Job update.

Tom got a call today. He has a second interview on Monday! Finger's crossed!

Let Them Eat Cake....

Me and Leslie that is. I have a dear friend Leslie who is moving to Washington :( I was supposed to go and help her get ready for her upcoming garage sale, but instead we made a fabulous Texas sheet cake. There are many variations of this cake, and I can't seem to find my Mom's recipe, but they are all very close, give this one a try. I also highly recommend this one to my friend Donna because of her love of chocolate.

Lovley Leslie

Stealing A Taste :)
Our Chocolaty Confection

Posing With The Texas Sheet Cake

INGREDIENTS:
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup butter
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 eggs
1/2 cup buttermilk or sour milk
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla

Chocolate Frosting:
1/4 cup butter
3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa
3 tablespoons buttermilk
2 1/4 cups sifted confectioners' sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

PREPARATION:
Cake: Grease a 15X10X1-inch sheet pan and set aside. In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt; set aside. In a medium saucepan combine 1 cup butter, 1/3 cup cocoa, and 1 cup of water. Bring mixture to a boil, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. With an electric hand-held mixer on medium speed, beat chocolate mixture into the dry mixture until thoroughly blended. Add eggs, buttermilk, and vanilla. Beat for 1 minute (batter will be thin). Pour batter into the prepared pan. Bake in a 350° oven about 20 minutes. Pour warm chocolate frosting over the warm cake, spreading evenly. Place cake in pan on a wire rack; cool thoroughly before cutting. Makes 24 servings.

Frosting: In a medium saucepan combine 1/4 cup butter or margarine, 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder, and 3 tablespoons buttermilk. Bring to a boil. Remove from heat; add 2 1/4 cups sifted confectioners' sugar and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla. Beat until smooth.

Bragging Rights

Everyone said it was a boy. The Chinese google calender said it was a boy. The mother insisted it was a boy. But the at end of the day I have a special gift. I told Sara from the start of her pregnancy that I knew what it was, and I was right. It's a GIRL!

Taking Ephraim By Storm

Pop! When did this happen?Getting all sentimental and girly...bleeh!
The parents to be.
Manti Temple..REALLY beautiful!

I decided to take a quick trip up to Ephraim to visit my very missed cousin. The drive was great. It's only 9 hours from driveway to driveway and much easier than I expected. Sara is now 20 weeks pregnant respectively and starting to show quite a bit. Tomorrow she gets to find out if its a boy or a girl and I am on pins and needles! It was a laid back weekend. Included was a trip to the local Wal-Mart, helping the couple unpack boxes and set up home in their new house, church, and ice cream at the local malt shop. Oh and lots of Jon and Kate Plus 8, Bringing Home Baby, and Birth Day on TLC(making it all a little too real for Sara). We also went to the Mormon Miracle Pageant held on the Manti Temple hillside which was very cool. There was some excitement. While grating cheese, I also grated a chunk out of my finger, which did end up in a trip to the ER, but all is well now. Miss you Sara!

Job Interview

After many months of applications, resumes, and an all too quiet phone, we got some good news today. Tom has a job interview on Thursday. We don't know much about it yet other than it is some kind of office/clerical job and it is full time. Please keep our family in your prayers this week, we could really use this job.

Life's a beach!

Tom and I love the beach! Today was 101 degrees in Temecula, so we decided to go where the weather was a little friendlier. For some reason we did not get to go to the beach at all last summer, so we decided that we will try and make up for it this summer. It's cheap fun entertainment if you have the right stuff. We live closest to Oceanside now which we love. The beach is hardly ever packed and there is convenient parking for only $3. We don't just go to lounge either, we love to swim in the surf. Our must haves for going to the beach:

1. An umbrella with a stabilizer so it won't keep falling.
2. A radio-there is just something about the radio at the beach-it just sounds better.
3. If you are a whitey like Tom and myself -SPF 45 sunblock.
4. A cooler with ice and plenty of water-we also pack subway for lunch sometimes.
5. Nice comfy beach chairs-they make all the difference.

Anyone interested in beaching it up with us this summer, just let us know. The more the merrier!

Hoping I'm my Grandmother's Granddaughter.

New Years-my Gran was a good sport!Not my project but similar

So my Grandma on my dad's side was a big time croche queen. It is how she spent most of her retirement hours. Every grandkid has a Granny blanket or two. By the time I was old enough and interested in wanting to learn, my Granny was already 90 and could not teach me. It was "too taxing to her brain" as she would say. Well last week I got the sudden motivation to learn one way or another. I went into Joannes, bought a beginner book, some yarn, and croche hooks. I was very pleased when after two days I have gotten the basic single croche stitch down. I still have yet to learn the fancy shell patterns or to follow a written pattern for that matter, but I am hoping it will come with time. I am hoping I am my Grandmother's grandaughter.