The Cupcake SAGA - pt 4

If you are just stopping in and haven’t read the first parts of The Cupcake Saga, click part 1 , part 2, and part 3 .
Ok so we got up early the next morning, to Drew’s phone alarm and my phone still wasn’t working, UGH!!!  I googled to find an AT&T store and was thrilled to learn there was one pretty close.  We set off to get that fixed first and then we knew the days agenda would be some time at the beach, some time sightseeing, and definitely a cupcake, it had been almost 48 hours since our last one and we were on a mission to see how many cupcakes were as good as or better than mine.  I had a huge decision to make and lately I wasn’t making much progress.
We arrived at the AT&T store and immediately found out the problem was more than likely water damage and Apple Care or not, it wasn’t covered therefore, I would have to go to the Apple Store and replace it which would cost a little over $200.  Oh my, was I upset.  We got to the Apple Store they said was closest and they told us they didn’t have any appointments available so I would have to go to a different store or come back later in the week.  HELLO, not to be rude or anything, but we are miles from home, my grown kids aren’t with us and might need me, I really need to be able to read a blog or two when I get the chance, and  waiting that long really wasn’t going to work very well.  That being said, we made an appointment for the next closest store and headed out.  We grabbed lunch at a local hamburger joint that was right by the beach, they had a famous breakfast burrito that Drew decided to try even though it was lunch time.  It was incredible, at least 3 pounds of eggs, hashbrowns, sausage links, salsa, and I don’t even know what else, even though he’s a growin’ college kid, he couldn’t even finish it!!  
Again the restaurant was WAY dirtier than this, somewhat germaphobe, would like, but the food ended up being really good and I always pray really hard, LOL!!  
Again headed to the Apple Store and by this point I was feeling pretty guilty that it was the first full day in California and we were wasting WAY too much time dealing with my phone.  The JOY, I have a wonderful family who were extremely patient and continued to say, we have all week to play Mom, this is no big deal and we are seeing things we wouldn’t have seen while we drive from store to store!!!  They are wonderful!!
While wandering and waiting for the appointment, we drove down the Coast Highway - can you say AWESOME!!  God’s beauty as far as you can see!!  We drove through fancy areas and surfy areas, but all beautiful in its own way!!


Third store was a charm, to say the least!!  The girl who helped me explained that if she took the phone apart and two of the four water detectors were tripped she would have to charge me for a new phone.  She also said from the exterior it did appear that two of them were, again UGH!!!  I’m thinking, “I guess my souvenir will be a new phone”  I wasn’t too thrilled about this, I had only had this one since May.  We waited around while she checked it and I prayed, when she came back, she said, “there ARE two tripped but the ones inside aren’t and I am really supposed to charge you, but I’m not going to.”  I pretty much shouted Hallelujah right there in the middle of the store, she looked at me like I was a weirdo, and I got my new phone and left that store praising Jesus that even though we had to go to three cities and three different stores, His hand was so in it and I ended up with a HUGE blessing!!  Day three of our trip and so far, we had previously been given free cupcakes and a now free $200 phone!!  This was going to be a good day, I could tell!!
We headed straight for the beach, of course we were in our normal clothes, but we didn’t want to waste anymore time, so we were content just walking at the edge of the water and enjoying each other and the beauty of the Lord’s creation!!  We also love just watching people, you know the ones who obviously don’t do much but lay at the beach, the cute families who are probably vacationing, and the surfers are super cool.  


We loved this grandma in her Monster Truck Wheel Chair made especially for going to the beach.

After leaving the beach, we headed straight to the cupcake shop we had found previously that had been closed.  Today was Sunday and it was the middle of the day, they had to be open and surely they still had cupcakes.  Our luck hadn’t been good lately, but I was really believing for a cupcake.  A mad dash across town and YAY, they are open.  We entered and I thought it was so cute, all pink and little girlish, and the cupcakes looked really good too.  Everyone ordered their pick and we, as usual, grabbed forks and headed to the car to share all five.  
We were pretty excited to actually have cupcakes again and I had even heard of this place before, so I felt they had to be pretty good.  They were all decorated pretty which matters to me!!  I think everything tastes better if it is plated or decorated pretty, but I know I am weird like that, LOL!!  Here goes, a run down of my cheesy family and their cupcake of choices.
Dan with his piled high German Chocolate - he really liked it and over all I think it was the best one we tried from there.

