My Family

My Family
Summer 2015

Monday, January 28, 2013

Lucas's 9th Birthday

We actually went with a theme that was NOT Firetrucks...Shocking...really....
Peter got all of the Star Wars movies on Blue Ray for Christmas from my mom.  So, over the past several weeks, he and Lucas have watched all of them bit by bit.  So when it came to be party time, he gave me choices this year...SOOO cool!  cuz I already "did" the....Firetruck  thing last year.
I decided light sabers needed to be part of the theme.  I searched online but couldn't quite find what I wanted for a cake, so I picked and chose from different ideas and then eventually things morphed into this...

1 recipe of Rice Krispy Squares shaped into the top of a light saber...easy...
Then wrapped in Fruit roll ups...easy ---problem here...I could not find any color of fruit roll up other than red and YES I know that's the bad guys!  Someone mentioned I could have tried a "natural food" store.  Ah yes, probably.  Didn't think of that and Aldi had the cheapest ones anyway...


I cut the ends off each one to make a flat surface before assembling

 After getting slightly frustrated with what the handle would look like and not being able to make it look right with Rice Krispy bars, I was walking through Target and saw "Swiss Rolls" by Little Debbie.  I took a double take and thought..."those are just the right size"...but they are brown.  bummer.  I took them anyway just in case.
Then I went to WalMart.  And ta da....I went to the cake decorating section and just about screamed when I found this.....



SOOOOOO Cool!
Food Spray paint.  Who knew?  (well most cake decorators I suppose, but I didn't know)
I also got some tube black frosting to decorate with.
Then when I was assembling, Peter came home and suggested I put skewers through them as support because boys would want to hold them like "real" light sabers.  
(I had visions of chunks flying all over the house, but hey...it was a good idea)
 some assembly pics.

 I used the black frosting and a tip to decorate the handles--very simply.  The white "buttons" are white tic tacs.  Told you I was a simplton.
The cake was....drum roll please....2 BOXED mixes...because by the time I was done with the light sabers I was a bit "done"...lol
I did freeze it overnight so it would be easier to decorate.
Then put a watery buttercream frosting on top.
Then rolled out white Fondant (Walmart!! yes!) for the top. (1 box for a 1/2 sheet cake)
The letters are made of a black "sugar sheet"--also found at WalMart--Isaac (my 17 year old) created and cut out the stencil for me.
 And TaDa.....Here is the end result.  He liked it although he totally noticed it only had one color of light sabers on it.  He notices everything...=)  But, he was happy.


On his actual birthday (Saturday the 26th) we went to Station 24 (I will link it here when I get that post together) with Isaac.  That was a special part of the day.  Then we went to a movie (groupon deal) at Studio Movie Grill -- that place is pretty cool---we saw Parental Guidance . A few "beeps" but overall a pretty funny movie.  I caught myself laughing out loud several times.  Then to Lucas's favorite buffet restaurant--Sydney Buffet.  SOOOO good!  He pigged out on these weird sweet black bean paste filled sesame "donut" things.  I have no idea how many he ate but he LOVES them! very Chinese!

The next day (27th) we went to church and then he had his "party".
First, we went to SkyZone which we are blessed to live about 1 mile from.  The kids had a blast jumping and running and going bonkers for about an hour.

The crazy boy:





Jack

 Elise

 Jack and David
 Logan
 Alex
 Grant
 Paul (poor guy was sick)
 ISN'T this COOL?  This is his little friend Nathan who is Lucas's age and is a TaeKwonDo Black Belt.  Caught him mid air looking like he's just sittin' around hangin' out....AMAZING!

 Jake---yes, he made it all the way around and did a safe flip...

 Emma
 Christine

The whole gang

 Then back to our house for pizza, cake n ice cream, and presents 

 some serious conversation goin' on here.
 and then the light saber battles ensued...(cuz of course he got light sabers for gifts you see)






 
 "Happy Birthday To You"....









 sweet Hannah ... so much fun!




and This is my crazy momma picture...good night peoples!  It's time to be done now...

I just have to add this funny moment that happened regarding this picture today...(the day after the party).
I was looking at this picture and Isaac (the 17 year old teenager) was standing next to me.
I jokingly said "I kind of like this picture of me"  (totally JOKING!)...
And he said, "Do you love you as much as I love me?  Really" cuz that's a lot!"
He honestly thought I was admiring myself--and apparently as much as HE admires "himself".
We laughed SOOOO hard together.  It was completely hysterical!  He was laughing as hard as I was.
Then he said, "no, seriously....do you?"
That made me laugh even harder.  I almost cried!
Then, one more round, "No dude (that's me by the way) I know I'm better than everyone--that's just how it works"....
we both were practically on the floor.
Love both my boys.  They bring me joy and laughter--and sometimes a tad bit of insanity...as can be seen by the picture above.

Happy Birthday to my dear 9 year old.
So hard to believe we are at that 1/2 way mark with him when we've only known him just about 2 years.  I feel somewhat cheated on that one.  But, as can be seen by my facial expression, maybe it's better for everyone that he only has another 9 years in our house...lol

Thursday, January 24, 2013

Happy Birthday Jacob--age 15--

Yesterday would have been Jacob's 15th birthday.
So weird really.
I don't think about it everyday, yet I think I carry him with me everyday.  Is that possible?

I was thinking about his sweet young life yesterday and what an honor it was to be his momma.  Oh my goodness he was a huge boy and full of life and craziness.  Stubborn, yet loving and helpful.  Here is just a little view of our precious boy's short life....

4 months old
(right around 19 lbs I think)

22 Months

2 1/2

4?

December 2002
about 5 days post surgery/diagnosis
about to start treatment
almost 5 years old

midway through treatment
age 5 1/2
Daddy shaved his head so they could be 
Baldies together

Disney Make A Wish Cruise 
February 2004
age 6

lost his first tooth on the Disney Cruise =)
 
 hittin' the waves (a tad chilly)

Can I just say Cancer Sucks?
Yet, we know that in and through it all God was working.  Never once did we feel forsaken or abandoned by God.
We felt pain.  We longed for things to be different.  We prayed for miracles.  We loved him so much.  But, God's plan was different than what we thought to be best.  Hard.  Yes, hard to say my plan to hold onto him was not His plan.

This many years later, (he died April 29, 2004-age 6) I can see how God opened our hearts and family to welcoming Lucas.  I'm not sure we would have been open had Jacob survived or never gotten sick.  That's really hard to admit.  When you feel you have life all figured out and you are "done"...just be careful...because God may want you open to something else..something that may be hard and make you uncomfortable.

Our journey with Lucas is also a hard journey.  We can see how much God has done to transform this orphan into a member of our family.  But, that doesn't mean it is an easy road.  God never promised "easy".  He just said cling to ME!  So that's what we will continue to do.

So we remember.  We cherish.  We continue to love.
To God Alone Be the Glory Forever and Ever...AMEN!

Happy 15th Birthday Jacob son!