and the winner is...

vanilla ice cream, dizzle of caramel & chocolate sauce, 'twix' magic shell, light whipped cream, rainbow sprinkles, caramel & chocolate sauce drizzle again, topped with 4 cherries!! and the verdict is... PERFECTION!

COMFORT FOOD

for some, this would be enough. plain ice cream.

again. here we are, lookin' good but... oh no, not enough for me...

my "helper(s)"...

BEAT THE HEAT!
for ten bucks, you too can beat the heat. (i recommend to set up on more level ground)... the float was onle ONE dollar so... you can't really beat that with a stick, can you? I hope you all have a 'cool' labor day weekend!
-L

NEW PLACE FOR POSTING ADOPTION NEWS

check it out HERE. we will keep my business stuff for business now. i hope you enjoy our life... sorry for the longwinded stories below. it's "what i do". smile. the posts with the beginning to the current adoption saga begin on my business blog: http://www.lilaschopshop.blogspot.com/ and start on Aug 9th or 10th, I believe.

When one of our TN nieces, Brooke, found out we were adopting, she wrote a little diddly about it. I hope you love it as much as we do.... (p.s. we're going to Gulf Shores, Alabama for Thanksgiving with Mike's Family) click on the letter to make it bigger.

ADOPTION

So, we started out our marriage like most (LDS) couples. Dreaming about the parents eachother would one day be. We picked out some names and planned when we would start trying to have babies.. we had a perfect plan: We would go off the pill after we were married 2 years and guessed it would take up to a year to get pregnant. We have had a wonderful relationship, giving and taking... easy to say 11 years later. smile. In preparation, I convinced Michael to move from Nashville Tennessee to live with my parents in Camarillo, California (where I was raised from 6-19). I wanted to be near my mom when I had my first baby or two (I have always planned on 6 - still do). So when we weren't successful on our own, we sought out professional help from an Infertility Doctor. After multiple humiliating and expensive tests (Michael by my side for support), I was found to have Poly Cystic Ovarian Syndrome, PCOS as I had various manifestations of the symdrome. We began a willing but tiring process of fertility for the next 3 years. I was medicated, probed, ultrasounded, exrayed and in the end, mentally spent. I admitted defeat for the time being and after almost 4yrs in California, I asked Michael if he was ready to go back to Tennessee. We were both ready. We needed to lick our wounds and come to our new home in Murfreesboro. After lamely attempting fertility drugs again once back in Tennessee, it got to be too much and we stopped. Mentally I was in no place to consider anything else for awhile.

When I came to, months later, Michael was still there, ready to do what was next. I had always been interested in Adoption, never feeling worthy of it until I tired myself from failed fertility efforts (not wanting to adopt unless I 'needed to'). My friend Christi (Adopted herself) and her family, including having both thier beautiful sons through adoption, counceled with me in California through some of my hardest grief. I used her example and wisdom to push me forward with earnest to 'find our children' through adoption. After taking almost a year to fill out the paperwork (some procrastination in between), we filed with LDS family services in November 2006. Our then caseworker Matt said, it can take and average of 6mo - 2 years before recieving an infant in your home. We prepared ourselves hoping it wouldn't take that long. We have been very blessed during this process, reminding ourselves who is in control and our faith in God has surely lifted us through. Sometimes we borrowed from eachother if we had no more ourselves, sometimes it was a gift from a friend or stranger. Either way, we find ourselves here, on the brink of hopeful parenthood, feeling more blessed than ever to have eachother and everyone we know, no matter what happens. Thank you.

We look forward to raising our children righteously. Teaching them to know that their Heavenly Father loves them and sent them to this earth in a special way, whether born to us or placed with us, they are the same to us and Heavenly Father. We are ALL his children. We have a duty to teach them righteous principles then let them govern themselves. We look forward to the many things they will teach us over the years as well.

And they were married...

We were married on a beautiful "first day of Summer" day, for Time and All Eternity, in the Los Angeles LDS Temple. Saturday, June 21, 1997.

Our invitations were ivory with embossed ivy border and black ink. Our engagement pictures were taken by Patrick Boles at Fall Creek Falls, Tennessee. The wedding colors were dark green and burgundy and the reception was at my parents house in Santa Rosa Valley, California.

Susie St. John took our pictures and we will never forget her for doing such a great job.

These are my favorite of our Wedding party and of US on the Temple grounds.

a FANNIE pack!?

