Stuff Like This NEVER Used to Happen

I consider myself to be fairly organized. Of course, like most women, there's always things that I could do to be more organized and there are spots in my house that need work, but I live a pretty structured life and I THRIVE on working hard. It's just who I am. I do certain chores on certain days and have routines for most things. My routines are comforting to me and generally save my sanity. However, I have come to realize lately that after Joshua was born I have literally lost my brain.

Let me explain. When I just had two children, I thought it was a bit difficult. But I have two hands and two eyes and there are two of us parents so we managed okay. Things were chaotic most of the time, to say the least, since there were two babies running around but, we managed. Then Joshua came and although it was definitely our easiest transition to a child we've ever experienced, I kinda lost it. And frankly, I still haven't found it yet.

I'm not sure why. Three isn't really all that many children but I feel like a screw popped loose somehow and I haven't fully recovered. My brain just doesn't function as well. Maybe because it's always on an overload setting. I don't know. But once Joshua started walking, then things really got interesting.

Here are some examples of things that have happened to me over the past nearly year and a half that would've NEVER happened to me before.

1. I frequently call all of my boys by the wrong name. That's right. The wrong name. I've gotten better over the months. After Joshua was born it was pretty bad but I can blame that on sleep deprivation. However, I still do it and I'm getting plenty of sleep now. If by the second try, I still haven't gotten it right, I usually just say, "You...whatever your name is..." Isaac thinks this is hilarious.
   
2. I have now lost a child, Caleb, at a major event this past Halloween. It was probably the most frightened I have ever been in my whole life. I never thought that could happen but there I was, in a sea of about 3,000 people and my little 2-year-old was nowhere to be found. How did it happen? Don't ask me. I turned around and he was gone. All the guy said was that he was looking for more candy. Aaaaaahhh!
3. Joshua has climbed on every single high surface in my house while wearing the biggest smile in the world. I've rescued him off of our kitchen table numerous times and have finally trained him NOT to climb on chairs! My other two didn't even try these things.
4. Joshua has decided the toilet is his favorite place to play. I've never experienced this before. I can't tell you how many baths I've given him and how many times he's been corrected over this issue but he still makes a beeline for the bathroom as soon as he sees an open door.
   
5. I've proceeded to lose the baby. His older brother left the front door open and within two minutes, Joshua was out the door and in my neighbor's backyard! How does this happen? I'm a responsible parent?! Luckily he didn't walk out into the busy street in front of our house. He just went looking for the toys. And thankfully, I noticed he wasn't around very soon after he'd gone out the front door.
   
6. I completely lost my wallet and I have ABSOLUTELY NO CLUE how I lost it. It was just gone and I had no mental recollection of how I managed to lose it. None. Brilliant. Just brilliant.
   
7. My children have all eaten things like snails and the like which has just been wonderful. But today was the kicker. Joshua ate a piece of plastic that he had managed to chew, quite quickly I might add, off of a fountain soda top lid. I noticed fast, reacted fine and he actually got it down okay after coughing and crying for awhile. I tried to get it out of his mouth but couldn't find it. Anyway, I nearly had to rush him to the hospital. Luckily, since he didn't officially choke and could drink liquids afterward, the doctor said to just monitor him for the next few days.
   

Now let me assure you all, I did graduate from college (Go Cal Poly!) and I mostly manage to get around just fine but I never would have thought that these things would happen to me before. I just always thought I'd be on top of everything. I'm learning, day in a day out, that our children's safety definitely relies on my wisdom and my discernment but that's only a part of it. If it relied solely on me, we'd all be in trouble. As you can see from my brief descriptions, I am just not capable of doing everything even though I am watching everyone all.the.time!! I know some of you can relate to me out there!!!

Parenting can be so, so humbling. Thank God for grace. Thank God for mercy. It's really Him who holds my family in His hands. And these little lessons remind me that I'm not perfect. I want to be but I never will be and that's okay. I've got it on good authority, that my God never slumbers and never sleeps. Good thing He's always got His eye out.

