All Aboard for Ryder's 3rd Birthday Party!

Saturday afternoon, our friends and family joined us at a local park to celebrate Ryder's 3rd Birthday.  I had high hopes for a beautiful afternoon.  An afternoon that would allow the kids to make great use of the swings and slides; however, Mother Nature had her own opinions.  Thankfully, the rain held off long enough for us to eat, open gifts, and enjoy the sweet treats Ryder selected for his celebration!  Once the raindrops began to fall, many of the kids were more than eager to continue the celebration under the May showers we were presented with.

The birthday boy ready to get this party started!

Welcome to the party...come on in!

I used Parties by Hardie's Printable Train Collection for the decor.  With a busy schedule her "ready made" party pack was perfect to combine with my desire to create custom decorations for Ryder's birthday celebration!   

I simply LOVE the way the birthday banner I created turned out!  The white buckets serving as bases were found in the Dollar Spot at Target.  I opted to replace the original white ribbon found on them with red polka dot ribbon for a splash of color.  The cupcake toppers...too cute!

I picked up a few additional white buckets to put together these little cuties!

We had goodie bags for the children in attendance...inside were train conductor hats and bandannas!

I was inspired by a "message board" I found over on Pinterest and put together this photo display of our birthday boy!  I scored a piece of free fence from a friend and spray painted an existing frame I had white...super cheap project!  My supporting bushel basket was one I had on hand and for some additional contrast I spray painted it red.  A super simple banner at the top completed my display!  In time, this frame will find it's way onto my kitchen wall and serve as a place to hang photos, invites, etc...

Chew...chew!!!  Love it!

Our boys love mini marshmallows and I thought the train smoke was a nice addition to our cake table...

Train cookies from The Cookie Lady...delish!

Again, Pinterest provided this AWESOME idea.  We will be rockin' this idea at our additional summer gatherings as well!

Happy 3rd Birthday, Ryder...we love you!

Garrett happily playing in the rain...

Hudson getting in on the action, too...

The birthday boy and his new bike...

The party has come to an end...time to head home!

Thank you to everyone who joined us to celebrate Ryder's special day.  We are blessed with the very best of friends and family!  As we celebrated, my heart was heavy with the absence of my dear friend and her children.  We honored them with balloons released on their behalf and the boys are hopeful the balloons made it all the way to heaven!

Happy 5th Birthday, Garrett

Dear Garrett,


Happy 5th Birthday, Baby G (yes, you will always be my and Aunt Leslie's Baby G)!  It is hard to believe that 5 years have passed since we welcomed our first blonde, peach fuzzed baby boy into the world.  With your birth, we became a family of four.   Your daddy and I vividly recall bringing you home on New Years Eve 2005.  Daddy and I took turns with you laying on our chests that evening, as your older brother, Parker, slept peacefully upstairs.  I can not imagine a more delightful way to ring in the new year!


You are no longer our long legged, chubby cheeked, squishy little lad.  Over the course of five years, you have developed into (without a doubt) one of the most handsome little boys.  Ever.  I would say the same if I was not your mama!  Your genuine smile, hearty laugh, and piercing eyes simply draw people to you.  Garrett, you are quick to share your love.  I love that about you!  You are carefree with your hugs, kisses, and kind gestures.  Outside of your daddy, you are the first to tell me I look pretty and compliment me when I take the time to get dolled up.  Oh dear, you are going to charm the ladies!


Garrett, you have a zest for life that goes unmatched.  A simple game of Go Fish makes me you downright giddy.  The fact that someone remembers your favorite color; therefore, buying you a blue Hot Wheels over a red one pleases you to no end.


You are an AWESOME helper, Garrett!  You are quick to help me in the kitchen and love to give Daddy a hand outside or in the "regarge" (aka garage).  I love that you are eager to learn and ask endless questions as you assist us during various tasks.  Keep on questioning us 'lil buddy...it keeps us on our toes!


It has been a joy to watch you come into your own this past year.  You have taken on new challenges...T-Ball, Soccer, and Wrestling.  When it comes to sports, you are a natural.  It is a pleasure to watch you in your element.  You have made new friends and are well behaved at school.  I could not be prouder of you!


Baby G, there is a special place in my heart just for you.  My spirited 'lil boy!  You never cease to amaze me and I love you to pieces.  Happy 5th Birthday, Garrett!!  May this next year be full of smiles, laughter, and joy! 


Love, Mama

Baking With Ryder 101

Multi-tasking is okay...Mommy does it all the time.

In fact, it is encouraged!

Go ahead and sit atop your work space.

Invite a friend to join you!

Making a mess is all part of the process.

No, really!

 Sometimes, you really have to get into your work.

Use two hands!

Add in your favorite yummy treat.

Perhaps more then the recipe calls for!

Grab a bowl and enjoy the extra ingredients.

Yummy!

Finally, shock your mommy and do not eat a single cookie when they are finished baking.

Huh?  Whose kid are you anyway, Ryder?!  Surely, not mine!

Snowball Pops to Celebrate Garrett's 4th Birthday

On New Year's Eve, our family joined us to celebrate Garrett's 4th Birthday. I made Garrett's favorite...turkey subs for all, baked mac-n-cheese for the kiddos, and homemade veggie soup for the adults. While I tried to keep things simple and take it easy, I found myself making four different desserts as well. With a December 29th birthday (and plenty of Christmas decorations still on display) we had a Winter Wonderland theme...snowman, snowflakes, and penguins. These snowball pops (aka cake balls) were a HUGE hit with everyone!

