Monday, July 23, 2012
Horse Party and Cupcakes
This past weekend we went to visit my husband's twin brother, his wife and our 2 nieces to celebrate our niece's 11th birthday. We had a wonderful visit and my children loved spending time with their cousins since they live 5 hours away from us.
Then it was cupcake decorating time to get ready for my niece's birthday on Saturday afternoon! My sister-in-law and I spent about 3 hours working on these horse cupcakes. It was a fun team effort!
The book Hello, Cupcake! was our guide and one reason it took so long (even with the two of us working together) was because after each step we had to put the pieces in the fridge to harden the melted chocolate when we made the wafer necks and attached the head to the wafers.
This is a special kind of horse, referred to as a "Medicine Hat" horse. The girl told us that there are 1 out of 10,000 horses born with the 3 features that this horse has...Medicine cap (hair between the ears), blue eyes, and the brown marking on the top of the legs). Indians believed that this horse was so special with its unique look that only the Indian chiefs could ride on them. Here is a little more about this horse that I found on the internet and is similar to the information the lady at the stable told us:
My Cupcakes and their cousins loved spending time together at the party and over the weekend!
After a fun birthday celebration at the horse stable it was time to chill out at our sister-in-laws neighborhood pool after dinner...
"Dad, Dad throw me off your shoulders again!" (and again...and again...and again!) All my kids and their cousins enjoyed jumping off my husband's shoulders. :)
Happy 11th birthday to our beautiful niece! Our family can't wait to visit again with all of you!
Friday night after dinner my sister-in-law served this yummy dessert that everyone enjoyed called "Chocolate Peanut Butter Ice Cream Bar Dessert". You can find the recipe at this blog post HERE.
Then it was cupcake decorating time to get ready for my niece's birthday on Saturday afternoon! My sister-in-law and I spent about 3 hours working on these horse cupcakes. It was a fun team effort!
The book Hello, Cupcake! was our guide and one reason it took so long (even with the two of us working together) was because after each step we had to put the pieces in the fridge to harden the melted chocolate when we made the wafer necks and attached the head to the wafers. 
Here is my sister-in-law and I at about midnight on Friday after we finished the horse cupcakes. My niece and all the kids loved them! A true labor of love for sure, but so fun and worth it to see their smiles and joy on their faces!
Then Saturday we headed to a local horse stable to celebrate my nieces birthday with friends and our family.
Everyone got to pet the rooster, even its red crown, which felt like a piece of rubber.
Petting a bunny.
I spotted the farm's dog tucked away in the bushes in the shade. So cute!
The kids got to pet a baby goat.
Then it was time to groom the horses...
I got a picture of one of the horses yawning, but it looks like it is about to bite my daughter's head :)
Written by
Rena Sherwood
A "Medicine Hat" horse is not a horse of a particular breed, but of a particular color. This is an unusual pinto pattern where the base of the horse is white, but the ears and around the entire top of the head is brown, black or roan. The horse looks like he has a tight cap on. Legend has it that Native American tribes, especially Plains tribes, called the spot a "Medicine Hat" or "war bonnet".
The important distinguishing characteristic of a Medicine Hat is the head. The rest of the body can be of any other pattern. But in order to get a white head and colored ears and cap, most Medicine Hats or Wart Bonnets are mostly white in color with very few other colored patches. They very often have pink muzzles.
What's The Big Deal?
The Medicine Hat marking denoted a horse of superior ability in some way. Some tribes had legends where a rider of a Medicine Hat horse would never be hurt on the back on the horse. Some were said to be able to warn his or her master of danger, or to be able to find game in the most barren of landscapes.
A blue eyed Medicine Hat was especially prized for his or her unusual beauty. The blue eyes of the horse (known often as "sky eyes") made the horse seem otherworldly or ghostly. However, many white faced horses tend to have blue or odd-colored eyes. Because of their mostly white hides, magic or power symbols were often added to him.
Medicine Hats were also considered incredibly lucky. In wearing a magic symbol, the horse personified the magical qualities of a tribe. If your tribe lost its Medicine Hat, misfortune was soon to come, because all of the good magic was gone. Please keep in mind that his is a very simplified explanation for a very complex belief system.
Medicine Hats Today
Modern culture probably wouldn't know much about Medicine Hats if it wasn't for a book entitled "San Domingo: The Medicine Hat Stallion" by famous children's author Marguerite Henry (who also wrote "Misty of Chincoteague"). That book probably would have faded into obscurity if it were not for the fame of the author and a popular Breyer model horse made of the main character, San Domingo.
The Medicine Hat coat variation still exists today and is considered just as valuable now as in the Old West. They can be found in several breeds, including the Paint Horse, Spanish Barb, Mustang, Appaloosa and crossbreeds (called a "grade" horse). Sometimes the coat pattern pops up in ponies as well as horses.
Read more: http://www.horseforum.com/horse-breeds/do-you-know-anything-about-medicine-22164/#ixzz21PSIUPe1
A "Medicine Hat" horse is not a horse of a particular breed, but of a particular color. This is an unusual pinto pattern where the base of the horse is white, but the ears and around the entire top of the head is brown, black or roan. The horse looks like he has a tight cap on. Legend has it that Native American tribes, especially Plains tribes, called the spot a "Medicine Hat" or "war bonnet".
