It has been awhile!

We have been pretty busy over here for the past few weeks! I am not complaining. We have gotten orders in for our bakery (www.anderssonskitchen.com) and have gotten GREAT feedback. I don't know if everyone is just being nice, or if they really DO like our stuff...either way it is fun.

We just got an order in for 1 dozen red velvet cupcakes, 1 dozen strawberry cupcakes and an 8in vanilla cake. I am SO excited someone ordered the strawberry cupcakes. It is the first time someone has and I LOVE them. I hope they will too. People have been so generous in passing our cards around and we are grateful for all the support.

In the midst of all this excitement...Patric got a raise. Can you believe it? Three years waiting for this great raise, and it happened so anti-climatic. On pay day, the payroll clerk came to him and said, oh, you got a raise. It wasn't a great raise...in fact, I felt like it was a slap in the face, but a raise is a raise I suppose, and we should be grateful. It still doesn't steer us from getting this bakery REALLY going so that he can get out of there! I called him last week for something and he just sounded SO DOWN. And if you know my husband, he RARELY sounds depressed. He is the happy swede! I asked him what the matter was...and he said that he would talk with me later about it (which only meant one thing to me...he didn't want his jerk of a boss to hear him complaining about him). I have seen my husband look and sound down more then I want to in the five years he has worked there. Actually--he probably enjoyed the first year, it was probably around year 2 and on that we realized this job was not going to be a career for him...but a place to hang for awhile until something better came along. I didn't exactly think the something better would be a gluten free bakery...but you never know what is going to come your way in life.

It has been a bit more chaotic for me then Patric in this adventure because, while yes, I am home with Josh and I SHOULD be able to get the baking under control...I also run an accounting business (if you didn't already know that), and trying to keep Josh entertained through it all. It has been interesting, but I think when we get into the swing of things and when I have Patric home with me (one day...) then it will all be fine.

In other news -

The Terry's are moving out this weekend. It has been 10 months of living with our friends. People can't believe we are still friends after this. It hasn't always been easy, I am sure on both sides, but I would do it again. We are sad to see them leave the state! I think Josh will be moping around for while...longing for his Ella.

Other than that---we have some fun things coming up. We are in the Occoquan Farmer's Market, so our Saturday mornings are determined for us until October 29. We have our niece and her friend, coming to visit from Sweden from July 27 - August 12. We are taking her on our family vacation to the beach in NC. I hope she will be able to handle the chaos! I SO can't wait to go to the beach. I have had many feelings of selling our house recently. I know I won't do it...but it is SO enticing to sell it, take the profit and move to NC. I REALLY have a strong desire to be closer to water. We aren't too far now, but I want to be EVEN closer. Virginia is a great place to live though, because there are always jobs...especially in my industry...and there is money...for our other industry (bakery). We will just have to buy a vacation home and visit a couple of times a year.

And--because this blog has been void of pictures for a while...here are some pics!

Valerie wanted to go to the zoo...and we wanted to come!

This little girl or guy was SO LOUD! He/She was adorable and definitely had a crowd of people watching him.

I love these two together...Brendan and Josh.

Josh decided he wanted to sit on the lap of this bear.

This is SUCH a delicious cake! It is our gluten free cookies and cream cake with cookies and buttercream icing with cake crumbles and ganache.
I learned this technique in my decorating class, so I decided to try it out on a customer. People at her party liked the look of them so much that I got an order, JUST because of that! (well..hopefully because of the taste as well). That is what I love about this...this last order was from someone who is not even gluten free...and it is for her daughter's birthday party. I am honored that she chose to go with us on such an important day!
And--because sometimes I need major changes in my life...
I chopped my hair off.

That's all for now!