Happy Birthday Hayden!

I had so much fun making this cake! It was a lot of prep work, but putting it together was so much fun. I think I had the Super Mario Bros theme song going through my mind the whole time...and the sound of gathering all the coins. I'm sure we all played this game so much those sound effects are etched in our memory forever. Go ahead and sing the song to yourself as you look at the pics!

Hayden didn't know if he was getting a pirate cake or a super mario cake, but he was hoping for super mario brothers. His face is priceless!! Seeing the look on his face when he saw the cake makes all the time and hard work worth it :) Better than money any day!




Love the pictures?! Head on over to The Mom Tog Diaries or Hana Lynch Photography Blog and check out Hana's photos. She takes awesome pics so check her out!!

Thanks Hana for the opportunity to make Hayden's birthday cake and also for sharing your amazing photos with me! Can't wait to make cakes for the girls next year :)

Happy Birthday Elle!

Happy Birthday to Elle...she's such an adorable little one year old :) I loved doing this cake because it was designed like Max's cake I did this year for his 2nd birthday :) Modern and cute to go with any party theme :) Bottom tier is strawberry and the top tier is white cake...all with white buttercream icing and fondant decorations.


One more birthday cake next week to finish out October...I'll be back next week with pictures of a Mario Bros. cake...should be fun to make!

Happy Birthday Nate-Dog!!

Happy Birthday Nate!! I love you like one of my own!

Nate's cowboy birthday cake. Chocolate cake with chocolate chip cream cheese filling. YUMMO!!! All fondant decorations...the cowboy hat is made out of rice crispy treats then covered with fondant :)

We had such a great time at Nate's party last weekend...enjoying some wonderful weather, riding on the four wheeler, roasting hot dogs, hayride, the pinata and good food...and cake of course :) Here are a few pics of the party and cake :)



Being crazy as always! They definitely keep Melissa and I laughing!!


Max roasting his very own hot dog!!

Happy 60th Birthday Dad!

Happy Birthday Dad!! Special for my dad...a fishing cake to represent not only one of his favorite past times, but also because we have so many great memories fishing and camping with my dad growing up. He's the best and I believe could catch a brook trout in a mud puddle! So...when I decided to make his birthday cake...nothing else seemed fitting. I had a blast making this cake and even got a little help from my sister with making the fish. She molded the fish and did an AWESOME job and we painted him together. I think everything turned out great and I'm so glad he enjoyed his cake!! I love you dad! Happy 60th old man!!!

The flavor was lemon cake with raspberry filling. I'll definitely do that again...it might be one of my favorites!

Yes..the fish is big, but it's fitting for his humor. If I could have made an expression bubble above his head it would have said, "They're NEVER going to believe this one!"...the old fisherman tale of the one that got away...

Sweet boys....

After church today we were driving home to get Brody and go on their promised picnic while we had a house showing today (YEAH!! cross your fingers!). Here's the conversation Aiden and I had in the short drive home...

Aiden: How does God make the road and cars?


me: well...He shows us what we need and how to make the roads for Him (we're His hands and feet).


Aiden: oh. I think I will pray for God and thank Him.


me: that's a great idea!.


Aiden: Thank you God for all the things You make and the things people make. Thank you God for all the roads and cars we use. Thank you God for the people that make quilts and cakes. Thank you God. Amen.


Max: Amen God!


So cute! I think the quilts and cake comment was from the conversation we had yesterday how we all do different things and make different things. But in the midst of the conversation today it was so random :) And Max yelling Amen God at the end made me literally laugh out loud.

Oh...and apparently Aiden learned about Adam and Eve today. When I had him tell me the story...he told me that the reason God didn't want Adam and Eve to eat the apple was because he didn't want them to be smart. hahaha!! We had to review the story and point out that the 'snake in the tree' was not being nice and telling them lies :) But at least I know Aiden is listening in Sunday school...he had the rest of the story right :)

Have a great Sunday!
rachel

Communication is Key!!

