Bee Cupcake Practice

I was asked to make 60 cupcakes for a Relief Society activity later this month.  I wanted them to taste wonderful and have frosting that actually would keep its shape, so I did a practice few today.

I made a double dark chocolate truffle cupcake with a cream cheese whipped frosting.  I also did a soft vanilla cupcake (with the same frosting).  Both cupcakes taste awesome!  Better than I expected and way better than any box mix.  The chocolate ones are a bit expensive to make, but I had fun trying them.  

My frosting endeavor made me realize how practice makes perfect.  My first dozen cupcakes had beehive domes that tipped sideways and slowly fell off the cupcake.  How embarrassing!  I tried again and finally got the hang of filling in the beehive before pipping around it, thus giving it the support it needed.  It held high and strong!  Even with the topper inserted.  

Hooray for Practice. 

Now I just need to get these practice cupcakes out of my house so I don't indulge myself to all 2 dozen of them!  Time to drop off a tasty treat to someone.

The cupcakes I make for the event will have a yellow pretty design on the cupcake paper.  I'll post a picture of them in a couple weeks.

The Art of my Three Year Old's Hearts

This picture was a request from my daughters to their friend, asking if they could come over to play.

Amber drew it.  Jane labeled it for her.

We can Turn to Him

"Jesus was a being of flesh and spirit, but He yielded not to temptation.  We can turn to Him because He understands.  He understands the struggle, and He also understands how to win the struggle."

"As we endeavor day by day and week by week to follow the path of Christ, our spirit asserts its preeminence, the battle within subsides, and temptations cease to trouble."

D. Todd Christofferson

Captured Guinea Hens

 

They would run through our yard.

 

A flock of 20

 

One day four of them branched off and stayed here.

 

We ate one.

 

They are tough.

 

The other three joined our flock of roosters.

 

They would fly into the back trees each time we went outside.

 

Slept back there.

 

Always returning after breakfast was served, and would chase away the Roosters to get a share.

 

We had to borrow traps to get them penned.

 

Flighty and nervous birds.

 

What will we do with them now?

 

 

Rooster in the Wind

He blazes

autumn year round.

A sunset fox on hilltop

A red coonhound.

aspens in the fall

and tiger's taunting call.


An Aztec golden god.


His stance would warns us all.

Tread softly in his pastures

He respects not your enthrall.

Frozen Cactus

My songbirds are hiding. 

No words immerge.


The symbols of warmness

Have frozen my nerves. 




If you touched this plant- would the ice protect you from the prickle? 


Photo by:  Mt Home TX by Fran Lane on Texas Hill Country Facebook Page  Feb 23 2015

 

 

A Little Ice

We woke up today to the sound of my phone alerting me that there was no school due to ice. 

This is a Texas icicle. 

These beasties are huge enough to shut down the schools here in Marble Falls. 

Oh- The Terror of it!  Will we survive??

Here is a photo (above) that my friend posted on facebook- to show the ice and the reason why she doesn't have to drive her school bus today.   No those are not drops of water- those are icicles!  Real and even Frozen!

Of course I grew up in Wyoming.....

These are about 3 feet long, most likely as thick as bar stool legs and hanging off a two story home and are a normal sight all winter.

School was NOT cancelled on the day I took this picture.

Let's compare, just for fun:

Cancel School!!!!                                                                                                                                So What???

With Friends

A bit of sweet
A simple treat
Fun to share
and fun to eat.








We went to visit friends and brought some Pink Lemonade Cupcakes.  My 5 year old decided to draw a picture of one of them.  It is my artwork today.

However I must say- the best part of the cupcake was the frosting:  1 package of cream cheese, half a package of Kool-Aid Pink Lemonade, 1 TBSP cream, and about 3 cups of powered sugar.  After I mixed it together, I put it in a baggie and squeezed it onto the cupcakes. 

The cupcakes themselves came from a box mix- Pink Lemonade cake mix- made with milk instead of water, butter instead of oil, and 3 whole eggs.  The milk and butter make the box mix taste a bit more homemade.   

The girls put on the sprinkles. 

The actual cupcake.  Nothing spectacular- but still fun.

Sunday Rain Storm

The rain is soft this morning, landing lightly on the field of weedy wildflowers, fence posts and granite soil.  It is ushering in an chilly blue breeze.  One that is suppose to linger for a while.  It will feel like winter.

