What do you get when 2 Westies find a roll of paper towels?!?!

A BIG WHITE MESS!!!!

The Graduate

We packed up the car, our 2 little dogs and started the long trek to Tennessee. We were so excited, because Alison is graduating from college! She might actually be more excited than us!

We were exhausted by the time we arrived. As you can see Winnie, made her own little tent in the backseat and slept most of the 9 hour trip!



The graduation was on a beautiful spring morning. The sun was shining and birds were chirping. Families looked on with admiration as their graduates proudly accepted their diplomas and walked across the stage.

After the ceremony, I rushed out of the auditorium and snapped a few pictures of our graduate with her new diploma and huge smile!

After I snapped these 2 pictures, we heard a loud boom, a bolt of lightning and then, a downpour! Not a sprinkle, not a drizzle- fat, big wet drops falling hard! People screamed and scurried away. Families got separated- we couldn't even find our car!

Luckily, in the chaos, Cody had found his car and he picked us up and took us to our car. We were all a little late and a little wet for Alison's post-graduation luncheon.

Alison had a beautiful and delicious strawberry cake to celebrate the big event. It was the best strawberry cake I have ever had!!! Yum!

Jeremy told us that he was a pro at cutting cakes. Not sure where he picked up those skills!?!? But he did a pretty good, cutting the cake and getting everyone a piece.

After the graduation celebration, Jeremy and I made a special visit to Nashville to see a special little baby. Mr. Grayson was absolutely adorable and I'm so glad we got to visit him and his parents.

Since the graduation pictures didn't turn out so well (we all looked a little water-logged), we took some family pictures after church on Sunday.

Our visits to Tennessee are always too short. We had a wonderful visit with family and friends!

Celebrating in Abilene

We took a trip to Abilene to celebrate Sarah's college graduation and Mother's Day. It was so wonderful to be able to celebrate with both of these fabulous ladies!

Sarah was very accomplished and we were so proud of her at graduation. She will begin physical therapy school in August at Hardin Simmons.

And then, we celebrated my mom! She's the best mom a girl could ever ask for! I only hope that one day I can be half of the mom that she had been to me.

We love you so much, Mom!

Happy Mother's Day to

Mom and Rita!

Red Velvet If You Please

It was Karla's birthday and her favorite is Red Velvet. Of course, I had to make it into a cupcake!

Red Velvet isn't my absolute favorite, but it's up there. This is a really good recipe- the perfect subtle hint of chocolate. And who can resist cream cheese frosting?!?! It's delicious!

Red Velvet Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

For the cupcakes:

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cocoa powder
1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
1 cup buttermilk, room temperature
2 large eggs, room temperature
2 tablespoons red food coloring
1 teaspoon white distilled vinegar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the Cream Cheese Frosting:

1 pound cream cheese, softened
2 sticks butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 cups sifted confectioners' sugar
Chopped pecans and fresh raspberries or strawberries, for garnish

For the cupcakes:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 (12-cup) muffin pans with cupcake papers.

In a medium mixing bowl, sift together the flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, and cocoa powder. In a large bowl gently beat together the oil, buttermilk, eggs, food coloring, vinegar, and vanilla with a handheld electric mixer. Add the sifted dry ingredients to the wet and mix until smooth and thoroughly combined.

Divide the batter evenly among the cupcake tins about 2/3 filled. Bake in oven for about 20 to 22 minutes, turning the pans once, half way through. Test the cupcakes with a toothpick for doneness. Remove from oven and cool completely before frosting.

For the Cream Cheese Frosting:

In a large mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese, butter and vanilla together until smooth. Add the sugar and on low speed, beat until incorporated. Increase the speed to high and mix until very light and fluffy.

Garnish with chopped pecans and a fresh raspberry or strawberry.

I also thought it was time for a little update on Iv and Win. They are always up to trouble, but here is their latest. Win will find a chew or a stick or a toy and run under our TV stand. She will get close enough to the edge, so Ivy can see her, but can't quite reach her. Ivy can't fit, so she will just lay there- trying to reach Winnie. They will do this for hours!

I would say that I feel sorry for Ivy; however, anytime Win isn't protected by the TV stand- Ivy steals whatever she has!