family, birthday's and cake

My oldest sister, Jamie, and her family came to visit us at the beginning of August - it was so fun to see them in Colorado! We figured it out... the last time they were in Colorado was at my wedding - and that was over 8 years ago... now that's not to say that it has been 8 years since we have seen them... we try to go to Utah at least once a year... so we have seen them, but it was so much more fun to see them on our "terf!" Hyllari (the oldest grandchild on the Hoskins' side) had her 16th birthday the week after they went home, so we got to do a little BBQ for her while she was here and had a sweet 16 cake and everything! It was a good time! I didn't get any pictures of that though - due to the fact that I had a very very sick little girl here at home, so I was spending most of my time cleaning puke off of her and myself!!

That same week, my sister Bo moved back to Colorado from Arkansas. Her two girls also have birthdays in August (for a while all of the grandsons in the family were born in February, then the girls were in August - interesting! but the youngest 4 don't fit into that profile... oh well!!) Mandi turned 9 this year. I made her a fun little cake - it was one of those princess cakes where you bake it in a bowl and decorate the cake like a dress, then stick a Barbie doll down the middle, so it looks like she is wearing a huge ballroom gown. It turned out pretty cute... until I stuck the doll in. Then... I am guessing it was her rear end... it was just too big and split the cake right in half. Jason said I should just turn the cake and that it could be her butt crack, but I decided against that! I was able to cover the crack with a little extra frosting... but it was really hot that day, so when we were going from our house to my parents house... the other side totally melted. YUCK... she just didn't look right after that and there was no way for me to fix it at that point! Mandi still loved it though - and yet again I didn't have the camera... so you just have to picture it in your mind.

Next came Liyah's 15th birthday... and for once I remembered my camera... Her cake was a watermellon cake - that actually tasted like watermellon... fun stuff!

This is Asher, my sister Bo and my little doll Lucy - she is so cute, huh?? ;-)

We always have to tease my mom about pictures - for as long as I can remember she has hated having her picture taken... so this made me laugh pretty hard... she was trying to take Jason's picture and was making this goofy face at him that was cracking all of us up! She is so adorable!!

Lucy and Asher spend lots of time sitting on the steps by the garden in the backyard... it is cute to watch them! they just sit and talk and Lucy will look at him adoringly... and Asher has no idea what she is talking about, but is still happy to sit there with her!