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Sometimes no words are needed {Gotcha Day}
First Annual Family Day {Prayer & Encouragement}
My dad sent an email out weeks ago with the subject line “Time Together.” It started like this:
I know that it is important for us to have time together to really hear from each other, to celebrate God’s work in our lives and to pray together. It would be wonderful if this really became a high priority for all of us together. It will never happen unless we work at it together…
He wrote. He asked. And, we heard. Reply-alls were sent passing around dates until we found a Saturday that would work for my parents and the three sisters and three husbands and all nine grandchildren. And, we gathered together as a family complete with a scheduled agenda emailed out to us ahead of time which included a list of helpful ways to prepare (like prepping our kids to share a bit about their lives).
The men talked.
The women chatted and crafted silhouette pictures of our families (which were so easy and turned out beautifully, by the way. All we did was take side profile pictures of the children, print them out on plain paper, cut them out carefully with card stock stapled to the print out, and glue them onto white card stock to fit in the frame. It’s amazing how a shape cut out of black paper looks identical to my children).
The kids cut out and decorated targets to use with marshmallow shooters my parents dreamed up out of plastic cups and deflated balloons (did my mom hit up Pinterest or something?). Note: I think more marshmallows were popped in mouths than actually shot.
And, when all the fun and crafting was done and lots of good food eaten, we spent some time sharing and praying. Each child shared a bit about what’s going on in their lives right now, concerns they had, things worrying them, things they were excited about. We heard about everything from PSSAs to baseball to depleting rain forests. And, each child was prayed for aloud right then and there, lifting up those personal things they shared. Then, while the kids watched a movie, the couples did the same, each one of us sharing what God has been doing in our lives lately and what we’re dreaming about, what we’re fearful about, and how to pray for us.
And, we prayed…for a while. I think we may have even gotten a bit off of that published schedule. But, it was all good. Because my dad was right, days like this don’t happen unless we work at it. And, it’s pretty important as we “desire to see our family function together to bring honor to the Lord.”
Belle of the {CNY} Ball
It’s no big deal for Ashlyn now. She has performed her dances enough now that she worries more about having her eyeliner put on than the part actually on stage in front of an audience.
But, our little one? It was her first experience on a real stage. She had been up front twice before with Community Bible Study. The first time last year, she lasted about 5.5 seconds before breaking down. This past Christmas, she did really well. But, it was up front in a church with normal lighting and with a sanctuary of ladies who were all smiling and loving on those little ones.
The Chinese New Year Gala yesterday that our Chinese school does every year was a bit different. Picture a full high school auditorium with a 98% Chinese audience, lots of cameras, lots of microphones turned up too high with occasional feedback that has become as much a part of the day as the acts themselves.
All she had to do was go up with her class and sing a song. That’s it. She made it quite clear that she didn’t want to do it. More than a few “no”s were said as she clung to me. The invitation to hold the hand of her classmate didn’t keep her tears away either.
Right before the class’ big moment, I took her back stage and placed her there on the edge of the group.
Pointing to the side…”I’ll be right there. If you don’t want to do it or feel scared, just come right to me, okay?”
And, she nodded.
The curtain opened.
And, the music started.
And, under those bright lights, maybe all the crowd disappeared a little because she did it. She moved her lips ever so slightly in rhythm with the song, seemingly singing words I do not understand. Who knows if any actual sound came out…but that doesn’t matter.
And, then she turned to me and smiled with her dimples looking bigger than ever and waved at me as if she hadn’t a care in the world. My belle of the CNY ball.
I wish I had gotten it on camera, but I put the camera down because I was too busy waving and gushing.
A Chinese New Year SNAKE Cake
There are some things I strive to make a tradition. Chore charts, for instance. I’ve tried ’em. I can get them to work for a season, and then they’re done. No tradition. Just a short-lived attempt at something.
Then, there are other things that happen one time and like it or not, they’re tradition.
Last year, Chinese New Year’s Eve was spent creating a dragon cake masterpiece. Our Chinese school loved it. Way loved it and, started talking about snake cakes shortly thereafter. I made a cake once and somehow it became tradition–and one that stressed me out, mind you, since I am not a baker. In fact, I don’t even eat cake. But, I’m now the CNY cake maker at least in our little ‘hood.
When I should have been sleeping, I was laying in bed pondering how to make this bad boy. I could have used the same body formation that I used for the dragon to make a slithering snake. But, I was worried it would look too been-there-done-that two years in a row. So, I went for the coiled look.
After spending entirely too much time in the grocery store staring at the candy and icing and all that good stuff hoping some creative muse would come to me, I ended up with two marble cake mixes, two canisters of icing, two $.99 chocolate Valentine hearts, a box of fruit by the foot, a package of disposable 8″ cake round pans, and a gigantic bag of M&Ms. I bought double what I thought I’d need…well, because I assumed I’d have some problems and might need a do-over. Turns out the first run worked–I really only needed one box cake mix and one canister of icing. Maybe I’ll just have to make this again with what I have still in my pantry.
I followed the directions on the cake mix box (I know, I’m such a faker) and filled one 8″ round more than the other (buttering and flouring those pans like nobody’s business), thinking the bigger round would look good as the bottom coil. Once they were baked, I let them cool a good while in the pans and then took them out to cool without flipping them upside down.
The edges didn’t look rounded enough for me. So, I used my bread knife and shaved just a little bit around the top to round it a bit. I saved the pieces I cut off because I ended up using those little cake scraps for the tail.
I cut a round circle out of cardboard that was slightly larger than the cake pan I used and wrapped it with foil. I put the bigger finished cake down on that foil-wrapped circle to start decorating. Before I covered the whole thing with icing, I mushed those extra little pieces of cake together and put a little bit of icing in with it to mold it a bit. I stuck that onto the side of the cake to be the tail and then covered it all with chocolate almond flavored icing. I don’t even know if anyone really noticed that tail, but I thought it added a bit to the look. I started adding stripes of M&Ms in a red and orange pattern, only doing the sides and a little bit onto the top since I knew the other round cake was going to be on top anyway.
Before I put the other round cake on top, I put some icing on the bottom of it around the edges since I was worried I wouldn’t be able to get underneath it very well to spread the icing without messing up my bottom cake I had already decorated. Then, I carefully put it on top and covered it with icing and the M&M pattern just like I did the bottom, deliberately not having the stripes line up with the bottom layer.
Once I did that, I took one of my $.99 chocolate Valentine hearts, put icing all over the flat back side and stuck in that icing a 8″ or 9″ piece of fruit by the foot which I had cut in half width wise with kitchen shears. I then matched up the other heart so that the “tongue” was sandwiched between them. I put a glob of icing on the center of the top of the cake and put that heart head on top of that, finishing it off with 2 yellow M&Ms for eyes stuck on with another dab of icing.
Then, I stood back and admired him…and called my parents and made them take a look at him…and texted my husband who was away for a YL conference and made him look at him…and posted a picture on FB so that I could have some other people affirm me before taking him to the gala today to keep up tradition.
They liked it. Really liked it. They even told me that the NBC news crew got it on camera as they got coverage of the gala today. As with last year, they waited until the end to cut it. The head was the first to sell when they did finally cut it. My two boys who I proceeded to purchase pieces of my snake cake for seemed to like it along with a bunch of other kids.
And, yes, though I vowed on FB at midnight last night that I would not be attempting to make a horse cake next year, maybe I did google it for a few minutes tonight, alright? But, I’m not committing to anything, okay? I think a dragon cake and snake cake fully extended my cake creativity…at least for now.
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