I know, I know...

No Thanksgiving or Christmas pictures yet. I don't even have pictures from our summer vacation yet!! Check back soon to see them! Until then, enjoy what there IS :)

Captain Moroni Cake

I just got done with this cake for a boy in our ward. He was turning 8 and getting baptized. I was told they just didn't want a typical white on white cake. So this is what I came up with. It was an interesting and fun experience! Sometimes I get ideas and they don't work. I was bound and determined to make this one work. I only had a couple of somewhat minor technical difficulties, but it all worked out in the end. So here it is------->

Happy 10th Birthday Corbin!

Our "baby" turned 10! When he was born, it was the day after Thanksgiving. We figured he wanted his dinner first :) This year, his birthday fell on Thanksgiving. Instead of just a cake, he got lots of yummy treats...pies, cake balls, chocolate cake (grandpa's contribution to dinner). He got Bakugan stuff and an Mp3 player. Uncle Ralph gave him some creature action figure he found at a house he cleaned a few years ago. He decided it would be a good present for him. We found out after it was opened that it was worthe a bit of money cus it was a collectible and is rare. Corbin didn't care, he just wanted to play with it. He was happy :) Happy birthday to our youngest that is growing up too fast!

Parrable of the 10 Virgins

Earlier this year we has a spectacular program put on for the ladies at our church. A delicious dinner and a beautiful and touching program all based on the Parrable of the 10 Virgins. I was asked to do the cake for it. It had to be represenative of a wedding cake and I wanted it to fit in with the theme. It was hard at first coming up with the idea, but once I did, it came together pretty easy.

I wanted the cake to tell the story. So I individually cut out 10 different virgins from fondant. I made 10 3D oil lamps out of gum paste. The oil lamp on top I formed gum paste around a piece of foam I carved to shape. Then I thought of how cool it would be to have it working! But, can't have flames in the church so got the next best thing...a battery operated tea light. Ray helped me make the wiring longer and viola! An oil lamp topper that really lights up!

I decorated each separate tier and then assembled at the stake center. That is where I added the fondant drape and other finishing details. Then went to take pictures and realized I FORGOT MY CAMERA!! I took some with the cell phone, but not too good :( Luckily other people had cameras and took pictures. I found these posted on someone elses facebook account. I'm still hunting down more :) So here are pictures of the cake I talked about so much...finally!!

Happy 23rd Birthday David!

At age 11, a young boy with a lot of issues walked in our door. Cute as can be but his behavior was not so cute! As time passed he has grown into a wonderful young man. He has grown so much and made progress above and beyond anybody's expectations! He has happily turned another year older and we are very proud of him! He has learned a lot and taught us a lot over the years.

Happy Birthday to a WONDERFUL son!!

School Spirit: Tuesday-Cartoon Character

It is school spirit week at Carson High! Tommy comes home monday and says "I need to dress up like a cartoon character for tomorrow." Ahhhhhhhhhh!!!! Nothing like a little notice!! So we start googling away to find some easy cartoon character to turn him into....

Batman: no....

Superman: no....

Yugi: nope....

Shaggy: maybe....

Popeye: This is it!!

So off to the store for a little felt and a hat. So within a couple of hours he transformed from Tommy to Popeye, corncob pipe and all!

He even posed like him and tried to make his face! I LOVE IT!!! I went into photoshop and played.

He makes a great Popeye if I do say so myself!

Tommy came home from school and was soooo proud! They picked 2 costume winners from each grade and he was picked for the 11th graders!! He said he got some cool Carson beads. He can't stop smiling!!

Happy 11th Birthday Jerrud!

October 7th has come and gone and Jerrud turned 11! I don't know where the past 11 years has gone! He is growing up to be such a handsome....man....boy.....He is still a boy, not quite a man. He will be before we know it though! He has such a fun personality. It seems as if he can never learn enough! We are so proud of who he is choosing to become as he grows up.

Happy birthday Jerrud!!

So here is the cake and yes it is store bought :( And yes it is for both of them :( And yes their birthdays are a month apart :( Poor Tommy has been so patient waiting for me to make his dream cake and time just hasn't been our friend lately. So they got to share one this year and the dream cakes will come later!

All the dirt magnets after coming in to have cake and ice-cream and open presents. Just family this year so no biggy! At least they washed their hands :)


He got all hands on presents. A gyroscope (love those), a flying plane thingy,

an mp3 player and below he is working on his invention kit.

Cub Scout 2 Boy Scout

Jerrud has his crossing over ceremony into boy scouts! He would be 11 the week after this was done. Brother Lockerman was one of his cubscout leaders.

