Viewer Discretion is Advised

**Just a note-There is puke in some of the following pictures. Beware!

Okay, so here are a couple of cakes that I did before I went on vacation. It was Sunday, Monday and Wednesday that I made them and I left at 5:00 in the morning on Thursday, so I was working till the end.

Since you may not be able to tell, this is Yoda. I made him for my brother in law's birthday. I think he looks more like a ninja turtle/yoda hybrid.
This one is for Floyd. He's a convert that my grandparents taught.
This is for a charity baby shower for SaltLakeCityMommies.

The trip begins! The Turley family (my dad's parents) have been planning this family reunion for about forever. I don't remember exactly when but its been years in the making. I'd been really excited to go and see all my family that I never get to see. Just not excited to travel all the way to Missouri. I didn't even think flying was an option and driving with two young children does NOT float my boat. Turns out Josh was only able to take off enough time to fly to the reunion, so our hand was forced. Boohoo.

I was kind of nervous about the flight. I hadn't been on an airplane since I was ten and Clara's never been on one but she was really looking forward to it. I remember my last flight. It was from England to Texas. Pretty long flight. The food wasn't good, except breakfast. I loved looking out the window and seeing the tiny mountains below. The plane was HUGE! I felt very safe flying.

We make it to the airport and start boarding our plane. I look in and my stomach just ties itself in knots. This plane was sooooo tiny. It looked like the littlest breeze would just toss it out of the sky. I sucked it up and sat down. The take off was nerve-wracking. The flight and landing were worse. I was freaking out. Clara loved it, only it screwed her up pretty bad. She didn't puke on the flight but once we got our rental car, it was partially digested food showers for everyone.

Our rental car and Clara BEFORE

The aftermath.

She puked in the happy meal box, she puked out the window, into the wind and, consequently, back into the car, she puked in the hotel, the parking lot, the restaurant, the Vocal Point performance. I was swearing up and down that she had the flu but Josh won when we bought her motion sickness pills and all was well. That was fun. That was our first and part of the second day of our vacation. When we arrived in Missouri, we got our car and headed towards Nauvoo. It was a 4 1/2 hour drive. We got there late on Thursday night, just in time to watch Vocal Point. It was a great performance. A very funny and talented group. The next day we went to old Nauvoo and saw all the historic sites and houses. We got to play pioneer games and try to walk on stilts. It was really fun. My parents were there with us until we split up at about noon. They headed to the reunion at Crowder State Park and we went to Carthage Jail.

That place is so sad. I just wanted to cry the whole time I was there. Its very interesting to know all the facts about the day of the prophet's martyrdom. Several wonderful, powerful men died that day, but the Lord's restored gospel continued.

After that we finally headed to the reunion, another long drive. It was soooo much fun to see everyone though! We ate and played games and ate and visited and ate and slept and ate. The kitchen was going 24/7! That's what happens when you have to make three meals a day for 106 people! It was so cool seeing everyone grown up and hearing what they've been up to and their testimonies and talents. I can't wait until the next one, although I'm sure I'll have to.

Mama's Going to Knock You Out, HUH!

Josh always says that I had a deprived childhood. I'm thinking, "I had food, clothes, toys, all that stuff, I didn't feel deprived. I think you're the one who had the deprived childhood." But he insists because I don't know one New Kids on the Block Song, or because I never got to enjoy Guns n Roses in their prime, that I was deprived.

He sings this LL Cool J song all the time. "Mama said knock you out, I'm gonna knock you out." Something like that. Clara has picked up on it, only she says "Mama's going to knock you out, huh". Its pretty funny.

Anyway, I have a really busy week as far as cakes go. FIVE! I barely have time to think. My poor kids are going to think back on THEIR deprived childhood if this keeps up. It wouldn't be so bad if I wasn't working too. So two down, three to go. Here's some pics!

I donated a gift certificate worth $50 of cake to Salt Lake City Mommies for their annual auction a few months ago and the winner cashed it in with this cute Luau cake for her daughter's first birthday. It was so fun to make! I love the kind of "scene" cakes.

This one was for my favorite photographer, Tina. Well, for her daughter. She's getting married in Vegas and Tina wanted to get a cake for her. She's driving it all the way out there in a cooler! I really hope it makes it!!! We traded for this one. She gave me some more images from our last photo session. SO CUTE!

Image Overload

Weeeeellll, I finally uploaded all of my pictures from the camera and I'm afraid what we have here is an image overload. I apologize if this is all too much to take in but I must post!

First thing's first! The 24th of July. Yes, I know that was almost a month ago but better late than never. We camped out! It was the first time we've ever done anything so crazy stupid and now we can't stop. We made camp at 2nd and 2nd, with my aunt and other random family members. It was really fun. Didn't get much sleep though. Two or three hours. We were up till two trying to put up a canopy that my grandpa was so kind to offer to us. No instructions and you would think the numbers would go chronologically. No. It was like 1, 4, 7, 2...... All screwed up. Josh finally got it up and we all flopped down on our air mattress. Cushy. I really think it would have been okay had a streetlamp not been directly above us. That messed Nolan up and when he thinks it's morning, there's no quieting him.

A couple of weeks later or so, Josh finally had a weekendd off and I was about to start my little summer job, so we decided to take advantage of our precious time together and go camping. I think it was Little Cottonwood at this really cute camp site. There was this bubbling tiny little safe stream that went by and we saw the skinniest deer ever.

Clara and Josh played swords with their roasting sticks.

We packed up our tent and went to the lake afterwards to meet my parents with their little rowboats. Nolan loved his floaty plane my parents bought.

Nolan's poor eye! I guess I got some sun screen in it. Oops.

Time for the first big family reunion of the month. This was my mom's side of the family. I don't have a picture of the whole group because everyone was at different camp sites and it was hard to get all the people together. It was really fun though. We were there Thursday, Friday and Saturday. It was at Wasatch State Park and it was a little crazy for me because Josh didn't get the time off so he was there during the day, but had to leave at night for work. Lots of driving for him but I'm glad he made the effort!

And finally, Clara and I got our hair cut today! Mine looks pretty much the same and cost twice as much as hers, but she LOVES her new hair. Josh, this is the surprise I was referring to. Isn't it cute? She's so grown up. :( & :)