"He will not let your foot be moved; he who keeps you will not slumber. Behold, he who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. The Lord is your keeper; the Lord is your shade on your right hand. The sun shall not strike you by day, nor the moon by night. The Lord will keep you from all evil; he will keep your life. The Lord will keep your going out and our coming in from this time forth and forevermore." Psalm 121:4-8

A Book, A Blog Post and a Late Night

It's kinda been a theme around here lately. And although I'm no spring chicken when it comes to being married, I'm no old-timer either and I have LOTS to learn and be reminded about from time to time. A few years ago my mentor in San Luis Obispo gave me her copy of the book The Proper Care & Feeding of Husbands by Dr. Laura Schlessinger. Her advice to me at the time was to read it through once and then to keep it and pick it back up every other year or so to be reminded. It's not like she thought this book was IT or anything but that it held some great truths in it for women especially in light of our post-modern society. I hadn't read through it in awhile but then a friend and fellow blogger, posted a book review on her blog about the book (thanks Jenny!) and I was reminded to dust it off and take a look.

So I've been re-reading it and there was a whole chapter on a husband's needs, desires and feelings and how women so often expect their husbands to validate their feelings but they're not the least interested in how their husbands feel about things. If you stop to think about it, there's more truth than you would have originally thought. And most men are much quieter than their wives so their needs can go unmet for a long time if a wife isn't careful. This chapter struck me a lot because I think Dr. Laura is right on here. How often do I expect my husband to just talk to me and socialize with me (a need I have since I've been with the kids all day) without remembering that he's been on his feet talking all day!!? And he doesn't even like to talk all that much. I could think of many other examples in our daily lives and I even try to be aware of what my husband needs on a daily basis. Whew! I was tired even thinking about it. But where to go from here? Am I superwoman? I've got three crazy little boys that need everything, a baby kicking in my belly and a house to run. What about me?!

And then this morning I read an amazing post on the Femina blog from Nancy Wilson, who is wonderful, insightful and challenging and it was titled Needy Women. Here is an excerpt from her post this morning: "We women are easily distracted by our own needs. This is easy because, after all, they are ours. And I don’t know how many times I have heard women say that their husbands are not 'meeting their needs.'....If you consider the purpose of marriage at the beginning, God created woman because the man had needs. He needed a helper. Woman was created for the man. So as wives consider how they can meet their husbands’ needs for help, it’s funny how their own needs will be met. When we are doing what God has created and called us to do, we actually become what He created us to be. When we give ourselves away, we find ourselves; when we give, we receive; when we empty ourselves, we are filled."
So simple, yet so profound.

We all have different men. Some are firefighters and deal with crazy schedules, high pressure situations and long shifts. Others are businessmen who fear the economy turning as it will affect their job. Some may need more rest than others after work or some, like doctors, may be dealing with life and death all the time. The point is to know your man. Know his ins and outs. Listen to him. Try and anticipate him. You'll always be learning about him but try and stay one step ahead. And be teachable when God wants you to step it up or to learn something new. It's NOT oppressive to make him your number one priority (after the Lord) on this earth. God's made us women and designed us to love being a helper to our husbands. As hard as it can be sometimes, it's where we're meant to be. I got a fresh reminder just yesterday.

Steve and I had a late night last night. It was the night before his first assignment was due for Grad school and even though he had already spent many hours on it prior to finishing the last little bit last night, he was a bit stuck and discouraged. It's hard to know exactly what a professor wants when you can't just walk up after class and ask them! And evidently this professor doesn't care to respond to email. But anyway, I had wanted to go to bed around 4 o'clock that afternoon and so after the boys went down I was pretty tired. But, in the moment, God quickly transported me back to our days at Cal Poly when Steve was working so hard to get done and I was already graduated. I can't even remember how many nights I stayed up with him and just sat by him, so that he'd know he wasn't alone. And to think of it, I would want that too if it were me. So, I figured here we go again and somehow I was strengthened. Something we say to each other often is "It's just you and me." And that's what it was. Just us. I did some work and some ironing. I sat there. I got him ice cream. And I stayed until it was done. That was his need. Did I need sleep? You betcha. But God always promises that He'll provide. This morning I read this in Romans 16:25 "Now to him who is able to strengthen you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ." When I read that, I smiled. I needed those words. I don't need to worry about my needs so much. God's providing those. But He has made me to do my best to know my husband's needs and to respect them. It's there, being obedient to what I'm called to do, that I'll find my rest.

Asking Forgiveness

The more children I have, the more I find need to ask forgiveness of them from time to time. Here is an excerpt from The Things You'll See by Lawrence R. Lucas. It's a wonderful little reminder.

