Give 'em a high five!

It was promotion Sunday today, so it was time to give everyone a "high five!" All the kids who finished kindergarten this year moved to the older kids jr. church as the new first graders. I thought it would be fun to make something for all of the kids in our K4/K5 jr. church today.

After much thought, I came up with the idea of making "high five" pencils. It took just having some felt and the sewing machine to put these together. They are pencil toppers as well as finger puppets. I thought the kids would enjoy giving each other "high fives" with these little hands.

It all started with these Pottery Barn pencils that my mom gave me a while back. She thought that our jr. church kids would love these. But, I didn't want to just give them the pencils as they were---so that's where the fun pencil topper idea came in. They are chubby pencils which are great for small hands learning how to write.

I told the kids what these were for, and they loved it. They immediately began giving each other "high fives!" Right before their parents came in to take them home, they were all using their pencils to write and color on their papers. It was amazing to hear the silence! This small gift was so fun for them and I am glad.

Some of the kids enjoyed putting it on their fingers. I told them to give their parents a "high five" when they saw them. The parents got a kick out of these as well. So much fun!!!

Do any of you have something you do for promotion Sunday at your church? I would love to hear your ideas.

Our announcement

It's been almost a week since we told our church some big news. Quentin and I have been praying and seeking counsel for a while now about moving on to a new ministry. We love the people here and have enjoyed serving the Lord in Colorado. Quentin has been the youth pastor here for five years. I've been here for twelve years, teaching in the Christian school and serving in several capacities at the church. I think it's been the hardest on me since I've called this place home. After church last Sunday night, so many people came up to us in tears telling us that they'll miss us but that they'll be praying for us. Quentin desires to be a senior pastor somewhere in the United States. We don't know where we're going exactly, but there have been some leads.

Will you pray for us as we look for that next place of ministry?

We are very open to anything at this point. Who knows?--we may end up still in Colorado, but in a different town! I've been praying that the Lord would open up a door quickly and that this process will be a learning and growing time for both of us. We are hoping to head out some time in August. I'm also praying that the Lord would give us the desires of our hearts with this new ministry. Quentin has the heart of a pastor and loves to preach; I enjoy encouraging others in music, and hope I can have a children's choir.

God knows what is best in our lives right now, so we are excited for what the future holds.

I thought you'd enjoy this video of my high school choir singing at graduation about a week ago. The song is called, The Lord is my Shepherd, by Lloyd Larson. I held back tears as I directed this choir for the last time. The song is beautiful; I know you will enjoy it. 

Grad Getaway

Earlier this week, we had a youth activity called, "grad getaway." Each year, my husband invites all the high school graduates for a cookout at a park up in the mountains. Seven graduates were invited, but only three were able to attend.

We were so glad that Stephen, Katelyn, and Nicole were able to come up with us. Steve and Katelyn were two of my third graders a long time ago. In fact, you can probably spot them in the picture I posted with the graduation coke glasses. It's amazing how kids grow up while we teachers just start looking really old.

While the teens played soccer, Q got the food ready. Our meal for the night was all finger foods. We had tamales, corn on the cob, quesadillas, barbeque ribs and cookies. I wish I would have taken a picture of the ribs. They looked and tasted so good!

Because of our small attendance of graduating seniors, my husband called up several people from church to see if they would join us. The only ones available to go were these sweet widows who we love dearly. Jo and Maisey were a great help to us and they were just awesome with the teens. The interaction between them and the younger "seniors" was great.

Right after our meal, Quentin spent a few minutes giving them a challenge from God's Word. He encouraged them to do right as they went out into the real world. A tradition that we do on this activity is to have all the teens and Pastor J climb onto this big rock. It's a little tricky getting on there since it's right on the water, but they managed to get on just fine. 

It was fun being together and celebrating their success. But more importantly, I hope and pray that they were challenged to live God's Word in the path He has for them.

Created to be his helpmeet

The book, Created to be his helpmeet by Debi Pearl is one that I begin reading again around our anniversary date. It was given to me as a wedding present from my friend and bridesmaid, Tracie. I took it with us on our honeymoon and began reading it then. I finished it and thought, "Wow! This is good, but all these things don't apply to me now." Each year as I've read it, it's become more of a help to me. 

