Hezekiah, "Go to booty.com & you can see me shaking my booty."

Posted by Unknown | | Posted On Monday, May 31, 2010 at 11:21 AM

The dot com age has changed our vocabulary a lot as Hezekiah informed us today, "Go to booty dot com & you can see me shaking my booty." Hmmmm........interesting, very interesting.  I am not going to link the real booty . com here because I do not know what is really there nor care to know.

I wish I had some more calcium.

Posted by Unknown | | Posted On Sunday, May 30, 2010 at 12:06 PM

Eli, Hezekiah, and Page were rough housing it the other day in the living room while I was making dinner. Eli was getting a little tired and laid on his back and said, "I wish I had some more calcium." Crack me up. I guess calcium gives you energy in his world. No osteoporosis for this little fellow. Too funny.

Cake Finale

Posted by Unknown | | Posted On Thursday, May 27, 2010 at 6:09 PM

This is my final fondant cake with fondant/gum paste flowers and leaves. I really have not had that much time this week to really work that much on flowers and since the daisies are the easiest and look adorable that is what I choose to do. I think next time I do a flower cake I want to do black-eyed Susans.

Summertime, I am happy you are here.

Posted by Unknown | | Posted On Wednesday, May 26, 2010 at 10:27 AM

These pictures are fillers really. Nothing to do with summertime, but these pictures of Maggie Beth I enjoy so thought I would share. There are a lot of things going on these days some of which I am sad about, but other things which are exciting and offer new opportunities. Summertime is already relaxing and busy at the same time. We started off this week with little sick kiddos, but I am thankful everyone seems to be feeling better today so we have ventured out the doors for swimming and sunshine, of which Maggie calls Yun Yine. I love to hear her talk.

We have made pasta pictures with fun shaped motorcycle, train, car, and airplane shaped pasta from the World Market. We have done water colors when we have felt good enough. We have laid on the couch and floor and watched shows for 2 days (at least....time all runs together after awhile for me) since kids were sick. This is a difficult thing for me to let kids watch TV for longer than a half an hour.......but when your action packed 4 and 6 year olds are laying lifeless on the couch that is pretty much what those times call for........books and shows. So I checked out 40 items from our local library of which 4 were DVDs. We will see what late fines we will receive since we always misplace books, but at least I know how many books I am suppose to return.


So today seems more like a normal day, we baked cakes this morning and the boys helped me decide the type of layers for the cakes and which pans I should use. Maggie Beth, Hezekiah, and Eli all helped in mixing the two cake batters and no egg shells ended up in our batter. It is feeling more like summer these days. We are looking forward to Fee Avenue pool and some free movies over the summer too. Summertime, I am happy you are here. I enjoy sleeping in and waking up with no planned schedule. Except to eat breakfast and read our Bible. Hmmmm.........I think I could get use to you summertime.

My Edible Flowers

Posted by Unknown | | Posted On Thursday, May 20, 2010 at 6:23 PM

This is a Fantasy flower that I made tonight out of fondant and gum paste.  It is edible!  I thought it turned out so adorable.  I get to create a cake of my choice for next week and make flowers of my choice.  My cake may consist of these!  Wouldn't it be beautiful?

I also created Daisies and a Carnation.  I think the Carnation was the most difficult.  We made leaves too.  It is so fun and therapeutic.

Maggie Beth's Elmo Party #2

Posted by Unknown | | Posted On Sunday, May 16, 2010 at 11:32 AM

Happy Birthday my sweet Magpie.

You are so beautiful!

I cannot believe you are 2!

I love you!

So do your brothers and daddy!

Your Elmo party was absolutely fun.  Thanks friends for coming!  We love you!

Party with Grandma and Grandpa

Posted by Unknown | | Posted On at 11:23 AM

Black icing does wonders for your teeth!

Grandma and Grandpa came in on Maggie Beth's birthday so we had cupcakes together that evening. The boys had fun having Elmo cupcakes with Maggie Beth. We are so happy Grandma and Grandpa decided to visit and be here for Maggie Beth's party!

Maggie Beth's Birthday Breakfast

Posted by Unknown | | Posted On at 11:18 AM

Our tradition for the birthday breakfast consists of a donut with candles. I use to do it with waffles, but the candles sit in the donut better. So the kids know whenever it is one of their birthdays that this is what they receive. The kids and I sing Happy Birthday and today was Maggie Beth's 2nd Birthday so she was a bit shy with us singing to her. Hezekiah had to show her the ropes with blowing the candles out.

ELMO -- GUESS Who is 2?

Posted by Unknown | | Posted On Friday, May 14, 2010 at 2:10 PM

Today is Maggie Beth's 2nd Birthday. I will post pictures of all of our celebration today........for now here is Maggie's cake for her party tomorrow! Elmo!

My First Fondant!

Posted by Unknown | | Posted On Thursday, May 13, 2010 at 6:26 PM

So here is my first cake of the week. My first attempt with fondant. We had to cover our cake with a large piece of rolled out fondant and smooth it out to cover and then we learned different techniques tonight in class, of which I was not fond of for my fondant cake. So, as usual, I choose to do my own thing! Go figure!   We also worked with gum paste.  Enjoy. Elmo is coming along and I should have Elmo done tomorrow afternoon with pictures.