Here they are taking off all his cub scout stuff :(

The best part is that his dad just got a calling as the 11 yr old scout leader!!
So he got to cross him over into boyscouts!

So he is officially a boy scout now!

Happy 18th Birthday Tommy!

Hard to believe it was 10 years ago already when he came to our home. He was wearing the same size clothes as my youngest is now. Now he has become a handsome young man and has made us very proud! Happy birthday to a great young man!

(Pic coming soon!)

In need of a miracle!

It's late and I really should be in bed. Can't seem to clear my head long enough to fall alseep though. I just got home from the hospital a little bit ago. As I sit there watching mom decline instead of get better and I pray and pray I ask the all too comon question of "why?". I don't know why and I wish I did. Scary doesn't seem to be able to describe the emotion I have right now. Everyone is praying for her and supporting her and us however they can right now. I truly appreciate everything from everyone!

It looks like before the morning comes, she will probably be put on the ventilator. She still has not been able to get her surgery yet. They don't know why after all they have done that her level of blood thinners won't go down. They are at a stand still trying to keep her from getting worse until they can get her into surgery. She still continues to get worse no matter what they do though.

Both of my brothers and my sister are here now. Our dear friend from NY will be here sunday. I hope she is able to see everyone is there for her. She says she knows she is not 100% but she is not ready to give up. However some actions show otherwise. We are very worried for her. The doctors are worried and trying to do the best they can. I believe in miracles. I pray right now and ask everyone else to help pray for a miracle for her. She has too much left to do in life to go anywhere now!

12 Years of PURE BLISS!!

Who knew that you could wake up every morning and fall in love all over again! And who knew it could go on and on like that for the past 12 years! Every morning I wake up and see Ray next to me and I am reminded of how lucky of a woman I am. September 20, 1997 were were sealed together for all time and eternity in the Toronto Temple. Yep, that's us in the picture below just walking out of the temple for the first time as

Mr. & Mrs. Forbes....YEAH! :)

How did we meet?

ldssingles.com....Ya, I know! Still seems wierd when we actually say it out loud "We met online!" But let me share a little something with you. I was from a very small branch and stake. Singles were few let me just put it that way. I was a senoir in high school still. I had just turned 19. When i met him online and found out he lived close to me it was simply a "that's cool. Someone to go to the activities with" He was everything I was NOT looking for!!!

Return missionary?---NO

My age?---NO

Non-military?---NO

Worthy priesthood holder?---YES

Member?---YES

Gets along fabulously with family?---YES

(after a few background checks from my dad that worked on the post he was stationed on:)

OK, so the list goes on and there seems to be a few more yes than no answers...but the no answers were a big deal to me at the time! Not to mention, there was another girl online that was very fond of him as well as him for her. Nope, not interested in dating whatsoever! So we hooked up at the next singles pot-luck dinner and fireside at the stake. Now, keep in mind, the only picture I ever saw of him was in his full Marine dress uniform, hat on and and the picture was a full shot about 1 1/2 inches tall on the computer monitor! He had an advantage because he had my senior picture that was a face shot. So blah, blah, blah....we meet, we talk and next thing I know, he starts riding home with my dad from the military post more and more often.

When did we know?

I can't name the exact moment, but it was pretty quick. We met online April 24th, the day after my 19th birthday. By mid-May we were exclusive.

Engagment?

On June 14th we went for a drive to go to the 1000 Island Sky Deck with my parents. 400 foot high sky deck! Mom isn't all that into heights so she stayed in the car. Dad went up with us and back down alone. After dad left he got down on one knee and proposed. How could I say no 400 feet up in the air??!! Somehow my parents knew it was going to happen. I think a little birdy told them! We looked over the edge and they had "Say yes" written on top of the van...lol

That was a saturday and monday was my last day of school. Weird, I know! So I got to go back to school with my new engagment ring on. One of my dear friends kept dragging me around and showing everyone. She was too funny!

We flew to Salt Lake for a big 4th of july picnic for the singles online. We were one of 2 engaged couples from there. The site was still pretty new when we met. Now it is huge! You can still read our success story somwhere around page 260. And of course, by September 20th we were married. And yes, all in 1997!I can't explain the love that grows for each other more and more each day. I only wish everyone could experience it! It truly has been 12 years of pure bliss being married to each other! We are looking forward to many more!

1 Week Down...Many more to go!

The last post was about mom's incident and how she come back home to our place to recover. Didn't sound like it was a big deal thing, right? Boy were we wrong and so were th doctors!