So if you are offering your gift at the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar and go; first be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift. Matthew 5:23-24

When we sin, we confess our wrong to God and so are cleansed. When we sin against another, we offer our confession to them as well. It's not easy, perhaps because it tests our humility, affronts our pride. In many instances, the very one we must ask forgiveness of is the one we want to believe provoked us to sin. God, however, requires obedience from His servants without regard to what others may have said or done. We walk before him, we stand before Him, and we fall before Him.

When we sin against our children, through anger or impatience, for example, we need to confess our sin to them, just as we would to another adult. Just because they're small and can be easily bullied, because we can more easily dictate the terms of our reconciliation, because they're less apt to recognize or question the purity of our confession, these are no reasons to renege on our duty. We make our confession clean, because each time we do we model for them what theirs must be.

Enough said.

Patty

A little over a year ago I was introduced to the very talented, amazing musical artist Patty Griffin. Okay, not personally, but we'll just say that's when I first found out about her and she really is fabulous. You know when you find someone who can sing, really, really, well and not just with a popsy-sound but one who is a really talented musician, you almost can't get enough of them. Well, that's been me. Maybe this will get your attention...she has written for the Dixie Chicks since their beginning. Most of her songs are so good. She's isn't a Christian singer so I can't endorse all of them. However, she's got an amazing sound, is so folksy and jazzy all at the same time, and listening to her puts me in a good mood. She just sings about life. One of her songs that is particularly moving is called The Long Ride Home, where she sings about a lady, who is riding home after her husband of 40 year's funeral. "Forty years go by with someone laying in your bed. Forty years of things you see and wish you'd never said. How hard would've it have been to say some kinder words instead? I wonder as I stare up at the sky a-turnin red." Other favorites are Rain, Burgundy Shoes, Gonna Let Him Fly, When it Don't Come Easy (first song I ever heard of hers) and Time Will do the Talking. If you need some new music, pop on over to iTunes and check her out. You might just find out that you really like her.

Somebody help me...I'm already nesting!

Something has come over me these past few days. Maybe I'm wising up and realizing that in about four short months I'm not going to get anything done for about a year. Or maybe I'm just starting to get some 2nd trimester energy. I don't know. But I've been blitzing through my house these last few days. There are so many small things that never get done because of the constant picking up, maintenance and daily chores. You all know this. I don't need to say anything more. However, these small things have been bothering me for, well, I don't know...since Joshua was born? Scary!

For example, I hadn't washed my windows for who knows how long but today, I did it. They were disgusting and I vowed to NEVER let them go that long again. We'll see if that vow holds any weight or not. Life just gets in the way. And when it comes to making dinner or washing the windows, well dinner usually stands higher on my priority list and it should. But it's nice to get these things done every once in awhile. I've also got a pretty good Goodwill pile going and I cleaned out our bookshelf. But the biggest accomplishment was the Playroom. That room was a disaster and needed a lot of work but I couldn't get to it for a long time. First, over Christmas Break, my husband installed a lock on the closet door and all of the toys went in there. However, they weren't organized one bit and I needed some shelving. Lo and behold, my mom showed up yesterday with a shelf she no longer needed and we got to work. Here's the finished product.

I just got so tired of how long it would take my kids to pick up toys and all of the millions of pieces that I'd find all over the house. So now, they get to take out one thing at a time. Currently, they have their trains and train tracks out and that's it. It's wonderful. They can pick up so quickly and there's never a huge mess. Plus, it forces them to be satisfied with one thing for awhile. If they want something else, they have to put the other stuff away. Here's a little note though...I had wanted to do this for awhile but I didn't think my kids could handle it. They were still too small with little attention spans. But now that the older two can play together for long stretches of time with one set of things like trains, I knew it was time to start...mostly for my own sanity!! If you still have really little ones it may not work.

I don't know why I've been so productive. Maybe it's because my oldest has had the stomach flu for the past few days and so I've been cleaning and disinfecting the house anyway.

Sidenote: you definitely know you're a parent when you're mopping up puke in the middle of the night and scrubbing it out of your child's hair in the bath. His hair still smelled for days. Both Steve and I agreed that although this wasn't our first time experiencing this, it definitely was the worst and it won't be the last! But even though I spent the night lying next to poor little Isaac on the floor and hardly slept a wink, I wouldn't have been anywhere else. It's just the way it is. God gives us such a love for our kids doesn't He?

