where to start?

okay, so I've been a lazy blogger. There has just been so much going on that even starting is intimidating. Um, topsoil. Got some topsoil for the garden. The poor driver who brought it backed up onto our curb and got STUCKER than I've ever seen anyone get stuck. He's got a huge load of dirt in his truck and he thinks backing up into a big mud hole is gonna work out? It was hilarious. Nicest guy ever though. I totally should have taken pictures, it was just silly. So yeah, I spent the next few days hauling dirt around to the backyard. I got my tomatoes planted but I still have some seedlings that need to get out there, but I'm scared. I don't want them to die.

Alright, then we took off to Seattle with our good friends Danny & Jess, and Max (mostly Max). jk. They are awesome. We stayed at Jessica's parent's house which, even better than being incredibly beautiful & fun, was completely inspriational. I mean these people are some of the most Christ-like, down to earth, amazingly fun peeps I've ever met. The thing that actually struck me the most is how completely unjudgemental they were. Not just unjudgemental, but like the opposite of judgemental. The antithesis. That's one thing that Matt & I really, really need to work on. Totally inspriational. Anyway, this trip was "a golf trip that the wives got to go on," so there wasn't a whole lot of family time. But shopping around with Jessica & Becky was way fun, except for the part where Sawyer had a sleep-deprived melt-down in a teriyaki restaurant. That part was a complete joke & I hated it with all my heart. That girl is related to me for sure. If you mess with our sleep, you WILL regret it. Jessica (unbelievable photographer that she is) took the greatest pictures and she said she'd share with me, because I took crap for pictures. Here is one that is so stinking cute.

She's fanastic, huh? I really want to get a new camera for my birthday, and I am totally intimidated by the thought. I took photography in high school AND college & I still feel like a complete idiot when even thinking about f-stop or aperature or shutter speed or depth of field or anything, really. boo. I want to be good.

I've just been working on Melissa's cake since we got home. It's been a whole lot of work and stress but it is going to be very, very cute and even yummier. I tried using cake flour on one of the tiers and I have no idea what I was thinking not using that forever. I couldn't believe the difference. It makes it so much more tender & fine & wow. What a difference! Sorry, I'm being a cake nerd, huh? Now I just have to find a place to get it in bulk. Anyway, I have lots of ranaculuses to paint, so if anyone wants to come & help, you're welcome to.