Monday, August 20, 2012

Love Him

Within 10 minutes this young man made me laugh and cry. I hope you will take 10 minute out of your life to listen to what he has to say about being adopted.

A few articles on adoption

A post on The R House blog: Children Need More Than Bare Minimum

How Could She Let Him Go?
Name withheld

I learned a surprising lesson when my sister placed her baby for adoption.
When my younger sister, Lauren,* told me she was pregnant, I couldn’t have been more upset for her. She had just come from telling the baby’s father, who had abdicated any responsibility, and she was devastated. All I could do was hold her while she cried.
Lauren’s Decision
After talking to our mother, Lauren decided to see a counselor at LDS Family Services and begin procedures to place her baby for adoption. I was appalled. How could she think about giving up her baby? He had a family! Her decision split our family down the middle. My parents and one sister supported the adoption, and my other two sisters were as opposed as I was. I was so angry that most days I stayed away from our apartment. How could she possibly feel good about abandoning her baby to strangers?
My mother and sister Jennifer arrived to be with Lauren the day before her due date. There was no one else to take them to the hospital the next morning, so despite my resolve not to participate, I found myself walking down the long, sterile corridors of the maternity ward.
The doctor looked somber as he came out of the operating room. He said, “Lauren will be back to her room in about half an hour, but the baby was sent to the intensive care unit. He is having difficulty breathing.”
My mother and I headed to the intensive care unit while Jennifer waited for Lauren to come out of recovery. A nurse motioned us to an incubator where I looked into the face of my new nephew. He looked just like Lauren. I had been praying that she would change her mind and keep him, but now I just prayed he would live.
As my mother and I stood vigil the third morning, the nurse said, “You know it’s not too late to back out of the adoption.” I saw a steady stream of tears falling down my mother’s cheeks. For the first time I realized I wasn’t the only one hurting. “I don’t know how we’ll be able to do this,” she said.
One Day with Ryan
Ryan—that was what Lauren had decided to call him. We would get only one day with him before his adoptive parents took custody.
It was almost noon by the time we got everything situated at the hospital the day Lauren and Ryan were released, and we only had him until six o’clock that evening. We had decided to pack a picnic lunch and take him to the park. It was a lovely day, and we enjoyed watching him eat and stretch and sleep. He was so contented and sweet. I kept thinking there was no way I could go through with this. I had never known love like I felt for that tiny baby. He wasn’t even mine, but how could I let him go?
When we arrived at LDS Family Services, I lifted Ryan out of his car seat and eased him into Lauren’s lap, and she cuddled him. We sat there drinking in these last precious moments that would have to last a lifetime.
Lauren handed him to me so she could get out of the car. I had the impulse to run, but before I could, the door to the office opened and a social worker came to greet us. Then something amazing happened. I stepped out of my dark world, over the building threshold, and into the warmth of what I imagine heaven will be like. That’s the only way I can explain it. The room was enveloped in the sweetest, warmest spirit I have ever felt. The adoptive parents had an aura about them that melted my heart. I knew they were meant to be Ryan’s parents.
My sister made the right choice. She would have struggled just to put food on the table if she had kept Ryan. She loved him but could not have given him the choicest gift—that of a temple sealing to his parents. I’m thankful my sister’s vision saw beyond her loss, that her ears heeded a prophet’s counsel, and that the healing power of the Atonement can comfort us in our deepest sorrows.
For additional information about adoption services, contact LDS Family Services at 800-537-2229, or visit www.ldsfamilyservices.org.
A Greater Opportunity
Description: President Gordon B. Hinckley
“When marriage is not possible, experience has shown that adoption, difficult though this may be for the young mother, may afford a greater opportunity for the child to live a life of happiness. Wise and experienced professional counselors and prayerful bishops can assist in these circumstances.”
President Gordon B. Hinckley (1910–2008), “Save the Children,” Ensign, Nov. 1994, 53.
All names have been changed.
Official Web site of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
© 2012 Intellectual Reserve, Inc. All Rights Reserved

Sunday, August 12, 2012

Cake Decorating Class - Course 3 (Gum Paste and Fondant)



This course was my favorite so far. I love working with gum paste and fondant. 