By sunday evening mom had gotten really bad. By monday morning we had her back in an ambulance on her way back to the emergency room. After a very short period of time we found out she had a fractured spine, fluid around her lungs, stats were all over the charts for her breathing and heart. Rough shape! After poking and prodding and running a slue of tests they admitted her into the critical care wing. Not quite ICU, but one step down.

She was in a lot of pain so they gave her a morphine pump. It has helped tremendously! She was scheduled for surgery on her spine today, but due to her condition, she wasn't quite ready to undergo it yet. She's had a few good days and a few bad ones this week. She still is not eating. She's drinking very little. So she is on constant i.v. fluids. She is very weak and will be for a while. The internal bleeding that they weren't sure where it was coming from seems to have subsided for the most part. Today was one of her better days overall. The past couple she has been so exhausted and in so much pain she just kept syaing she couldn't do it anymore. Today she was much more positive.

So the surgery will hopefully be monday. There are a lot of pros and cons to look at. Biggest concern is she could become paralized with or without the surgery. At this point the fracture is a lot worse than initially expected. All she has to do is move wrong. Not that she is doing any moving on her own at this point. Of course with her heart condition and her lungs and age in general it's all a risk.

So after surgery she will be in a back brace for quite some time. They fitted her and got it up to her room the next day. She will be in the hospital for a while and then moved to a 24/7 care facility where she will recieve everything she needs including her many hours of physical therapy.

Dad is alright. He's frustrated he can't be doing more. He started back up his radiation wednesday and has done well so far. 3 rounds down, 7 more rounds to go. Right now it is important that he gets rest which he isn't doing very well at with everything going on.

The rest of us have our good days and our bad. Sometimes it just hits us all at once and a perfectly fine day for no reason can turn upside down. Luckily, I think overall, the good have outweighed the bad for the most part.

I can't thank everyone enough for the thoughts and prayers sent our way! The meals provided for our family. The phone calls and visits. The cards and little notes left in moms room from visitors that don't want to wake her. We read them all to her. Everyone checking in on us and her and dad. It means a lot to us and I know it is a bog part of what has helped get us through it so far!!

Another reason to be thankful!

Mom got the stare down and had to be reminded she's not as young as she use to be! After her adventure yesterday, we are grateful we had the chance to do that!

You wouldn't think that just by getting out of your car to check your mail that you could be harmed. Well, as mom stepped out of her car as it slipped out of gear. Both feet were already out so as the car rolled away, she tried holding on and jumping back in to stop it. She ended up getting dragged about 15 ft down the gravel road before she dropped. Her van then rolled into the side of her neighbors home.

We can't be thankful enough that it did not roll over her! She did get quite bruised up and a bad case of road rash from her forehead and nose all the way down to her toes. Her ribs and back are in a lot of pain. After being taken to the hospital in the ambulance, they released her for whatever mental reason they were thinking! We brought her to our place to watch over her the next few days. It was a long night last night but she is finally sleeping somewhat peacefully.

So many people have been praying for her and our family. I can't thank you enough for it! I know without them, we would not be able to be as strong as we need to be during this time. I ask for continued prayers for her and dad. He starts his radiation today for his spine. We'll find out at the appointment how long he will have to go through it this time.

Thank-you! Thank-you! Thank-you!

Spider Doctor

Jerrud was taking a shower a couple nights ago. He came out saying how he found a daddy long leg spider in the shower and he saved it.

Me: "That was nice of you Jerrud. Just let him go outside now."

Him: "I can't because I think he hurt his leg! I put him in this box."

I look at a show box bin where there is a cup a stick and a leaf. I go on and try to convince him it would be better for him to be put back outside so he can home.

Him: "But he can't walk good enough! I think his leg is broken."

Me in my sincerest tone...sorta....: "Well, it's not like be can fix his leg! just put him outside."

Him: "Maybe I could get some toothpicks and we can find some small string and make him a
splint!"

At this point I am thinking of how proud I am of my little scout and his knowledge in first aid. At the same time I'm trying to figure out how to tell him it won't work and the spder REALLY needs to go back outside! I finally convince him that it's not possible. I try and explain to him the logic of anything we have would be too heavy for the little spiders leg. Eventually he is convinced to put it back outside. He watched it crawl away in the crack.

He was sitting eating breakfast with Corbin the following morning. He says "I wonder how little guy is doing?" Evidently he named the spider Little Guy. Then they proceeded to have an entire conversation about this spider. I just sat and listened to their cuteness :)

OK!!! OK!!!

