Sunday, January 30, 2011

Retraction

As much as I hate to admit it---

It was NOT the red velvet cake!!!

A full week later, the stomach flu has gone through 4 of the 7 members of our family. I was down in bed with it for two days. It was complete and utter misery! You may think I am a bit melodramatic, but I was convinced I would be better off dead for a good portion of that time! The only ones left unscathed are Shelby, Chris and Joshua. Who knows how long they will hold out?

As for me, I am still not eating red velvet cake......

Monday, January 24, 2011

The Curse of the Red Velvet Cake

There is a story from when I was about 5 yrs. old that has taken on epic proportions in my mind. It involves a birthday celebration for my little sister Shannon, red velvet cake, mint chocolate chip ice cream, and the entire family throwing up all night long! If you have ever seen red velvet cake on its way back up, you would understand why a five year old would think it looked alot like blood! For years, in my mind, the blame for the miserable night was placed squarely on the red velvet cake/mint chocolate chip ice cream combination. I refused to eat either of them because I was certain they would make me throw up!

As I got older and was studying nutrition in college, I realized that what we probably experienced as a family, was a case of food poisoning that had nothing to do with the cake or the ice cream, but was actually caused by something we ate for dinner. The funny thing is, no one remembers what we ate for dinner! In the past few years, I have finally been able to eat and enjoy mint chocolate chip ice cream again, but red velvet cake continues to turn my stomach.

Now I am grown and have children of my own, including a 17 year old daughter who thinks that red velvet cake sounds absolutely scrumptious! It started somewhere around Christmas....

Shelby: "Mom, have you ever had red velvet cake?"

Me: "Yes, and I would NEVER eat it again!"

Shelby: "Why not, does it taste bad."

Me: "To be honest with you, I cannot even remember what it actually tastes like.....but it looks like blood when you throw it up!"

I shared with her the story, which she laughed off (mostly because she hadn't been there!), but failed to convince her that there was no reason to try red velvet cake. The next day she came home from her job at the grocery store with a red velvet cake mix and a container of cream cheese frosting.

I continued to try to discourage this desire of hers by putting the cake mix in the back of my pantry where it wouldn't be noticed every time she got something out. It worked for a month, but yesterday Shelby decided it was time to make the red velvet cake!

She chose to make it as cupcakes, but I would not be tricked! I glanced over a few times while she was adding the ingredients; the water and oil made it look suspiciously like throw up. I informed her then that I would NOT be trying her cake. When the baking was finished, Chris and I had to leave for a fireside with Caleb. She rounded up the little kids for a taste test. I was glad to be leaving!

When we got back home, I could tell it was not a huge success because there were lots of cupcakes left. I warned Shelby that if anyone started puking during the night I would be blaming it on her!

Somewhere around 2:00 am, Savannah stumbled into my room crying "I just threw up!" I rolled out of bed and went up to her room to find red velvet cake throw up splattered across her bed, blankets, stuffed animals, all over the wall and dripping down along the wall to the carpet. It did, indeed, look suspiciously like blood.

In your rational mind, I am sure you probably see this as an unfortunate coincidence.....I do not.

There will be no more red velvet cake in this household!

Friday, January 21, 2011

My Most Embarrassing Moment

Thanks to Blue Lily Photography blog, I have been inspired to share the story of my most embarrassing moment in an effort to win a free photo session. I wouldn't do this for just any contest, but these guys are INCREDIBLE photographers and I have admired their work for several years while I have been lurking around on their blog, so the least I can do is relive some embarrassment, right?!!

When I was about 9-10 years old, my mom served as president of our church women's organization. During this time, we spent A LOT of time at the church while she was having meetings or organizing and preparing for different activities. My brother and sisters and I became very familiar with the building and loved to play in it. While we were never allowed to run and play in the chapel, mom didn't mind if we played in the gym, hallways or classrooms. As children, we spent many hours fantasizing about what it would be like to buy the church when they built our new building and turn it into our home. We had big plans for the indoor gym (roller skating rink), stage (platform for the aspiring models and actors/actresses we were to become someday) and even baptismal font (hot tub)! We took turns picking which room would be each of ours and naturally decided that the little kids' rooms would all be in the downstairs portion of classrooms, while ours would be upstairs (because we were so much cooler than them....).

