Pictures for Daddy and Grandma :)

Hot Pink Cake, the Number Two and Naked Marshmallow

This past weekend we celebrated Emma's 2nd birthday!  I know that you always hear parents talk about how fast your children grow up...but seriously, I can't believe it has been two years since she was born!  I love my girl!!!
We decided to do something a little different this year.  Last year we had a great first birthday party. However, I just wasn't in the mood to plan anything this year and wanted something a little more low-key and laid back.
So here's how we spent Emma's birthday this year...


Friday night I began to bake her cake.  Every time we would mention that her birthday was coming up she would talk about cake.  And when we would ask her what kind of cake she wanted she would say, "a hot pink cake." SO, Friday night I had this grand idea that I was going to make a rainbow cake with pink icing.  I must admit I was secretly looking forward to cutting open the cake and everyone oooing and ahhhing over how beautiful and awesome the inside of the cake was. Well, long story short I am NOT a cake maker (Angie if you are reading this please look past the next picture...it is SO embarassing!). Pride goeth before a fall eh'!? :) I have no idea what happened. None whatsoever.  I greased my pan.... I waited for the cake to cool.... I attempted to remove the cake from the pan... and THIS is what it looked like after I tried to reassemble it.










Absolutely the worst cake I have ever seen in my life! The next morning Emma woke up and asked for "Hot pink cake" for her breakfast :) So I just gave her a bowl of the rainbow scraps and she was just as happy.    

She opened a few presents...

 Then we headed off to IHOP for something a little more substantial than rainbow cake scraps

Just a little side note: we were so blessed to have Emma's Aunt Bekka, Nan and Pop join us for all of the birthday fun!

After a DELICIOUS breakfast at IHOP we headed to the Aquarium.

 

Emma's favorite part of the aquarium was the otter exhibit.  They had it set up where the otters swim right up to the glass.  She sat there for quite awhile while they swam back and forth!

 

After the aquarium we headed home for an afternoon of naps. Actually, the kids took naps and I attempted to make another cake for the celebration supper :)  And...again, still not sure what happened but the cake kept falling apart when I tried to remove it from the pan.  Bekka and I were able to to "glue" it back together with frosting.  It's amazing what three jars of frosting and pack of sprinkles can do :)  For Emma's birthday supper I made her favorites... Homeade Mac n' Cheese and Brats. Yum yum ;)

 

At the aquarium Emma's Nan told her she could pick out a stuffed animal for her birthday.  They walked around the shop and Nan would suggest different animals but Emma would just look at them and put them back.  When Nan picked up the otter Emma grabbed it and and decided that was the one.
Back at home as I was laying Emma down for her nap I was talking to her about her new stuffed otter.  I told her that we needed to come up with a name for her otter.  Here's how the conversation went:

Me: You need to think of a name for your otter.  What do you want to call him?
Emma: Ummmm... Naked!
Me: No...we are not going to call your otter "Naked." Think of another name.
Emma: Ummm... Marshmallow!

So... the otter's name is now officially Marshmallow.  :)  He can thank me now or thank me later that his name isn't Naked!

We had such a great day celebrating Emma's life! :) I am so blessed to be the mommy of such an amazing little girl!!!

Hope everyone is having a great beginning of your week!

Budgets and Lists

Pictures from Emma's birthday are coming soon!  I'm spending my Sunday evening doing the budget and make a grocery list for the week!  As nerdy as it sounds I am looking forward to doing both! :)  Does anybody else LOVE to budget and make lists?  Give me some paper, a pen and a calculator and I am in heaven!
So... check back tomorrow night and I will hopefully have a birthday post up!
Hope everybody had a great weekend!

He knows

Matthew 11:28, ""Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest."

This morning was church...it was so refreshing to be in the Lord's house!  Even though the service was refreshing my heart is heavy for those around me who are hurting.  My friend who lost her unborn baby two weeks ago came to church this morning.  It was heartbreaking.  There was a special worship group that came to our church this morning and they had written a special song for a friend of theirs that had miscarried.  God knew that my friend would be coming back to church this Sunday...and He also knew that this particular group would be there this Sunday with a song that had been written for someone who had miscarried. I'm so thankful for a God who cares about even the littlest details of our lives.

Hope everybody is enjoying their Sunday with their families!

Three day weekend and Peanut Butter Crunch Cake

Yay for the weekend!  I'll be honest I had no idea we were headed into a three day weekend until this afternoon at four when Melissa informed me of it when she was picking up Macey!  WOOHOO! 
Last night I made the tastiest cake for Travis to bring to work.  I know it's tasty because my mom has made this cake for years.  It's a go-to recipe when you're needing something delicious yet fast!  And it's relatively inexpensive as well!  It's called Peanut Butter Crunch Cake.  I just googled the recipe (because I'm to lazy to get off the couch to walk to the kitchen to get it! sad but true :)  ) and apparently it's a Jif Peanut Butter Recipe.  Yum yum!  You should make it for your family to enjoy this weekend! 

*Just a side note on the recipe... my Mom and I always omit the peanut butter chips and replace them with the same amount of semi-sweet chocolate chips.  And we've never used peanuts on it either...I'm sure it would be tasty though!

*I don't have a picture of the peanut butter crunch cake... so I thought a picture of Colty would be just as nice:)

Have a great weekend everybody!

PEANUT BUTTER CRUNCH CAKE

Ingredients

	•	1 pkg. yellow cake mix
	•	1 cup peanut butter
	•	½ cup packed brown sugar
	•	1 cup water
	•	3 eggs
	•	¼ cup vegetable oil
	•	1/3 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
	•	1/3 cup peanut butter flavored chips
	•	1 cup chopped peanuts

Directions

	•	In a large mixing bowl, beat cake mix, peanut butter and brown sugar on low speed until crumbly.
	•	Set aside ½ cup of mixture.
	•	Add water, eggs and oil to remaining crumb mixture.
	•	Blend on low speed until moistened.
	•	Beat on high 2 minutes, batter will be smooth.
	•	Stir into the batter, ¼ cup each of the chocolate and peanut butter chips.
	•	Pour into greased 9 x 13” pan.
	•	Combine peanuts, reserved crumb mixture and remaining chips. Sprinkle over batter.
	•	Bake at 350 degrees in oven for 40 to 45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool completely