The world is confused about what Biblical submission is, and this book clearly defines it. The first half of the book focuses on being the right help meet in our spirit and actions. The second half is devoted to Titus 2:3-5 which says,

"The aged women likewise, that they be in behaviour as becometh holiness, not false accusers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things; That they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children, To be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed."

I love how she incorporates so much Scripture throughout the book and explains it so that it is clearly understood. At the end of each chapter is a section with questions to answer. Now that I'm reading it for the fourth time, God is showing me yet more ways for me to be a better helpmeet to Quentin.

This book is available through No Greater Joy Ministries. They've also made a journal to accompany the book to jot down thoughts and prayers. No matter how long you've been married, or are thinking about getting married, this book will encourage your heart and stir you on to be the helpmeet God made you to be.

Wedding scrapbook

A couple years ago, I decided to make a wedding scrapbook for my parents. I bought a white 8x8 album to use. I ordered 20 pictures and bought a scrapbook paper set so that I'd have the same color scheme throughout. They absolutely loved it! I'd like to share with you my five favorite pages from this book:

After the title page, the first page was this one, dedicated to the special time my mom and I had as we got ready for the wedding. This is right after I had my make up done and before I put on my dress.

This picture taken before the wedding shows the cuteness in my nephew and nieces. Mia, Bailey and Isaiah were so small and adorable as they took part as jr. bridesmaids and ringbearer.

I love this picture of me and my two younger sisters, Raquel and Sonia.

The rose petals on this page are the same ones that flower girl, Savannah used as she walked down the aisle. Quentin gave me several roses during our dating days, so I dried them and saved the petals for our wedding.

At the reception, Q and I and our parents stood behind the cake table and were told to kiss at the same time for this memorable photo. I love it!

I'm so glad my parents love this album. I've got pictures and materials to make one for us, and I should get on that soon. 

So many crafts....so little time (or so it seems!)

Delighting my husband

Although we celebrated our anniversary a couple days ago in Estes Park, I wanted to do something special for Q on our real anniversary day. He treated me to so many goodies, that it was now my turn to delight my husband.

I've been wanting to do this since we've been married, and I finally remembered to do it this year. This unity candle was lit as we ate our dinner tonight. I placed it on a plate covered with foil. 

I placed this card on his empty plate so that he would see it right away when he walked in. As he opened up the envelope, he placed it close to his nose to smell it. I like to seal special cards like this with one of my scented lotions. He loves it! The card was made using two pictures that his brother took of us last summer. I cut them out, leaving a white border, then glued them to black card stock. After cutting the edges with decorative scissors, I glued it onto the front of a blank card. The layered flowers were put together using the metal brads, then glued onto the card. I used a black calligraphy pen for the writing. 

We enjoyed a Mexican meal by candle light and violin music. I asked him yesterday what he wanted for dessert today, and he requested that I make blackberry pie. I've made pies lots of times, but never a berry pie. It turned out well, so I thought you'd enjoy the recipe. With leftover pie crust, I cut out hearts and placed them all around the edges of the pie. Then using a pastry brush, I spread egg white over the crust and topped it with sugar. Yum!!!

Blackberry Pie

pastry for two-crust pie

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon, if desired

6 cups blackberries

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 tablespoon butter, if desired

1. Heat oven to 425 degrees. Make (or buy) pastry of your choice.

2. In large bowl, mix sugar, flour and cinnamon. Stir in blackberries. Spoon into pastry-lined pie plate. Sprinkle any remaining sugar mixture over blackberry mixture. Sprinkle with lemon juice. Cut butter into small pieces; sprinkle over blackberries. Cover with top pastry that has slits cut in it; seal and flute. Cover edge with foil to prevent excessive browning; remove foil during last 15 minutes of baking.

3. Bake 35 to 45 minutes or until crust is golden brown and juice begins to bubble through slits in crust. Cool on wire rack at least 2 hours.

The treasure God gave to me

Three years ago today, God gave me a treasure when he gave me Quentin to be my husband. I'm so thankful for the years we've had already and look forward to having many more with my Q.

