Wax Leaves

 

 

A couple years ago when I discovered the blogging world I came across a blog on preserving fall leaves.  Since we've been in Oklahoma and Texas for the last few years we haven't seen a whole lot of leaves.  After we went and collected our leaves we followed this simple tutorial from Clover Lane.

 

I used all four bars of wax that came in the box and I have a TON of wax left over.  Two of the bars would have been plenty. 

 



 

We were able to string some leaves together to make some garland for our windows, a few doors, our mirror, and a five small paper plate wreaths to hang on our doors.

 

 

If you have any colorful leaves where you live, this is a project worth doing!

September {In Pictures}

Last month the boys were begging me to have a "sleepover" with Blaine.  Tim had Staff Duty (a 24 hour shift) one Friday and I figured that was a good time for their sleepover.  I blew up the air mattress, threw some pillows on there, and put in a movie.  It was getting late and Blaine was getting cranky so I gave the boys the option of me putting Blaine in his room to sleep and they could finish the movie, or turning the movie off and going to bed with Blaine.  They actually choose to turn the movie off!  I was pleasantly surprised that they didn't choose to "ditch" their brother for a movie.  (Although, Blaine would have had no idea/cared less.)  I ended up having to sit in there until 2 out of 3 of them fell asleep.  Ryan was the 1st to go, then Blaine, and finally Colin.  Here's the one picture from their sleepover.

 

 

Diggin' deep in the bag for the good chips!

Blaine has recently been all about yogurt..and not wanting me to help...at all.

 



 

 

It normally ends up all down his shirt, and all over the table and chair.  And obviously his face.

 

 



 

 

Blaine had a weird week in September (we are guessing the beginning of 2 yr molars) where he slept....A LOT.  Tim and I were getting ready for church one morning and came out to find Blaine asleep in the middle of the living room floor.

 

 

And lastly...who needs games, or busy bags when you have Scentsy scents?!!

 

Are my boys the only kids who enjoy opening these up and smelling them?  They've even asked me if they can carry one with them when we run errands!  Colin was very intentional about going through all of them and then coming up to me with the one that he liked the best (Hazelnut Latte, I believe).

Yummy Cake!

 

 

I mentioned in Tuesday's post that I'm not so good on decorating cakes.  While I definitely don't claim to be the world's best baker either, I'm happy when I can make a cake from scratch and it come out pretty yummy. 

 

 

I tried a white cake recipe a few years ago for Ryan's birthday and I wasn't that pleased with the overall taste.  It seemed heavy and just kind-of blah.  I hadn't been searching a new recipe out, but came across a recipe through a good source, on Pinterest of course, a few weeks before Colin's birthday and figured I'd give it a go. 

 

 

 I was a little nervous.  I didn't have some of the things that she says you needed or highly recommended.  IE Cake Flour, a sifter, a mixer with a paddle attachment, a scale, or a cooling rack.  I didn't even know there was even such a thing as Cake Flour, and/or what a paddle attachment was.  I have an electric mixer, but it doesn't work on the stand very well, so normally I just hold it.  And even though it says there are 7 speeds, there is pretty much fast, faster, and crazy fast.  So when the recipe says beat at a low speed, that doesn't really work for me.

 

 

I read through the recipe carefully, and her notes on the bottom, and it still seemed doable.  Which, by the way, just in case you don't have Cake Flour on hand (they don't even sell it at the Commissary here), she has a link at the bottom to one of her other posts with how to substitute it.

 

 

On the same post she also has her recipe for Whipped Vanilla Frosting.  It was simple; but again I was a little nervous as I don't have a sifter.  It seemed to turn out just fine though.  I just had a lot left over.  I'm assuming it's because I didn't have as many layers to put icing in between.

 

 

Just about the only thing I did differently was I used my large springform pan, about 10" I think, to create a wider 2-layer cake, opposed to her suggested 8" 4-layer cake.  That alteration in itself made me nervous.  All her instructions and calculations seem to be perfectly thought out.  I wasn't sure if there was a reason behind the 4 layers.  The recipe also states it serves 10, but I was able to get much more than that.

 

 

So, without further ado....

 

 

Sweetapolita:  How to Make a (Perfectly Delightful) Vanilla Birthday Cake

 

 

 

 

Considering it's late Monday night as I'm typing this, and there is only a tiny sliver left I would have to agree that it is Delightful! 

 

 

I love me some sweets.  The best way to not eat them it to make them disappear.  And of course the best way to make them disappear is to eat them.  Hehe.

 

 

If you scroll far enough down on her page she has a few personal notes on the recipe and she claims that the icing tastes like ice cream.  I didn't really make the connection, but Ryan did.  He stated today after eating a piece, "Mom, the blue icing tastes like ice cream!" 

 

 

I honestly wasn't sure how I felt about it while eating my first piece (almost seemed too sweet), but after having a few more (hehe) I will be permanently adding this to my recipe book!  If you try it, let me know what you think!



Colin's 4 Year Pics

 

 

On Sunday I was able to take Colin out for his 4 year pictures.  It has become some-what of a tradition for me to take the boys out around their birthday every year for a small photo shoot.  Since the boys get a lot of hand-me downs (which they have yet to complain about), I normally let them choose a new shirt from the store for the occasion.  I attempted doing Ryan's in the Spring without much success, so I have yet to take his 6 yr old pics.  Hopefully soon!

