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Happy Birthday!!!

Two big days this month, Anna now TEN on March 2nd and Chris 30 something on the 11th.

Anna has a pretty quiet day on the actual birthday as many siblings had throwing up so we stayed home from church and she and I made a yellow cake with chocolate frosting from scratch, and then her favorite Navajo tacos which we usualyy only make once a year on this her special day. She had a fun birthday party with duckpin bowling and arcade games and the Family Fun center up the road, Chris as chaperone with 16 kids!! She got so many nice gifts...FIVE webkinz, $50 in Claire's cards, a gift card to the movie theater, and lots more!!

For Chris' day we went out to Memphis Blues, wiht kids so it really was not a birthday gift b/c they can get a bit crazy and we don't always practice our patience so it makes ....blah, blah!

The next day I finished the Black Forest Cake and he got his meal of choice meatloaf, potatoes & lima beans. Anna is the only one who will eat meatloaf, she is so not picky (only disliking tomatoes) which is nice. We did not get him a gift because what could we get for the man who has everything??? Actually he got a Johnny Cash 3 CD set!! I wish I could appreciate his music. Here is the recipe for the Black Forest cake:

2 1/8 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups white sugar
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
3 eggs
1 cup milk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 (20 ounce) cans pitted sour cherries
1 cup white sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 cups heavy whipping cream
1/3 cup confectioners' sugar

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour two 9 inch, round, cake pans; cover bottoms with waxed paper.
In a large bowl, combine flour, 2 cups sugar, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add eggs, milk, oil, and 1 tablespoon vanilla; beat until well blended. Pour batter into prepared pans.
Bake for 35 minutes, or until wooden toothpick inserted in centers comes out clean. Cool layers in pans on wire racks 10 minutes. Loosen edges, and remove to racks to cool completely.
Drain cherries, reserving 1/2 cup juice. Combine reserved juice, cherries, 1 cup sugar and cornstarch in a 2 quart saucepan. Cook over low heat until thickened, stirring constantly. Stir in 1 teaspoon vanilla. Cool before using.
Combine whipping cream and confectioner's sugar in a chilled medium bowl. Beat with an electric mixer at high speed until stiff peaks form.
With long serrated knife, split each cake layer horizontally in half. Tear one split layer into crumbs; set aside. Reserve 1 1/2 cups Frosting for decorating cake; set aside. Gently brush loose crumbs off top and side of each cake layer with pasty brush or hands. To assemble, place one cake layer on cake plate. Spread with 1 cup frosting; top with 3/4 cup cherry topping. Top with second cake layer; repeat layers of frosting and cherry topping. Top with third cake layer. Frost side of cake. Pat reserved crumbs onto frosting on side of cake. Spoon reserved frosting into pastry bag fitted with star decorator tip. Pipe around top and bottom edges of cake. Spoon remaining cherry topping onto top of cake.
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funny things

As I am cleaning the kitchen for the zillioneth time...
Jakob: Hey mom
Me: What is that sweet darling (that sweet darling I added to sound like a loving mom)
Jakob: pretty soon you are not going to have to work so hard to clean around here
Me: really, why?
Jakob: because I am going to buy one of those robot cleaning things (ROOMBA), it just goes around the house cleaning it all day and you have to do is feed it.

riding in the car:
Jakob: Hey mom, can we have a yard sale?
Me: why? Do you want some money?
Jakob: Yes, I want to sell this guitar (the one he brings on trips with his harmonica for our private concerts) and buy a rock star guitar instead
Me: well first you need to learn to play some songs on the one you already have
Jakob: I already do(matter-a-factly)
Me: WHat are they?
Jakob: Dingle Bells and Barney's Clapping song (???)

as I am doing my exercise DVD:
Jakob: mom, you don't need to do all that to get your pounds off...
Me: I don't?
Jakob: No, I saw this pill on t.v. where this mom and dad got all big and then they took a pill and they got small real fast. You should get some of those. (Gas-X?)

tune in for photos by Jakob next time!

Pioneer Girl

Here is a cute picture of Emma last year dressed up for her "One Room School House" field trip. Emma really likes the Little House on the Prairie books and all things pioneer, probably not just in theory as she enjoys the outside stuff with Chris, the gardening, yard work, chickens, etc. She and her friend Paige play "pioneer" often when they get together. This was my dress when I was a little girl...I will try to put a picture of me up at a later time. I wore it in my first grade picture. She would love a washboard and small clothesline as a gift Grandma.

The BathRoom

I thought I would post some pictures of Chris' latest home improvement project...as you can see the pink and green 60's bathroom had some bigger issues than just being unattractive. Rotten sub-flooring, peeling ceiling (you cannot see that in the picture). We talked for months about the need for a change and one night, he just started chipping off the old tiles. No turning back! He took out a closet to give the room a more spacious feel:) Wainscotting hid the remnants of tile stuff without having to put up new sheetrock. We got $35 for the old cast iron tub at the junk yard, it was easier to get that out of the house than to get the new tub and surround in. I got pulled into that job. We have yet to paint or pick out a new shower curtain, but I think you'll agree it is a huge improvement. This completes the Painter Projects which include a new kitchen & floor, finishing the basement, our backyard "FARM". We are not in the market for a handyman special in the future that is for certain!!!

Sam

Sam and I were looking at some pictures on the computer and we found this,

poor little man with his horrible rash. For months he did not sleep, we had to put socks on his hands so he wouldn't claw his raw oozing skin. People offered lots of advice, I tried to make it better, but I couldn't. Finally after a bout with RSV, a random pediatrician gave me a referral to the dermatologist. Dr. Zanglein took one look and said, food allergies and we got his blood work tested. Wheat, Eggs, Peanuts, Soy, Milk, dogs to be avoided...and now we have added a few other foods and some environmental allergies as well. The allergist just added Singulair to his arsenal of daily medications and that has helped so much with asthma and environmental allergies. I am glad he is not so miserable anymore, but I kind of wish I could take away the naughty part of TWO. I guess I may not think the other stuff is so cute though. Last night we had to go to Walmart (I do not like going there at all!!) and Sam wants some new CARS (from the movie) and so I buy them...Chris is like you bought those for him??? why? I cannot help it, he is spoiled rotten and I just do not want to say no. We are so excited that we have a new snack for him....chocolate icing (confec sugar, cocoa, & rice milk) over rice crispies, then put it in a casserole and let it set. He loves his new snacks...it may need something to bind it a bit more so any ideas??? Martha Stewart is having a food allergy/sensitivity recipe contest so maybe we can enter it.

One for me, one for you...

Sam has become quite jealous of Nolan in the last few months, "GO, baby!!" is a frequently heard phrase. We recently moved Sam into Jake's room because we were afraid for Nolan's life...Sam liked to climb onto the changing table and throw things at the baby, and then when that did not do the job he just hopped right in the bed with him.

Here is a rare moment of kindness, Sam sharing Nolan's baby food with him...