I dig into the closet and bring out the rain coats.





..

A child's wildflower

My 5 year old came running inside holding these plants, excited to show me her wildflowers and leaf.   I love that in her eyes, they are so beautiful and worthy of attention.

Her little hand is covered in dirt. Evidence of her outdoor adventure today.  She was happy to find really tiny buds.  This white flower was a great discovery she was proud to share.

If I could open my eyes to such discoveries and acceptance.  How beautiful the world would always be!

Seeing a Child

Beauty is the eyes of a small child- seeking her mother,

Knowing she is safe.  Tears finding their target.

Precious is the babbling of first sounds

Copies of parent's tones, children's whispers.

Love is the action, the binding, the hope.

Memories of first smiles, fat cheeks, lumpy legs

The splashing of bath water

The smearing of first foods

The bumps and bruises of awkward movements

first rolling over, then onto the knees

The wobbling legs and too soft of feet.  

Beauty is the endearment of small things.

Eyes changing to view a child.

Seeing a bit like God.















..

Farm Cat

Our cat is named Nala.  She came with that name.  We adopted her from a military family that was moving that got her from a Humane Society.  She was about 1 year old, spayed and definitely liked the outdoors.  She spends most of her time outside on our property.  She hunts everything!  She leaves us presents of mice, voles, birds, lizards, snakes, insects, bats and even bunnies.  I wish she would just stick to mice, but how can we train her to know that??

Nala likes attention and she likes to sleep on our couch and beds during the daytime.  Especially in the hot summers.  She would like to be on my lap more, but I'm usually tied up with 3 kiddos and she doesn't get her way all that often.  Still, she has learned that my young kiddos can still be nice to brush up against and get her ears rubbed.  It is the sweetest thing to see her plop down on my 3 year old's lap and purr.  She even lays next to my 10 month old baby and lets her rip her fur and pull her tail.  Just for a minute or two.  Then she is done with that and will seek safety on the top of the couch. and just "watch" the kids.

Come dark however, she does not like being indoors.  She will cry at the back door and disappear into the night and we will not see her again until morning.  She likes spending time near the chicken coops, and with the rodent population- it is no wonder.  In the early mornings it is fun to see her following my husband around the yard as he tends to his birds.  She is just like a dog in that regard- always underfoot and sometimes getting cooped up accidentally.  Yet with all her hunting, she has NEVER hurt one of our chickens or chicks.  Amazing.

I know outside cats tend to have shorter lifespans then indoor pampered cats, but she is happy.  Locking her in would be mean in my opinion.  She is a cat.  Cats naturally like to hunt.  We love her and want her to be her natural self.  We hope she has a long lifespan and we keep her current on her vet check-ups, vaccinations and worming.  But if she perishes prematurely due to her outside exposure, well we at least will know that she lived happy and we did right by her.

Selling a Home in Texas

Our home is up for sale here in Texas.  Why?  Because we were told to sale it...through inspiration.  We have a nice home on 2 acres.  We have no idea where we are going to move.  We only hope we move somewhere we can take our chickens and cat.  Definitely our cat, re homing her is out of the question.  But raising chickens is a hobby we don't want to stop, but are willing to if absolutely necessary.

We have approached this decision to sale our home with much prayer, fasting and a whole lot of faith that our answer is indeed what the Lord wants us to do.  We don't go into our decision thinking that our future is going to be all roses.. but we do have faith that it will be in line with what and where the Lord wants us to be.

Here is what our home looks like from the back field.  I always wanted to get a goat or two to put in the back field- but they would have eaten all my bluebonnets.

My garden- right before planting.

Pink Gecko

Geckos stick upon my wall.  

Eating bugs that creep and crawl.  

Take a stick and make them fall.  

Poor, poor gecko.

Geckos look like slimy things

Lizard like but they can sing

Attracting bats with flighty wings  

Poor, poor gecko.

Falling prey to cats and coons

Geckos hide all afternoon

But come out in evenings.. sometimes too soon

Poor, poor gecko.

Poem by Jane Hale, age 5, with a little help from her mother :)

We took a picture of a couple of these guys last night on the front porch of my house.  They are there each night.  Sometimes eight or more can be found at one time.  We leave them alone for the most part.