I was becoming an older single lady thinking that I'd never get married when Quentin came into my life. He was our summer intern in the summer of 2004, then became the youth pastor that fall. I was a youth sponsor at church and the kindergarten teacher at the school, so it became easy for us to become friends. Believe me--that's all I wanted. But then, the Lord had other plans and I found myself doing everything with my new best friend. We were engaged six months later in August of 2005.
Quentin wanted a Christmas wedding, but I thought that was too rushed. We settled for a beautiful May wedding. The timing was perfect for our families to be there, including his brother, who spends most of his summer photographing weddings. We were thankful for all the help that we received for our special day. The ceremony and reception went very well. Everything about it was just perfect in our eyes.

Since high school, I prayed that the guy God had for me would be the only one I would date, thus saving myself in every way. I also prayed that he would be in the ministry, because I already knew that's where God was leading me into. The kiss you see is our very first one! We held hands once we were engaged, but decided to wait for this special moment. We are both glad that we had never kissed anyone else and that we saved this first one for the day we became husband and wife. After the kiss, I said, "wow!". Our pastor made a comment about it afterwards which made all the guests laugh.

I am very blessed indeed to have a husband who loves me unconditionally. He is an amazing man!  I choose to love and honor him every day.

There's never a dull moment when Q is around. He is witty and adventurous--completely my opposite! Most importantly, he loves the Lord. He encourages me in my walk with God and with ministry. 

So thankful God brought us together....

Johnson's Corner

There is a popular truck stop called, Johnson's Corner close to where we live. It is located in Loveland, CO. It has great food, including their super-size cinnamon rolls!

On our first official date, Q took me to the symphony. Before heading to Denver, we stopped here to eat. I remember that he had a grilled meat loaf sandwich and I settled for french toast. 

Since we've been married, I have often referred to our place as "Johnson's Corner" (since Johnson is our last name). I made this sign a couple years ago to put in our kitchen. I went on the website to look at the lettering design so that it would look the same. I drew it freehand with pencil then painted it in using craft paint. I wrote "est. 2006" since that's the year we were married. I sprayed it with varnish when I was done painting it. Q loves it and so do I. It is a sweet touch to our little corner of the world.

Our anniversary get-away

Quentin and I returned from our overnight trip to Estes Park earlier this evening. We had a great time! After church last night, we headed up to the mountains for a fun get-away. We got some much needed rest and slept in this morning. While I got ready for the day, Q went to a grocery store and picked up some fruit and pastries for our breakfast.

The town was hosting a craft fair, so we decided to look around for a while. I especially loved these bracelets which were made from telephone wire. They were so neat looking.

Estes Park is full of whimsical shops and restaurants. We wanted something sweet, so we bought this huge chocolate-covered strawberry to share.

I have never owned a "Colorado" t-shirt in the twelve years I have lived here. So Q decided it was time to buy one. He was spoiling me like crazy, and I kept insisting that he get something for himself. He didn't, but he sure enjoyed all the food that we had while we were up there.

Penelope's World Famous Burgers and Fries is one of my favorite eating places in Estes Park. The burgers are huge and juicy! Since we had a late breakfast, we enjoyed this very late lunch at about three o'clock this afternoon. While I enjoyed a burger with fries, Q ate up a hot sandwich and onion rings.

We continued to walk around the town and visited many of the shops. It kept raining off and on during the day, but it didn't keep us from having fun outside. Right before we left, we wanted dessert and we came across a pie-by-the-slice place. Q ate a slice of triple berry pie while I ate this caramel pecan apple pie a la mode! It was big, so Q helped me finish it. I felt like I gained ten pounds in a matter of 24 hours! 

I'm so thankful for a husband who is spontaneous sometimes. I didn't know about this getaway until yesterday afternoon, but I'm glad that I joyfully went along with it. I'm such a planner and organizer that at times, his spontaneity has driven me crazy. But--I'm learning how to go with the flow. And you know what? When I do that, I find that I have the best time with the man God gave to me.

Family devotions

This week, Q and I will be celebrating our three-year anniversary! So, I've decided to devote the next few days to sharing some things related to our marriage. Tonight after the church service, we're heading up to the mountains to a small town called Estes Park. It will be fun to get away, relax and celebrate our anniversary (which is actually this Wednesday, the 27th).