I moved to Nashville, Tennessee in the middle of January, 1997 from Camarillo, California. It was a risk as I have no family here and only knew Michael but we couldn't live long distance. I rented his grandmothers empty house in Nashville, while he lived with his parents, 15 min away. I know this arrangement must have been strange for his family in retrospect but we were so young and in love, we didn't notice others exhisted unfortunately.
Our Friends Dan and Kelly were falling in love as fast as we were, with all of us making wedding plans at the same time. I was "patiently" just waiting for Michael to give me a ring as a formality to start planning our wedding. Forward to my birthday on February 7th.. I meet Michael at his house before his church basketball game. We visited with his mom and stepdad, his mom took a picture for some reason and before we left we hung out in his room. (actual picture below)

He was making fun of the Christmas gift I made him, a SUPER cheesy coupon that was shaped like a dollar bill and read: "Good For One Worthy Wife" (aka: coupon to marry me), calling it corney. What can I say, it was. We went to his game, had a great time and then, DISASTER! Dan and Kelly announced they got engaged! Oh no, my life was over, our friends who started dating after us, were engaged before us! It wasn't pretty for Michael the rest of the night. I was so upset and cried. I didn't want my family and friends to get the wrong impression of why I moved to TN and mostly, just wanted to officially start planning our wedding for JUNE 21st! geeez!
Back to the story... We went to my house afterwards where I cried all night long, trying to understand why we weren't engaged yet. Of course, he had a plan. So exhausted, Michael fell asleep at my house and the next morning we stopped to get some supplies at his house before our scheduled hike at Fall Creek Falls State Park http://tennessee.gov/environment/parks/FallCreekFalls/index.shtml. He grabbed a "North Face" (so it can sound cooler but still, it's a... ) fannie pack for snacks, camera etc and we got on our way to an hour drive. I appologized the entire way and felt like a big jerk for how I acted the night before. Michael was so understanding and patient with me and said he understood how I felt about getting engaged and that it wouldn't be long but that he just wanted to do it right. I tried to trust him.
When we got to the Cane Creek Cascades of the Park, it was freezing outside. We couldn't even feel our noses when we got to the bottom. By this time, it was also now starting to snow! I stepped away from Michael, closer to the falls when he knelt down to get his camera out of the "Fannie Pack" to take a picture of me (in all my snotty nosed, non make up wearing, ugly clothes, cried out eyes, glory. see picture below).

Putting the camera away he said, "Oh, I almost forgot, I brought you something..." I said, "What, a granola bar?" He said, "No, I brought you this" and held up a ziplock bag with the coupon I made him for Christmas (mentioned at the beginning of this longwinded story).

Cluelessly, I kinda gave him a 'stank face' and said, "What did you bring 'that' for?" "I brought it to redeem it", he said. "What?!"... This time, he repeated phanetically, "I Brought IT, To Redeem IT". "OH MY GOSH! oh my gosh, OH my gosh, Oh my Gosh, OH MY GOSH!" He went back into the fannie back and with tears in my eyes, noticed suddenly there were hikers watching as Michael, still kneeling, pulled out my ring and said, "So. Will you marry me?!" "Oh My Gosh" x 10, later, I obviously said YES! And have now pursued this whole "And they lived Happily Ever After"thing from then on. grin. (engagement picture below by patty b.)

I first saw him across a crowded room...