Me - when I saw this cupcake, I really wanted to try it but the lady said it was called Chocolate Sin, I wasn’t too crazy about that, but then she said it was her favorite so I decided to forget about the name and just enjoy it!!!  I so should have gone with my first instinct - anything with SIN in it can’t be very good, it was extremely dry and the icing was hard!!  Oh well, I had four others to try!!

Drew picked Nana Nut - the cake part was really good, wasn’t too crazy about the cream cheese frosting with it though!!

Adam as usual picked Red Velvet, before it is over with, I think he will know who has the best Red Velvet in the country!!  He thought it tasted like chocolate cake with way too much food coloring in it!!  I love it when I hear technical things about baking from my guys!!  They listen well!!

Isaac picked Lemon Cream Pie and it was good!!  Filled with Lemon curd!!  He’s not much on chocolate, he almost always goes for the fruit!!

Over all, it was a good cupcake experience, and I was gaining some knowledge to help make that decision!!  Family vote was mine are way better than any we have tried so far, but they are my family so...
Okay, now Thai food for dinner, and swimming, for the boys, in the hotel pool, which was absolutely freezing.  Drew and I sat by a fire while Adam and Isaac swam in the so called “heated” pool, then to bed at a decent time.  We had a big day planned for tomorrow, a harbor excursion tour of the San Diego Bay, a couple of restaurants we had been told to try, and whatever cupcakes we chose.  There were several places I knew about and wanted to try, but I also knew we would have to pick, that’s always a challenge.
All in all it was a great day, good food at Angelo’s, an iphone blessing, fun people watching and walking on the beach, and end the day with more good food and a cupcake, now that’s my kind of day!!
So The Cupcake Saga continues...
How long has it been since your last cupcake???
Counting it all Joy!!

Why I “Count it all Joy” Wednesday



Welcome to Why I Count It All Joy Wednesday!!  To join in on all the JOY, grab my button for your post, make your own JOY list, and link up below this post so others will be able to find your blog!!  Don’t forget to post a link on your blog back to me!!
I am filled with JOY because everyone seems to be enjoying The Cupcake Saga posts!!  
I am filled with JOY because I received a book to review in the mail today and it is by one of my very favorite authors!!  Yay!!
I am filled with JOY because Loren and her family came to church with us on Saturday evening and then we went to dinner!!  Always lots of fun and laughter!!!
I am filled with JOY because my husband is so talented, he never ceases to amaze me!!
I am filled with JOY because after dinner last night, we went to Peach Wave - a self serve frozen yogurt place, YUMMY!!  Almost as good as a cupcake!!
I am filled with JOY because out of all the accounting students at ORU, Drew’s professor from last year called and asked him to become an Accounting Lab Tech - with pay!!  He said he asked him because he had impressive test scores, turned in all his homework when he could have taken passes, was a very solid student that he could always count on in class, and he had also realized that he was very family oriented!!  Boy, he makes me proud!!
I am filled with JOY because when I went to the grocery store over the weekend, I found JOY!!!  It’s even in Pepsi!!

I am filled with JOY because no matter what my idea is, I have the most supportive, encouraging family!!  I just love 'em!!
I am filled with JOY because I have some really big decisions to make and the Lord is showing up and giving me direction, even if it is usually in the middle of the night!!
I am filled with JOY because JOY is contagious and some of you link up and help me spread it week after week!!
You will go out in JOY and be led forth in peace; the mountains and hills will burst into song before you, and all the trees of the field will clap their hands.  Isaiah 55:12
What is filling you with JOY this week?
Counting it all Joy!!