When I started this display, I had no clue what direction
I was taking...turned out pretty cute:)

For the first time, Garrett did not cry or throw
himself to the ground when we sang to him.
He had quite the smirk on his face the entire time!

Making a wish...

YUM-O!!!

Thank you to everyone who gathered to celebrate Garrett's 4th Birthday. Garrett enjoyed himself and is very thankful for all of his gifts. We love you, Baby G!

Peanut Butter Chocolate Cookies

I am a sucker for chocolate and peanut butter together. Give me a Reese's Peanut Butter Cup and I am in heaven. Every Christmas Peanut Butter Blossoms top my baking list. This year I came across these...

Delish!!!!!

The recipe comes from Taste of Home's Contest Winning Annual Recipes 2005.

1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 cup creamy peanut butter, divided
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup baking cocoa
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 cup confectioners' sugar

1. In a large bowl , cream butter, sugars, and 1/4 cup peanut butter. Add egg and vanilla; mix well. Combine flour, cocoa, and baking soda; add to creamed mixture and mix well.

2. Blend confectioners' sugar with remaining peanut butter until smooth. Roll into 24 balls, 1 inch each. Divide dough into 24 pieces; flatten each into a 3 inch circle. Place one peanut butter ball on each circle; bring edges over to completely cover it. (Dough will crack; reshape cookies as needed)

3. Place cookies with seam side down on ungreased cookie sheets. Flatten each cookie slightly with the bottom of a glass dipped in sugar. Bake at 375 degrees for 7-9 minutes or until set. Makes 2 dozen


My notes...Warning! This is a heavy cookie. This is not a dough you can chill and work with later (ahem, I learned this the hard way when interrupted in my baking process). While I love baking with my kids there are some cookies I do not make with them (to maintain some level of sanity). These cookies are one of them...too time consuming, but worth it! Don't break out your rolling pin/circle cookie cutters for the dough. Flatten dough with the palm of your hand and "wing" the shape. You will have to reshape the balls; therefore, there is no point in the extra work. Enjoy!!!! Have a glass of milk nearby...you will need it:)

Snickerdoodles

For the past six years, I (and now "the boys") spend countless hours in the kitchen baking cookies the month prior to Christmas. We sample a few of each recipe and put the remainder in the freezer. Closer to Christmas we love giving our goodies to our friends and family. I love testing out new recipes, but we remain "faithful" to a few of our favorite cookies each year. Snickerdoodles definitely fall into our faithful category. Frankly, I do not recall where I got this recipe from...it is a winner, though!

1 cup shortening
1 1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs
2 3/4 cup flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 tbsp sugar
2 tsp cinnamon

Mix shortening, sugar, and egg till creamy. Sift flour, baking powder, and salt together. Add to creamed mixture and chill dough 1 hour. Roll dough into balls, place on wax paper, and sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar. Bake on ungreased cookie sheet at 400 degrees for 8-10 minutes. Enjoy!

Around the House

I love this time of year...the shopping, the baking, the decorating, and the Christmas movies on TV. Eric is currently on his scheduled seven days off; therefore, we have been doing quite a bit of the above mentioned activities.

Parker and Garrett LOVE helping me in the kitchen, but I have discovered it is MUCH easier to bake with one at a time (easier said than done!). We have about 25 dozen cookies in the freezer and still have a few more "new" recipes we wish to try out!


Most of our decorations are up at this point. We have yet to purchase a real tree for the living room. We scored a great deal (on a great tree) the day before Christmas Eve last year and are somewhat hoping for the same this year. We are having a rough time keeping Ryder out of the tree in the Dining Room so I am not complaining;)

I hope all of you are enjoying this wonderful time of the year! Be on the lookout for our family Christmas card...they are on their way:)

Preschool Valentine Celebration

Parker and his school buddies celebrated Valentine's Day with a party on Wednesday. The boys and I made some cupcakes for Parker to take to school. YUM!

The teachers had decorated the inside of the school with various shades of pink, purple, and red streamers, balloons, and banners. All of the little girls were decked out in their Valentine "attire" and looked simply adorable. My son was the only boy "dressed up" for the special occassion...not sure how much longer I will continue to get away with this!!! He is a little heartbreaker though...too cute!

The kids had a blast dancing, making their way through a heart hunt, finding their special valentine buddy (Parker had Ashton-funny!), and eating tasty treats.

Super Cute!!!

Check out the cute Rudolph cookies Parker, Garrett, and myself made this past weekend!

Cookie Factory

Once we had children I discovered Christmas time brings out the inner Betty Crocker in me. Since Parker's first Christmas our home has turned into a cookie factory between Thanksgiving and Christmas. I (and now with the "help" of the boys) easily make 30 dozen cookies during this time. We freeze them and later make up cookie platters to hand out to family and friends.

Each year we make some of our "old" favorites...chocolate chip (for Eric), Sprinkle cookies (a favorite for both Parker and Garrett), peanut butter kiss (my top cookie), snickerdoodles, etc. In addition we choose new recipes to try each year. So far our new recipes this year include...monster cookies, reindeer cookies, and snow capped cookies. We are still on the lookout for additional recipes...it is hard to say how many cookies we will end up with this year LOL!

While Parker was at school yesterday morning Garrett and I "opened" up our cookie factory for the year. Together we made the dough for three different cookies and placed them in the fridge to chill. Later the boys helped me get the snickerdoodle cookies into the oven.

Our snickerdoodles dusted with sugar and cinnamon and ready to be placed into the oven.



The finished product...

Parker and Garrett are pleased with the outcome!