Kyara Dzenis

Kyara Dzenis

Thursday, February 17, 2011

Snow/Ice Days, Kassey is THREE!, and Basketball Championships... Oh Boy!

Quite a title, huh?  Well, the days keep moving forward, even when I wish they would slow down some.  In January, we had our first snow of 2011.  Snow is not really an accurate description.  Ice is more like it.  It was impossible to make snowmen.  It was difficult to cut through the thick ice.  In fact, Gunars got hit by a snow/ice ball (thrown by an 8 year old) and ended up with a black eye!  Atlanta tried to be prepared for the storm, but 3 snow plows for the city didn't quite cut it.  I even heard that our "sand trucks" were someone in the back of an old beat up Ford throwing sand on the road. We had the entire week off from school.  I heard many parents complain about wanting their kids back to school, and I really didn't feel that way... until Friday.  Monday-Thursday were great! We stayed outside, we sled on the ice, we went for walks around the neighborhood, we had a great time.  Then Friday came.   The roads were pretty clear by then, and really there wasn't much ice around anymore, but the kids still had the day out.  I also had the cable guy come and Gunars was back at work.  So I had to stay in the house with the cable guy instead of playing with the girls outside.  Kassey had to nap and Skylar didn't want to be alone, so we all ended up inside alot of the day.  That is when I said, "It is time for you guys to go back to school!"


Skylar was so sweet pulling Kassey down the hill on the sled.


Heading back to the top for another ride.


At one point, Skylar layed on the ground and just hung out there.  I am glad she was wearing a ski bib under her jacket; the ground MUST have been cold! 


While "body sliding" Kassey hit a sweetgum ball that was frozen in the ice with her cheek.  After wiping up the blood and putting a Dora bandaid on it, she was good as new!


Skylar's attempt at "ice angels."  Notice she is not make a budge in the ice.


Bundled up and ready to have FUN!

On January 27th, Kassey turned three!  Wow!  I have so many thoughts about this one, I don't even know where to begin.  Three years old.  Kassey is such a hoot.  I think she has been a great stress reliever for me over the past 2 1/2 years.  Of course, I loved her from the beginning - not just for the past 2 1/2 years, but it was for those times that God brought Kassey in our lives.  Gunars and I weren't trying to get pregnant again... we weren't NOT trying, either.  Just letting nature (aka GOD) take His course.    He wanted the right child at the right time to be there for us, and she was!   For her birthday, I decided to make her cake. Now, I am not a baker, so this was a challenge, and if I was going to do it, I might as well go for the gold.  So, she wanted a Cinderella cake and I hit the internet looking for ideas.  I came across one that I thought, "That is do-able."  Fondant icing, buttercream, cake, cinderella doll... sure, no problem.  After printing the recipe, I headed to Michaels' for all the supplies.  I then noticed the price tag on all this cake stuff, and called my sister-in-law, Missy, to borrow her supplies.  Skylar helped me make the fondant icing for the cake, which was alot easier than I thought.  It was MESSY, though!


Skylar getting her hands dirty!


The cake needed some work.  I dyed most of the fondant thinking I would need more for the skirt, but then didn't need it, so I just dyed the icing different colors to make the stairs.  Sadly, I think the cake didn't taste too good.  I put a TON more buttercream icing than needed and the cakes were dry.  I told Skylar I would make one for her birthday, too.  Her response, "No, thank you.  Publix does a good job."  Ouch.  :) 



Final Product


Skylar has been playing basketball this winter.  Her team was off to a rough start, with a 6th place standing going into the tournament.  There are only 8 teams in her bracket, so 6th place is... let's just say "not so good."  However, tournament time came, and our team was on their game!  We won the quarterfinal and semifinal games. WHAT?  We were in the championship game?  Sadly, our winning ended there, but we were so proud of the girls! They did a great job!

I know this has been a long post, and nothing too thought provoking, but this is life around here.  I have lots of things I am struggling with, but I will write a different post for those in the coming days.  We are heading to Spokane, Washington tomorrow to visit old friends.  I look forward to having a good trip.