The Cupcake SAGA - pt 3

If you are just stopping in and haven’t read the first two parts of the Cupcake Saga click here for pt 1 and here for pt 2

After leaving Albuquerque and the cupcake blessing, we were pretty excited about this cupcake adventure.  I was still praying and believing for an answer to the Cupcake Wars dilemma, but at this point it was turning in to way more than whether or not I was going to be on the show or not.  I mean when you pray about something for months, feel like God has given you clear direction, then you are obedient to what you feel He is saying, and then it resurfaces months later in a huge way, including random ladies giving you cupcakes, you begin to wonder what is going on!!!
We were on to Phoenix, where we had hotel reservations for the night.  We knew we would be late getting there and we wanted to leave early to head into San Diego, we were really getting excited for the beach at this point.  We had been told, by a friend, about a restaurant in a little, unheard of town, so we decided to stop in and get some of the wonderful food he spoke of.  
OH MY, I am not sure what I was expecting, but not what we found.  It was an old route 66 town, a little speck on the map, but I was still shocked.  This place was not only tiny, but when we entered, it was so run down, it didn’t appear to be too clean, there was only one or two other groups in the whole place, and it was Friday night dinner time.  I really wanted to turn and run, but considering, what looked to be the owner, was sitting right inside the door in a booth AND she saw us and greeted us the minute we entered, it would have been a little awkward.  There wasn’t really anything else around, so saying we were in the wrong place, was out of the question.  Here goes then, a torn up booth in the corner and pray really hard over your food.  Note to self:  Have a long talk with, and never take the advice of the friend with the great dinner idea!!!  We ordered what the waiter said was the most popular and prayed!!!  I have to say though, we were VERY pleasantly surprised, what this placed lacked in charm and appearance, they made up for in food.  It was really good.  We were all stuffed by the time we left, the only negative, they didn’t have cupcakes anywhere in this TINY town!!  During the meal, the waiter told us there was a bad storm coming in and recommended a different highway for us to take.  Apparently the way we had mapped was somewhat dangerous on a good day, the road he preferred would be WAY safer.  Thank you Jesus for protection!!

WITHOUT cupcake in hand, we headed out.  We did find a neat little place - WigWam Motel - Just like The Cozy Cone on the movie Cars.


We traveled lots of twisty roads, in the dark, and I am pretty sure Dan’s right arm was bruised by the time we got out of the mountains from me either PATTING it or grabbing it to say “Slow Down”.  I’m not too big on those two lane mountain highways and this was the safest way, the way with the least curves and hills!!!
We made it to Phoenix, checked in, and crashed.  Up early, breakfast, and hit the road.  We had the first cupcake place of the day picked out.  We didn’t have a lot to pick from because once we left the city and surrounding suburbs, we would be in heavy desert for a LONG time.  We mapped the bakery, and then found out they wouldn’t be opening for a couple of hours, WHAT!?!?!  We were discouraged, but we headed out of town and decided we would google cupcakes all the way to our hotel in California and see what we came up with.  It was quite a ways so we just knew there would be several. Unfortunately, as we drove through the desert, and all the border check points, we didn’t find any cupcakes.  What’s up with that, don’t border patrol officers eat CUPCAKES??  


It was kind of weird driving down the highway with the US on our right and Mexico on our left.  I couldn’t believe it is really just separated with a black fence.  This fence ran beside the highway for miles and miles!!


I really couldn’t believe the randomness of the desert.  Miles and miles of nothing and then a house in the middle of nowhere, why would anyone pick this place to build or “move in” a house?  It would be a day trip just to get groceries and it was 110°.  Dan was sad for them because they obviously couldn’t buy ice cream very often, LOL!!  I thought it strange enough that there would be a random house miles from civilization, but I was really shocked at the Arby’s sitting way out in the desert, no where close to a city or anything else for that matter.
Random houses in the middle of nowhere, and 
these weren't even in the extreme desert parts!!

I loved this one!!  The house was again in the middle of nowhere, but they had built a church on the hill behind the house and it appeared it was only for them!!!

The cactus were huge and everywhere!!

We were driving through the desert and out of nowhere we were in the midst of some major sand dunes with a beautiful blue stream running between the dunes and the highway.

We made it to Del Mar (a small town a few miles from San Diego), and to our hotel.  We checked in and immediately asked how far to the beach!!!  We were told about a half mile up the street we would run into it.  We headed out on foot since we had been in the car for days, we walked and we walked and we walked.  Eventually, I said, did he say half a mile or a mile and a half???  We kept walking, finally we asked a guy directing traffic and he said, “Oh, you are almost there, just keep walking up over that hill and you will be able to SEE it.”  I think this would be the point I realized miles are longer in California!!  The JOY, we finally rounded that corner and could see the ocean, boy were we excited.  