Eli's Preschool Program

Posted by Unknown | | Posted On Wednesday, May 12, 2010 at 5:35 PM

Today was Eli's preschool program.  The kids do their end of the year program by singing the songs they have learned throughout the year. 

This is Eli with his teacher Mrs. Wallace and his buddy Garrett.

Eli loves Mrs. Wallace.  She is an incredible teacher and genuinely loves her students.  Can't you tell Eli loves her too?  Every morning when I have dropped off Eli she greets him and has such a lovely smile.  I am so thankful Eli had Mrs. Wallace this year.  I honestly think she is WONDERFUL and I praise God for such an amazing teacher.

Here is Eli receiving his certificate for completing his class. 

Maggie Beth, Eli and Garrett enjoyed snacks afterward.

Then Mrs. Wallace popped up behind Eli and Garrett and Eli did not know she was there.  I think it scared him a bit. 

He sure makes some silly faces.  Congrats my little love snuggle bug!  You are just too adorable.

Life Unedited -- Foodies

Posted by Unknown | | Posted On Saturday, May 8, 2010 at 11:19 AM

So for 3 weeks now I have been on a battle against unwanted adipose tissue aka fat tissue.  I have been measuring my foods/portions and allowing only one sugary drink/day.  I am trying to stay under 1500 calories per day.  I have been fixated on the verse Matthew 4:4, Jesus answered, "It is written: 'Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.'"

It is a battle for me because goodness I really do like peanut butter M&M's, seriously I like them a lot.  But I only allot a serving -- which is 1/4 a cup which equals 240 calories.  I wish I was kidding.  And to waste my "calories" 240 on M&M's probably is not a good idea anyhow when I could have something better, like fruit huh? 

The battle is difficult at times.  Probably one of the hardest things I have ever done.  When I was in high school one summer my swim coach told us how much sugar was in a can of soda, that really half the can was sugar and told us to stay away from sugary drinks.  So I did for the longest time.  I would only drink tea and water.  Somewhere along the way I started drinking Coca-Cola again and well that one is not as bad to give up.  But really some things just taste better with Coca-Cola! Don't you agree?

I honestly think exercising is easier than trying to watch what you eat.  I love swimming it is super easy for me to swim miles.  I have been running the past couple weeks and I really do not like running, but I ran a mile last week and this past week, and I am getting in the groove of it.  On Tuesdays I walk 4-5 miles, 2 in the morning and then usually 2-3 in the afternoon.  I really want to do the Health First Triathalon this year by myself as compared to doing it with a team last year.  So my battle is on.....

I am looking for more verses to assist me.  I think like most things the battle is in the mind.  If you have any that you would like to share.  I will memorize them and write them and post them on my wall. 

Life Unedited - Belonging

Posted by Unknown | | Posted On Friday, May 7, 2010 at 10:06 AM

We, Page and I have been married for 14 years this coming Winter, December 21st. I love him more today than I did when we met and thankfully God has blessed us with a loving friendship in our precious marriage. I know one thing I belong to him and I belong to God. Sometimes I struggle with belonging but knowing these two things helps me stay grounded (sometimes!)??? Do you know what I mean?

I think God placed us far away from family so that when the tough times came, and they have come -- believe me, that we would turn to Him and then to each other and not some other family member or friend for support (even though I fully believe that having others support you is WONDERFUL, they are just not a replacement for the real thing).  It just helped us deal with issues and be real rather than stuffing them under the rug or down deep inside.  I have been blessed tremendously and God has been protecting us and I am thankful for His loving provision. I continually pray for His faithful protection and pray against the enemy's attacks.

But belonging to groups probably is not my thing. Something that I think I have identified with for all my life is that I do not belong to groups, groups of friends, groups of interests, etc. I have always had friends of different sorts, not all of one "species" if you might say. I usually identify with people maybe not so much like me, but then again some like me but they definitely do not all have to look the same, act the same, or have my same set of beliefs. Maybe that is why I am not a groupie nor belong to one. Is that a good thing? Yes, sometimes it is, but honestly other times it is disheartening and the enemy tries to make me feel less than what God has created me to be. It makes me sad to not even be invited, but then I think maybe that is a good thing, because if I was identified as a groupie then that may inhibit me from reaching out to others. Who knows? It might be because I am opinionated too? But that is part of my being and how God created me whether you love me or hate me for it.

So to be a groupie or not to be? Not really a question for me. I know what I am apart of and I am apart of God's family, I am a member of the Phelps' family, and I love my life despite not being in a group -- whatever that group may consist of. But if it does consist of a group for Peanut butter M&M's fans -- I might reconsider.


Are you a groupie or not?

Before the Rain Came

Posted by Unknown | | Posted On Wednesday, May 5, 2010 at 5:10 PM

Before the rain came this afternoon this is what we were doing.  This happens to be one of my favorite past times with my kids.  I have always loved water and playing in the water.  Spent many summer days swimming at Forest Hills in Middletown, Ohio.

Here in Melbourne, Florida we swim in our backyard.  We also enjoy swimming at Fee Avenue Pool.  You will find us there a lot this summer when that pool opens. 

Ahhh, so relaxing until..........

Ha ha ha!!!

Another reason I enjoy this past time is it gets someone to release some excess energy.  Not to mention any names, I am sure you can guess who it is by the above pictures.  It certainly is not the little boy lounging on the edge of the pool.

Can you guess?