My Birthday Psychosis Continues

This year it started a little earlier than just my 3 day celebration. I decided to take glazed popcorn to the library the Tuesday before my birthday so they could celebrate with me. (I have done this for the kids as they have had their birthdays, so it's sort of a tradition.) It was yummy, everyone enjoyed it, and they even sang Happy Birthday to me. (I was singing along and Domonique told me to stop singing.) After dinner, Kevin and I went grocery shopping and on the way he was trying to do something to my iPod. Finally he just played a song from his iPhone - one of my favorites from The Piano Guys! He had purchased two of their albums for me for my birthday! Early gift.

Wednesday I didn't really celebrate, because truly it was too early. That night, however, I went to the basement to help Kevin load the furnace before we went to bed. He sent me to the other end of the basement to get a cardboard box. I was a little confused but went obediently. I looked in the area where he told me it was and I couldn't see any folded up boxes, except one that was on the floor underneath a really big box. I was still puzzled then looked a little more closely at the big box on top of the flattened box. That's when I realized it was a new vacuum! Another early birthday present! What fun! I took it upstairs, put it together, and tried it out right away. I won't tell you about the results but I am happy to have a new vacuum!

Thursday I still didn't really do anything because it wasn't an official birthday celebration day. That evening the kids asked Kevin if we could watch a movie. I had mentioned wanting to watch The Princess Bride for my birthday so he said we could watch it! Early gift. I really enjoy that movie, even though I'm not really sure why. The older kids were okay with it but the younger ones didn't like it so much, especially the ROUSs.

Friday - My Fake Birthday - we had pancakes with ice cream for breakfast! Yummy! The kids all said Happy Fake Birthday to me and we sang a couple times. I made a chocolate cake with homemade German Chocolate Frosting. For dinner I made Sesame Noodles with chicken and red peppers. It was so DELICIOUS! At least I really enjoyed it. For my gift, Kevin gave me a new lens for my camera! I really didn't think I would get one but it makes taking pictures so much easier and I'm so happy! After dinner we playing Settlers of Catan and I even got to play. I usually spend time with the little girls while Kevin plays with the big kids but I wanted to play! We ended up playing two games and then enjoying cake!

Saturday - My Almost Birthday - I spent most of the day in the kitchen. I had lots of things to make and so I brought a child in to help with the different tasks. First I made a sheet cake with Marissa. Then I made brownies with Xiomara. Then I made banana bread with Benjamin. Then Marissa came back to make the frosting for her cake. Xiomara came back to make the white topping for the brownies. It was all delicious. And that was all before lunch. After lunch I had to make rolls for dinner, and get ready to make the ribs for dinner. What a busy, yummy day! The brownies were for my birthday dessert. The cake was for the General Women's Broadcast social that our ward had before the broadcast. The banana bread was just to use up some brown bananas. It all turned out yummy! My gifts were silicon baking sheets and a counter cover for making pies.

Emily invited me to play a game of chess. I sat down and told her I'm not very good and then I won the game rather quickly. It surprised both of us. She was black and I was white. You can see her king is cornered by my bishop and my knight is backup. (She wanted to take the picture and so we have it recorded. Good thing because I had totally forgotten about it.)

Sunday - My Real Birthday - was great. The weather was cold and there were a few snow flurries but nothing much. We enjoyed our Church meetings - Sacrament meeting was our Easter program with testimonies about our Savior and Redeemer, Jesus Christ, with musical numbers from the ward choir. It was really nice. At home we enjoyed cheesy potato casserole (we call them Mr. Dell's potatoes), rolls, jell-o, and corned beef brisket. Delicious. For dessert we ate the leftover sheet cake with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Kevin played Risk with the older kids (or maybe they played that on Saturday). For gifts, Kevin gave me a new cutting board, a baster, a box of 5 Cadbury eggs, a new mailbox, and I think I was totally spoiled this year!

I guess that'll do and thanks to all my friends and family who thought of me!

Camdilyn is starting to draw

Camdilyn has started to draw and she hasn't quite decided on which hand to use. She'll do left, and right, and back to left, and sometime she tries to use both at the same time with the same pencil. Just thought I'd share her little cuteness!

Awesome Pi Night - 3.141592653 (epic really)

I decided to blind bake my crusts.

I thought it would work better.

Well, unfortunately, it didn't. 

At least they were still edible.

I filled one with a no-bake pumpkin cheesecake filling.

Delicious.

I filled the other one with homemade coconut cream,

topped with real whipped cream,

and toasted coconut!

Delicious.

It's not a pie,

but I love this!

Fudge brownies with yummy goodness on top.

Delicious!

Sorry they are all covered with plastic wrap. I didn't think about taking pictures until we were ready to leave. Oh well. They were yummy and we really enjoyed all our friends and lots of food! What a great evening! Maybe we should do this every other month instead of just in March!

New Looks around Here

Before....

(You can't tell how broken they are,

being held together with wire twist-ties.)

Now...

Before...

 (You can't tell how many times

I super glued these back together.)

Now...

Fortunately, when I took Emily and Xiomara in to have their eyes checked, neither of them needed glasses! Emily's vision is perfect and Xiomara is a bit far sighted. Eventually Domonique, Harmonie and Camdilyn will need to get their eyes checked but for now we are set!

Children's Museum with some of the crew

Kevin was at home so I left Ben and Camdilyn at home, and took the rest of the girls with me to play at the Children's Museum. They had a great time and I tried to keep them dry. We enjoyed a little lunch, played with Tamara and Felix, and the girls even made some friends. It was a fun little excursion. (Oh, and some of the pictures are fuzzy, it's not your eyes or your computer. I forgot my regular camera so my iPod had to do.)

The Big 13th Birthday!

We started the day with pancakes! He wanted to help so he made some stellar pancakes! Who wouldn't want to eat a sub, destroyer, carrier or car?! He had a good time.

He remembered to open his cards - one from Grammy and Gaffa and one from an adopted Grandma at Church. 

He was ready to help make crepes for dinner and did a great job with that as well.

Party time!

Blowing out candles!

Kemiah's gift.

A painting she made a while ago.

Grandma and Grandpa Nichols' gifts.

Paints

Books.

What is this?

Bugle!

He'll need to practice.

Yummy chocolate pie!

She wanted some so bad and was upset 

because everyone else was eating and she wasn't.

As you can see, we had a great time and love being together as a family!
Ben's a great, creative boy who helps and loves others. He has fun with his sisters and enjoys doing lots of different things. He makes up stories, paints, likes music and farming. He just a great kid!