A certain someone, who's name I won't mention, keeps reminding me of how I never update my blog. Soooooo, here it is :) Sorry, nothing too exciting. Just everyday life :)

Kids are back in school so things are pretty quiet around here during the day's now. They are in week 3 already! It has gone by so fast! They are all doing really well so far. It seems so strange having only 3 in school!

Tommy is getting excited that he is in 11th grade now. Getting the senior year itch already. So as most people know, we have the option of wether to keep him in school til he's 21. We'll decide when the time comes which way we'll go. He just turned 18 on the 8th. We are doing his birthday saturday. He wants a firetruck cake. I'll post pics later.

Jerrud is in 5th grade this year! I can't believe he will be in middle school next year! I'm terrified!! He's excited of course :) And then he'll be in young mens.....breathe.....Time really does fly with your children!

Corbin is a 4th grader. He loves his teacher! He got to see all the fun stuff Jerrud got to make last year and he's anxious to do everything too. Lot's of hands on in 4th grade so it is perfect for him!

It seems like every year the school year goes by faster and faster. Life in general goes by faster every year. It makes me think about how important it is to not waste time with your family. To treasure them because they will grow up and leave home faster than you think!

Use what you can as a teaching opportunity!

The other day in the car the kids were talking amongst themselves about how you shouldn't do certain things because mom and dad might catch you. So I used the opportunity and this was our conversation:

Mom: "You know what is even more important is what your Heavenly Father sees and hears you doing."

Corbin, Jerrud & Tommy all say something similar to: "Because He sees and hears everything!!"

Mom: "That's right! So even though mom or dad may not see you, your Heavenly Father will and it will make Him sad when you might be doing or saying something you shouldn't be."

Jerrud: "He can hear us. Can't we hear Him too?"

Dad: "He answers our prayers when we pray to Him. We can hear him too."

Tommy: "Just like Joseph Smith heard Him! "

Dad: "Joseph Smith definitely heard Him and a little more!"

So we go on to talk about Jospeh Smith for a while. Then in the midst of the conversation, Jerrud pops out with:

"That's how mom and dad know we are doing something without seeing us do it because God tells them!!"

That's when we say to ourselves 'If that's what works for now, let it be!'

Sand Castle Cake

I just got done with a 4th of July wedding reception cake. The couple was married last week in the Caribbean and now are having a reception here. They held it at Birkdale Golf Club. They had an amazing building and it was decorated beautifully! Tangerine and green were their colors.

A friend of mine, Leslie, has been here the past couple of days helping and keeping me company. She wanted to learn so she dove in head first on a very time consuming, multi-part cake. She helped make icing and cakes and iced some cakes and helped apply the sand. We felt like we were swimming in crumbs even after we cleaned them off! We stayed up until 4:30 saturday morning working on it! 30 minutes short of 24 hours being awake for both of us. We are ready to go to bed tonight!!

When I delivered the cake it was in parts. So when I got there and set it up, it was the first time for me seeing it set up with everything. It is an amazing feeling when you see something you have worked on so hard, come out like you were hoping in the end. A little nerve racking with everyone watching on while setting it up though. So here are some pictures of the finished cake :) Enjoy!

Gum paste shells I made & colored

Coral I made out of royal icing

Main cake and 2 satellite cakes

Back view of cake
I had a lot of fun doing this cake :) I enjoyed the company while I was working. The mother of the bride was there while I was setting up and she was very impressed!! She said it was amazing! Quite the compliment! She told me that after it started to get dark, they were going to have lights out and a spotlight on the cake. How cool if that! I hope to get a picture. I can't wait to hear what the bride and groom think of it :) :)

Summer Haircut :)

I got my hair chopped off!! The first picture is the most recent one I have that I don't have it pulled back. That has been my style of choice lately because it wouldn't do anything else. It was about an inch longer than that picture shows. Then of course the after picture :) I LOVE IT!!

Graduation Cookout!

There is nothing better than getting friends and family together for a celebration. Here are a few pictures from the cookout we did after the graduation. However, due to extreme heat, everyone pretty much stayed inside.

GRADUATION!!

Dustin is officially a high school graduate!!! A little late posting on here..sorry. He graduated June 12th. Right now he is working at Bojangles and planning to attend

community college soon :)

We are very proud of his accomplishments!!

Here's Ray and the boys waiting for the ceremony to start.

We were WAY UP in the balcony!

He's almost in the center of the stage.

Here is me and the little guys...SMILE!!

Family picture with our graduate!

By time we got out to him he had his robe and everything off.

So Corbin was helping him get everything back on so we could do pictures

This is one of his teacher's.

Mr Stolten

He is also a member of our church in a different area.