Tuesday, January 22, 2008

My First Wedding Cake


While striving to throw my firstborn daughter the world's best first birthday party, I ran into a few books on cake decorating. It has been my favorite hobby ever since. I've gotten pretty good at buttercream cakes, but when my cousin got married in October, she asked me to make her a fondant covered cake. So my first wedding cake ended up being my first fondant cake, it kicked my butt. It's far from perfect but It holds a special place in my pastry heart.

Wednesday, January 16, 2008

Moving

My home is a cluttered patchy mess of our belongings, and it makes me excessively happy. Next week we will move five miles south into a quiet little neighborhood in the elementary school district of our dreams. I have moved too many times in my life to remember, but my entire married life has been spent in this home and I keep waiting to be weepy or nostalgic about the whole situation. I am not. This isn't even a bittersweet moment it is simply time to go.

I love these moments of divine clarity of action. This moment comes after many months of weeping, praying, questioning and indifference. It's amazing how something as common as selling and buying a home can try one's soul. At the risk of sounding dramatic I have to admit that I am a different person from when this whole thing started in April. God has really used this as a catalyst to reshape me and draw me near. Vices and failings have melted away, worldly desires have disappeared and been replaced with an intense love for the people around me. I can't even describe the difference in me and perhaps no one has even noticed it but I am so grateful that this trial came my way. I am grateful that it's almost over and I am excited about moving my family into the next little chapter in our lives.

Not to mention all the unpacking and organizing! For good or ill I still have my insane love for making order out of chaos and I'll get to wallow in it for the next few weeks.