The Packs

London is turning 12 this year if you can believe it. I know that birthdays come and go and you never seem to remember what you got, but where you were and who you spent it with. I didn't worry to much much about presents this year and focused more on decorating and giving them some things to do that I didn't have to supervise. Who wants their mom hanging around with your friends anyway...Right???
I started her cake the day before, I wanted to try something new so i needed plenty of time. I read about a recipe for Marshmellow Fondant that I wanted to try. Here is my attempt.



At this point I was thinking "Oh Dear, what have I gotten myself into" I was covered in Powdered sugar in no time. Hahaha!

Wallah...It turned out great. It was much easier then I thought it was going to be. It looks really cool on a cake, but not so much fun to eat.



Decorations: <>
Cake: <>



After the girls played lots and lots of Twister and Guitar Hero, London blew out her candles and opened presents.



All in all the the party was a success, the girls had tons of fun.



And they all lived happily ever after. The End.

My Valentine is 2000 miles away but he didn't forget me. He is deep in Basic Training limitation so he had to be very sneaky about my gift. As they were out doing a march, he picked up a couple flowers along the trail and pressed them in a letter for me. So So Sweet! He even got a chance to call me on Valentine's Day, but i missed it, because I was working. He is getting my letters now, thank goodness. I was getting worried that he'd never get them.

The sky is a creamy blue behind the snowy mountains, it's beautiful, but it makes my heartache knowing Daniels on the other side. It's been 25 days since the night I lift him at the hotel which seemed to radiate loneliness, from every future soldier that has every rested their homesick heads there. He says in his letters "Be strong for me", well finding strength when everything hurts, isnt easy, but i'm honored to be the woman that is waiting for him to become a protector of this country. I feel like i'm in training too. Training to be an Army wife, learning how to be supportive from 1000's of miles away. Learning to live with the ache in my heart from missing you every second. Praying to God that he'll keep you safe and return you home to me. Knowing that there will be lonely days, which makes the days I spend with you that much sweeter. I smile back at you when I pass by your pictures only wishing that we'd taken more.

Tonight I took London for her Middle School registration night. WOW! Is she really old enough for this? She was so excited she wants to start tomorrow, she's decided to take Beginning Theater and Choir for her electives. I know that both of those classes will be very fulfilling for her, giving her a chance to come out of her shell a little bit. :) We all love you London and know you'll be great at what ever you decide to do in life. No one deserves success more than you do.

I've gotten many letters from Daniel, but he has yet to get any of mine. Between me and his mom I'm sure he'll have more letters than he can open on the first day. He's doing well from what I can tell in his letters. Getting used to very little sleep, and eating in a hurry, which can't be to hard for him, he's the fastest eater I know. He gets a family weekend in April, so I purchased my ticket to fly out to Fort Benning today. OH man I can't wait to see him!!!

Letters have started to pour in from Daniel :) It's so good to hear how his doing day to day. Sundays are my lest favorite day ...no mail. I still don't have a return address for him so I haven't be able to send him anything, but have been writing him everyday anyway. I saw this statue the other day driving by, It reminded me of Daniel so I had to go back and take a picture.

1:30 a.m my phone rings and I couldn't believe it when i saw through my blurry eye's that it was Daniel :) I'd never been so happy to hear someones voice in all my life, he's voice is sweet and smooth, sings like a melody in my head. My heart flew to where he was at that moment. He only had a few minutes to tell me that he was just getting ready to head down to Basic after being at the reception area for a week. They don't let them sleep more than 4 or 5 hours a night and they are standing most of the day, so his heel hurt him pretty bad. He's making friend's and is anxious to get to basic and get things moving along. He said he's been writing me everyday, but they haven't gotten here yet. It was so great to talk to him, I fell back to sleep that morning with a smile on my face.
I opened my mailbox this afternoon to find one letter from Daniel :) It sat in there like a lighthouse, his word like rays of light. There wont be a forwarding address till he gets settled in Basic, am anxious to write him. I'm staying busy working on London's dress for the Renaissance fair at school. She's so excited about it, she puts it on every step of the way. I know she feels like a queen when it's on. That little girl is still inside there somewhere twirling like a princes. It makes me really see how much she has matured. I watch her and now matter how frustrated we get at each other, she impresses me everyday. She's an unusual girl and that's what I love about her.