So here we are...our fourth full day without daddy at home and so far so good! The hardest part is not being able to just pick up the phone and call and say 'Hey'. After a few days the cadets were able to 'earn' phone privileges and it appears he will have time to call at 8 p.m. every night. AWESOME! A little communication each night will go SUCH a long way! I just talked to Justin an hour or so ago and he mentioned that today was the hardest yet in regards to homesickness. Everything else is to be expected, but the homesickness is really bad at the moment. Apparently he has trouble talking about the boys and me without tearing up...so please keep him in your prayers that he can get through this initial stage of adjustment. I realize that I have the easy part in all of this. I get to hug and kiss my boys each and every day! Yes...they are busy and trying at times but after talking to him I would gladly take this part of the deal any day of the week. 2 weeks in Europe was tough...but to be away from them while being yelled at, sleep deprived and sensory overload (as he put it)...I can't even imagine. So first off...please keep him in your prayers.

Second...here are a few comments about his first few days that I have gathered in our short and rushed phone conversations:

1) LOTS of push ups :) He said he was doing push ups in his dress suit within 5 minutes of arriving!

2) The class started with 175 (give or take a few that probably didn't show up). The class reported on Sept. 19th and as of Sept. 21st they were down to 149. Today another quit for medical reasons so that makes 148. However, 0 have quit from his platoon (there are 3 platoons). Funniest thing...he said a few people quit in the parking lot when they reported!

3) In his words...it is an OCD paradise! He couldn't go into huge detail about how they must keep all their belongings, but right now he is overwhelmed with all the details of how to fold, iron, hang, walk, eat, speak, etc. I do know they must measure where they put their shoes under their bed and it took him over 30 minutes to make his bed the other day. Hmmm...I don't know about you, but if I spent more than 3 minutes on my bed I would be crazy!

4) Good news! He got a great roommate. That was a big relief! The funny part is that his roommate's name is Derrick! That must be a lucky name for him since Derrick was his zone partner for years at HPPD :)

5) They have been doing A LOT of cleaning! Apparently the facilities haven't been cleaned since the last class over a year ago...so they are the lucky cadets that get to scrub everything. So he went from helping me scrub baseboards here to scrubbing baseboards there. Hmmm...I wonder if they can teach him how to load the dishwasher while he's there?? I wonder if they take suggestion cards? No...that would be too obvious...he would know that came from me :)

6) Running started today and it went well. Ironically...running was probably the hardest part for him when he went through the academy for HPPD and could very possibly be the easiest part for him in PA!

well....I'm sure he's told me more and I will think of other things along the way, but today has been very long! I'm off to bed so I can be ready for my little rug rats tomorrow :)

Last but not least...I want to thank everyone for checking in on my this week :) It really has helped me not feel so lonely. Thank you all very much!! Have a wonderful week!

rachel

Labor Day Weekend Fun!!

YEAH!!! Four day weekend...woo hoo!!! A long weekend came just in time for us to have some time to finish some projects and play outside with the boys in the AWESOME weather!!! While Brody did this...


We did a little 'pre' labor day painting. Aiden helped Daddy out with painting the mailbox post...


He's a pretty good painter!!! The mailbox looked great!


And I painted the master bathroom....
Here's the 'BEFORE'. Sorry...I forgot to take a picture of it before they took the fixtures down. It has been this red shade since we bought the house. It's not a true representation of the color...but good enough. I loved the color, but it did make it look a little small.

And here's the 'AFTER' :) Since we're selling, I picked a nice neutral shade of light sage green. I hope the buyers like it! I have painted with about every type of paint...this time I picked Martha Stewart because I liked the color. I wasn't all too happy with it. It had globs of paint all through it! Sorry Martha...I normally like you, but I'll have to pass on your paint in the future.

Don't mind the messy sink...I still have to finish my cleaning :)


And I worked on Aiden's quilt!! I had 8 rows all laid out in this pic...but now I have 10....I hope to finish laying out all the pieces tonight. The quilt will have 12 rows when its all said and done. I am LOVING it!!

On top of all this I baked 5 cakes and made 9 batches of icing. I have a wedding cake coming up this weekend and it will serve 250 people. Lots of cake and icing!!

And let's not forget about little Max! We all had such a great time enjoying the awesome weather. I can tell fall is right around the corner...my favorite season!!!

This used to be Justin's shirt when he was little. It really is the perfect shirt for Max. He's becoming so stubborn...it's funny at times and sooo frustrating at others. But I wouldn't change him one bit...it's his personality and I love him for it! I'm so thankful for both my boys and lucky that God chose me to be their mommy :)

I hope everyone is having a great Labor Day weekend!!