My new obsession

Those who know me well know that I LOVE to bake! So, I found this amazing website from my friends blog (you're in so much trouble, Katrina) called Bakerella. Click here for a direct link. I am addicted. I first made the red velvet cake balls and dipped them in white and dark chocolate. They were almost as fun to make as they were to eat! I then tried the oreo truffles (yum!). They were a huge hit at Young Women in Excellence. So, I decided to attempt the cake pops. There are many different varieties but I tried the pumpkin heads to pass out to my friends and neighbors for Halloween. They were a little time consuming but worth it in the long run! You have to try these...it could change your life!


The balls are made of red velvet cake mixed with cream cheese frosting


Per bakerella's suggestion, I used green tic tacs to make the pumpkin stem


Viola! Final product (minus the cute pumpkin face drawn on with an edible pen that didn't write well on the chocolate)

What are you waiting for.....get baking!)

Day from he@&%$!!

Sorry for the title. But, there's really no other way to describe it. Motherhood kicks me in the rear end quite often, but a couple of days ago, it kicked me right off a cliff. All 3 of my kids were sick...and with different illnesses. To top it off, Jeff is sick too (which is like having another sick child). Anyway, I was holding Ethan on one knee trying to help him puke into a bowl instead of on the couch, and was holding Brooklyn on the other knee because she was crying literally all day (still not sure what she has yet) and poor Hayley was sitting on the other couch crying because Ethan and Brooklyn were not happy. I took Hayley to the doctor yesterday thinking she had an ear infection but found out that she actually had a fever blister on her ear drum. OUCH!! I had no idea that was possible. Apparently, it's a virus but not contagious. Basically, they're just in excruciating pain for a week to 10 days with no known treatment. So, needless to say, the entire day was a nightmare and I hope I never have to experience that again. Kids are feeling better. I love the Fall but hate that with the start of school and the drastic change in temperature that it brings about all sorts of fun illnesses to deal with.

One more thing to top off the day....I discovered Ethan had a booger wall. Ewwwww. Boys are gross!

Niagara Falls, Canada

Niagara Falls.....check! We've been trying to get there for the past 4 years and finally found the time. My parents flew into Buffalo, NY and met us there. We stayed on the Canadian side which was an unbelievable sight. The picture below was taken right out of our hotel window. It's about a 6 1/2 hr drive from Philadelphia so we did a late night road trip hoping that the kids would tucker out in the car. After about 4 hours (at 11:00 pm), they finally gave up and fell asleep. We arrived at about 2 am. The following day we did most of the touring including Maid of the Mist. By that evening, Brooklyn was not looking too happy. After all, what's a vacation without a sick child? Sure enough, Brooklyn spiked a fever and was miserable for the rest of the trip. Of course, we were in Canada, so I couldn't take her anywhere. I know they have socialized medicine but I'm pretty sure it doesn't apply to us. So, we took her to the doctor once we got back into the U.S. a few days later. Poor girl was sicker than I'd ever seen her but she was such a trooper! Overall, it was an amazing trip...something I will never forget!


The Canadian Falls


The Maid of the Mist. That ride was worth every penny!!


This was a Hayley size port hole that was perfect for her. She was able to view the falls without us holding her. What a blessing!




The American side of the falls

Papa J, Granma and Brookie

This is the point when I knew Brooklyn was not feeling too good. It was written all over her little face

The endless rainbows were awesome!

I'm pretty sure this was taken before we went below the falls. We were drenched by the end!

One of the highlights of Ethan's trip? Seeing the window washer hang outside our hotel room like Spiderman!