Kiss the Cook (and the Pastry Chef)

I have to brag on my husband. For my birthday last week he made me the most amazing cake. He spent literally hours making it. The cake was from a Williams Sonoma cake book and it turned out picture perfect. Every component of the cake was homemade by Mark (except a layer of raspberry jam): The cake itself, pastry cream, whipped cream, and marzupan. It was delicious. Let's not talk about how many eggs and how much cream was in the cake. My favorite kind of cake is white or vanilla-ish--not chocolate, which is amazing since I love everything else chocolate. This hit the spot perfectly.

He also made my favorite Emeril's New Orleans Pasta. The staggering thing is he MADE the fettucini pasta itself--yes, made pasta dough and put it through a pasta maker. The noodles were superb. Mark is so talented in the kitchen, and he always does everything he can to make my birthday or Mother's Day a great day for me. One thing he and I have really enjoyed about our new kitchen is all the great counter space and room to work. It was a much more pleasant cooking fest than our past kitchens.

Come visit us and he may cook for you too!

Please keep Garrett in your prayers

As you may know, I am leaving tomorrow morning to fly to Utah. I'm going to help out while Garrett has his surgery. It may be quite painful for him following surgery so please keep him in your prayers.

I'm anxious to see Andrea, Mark and the kids. I'm excited to see their new home also.

Know that I love all of you very much. I'm so glad for this family blog where we can stay in touch with each other by way of written word and pictures.

Brooke's Latest Masterpiece

Brooke has completed yet another painting that amazes me!! The kid is eight years old and has painted some beautiful pictures in her art classes. Mark and I often wonder just how much help she may get from her art teacher because of what she is able to create. She found a photograph in a book of cats that she wanted to paint and the result left me speechless. Brooke has been taking art classes once a week for two years and did some summer art camps a few summers before that. She has loved anything to do with creating art since she was two or three. When she was three and in preschool she used to come home from school with the best little creations in "choice time." She and her friends always chose the art table at choice time, often instead of snacks even! Back then she said her favorite thing about school was "arting." They made a paper laptop that opened and closed and had a little mouse attached with a paper cord. She and her friend Rex did an impressive joint rendition of the crucifixion at Easter time when they were four complete with stick figures holding swords and a stick figure bleeding on the cross (I don't mean to trivialize the crucifixion by refering to it so lightly). This was completely on their own. I lost both of these favorite little art projects in the hurricane--some of the things I regret losing the most. Anyway, she is still busy creating. What a kid!!!

It Was Only a Matter of Time

All my kids have done it, so I knew the fascination with the bathroom would start soon. I think Anna was the one who unrolled the toilet paper roll the most often. At this age it's hard to keep babies away from the toilet. We went from me not being able to get anything done because of Garrett not taking naps to me not being able to do absolutely anything unless he is confined. He cranks on my new shutters and opens my cabinets and pulls everything out and plays on the stairs and pounds on the t.v. and computer, which are both on the floor. He seems to do these things more than the girls did, but maybe it's just because we have more cabinets and we have more things on the floor. My boy is growing so fast!

Courtney's Bridal shower photos!

Sorry they have been posted so... late!

Will's gymnastics!

Here are some photos of when will did gymnastics!

Webkinz!

Will is obsesed with Webkinz! when Andrea and the kids were here every day they would be on the coputer all... day playing webkinz. The Internet is taking over our brains!

Jonathan at Morp 2008!

Here are some photos of jonathan at Morp!

Family photos in December!

Courtney and Dan cutting the cake

Courtney and Dan eating cake

Anna Banana

[Garfield]Garret

Laine and val

Will, Brooke, and Lanie at Courtney and Dan's reception


Courtney and Laine dancing!

Amber, Laura , And Courtney outside the temple taking pictures [looks like there cold]

Wilkins cousin photo for Cortney and Dan's wedding!

Laura and Amber trying to stay warm outside the temple for pictures!

The Grump and jonathan outside the temple

Laine, Brooke, and Will outside the temple!


Laine and Anna!

Brooke and Will!

The Grump and Garret [garfeild]

Jonathan and Mark!

Cousin photo!

I know grandpa will hate this.....

But Dan and I are getting a Yorkshire Terrier puppy!