The important distinguishing characteristic of a Medicine Hat is the head. The rest of the body can be of any other pattern. But in order to get a white head and colored ears and cap, most Medicine Hats or Wart Bonnets are mostly white in color with very few other colored patches. They very often have pink muzzles.
What's The Big Deal?
The Medicine Hat marking denoted a horse of superior ability in some way. Some tribes had legends where a rider of a Medicine Hat horse would never be hurt on the back on the horse. Some were said to be able to warn his or her master of danger, or to be able to find game in the most barren of landscapes.
A blue eyed Medicine Hat was especially prized for his or her unusual beauty. The blue eyes of the horse (known often as "sky eyes") made the horse seem otherworldly or ghostly. However, many white faced horses tend to have blue or odd-colored eyes. Because of their mostly white hides, magic or power symbols were often added to him.
Medicine Hats were also considered incredibly lucky. In wearing a magic symbol, the horse personified the magical qualities of a tribe. If your tribe lost its Medicine Hat, misfortune was soon to come, because all of the good magic was gone. Please keep in mind that his is a very simplified explanation for a very complex belief system.
Medicine Hats Today
Modern culture probably wouldn't know much about Medicine Hats if it wasn't for a book entitled "San Domingo: The Medicine Hat Stallion" by famous children's author Marguerite Henry (who also wrote "Misty of Chincoteague"). That book probably would have faded into obscurity if it were not for the fame of the author and a popular Breyer model horse made of the main character, San Domingo.
The Medicine Hat coat variation still exists today and is considered just as valuable now as in the Old West. They can be found in several breeds, including the Paint Horse, Spanish Barb, Mustang, Appaloosa and crossbreeds (called a "grade" horse). Sometimes the coat pattern pops up in ponies as well as horses.
Read more: http://www.horseforum.com/horse-breeds/do-you-know-anything-about-medicine-22164/#ixzz21PSIUPe1
After grooming the horses with the 3 different kinds of brushes it was time to take a ride on these beautiful creatures.
The beautiful and happy birthday girl!
Then time for horse cupcakes and presents!
Happy 11th birthday to our beautiful niece! Our family can't wait to visit again with all of you!
Thursday, July 19, 2012
Having a Sour Day?
I found this on the GodTube Facebook page and I thought it was cute enough to share here on my blog :)
"Having a sour day? Are you in need of a smile? Well, you have come to the right place! This video of adorable babies eating lemons is packed with fun and laughter--it will turn any frown upside down. May your day be blessed and full of happiness!"
Best of Babies Eating Lemons - SO CUTE from kidsarecute on GodTube.
"Having a sour day? Are you in need of a smile? Well, you have come to the right place! This video of adorable babies eating lemons is packed with fun and laughter--it will turn any frown upside down. May your day be blessed and full of happiness!"
Best of Babies Eating Lemons - SO CUTE from kidsarecute on GodTube.
Sunday, July 15, 2012
Anniversary Blessings
For our 15th wedding anniversary, my wonderful husband gave me these beautiful flowers.
What fun! We rented a wave runner one other time while we were dating so it was great to ride on the intercoastal waterway again after so many years! There were not alot of boats on the water with us and a few paddle boarders. We also saw alot of nature: herons, jumping fish, deer in the marsh, and lots of crabs in the sea grass when we stopped to swim a little on one of the shorelines.
Then we came home for a quiet steak and lobster dinner. We've never cooked our own live lobster so that was an interesting and memorable experience. My daughters had fun helping Daddy set the table the day before our anniversary celebration.
It was a great date and both of us were so touched by this sweet note that our 12 year old daughter left for us in one of our dining room chairs. It got wrinkled as she was trying to hide it from us :)
So many anniversary blessings for sure!
Need some other fun and creative date ideas? Click on button below to see other date posts!
Thursday, July 12, 2012
15 Years Ago Today We Said "I Do!"
Our wedding day on July 12, 1997
15 years ago today we made a covenant and said "I do!".
Look how far we have come since first meeting on the beach in 1992.
Look how far we have come since first meeting on the beach in 1992.
Today we celebrate our marriage of 15 years.
This wonderful journey has been filled with many memories, blessings, trials, and joyful tears.
I continue to love growing old with you!
Everyday with you is a blessing and so much fun too!
Happy Anniversary to us!
I love you!
I love you!
This photo of the church's ceiling is one of our favorites.
The photographer captured this beautiful shot during our
wedding ceremony. 
On our way to the reception after our ceremony
A close-up photo of the candy shells on our cake. Thank you Nancy for your beautiful cake art!
On top of our cake was this cross uniting 2 wedding bands placed in the candy coral. This cross is now hanging in our home as a constant reminder of Who keeps our marriage and love strong.
