Nine!

This handsome boy turned nine in September!

He is such a fun kid to be around. He has a funny sense of humor, he loves, loves, loves reading and Legos. He loves to be with his friends and goof around and invent games. He is thoughtful and sensitive and kind. He loves playing games of all kinds... video games, board games, iPhone and iPad games, word games, logic games, riddles, math games, you name it, he loves games.  He also loves the Disney show "Phineas and Ferb" and the rest of us love it too.

I made some Perry the Platypus cupcakes for his soccer team and for our family gathering. We were so excited that some of our family members could come and celebrate with us! On Coleman's birthday Ryan made colorful pancakes (and carried on the Phineas and Ferb theme) and later in the week Coleman invited a few friends over for a late-night. I did my best to make Phineas' and Ferb's heads for the cake and we had to have another Perry to go along with them...

We are so grateful to have Coleman as a part of our family... he brings so much happiness to our family!

(Stay tuned for more Phineas and Ferb excitement in the coming months...)

Let Him Eat Cake

Happy birthday to Ryan!!! Today was all about cake (isn't that what birthdays are all about?)...

Waffles for breakfast (which if we are honest are really just cake with yummy buttermilk syrup or strawberries and cream on top... and some of ours were even double chocolate waffles)...

We went to lunch and I took some cupcakes to his work buddies...

...and he came home to his very own cake. Pure deliciousness (to him at least!).

We also went to our cute niece and cousin's birthday celebration and had yummy cake push pops and ice cream with her family...

...so this beauty might have to be eaten another day :).

Despite all the talk of cake, Ryan's birthday is really about celebrating what a wonderful guy he is. I am so lucky to have him as my partner in this adventure of life. He is an amazing dad, a hard worker, and a kind and generous person who makes our lives so much better.

Happy birthday, Ryan!

**What kind of cake do you like for your birthday?

Being Eight is Great!

This handsome boy turned eight today! He said all day long how he was "so spoiled, but the good kind" and when I asked him why he felt spoiled he said, "You know, all the presents, all the love..." I love this kid!

Last weekend we took him with two of his buddies to Trafalga to celebrate and they had a great time!

Today he got his very own set of scriptures, some cool new stuff for Scouts which he gets to start on Wednesday, and an awesome Star Wars retro lunch box.

Olivia made him a wallet and gave him a book too!

I loved this expression on his face when he opened his gift from Ryan's parents. He is so enthusiastic and happy and grateful for things that people do for him.

We let the kids choose their birthday breakfast and dinner. For breakfast we had colored pancakes (we put different colors of pancake batter in squirt bottles and draw pictures or write words with the batter... it's pretty labor intensive, but the kids love it). For dinner he wanted a variation on his all-time favorite (homemade mac and cheese) that he thinks is as gourmet as it comes. We had cheese fondue... cheese sauce and lots of dippers--carrots, celery, noodles, crusty french bread, steamed broccoli, and the best of all HOT DOGS! So glad we could eat something healthy from all of the food groups :). The kids loved it though, and felt very fancy dipping their food in their own little dishes of cheese sauce with a fondue fork.

He had visits from Grandma Jan and Grandpa Gee Gee (but we didn't grab a picture, darn it!) and from Grandma and Grandpa Stover, calls from the other grandparents and lots of his aunts, and fun cards and gifts in the mail. People were good to this good boy. I am so grateful he came to our family eight years ago!

My First Wedding Cake

Okay, so I didn't really make this cake, but my dear friend Carrie Beth let me "help" with it. That means that I got to put on a few of the fondant dots and paint on the edible sparkle dust. CB just graduated Le Cordon Bleu California School of Culinary Arts and got her diploma in Patisserie and Baking. Impressed? I am! She came home to Utah this last week for her sister Mollie's wedding and let me watch in awe as she decorated this cake that she made. Not sure I am ready to do my a cake on my own, but if we can get Carrie Beth to move back here and open up her own bakery, I sure want to be considered as an apprentice. At least I could do "product control" and help with taste testing, right? And if you didn't know, fondant looks lovely, but tastes HORRIBLE! Here's to baking and decorating!