Family Vacation

Last week we took a family vacation to the Black Hills.  We had really great weather and a lot of fun.  I wasn't sure about going because of my foot (see previous post) but I went with my knee walker and was able to get everywhere!  I lost count of how many strangers asked me about it!  I'm so thankful for that thing!  We really had a wild west adventure with a stop at Wall Drug, panning for gold, a trip to Deadwood, and a visit to Circle B Ranch where there were pony rides, a cowboy shoot out, and a chuckwagon supper.  Check out the slideshow on the right for some fun pictures!

Hopping Along

About 3 1/2 weeks ago I had foot surgery to repair a fallen arch and some crushing bones.  I have horrible  feet, which should have been corrected years ago.  I finally got to a point where I couldn't stand the pain and was afraid it would continue to get worse.  I had 4 incisions and 3 pins put in my foot. Surprisingly the pain hasn't been too bad.  The first 12 days I had a bandaged splint.  Two weeks ago I got the stitches taken out and got a purple cast - not because of the Vikings! : )  I have 2 more weeks in the cast and then get a walking boot. 

I can't believe how hard it is to get by on 1 foot!  I have been so thankful for this knee walker, also called a roll-a-bout.  Although it's still really hard to get around this is so much better than crutches.  Plus I get lots of looks and comments!

4th of July

Last Monday was July 4th, Independence Day.  We had a pretty traditional celebration, attended a parade, ate in the park and watched fireworks. 

Karina and Kayleigh chillin' in the sun and waiting for candy! 

 The parade had everything a traditional parade has.  Firetrucks...

 marching bands...

 crazy cars, and much more.

 We had a good time but it was hot!  Kayleigh got some relief under the umbrella.

Of course every 4th of July ends with fireworks!

Check out my other blog, Sweets By Am, to see some fun treats I made for the holiday.

Summer Nights

One of my favorite things about summer is sitting on the deck at night.  We often eat supper outside and then enjoy the night outside, especially on the weekend.  I love sitting by the fire as the sun goes down and it cools off.  Last week my mom's uncle & aunt were visiting.   

 My dad loves to spend time in the garden.  This year he put in this beautiful waterfall pond. 

Climate Change

Remeber this?  I took this picture in February, when there was a record snowfall and it was cold.

This was the forcast today.  Mt. Lake was 100 degress F!!!
That's 37 degrees C!
Crazy, huh?  It will be back to "normal" tomorrow.

Another Blog

I've started a new blog to showcase all the desserts and treats I make.  I'll still have this blog and use the other just for sweets.  I'm hoping to start baking for others, check it out.

http://www.sweetsbyam.blogspot.com/

Hello Kitty!

My friend Jenny graduated from high school last week. She loves Hello Kitty so she asked meto make some treats for her open house. I was planning on making cupcakes until I came across cake pops. They have become so popular recently, thanks in part to Bakerella, which is where I got the idea to make Hello Kitty cake pops. About half way through the process I wondered what I had gotten myself into, but they actually turned out pretty cute!

Spring Cookies

Some fun cookies I made for friends in Japan. As far as I know, they didn't crumble in the mail!