Baby Chicks

My husband raises chickens and I've been helping him with a hatch.  He put in a bunch of brown and blue eggs but only 2 brown made it out and a little blue egg chick got help.  She was stuck in her shell due to low humility, and on the third day, I removed her from the incubator and gently wet the egg shell and cracked it.  The chick then peeped loudly, flapped her wings and kicked.  My 3 year old was watching and was thrilled to be helping.  I let her lift the main egg shell off the chick after the chick had kicked free of the egg shell walls.  I then told my daughter that she was the main helper, and she was so proud!

I feared for the little chick, because she needed so much help.  Yet, after she dried off, she stood up and ran around, keeping up with the other two.  We almost left her in her egg, knowing that helped chicks often die anyway and never get their strength.  I'm so glad we didn't.  She is a beautiful chick.

Here are the 3 chicks.  Two black Marans and one female cream legbar.

Cute and fluffy-  My 5 year old says the chicks are having a meeting here.  Huddle up everyone!

Texas Tiny Blue Forget-Me-Not Flower and a Grandmother's Promise

When people think of blue flowers in Texas they mostly imagine the bluebonnets.  They are beautiful and plentiful throughout the Hill Country in spring.  However, last year I noticed another blue flower and yesterday I marveled when again I noticed it right in front of my house. Its very appearance is significant and miraculous- a promise being kept.

  The flowers are tiny- almost the size of a paper punch circle, and bright blue with a yellow center. But I knew these flowers.  My grandmother gave me one in a necklace as a present before she passed away from cancer.  The tiny Forget Not Flower is said to have got its name as it cried out to be noticed, fearful of being overlooked because of its size.  My grandmother gave me the necklace knowing she would one day die but if I needed her, I could see the flower in my necklace and remember her.  Sadly, the necklace wasn't sealed properly.  I wore the tiny blue flower around my neck when she was still alive then I put it away.  After she died, I retrieved it for comfort, only to find that the blue flower had turned purple.

I am a faithful person.  I grew up in a loving home with parents who taught me that I was loved of God and had a divine purpose.  Believing in life after death was never a challenge for me because it just made sense.  But I am not a perfect person and pain helped doubt sneak inside of me, just like the air had penetrated into my blue flower necklace and began its decay.  I always thought I would be believing- brilliant blue and preserved forever in my faith.  However it didn't take much for my petals to turn purple as my hope withered in fear.  The "what ifs" and "how comes" of life played a toll on my heart.

 I married a faithful man. I love him and I didn't want to be a doubter.  I also have children and want them to be strong in faith.  It is a good quality.  Faithful people are happy, secure and determined in their hope.  I want that for them.  I want it for myself too, if only it is possible.

So that is the background of where I stood a couple of years ago as I looked over my front yard.  Then I saw it.  A tiny blue flower- all by itself.  It grew right in my path- right in front of my front door.  There was no mistaking what it was because I knew this flower.  I also knew that it had not been there the previous years I had lived in Texas.  It was new.  It started out as just one tiny plant, then one very small bunch of flowers before it faded last year.  This year, the tiny flowers cover an area of about 2 square feet.  A small space- yes, but you can fit a lot of dot size blue flowers in that space.  So this year I let my daughters pick a few and press them.

I asked them, "Do you know what this flower is?"

"Yes" my 5 year old replied, "You told me last year.  It is my great grandmother's flower."

I stared in amazement.  I did not even remember telling her my story last year.  Yet she did not forget.

I do not wonder very much about how that small Forget Me Not flower really got there.  How did it take root at my doorstep?  Do you believe in very random coincidences of out of place flowers with very deep personal significance just appearing in front of homes?  Or do you believe maybe- just maybe, someone bigger knows what our heart needs.

It doesn't take huge miracles to grow tiny blue flowers from even more tiny seeds of faith.

Texas Bug Hunt

Last night my girls and I went on a little bug hunt around our house and garden.  The weather was a wonderful 75 degrees and there was not even a small breeze.  We didn't keep (or touch) most of the bugs, but we did capture them with our camera!

My girl got this picture of a passing butterfly.  It was a friendly bug and didn't even fly off when we approached.