Isaac's also gotten to watch a lot of movies due to him being under the weather (a big treat because our kids don't watch much TV) and so my older two have been pretty distracted. I don't know where the motivation has come from but I'll take it. I still have to work on our bedroom and the boys' closet. But I need more shelving for that and the hubby is probably going to build some. We've got a little house (less than 1000 square ft) and we've got to make room for one more. But really, we've got plenty of room. As long as I can remember to keep purging and if I can get smarter about where things go, we'll be just fine.

So even though I'm nearly half-way done with this pregnancy and just a few pounds heavier than normal... after all the purging, I still feel 10 lbs lighter!

Little Men

I know I talk a lot about boys on this blog but I just can't help it. I mean, can you blame me? The only touch of femininity that there is in this house comes from me, as I'm outnumbered 4 to 1, and it's difficult for me to get into the shower sometimes let alone make myself up with ribbons and bows all the time. But that's okay. I don't really mind my boy world at all. In fact, they can be quite simple most of the time. Here's an example: You took my toy, I'm going to wrestle you. Simply handled. And after they've "worked it out" they go back to playing their game. Forgiveness is easy. No holding grudges. I wish I could be more like that sometimes!! My feelings can get so jumbled up for days it seems like.

It really does amaze me how much my little boys really just resemble little men. I've written about this before. Yes, they need some major kinks ironed out of them on their way to adulthood but, much of who they are has already been imprinted upon their hearts in their personalities and likes/dislikes. It's the same with girls as well. More reminders to me that character does and must matter so much in these early years. There isn't time to just wait for tomorrow or later to deal with weaknesses. I must face problems now. They'll only get worse with time and neglect. I can do my part. My husband can do his part. And we can screw up royally in the process. And then there's this lovely, amazing, mysterious thing called GRACE that covers all of us.

When I started this journey I wanted to do everything absolutely right. I think most parents do. I think I'm starting to see, after falling on my face so many times, that I'm not always going to get it right but that God's grace will come in and fill in where I can't giving wisdom, patience, perseverance and most of all love. So much depends on me and on us for these little men and we must take it seriously. But I'm so thankful that God is there at every step, helping us along, showing us the way and teaching us through our mistakes how to do things better. Without that knowledge, where is my hope?

I can't just cross my fingers and wish with all my might that they somehow learn to get along in this world. I must teach them what is right. However, it's not just about right behavior either. Of course, obedience flows from the heart and is expressed outwardly and this must be trained from a young age. But I want their heart. I want them to learn to obey because they love and trust me. Just like their Dad and I want to please God because we love and trust Him. Yet why do I want them to learn to obey? Because if they don't, it will be very difficult for them to learn to obey God and the world is a much harder teacher than I am. So we just keep working, tirelessly, day after day, but not without hope. We put our hope in Christ who is our daily companion. Our teacher. Our intercessor. And we entrust these little men, these crazy, silly, precious little boys to the One who made them. And we wait with great expectations.

Look Out...

My husband is now an Aggie!! Yesterday we received official word from Texas A & M that my very handsome and wonderful husband had been accepted into their graduate program to get his Master's in Mathematics. This doesn't mean that we're moving to Texas because he can do all of his work on-line!! We have looked for a viable option for him to get his Master's degree for five years now and none of the local colleges in the area offer options in the Math Department for people who want to get their Master's and still work full-time. San Jose State is the closest one but it's an hour and a half away so that wasn't going to work. But then, a few months ago, Steve found this program through Texas A & M which is completely on-line, however, it offers the same courses found in the graduate program itself and has the same rigorous requirements. So it will be like he's attending the university but he'll be doing lectures via the computer. So, so wonderful. And he can do it one course a semester so that he can still work, be with our family and so that we can pay for it. If he had to do it all at once, he'd have to quit his job (precarious since we have three children and one on the way) and it'd be very difficult to pay for. Doing it slowly will allow us to pay for it as we go. It's really the perfect set-up for our family. We're so thankful.

