MMMM, Strawberry!!! :)

At work, the afternoons are a little slow...  They have a small TV at the front, so I watch The Food Network.  I turn is on around 3 and off at 5 because I go home!  During those two hours, I watch Rachael Ray, Giada DeLaurentiis, Ina Garten, and Paula Deen.  I have been enlightened!!!  I have started cooking more and wanting to try new things.  Most of the things they cook are too much for me, but occasionally they make something amazing that I think I can accomplish without burning down the house!  Nathan was gone for a couple weeks, and his favorite dessert is strawberry cake.  Just so happens the day before he came home Paula made a strawberry cake complete with frosting on her show.

I made the Paula Deen strawberry cake!  

It was SOOOO good!  I even made her frosting!  I couldn't believe I could make frosting, and it actually tasted so good!  The frosting called for 7 CUPS of powdered sugar, but I only used 5 and it worked just fine.  I actually think that 7 cups would have made it hard to spread across the cake. Now, of course, I was too stressed during the making of the cake to take pictures, but I do have the end result.  Notice I didn't have the right cake pans either, but it worked fine with a 9X13 pan.

Frosting!

Don't judge my cake, I'm new at this cooking/baking/homemaking thing!

Click on cake for link to recipe!  It was a great learning experience for me, and Nathan loved it.  What more of a reason do I need to bake!  :)

Happy Tuesday to everyone!  

BANJO!!! :)

This post is dedicated to our precious dog, Banjo.  He has been a big change for Nathan and I, and I couldn't love the guy anymore, unless he stopped the occasional potty in the house!  haha.

He is so much fun and brings a bunch of joy into our lives.  I love watching him play with Nathan too.  This sounds crazy, but I can tell that Nathan is going to be an amazing dad by the way he treats him.  (don't get excited people, that is not going to happen for a while!  Banjo is like a baby anyway!)  He is patient, sweet, and will roll on the floor with him when he wants to play.  It makes my heart happy to see them.  I love my sweet boys!!!

I have also been obsessed with the places Banjo finds to sleep.  All of a sudden, Nathan and I will look at each other and say, "Where's the dog?"  We usually find him sleeping somewhere in a strange position or place.  I've started documenting these times, so I could share these funny pictures with you.

Excuse the mess, I had just thrown all of this out of my suitcase and was about to put it in the dirty clothes.

Streeeeeech!!!

He's fast.  From the time I set this load of laundry on the couch to fold and hang up and went to start another load, he was already asleep on it.

He sleeps like this a lot.  This is at my parent's house.

On his back, CRASHED!

 

My favorite, asleep under and in the stool at Pete and Lori's! haha!

I hope this post was worth reading, I thought it was so fun to write!  I love this little boy!

Shallowater Visit!!! :)

 This weekend was absolutely amazing!  We were in Shallowater, and we got to see our family!!!  Christopher, Natalie, and the boys came into town, and Nathan got to meet Asa Rustin for the first time!  I was also amazed at how much more Crockett was talking.  I loved hearing his sweet voice all weekend.  He is so funny, and I love the times when we all sit around and watch him go crazy!  I can't wait until Rustin is right there with him going crazy too! Here are some pics of the crazy times!

He says, "Wind up, wind up, wind up..."  Before he'll throw it like a pro!

Playing with Uncle Mate!

Playing on the Air Mattress!

This picture says it all!  We were all laughing so hard.  That kid is hilarious!

These pictures pretty much sum up our weekend!  It was just so much fun to get to see our family.  On Saturday night, we had a birthday/family get together at Nathan's parent's house.  My parents and Kellen and Jessica got to come out too.  I love being with family and getting to enjoy their company.  I miss that so much since we moved. Midland has been good to us, but I do miss Shallowater.

Today was my first official day of being the assistant to the Youth Ministry team.  :)  I am excited about this change in my job description, and I think it will be such a blessing to work with the youth ministers at GCR.  They are awesome, and I am excited to be apart of their work there.  Pray for GCR and the million changes that are happening at the church.  GCR is definitely in a state of transition, and we really need God's guidance.  He is why we are here anyway!!!

I hope this post has been worth the read, and I leave you with one of my favorite pictures of the weekend.  Asa Rustin showing off his love for Nathan!

I hope y'all have a blessed week!  

KPR

Just a Random little post!!! :)

This last week has been wonderful!  Nathan came home from all of his summer travels and got to meet our new addition, Banjo!  Of course, Banjo loves him so much!  I love it!

Banjo licking his face!

Just getting to know each other!

Our sweet baby!!!!!

Nathan and I also placed membership at Golf Course Road Church of Christ this week.  My parents got to come to church with us this morning when they made it official!  It was wonderful to get to see them and it was a great Sunday!

Here are a few pictures that I should have posted a while ago from My mom and I's visit to Midlothian to see my nephews, Crockett and Rustin.  We get to see them this next weekend too!  I can't wait to watch Nathan meet Rustin for the first time!  :)

Meeting Asa Rustin for the first time!

Pops with his boys!

Mom and Rustin

My Sweet Crockett!  He's the best big brother!

We look forward to this week, and I am VERY excited about the weekend!  We get to see Natalie and the boys (miss you Christopher!) and Shelbi soon to be Bonds at her Bridal Shower!  I'll have pictures of that fun day too!!!!  :)

Love to Everyone!!!!

Congrats Kyler and Meagan!!! :)

My sweet little brother, Kyler, is engaged to the love of his life, Meagan!  He proposed to her on Thursday night of their cruise with her family.  They are so perfect for each other, and I am so thankful to have Meagan added to our family!!!!  I think they are going to be engaged for about a year and are looking at Aug. 4, 2012 for their wedding day.  That is really cool because it is also our parent's anniversary!  I told my mom the other day that I think they have the best daughters and son-in-law that anyone could ask for!  Our family has been incredibly blessed by God through marriages!  My parents,  grandparents, Kellen and Jessica, Nathan's parents, and Christopher and Natalie are great examples of Godly marriages in our lives, and I can't wait to celebrate, another soon to be amazing marriage, with Kyler and Meagan!  I can't wait to see how wonderful this next year is going to be planning for their wedding!  Yea!!!!



The soon to be Mr. and Mrs.!

 

Kellen and Jessica!  :)  Going on 6 years!

Christopher and Natalie!  Going on 5 years!  :)

Pete and Lori!!!  29 years!!!  :)

 


Mom and Dad!  :)  32 years on Aug. 4, 2011!



Poppy and Gran-gran!  55 years!!!!  :)

Soooo blessed to have all these amazing couples in our life!  Nathan and I celebrate you, and thank you for your examples!!!!  :)

Banjo Bob Riojas!!! :)

Well, Nathan finally did the unthinkable and said yes to getting a puppy!  :)  HOOOORRRAAAAYYYY!!!!!!!!  Banjo is so much fun and really lazy.  It's great!  I'm a little nervous because he's a chewer right now, but I have been on my guard, and he hasn't hurt anything yet!  haha.  He's so precious!!!  THANKS NATHAN!!!!  :)

Super Dog!!!!

Banjo with his favorite toy!