The first thing I wanted to share with you is what we do in our family devotions. We haven't regularly done this since day 1, but I must say that I'm so glad we're consistent with this now. I've heard the saying, "A family that prays together stays together." When our marriage is focused on God and His Word, it's a lot easier to make decisions together and get along! We've been using The Reese Chronological Bible and Majesty Hymns during our devotion time before we head to bed. This type of Bible is not the same as a regular Bible as it is in chronological order. It's been very interesting to read it this way. After Q reads a couple chapters, we sing a song out of the hymnal. We've been going in order so that we don't miss any! We want to learn some new ones along the way. When we're done singing, we get on our knees and pray. We pray for our marriage, our families, the ministry and more specific needs like someone's salvation or health. I love this time that we spend together. I believe it's brought us closer to the Lord and to each other.

What do you all do in your family devotions? I would love to hear your ideas!

Graduation coke glasses

We had a busy day today with graduation and the open houses. You really have to pace yourself with all the food--it's amazing how much food is served at these things. I wanted to show you what I brought over for all the graduates. It's something I've done almost every year in my 12 years of teaching.

I buy these Coke glasses (either the large or small ones) and fill them with paper grass and candy. This year I filled 10 small glasses with tootsie rolls and dubble bubble. The blue and white paper grass is layered in between the layers of candy. I am sometimes able to find wrapped candy in the school colors-- blue, silver and white-- but this year could only find 3 musketeers (and they were too big for these glasses!).

The card that is attached to the straw is hand made, using a rubber stamp. I wrote "class of 2009" and a congrats to each senior using a calligraphy pen. On the back of each card, I wrote a personalized message. I like to include some Scripture references at the end of my note. This year I wrote Psalm 16:11 which says, 

"Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore."

I also wrote Joshua 1:8 which says,

"This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success."

It's great to encourage these Christian young people to follow after God's pattern of success, rather than the world's. 

Three of the graduates were in my third grade class several years ago. It's been neat for me to have been here this long to see them grow up! Some of them have been in my choir during these last two years as teens, too. I had a fun time looking through old photos last night. I chose this picture and a couple others to print off and give to them today. I'm sure they'll have fun reminiscing those elementary school days.

Simple graduation cards

I can't believe it's that time of year again--graduation! Our school graduation is tomorrow afternoon, so Q and I will be participating in it. We've got our caps, gowns and hoods hanging up ready to be worn. Here are a few cards I've made in the past that are both fun and simple to make.

This 3x3-inch card is stamped in two colors (blue and silver). Then a stamped image of a cap is cut out and placed on top of the card. I used foam tape so that the cap appears to pop out! Our school's colors are blue, silver and white, so this card went to those graduates.

I made a similar card for a couple graduates whose school colors were red and blue.

This larger card was made for a young man who I baby sat when I was a teen! His school colors were black and red. I used a different stamp to make this card for him. After stamping the image with red ink, I outlined it with a black archival pen. The black paper was cut out using decorative edge scissors. Before gluing everything on, I sponge-painted red right onto the front of the card.

Stay tuned--next I'll be showing the small gift I assembled for this year's graduates.

Super sidewalk paint

The days are warmer and summer time is near. It's time to start thinking about activities that kids of all ages can enjoy. My nephew's birthday is next week, so Q and I were trying to think of something fun and simple to send to him. I was given a stack of past issues of Family Fun Magazine recently and I've been enjoying looking through all of the great ideas. One of the things that caught my eye was on how to make your own sidewalk paint.

I thought it would be neat to send him a "super sidewalk paint kit." I just had to try the recipe out myself to see if it really worked! I made two bowls of paint--red and blue. Here's the recipe for it:

1/4 cup cornstarch

1/4 cup cold water

food coloring

paintbrush

In a small bowl, mix together the cornstarch and cold water. Stir in as many drops of food coloring as you need to get your desired color. Repeat this process for each paint color. Use a paintbrush to make fun designs on the sidewalk or driveway. To wash the paint off, spray the area with water. I found that after a few minutes of painting that the cornstarch starts to form into a lump on the bottom of the bowl. Stir it up every now and then to keep a good consistency.

I painted on the cement that borders our garden area. When I was done using the blue and red paint, I mixed the two colors to make lavender paint.

I wrote, "Happy Birthday" using all three colors. I printed this picture and glued it onto a blank card for our nephew, Gabriel. 