Anyway, it was during one of these long afternoons at the church that our imaginative play gave way to a game of hide and seek. After exhausting all the best hiding places, I decided to go into a classroom and climb up into the windowsill (which was about a foot wide) and pull the curtains shut behind me. That way if anyone looked into the classroom it would just look dark and empty. It was a great hiding place! I heard them come looking for me, but I was NOT getting out! They would have to find me!

I was standing up there on that windowsill feeling pretty darn proud of myself when the light turned on and I heard voices and chairs being opened up. I peeked out through the crack in the curtains as discreetly as I could and realized that the classroom I was hiding in was now the setting for our church youth group meeting! These kids were several years older than me and oh-so-cool.....And I was the dorky little kid hiding in the window!

I was determined not to let them know I was there. I figured I could outlast their meeting if it would spare me the embarrassment of being discovered. It was a very surreal experience standing up there in that window. My heart was beating a million miles a minute and I was up about 4 feet off the ground peeking down through this crack in the curtains willing them with all my might to finish up and go away! The longer I stood as still as I could be, the more I realized that I needed to use the bathroom!

Things were not working in my favor. I could hear my mom and brother and sisters calling for me out in the hallway. I knew I was going to be in A LOT of trouble for making them all wait, but the thought of opening up those curtains and climbing down from the window mortified me! Eventually, the urge to pee outweighed even my fear of embarrassment, so I threw open the curtains, jumped down to the ground and yelled excuse me as I ran out the door! I could hear the room erupting in laughter behind me, but I didn't care.....I went to the bathroom, then I got out of there as fast as I could! I have never played hide and seek at church again!

Fortune Cookies....

Chris went out to eat with his team from work last night at a Chinese restaurant and got this in his fortune cookie:

You will move to a wonderful new home within the year.

What does it all mean?!!!

Tuesday, January 18, 2011

Cooking Mama

Who needs video games and easy bake ovens when you can be the REAL thing?!! For Christmas, Savannah got the cutest apron and several packages of Betty Crocker mixes (muffins, brownies, and cookies). She has absolutely loved cooking and it has been fun for mom to spend time with her!
It was one of her favorite gifts! (Ours too, for that matter, because we all get to sample her creations!)

Tuesday, January 4, 2011

Joshua's Birthday

Poor Joshua.....his birthday always gets fit in between Christmas and family celebrations and chaos.....but he is a good sport! Since we were travelling to Granny and PawPaw's and they had a cake for him, he decided to just open presents on the morning of his birthday and wait on the cake until the next day. He was thrilled to get his first Airsoft guns and some ammunition! Finally, a step up from nerf guns! Later that day, he invited his friend, Nate, over and they went and played at LaserQuest for a few hours. Then it was into the car for a long ride to Granny and PawPaw's for the family Christmas celebration. Because Shelby had to work, I stayed behind and brought her down the next day. Joshua wanted us to be there for his birthday party, so he waited to have it the next day when we got there.
Granny and Aunt Cathy had arranged for a friend to make a lacrosse cake for Joshua. He was so excited about his cake!

It was so much fun having cousins around to share in the party! No one else gets to do that! Because Joshua was turning 12, we arranged for his ordination ceremony to be done at the church where we were visiting so that his uncles and grandpa could participate.

It was a very small branch out in the country in North Carolina. I think we about doubled the size of their congregation that day!
Chris was able to ordain Joshua as a deacon before Sacrament Meeting, so they asked Joshua to help pass the sacrament. He was given the section where we were all sitting and it was neat to have him pass to us! Joshua is such a good boy. He is very conscientious about doing what is right and we are so proud of the choices he has made. I appreciated the dignity with which he passed the sacrament.
Years ago, when I was struggling through all the miscarriages, I read the account of Hannah in the scriptures. Like Hannah, I was begging God to send me a child. I vowed to dedicate this child to the Lord, if He would just let me have a baby. I was not surprised when I found out Joshua was a boy. I felt such a kinship with Hannah that it just seemed right that I would have a boy too! We chose the name Joshua because it meant "gift of God", and that is just what he was. I remember holding him in my arms and being overwhelmed with the feeling of peace. As he has grown up, I have tried to teach him the things he needs to know, to hold up my end of the bargain, to dedicate this child to the Lord. Like any mother, there are times when I question if I have done enough. I know there is always more that I could do. Joshua's goodness is evident to everyone who meets him. He continues to bring a feeling of peace into our home and I know that Heavenly Father is so pleased with the young man he has become.
We love you, Joshua! Happy Birthday!