. It was SO sad not having her around. She was my assistant-waiting to try anything that "fell" or mommy happily shared. :}  I know that time will heal, but not sure that I will ever be completely healed from her loss. However, I have had to learn to accept that the 8 years we had with her. She made our home special with her unconditional love. She was the perfect greeter to all who entered.
She didn't give us much notice that she would be gone by Friday, but I think in our hearts we knew it was soon. However, I don't think I could have ever been prepared for how I found her. But after I processed the WHOLE day, my goodness my heart smiled and realized she knew Friday was her day!
She woke up Labor Day puking. It was uncontrollable at times. She ended up being tied up all day to our kitchen. I saw her weakening before our eyes on Monday, so I got her into the vet on Tuesday. They gave her a shot for nausea and vomiting and we were all being conservative on NOT doing ALL this blood work, and X-rays. She had just been in the end of Aug. for a swollen Anal glad. She had  just had had blood work for parasites etc. So, her Dr. really had an inkling that her symptoms were related to taking her prescriptions on an empty stomach! We had a follow up on Sat. and she never made it! She wouldn't eat and would only drink a little bit. I have moments where I kick myself for not rushing her in sooner!!! But I can't change what has happened. I need to cherish the time we had with her and know that our God is Sovereign! But I do have a gut feeling that she may have had H.G.E. virus! You can read about it below. The days to follow she just stayed the same. She never barked or whined.
On Friday, I closely watched her. She moved from room to room ALL day. She started her day out in Parker's room, then she made her way to our master bedroom, and laid on my side of the bed and then within 30 min. she had moved to Mike's side of the bed. I went in to get her by 2:30 and took her down to our family room. She had been laying on one of Kaden's blankets! :( My heart sank AFTER a friend pointed this all out to me). Abbey was spending one last moment with each of us.
Parker and I took her to the family room around 3:00 and I left the room around 4:00 to go chat with a friend and "nap". I found her at 5:45 "asleep forever" on our couch! (OK!!!! I am still suffering from this moment!) My mom calls it "Post Traumatic Dog Death Disorder!" I keep walking into the room and I keep seeing her and unfortunately Parker found her with me. "Mom, she is in here ASLEEP-but her eye is open!"
My mind instantly says-she is dead! Get the boys out of here! Then I think,(CRAP! How do you explain a dead dog to a 4 year old) and I instantly FROZE!!!! And then my mind and my body FREAKED!!!
 NO! She is gone!!!
*But I have completely forgotten that I am a mother to 2 small boys who are in the room.
I don't care, I just start wailing and bawling and I have now completely turned into a state of shock. I dial Mike and it was NOT a nice phone call!
Mike answers and hears; "BAAAAHHHHA"~ "SHE IS GONE" I don't care about your job-you have to leave, NOW!" Don't make me take care of a dead dog!!!" "I beg you, please leave now!"
Mike responds-"ok! I will leave now and be right home!"
 (He was suppose to work till 10 that night for GE quarter closing= basically a really crazy time at work for him!)
All during this phone call I am motioning the boys to go out and play! And I finally get them in the back yard. Parker has some idea, and Kaden has no clue! He just heard the word "outside" and ran to the door!
I have to tell you, I have no idea what my phone call was like to my mom except complete shock and screaming! (Sorry Mom! I know you were preparing to go help another Daughter, I really didn't plan to be so needy the night before your international flight! EEK) I love my MOM! She is awesome, when I am in a complete state of shock.
  I am so grateful for our neighbors. I took the boys immediately down to the Hoeyes and waited for Mike to get home!  I was a mess running down that sidewalk with the boys in the wagon and me running! I don't want to relive that day again.

Fast forward! We are sad and I miss her the most. She was with me the most. But we are making it! Miss her a ton in the mornings, meal time and when we go to bed! Here are some sweet photos of our Abbey girl :)
Thanks for letting us share the latest and I covet your prayers for this sadness to get better. (So silly...but she was NOT just a dog she was a part of OUR family!)
And many have said she knew her "daddy" well! She knew how frugal he was and it was only best to die "FREE" in her favorite spot called home! :) Seriously, glad all in all that we didn't have to pay the bucks and make the choice to end her time with us. It was her time to go. You don't have to agree, but I do believe we will see our fluffy white little,Abbey one day again. Or as the famous poem talks about it on "Rainbow  Bridge!"
RIP Abbey Girl! You will be missed :)

Here is information on the virus that dogs can get. We are still not sure if this is what she had, but allot of these symptoms were similar.

What is Hemorrhagic Gastroenteritis?

It is a possibly fatal disease which can strike any dog at any time. There is no known cause for it other than some speculation that it could be a virus, or parasite. It could also be caused by allergies, a change in diet, stress and many other reasons.
How do I know if my dog has it?
The signs are blood in the dog's vomit and bloody diarrhea. However, in Abbey's case, she showed no clear signs of blood  in her vomit till the end, but she was puking allot.  So watch closely. If you suspect that there is even the smallest amount of blood, rush your dog to the vet.
Is it curable?
Most of the cases of HGE have been cured. The most important thing is to recognize the signs early and act quickly. There is only about a 10-15% chance of fatality with treatment. That's WITH treatment. Without treatment, fatality is almost guaranteed. There is also a 10-15% chance of HGE recurring in your dog once they've had it. So again, it takes dedication and diligence to spot it and get your dog to the vet.
What's the treatment?
Hospitalization is a must. The vet will administer an IV with fluids, antibiotics and sometimes potassium. There is also a possibility of a blood transfusion in cases that need it.