I was called to be a full time missionary for our church in Seattle Washington from June 1995 - November 1996 (with approx. 150 other missionaries at a time serving there). In that time, you proselyte to the public, teaching and spreading the gospel that we believe in and inviting those that accept it to be baptized. http://www.lds.org/ or http://www.mormon.org/ for more information about my beliefs. We have pretty strict rules as full time missionaries. Things like, up by 6, in bed by 10. No dating (or even hugging the opposite sex), no movie theaters, t.v. or newspapers. Also, you only talk to your families on the phone 2 or 3 times a year, otherwise, you write a weekly letter. For 18mo for the women (sister missionaries) and 2 years for men (elders) you dedicate 24hours a day to your missionary experience. You grow in your knowledge as much as you share your knowledge with others. It is a very unique experience and though you set aside the things of the world for that time, it's very rewarding to be obedient to righteous things.
With that said, I looked forward to returning home and dating and going dancing. I had no intention of getting serious with anyone cause I wanted to go to hair school and didn't want to get distracted. So here I am"Sister Wutkee" as I was known, on my first month in the mission field when it's time for a tri-zone conference. My missionary companion and I get group training and we get to socialize a bit with other missionaries we haven't met or haven't seen in awhile. When we get there, my mission president wants to talk to us. Here is where it begins.... He tells my companion/trainer that he has been told that I have been talking inappropriately on the phone with my district leader. (yes you Jared) I was sooo mad! First of all, I wasn't. He and I barely knew each other and we had stuff in common so it was fun to talk about, music, remodeling classic cars and the fact that he was from Pennsylvania was fascinating enough to me as Utah was the furthest east I had ever been. So we were friends. Also, I didn't appreciate that the Mission President didn't ask me a question but basically took someone else's word that obviously didn't have facts AND went to my companion instead of me! Well... he was about to be surprised by how react to 'injustice' (lol). I bit my tongue for as long a possible. It could have been a whole... 3-4 min when in our meeting in the chapel, they invited the "greenies" (new missionaries) to get up and bear testimony of their beliefs. (this we do at a microphone in front of approx. 30 other missionaries) So, I have no problem speaking and with fuel that could pop a volcano, I got up to bear mine.... Let's just say, my testimony took on a theme of "respect" and let's also just say, from that time on, I was known as "Sister Respect" behind my back. Point being, my future husband, "Elder Stuteville" or "Stu" as he was affectionately called by EVERYONE, was in the crowd trying NOT to listen to the piddly new missionaries till I got up and he was like, "Who does that 'greenie' think she is?" He admits later, it was also intriguing. After that meeting I was still at the front mingling when I looked down to the crowd. I am not kidding with what I am saying but I stopped when I saw a missionary with friends on either side of him, standing up from the pew, arms around each of them while smiling and having a great time. His smile hit me (not something I particularly care about) and I literally saw a "Glow" all around him. I couldn't believe it, yet I didn't make a big deal of it or tell anyone else. It's almost like I totally forgot I saw it but not before hearing a voice in my head say "I've gotta get to know that guy".
And that I did, or at least tried, despite the rules. It started out very innocent cause I just wanted to know something about him. Slowly I found out he was from Tennessee and that he liked to sing and play guitar. Interesting... Seeing as at some point over my life till that time, I created images of my husband over the years and some things I thought were: He would have dark brown wavy hair, a goatee, be a convert to the church and distantly, for some reason, I wanted a porch swing (uncharacteristic for California, so it was weird). Later I learned more things... like, girls in the mission were in love with him (gag), he used to have long hair (yuck), he joined our church at the age of 19 and a year later came on his mission. Well, needless to say, against my plan, I began having a crush on "Elder Stuteville" even though, in my 1 1/2 yr mission I only saw him in person, I think 3-5 times. He showed interest in me too but we couldn't and wouldn't do anything about it. Time passed quickly and before I knew it, it was June 96' and "Stu" as I knew Michael, was about to go home from his mission, his duty was served. I called him to say goodbye and good luck. I sorta stuttered around the subject of "hanging out" sometime after our missions. Knowing, surely he'll be married before I even go home in November (that's how we Mormons roll: meet and marry within 6 months). To my surprise, he said, he'd really like that! I was in heaven!! So, he went home and I finished my mission. A few weeks before I was going home, I wrote him a letter and told him I had a great mission experience and this and that had happened. I also included my phone number which was wrong but what can I do about it now. I felt very filled with the spirit when I wrote my words and apparently he could tell because he called! He told me how moved he was by my letter and that he really wanted to see me, even if he has to come all the way to California (he admits later, he had NO plans of ever going there before this talk and didn't things could work out b/c of our distance but now he was moved). I was thrilled! I had never felt this overwhelming feeling and couldn't believe it was happening. In my last two weeks, we admittedly talked a couple times on the phone but wrote letters almost daily (imagine texting that takes 2-3 days to get there, 2-3 days back, and it's your only way to communicate... since no one knows what letter writing is anymore!). In the end we were feeling and telling each other, we loved each other! I KNOW! Crazy but it is sooo true! I got home November 13th to a care package from Michael but had to rush off cause I had to be formally released from my duties as a missionary only to speed off with my brother Vince to a Connells Concert http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Connells in Los Angeles. I proceeded to talk all night about Michael to him and explain these crazy love feelings I was having. I had never had a boyfriend before as I had usually chased them off with my forwardness before they had a chance. That was it...we needed to see each other. I declared to my NOT surprised parents that I was in love with him and had to go see them. My dad wisely applied the brakes and said, "I'm gonna have to be a little old fashioned here. He's going to have to come here first." I whined, "But daaaaaad! He just got a new job and has no money and no time off!" He understood and said, if Michael would let him, he'd pay for 1/2 his flight to get to CA, since he knew he would be talked into paying for me to go there anyway, he was willing to do this instead. At first Michael refused on pride and first impressions that he couldn't do it himself (I understand now, but not then) but after I plead he accepted on the grounds that he would pay my dad back. It was set, he came to CA, on Thanksgiving evening, two weeks after I got home from my mission. My brother Jesse drove me to LAX to get him. I could barely contain myself! On a mission, we are separated by arms length and rules to keep us focused on our task, now I was free to do as I wished... and I did! As soon as we were in the safety of the back seat of the car, I kissed him! (he learned what he was in for, real fast) As far as I was concerned, that had taken too long! Over the '3' days of his trip, we went on our first date to Disneyland (still keep the Pirates of the Caribbean token he made me on my key chain. It reads "I love you, you are my world - Mike), had our first kiss, he met most of my 10 siblings & parents and on the 3rd day as we waited for his plane at the airport, we were picking out wedding dates for June! I felt like I had known him forever, like he knew me our whole lives and there was nothing to stop me from making sure we spent the rest of it together. I visited TN a few weeks later for New Years (MDS paid my whole way, to pay back my dad, Very impressive), where we picked out my ring and 2 months to the day of getting home from Seattle, Jan 13th, I packed up my Grand Am with my brother Vince helping me move and I relocated to TN. I haven't regretted my choice. Though I miss my family very much, I've learned a new meaning to family here in Tennessee. Something different then I've ever had before and this is why I stay and proudly call myself... a Tennessean!