You Say It's Your Birthday

HAPPY BIRTHDAY SARAH!!!
My sister Sarah is the big 2-7 today. Things you should know about Sarah:
~She is my bigger sister, but I am taller
~She is a newly-wed
~Her hair is silky and so long
~Her little girl Iris looks so much like her, and she is almost 2!
~She HATES to have her neck touched
~She is a crazy dancer, and does the best "fiddler on the roof" impression
~I have always copied the cool things she has done (soccer, cheer leading, snowboarding, etc)
~She always says what is on her mind
~She always has millions of shoes
~She lives in the most beautiful place on earth
~She has worked as a scooper, baker, waitress, raft driver, and many other jobs
~She has a blog too- beanheadfamily@blogspot.com
~She would do anything for her friends and family
~She has a statue of a hula-hooper in her yard
~She's my best friend and I love her so much
Happy Birthday Smilin' Sam

Tag your IT

My Sister Mary Tagged me

The Rules of the game:

1. Find the nearest book to you.
2. Name the book and author.
3. Turn to page 123.
4. Go to the fifth sentence on the page.
5. Copy out the next 3 sentences and post to your blog.
6. Tag three other people.

The nearest book is the phone book, so I grabbed the next nearest:

"Holy Cows and Hog Heaven" by Joel Salatin

" I think the central question each of us needs to ask ourselves at the end of the day is this: "today, which food system advanced because of me-- farm friendly food or industrial food?" That is really the only question that matters and the only one you are responsible for. I enjoy a snickers bar every now and then."
Funny sentence to end on, but he goes on to say that you don't have to "give yourself ulcers over your diet" just keep in mind who and where you get your food.

Who should I tag? Laurie were you tagged? Sarah were you tagged? I know Wendy, Heather and of course Mary have already played, who will be next???

Checkered Board Cake

Here's my Secret:
To make the Checkered board cake you need two colors of cake mix, and two to four round pans (I had two and could only back two layers at a time). Start in the middle of the pan and glob one of the mixes. Try to make a nice round circle. Then with the next mix go around the first glob. You can do as many rings as you want, three has always worked best for me. It kind of looks like a bullseye when you are done. Make sure you make two choc, white, choc layers, and two white, choc, white layers. The cake I made could have been four layers but one of the layers broke. When you cut into the cake it will look like checkers, instead of rings. Genious! I saw this cake in an old Betty Crocker Book. It is easier than it looks, and is always fun to see how it turned out when you cut into the cake. My Rings are never very even, I haven't figured out a way to get them perfect. But it is delicious nontheless!

Birthday Boys

The impossible checkered board cake. How is it done? You can write me for directions, if you feel you are up to it!!!

Blowing out the Candles. You may be thinking there sure are a lot of candles on the cake, but Juddah wanted more than three to blow out.

Juddah and Jon trying to assemble the train.

Race Cars

I don't know why this picture is sideways, but it is Zion trying so hard to get the balloons with his bubble wand.

Juddah and Jon's birthday party was so fun. We had a delicious meal of Leg of Lamb, cous cous salad, home made rolls, spinach salad, mashed potatoes, and of course cake. I am so terrible at decorating cakes. For Juddah's cake I had a grand vision, but by the time I had the darn thing frosted, I was spent. So I just wrote "Happy Birthday Juddah" and he loved it anyways! Jon's cake was a German chocolate cake. mmm so so good.

JUDDAH!!!

Dear Juddah,
Tomorrow you will be three years old. I can't believe it! I can remember being pregnant with you and then you being a wee newborn, and thinking that you would be little forever. I couldn't imagine you getting bigger.

You are so much fun to be around. Your imagination is awesome. I love playing store, and bouncy ball, and cowboys, and painting, and playing with play dough. I love that you always insist on helping me make cookies, or rolls, or mashed potatoes.


I love how sweet you are. You always ask me if I am OK. I love that when we wrestle, and you pin me, you then tell me "It's alright mama. It will be OK." I think it is so sweet when you hug your little brother and tell him you love him.

You are always ready to sing and dance. I love it when you ask me "Do you like that dance move?" I think it is so cool that you try to teach me your signature moves, and even though I never quite do them right, you still encourage me to try.

Juddah, you are so good to your little brother. I know it gets frustrating that he always wants to do what you do, but you always include him. You are such a great teacher. You have taught Zion so many things. You taught Zion how to go down the steps on the deck without falling. You taught Zion how to go down a slide all by himself. You always share the snacks I hand you in the car with Zion. I think it is so cute that sometimes you can hardly wait for Zion to wake up from his nap.

I love you Juddah. Thank you for being my biggest boy. Thank you for being patient with me while I learn how to be a good mom for you. Happy Birthday Little Buddy! Now lets eat some Cake!!!

Mary Jane's Farm

I was given a great magazine the other day called "Mary Jane's Farm." It is written by a lady who has lived on a farm outside of Moscow, Idaho her whole life. It is kind of a pricey magazine because she doesn't sell ad space to cover printing, editing, etc costs. It is a whimsical, fun and functional magazine talking about the old days, and modern ways of farming. I think it is really neat to read about people all over the US making a living on their plots of land. Even though we just moved to town, it makes me want to delve into the world of homesteading. I picture butter churning and soap making and gardening. I have dreamt up building a one of a kind building out of products harvested right off the land. It also gets me excited for spring, and summer (easy to forget about the humidity and bugs when it is 20 degrees out!) Ho hum, some day.


She also includes stories sent in from readers. One was about woman who learned how to sew on a treadle sewing machine. Her Grandma gave her the machine, and then when she could afford a new machine she sold the treadle and bought an automatic. Then several years later she was wishing she had the old machine. She found one in a newspaper and bought it, only to find out it was the same one she had sold years earlier! Which brings me to a question, Mom, do you still have your singer treadle machine? What would it take to make it work? I think it would be fun to come and visit and play around with the old sewing machine. Maybe make an apron!


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In other news, it has been int he twenties for so long. Today when we were out at the farm the boys and I went down to the pond to throw rocks into it. When we got down there we couldn't make any of our rocks break the ice. I eventually had to see how strong the ice was for myself. I got about 3 feet from the bank, then the ice started making loud cracking noises, so I walked back. The boys were amazed, and I told them never to try that. Sheesh, I am so stupid to have done that in front of them. I don't know what I was thinking!

Only a few more days until Jon and Juddah's b-day, and through reading my sisters blogs I have learnt that is falls on Chinese New Years! I think I will try to do something related for Juddah's cake. Jon gets a German chocolate. Mmm, Birthday cake!

Art Projects

"Hey Juddah do you have the yellow crayon? I think I need it for the sun I am drawing"


Juddah and his birthday chain. We made it on my bed incase Zion woke up in the middle of production, and I would be able to hide the paper and scissors. Juddah has been reminding me a few times a day "my birthday is in just a few days, it is coming up really quick!"


He also tries to pressure me into letting him tear off more than one link a day.

It is cute how excited and aware of his birthday he is this year. This is the first year that he mostly understands that he has a special day coming up. The other day in the car he told me "My birthday is soon, and I will be big then. And then I am going to drive your car." I asked him " If you drive my car, can I drive your truck?" He said "No you are too big, it might break." Hmm thanks a lot!!

A Day Late, and a Dollar Short

Sorry Ma and Pa. I forgot to post on your wedding anniversary. I emailed about it the day before, and now here I am the day after. Such a bummer. But the posts on my other sisters blogs were soperfect. I love you guys. Mom and Dad you guys have an awesome relationship. Waa-hoo 38 years, and goin strong!