A Year In Cake

     Most of the time, or so it seems, my Mom and I have some project or another that we are doing or planning to do.  It makes for a lot of adventures and fun time together.  Our projects range from sewing, scrapbooking, baking, candy-making, and anything in between we can come up with or have time to try.
     Over the last year, we have had the opportunity and fun to make several birthday cakes.  Those of you who know me, realize this meant flour and powdered sugar everywhere because I can’t bake without ending up covered in ingredients.  However, it also resulted in some very fun cakes.  We have been trying to be more creative and adventuresome with our ideas and what we were willing to try.  I thought it would be fun to share the outcome of our efforts.
     First up, was Brady’s birthday last year.  I wanted it to be creative and surprise Brady with something fun.  So, after a lot of thought I came up with the idea of a cake that looks like a motherboard.  I pulled out one of his old motherboards, and we used that as a pattern of sorts.  He even recognized which one it was!
     

     Last, but certainly not least, was Brady’s 25th birthday this year.  I wanted to be creative and surprise him again.  So, I got a little braver and tried covering my first cake in fondant.  He shared his birthday party with Chris, our cousin, this year and we all had a great time celebrating both of them.  We had Kuennings, Smiths, and Spurlins all together.  It was a lot of fun. 

      I am sure that Mom and I will continue trying new and fun things with cake design.  We still have a lot to learn, but it sure is sweet and fun to do it!

Puerto Rico: Oct 2009: Church

     It seems every time I sit down to write for our blog the words kind of get stuck somewhere between my brain and the computer. The end result of that being that I post every 3 months instead of regularly.  
      I had a few more pictures I really wanted to share of our trip to Puerto Rico.  So thanks for your patience.  After that who knows?  Onward to the holidays or my new sewing projects..
     One of the most amazing things about our trip to Puerto Rico, at least to me, was going to a far off place and finding family.  I have never had the opportunity before to worship with the church in another country.  Although, technically Puerto Rico is a protectorate of the U.S.   It was incredibly humbling, comforting, and awing.  
    We had an adventure and a half trying to find a church, but it was well worth the effort and the 40 dollars the taxi driver charged us after getting lost multiple times.  The people there were kind, friendly, and welcoming to us, the pale Alaskans.  We also found out they had connections to our Alaskan family through Jeff and Dana Jaworski, who lived and worked with the church there several years ago.
     I value the time we got to spend with such caring people, and hope that this is something we get to do again, sometime!      And that, for the most part, was our trip to Puerto Rico.  There are more stories, and wonderful memories, but these ware a few of our favorite.  We feel so blessed that we were able to have such an experience!  Hope you enjoyed all the pictures! 

Puerto Rico: Oct 2009: Fajardo

     Our trip was full of many adventures, beautiful scenery, and special experiences.  One of our favorite was a kayaking trip.  My wonderful husband, who knows my love for kayaking, decided we shouldn’t miss the chance to experience the bioluminescent bays of Puerto Rico.  They say there are only five consistent bays with this phenomenon world-wide and three of those are in Puerto Rico.  
     This adventure took us to the coastal town of Fajardo.  Not only did we kayak, but this trip was in the darkest pitch of the evening, the darker the better.  By the time we drove to Fajardo, suited up in life vests, and set up in our kayaks, the sun had set.  There was very little moon, which we were told helped create the perfect opportunity for such a trip.  
     First, across the bay. Then, down a narrow canal lined with mangrove trees.  Lastly, our goal the Bioluminescent Bay.  Actually, about half way down the canal we started to see the glowing water.  Each time a paddle hit the water or a fish jumped it created a blue glowing effect.  For all those who know of Brady’s love of everything glow in the dark, this tour was the perfect choice for us. 
     Unfortunately, we did not have a camera with us.  They recommend not bringing one in case it gets wet.  We actually stayed much dryer than we did in the rainforest.  I did find a couple of pictures online from the same bay and thought I would share those to give a glimpse of the experience.

      The green light is a glow stick on the front of the kayak.  The blue bioluminescence is caused by tiny micro-organisms.  When they are excited by movement, they light up.  We heard many descriptions of this including: pixie or fairy dust or as if stars sparkle from the water.  They were all very poetic but the experience went beyond the descriptions.  We felt humbled and awed to view God’s glory and mystery in such a unique way.

Puerto Rico: Oct 2009: Old San Juan

     Have you ever visited a place that feels steeped in history?  That was how I felt as we walked the streets of Old San Juan. It was as if each building, each brick had a story to tell if you had time to stop and listen. Parts of Old San Juan did not seem quite as ancient, as the term refers to an area of a thriving city. However, the Spanish built up the original structures in the 1500s.  There were beautiful remnants of two massive, old forts and an ancient crumbling city wall.  Even though we spent two of our days there, it felt like we barely scratched the surface of this beautiful area.
     The forts that stood guard over Old San Juan were large beyond description.  If you look really closely I am standing at the base of the wall. This is on the 3rd level, I think, looking back up at two of the upper levels.

     Old San Juan had a very distinct look. Every house front was a different color and all of the cobblestone was this bright blue. It was as if an artist had walked through the area and said, “Ahhhh, this color here, this color there, and Voila!”

Old San Juan

Puerto Rico: Oct 2009: El Yunque

     El Yunque National Rainforest, area of land and mountains standing guard over Puerto Rico.  The day we visited the rainforest was our one day of rain in a long stretch of sunshine.  That being said, the rain made the day a fun adventure full of laughs and smiles.  
     Low clouds covered the tops of the green mountains.  This blocked our view a bit but made us very aware of the fact that we were in a rainforest.  We drove up the mountain with a light sprinkling rain enjoying the lush foliage and exotic flowers.  When we got to the top, we were let out of the van to take a look around and enjoy a hiking trail into the forest.  As we started exploring, the light sprinkle soon turned to a steady downpour.  We persevered through sites of giant bamboo and giant slugs eventually making it to a beautiful waterfall tucked up in the mountainside.  This was our destination!  By the time we got there we were so incredibly soaked that it looked like we had been in the waterfall.

      The steady downpour continued on our hike back to our van, but we had a nice group of friendly people in our group to share our wet adventure with.  They were from all parts of the world, including New York, Georgia, Denmark, and, of course, Alaska.  Our tour ended with a relaxing visit to a roadside, outdoor cafe with warm and filling food!