Our first glimpse of the beach!!

Two of my very favorite things, Dan and the ocean!!!


I think this picture is really cool.  I love how you see our complete reflection in the wet sand!!


After a little time on the beach we headed back so we could find something to eat and grab a cupcake at the local cupcake shop we had already mapped!!!  The plan was to return to the hotel long enough to rinse off our sandy feet and head out.  During the rinse off, I dropped my iphone in the tub, thank the Lord it only got splashed since there wasn’t any standing water.  We dried it off, checked it out, and headed to dinner.  California Pizza, YUMMY!!  We were anxious to get to that cupcake shop, we hadn’t had one ALL day.  The great part was it was in the same shopping strip with the restaurant, the bad part was it was CLOSED!!  Okay, all the cupcake doors were closed today!!  Didn’t gain a lot of cupcake competition info today, but I did realize that these bakeries open and close at random times and if they sell out they close instead of making more!!!  Interesting!!
With some minor cupcake withdrawals, we headed to the hotel and to bed.  Unfortunately, when I tried to set the alarm on my phone, it wouldn’t light up anymore, UGH, maybe it got wetter than I thought!!!
Big plans for tomorrow, get my phone fixed, for sure find some cupcakes, and spend time at the beach!!!
Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.  And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.  Phil. 4:6-7





More on the cupcake saga at the end of the week.


Don’t forget tomorrow is Why I Count it all Joy Wednesday!!!  Grab my button, make your list, and don’t forget to come back and link up!!!  
Counting it all Joy!!

Something Beautiful - Love

Today I am joining my friend Renee for Something Beautiful!!  I have really been loving this meme.  I start my week out purposely reflecting on something from the Lord that I find beautiful!!
More than 20 years ago, Dan and I got married and went to Florida for our honeymoon.  We spent a few days walking on the beach, loving each other, and talking about our future.  We were young and had no idea what this life had in store for us.  
Over the years, we have changed.  We’ve grown in lots of ways, we’ve been stretched when we didn’t really want to be stretched, we’ve had all the normal problems every couple has, and we’ve had problems some haven’t had.  We’ve handled some situations beautifully and some not so beautifully.  We’ve shown our love to each other so sweetly and unfortunately, there’s been times we didn’t act like we loved each other at all.  We’ve been so excited at births and we’ve mourned way too many deaths, we’ve celebrated promotion and felt devastated at lay-offs, we’ve enjoyed good health and been so saddened by sickness.  We’ve raised or are still raising 5 wonderful kids with all the ups and downs that come with that. 
But the beautiful part is, all these years later, we still love to walk on the beach at the edge of the water, we still love to hold hands, we still love to just be close, we still love to make eye contact across a room, and we love each other even more than we did back then.  
Dan and I walking on the beach in California a couple weeks ago!!




Love is patient, love is kind.  It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.  It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.  Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.  It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.  Love never fails. 
Counting it all Joy!!

The Cupcake SAGA - pt 2

If you didn’t read yesterdays post - The Cupcake Saga part 1 - click here.
This part of the saga is dedicated to Jodie, my newest cupcake friend!!

So far, the Cupcake decision wasn’t getting any easier.  I was still getting bombarded with facebook emails and posts encouraging me to DO IT.  I had friends and family telling me - “Come on, do it, you can win this.”  All this was flattering, and winning sounded wonderful, but in my heart it wasn’t about whether or not I could win this, whether or not my cupcakes were good enough.  It was about the decisions already made and what the Lord wants me to do.
When we planned our trip, we broke the drive up into 3 days.  We love long road trips, but we like to take it slow and enjoy all the sights to see along the way.  We left Amarillo early the next morning knowing this would be our longest day of driving, we weren’t stopping, for the night, until Phoenix, Az, it was going to be a long day.  I immediately started googling cupcake shops between here and there and found several.  Well you can only eat so many cupcakes in a day, so I read tons of reviews and settled on one in Albuquerque, NM, Cupcakeology.  Most of the reviews said it was the best in Albuquerque and it wasn’t far from the highway, so I did a map straight to the door and we were there in no time.  

