Joseph's Birthday Fiesta

Even though the 28th was Joe's actual birthday, we had his birthday bash on Saturday.  We decided to go with a Mexican fiesta theme since Joe's nickname since birth has been Joe-Joe Burrito.  We called him burrito because he spent a lot of his time swaddled and Carl thought he looked like a burrito.  The nickname stuck.  Anyway, many of our friends were able to come celebrate with us and we had a smashing time.

To properly set the mood, we had a "Happy Birthday" sign en espanol along with a colorful banner.

We also had some of Joe's favorite foods, which included Creamy Black Bean Chicken(thanks to Sarah M. for that awesome recipe), little smokies, peanut butter sandwiches, fruit, and chips and guacamole(seriously, Joe loves guacamole).

We had a sombrero instead of a typical birthday hat.

And, we had a lot of desserts.  There was an almond poppy seed bundt cake, gluten-free cupcakes with an assortment of frosting options, and a banana cake with peanut butter frosting.  Since we called Joseph Burrito, Carl thought a burrito shaped cake would be funny and so it was.

I am pretty pleased with how it turned out.  It does look better in person so you'll just have to trust me when I say the cake was awesome.

We sang happy birthday and Joseph smashed a cupcake instead of cake because his burrito cake was covered in fondant, thus making a proper cake smash nearly impossible.

And then we opened presents and Joe played the night away.

Joseph's party was so much fun.  Carl and I were so glad that our friends, who have really become our family here in Omaha, were with us to celebrate this special occasion.  We are so grateful that Joseph is part of our family because he brings us so much joy and can make us all laugh even when we don't feel like laughing.  We are also grateful to be in Omaha and to be surrounded by good friends who are always willing to help us, support us, and love us.

Happy Birthday, Joseph!

Today is Joseph's first birthday.  I can hardly believe that he has been here for a whole year already.  This past year seems like one big blur but Joseph's presence in our family has surely been a blessing.  His laid back personality and cheerful disposition makes him a pleasure to be around.  Joseph smiles easily and laughs often and, in general, lights up the room.  Joe is also a snuggle bug, which I love, and very inquisitive.  In fact, he gives Max a run for his money in the curiosity department.  Another thing we love about Joe is that he is a very content person.  Whether he is playing by himself or the center of attention, Joe is happy right where he is.  I suppose there are a million more things I could say about our little Joe but I think I can sum everything up by saying that we are very grateful that Joseph is a part of our family.  I can't imagine our lives without him.

Sick face

So last Thursday my throat started feeling a little sore but it wasn't enough to concern me so I went on with life as usual.  Friday my throat hurt little more but Carl was going to be gone all day so I soldiered on.  By Friday night I couldn't swallow without pain and my tonsils were so swollen that I couldn't breathe properly when I laid down.  Falling asleep and staying that way proved extremely difficult.  By Saturday morning my throat hurt so badly that I avoided swallowing and eating.  But Carl was at school all day so I plowed through.  The kids and I went to grocery shopping, to a birthday party and ran various other errands.  By the end of the day I felt like a truck had run over me, my throat burned and I couldn't look down because my swollen glands made that too painful.  Not being able to look down made it hard to see what the kids were doing at various points throughout the day.

And then Sunday came.  Carl had meetings before church I had to teach Sunday school so I couldn't stay home but I thought I might collapse from pain and exhaustion.  Fortunately Carl gave me a blessing and I made it through the day.  I even managed to make an awesome Father's Day lunch and dinner. 

I called the doctor early Monday and got right in to see her.  She took one look in my throat and told me I had strep throat.  Strep throat, at my age?  She took a throat swab and the result was positive for Strep.  Boy howdy, strep throat at my age is awful.  Thankfully I was able to get antibiotics started soon after my appointment and I felt better the next day. 

My throat still hurts but I can swallow and sleep soundly so I feel like a brand new woman.  Being sick is always awful but it is even more awful when one is a mom because there is no down time.  Even thought I was so sick I just wanted to collapse into bed and sleep for at least 12 hours, I couldn't.  But my sick face experience reminded my how grateful I am for the priesthood and for blessings.  Seriously, if it wasn't for the blessing Carl gave me, I don't know how I would have made it.  I am also grateful for modern medicine and antibiotics that can cure our illnesses.  Hopefully I have paid my sick dues for a while because I loathe being sick.

