Celebration of Emily!

This past weekend we celebrated Emily's 12th Birthday. She is big into the animal print pattern these days so we did that with lots of PINK!

This year I found a cake idea on Pinterest where you put colored cake balls or shapes in the cake. Super fun and I thought I would give it a try!

Here was my process. So, I thought that I had a tin for making circles or balls I WAS WRONG and I found out after I had all the batter ready to go! REALLY! So, I do what I do best improvise. I used muffin tins. I used big and small ones.

 

 

 



It turned out SUPER CUTE it really did! As I cut into it more there were more than one colored circle on the slice. I was so excited and literally jumping up and down with joy that it worked that I forgot to snap another picture. I have to say that this is by far the one of the best cakes I ever made. I will post a link to the recipe soon. It was a Super Moist White Cake with Extra Creamy Buttermilk Frosting! YUMMILICIOUS!

This year Emily opened her time capsule that we created on her first birthday. It was a bit emotional as some of the great grandparents didn't think there were even going to be alive today. So glad they are and even more glad we did it this year.

My sweet, sweet father sung to Emily! He sang somewhere over the rainbow. It was very emotional and touching. I absolutely love that song, it means so may things to me and now even more! What a great memory that we will cherish forever.

Here are a few snaps from the day...

 

My beautiful girl! Growing up much faster than I would like. She is such an amazing girl I look forward to watching her grow into an amazing lady!

The LOVES of my life!

Here is my pops singing. Please forgive the shaky start I got a little emotional and had to set the camera down...

I hope someday you wish upon a star!



A New Year!

Happy New Year!

We had a great New Year's Celebration this year with our good family friends the Kellers. It was a great family New Years we did cosmic bowling this year which was a blast and the kids had so much fun. Actually, I am not sure who had more fun the adults or kids with all the singing and dancing and tom foolery! It was a great memory making event. I have to say the past several years with our family New Year's parties I have much more enjoyed than going out! We have created so many memories and traditions with our children that it makes me smile inside and out!

WOW! A whole new year is ahead of us! So many possibilities and wonderful things lie ahead and I am ready!

I have to say this year I am doing away with Resolutions! I never keep them anyways! Rather I am going to continue to work on ME! Yup! Me! :) I am going to begin a few things I have wanted to do for a while but wanted to wait for a fresh start.

As a family we will begin a happy moments jar. I am going to have it all ready today (I know I am late already lol, whatever!). Whenever, something happens that would be something fun to remember at the end of the year someone can write it down and place it in the jar. It should be fun. It wouldn't be far fetched to say we might have more than one entry a day with our goofy girls but that is OK!

The other thing I really have been wanting to get better at this year is recognizing others on their birthdays. I am hoping to send handmade birthday cards in the mail to our family members on their birthdays this year. I am excited about this! VERY EXCITED!

This is beginning to sound like resolutions but I guess I always equated resolutions to lifestyle and my weight loss and gain, loss and gain, loss and gain... that saga continues. lol!

Anyways, I have digressed. I am focusing on me and my joy! What makes me happy and try to go more with the flow. Not let certain moments get me so wound up tight! I have decided that when I do feel that winding beginning, I will have my good friends Sailor Jerry and Mr. Vodka there to help me through it! (I'm serious!)

I found this quote today just before I was finishing this post which I started last night but could not get into it so I had to put aside until today.

　

This quote is perfect for where I am and how I want to be this year. With this continue self discovery journey, I hope it will lead to other big things I would like to accomplish this year. Here is to a successful year full of happiness and bliss!

I hope you too can find your bliss and do what truly makes you happy!