Here's what I did to make the kit I mentioned earlier. I used an empty drink mix canister and glued on this festive scrap booking paper. I painted "super sidewalk paint kit" onto some other paper and glued that on the canister. Inside the can, I placed a sandwich bag with one cup of cornstarch (enough for four bowls of paint), two foam paintbrushes, four food coloring bottles and instructions on how to make the paint. I also wrote down some ideas that the magazine gave, as well as some I came up with, on what to do with the paint. I know that Gabriel and his siblings will enjoy painting with this stuff all summer long!

1. Try making a road for your toy cars to ride in.

2. Paint a zoo full of animals.

3. Decorate the walkway to your house for special occasions like birthdays and holidays.

4. Draw your family, your favorite foods--the list can go on!

5. You can put this paint in spray bottles and use it to color sand castles and snow sculptures.

I love this kind of stuff! For us, it will be a great thing to have on hand when young guests come over. We can quickly make up some paint and have them head outside and paint away! Hope you enjoy it, too.

The desires of our hearts

It's been a year since our baby went to be with Jesus. We had just told our families last Mother's Day that we'd be holding our own child this year. 

Today has been like any other day, but I thought about the events at this time last year. My parents had come out to visit us because of another event to celebrate. Quentin told them that the school yearbook was going to be dedicated to me, so they came out for this special occasion. That same day, I knew something was not right. I was losing my baby. Tears overwhelmed me as my family took me to the doctor to see if things were all right. There was no sign of life inside of my womb. It was only two weeks before, that we saw the plus sign on the pregnancy test. 

Our child has been in Heaven for a year now, and we can't wait to see the one who I named "Sam." The name I chose was significant to me because of the story of Hannah and Samuel in the Bible. She prayed earnestly that the Lord would give her a child and He fulfilled that promise.

This past Mother's Day was hard. As I sat through the morning church service, I wanted to cry. A few sets of parents brought their babies to the stage for a dedication. Quentin and I would have been up there, too, had it not been for the fact that God had other plans for us. Some moms in our church service received roses for different things. One received it for being the oldest mom, another for having the most children, and so forth. There was one rose left at the end of all that. After church, Quentin took it and handed it to me as he kissed my cheek. He knew it was hard for me, and I'm sure he felt something in his heart, too.

The entire day was filled with ministry, so I kept my tears in until that night. Some friends of ours called Quentin to let us know that they had prayed for us that morning. They had been through this waiting time, too. They had gone through the doctor's visits full of questions and tests. But then one day, God gave them a child through adoption. That little boy is such a blessing to them. 

This verse sums up the ministry that they had to us that day:

"Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God." II Corinthians 1:4

We were so encouraged by that call from our friends. God has spoken to me about being a blessing to those who come across my way that are experiencing what Q and I are going through now.

Although the desire to be a mom is very strong right now, I'm thankful for the waiting time. I am comforted with the thought that God loves me no matter what. He knows the desires of our hearts. God has a purpose for us as a couple right now and that is to continue to glorify and serve Him with our lives. 

"Delight thyself also in the Lord; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart." Psalm 37:4

I wanted to share this with all of you because it's good for my heart. I want to help and encourage those who find themselves in the same situation or in a similar one. Waiting is hard, but knowing that God's ways our best helps us get through circumstances like this.

"For the Lord our God is a sun and shield: the Lord will give grace and glory; no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly." Psalm 84:11

Award-winning cornbread

At my husband's request, I made custard-filled cornbread to go along with our dinner last night. Every fall, our church has a cornbread and chili cook-off. I'm happy to say that this recipe has won twice--third place once, and first in a most recent year. 

The recipe comes from The Fannie Farmer Cookbook. What's so unique about it is that a custard forms inside while it's baking. The heavy cream is what does this during the baking process. It's sooo good!

Custard-filled cornbread

2 eggs

3 tablespoons butter, melted

3 tablespoons sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 cups milk

1 and 1/2 tablespoons white vinegar

1 cup all-purpose flour

3/4 cup yellow cornmeal

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 cup heavy cream

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter an 8-inch square baking dish or pan that is about 2 inches deep. Put the buttered dish or pan in the oven and let it get hot while you mix the batter. Put the eggs in a mixing bowl and add the melted butter. Beat until the mixture is well blended. Add the sugar, salt, milk, and vinegar and beat well. Sift into a bowl or stir together in a bowl the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, and baking soda, and add to the egg mixture. Mix just until the batter is smooth and no lumps appear. Pour the batter into the heated dish, then pour the cream into the center of the batter--don't stir. Bake for 1 hour, or until lightly browned. Serve warm.

