BIRTHDAY NEWS!

Boo turned ELEVEN!!!
Here's her on her new bike -

and her friends at her sewing birthday party -

the girls made yarn octupus dolls (assisted by Grandma L) and sewed together pillowcases.

My Birthday

Happy Birthday to me. Last week I turned 38! I think I'm going to have to start wearing make-up and using wrinkle cream and all that stuff. I don't look 20 any more.

The kids went shopping at Gateway with DH. They got me some books, a bowl (kind of sad that I'm really excited about getting a bowl for my birthday, but I really needed a good bowl that was big enough to mix stuff in) and they got me kitchen towels.

I got to go out for dinner with some good friends on my birthday. It was ladies night out. My mother-in-law pointed out that I would be able to eat my meal while it was still hot, and not have to clean up afterwards. It was very nice.

Happy Thanksgiving!

I am thankful for so many things but I am not going to post about them. I have love-love-loved reading about stuff that everyone else is thankful for.

I am going to mention a few posts that I've meant to write about but haven't -

Post #1 - Boo had surgery. She was brave. She had a big hairy nevus (that's a mole) from the back of her hand removed. We paid lots of bucks for a plastic surgeon to do it hoping that she will have less scarring. She had 21 stitches all of which dissolve except one long one that the surgeon took out last week.

Post #2 - Little B turned 5. I made two cakes (one for family and one for friends). Dirt Bike cake and a fish bowl cake. Thanks K for helping me out with them. B had great fun and was especially excited about his hot wheels cars and track. Ever since his birthday he keeps telling me how he can do things now that he is 5. I think he has decided that his muscles are bigger too. Also, he got a medal at gymnastics for learning how to do a cartwheel. Go B!

Post #3 - My DH turned 40! We sent him on a scavenger hunt (which required me to figure out how to use the GPS). The clues led him to his presents which included a weekend getaway with me. (Thanks Mom and Dad for babysitting).

He hasn't even done anything crazy like a mid-life crisis thing or anything! He teased about jumping out of an airplane (with a parachute of course), but I don't think he feels 40 so why go freaking out about it.

Did I mention that I dragged him to see New Moon on his birthday weekend getaway? I liked the movie much better than Twilight. It was action packed so I think DH liked it too. Baby E did NOT like the werewolves and started fussing everytime they started growling. Freaked her out.

The scariest thought occurred to me yesterday. I was driving the kids home from school. I was behind a boat. Not a real boat, just one of those old cars that are so long that you call it a boat. It was a Crown Victoria - I think - anyway, there were three teenagers in the front and one teenager in the back, then they pulled up to the school and in went three elementary age kids. No seatbelts! At the next light the teenagers have the windows rolled down

yes it is cold here, no I don't know why the windows were rolled down except so they could yell out the window and wave and generally make a spectacle of themselves

then the light turns green and they peel out and I'm thinking wow I wonder if their parents know they are driving so nuts, and then I realize that my oldest is 14 years old and in two years he is going to be driving and then I get really scared. How am I going to know if he is being a good driver when I'm not around? What if he does goofy showing off kinds of things or races his friends like I did in high school (don't tell him, oh and sorry mom).

Now I'm really really scared!

Now I'm really thankful that my son isn't old enough to drive.

I'm not sure what to blog about. I've reached a point where I'm just playing catch up with my blog/journal. Too much has happened and I don't have time to go on about it. Maybe a quick recap:

• Watched laundry pile up after washing machine died.
• Little B and S found a new favorite past time - riding their dump trucks down the slope in our backyard. Okay, now they have graduated to riding their dump trucks down our steep driveway and all the way across the street. Little B jumps out of his seconds before the truck hits the curb. FYI - I make them wear their helmets and try not to swallow my stomach during their kamikaze shenanigans. I know, I'm the cool mom.
• Hiked the Y with the kids. (It was soooo hard, I was sore for days afterwards, but I felt like I had accomplished something so it was worth it.) Notice that none of the pics have my oldest son in them. He bailed out a 1/4 of the way up the mountain - I have given up trying to get him to like hiking.

• Washed dishes by hand after our dishwasher died (bonding family time?!)

• Bought a used washing machine from our neighbor that works great!
• Labored on Labor Day canning peaches and salsa.