We pulled over to take a picture, Adam wanted one where we had one foot in Texas and one foot in New Mexico.  Dan was going to take the picture and not be in it, but some sweet lady pulled over and took this for us.  She just didn’t get the “Welcome To New Mexico” sign in it, LOL
We had to drive through a neighborhood to get to the cupcake place, I loved all the little adobe houses, so different from our neighborhoods!!
We arrived at Cupcakeology and were excited to get out, stretch our legs, and pick out a great cupcake.  There was only 5 of us since my grown kids didn’t come on this vacation, so we have a system, everyone always picks their own cupcake and then we take them to the car and everyone eats a bite of everyones.  The JOY, I get to try 5 different flavors and still only eat one cupcake!!
In we went, there was only one other customer in there, but as soon as we were all in, she said, “I bought the last cupcakes, sorry.”  
WHAT, it was only 1:00 in the afternoon, how could they be out of cupcakes already, she had to be joking, so I just laughed.
She seriously said, “I’m not joking, I called earlier and had them save some for me and I just bought the last of them.”
I could not believe this, I mean, I knew their website said they sold out every day, but it was 1:00 not 3, 4 or 5:00.  We had passed so many cupcake places because I had picked this one and now my kids were all in the shop and there were NO cupcakes to be had.
I think, I am a little in shock, at this point and I laughed and jokingly said, “I can’t believe we drove here all the way from Oklahoma and there aren’t any cupcakes!!!”  
The other customer, with the box of cupcakes in her hand, said, “I used to live in Oklahoma...”
We got to talking and realized, she graduated from the city where we live.  She seemed like a nice lady and we chatted a bit, but we were ready to leave and see if there were anymore cupcakes between us and where we were headed.  As we turned to head out, she said, “Take my cupcakes.”
I laughed and said, “NO.”
She said, “I want you all to have them.”
Again, I refused the cupcakes and was trying to get my kids out the door.
She stuck the box out in front of us and said, “Take them, take them, you better take them, I am going to drop them.”
Shock sat in again, she was threatening to drop them on the floor if we didn’t take them, so I took them before she dumped them on the floor and I turned to Dan and in complete amazement said, “Honey, pay her for her cupcakes.”
She said, “you are not paying me, I want you to have them, I’m in radio, I can just write it off."

Wow, first - hundreds of miles to find the perfect cupcake, second - they were sold out at 1:00 in the afternoon, third - the customer with the last of the cupcakes, who knew nothing about the Cupcake Wars offer and won't unless she reads this, was threatening to dump them on the floor if my family didn’t take them.  What in the world!
She handed me the box and an extra one in a container, and I said, “Ok, You have to at least take a picture with me, I have got to blog about this.”  

I know she probably thought I was nuts, but she stopped and posed for the picture.  As we were heading out the door, the owner said to her, someone just called and canceled there order if you would like to buy those.  I couldn’t believe it, she paid for cupcakes, gave them to us, and then turned around and paid for some more.  Really?!?!?

This is Jodie
After we were in the car, I realized I hadn’t even asked her name, so I went back in and told her I would really like to have her first name for when I blog, (if she didn’t think I was crazy before now, I’m sure she did then).  We walked out together and she gave me her business card and said to email her, she would like to read the blog!!

I had no idea Dan had put on his paparazzi hat and was hiding in the car taking pictures!!  If you look real close you can see the bottom sign says "Sold Out"



I got back in the car not knowing how many or what kind of cupcakes we had, but anxious to see.  I knew the extra one was the kind Isaac had wanted, but I didn’t know anything else.  I opened the box to find, you guessed it, four more.  Just what we needed 5 cupcakes, and they were free!!  AMAZING!!!
I leaned back in my seat and said, “Okay God, what is this all about, you now have strangers in a city miles and miles from home just randomly blessing my family with CUPCAKES!!!”  

With all the excitement and threats of dropping cupcakes, we forgot forks.  These had tons of marshmallow frosting dipped in ganache and were really messy, hence the "did I get frosting on my nose" look!!

Thank you, Jodie for the cupcakes and for adding so much to the cupcake dilemma I find myself in!!  

Needless to say, the decision was not getting any easier to make, but we were sure enjoying the decision making process!!
Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.  And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.  Phil. 4:6-7

If you made it all the way to the end of this one, I have to say, thank you and you must LOVE cupcakes like we do!!