I see many varieties of ladybugs here.  This one has darker wings and she is more prone to biting.  Yes- my girls get bit by the ladybugs and it hurts!  The more orange the wings, the less likely they will bite.  Really Texas- why??? Biting ladybugs!!

We all love Rollie Pollies!  We found these as we turned over bricks in the garden.

Black Widows are plentiful around here.  I HATE them.  Mostly because I'm worried my children will accidently scoop one up and get bit.  These pests invade my garden and although I know they are doing a wonderful job on the bad bug population- their venom just makes me less appreciative.  

Not all of our widows have perfect hour glasses on them.  In fact some have just red, orange or yellow dots on their perfectly black bodies.  Still deadly though.

Centipede!  We knew we would find one of these guys if we just kept flipping over bricks- and we did.  We were careful not to touch it.  They have a nasty sting.

The bees are out and busy.  We get a lot of Africanized bees here.  I can't tell the difference between them and the regular honey bees.  They stil make honey but they are way more difficult to handle.  

Of course we can't go on a bug hunt without including ants.  These guys are the famous Texas Fire Ants.  An invasive species and they have a bad bite and sting!  We cannot stand these little guys.  Mean Mean Mean.

I told my girls we should take this fellow fishing.  They said no.  They have big hearts.  We let him stay in our garden to do his job.

This cricket moved so fast that I was lucky to even get this fuzzy shot. 

Texas School Parties

My daughter needs 26 valentine cookies for her class party today.  She is in Pre-K.  I attended her Christmas party and was surprised that there is a difference between a Texas school party verses a Wyoming school party- where I grew up.  Now I do not want to speak for all of Texas- because it is a huge state- and school parties most likely differ in each school, but I can tell you my experience in a Marble Falls elementary classroom this year.

Yes- Texas parties are BIGGER.  Not in decor or food or games or even planning, but the difference lies in who is invited.  I got two different notes leading up to the party asking for volunteers and one last note the day before stating that ALL parents that could, should attend.  I had refrained before this point from obligating myself because of my other young children, but I didn't want to be the bum parent who didn't show up. I therefore frantically looked around for a sitter for my 3 year old and 8 month old, only to discover that all available moms in my call list had parties of their own to attend.

 One mother, trying to be helpful, offered to take my kids to her daughter's party.  This made me laugh.  "Why would I do that to you?" I asked.  "I don't think you get it" She pointed out.  "The school parties are for the whole family and everyone can attend.  Also, it is not that big of a deal.  Mostly just some food and fun time for the kids."  She should know, she has 3 children, two of whom already graduated elementary.

She was right- at least in the Marble Falls Pre-K classroom this last Christmas.  I took both my girls and they were welcome and not even in the way.  In fact they made a place for my 3 year old at the kids table and let her sit in the circle when they opened presents and yes, she even got one.  

The party only lasted for one hour and there was lots of parents, grandparents, siblings and visiting.  It was more laid back and easy than parties I remember in my home town.  And you know what...I kind of like that.

Yes- I made and frosted these cookies- with the help of my 5 year old.  It was my first time playing with Royal Icing on Sugar cookies.  Kind of nice hey!  Not perfect but way fun.

I live in Texas.

I live in Texas.  I never thought I would.  I never wanted to visit Texas.  Let's just say it wasn't on my travel plans or in the scope of my vision as a place that would interest me.

Then I got married and my husband took a transfer to Hill Country.  That's in Texas.  Most Texans don't realize that the main stream US population doesn't know that.   Everyone in Texas I met kept saying: Don't you just love it?

A, yeah, I guess.

Actually no.  Not at first.  No, not at all.  It has taken me nearly 5 years to begin to see what others were talking about.

Don't I just love Texas now?  Well, it has grown on me.  I think any place could if just given a chance.  Two years ago I wanted to move back to familiarity so bad that it hurt.  But now this place, this Texas place, well- it feels pretty familiar.  So much so that if I left now, I would really miss it.  I would want to return, if just for a visit.  

Oh Texas.  You are the home of my children's memories.  The house of my husband's adventures.  You are my lesson.  And I'm still learning....

Bluebonnets in my Texas backyard.  This picture is not on my property- yet is walking distance just down the road.

This cactus IS in my back yard.  It pretty much represents my Texas experience- pretty but prickly.