some Corban sweetness

Happy Weekend!

strawberry cake

 because she with the ravioli on her face asked for it

 blue "3" candle

 oh yes. this is GOOD cake

She loves Strawberry Shortcake. Anya already has one little doll, so we got Mikalah Blueberry Muffin [since blue is her favorite color]. The cake is made from one square and one circle cake and 'glued' with frosting. It was a box mix made yummier with buttermilk instead of water and applesauce instead of oil. SO moist and flavorful! The 'seeds' on the strawberry were chocolate chips. I don't have any pics of her opening her gifts because they were all so blurry because that child will NOT be still. {haha} And she has still more to open on her actual birthday which is MONDAY!!! 

wow. 

my big girl.

 

'diagram' of the cake. lol

 

september 2011. [photoshoot]

I don't know why I thought I had already put up some of these pictures. We have so many more, but this will do for now. We went to our local botanical gardens one Saturday in September and took picture of the children and some of the flowers and insect life. We are learning. [As long as next time is better, progress is made.]

watermark/logo

The story behind the photograph watermark has quite a history. It begins with my husband's last name and his parent's deputation. 35 years ago.

Since our [their] last name, Piatt, is apparently difficult for some people to remember. and even more difficult to pronounce if only seeing it written, my father-in-law came up with a little quip to help people remember who he and his family were. and it worked. 

When you walk in the kitchen you ask: Where's the pie at? [making you hungry yet?] This helped most people, and John and I still use it. mostly for helping people remember how to pronounce it: pie-at.

Fast forward to our family. the new Piatts [established June 03]. A math/computer geek married a reading/editing nerd and you get pi [as in the numerical value of the ratio of the circumference of a circle to its diameter] and @ [the at symbol]. 

Combine the two and you get our watermark [for now]. {-{smiles}-} I know it's corny, but people remember it! And I am fairly certain no one will be copying it.

a blessing & answered prayer

Just a few months before the time we found out that we would really, really need a van [4th child on the way, now almost 4 months old!], God was working to get it for us.

so HERE is our miracle. 

that we can look back upon and SEE GOD'S HAND MOVING:

It has a few of the fancy gadgets and gismos that come on vans these days. Electric doors, stow-n-go seats, deep cargo hold, etc. There is no DVD player, but I am pretty sure we can live with that [WHAT? yes, we don't watch movies when we are out and about. We sing songs and read books. or have conversations. with each other.  lol]. It does have a CD player, which aids in our singing. And now John and I can hold hands on the way to church again. [Kyria was having to sit between us in our car.] {smiles}