Counting it all Joy!!


The Cupcake SAGA

Have you ever noticed, when you have decisions to make or big things to think about, the Lord puts so many things in your path to help you look at the situation from many angles.  
This story is way too long to tell in one sitting, you guys would be cross-eyed and never come, back so I am going to break it up into pieces.  

As most of you know, right before we left for vacation, I got that unexpected call from the director of Cupcake Wars wanting me to participate in the next season.  I have to say, I was shocked and honored.  The problem is, about 6 months ago, I had decided to retire from the baking business.  There were several things involved in that decision, one being I had prayed and prayed about it and felt the Lord leading me to take a break.  I have only ever done made-to-order or custom baking, so with no store front to close,  it was easy to spread the word that in the future I would only be baking for friends and family.  End of story, I thought.
Along comes this phone call, out of nowhere!!!  I’m asking myself, where in the world did that come from, how did they find me, did I not hear God right, am I supposed to still be doing this.  All my friends and family were so excited, they practically had me booked on the next flight to LA to film and I am still saying “Wait a minute, I’m not sure I want to do this!!”  
Then I began to wonder if it was pride when I started thinking, “what if I don’t win”  WHAT, that doesn’t even sound like me.  FAST, back on my knees!!  What’s going on and how am I supposed to make a good decision that is not only good for me, but for everyone else involved.  I mean I am thrilled and honored that they found me, are impressed with my cupcakes, and extended the invitation, but can I just leave it at that?!?!  Will I always look back and wish I had done it!?!?!  OK Lord, I need a burning bush here!!!
Two days later, we head out on vacation and decide since we are driving across the country anyway, we are going to try cupcakes at every cupcakery we can find and just check out the competition.  At least that was the excuse we used to eat cupcake after cupcake.  We knew eventually we would be in LA, where the original cupcake bakery is.  This is the one the head judge for Cupcake Wars owns.  The one hollywood lines up for.    They have to be the best, right???  I was so excited!!
We didn’t make it too far before we stopped for our first cupcake!!  

Sara Sara’s in Oklahoma City!!   It is such a cute little place.  The owner turned the downstairs into the storefront and she lives in the upstairs.  She used to bake cupcakes with her niece, Sara, who died at a very young age.  She opened Sara Sara’s for her niece several years later!!  They maybe weren’t the best cupcakes I have ever eaten, but definitely the best story behind the cupcake!!

The first cupcakes of our trip, and YES, I have taught my family to be cheesy about cupcakes!!
Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.  And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.  Phil. 4:6-7
Come back tomorrow for the first blessing of our trip - CUPCAKES, really???

Counting it all Joy!!

Why I “Count it all Joy” Wednesday


Welcome to Why I Count It All Joy Wednesday!!  To join in on all the JOY, grab my button for your post, make your own JOY list, and link up below this post so others will be able to find your blog!!  Don’t forget to post a link on your blog back to me!!

I am filled with Joy because I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me.  The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me!!  How could that not fill you with JOY!!
I am filled with Joy because the two weeks of deployment training Shane is leaving for Friday got shortened to one week!!
I am filled with Joy because it wasn’t over 100° today!!
I am filled with Joy because I have a menu planned for several weeks, which always makes my life easier during the school year.
I am filled with Joy because I received a “Joy” filled package in the mail from one of my sweet bloggy friends, THANK YOU KIM!!
I am filled with Joy because I ate like a pig on vacation, including lots of cupcakes, but I didn’t gain any weight!!
I am filled with Joy because even though summer is over and school has started, I homeschool my kiddos, so I am definitely busier, but I don’t have to miss them everyday or do the whole school routine.
I am filled with Joy because just like the weather seasons change, so do our life seasons and the Lord has a plan for me in all seasons!!
I am filled with Joy because while we were gone on vacation, Ella went to a birthday party where she won a bunch of tickets and used them to buy me a Care Bear with a cupcake on its tummy.  She really loves her Nanny, and her Nanny’s cupcakes, BIG SMILES HERE!!
I am filled with Joy because week after week bloggy friends link up with me and help spread the JOY!!
"May the God of hope fill you with all JOY and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit." Romans 15:13

What’s filling you with JOY??
Counting it all Joy!!