Help!!

i'm trying to plan my family's annual newport beach, ca trip this year. we are going in july and i'm having the WORST time finding a place big enough to house us all!! there are 8 couples each with our own children. i realize we might have to separate into different places...but i need all the help i can get. anyone know a good house to stay in on the sand or off...help!!

busy weekend!!!

this past weekend, my good friend loretta got married and flew me out to attend and to do her wedding cake. i flew late thursday night then started my day bright and early the next day. i baked eight cakes, made 50 vanilla bean creme brulee and made 50 eclairs, not to mention 5 fillings, a huge batch of buttercream and was up until 4:30 am saturday morning. i woke up at six that morning and got into the shower to realize that my parents only had about 5 conditioners and NO shampoo in my bathroom. awesome. so, i had really soft, unmanageable hair. i did the best i could with what i had to work with and went on my way to pick up the flowers. they were gorgeous. i can't get the picture off my phone otherwise i would show you a close up of the bouquet. the sealing was amazing and the reception was the BEST i've ever been to. loretta and her family and friends went above and beyond to make it look so fantastic!! i wish i had better pictures to do it justice. anyway, my friends grace and jill helped me out with filling the eclairs and burn the sugar on the creme brulee while i frantically finished the fondant on the cake. thanks guys, you saved my life!!! despite getting and hour and fifteen minutes of sleep over 2 days, i've never had so much fun (due partly because i was there with no children or husband, sorry guys) and it was so great to see all of my friends. loretta and ben are a beautiful couple and i'm so, so, so happy for them!! i would do it all again in a second and have never been so excited to attend a wedding! here are some pictures of the things i made. grace face did the fantastic drizzle on the eclairs!! gorgeous right?! another post is coming shortly with pictures of my kids in them!

Robot Boy and Peter Parker

Cody has been obsessed with Spiderman lately. Although Cherisse had already made him an elaborate Batman costume with wings and all, we were able to whip this together the day of the trunk or treat. Everyday he tells us he is both Peter Parker and Spiderman, so here is our compromised version. Cody was so excited after anyone gave him candy, he couldn't believe it was really happening.







Carson did not waiver on wanting to be a robot. He was a big hit at the trunk or treat and travelled the parking lot a few times and would not wait for Cody and me. Fun times.

Cherisse was Mother Nature; Jonathan was a vampire-ish guy.

Carson in Kinder

The boy is growing up. He started kindergarten on Monday and he loves it. He is making lots of new friends and loves telling us all about his day. It is funny to see him take on a teacher voice and role with Cody upon returning home from a long day at school. Cody is taking it rough, but we will soon have figured out a preschool situation for him and he will have adventures to tell us about as well.