Rivera - Don't be worried.

The day before the local summer bake-off, Lupe Rivera tearfully said goodbye to another daughter. It wasn't really goodbye goodbye, Penny was just moving down the street, but it still make big fat tears spill down Lupe's cheeks. She should have been glad. When Penny grew into a child, her chances of being adopted shriveled up, but Claire Abbott came to the rescue and offered Penny a home.

She had been only gone one day, but Lupe missed her already. Before the bake-off the next morning, Lupe's stomach was in knots. "Claire and Penny will be there. What if I see her and start crying? What if she's happier with Claire than she was here?" she unloaded on her husband, Marc.

"Look, Lu, we are in this to find homes for these kids. Claire's a great mother, and if Penny is happier, then that's even better." 

The nerves began really getting to Lupe, and she bolted to the bathroom, feeling ill. She next dealt well with nervousness. 

With a sigh, Marc retreated to the quiet of the driveway, where he was restoring an old, worn out car. It was relieving to get away from the stress of his wife's sudden hysteria and just focus on something that made sense. His goal was to restore it like new and sell it to a collector to buy some new playground equipment for the kids.

After the baking competition, Lupe still felt terrible. She couldn't blame it on nerves this time. She lounged on the couch, hoping her stomach would settle down, when the doorbell rang. "Who is coming over at eight at night?" she thought, glad the children were all settled in bed.

She looked through the peephole and saw Sunday Flax, the very woman who crushed her in the Bake-Off. "Do you need something, Sunday? I'm not feeling very well this evening." 

"I could tell," she said with a smile. "I brought something that should make you feel better."

"I think a good rest will make me feel better," replied Lupe curtly.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to bug you, you just seemed really sick today and I-"

"I'm sorry, Sunday. I'm not feeling myself. Come on in."

Sunday gestured for Lupe to sit at the table and she uncovered a steaming bowl of soup. "If you're still feeling sick after this, then you're terminal," Sunday joked.

"What's in this?" Lupe asked nervously.

"Secret recipe. But it works every time."

Imagine my surprise when Lupe was hunched over the porcelain god with a pregnant? thought in her head. They weren't ever supposed to have babies! That's why I started this stinking orphanage. :P Oh well. I guess Lupe (or Marc? Bwahah!) had other plans.  

Grimm-Pruett Wedding

Nadine Grimm and Cain Pruett were married in a small ceremony at the Grimm house. Cain chose to take his bride's surname because there weren't any male Grimm's to carry on the name.

Nadine began the reception with a toast to her sister and maid of honor, Abbey. She thanked her "for helping with the wedding and everything else."

Lemon Creek Bake-Off!

Lemon Creek's lovely ladies worked up a storm in their kitchens to put their culinary skills to the test in Lemon Creek's first annual Summer Bake-Off.

Claire Abbott strutted in with a yummy-looking Baked Alaska. In appearance, it was absolutely stunning, but when it came to the taste-test it just didn't stand up.

Lupe Rivera tried her hand at baking and submitted a tasty cake. She went home with third place and a $50 gift certificate to Cup-a-cino.

Rose Abbott's Crepes Suzette was a total crowd-pleaser, earning her second place and a free meal for two at The Sour Lemon.

In the end, it was Sunday Flax who stole the show with her unassuming Berry Pie. When pressed for her secret, Sunday merely winked and said, "My lips are sealed!" First place medal in hand, Sunday was awarded with a free meal for four at The Sour Lemon and a year-long membership to ExerCity. "To work off the sugar," she joked.

"You know," commented Xavier Silverstein, who hosted the event at his restaurant, "You would think it would be the flashier desserts that would get the most points. I really like that it didn't go as expected."

We asked the newly adopted Penny Abbott what she thought about her new Nana's layer cake.

"Can we have bake-offs every week?"

I know that top picture doesn't fit completely, but I'm too lazy to fix it right now. :P Maybe later.

News updates

• More news in Lemon Creek! We now have a Downtown area! We incorporated Pepper Ridge, a nearby buzzing nightlife district, and now all residents of Pepper Ridge are Lemon Creek residents. Welcome to the Cooper and Flax families! (Link leads to info at the Resident directory)
• Along with new families comes new community lots. ExerCity, Cup-a-cino, Pepper Ridge Roller Rink, and Johnny's Diner are just a few of the destinations Lemon Creek's residents can now visit.
• Penny Rivera aged into a child during a quiet family birthday party at the orphanage. The Rivera's were quite nervous because it is harder for a child to be adopted than a toddler, however Claire Abbott has requested adoption of Penny and has been approved.
• Rose Abbott's brush with death is now over. She is feeling much better after a dangerous brush with pneumonia, but is back on her feet running things at Abbott Farms.