Where Has Time Gone??

So, yes I've been gone. I just didn't realize that it had been for almost two years!!

Where have we been? Well, our home has been on a roller coaster ride lately to put it mildly lol

However, now that things are settling down I've decided that I will indeed be here once a week with new things. DIY projects, helpful hints and tips, random things and food. Yep, food. We love trying new recipes and as I've said before I love to bake, so my Kitchenaid seems to be constantly running!!

So, before the "new" blog begins here's the cliff notes version of our ups... and downs... and ups... and downs...

Up ~ Everyone celebrated two birthdays which means I need to update the whole newborn, toddler, etc thing. It also means a certain guy is closing in on 40 which means PARTY. The only party he's ever given me permission to throw for him!! LOL

Down ~ Another tragedy was when we lost my mom. It was completely unexpected, it was sudden, and she died in her sleep. She was a week away from her retirement, Monkey hadn't even had his first birthday, and our calendar was filling up with "Grammy Visits" very quickly! It shattered all of us, especially since we just spent the weekend before with her, and especially me. She died of a broken heart, both figuratively and literally. 420 days without my dad was long enough for her to be without her best friend. A year and a half later we're finally coming to an end on all of the paper work. All the drama that ensued from the moment she died is another one of those another blog for another day. Either way I'm glad that she can finally be with my dad again and with her mom. She missed them both horribly and I know she's no longer hurting. Yep, a year a half later we all still miss her and dad, but I think we're all going to be okay. At least that's my theory ;)

Up ~ We put a lot, and I mean A LOT, of miles on our car driving back and forth across this very VERY flat state. We got to see Nebraska go through all four seasons. We got to see some homes in Iowa that my family lived in and built well over 100 years ago. We got to toodle around Omaha I lost track how many times. Each time we chose to see something different, other than the zoo which we visited 2 or 3 times because it's amazing!!

Down ~ The reason why we had to do all that traveling is Monkey was sick. Not just a cold or flu sick either. We're talking sick sick. He went misdiagnosed for almost 5 months here (it's allergies, he has a cold, he's teething, if there was an excuse we heard it as to why his glands were grotesquely large) Noone ever bothered to look deeper so... well... another blog another day. Well, he was so sick we got to know Omaha Children's Hospital inside and out! They're phenomenal and I can't say enough about how amazing they are!! They saved our little Monkey's life and thanks to them and their team he's thriving and ornery as all get up!!

Up ~ Our big up came last summer when we got to move out of what, for three years, we referred to as our shack because it was less than 1000 sq ft. We lucked into our new home and we love all the space we have. I'll blog as we do more improvements (it's kind of 70's early 80's ish and needs love) and about all the new home to old home comparisons. A few of my favorite parts are: an actual laundry room, a big garage, a man cave for my guy to hide in (and me sometimes too), a massive guest room that also doubles as a play room, a ton of storage, a huge FENCED back yard that the kiddos can run wild in and boy do they ever!! It will be a work in progress for awhile but that's okay, it's what we wanted and it's ours!!

So, that's where we've been. On our roller coaster of life. I'm ready to blog again. Ready to rejoin the digital world of fun!! Thanks for checking back in and I look forward to reconnecting with all of you!!

Loves from the plains

Baking and cooking I love. Baking a passion of mine. Cakes, cookies, snackies, cupcakes, the whole nine yards. It's a passion I've learned to adapt since having kiddos. Now the cakes are just as extreme just generally more b-day orientated and not normally the 9 tier wedding ones! The snacks are just simpler and more kid friendly. The cupcakes are just as fun and loveable, just a little more kid category! I tend to use a little more frosting and gumdrop type materials rather than my fondant, fancy rolling pins and pattern pens!

Cancer on the other hand... CANCER SUCKS and that's all there is to it. Cancer has affected nearly every aspect of my life. One of the, I've lost track as to how many after the beast took my daddy last summer, ways that it's affected our family was when LibbyLoo was attacked. LL is my sil. was Long story short, she was diagnosed as having a rather large brain tumor just after her 2nd b-day. The name of the Cancer is about nine miles long, well maybe not nine miles, but it seems like it when you spell it out! After recieving the lifetime max of chemo and radiation, LL is now a sassy pre-teen. Even though mentally and physically lapsed because of the Cancer, isn't afraid to tell it like it is!

Do to the fact that LL had Cancer when she was a child it was considered a childhood Cancer. Well, there's something we ALL can do to help... I don't know... I guess bring about awareness, raise money, DO OUR PART!!!

Below this blog I've given two of my favorite Bake Sale recipes! In our family, we're always looking for a reason to bake! What better way than by donating your bake sale funds to a worthy cause like Cookies For Kids Cancer!! Well if you aren't a baker, then what better way to help out than contribute your fave bake sale recipe for a virtual bake sale that helps out a cause?! That's what I'm doing this year!! There are three websites listed below that explain what I'm doing. The first one is the SCKC site, the second one tells all about what Glad is doing to help, and the third one is one of my fave mommy sites!! I hope you all enjoy my two little snacks, and check out these sites to see what YOU can do to help out!!


www.cookiesforkidscancer.org
www.glad.com/gladtogive/kids.php
www.momadvice.com

Loves & Happy Baking!!
A mama just enjoying spring on the plains of Nebraska!!