Botanical Garden

We went to the botanical garden today.  I have mixed feelings.  It is only 10 years old so it isn't as established as the gardent in STL so it wasn't as spectacular as I had hoped.  I will say that the overall feeling of the garden is charming.  I really did have a few zen moments as we walked around today.  Zen moments are not as easy to come by these days so I savored the moments of peace I felt.  I really do miss the Missouri Botanical Gardens but I know we will visit Lauritizen Gardens again because of this:

The Train Garden!  I didn't get great pictures of it but the Train garden is awesome!  It has model trains moving through different landscapes, complete with replicas of important buildings in Omaha.  Max just watched the trains in amazement.  He could have stayed there all day but I wanted to explore other parts of the garden.  I took this llittle video with my phone and I think it captures just how excited he was.  You have to turn your speakers way up to hear him squealing in delight.

Oops

Apparently the picture of my short hair never did show up.  Here it is.  We are at a Creighton baseball game.  Isn't Joe just the cutest kid you have ever seen? 

My latest projects

I have kept myself busy this last week with a few little projects.  Last week my friend, Karen, through a baby shower for our friend, Ali, and Karen asked my to make the cake.  I was super excited because I haven't made a cake in quite some time.  Since Ali is pretty laid back, she gave me carte blanche to design the cake.  I thought about it and came up with an idea and then changed my mind about 12 times until I came up with something I liked.

Overall, I am pretty pleased with the look of the cake.  I wish I would have had a little more time to make a better sign but I still think it looks good.  In case you are wondering, the sign says "Buttons and Bows, Ribbons and Pearl, Ali is having a little Girl!"  I made up that little poem to tie together all the different elements on the cake.  My next cake project will be for Joe's first birthday.  Details are forthcoming...

I also made a slipcover for one of my dining room chairs.  Some friends of ours gave us our current dining room set and we love it but the back of the chairs are broken and look a little ratty.  Since we can't really afford new chairs, I decided to make slipcovers for them.  Having never made slipcover and not having any sort of pattern, I just sort of made things up as I went.  First, I made pattern pieces for each piece of the chair back on wax paper and then I just went nuts, so to speak.  I had an idea in mind for the end result and while I need to make a few adjustments, I think the slipcover looks pretty good.  Hopefully each slipcover will look a little better than the previous one.  I found the whole creative process quite enjoyable, though I imagine it will take a week or two to finish the whole project since I only have a few hours at night to sew.

 Before

After:

This is really my first foray into the world making my own patterns and it was more fun than I expected.  I think after I finish making the slipcovers for my dining room chairs, I may make slipcovers for my living room chairs.  That task seems a bit more daunting simply because it requires a lot more fabric and pinning, which I hate.  It is a good feeling to know that I can do domestic goddess type stuff if I put my mind to it.  Beyond beautifying my home, I have a permanent reminder of what I am doing and what I accomplish each day.  The house gets messy, the laundry will never get done, dinner will most likely be late but my slipcovers will be there to remind me that if I persevere and try my best, great things will happen.

Happy Birthday to Me!

My birthday was last Thursday and it was a glorious day!  I got to do whatever I wanted and I took advantage of it.  I took a nap, went shopping, and then just hung out with the family.  Carl made me a delicious dinner of grilled salmon, mashed potatoes, broccoli, and an Oreo ice cream cake for dessert.   And, I think I had special shopping angels because I found an amazing dress at Anthropolgie for $35!  Carl and the boys also got me an Ipod with all the accoutrements necessary for jogging.   It was a lovely day.

They do love each other!

The other day we were all in the car going for a drive, seeing the sights about Omaha.  Carl and I were just chatting about everything and nothing when we heard Max talking to Joe.  I turned about to see what they were doing and Max and Joseph were holding hands, well, fingertips is a more accurate description.  Both boys were reaching towards each other with all their might and they just managed to touch fingers for a second and then they would laugh and laugh and try to hold fingers again.  I watched them for a few seconds more and then said to Carl "Oh, they do love each other." 

People often ask if we intended to have the kids so close together and when I say yes they usually ask what our reasoning was.  I can only say that it was the right thing for us, even though it can be challenging.  Seeing that sweet little moment makes everything worth it.