Birthday Cupcakes ~ Birthday Cake

Madilyn got to take these cute cupcakes to school on her birthday.
(Created by Stacey and me.)

This was her birthday cake for our family party tonight.

(Created by Stacey, Mom, and me.)

Birthdays are so much fun!  I know my brother and his family want to find a new home, but I am having so much fun with my new "roommates".

Easter Eggs...

I know Easter was quite some time ago, but I still wanted to share... This year we used goblets, because they were the right size and shape. {Daring, I know, for little hands!} I thought the goblets were pretty filled with dye.

Letters to Philip

Last night the little girls wrote letters to Philip, and I told them I would mail them with mine.  They were so cute I had to scan them and share. For your reading pleasure:

Emma's:

Madilyn's:

("dear philip

are house burned down

6 apartments burned down

we stole your room")

Study in Contrast

Yesterday, the apartment building where my brother, his wife, and their little children lived caught on fire. The cause of the blaze is still unknown. Six units were engulfed in flames and there was damage to others. This has been a difficult experience for their family to be so abruptly uprooted! But, oh, what absolute devastation their neighbors must be feeling. I went to the apartments tonight. This is what I saw:

Study One - One Side of the Wall = A Blessing


Study Two - The Other Side of the Wall = Loss

How can it be possible to have a heart so full of gratitude that my brother and his family were so blessed as to lose so little in this tragic fire, and yet be so full of sorrow for the losses and struggles of their neighbors who lived on the other side of the wall, neighbors who lost everything in this fire while their baby is in the hospital with heart problems?

In response to HM's comment:

There is an account set up accepting donations for the family at Key Bank. The account is called the Jerry Orona Donation Account.

King5 Video {Here is a link to the news story about this family.}