I'm no cupcake...

People who work with and for me are always surprised when they meet Kate. The first question is usually something to the effect of: "How did you, get a woman like her?" The second question is more like: "How can she be so thin, when she bakes as well as she does?" The answer is easy: she doesn't eat anything she bakes. She has a taste-tester: me. She makes some of the best cupcakes I have ever sampled. As I type this, she is in the kitchen, making cream cheese frosting for Oreo cupcakes to take to a family party.

In addition to taking her baked wares to parties, we have shared these treats with neighbors and co-workers. Another comment I usually hear is: "These are so good, she should go into business." When I mention this to her, she dismisses it. She finds relaxation in baking for other people. If she had to do it for work, she wouldn't enjoy it as much.

Here are a few of my favorites:

Vanilla buttermilk with vanilla frosting

Poundcake with brown butter glaze

Spice with cream cheese frosting

Coconut with meringue frosting

Oreo (It should be noted that Kate hated these ones, because the chunks of Oreo wouldn't pass through the frosting nozzle, so she had to spread frosting with a knife and they weren't as 'pretty')

Buttermilk vanilla with vanilla frosting

Assorted, on the 'tree' (presentation is everything)

Vanilla with Yankees decorations, for Bean's birthday party

And my favorite, chocolate with chocolate frosting. And yes, she shaved her own chocolate as an added touch. Also, if you're wondering, that is a cupcake courier. How else would I transport nine dozen cupcakes to work?

There are others that are not pictured, such as the Oreo cheesecake and the red velvet cake. People ask me why I run so much. Now that you've seen these, can you understand why I do?

Beating the Heat

No, my title has nothing to do with the awesome finish to this year's NBA finals. Rather, this summer has been busy. So busy that it is hard for me to believe that it is already half over. Where has the time gone?



Summer started with the end of the dance season.




With the end of the dance season, soccer season, tee-ball season and school, I wondered: What would the kids do with their time? Would they be bored all summer? The answer, of course, was: no, you dumb bastard. Hell no.


Last month Whitney had the opportunity to attend girls camp again. As always, 'camp' does not mean the same thing for the girls as it does for me. The girls and young women's leaders 'camped' here:



During my stay as a Priesthood leader, I got the chance to camp here:




Unlike the girls, I had no running water, no heat, no power and curling iron. Not that I am complaining. After all, I also did not have to listen to the girls who were up until 3AM dancing and singing, and I was there just one night. The location was green and beautiful. And best of all, I was well fed, which is a tradition of girls camp.


And of course, this past week we performed our duties as Americans, and celebrated the 4th of July by grilling and lighting the street on fire.

Little did Pat know that the blanket she brought out for rain protection for Isaac would soon be used to smother a fire caused by an errant rocket...

A scary combination: that facial expression, coupled with a firework called 'Conqueror'...

Kate and I decided that season passes to Cowabunga Bay were a great investment. The kids have already been at least a dozen times, and never tire of it.

There's the Lazy River for those who just want to chill...

...and a 1,000 gallon deluge for those looking to have their shorts taken down by the splash.

Sometimes the ride down the water slide ends with a smile...

...and other times it ends with an enema...

The purpose of this picture was to capture P-Man coming down the green slide. I realized later that the giant feet in the blue slide belonged to Whitney.

Before a 1,200 gallon shower...

...and after...

Yep. All in all, it's been a pretty great summer. And it's only half over...

Hearing the Echo

My mother-in-law bought a pop-up trailer for camping. This is a good move. A few years ago she and Drew were tooling around in a full sized motorhome. They sold that and downsized to the pop-up. They're headed in the right direction. Before long they will actually camp in a tent. Or not. They wanted to try out the new toy, so last weekend we took a trip to Echo Reservoir.

Friday night's weenie roast was nearly ruined for Pat when Whitney explained that hot dogs are made from 'lips and assholes'.

Notice that even on camping trips Derek Jeter goes with Bean.

Of course, no Shirley family camp out would be complete without banana boats.

Mmmmm! How could anyone resist?

Initially I thought that a fishing trip would end in the ER...

...getting a fishing hook extracted from someone's butt crack...

But in 'the end' we had no problems. We also had no fish caught.

Hike 'Em Up!

We stayed home for Memorial Day weekend this year. Not wanting the kids to be cooped up all weekend I decided that we would make a picnic and go on a hike. Whitney packed a backpack with PB&J sandwiches, chips and snacks, and we headed up Big Cottonwood Canyon to find a spot to hike.

I knew that due to higher than average snowfalls this year there might still be some snowdrifts to contend with, if we went too high. As I proceeded up the canyon I spotted a turnoff for the Mill B picnic area and decided to give it a try. After a quick bite to eat, we started up the Lake Blanche trail. I didn't know anything about it, but it was in front of us, so we started to climb.

The water level was high, and I threatened the kids to stay as far away as possible from the edge as we climbed the trail alongside the river. It was a beautiful hike, and not too strenuous for the kids, at least not at first.

At first the patches of snow we few and far between. A few steps and we'd be through them. But as we moved forward, they increased in number, and became longer. The kids were troopers, slipping and sliding up the trail. Before too long, it became too much. I knew we were close to the lake, but the trail had become impassable for them. I left them resting on a rock while I forged ahead, to see how much more diffiucult the climb would be. I returned with a verdict: Start back down.

After we got home, I looked up the trail and found this quote on the description: This is a VERY strenuous hike! The information page also listed the hike as a 6.6 miles round trip, with an elevation gain of ~2700 feet. Maybe a little too much for the kids. But I told them that we would try again in a month, after the snow had melted. Needless to say, the kids slept well last night.