Birthdays, showers and summertime

OK, so we're in the heart of the summer and celebrated 2 birthdays this month...well, technically we didn't quite celebrate...yet. My first daughter, Taylor turned 12 on the 5th and Gina, my last daughter, turned 3 on Sunday the 17th! Where has the time gone?! I remember each birth like it was yesterday, but these days seem to be flying by! Here is a poem I wrote for Gina last year. Happy Birthday my sweet girls...I love you both so very much. You both have enriched my life 10 fold!

We spent Gina's birthday in PA celebrating my niece Nicole and her fiance, Mike's wedding shower. That's another "where has the time gone" moment! My sister's beautiful daughter is getting married in August, so its been a year of planning for my sister and her family! My Kenny and Gina are honored to be in their wedding...the flower girl and the ring bearer! So we ordered and just picked up Gina's dress (absolutely beautiful)...and this past Saturday, we went and got Kenny fitted for his suit...Now we are hoping and praying that the two of them can walk down the isle with grace and not freeze up or start crying! haha!

Anyhow, back to the trip to PA for the shower. I have to give a HUGE shout out to my amazing hubby for giving up his plans for the day, to go with me to PA. I honestly didn't want to drive out there (2.5 hours away) with 7 kids by myself...even with GPS I'd still get lost! I have also realized that I am getting old...yes, I admit it...I am getting old. I can forget driving long distances at night because my eyes cant focus very well at night. So thank goodness my love of my life gave up his golf outing...his one thing he looks forward to every year...to come with me. This past week has been a week from...well...you know where! Between making cakeball pops, going to a vendors fair...setting up a table for my Milestones for Micros (selling my cakeballs to raise money) and also setting up Tony's stuff...his ART Pro Graphics stuff to get some more work and also his skateboards that he makes. Along with making 150 cupcakes for the shower, doctor appts for Kenny, Kenny throwing his "fits", and then mix all that with the usual day to day things...washing clothes, cleaning up the house, dinners, baseball games and breaking up fights between the kids (haha)...I am so ready for a few days off...which wont be happening anytime soon! Here is a few pics from the shower. My brother in law made this awesome cupcake stand!!! I made chocolate/chocolate chip cupcakes, confetti cupcakes, red velvet cupcakes...along with...french vanilla, German chocolate and strawberry cakeball pops and banana nut with butter cream frosting cupcakes...

I know now that from now on, I will frost and decorate at the event rather than 2 hours before hand and then traveling to the destination...oh man...many of the cupcakes were destroyed. On the other hand...the shower was absolutely beautiful! My sister did an awesome job planning and decorating. The kids got much of what they registered for. I am so happy for them. They make such a great couple! I have to laugh a little bit...we filled out these cards that they passed out where we had to write a piece of advice to the soon-to-be newlyweds...my advice to them was...have lots and lots of babies! haha! No really! Sharing your life together, being intimate and keeping busy with a family that you both have created really does keep one on the right track! Maybe lose a few marbles along the way...but for the most part its an amazing experience...having lots of kids! I also wrote that they should accept each other for who they will both grow into being as the years go on...and also to talk, laugh and cry together!

So, on August 12th my little niece will be a married woman and we will have a huge family celebration...all my relatives that I haven't seen in years will be there and I am so excited!