Valentine's Day Cupcakes

After having so much fun making Trey and Clair's wedding cake . . .

we just had to try our hand at making roses for Valentine's Day cupcakes!


Mmmmm, Mmmmm, good!

Preparing the Surprise Wedding Cake

It all began with a cake, some buttercream frosting, a wonderful homemade recipe for fondant and a rolling pin with a cornstarch duster. We rolled the fondant flat and cut out small flower shapes. After forming a teardrop on a toothpick, we added the flower shape.

We then began pinching to form our rose petals around the central bud.After removing the flower from the toothpick, we set each aside to dry.We covered our cakes with frosting and then fondant; we formed a bow from fondant, supporting it with plastic wrap until it dried. We added frosting embellishments to anchor the cake and give it a finished look.The cake topper finished the upper layer. We secured the bottom layer to the top with the pillars and platform.

The final product on February 14. Surprise!!!

It is Official

And it is official! We will post pictures of Trey and Clair's wedding soon. . . in the meantime, they are honeymooning in sunny Florida. And while they are having fun there, we have been busy preparing for the next wedding in our household coming up in March.

We have been sewing . . .

and sewing some more. . . and making mints. . .

and preparing shower invitations. . .

while Rachel has been preparing for a shower, honoring both brides. . .

and we have had shopping to do. . .

and preparing decorations. . .

and more sewing. . .

Grow In the Lord

Long ago, two lives were joined as one and blessings began to fill their quiver. Mark and Rhonda were soon joined by a handsome little boy.

He cried and was comforted; he wet and was dried; he hungered and was fed; he longed for closeness and was nestled in his mother’s arms. Thus the infant Trey learned to trust and to love.

Against conventional wisdom, the young couple resolved to stand against the drumming of society and continue to invest themselves and their time in raising Godly arrows for the Lord.

Soon, another arrow was added to the quiver and Trey was joined by one sister

and then two.

With youthful exuberance, he proudly developed into the protector and provider of his sisters, teaching them the ways he had learned and lovingly guiding them in the way that was right.
He learned to be kind by looking outside of himself and in the process, learned to be forgiving.
When asked by the family physician what he wanted to be when he grew up, young Trey boldly replied, “A daddy.” As a young man, he wanted to walk in his father’s footsteps, trusting and loving his papa and patterning himself after him, working alongside him, sharing his dreams, learning to be a servant leader; becoming an encourager.
Often, his parents would take time during their devotions to pray for their children's future spouses, knowing that their time in discipling their family would quickly draw to an end and their work would be finished.

And as the young Trey grew, he learned of valor and integrity; he grew in trust and yet, above all, how to guard his heart.

He became a young man of honor, learning to guard his ears, his eyes, his lips, and search for what was pure; to stay on the path by living according to the Word.

He learned the worth of work and how to be selfless. He learned the importance of truth and to be a defender of it.
All the while, he was learning more of how to be the man that God desired him to be.

As time passed, the dashing young man considered if there would be a singular someone with whom he would share the joys of life as he had witnessed his papa enjoying with his mama.

He speculated, yet resolved to patiently wait on God’s timing. . . all the while learning to be self-controlled and redeem the time while putting his hand to whatever mission was placed before him.

God knew precisely which young lady was the fitting person for the maturing son.

All the while, he remained hopeful, trusting that God had his best interest in mind. Naysayers would challenge his faith in God’s best, but he worked and trusted and persevered in his walk and continued to guard his heart, wholly dedicated to serving the Lord and learning to be humble and content in the place he found himself.
At just the right time, that special person would enter his life and God would bring them together.

Meanwhile, as the son grew to be a strong warrior contending for the faith; a young man of integrity and virtue, there was a young lady whom God was preparing through her family.

And when the young man had learned all these things, in the fullness of time, God provided the right young lady that would complete him. “Houses and wealth are inherited from parents, but a prudent wife is from the LORD.” ~ Proverbs 19:14

In His time, God brought Miss Clair Ann Throckmorton into Trey’s life.

Consulting with her father, their courtship began.

In short time, the two knew that God had brought them together in His course of events and that they would jointly make an undividable team for Him.

They soon recognized that they undoubtedly shared a great deal in common, a reciprocal attraction, and centrally, a committed common faith in God! Following a short courtship, the young man knew that the beautiful young lady was the one that God intended to complete him . . . to fill his missing parts . . . to be his life partner . . . to be his helpmeet. Trey had found his jewel! Within the first few minutes of the New Year, shortly after the stroke of midnight, Trey respectfully dropped to one knee beneath the glittering lights of the rose arbor. The brisk winter air livened the night at the perfect spot nestled in the curve of the lawn at Providence Prairie as he slipped a beautiful diamond ring over Clair’s awaiting finger.
Glorifying the Lord each day for God’s fingerprint in their relationship, the two will share their first kiss as they are wed on Valentine’s Day, February 14, 2010 in an intimate ceremony in Indiana. They will celebrate with family and friends at subsequent receptions at dates to be announced.

Congratulations, Trey and Clair. We pray that you grow in the Lord together.