This morning, I heated up a piece of the cornbread in the microwave. Then, I poured syrup on it and ate it for breakfast. Try it this way or plain to accompany a meal. Your family and friends will really enjoy it. And, if you have a cornbread and chili cook--off in your church, be sure to use this recipe!

The Amazing Mood Monster

Just wanted to show you a gift that I received for my birthday last week. It's "the amazing mood monster!" It is a handmade stuffed toy that is fun, quirky-- and I love it!

Our friend, Dave, has designed a few monsters to sell on his website called, Yakstub.com. The site is mainly devoted to creating one-of-a-kind business cards that feature art work on them. You can design what you want on your card (including a picture of a cool monster). It can include your personal and work information, including your blog address! I'm hoping to get some soon so that I can let more people know about my blog.

Each monster comes with two sets of eyes that you can pin on the monster. This tag shows the different ways in which you can move them around to give him different looks.

Also included is the monster's birth certificate. My monster is named Ron. I have yet to sign the certificate because I can't open up the package quite yet! Ron looks cool in the creative packaging, but some day I'll give in. Some day I'll just have the need to play with him--just kidding! He'll be fun to have around when visitors come over. Check out Dave's website to look at all the business card options as well as the monsters. I think you'll like what you see.

A Birthday greeting for my mother-in-law

My mother-in-law celebrated her birthday yesterday. To wish her a very happy birthday, I sent her this card from the both of us.

It was fun creating this card. I used a stamp to create the background. I colored the flowers in using chalk and colored pencils. The paper was cut with decorative scissors, then was glued on to the front of the card. I found some fake flowers in my stash of crafts, so I cut the stem off of this daffodil and glued it on. I wrote "happy birthday" using a black archival pen. It was so easy and fast that I'll be making more like this soon. 

With the busyness of the end of the school year, I haven't had a lot of time to craft. But with one week left and fewer responsibilities for me in these next few days, I'll be able to work on some projects. I'll be sharing graduation cards and a unique grad gift that I've done almost every year since I began teaching 12 years ago. 

Can't wait to share these things with ya! Happy crafting!:)

Spring Concert

Last night's concert was a wonderful conclusion to the year-long work for both my choirs. I was thrilled with how they performed. The band played eight songs at the beginning of the program, which included a couple songs that they performed at the state competition this past March. Our high school band (grades 7-12), won first place this year!

The band played, "Blessed Assurance," which included a vocal part with it. Seven of my sopranos and I led the audience in singing it with us.

My jr. high choir sang first. They sang, "Danny Boy," which was one of the two songs they sang at the state competition. They placed second this year. We had one of our clarinet players play with the piano to accompany the choir. It was gorgeous! They also sang, "The One Minute Home on the Range." We faked everyone out and sang it pretty slowly at the beginning, then sang it a second time and did it in one minute flat! 

My sr. high choir sang two songs as well: "Little David Play on Your Harp" (a spiritual) and "Trust and Obey," set to a different tune. As the finale, I combined both choirs to sing, "The Three Little Pigs: A Howling Success Story." It combined narration with the traditional story, but had a funny twist at the end! Everyone loved it.

Q beat me home after the concert so that he could get some food ready for our friends. I enjoyed the time I had to talk to parents and students, but I needed to get home to celebrate! We usually go out for pie or ice cream after these concerts, but since it was the day after my birthday, we decided to have friends over for some sweet treats. See that corsage I'm wearing? Q made it and he did an awesome job! He's done this a few times before and I love it. He's sweet and so creative in this way.

For the appetizers, Q put on the table slices of cheese, bits of steak, pineapple chunks and these sweet strawberries--perfect for an awesome spring day! We also enjoyed homemade chocolate cupcakes and icecream from Cold Stone Creamery. We have some leftover "peanut butter perfection" and I'm glad. Two days in a row of this awesome stuff is better than one!:)