 

Colin was a little disappointed that I was taking his pics, and not the lady who did our family pics a few months ago; but he seemed to get over it.  It was really hard to get him to look at the camera and smile...at the same time.  I like a lot of these and his different expressions, but I still have to choose just one to print and hang on our wall.  Pretty sure it's going to be #7!

 

 

 

#1. 

 #2.

#3.

#4.

#5.

#6.

#7.

#8.

#9.

 

#10.

#11.

#12.

 

 

#13.

#14.

#15.

#16.

Birthday Celebration

 

Since Colin's birthday was actually on Friday, we let him open up one of his gifts Friday evening.

 

He grew out of his boots a few months ago, and if you know Colin, you know that those boots are a daily wardrobe item.  He was excited to get a new pair and he wore them around the house the rest of the night!!

 



We aren't big Birthday-Party-Throwers. Or at least I'm not. Up until this year we normally just have a small family gathering.  On Saturday we invited a few friends over to celebrate Colin's birthday with us. 

 

 

Apparently, the gift of a Pez dispenser was amazing enough to get a dropped jaw!  (Making note of that one for the future!)

 



 

Me and cakes don't get along so well.  At least the decorating part.  I had a plan to decorate his cake like Captain America's shield.  Like this....

 

(pic source)

 

 

I have the tools.  It seemed doable and simple enough.  1.  I don't think I allowed myself enough time overall.  (Never seem too.)  2.  I normally remain pretty confident in my idea to decorate the cake right up until the time that I'm decorating the cake and then all my confidence flies out the window and I'm left standing there saying, "Uuuhhhhhh...."  3.  I always forget until last minute, and when I say last minute, I mean as I'm stirring the coloring into the icing, that over the counter food coloring red and blue DOES NOT make red and blue.  It makes pink and baby blue.  I started to decorate the cake like a shield, but I just couldn't bring myself to make Captain America's shield pink and baby blue, nor present that to my kid for his birthday.  The outer ring of pink got gently scraped off and I ended up covering the whole thing in a light blue icing and plopping a toy on top.  :)  He definitely didn't mind, nor could care less...it's my own self ambition that needs satisfaction!  I just pray that 10 years from now I can say my cake decorating skills have advanced.  Once we get back to the states I'm taking that Wilton Cake Decorating Class at Hobby Lobby!!!

 

Anyways...

Miss. Emma was all about hanging out with Tim.

Blaine with my friend, Marque...



 

We are grateful for great friends who love Colin and made the time to celebrate with us!!!



Our New Favorite

Do you and your kids listen to music?  I love music, and the boys love music, but sometimes (most of the time) I just forget to turn it on.  I've never been a fan of most of the kids albums you can pick up at the store.   They are just way too...I don't know...annoying.?  I purchased one kids CD recently and I am not a fan.  Kind of regret getting it. 

 

My friend has suggested this album twice now, and I finally bought it. 

 

 

 

We LOVE it!  As far as kid's music goes...it is heavenly!  I ended up buying it on I-tunes and we've had it for about 2 weeks now.  I catch myself singing these songs all the time...in the Commissary, while I'm making dinner, when I'm getting ready in the morning.  Some of the boys' favorites are "I'm Adopted", "Mexican Rhapsody" (which ALWAYS makes me hungry), and "I Wanna Help".  Some of the songs are just silly and fun.  Some carry an extra amount of humor that only mom and dad can enjoy.  There are also lots of songs that point to God: how He's saved us, how He loves us, how we can talk to Him about anything.  Love, love, love this album!  (I should have listened to you earlier Krystle!)

 

 

If you go to my friend's blog, A Little of This, she has links to where you can hear samples of the songs before buying, along with a few of the other Slugs & Bugs albums.  You won't regret getting any of these I'm sure!

 

 

You can purchase them through The Rabbit Room, Amazon.com, or I-tunes.  I anticipate I'll be purchasing the other album soon, along with looking into the other suggestions Krystle has on her blog.

 

 

Do you have any albums that both you and your kids enjoy?!!

Colin's 4th!

 

 

This morning Colin woke up as a 4 year old!!!! 

 

 

 

 Definitely not a baby anymore....

 

 

1 month old

 

1 year old

2 years old

 

3 years old

Colin's 20 questions.....

1. My favorite color is blue.
2. My favorite snack is a Poptart.
3. My favorite movie is Ninja and Batman.
4. The coolest person on earth is Batman.
5. My favorite thing to learn in school is letters.
6. The thing I do most awesomely is games.
7. If I could go anywhere in the world, I would go to Grandma’s house and Connor’s house.
8. The book that I am loving right now is Captain America.
9. Three words that describe me are funny, smart, and a superhero.
10. When I was little I used to…I don’t know.
11. My favorite season of the year is snow and rain (aka Winter and Spring).
12. One food I really dislike is pizza.
13. If I could wish for only one thing it would be for candy.
14. My best memory is when Daddy had his 4 –wheeler and his motorcycle.
15. My best friend is Miss Kelsie.
16. My favorite song is Son Rock Kids Camp (from VBS last year).
17. My favorite game is racing on the Wii.
18. On my cake this year I want all the toys from my room that I can fit on there.
19. The candy I like the best is suckers.
20. When I grow up I want to be a big Ninja dad.

 

 

Happy 4th Birthday Colin!!!!!