Two are better than one: they get a
good wage for their labor. If the one falls, the other will lift up
his companion. Woe to the solitary man! For if he should fall, he has
no one to lift him up. So also, if two sleep together, they keep each
other warm. How can one alone keep warm? Where a lone man may be
overcome, two together can resist. A three-ply cord is not easily
broken. Ecclesiastes 4: 9-12
Above is a Marriage Prayer that was a wedding gift from one of our friends. We have this prayer hanging in our bedroom and I love its simple, yet meaningful words.
It reads: Lord, help us to remember when we first met and the love that grew between us. To see the good within the other, and to solve our problems. Help us to say the kind and loving things and to ask forgiveness of the other. We put our marriage in your hands. Amen. ~N.V. Pearle
It reads: Lord, help us to remember when we first met and the love that grew between us. To see the good within the other, and to solve our problems. Help us to say the kind and loving things and to ask forgiveness of the other. We put our marriage in your hands. Amen. ~N.V. Pearle
-
One
tradition that we have done each year on our anniversary since our
first anniversary is watch our video from our wedding. Now we did get
married before the digital age so the color quality is...90ish, but the
memories of our day continue to be with us each time we play our
video. We did copy it onto a DVD to help make it last longer.
- It is a joy to now watch the video with our cupcakes as they ask why they weren't there to celebrate with us ;-) Each year we are not only reminded of our holy vows we took in front of our Lord, family, and friends, but we also get to see friends and loved ones that are no longer with us here on earth. You know I still get "butterflies" and filled with excitement just before I watch the part of the video where I'm about to meet my true love at the altar and begin our lives as husband and wife!
Saturday, July 7, 2012
My Younger Sister's Bridal Shower
Last weekend I traveled to Pittsburgh with my Mom to visit with my younger sister and to attend her bridal shower on Saturday that was hosted by her future mother-in-law and sister-in-laws. It was a lovely shower at a local restaurant and I enjoyed meeting my sister's future family and some of her friends.
Here are some pictures from her memorable day as wedding plans continue for the exciting Oct. 13, 2012 wedding date:
As my sister opened her gifts I was asked if I could make a
bouquet with the ribbons/bows that came off the packages. I'm sitting
on the far left.
This is the ribbon/bow bouquet that I made for my sister that she will carry during the rehearsal the night before the wedding.
My sister got teary-eyed when her fiancé surprised her with a bouquet of her favorite flowers that he had delivered to the shower since he was working.
me, my sister, our mom
My sister's future mother-in-law on left and our mom on the right.
My sister and me...I think it was the first time I was wearing a dress shorter than hers and heels higher than hers :)
The beautiful bride and groom to be!
Our family is looking forward to the
wedding and my children are especially looking forward to celebrating
their Aunt's wedding in October!
Tuesday, July 3, 2012
Repost: Yummy & Festive 4th of July Cake!
I posted these pictures and recipe last year just before the 4th of July so I thought I would share it again in case anyone is looking for a festive and delicious patriotic dessert for tomorrow's 4th of July celebrations.
My mom passed on the recipe to me and it's as delicious as it is festive for any 4th of July gathering!
Ingredients:
1 box of white cake mix ( I used a box of Duncan Hines white cake mix)
3 oz. package of Raspberry Jello
3 oz. package of Berry Blue Jello
8 oz. thawed Cool-Whip
Directions:
And the inside looks like this:
So if you need a great festive cake for this 4th of July, give this one a try! It has been a hit with family and friends and I will definitely be baking this great dessert again!
Join the crew at No Ordinary Blog Hop!
My mom passed on the recipe to me and it's as delicious as it is festive for any 4th of July gathering!
1 box of white cake mix ( I used a box of Duncan Hines white cake mix)
3 oz. package of Raspberry Jello
3 oz. package of Berry Blue Jello
8 oz. thawed Cool-Whip
Directions:
- Prepare cake mix as directed. Pour batter into two 8/9 in. round cake pans.
- Bake as directed on box. Cool 10 minutes while still in pans. Remove cakes from pans and cool completely.
- Place 2 cakes back in their pans, with their tops up
- Prick each cake with utility fork at about 1/2 in. intervals
- Mix 1 cup boiling water with Raspberry Jello package; stir to dissolve
- Spoon Raspberry Jello over 1 cake layer making sure to spoon watery mixture over the pricked holes.
- Repeat with the Berry Blue Jello and spoon Jello over other cake layer. I used almost all of the Jello mixtures when I spooned/poured it over each layer.
- Refrigerate cakes for about 3 hours.
- Dip each cake pan into warm water to loosen the cakes, then remove each cake from their pan.
- Spread the red layer with Cool Whip topping
- Put the blue layer on top of red layer and frost cakes with remaining Cool Whip
- Refrigerate until ready to serve
And the inside looks like this:
So if you need a great festive cake for this 4th of July, give this one a try! It has been a hit with family and friends and I will definitely be baking this great dessert again!
Join the crew at No Ordinary Blog Hop!
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Hello! Thank you for your Visit!
I'm Tracy. I love my faith, family and on most days, homeschooling my 5 blessings. When I'm not busy baking cakes for my family or making memories in real life or dreaming I had a housekeeper or professional chef, I enjoy documenting a slice of Smith life in blog land.
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