I just have to honor this man of mine because he worked so hard to get here. He had to take an entrance exam to even get his application looked at by the graduate committee. It was a timed test, he had to get above a certain score to get a review and it was hard (based on Calculus 1-4). He got 100%. He had to take the GRE (Graduate Requirement Exam...kind of like the SAT but for Grad School) and he didn't get to study ahead of time. He scored a perfect 800 on the Math Quantitative section. He also got all of his paperwork in very quickly including recommendations so that he could be considered for this Spring semester. Okay...he's going to get mad at me for bragging about him but he's not one to talk about it himself so this once, I just wanted to let everyone know how hard he worked!


We're thrilled he gets this opportunity and even though it's going to take a few years, it'll be so great for him to have this in his back pocket for later if he wants to teach at the community college level. We'll see where God leads. Last night we all piled into the car and headed into Santa Cruz to have dinner at Chili's to celebrate. It was really fun and the boys LOVED getting to share in the massive dessert we ordered. It was a sweet family time. Such a relief to finally hear back and hear good news!!

We thank God for blessing Steve and giving him the ability to do well so far. Yet as Steve told me recently, those tests he aced are going to be the easiest ones he takes over the next few years. In other words, it's going to be tough and a lot of hard work. If you think about it, pray for him and for us. To God be the glory!

First Day Back

Well, our Christmas vacation has officially ended and regular life has commenced again in our household. Steve went back to work, the children and I picked up our daily routines and the washer has been going all day for our usual Monday Laundry Day. These are all familiar things and familiarity and routine are so wonderful when we can be comforted by them and not ruled by them. Of course, our only lament after these wonderful weeks of fun and the holidays is that our beloved Daddy has to go back to work. I know he's ready. He loves to be with us but knows that being home all of the time isn't what he's cut out for...he's made to go out and conquer the world. Even my little boys exhibit these primitive man behaviors by playing outside and killing the bad guys with whatever weapons they possess. They don't want to be inside. It's just a "man thing" I guess. It's not that we can't make it without him. We can. We just don't really like to. But alas, life continues to move on and we all adjust slipping back into our places and spin and move together as if in dance. It's just the way it goes. And as we glide back into our routines it's nice to reflect.

I always learn things when I'm on vacation. Oftentimes it's that I need to relax, be joyful about the chaos, approach my children in different ways (mostly by watching their Dad interact with them so much) and be spontaneous. This year, I tried to approach the two weeks off with a more cavalier attitude giving myself a little "vacation" myself. I ordered myself not to clean (beyond the necessary) and to just keep up with laundry as needed. Of course, that meant I was still working a TON (the floors just get messy so fast and when two little boys pee in the toilet, they must be cleaned before too long) but the pressure to get things done within a certain time were lifted and I found myself enjoying our time and really on vacation!!

Both Steve and I agreed that this was our best Christmas break. I think over time we continue to understand each other better causing our transitions in and out of vacation to be smoother. I have come to see that Steve being home is not my invitation to pile a bunch of tasks on him (although I want to sometimes) but that he needs rest and recreation from all that he endured during the first semester. Teaching day in and day out is hard work and to get a bit of rest is best for his mind and his soul. I believe he has come to understand me better as well by giving me lots of time to go for walks and take long showers. These extra little privileges are so wonderful and really bless me. The burden of disciplining and correction are also lifted off of my shoulders for a good stretch of time, due to Steve being home all day, giving me a bit of freedom to relax and enjoy the ride. I love the covering my husband is to me. These are wonderful benefits.

But I saw yet another benefit this Christmas vacation that came out and surprised me. One that I hadn't thought about in this way before but I need to remember. I saw the benefit of me being where I am, as a mom and the job that I have taking care of my children, not just for them or even for my husband but for me. I don't often think about it that way. I usually think about how great it is for my kids that I can be around or that my husband benefits from me taking care of things at home so that he can simply worry about things at work. And these things are true. But I don't often think about what a benefit it is to me. I truly am benefiting so much from being able to be here. I know not all women have that privilege and that there are many who wish they could but can't. I understand that and this isn't meant to demean their place in life in any way. But for me, the privilege of being around was so apparent to me this vacation.

So you're wondering why I'm bringing all of this up so I'll tell you. One of the nights over break I had a dream...a nightmare rather. I dreamed I was in a military boot camp. I was doing well and passing all of the physical tests. My Commanders were so pleased with me. They kept telling me I was a good soldier. I felt pleased I was doing so well but something plagued me. I knew that it was my son Caleb's birthday and I wasn't going to be able to be home to make him cupcakes. In fact, I wasn't even going to be able to talk to him or see him. I woke up in a panic and roused my poor husband awake (he tells me to always tell him my nightmares) and finally realized after some time that it wasn't true; I was home and Caleb would be getting cupcakes on his birthday in a few weeks. But I was genuinely upset by it. It really stuck with me for a few days.

