My little Sister graduates College..Tear!!

On June 17th my little sister Natasha R Mackey born in 1990 graduated from Oregon State University! I know what your thinking how could this be that kids born in the 90's are graduating college, I know right scary! Her ceremony was very special cause the gest speaker was the first lady Michelle Obama, so it was wonderful to get to see her revive a daploma in this once in a life time opertnity! Seeing my sister so happy and excited was moving, I dont think I have ever seen that big of a smile on her face for a whole 7hrs lol!

Standing in line to be seated!

Time has just moved by so fast, I swear it was just yesterday that she graduated high school or even just yesterday that I graduated high school. No no no its been 6yrs since high school for me, where dose it all go from here? Well here is my little sister, I just dont think im ready to let her be this old. Plus her 22nd Birthday is in two weeks...WHAT! No wonder I have gray hair!

Michelle Obama speaking

Cold Michelle, Mom, & Aunt Luann

Me & Dad

Me & Mike

Mother & Daughter

Dad, Tush & Mom

Aunt Luann, Tush & Uncle Donald

I cant say much more about it cause ill start crying but we are all so proud and what an amazing little sister I have!

Skydive Adventure!

My good friend Tim is up in Oregon on leave from 29 stumps and while he was here I got to spend 2 whole days with him! Here is a little back ground on us just so you know how we tick. I want to High School with Tim all 4 yrs and than we ended up at the same University where we became very close and our friendship stuck! Now I had been Bungee jumping for my 18th birthday so when I meet Tim he had the same dare devil quality I possessed (yes where both crazy), and on his 21st birthday I took him bungee jumping just him and I.

So naturally after that I told him one day I'll take you skydiving since its the next thing on our (lets see if we can kill ourselves) list.  About 3 years went by and lots happened, he has become my hero in the armed forces, served 8 months over seas and I have my own business working my butt off as well! When Tim and I were making plans for his return & leave up here in good old Oregon aka Home, I just knew exactly what special thing we had to do together! by now I'm sure he thought I forgot and that it was never going to happen but I would never forget such a thing I promised before he left to join the devil dogs and promised all those years ago!

On to the main event we went... Mike (our new dare devil side kick), Tim & myself hoped in a newly washed Jeep Rubicon and head on our road tip to Central Oregon Skydiving in Madras, OR!
We look back now and even though it was a 3hr drive we're all so happy we had to drive cause the weather we left behind was rain and gray(no dive weather) central Oregon right after Sisters was beautiful and sunny!

Our little dive plane and the Jeep going on its 1st real dangerous adventure!

Mike chose to be the 1st test subject and suited up! Tim & I decided with bungee jumping under our belts its best if Mike just go's for it without thinking twice!

Go Mike!

Last chance to back out..naah!

Mikes dive, look for the little tinny black dot in the sky! Oh and enjoy the comentary..

To me it just seems so surral still that I totally jumped out of a plan at 10,000feet, free fell for almost 1 minute and than had a birds eye view on a gorgus day of the earth! Yeah it was amazing plus i got to do it with 2 sexy men what else could a girl ask for!

Me getting suited up!

Way ready after I let both boys dive 1st!

I think the boys were a little nervous so I let the "ladies" go 1st as I took a back seat! When it came time for me I was more than ready!

My dive video, and yes I got pink & purple on my parashut!

I cant even discribe it the jump was amazing and I had a smile the hole way down!

Mike and I after my dive!

Tim & I with gooffy smiles!

74 graduation cupcakes!

I was asked by one of my coworkers "Since you love to bake cupcakes, could you make some for my husband & daughter's graduation party...I'll pay you?" "Of course" was my answer! Here was her criteria...

1) Two different cupcakes one for her daughter graduating from Crescent Vally High (maroon & gold/yellow) and the other for her husband graduating with his PhD from OSU (black & orange)

2) Do what you think is best I need about 72 cause there are around 100 people invited to the graduation party!

Holy cow lol! I got right to work on the trial cupcakes! After 2 batches of test cupcakes I finally found the recipes I was going to use with some tweaks of my own! Here are the test cupcakes, not quite perfect. Red velvet was too dry & butter cream not quite right...

