Thinking about mom...

Mom & I walking her last Ovarian Cancer Whisper Walk  Sept 2006

Although I haven't been super busy with cakes & cookies ... not a day goes by where I'm not thinking about my mom and wishing she was here. It'so hard to even type how much I miss her, let alone talk about it. It's been 3 1/2 years and seems harder to me for some reason. Maybe it's because of the peeps growing and changing so much and how I loved sharing all of it with my mom ... she loved to listen and of course, weigh in on all of their happenings.

Mom with Hannah & Hank & Cousin Devin

My mom would love that they love God & Jesus ... Hannah asked one day out of the blue, "mom, is everything better with God?" On one hand, I about feel apart, but then on the other hand, I felt like it was mom reminding me how good God is through my baby.  My mom loved celebrating their birthdays and of course, was always the first one to arrive and wondered where everyone else was.  My mom would love how they are learning @ church and school and all of their accomplishments. My mom would love to watch them sing @ church ... motions and all ... I always see so much of her in H&H when they're singing.  My mom would love that they both started school and would've been there for their 1st big days...maybe that's why there seems to be more emotion on those first school days because I'm thinking my mom will never get to see all this or their school programs ... part of her legacy living on. 

Mom & baby Hank - December 2004

My mom was amazing and sometimes I wish I would've told her more ... I don't think I really realized all her & my dad did for us growing up until I had a family of my own.  As I'm changing sheets for the 3rd night in a row and doing laundry (which you know is just what we do as parents), I'm thinking, wow, my mom did all these things for the 4 of us day in ... day out ... and I never heard a word of it. All I know is I always had clean sheets, clean clothes, a clean house and food on the table.  Vacations were always something that just magically  happened whether by car, airplane in a tent, hotel ... and now after my husband & I have planned and executed, for the most part pretty seamlessly (only getting lost a few times and ending up in a lousy hotel) vacations, I truly am thankful for all my dad & mom did for me.

What a selfless example of unconditional love my mom was and I love how her legacy is living on through her grandchildren. Thank you for the sweet reminders mom. Love & miss you.

Take me back Star Wars...

I remember seeing Star Wars @ the old nostalgic Glenwood Theater down @ 91st & Metcalf ... whoa! Talk about a theater ... nothing compares to that theater ... definitely was the BEST! So when my friend Anne asked me if I could do a Stars Wars theme for her twin boys (Luke & Tanner who turned 6 today) ... I was all over it! I loved thinking back to the 1st Stars Wars movie...definitely the best one (in my opinion!) ... best scene, hands down, was the crazy bar scene with those crazy characters ... another fave movie of my mom's too ... course she talked through most of the movie ... but that was a "Colleen" movie trait ... really miss that now! She would've loved these ... thank you Anne for the memories!

Isn't she lovely?

Every time I hear that song...my mom comes to mind...she was definitely lovely in so many ways. I could call my mom anytime and she was always cheerful and had some nugget of truth to share with me...usually a Bible verse she had read that day. As my brother Eric said, "mom was always good for small talk"...I loved talking to my mom about something funny Hannah & Hank did or said...I could always count on her to laugh or cry with me...my mom was a lover of life and people and not a victim of boredom. What a legacy she left for me and many others...if I could be just an inkling of what she was...what a blessing that would be! Creating Colleen's Cakes & Cookies in her memory is a way for me to keep her legacy going and giving as she always so freely did...unconditionally...willing, able and ready to serve. Love & miss you mom!

Toy Story Love

I love creating all my cakes, cookies and cupcakes...but there was something special about creating my latest cake...Woody in Toy Story! I was so excited when my friend Jill asked me about doing a Toy Story cake for her sweet little boy Evan who turned 3.

A few weeks ago, we all went to see Toy Story 3...which for me was a bit emotional...I knew I was in trouble when I was getting "watery eyes" (as H&H say & always point out) during the opening song, "You've got a friend in me"...it wasn't just the words in the song but it was more the flood of memories that come with this movie and the first 2 Toy Story's...you see, this movie was one of my mom's favorites so when I come across my mom's "faves"...all the amazing things I loved about my mom just rush in and take over. I can remember seeing Toy Story 1 with her in the theater and how after a movie, she loved to "dance her way out" of the movie (yes, she did the same in Annie and pretty much any movie)...my mom was always happy and a lover of life. She had nothing to complain about and everything to live for...what a legacy she left and if I can be just an inkling of her, I will be forever grateful. This one's for you mom...miss & love you more than you know!

Happy 1st Birthday to Sweet Hailey!

Nothing sweeter than a 1st birthday....and I had the pleasure of doing the celebration cake for some friends of ours and their daughter's 1st birthday...Hailey! Of course, the cake IS the best part of a 1st birthday! Having been blessed with 2 peepers ourselves...we made a huge deal of their 1st birthday's and I think actually, it's more for the parents than the little peeper.

When Tricia asked me about doing Hailey's 1st birthday cake...she said Hailey's favorite blankie had a giraffe on it...surprised it wasn't a Jayhawk :) plus she had a giraffe rug in her room too...so a 1st giraffe birthday cake it was! I LOVED doing this cake...it's always fun to create new designs and the best part is figuring out exactly how I'm going to create the cake! Even my sweet Hannah asked me as I was getting ready to cut out the giraffe..."mom, how are you going to do that?"...great question Hannah! That's the fun part...I never really know until I get into the design! Don't let that scare you all from ever ordering up a creative design!

Once again, I'm blessed by doing these cakes, cookies & cupcakes for my friends and family...thank you for letting me help complete your celebrations! You are the icing on the cake! HAPPY 1st BIRTHDAY HAILEY!

Birthday Baseballs!

Nothing better than seeing the faces of 5 year old boys after one hot & heated tee-ball game...GO BLUE ROCKETS....when they are served up baseball cookies with their names...so cute! My friend Traci (GO STEVEN) was up for tee-ball treats plus it was Steven's 5th brithday and asked me if I'd create some baseball themed cookies...oh yeah, I was definitley down with that! Talk about fun creating baseballs...once all 36 were iced...it was on to putting the boys' names...then I needed to add more baseball-ey (word?) stuff...so who did I turn to? The Coach! Coach Torie that is...he was quick to help, along with Hannah & Hank on what other words I could write on the cookies...so along with names...we had, the bases and many different calls! I really loved doing these cookies...they were definitely a HIT! Happy 5th Baseball Birthday Steven!

Absolute Ariel!

I so love my repeaters...repeat cakes & cookies, that is...I do have some pretty great friends and especially love creating cakes & cookies for all of their kiddos....what a blessing! Speaking of blessings...I had that privilege again this weekend! A friend of mine came back for fun cakes! This time was for her daughter, Ella who turned 5 and I will have to say a big 5 year old fave is....Ariel from The Little Mermaid...definitely still one of my fave Disney movies...so you probably already know how I feel about doing Ariel...yep, you guessed it...LOVE her! This time it was Ariel and all her co-horts (Flounder, etc) on cupcakes...lots of sprinkles, butter cream frosting, fondant and candy to top it all off! Nothing more festive than seeing a "sea" of Little Mermaid cupcakes...and the variety didn't stop there...there were 36 cupcakes...1/2 chocolate & 1/2 vanilla....yes, my friends...I pretty much accept any kind of creation and flavor of cakes, cookies or cupcakes...BRING it! From under the sea up to the birthday party...Happy 5th Ariel Birthday to Ms. Ella!