A Late Halloween Treat...

I know it is a day late, but here is a Halloween thought from me to you.

If our dog Pooh Bear were still alive...

this would be her Halloween costume this year:

"I pity the fool who messes with my Kibble and Bits!!"

Maybe it was for the best she missed this Halloween...

The Birthday Cake

When is comes to Mike's birthday, he is always excited about one thing...

His birthday cake.

When we were first married, I thought it would be nice to make Mike a themed cake from scratch. When I was little, my mom always make me a themed cake and I thought it was the coolest thing ever! I mean, come on...who wouldn't love a personalized birthday cake?

Mike absolutely loved this idea and it has become his birthday tradition.

For his 24th birthday, I made him Lego Cakes (there were 5 different shapes and sizes).

For his 25th birthday, I made a guitar cake which was surprisingly easy to make.

And this year, for his 26th birthday, he got a karate gee

They are not professional and there is always some kind of mistake, but no one seems to notice (or care).

To add to the specialness of the day, the cake was Nutter Butter flavor; which happens to be Mike's favorite cookie.

And since Mike is a black belt, I figured I hit the jackpot this year.

I know...I rock.

Also, as an update...

Mike finished his semester on Friday and (as usual) he got all A's!

This semester was extremely hard for him since he was working full time, maintaining his church calling and dealing with 19 credit hours. It's safe to say that we are both extremely happy this semester is over. He is heading into HIS LAST SEMESTER on Monday!!!

WooHoo!!

Thank you to everyone who helped and supported us this semester! We love you all!

One Year Older and Wiser Too...

HAPPY BIRTHDAY to MIKE!!

Mike is officially 26 today!

I threw in this last picture to embarrass him...
How cute is he as a kid in his little button-up shirt?
And who would have thought he ever had straight hair?

Happy Birthday Baboo! I love you!!

Yummy Food!!

I really love to cook.

At first, I only focused on desserts (since that is what most people love in my opinion). But I have broadened my horizons and stepped out of my comfort zone lately and I can honestly tell you...

It feels great!

I'm use to baking - which means I measure the perfect amount of ingredients and play by the rules at all times to get my result. Deviating from the recipes always made me uneasy!

But thanks to Mike (who will eat and 'love' anything I make - eatable or not) I've really been committed to trying new flavors and dishes and it has really payed off!

One of the blogs that I love to follow is Two Peas & a Pot written by my friends Jana and Cindy. They always have great recipes that just hit the spot.

Like this one...

Sweet and Sour Chicken

The recipe is super simple and SO good - especially if you are craving Chinese Food!

They have such a great variety of recipes that keep my mouth watering!

My next dish I'm going to attempt to make from their archive is THIS.

Wish me luck!

Family & Memories....

This year has been a tough one. We lost two great women from the Armacost side of our family. My Aunt D.G. lost her battle with cancer recently and my Grandma just passed away this afternoon. Both women were great inspirations to me and possessed qualities that I strive for in my daily life.

With my Gram being 96 years old, we knew her time on this Earth was coming to an end. I was so grateful for the chance to sit by her side, tell her how much I love her and say goodbye for now.

A few of my favorite memories were finding her loose change with her metal detector in her back yard, helping her with crossword puzzles and trips to the San Diego Zoo.

She did such an amazing job raising her 5 girls and loving her 21 grandchildren.

D.G. was my mom's 2nd oldest sister and a prefect example of a loving, patient person. Each of my aunts have been a great influence in my life and it is so hard to see one of them pass away. Even though we were happy to see D.G. free from pain, we can definitely miss her sweet smile and warm laugh.

The great thing through all of this sadness, is the truth that we know Families are Forever. I'm sad that D.G. and Gram are no longer with us in this life, but I'm excited to reunite with them in the next. For now, we send our love to them and remember the happy memories.

To all my aunts (here and there), I love you!
To Gram, you were the best grandma ever! I love you forever and always.
And to my Mom, I love you "just a little bit more"!

Best way to describe how I felt this week...

But then I came home to this cutie...

...and I'm a happy camper again.


Have a good weekend everyone! xoxo

If I may say a few words...

This year has been a doozie so far! And yes, I know it is not over yet, but saying I've been overwhelmed is an understatement.

With that said, there is nothing better in this world (to me) than these last two days. I've still been overwhelmed, but let me shove those feelings aside and let you in on a little secret to my happiness.

I have a fabulous family. Plain and simple. Heavenly Father has completely blessed me with a great parents and a great husband. So, really...what is there is complain about? Sure there is chaos, but all of that seems to melt away when I get to plan a Girls Weekend with my mom, or spend time with Mike making Chicken & Shrimp Kabobs (they are cooking on the BBQ right now and smell amazing!), and have great, insightful talks with my Dad!

They really are the best team I could ever ask for.

So, it may not be glamorous, but it is what makes me happy!

Food's ready! See you next post!