Love on a Cloud

Our traditional Valentine's Day dessert

3 large egg whites

1/4 tsp cream of tartar

3/4 cup sugar

8 oz cream cheese

1/2 cup sugar

2 cup cool whip

1/2 tsp almond extract (optional)

1 can cherry pie filling

1 cup mini marshmallows (optional)

Heat oven to 275*F.  Cover baking sheet with heavy brown paper (grocery bag); draw outline of heart, 9 in across greatest width, on paper.  Beat egg whites and cream of tartar until foamy.  Beat in 3/4 cup of sugar 1Tbsp at a time; continue beating until stiff and glossy.  Do not underbeat.  Spoon meringue into outline on paper, building up sides.

Bake 1 1/2 hours.  Turn off oven; leave meringue in oven with door closed 1 hour.  Remove from oven; finish cooling away from draft.

Blend cream cheese, 1/2 cup sugar and extract.  Fold in cool whip and marshmallows.  Pile into meringue shell.  Cover and chill.  Just before serving top with pie filling.  Cut and serve.  Enjoy!

Valentine's Day

What a good day this day was.  Church didn't start until 1pm so I was able to make a nice big breakfast for everyone: Butterbraid bread, bacon, and hashbrowns.  Doug showered Lexie and me with his love and kind gifts.  I wish I could say a gave him something great but I was only able to make my own stuff this year and gave him cococut chocolates and a poem.  He loves them or should I say loved since the chocolates are gone, but I always love to do more for him.  He is so good to me.

Here are Lexie's gifts.  The card in the envelope is also a lion.

My gifts from Doug:

Flowers, candy, valentine socks, and a card

Lexie waiting for chocolate with her lion

And now some shots of the little princess all dolled up for Valentine's day

Look at those curls!

Lexie turns 2

Lexie turned two this year. Since she is my only girl and probably will be for awhile (I'm currently going to have a boy in May) I wanted to make a girlie type cake. Last year for Valentine's day Doug gave me this cupcake pan and it was perfect for Lexie's birthday. A little hard to get two candles on. Last year would have been ideal since she was one and one candle would be perfect, but oh well we managed.

So here is her cake

Wow! Look at that cake!

I'm a big girl now

Happy birthday Lex!

Cool girl

I'm too good for this cake

Snowflakes in the hair

Just some pictures

Roy and Sierra's wedding reception in Washington

Lexie having fun while eating her cupcake

Got those feet off the table!
Lexie wearing Grandma's coat

Chris and Lexie waiting for bedtime

Christopher turns 7

January 22, 2003 was a normal day. Play at home with Benjamin, clean house, sit around and then a doctors appointment. My sister Lilly watched Benajmin while Doug took me to the appointment. Then everything changed. There was a possibility I could have Toxemia so I needed to take all this stuff home to collect samples all night, but wait another option: I could just have the baby. Having the baby sounded good to me so my midwife broke my water (about 4pm), I flooded the place (I had a lot of amniotic fluid), and then horrible contractions forever. An epidural and short nap later and just after 7am Christopher was born. My how the time flies now he is a big 7 year old.

He got these cool PJ's and loves them

Opening some more gifts

Eating his cake and ice cream. Happy Birthday Chris!

Christmas at Grandma's and Grandpa's

Like I said last post, after we were done with Christmas at our house we loaded up and went to my parent's place for more Christmas celebration. Most everyone was there even if it was for a brief period. It was nice to be with everyone even if we were a little crowded. Boy have we grown.

Christopher and Evan full of excitement

Gifts waiting to be opened

The grandchildren helped pass out the gifts. Here Lex is taking her turn.

Lilly's boy Parker opening a gift

Grandma gave Evan a Dora blanket. He was so excited that he spread it out and demanded a picture be taken

Now December pictures are all done. Phew! Oh, wait! Now it is February and I still have January pictures to do. Man it is hard when you fall behind. I'll try to get the new pics on the computer soon and load them up. Until then enjoy life!

Christmas at our house

More Christmas - better late than never.

We had to set up some sort of blockade to make sure the children wouldn't come out to peek at their stocking before it was time.

The line up to come out and see what goodies were left if any
The stockings before the crowd hit them

Lexie opening up her stocking of goodies

Little candy striper

Cool girl Lex hangin' with mommy

Opening the big box from Uncle Roy and Aunt Sierra

Ben opening a cookbook

Everyone has to huddle where the gift opening is. Chris is trying to open one of his gifts

Lexie got her first baby doll for Christmas and it was love at first sight.

We had a nice Christmas morning at home. After the stocking we ate breakfast which consisted of Clementines from our stockings and Butterbraid bread (so good if you've never had it kinda like a huge danish in loaf form). After all the gifts were done we played a little and then bundled up to go to my parents for more unwrapping.