If Mom could, so could I!

Bill left and took the camera, this was the last picture I was able to take before his trip. I definitely wanted pictures of Prague as opposed to my week at home. I made this bunny cake for Easter dinner that we were having at the Hogan's house. Friends from church were kind enough to invite us and still let us come even though Bill had to back out. The kids and I watched morning session of General Conference together and then headed over to watch the 2nd session at the Hogan's house. The Holladay's and Allred's also joined us for dinner. This cake started my theme of, "If my mom could do it, so could I." I remember Mom making this cake but never liking the marshmallow creme frosting??? So I used cream cheese frosting. The kids all loved it. I also made Frog Eye salad, Mom's specialty. I had never made it before either. And much to my dismay... I should've listened to the little voice that had been haunting me ALL week! "Check the Acini di Pepe!!!" Yeah, I looked at it, it was in my cupboard. The same box that Adam used 2 years ago to make it for Easter dinner at the apartment. So, Saturday night, after the cake is done, I go to make it and low and behold... not enough Acini de Pepe! I could've died! I remembered 5 years ago, Easter in our Sacramento home when Mom and Dad had come down to join us with the Williams. I had searched all week for that stinkin' blue box from Rozonni... I don't quite remember who ended up finding the little balled noodle. I drove to Smith's ready for this to become a whole night quest. NO LITTLE BLUE BOX!!! UGH. I stood there staring for at least 3 minutes, which of course felt like eternity. What was I waiting for. Like by staring could actually make something magically appear. Mom must have been whispering in my ear because I decided to check out the "specialty" rack and there it was tucked behind some orzo... a little brown bag of Acini de Pepe. It wasn't Rozonni but I know mom would've approved. WHEW, crisis averted. And well worth the stress. The Frog Eye was a huge success. I loved watching the adults as they all tasted it for the first time and rolled the little bits of pasta on their tongues, with a look of, "What the heck is this ball?"

(Side note: Annie had been giving us problems. We had been trying to retrain her to do her duty in the rocks in her soon to be dog run on the side of the house. The beautiful grass wasn't quite that anymore. Well, you can teach an old dog new tricks, just be ready for starting from square one. I had put her up in the laundry room with the baby gate, like normal, before we left for the dinner. I came home to check on her and let her out about 4 hours later. A time totally doable by her, if she had been going to the bathroom regularly. I walked in and was smacked in the face with the smell of... we'll leave it there. All over, ALL OVER the kitchen floor. And a pee puddle the size of Lake Mead! But where was Annie? She was back in the laundry room behind her baby gate! NASTY! Got it cleaned up and back to the party. That's THE first time I've shared that story.)

We ate dessert. The kids had the bunny cake and we adults ate coconut cream pie and then we went our separate ways. I had decided to do it!

We got home and fervently started packing for Redding. A 12 hour car drive with just me and the kids and a dog who gets car sick.

The reason behind the insanity... my brother's son, Cody was getting baptized on the following Saturday. I had been lamenting for months about not being able to go. Bill said to me, I'm going to be gone, the kids can miss a week of school. They would love to see their cousins and it's important to you to be at the baptism. I was so scared of the drive that when I called to tell my dad I was coming I started crying. I kept telling myself, if mom did it, so could I. The previous day when I had my 60 miles ride I kept thinking to myself, "This is hard, but I'm doing it. I CAN do hard things." Much like the car ride ahead of me, I knew I could do hard things.

Livi had a chemo appointment the next morning. Dan, a good friend from Bill's work, hung out with Aaron and Annie in the parking lot of Dr. Bernstein's office while I went with Liv to her appointment. An hour and a half later, after a quick prayer that Livi's port would start working, Dr. B's mighty push to get the blood draw, and we were on our way to Rdg.