What I learned from it was this. As hard as my job can be, day in and day out, where I am is a blessing and privilege to me. I get to see everything. My husband doesn't. I get to relay all of the funny stories, help brothers sort out fights, wipe away all of the tears and share in the daily triumphs. These things bless me. I get the majority of the kisses, the hugs and smiles. And when push comes to shove, my boys LOVE their Daddy but when they need comfort, they want their Mama. But even more importantly, I get taught crazy lessons by their honesty, my failings and all of our shortcomings. God uses them to make me more like Christ. That is where the true benefit of being a mom is. God uses my children to refine me. Wow!

I pray that I can be a blessing to my family but ultimately, I'm the one who is blessed by them. And if I can keep that in the forefront of my mind as I start this new year and I think about adding another one, well then I think we'll all be just fine. That is as long as I get to stay in my little house and no one ships me off to Boot Camp!

Hope your Christmas vacation was full of so much family fun, love and the Savior. Happy New Year from our family to yours!!

A Must-Try

Whenever there is a holiday, birthday or special occasion, we love to have a special breakfast. And one of our favorite special breakfasts is a nice, warm batch of cinnamon rolls. Who doesn't love hot, gooey cinnamon rolls? I love to make them but I don't love how long they take to be done (with rising and everything) especially when my little ones wake up early and want to eat soon after waking up. I'd had to get up at 4 o'clock in the morning to get them done in time for them to eat and that just doesn't work no matter how special the day is. Well, there is a solution and I'm going to give it to you. I'm telling you, these cinnamon rolls are amazing, work every single time and are a snap to make. And the absolute best part is that you can do them the night before, stick them in the fridge to rise overnight, bake them first thing in the morning and then get them into waiting hands fairly quickly. Even if there isn't a special occasion coming up, try them. Your family will LOVE you for it!

This recipe comes from King Arthur Flour. You can also get it off of their website if you want.

Cinnamon Buns

1 c. warm water (105-110 degrees)
2 eggs
4 3/4 c. flour
1/4 c. nonfat dry milk (can be used in a lot of baked goods and breads so it's good to have around)
1/4 c. soft butter (half a stick)
2 1/2 tsp yeast (buy a whole pound for $5 at Costco...do NOT buy in little packets at store unless desperate...they're $1 each packet!!)
1/4 c. sugar
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
1 tbsp. granular lecithin (optional and if you don't what it is, it's a bread improver which isn't necessary but nice if you have it on hand)

Mix and knead together all of the dough ingredients either by hand, stand mixer or bread machine (I have done all three and they all work well) to form a soft, smooth dough. Let the dough rise until it's almost double in size, about 2 hours. Rising time can vary depending on how warm your kitchen is.

Roll the dough into a 14 x 16-inch rectangle (or just a big rectangle). Get some softened butter and spread it all over the rectangle leaving an inch around the edges. Dump brown sugar on top of the butter and sprinkle cinnamon all over the top. This part is flexible and you can really do what you want. I found we like brown sugar the best as it gives the rolls a caramel flavor. However, you could use a mix of white sugar and cinnamon, add nuts or even raisins. The sky is the limit! Roll the rectangle up long-ways so that you have a long log of cinnamony-goodness. Slice into 12 buns. A serrated knife works very well for this. You can cut them into four equal parts and then divide from there to get the rolls a fairly uniform size. Transfer to a cookie sheet, cover with oiled plastic wrap and stick in the fridge.

When you wake up in the morning, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Take cinnamon rolls out of fridge to warm up at room temp for a few minutes while the oven preheats. Then bake for 20-25 minutes or until they're golden brown. If you can wait, wait 10 minutes before turning them out of the pan. Ice with your favorite icing. I just mix milk with powdered sugar because it's easy but you could get fancy and do a cream cheese frosting or anything you like!!

Eat until you can't eat anymore, enjoy your family's euphoria and then relish in your special day.
We ate these this morning. They were heavenly. We hope that you like them!!