Decided to go with Red velvet cupcakes with yellow/gold cream cheese frosting to represent Crescent Vally High! Then dark chocolate cupcakes with orange butter cream frosting to represent OSU! Please realize how hard it was for me to make these cupcakes being a U of O fan! Now here are the actual cup cake recipes I used, how I mixed them and what the final product looked like!

Kitchen prep-had to make more room on the counter lol!

Dark Chocolate Cupcakes

by: browneyedbaker

makes about 36

preheat 350*

3 sticks of butter

1/2 cup dark Hershey coco powder

2 1/4 cup cake flour

1 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

2 1/4 teaspoon baking powder

6 eggs

2 1/4 cup sugar

3 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1 1/2 cups sour cream

*Beat butter & sugar together until creamy (very important) always takes longer than you think. In separate bowl measure out your cake flour & coco powder. To your butter & sugar mixture add in eggs one at a time & mix well. Mix in sour cream & vanilla extract, blend in salt, baking soda & baking powder than slowly add flour & coco mixture 1/2 cups at a time letting each blend. Fill cupcake cups 3/4th full & bake 18-20 mins!

Butter Cream Frosting

2 sticks of butter

1/4 cup + 2T milk

5 3/4 cup confectioners sugar (to the consistency you want)

1teaspoon vanilla

Orange food coloring (in my case)

*Mix butter & sugar until well blended then add milk, vanilla & food coloring  (my case orange) until consistency you like.

Red Velvet Cupcakes

by browneyedbaker

makes about 36

preheat to 350*

1 1/2 sticks of butter
2 1/4 cups of sugar
3 eggs
1/2 cup coco powder
red food coloring (in my case I used Burgundy frosting coloring form Michale's)
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups buttermilk
3 cups + 6T cake flour
1 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
4 1/2 teaspoons distilled white vinegar

*Cream butter & sugar until fluffy and blended. Add in eggs mix than turn to hi speed & completely mix together. Coco powder, vanilla, red food coloring (to color) mix until color is completely blended. Even scrap sides & blend more. 1/2 buttermilk & cake flour stir. Than salt, baking soda & vinegar blend. Add remaining buttermilk & flour slowly letting each blend.

Cream Cheese Frosting

3 pkg cream cheese softened

3/4 cup butter softened

3 cups confectioners sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

food coloring (in my case)

*Cream together cream cheese & butter until creamy. mix in vanilla (yellow & tiny orange food coloring) than gradually stir in confectioners sugar.

It was a very fun adventure to make a TON of cupcakes and Mike helped me out a lot! Maybe a bit more practice and we have a good cupcake gig going! Here is a picture of me 'riding dirty' to drop off my stash!

    Congratulations to all the 2012 graduates!

Time or lack there of!

Where in the heck did May go? I swear it was just the start of May and now its June, then to top it off tomorrow is me & Mikes 1yr..holy moly where did the year go? My 11hr work days must be keeping me too busy to notice how fast the days are slipping away. I should tell you about all that has happened in May but it would be a lot to catch up on and to be honest I cant really remember everything I have done lol! However, I got to enjoy my Sunday... Mike, Tajuan & I went to see the OMRRA sprint motorcycle races up at Portland International Raceway! It's so much fun picking out your favorite bike & rider then cheering them on even though you don't really know them at all, I also make Mike tell me all the makes & models of the bikes (I think he secretly likes it)! Tajuan is becoming a fast bike dog, he loves watching the bikes and being outside!

Daddy & Son watching the motorcycles

He is so funny cause he really does sit & watch the bikes fly by! It was not a super sunny day but it did not rain so we were all happy, and bubba still found some warm sun by the end of the races to rest in! He had a hard day watching bikes, going on rides, and meeting lots of people!

Tired out puppy!

The whole fam had a very good day! I think we're all pooped out a little overcast sun kissed and looking forward to relaxing on the couch!

T-man & Mommy riding up to PIR

Mike & I our second year @ PIR!