• Received anonymous gift of dishwasher (answer to my prayers - thank you to the generous person(s) who helped our family in this way. I plan to pay it forward in the future.)
• Had 6 of the 8 in our family checked for strep throat. Only Little B came out positive.
• Took my tearn teaching preschool.
• Instituted a new token system to regulate media time with kids!
• Boo turned 10. The kids all helped decorate the cake. Boo and I went shopping at Gateway. Her favorite place is Build-a-Bear.
  
• Went to the pet store for a preschool fieldtrip. Little B held a guinea pig and a ferret, pet a chinchilla, and fed a tortoise. He loved it!


• Had my thyroid checked again. I have to go back on medication :(
• Ran out of tokens to give the kids.
• Brandon Mull book signing - We had all of our Fablehaven books signed by the author.
• Car race - DH took G to the races.
• Our microwave died (I see a pattern developing).
• My DH and I are having a mid life crisis - one word . . . teenager!
• Received a new microwave from my mom and dad! Wow! Thanks mom.
• Reading all of the "Ranger's Apprentice" books I can get my hands on.
• Put the baby in the bike trailer and got some exercise yesterday. Gotta love endorphins.
• My torn abdominal muscle is healing. I'm going to try Yoga next week.

That's it for now. Thanks for reading my blurb.

Look Who's Eight!

January is a busy month for us. We have another birthday to celebrate. Our third oldest is turning eight years old! We are so pleased with his to decision to be baptized at the end of this month.

This little guy had a rough start in life. He came 29 days early and weighed in at a whopping 6 pounds 12 ounzes (big for a preemie). His lungs were underdeveloped and required a ventilator to keep him breathing. He had more wires and tubing sticking out of him than I could bare. It was sobering to see him laying there in his tiny isolette with all that medical equipment keeping him alive. The ventilator was only needed for about 24 hours. He made small improvements over the next three days, and then he really started thriving. There were many trips back and forth to the hospital to nurse and hold my baby. 6 days later, he was ready to come home. We had to keep him on oxygen for another week, but I was so happy to be able to bring him home, I didn't care what he needed.

This picture was taken just before they whisked him off to put him on the ventilator.This picture was taken probably about 3 weeks after he was born.
He didn't stay little for long. He is probably only 5 weeks old in this picture. He was getting downright chunky!

At Rocky Mountain National Park - This is our family's favorite place to play. What a cutie!

This is G with his big brother at his uncle's wedding. Doesn't he look cute in that tuxedo? His last day of kindergarten with his friend (who's also getting baptized on the same day)Last summer at Bryce Canyon -
His loves to earn money and spend it on frivolous things. (Last week he spent $5 on rocks!) He is playing Junior Jazz Basketball right now and having a blast. He loves to spend time outdoors. It doesn't matter if it's summer or winter. He just loves to be hiking or sledding or biking. I think he will love skiing when we get around to teaching him.

We love you kiddo!

Look who's two!

Right now he's a "terrible two" but we love him so much anyway!
His first day here -
Here he is in his blessing outfit -

They grow so fast!He always has a smile -
Occasionally he acts shy, but he is mostly an outgoing, rowdy, sweet little boy. We are hoping that he starts talking soon. His favorite things are: his blanket and pillow, his cell phone, my cell phone, the camera, and anything else electronic that is off limits, playing outside, climbing on the counter, turning the water on and off, digging in the dirt, throwing things, tickling, and peeling bananas.

Happy Birthday Little Man!

The making of Boo's birthday cake -

I had so much fun making this cake -

I've never done anything with fondant before, but my niece inspired me when she made two gorgeous cakes for her daughter's 1st birthday and her sister's baby shower. I decided to try it out - with a back-up plan to get a cake at WalMart when I failed.

I made 4 - 9" round cakes from a couple of mixes (I only needed 3 but each mix made 2 - I have an extra unfrosted layer if anyone needs it!) I cooled the cakes and wrapped them in plastic wrap and put them in the fridge overnight. I made the fondant next. A found this Butter-Cream Fondant recipe for me at allrecipes.com. I doubled it for fear that I'd run out. In hindsight, I think I could have done it with a single recipe. I put it in the fridge overnight too. The next day, I leveled the cakes and frosted each layer with a light layer of store bought frosting. This gives the fondant something to stick to.

Now the fun begins! I rolled out the fondant and cut out the shapes I needed.

I couldn't believe how easy this came together. Boo did all the stars, dots, and the face of the moon.

It even looked pretty when we cut into it!

Boo's birthday party theme was a late night pajama party! Here's her invites (Thanks grandma L for helping with those).

I can't wait for the next birthday!