(Dan made this picture a couple of nights ago for a homework assignment... hehehe)

We had been contemplating it for the last 3 weeks or so, but weren't sure about it (financially), however, I received my military bonus today, finally. So, we are a go! This is our only splurge and starting next month, Dan will be making more money too.

Her current name is Dorothy, but we are going to change it to something unknown.... so if you have any cool ideas, let us know. Dan is going to meet her for the first time this afternoon. I have gone to see her twice now.

The Pearson's

Sorry I have not written for a while.I have been busy helping at the school-teaching art literacy and helping in the cafeteria.On the days that I help-I get to have lunch with Will.He and I like that.Kim has been getting excited about him and I taking a trip to Europe for out 20th wedding anniversary.At this point it looks like we will do a Rick Steve's tour in France foe 11 days.I need to get in shape though.He has a no whinner policy.Lots of walking,small groups.We get to spend the night on the island where Mont St. Michel is.Cool! So hopefully-next summer it will all work out.
Jon has officially started lacrosse.Maddy starts next month.Jon is trying get his school schedule decided for next year-senior year.Lots of teachers have lots of opinions.On the advice of his accounting teacher-he is going to finish up accounting 1 on his on time-take accounting 2 the rest of this year-then take accounting 3 senior year.It kind of freaks him out that he is a bit like his Dad with the accounting talent.
Will is quite the origami king.He has really done some beautiful pieces.
Kim is busy volunteering on the westview PTO and lacrosse board,as well as his high priest calling.
Love you all

I hope you don't mind...

I have REALLY been enthralled with graphic design and using GIMP (which is basically like photoshop and as far as we can tell, just as awesome).

I made a header for Dan and I's blog... and as I get better... I am doing more. I made this one for our blog. Let me know what you guys think.

Dan, who does web development and is really good at it, has sort of inspired me to do this. As well as looking around at other things that I like. Hopefully I can learn more and more and get even better at designing more things. Then Dan and I can design and create websites together, along with his brother and sister in law.

Celebrating Mardi Gras Away from the Big Easy

We missed being at the parades this year for Mardi Gras. To celebrate away from the Big Easy we baked king cakes for our neighbors (and of course saved one for our family) and brought them some Mardi Gras beads. Mark and I are getting pretty good at baking king cakes, although they can't quite compare to my favorite Gambino's Bakery king cake.

It was dance night for Brooke and Anna and Anna had a report due in school the next day, so I didn't have time to make a New Orleans main dish for dinner. A couple of nights later I made shrimp creole. We were sorely disappointed in the shrimp. I should have known it wouldn't compare to the flavor and freshness of New Orleans shrimp, but these shrimp were flavorless and gritty with every bite. Mark and I couldn't eat more than a few bites. Anna had seconds and thirds because the girl LOVES shrimp. I guess she even likes sandy shrimp.

Mark's mom hosted a cute little Valentine's party for the grandkids the night before Valentine's Day. We had dinner and decorated Valentine cookies. Sue had decorated the table so cute for V-day. If you're wondering if Brooke still belongs to our family, I am thinking the reason she is not in any pictures is because any chance she gets, she sneaks up to the computer to do Webkinz or, her new favorite, Zoo Tycoon. She is obsessed with computer/video games. Hmmmm. . . I wonder where she gets that??

I always seem to post a picture of Mark and Garrett. Probably because Garrett mostly wants to be held, so that's the best way to get a shot of him. He's looking like such a big boy!! He's got a little George Clooney hair thing going on here for some reason. Must have been the snow storm which hit about two hours before and made the roads really difficult to maneuver. It was coming down hard and fast and covered you with snow if you were out in it for a minute or two. The girls walked home from school and were white from head to toe.

Refinement of my Economics post:

A Federal check may shorten the recession, but if most people use the $$ to buy TVs, and other durable goods made in China and elsewhere overseas the impact of the checks will be decreased a lot. So if we get such a check use it to buy American. Don't go to WalMart. (However, this is not always good advice according to "economicd geeks.)

Friday at Mt Hood

Huckleberry Inn in Government Camp this week. It's been a wonderful winter for skiers and other snow people.

There will be plenty of water next summer, but spring flooding could be a paroblem if it melts too fast.

Entrance to timberline Lodge on Mt. Hood.

Road to Timberline Ski area. Almost to the parking lot.