Week 1: I learned how to make bow loops and how to assembling a bow. I also made the bases for the Mum, Rose and Carnation.





The Carnation bases
The Mum and Rose bases
You make the bases on thick spaghetti so when the flower is complete you can stick it directly into the cake. Everything is edible.  

Week 2: I learned about the basic principles of floral cake design, how to make a Calla Lily, Rosebud, Rose, Carnation, Calyxes and Leaves. I loved making the roses and carnations.



The color is actually purple but purple doesn't photograph well. I also sprinkled pearl dust on the flower. 




Week 3: I made the Daisy, Mum, eyelet & ruffle borders and the ball border. I also learned how to cover a cake with fondant which came in handy to know since I did that with Katie's birthday cake.





Katie's 3rd birthday cake.


Week 4: I brought an iced cake to class and decorated it there. This is my final cake for course three. I baked two cakes, leveled them and filled with cream cheese frosting. Then covered with fondant and put on the fondant decorations. I love how it turned out and it might just be my favorite cake so far. Well, besides Katie's birthday cake.



















Thursday, August 9, 2012

Katie's Princess Birthday Party

Katie turned 3 at the end of last month. We can't believe how fast the time is going by and how much she is growing. Everyday she surprises us with a new trick or a new word. She is one smart and funny girl!

We threw her a princess party with all her princess friends. She had so much fun dressing up and playing with everyone.  Click here to look at the decorations.

Birthday Princess
all the princesses
Katie's royal family. Her Daddy was the only Prince allowed.


All the girls loved playing kiss the frog. It was too funny watching these cute little girls trying to walk straight after Prince Ken spun them around 5 times. Our littlest Princess (2 years old) was helped by her two big sisters which was adorable. She only got spun once. ;)






My favorite part of watching kids open birthday presents at parties is that all the kids help unwrap them. They are so excited to show the birthday kid what they brought. Katie's party was no different, lol. She was very spoiled by her friends and family. Thanks everyone!


Disclaimer: Ken is not so great at following her around. He just holds the phone up and forgets about it. Also this is video from when she was opening up the gifts from her family.


After all her friend left she wanted to play with her new princess bubbles. It was so hot and she was so tired she only lasted about 10 minutes.


She didn't really eat during the party so I made her finish her sandwiche before she went to bed. She almost didn't make it. She was tuckered out!




For dinner we went to In-and-Out. She loves it there! How cute is she!


Her Nana gave her this bear that sings a goodnight song and the candle lights up too. She LOVES it. It was so sweet seeing her cradle the bear like a little baby. (She will be such a great big sister.)


We love our sweet girl so much!  Click here to see her birthday video.




Wednesday, August 8, 2012

The decorations and mini cakes

Katie had a princess themed birthday party. Thanks to Pinterest I found some great ideas to make her party fun and special. (more on that at the end of the post) I made individual cakes for everyone which turned out to be a pain in the butt. How is it that these little simple cakes were harder to make then Katie's cake? (Click here to see Katie's cake.) Originally I tried pouring the frosting over them but that didn't work. Then I tried using my big icing tip and that didn't work either so I had to use a small tip. It took forever to frost them  and they didn't stay very straight. I topped them off with a princess crown chocolate pick I had made earlier in the week. I didn't like how they turned out but the kids liked them so that is all that mattered.




I made these chocolate suckers for the gift bags. There was this princess, a carriage and a castle. I love using chocolate molds.


Here is the table I set up as the main decorations. A special thank you to my sister who made all the signs for me within a few hours while in another state! You are awesome!


And for the close ups:



I love how the cookies turned out!