Birthdays, Cakes and Sermons Oh My!

Oh what a week… er more than a week, as I see I haven’t blogged since last Thursday… oops. It was a week filled with a birthday, meetings, a regular full schedule and some cake orders on top. Whee!

… but first I am calling on your help! Xander is entered in the local radio station’s cutest kid contest. If you have a chance, click HERE and vote 10! The votes help us get a chance to get into the top 20 and then the judges pick from there. The top prize is a NEW CAR! Something we are needing in the next year or so with a nearly 20 year old car currently hanging in for us. So vote for our little man. Thanks!

It started with Ken’s 36^th birthday on the Saturday. The kids got him a superman t-shirt, something he wanted for ages, we happened to find it at Old Navy one day and of course we were thrilled. We had to get a picture of the boys in their matching shirts…

… not to mention the matching shirts, check out the matching hats, haha. I found a kid’s version of Ken’s hat for Xander. He gets TONS of complements when we are out in town, just too stinkin’ cute.

So on the Saturday we dumped the kids with Dad and Rita and headed off to Vancouver to see Avenue Q. It was fantastic, definitely not for kids, but so well written and preformed. I will say that someone must not have understood the warning on the poster and anywhere you bought tickets saying it was not appropriate for anyone under 16… as you see a gal walked in with 4 young children. The couple behind us who were chatting with friends about seeing the show in New York gasped when seeing the kids and weren’t impressed. Needless to say at intermission the lady and kids left and didn’t come back… I am surprised they didn’t leave sooner, I felt terrible for those kids, the youngest being at least 7 or 8. Sigh, makes me wish the theater would have said they weren’t allowed in. I don’t like to critique other’s parenting, but this wasn’t too bright. We came home, picked up the kids and headed out to dinner with our friends Brenda and Kevin with their family. Had a great meal, came back to the house for dessert and visiting.

Ariel modeling her new dress Mommy got her for Spring!

The next day was a far more emotional day. That Sunday morning we heard that our pastor would be stepping down from his position. It was partly a board decision, and of course its not all black and white, lots of gray area that we are all slowly understanding. Regardless of why its happening, its still sad and a time of transition. For me it’s the end of a chapter of my life. In the 13 years of our pastor being in his position, I lost my Mom, got married, had 2 kids, lost my Nana and faced my own brush with death. He sang at our wedding, 2 of his kids acted as one of our flower girl and ring bearer, and with our 10^th anniversary being this summer of course we are reflecting on that day with happy memories.

Ken is also being called to an eldership position so to be in a big transition when going into that role is daunting and sometimes overwhelming for us all. We are praying for guidance and wisdom… not to mention strength as we say good bye to dear friends and a great mentor.

Ariel wanting to share one of her valentine creations from school.

Sunday afternoon, Ariel went to a friend’s birthday party which was a gymnastic one. I was hired to make the cake, a cute robot which was requested by the birthday boy to be red with a lasor arm, haha. Ariel had a ball and came home having learned how to somersault.

The week was blur of activity. With the regular preschool routine and ballet for Ariel and swimming and sports-ball for Xander, and myself having meetings in regards to the Creative Service hour at church, Imagine That Summer Arts Camp and the upcoming Oscar party. Somewhere in there I had an order for a SpongeBob cake, which I must say was a hoot to make.

Beautiful sunset one night this week...

Then last night we had the family over for dessert and celebrating Ken’s birthday. Ariel had said she wanted to make a pizza cake, so that is what we did. Complete with box we got at a local pizza shop, haha.

Today Ken was doing a tag team message with Dave at church. It was totally awesome and inspiring. He really is coming into his own as a speaker, and the feedback was great. It was to help push our Oscar party event coming up, something we are both excited about and eager to be apart of. We are getting tons of local business support and have some great prizes to win. Yay! Getting back to Ken's mini sermon, at the end Dave surprised Ken with something they found in Disneyland for him, a Mickey statue much like an Oscar. It was very touching and Ken was grinning from ear to ear.

This week is just as busy and lots of stuff happening with orders, planning and the regular routine. Valentines Day is tomorrow and we have lots of fun things planned, but tonight its Grammy night and I am off to watch that crazy Lady Gaga get carried in to the building in a giant egg.... seriously... I want a giant egg to be carried in. Hahaha.