Praying for you Sis'!

...as our whole family grieves the loss of this precious little one... I am praying for you Katie! Lots of love from all of us!

update: Aunt Gracie misses you so much already, Ellie Rene!

The best way to end one thing is to start something else... this last week my highschool sports career officially ended. This may seem really frivolous, but this is the saddest thing that has ever happened to me. Sports means so much - it means spending time with my friends, developing life skills by working with my team, having long strategy discussions with my daddy. It may be the end, but my team ended it in the best way possible - the league championship. That would be SIX in a row to be exact. ( oh, and by the way, volleyball championships would be six, too!) Our team has had the best coaches! Thank you Amber(VB) and Dad(BB). Thank you teamates... Beth, Melissa, Annie, Vanessa -- it takes so much hard work for those victories! Those days are over, but with the promise of greater things to come.

So now, to begin something else... I'm training for a 1/2 marathon - " the toughest 1/2 marathon in the northwest". I will be joining 2332 participants as we climb over 2000 ft., followed by a 2000 ft. descent. Sounds like fun right! I am so excited for this. It means a new goal.It means change, but change is good because I have a God that walks beside me every step of the way!
Although I have this one plan for my near future, the rest is so unclear! The future looks so uncertain and I feel so helpless which direction to turn. I would so appreciate prayers for guidance, through these times of change!

~The Lord will fulfill his purpose

for me; your love, OLord, endures

forever.~

Psalms 138:8

Cheese Balls and other savories!

Did I tell you about the open house I was catering? I can't remember so I'll tell you again. I had to come up with savory things for this open house, and savory things are not necessarily my cup of tea. BUT, it was very successful. The menu was:

~ Cheese Balls, Goat Cheese w/ Scallions and Cheddar w/ Craisins and Pecans

~ Cheese Tray, Hickory Smoked Gouda, Parmesan, Extra Sharp Cheddar

~Tea Sandwiches, rosemary-cranberry-pecan chicken and tuna

~Vegetables with cream cheese-ranch Dip

~ Mini Vanilla Fruit Tartlets ( yes, I managed to slip in something sweet, and I think they were the favorite)

I didn't have time to take pictures of anything because I was so rushed for time, but, I did have some people contact me after the open house that wanted me to make them cheese balls, so this time I got a picture before they left the house!

~Cheese Balls: Goat Cheese with Scallions & Cheddar with Craisins and Pecans~

Chocolate Toffee Espresso Cake

I made this cake for my Jane Austen Girls - sorry I didn't get pictures of last weeks Bread Pudding... Anyway, the cake was a classic chocolate devils food, with an espresso buttercream( I had never made a buttercream, let me tell you, it is fantastic!), and a Hershey's Symphony bar chopped up and piled on top. I think everybody enjoyed it, except for the fact that it kept a few people awake that night because I forgot to make it with decaf espresso! OOPS. I served it at room temp. but I had some leftovers a couple of days later after it had been in the fridge, and I think it was much better chilled. Yummy stuff!