Now, for a Little Birthday Video

We've got another birthday! They seem to happen quite a lot in our family but it's ok because we LOVE birthdays!

Even when it's Lovely #3 and she joins her two older sisters in turning a milestone birthday making her mother seem really old. Good thing I don't age. Ha!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, BIRDIE! 

Birthday and a Cake Disaster

Yep. We had one of each. Today is Birdie's birthday but we celebrated at our Wednesday night dinner. And there was a birthday cake disaster.

Birdie LOVES all things Halloween. She always has. Her favorite color is orange and she wore the same pumpkin costume for Halloween three years in a row because she loved it and wanted THAT one and wouldn't let Mimi make her a new one EXACTLY like it. Birdie might be a little bit stubborn. Or, she knows what she likes.

The first year she wore the pumpkin costume. 

The last time I took care of little ones and prepared a birthday celebration was way longer ago than I wish to remember so trying to do it Wednesday while taking care of Baby M was...interesting. And exhausting. And resulted in a birthday cake disaster.

I'm pretty sure this was the second year. Year three is MIA.

Because Birdie loves all things Halloween, she often wanted a Halloween theme for her birthday. Well, not often. Always. So I made Halloween themed cakes for her birthdays. She loved the pumpkin shaped cakes. Have y'all made these? You make two bundt cakes and put them together to make a pumpkin cake? They're pretty cool. My first one wasn't the best but the kids LOVED it. Here it is---

And that's the cake shape I intended to have for her birthday celebration on Wednesday night. Didn't happen. Oh, I made the cake. I stacked one on top of the other and I iced the darn thing. HOWEVER, it had been YEARS since I made this cake and I forgot that you have to trim the bottom of the bundts to make them sit flat, one on top of the other. Baby M, Tucker, and I set off to play and read and have loads of general fun---

I tell everyone that Baby M was trying to sound out a word. Ha! 

When I came back, one-half of the top of the cake had split off and fallen onto the kitchen counter. I would have taken a picture but my thoughts were on the disaster NOT on taking pictures. Sorry.

My mind was racing when suddenly I realized when a cake disaster happens, just make a trifle. So I did. And we had trifle cake. And stories. And lots of poking fun at mom. Which I loved. Because, family.

The good news is that, around here, a cake disaster is not a big deal. The disaster was salvaged, there was a funny story to tell, lots of laughs were had, but the best thing of all was sharing this moment with family. What good is a cake disaster without people to share it with? What good is telling a story without an audience of loved ones? What good is being able to have a few laughs without family to share them? It's called- love laughter.

Still laughing at the cake disaster. 

 And what makes a birthday more memorable than a cake disaster?! This will be a stand-out birthday when we discuss birthdays. Which we do from time to time. "Hey! Do y'all remember the time Mom tried to make Birdie a pumpkin cake and it ended up being a trifle?!" Hilarious.

Happy Birthday, Birdie! 

We survived the cake disaster of October 2016!

Family. There's not a single one I'd rather have than the one with these goobers (including the two who were MIA). We love hard. We play hard. We live hard. We laugh hard and often.

How many people do you know who would love your cake disaster more than the original? Call us because we will!

Happy Birthday, Birdie! Somebody loves you. IT'S ME! :)

Head over to Create With Joy and join in the Friendship Friday! You might see someone over there you know. ;)

It's Birthday Time

Happy Birthday, Birdie!

With lots of love from all of us!

Someone is A Quarter of a Century Old TODAY!

And her mom is a slacker. I'm reposting Birdie's birthday post from last year because I couldn't outrun the stomach bug that DoodleBug brought home from her new job. UGH. SOOOOO---

It's BIRTHDAY time at our house! My Birdie is 25 years old today! 

Birdie has always, and I'm talking FROM BIRTH, been my easiest, most laid back, go-with-the-flow kid. She's my all American girl.  If she could live out of doors 24/7 and be surrounded by dogs and books, she would be happy.

She likes to think of herself as a regular Joe. Ordinary. But I know, and not just because I’m her mother, there’s nothing ordinary about Birdie. 

Birdie is our athlete. She played soccer for 8 years and loved every minute of it. Until high school when she disagreed with and refused to participate in the politics that are a part of soccer in our area and quit playing altogether. It was at this time that she discovered athletic training and became a student trainer all through high school, majored in it in college and then left us to get a master's degree in athletic training in TEXAS. But that’s ok. She’s back now. Besides, the fact that she refuses to participate in the crap that goes on behind the scenes to play the behind the scenes game is one of the things I admire most about Birdie. This kid is always on the up-and-up.

Birdie has a contagious laugh. She has what you might call a wry sense of humor. She loves old black and white movies and music that spans decades from the 1940s to the present day. She loves traveling and sports (especially soccer and football). She went to Ecuador after her senior year in high school and we thought she was going to just stay there. It might have been related to the fact that the World Cup was going on at that time.

She is loyal beyond belief to her sisters and has had the same best friend since the age of three. Birdie is independent and has better financial savvy than her dad and I ever had.  She loves decorating for holidays and celebrations and is the best gift giver of us all. Her gifts are thoughtful and perfect for each receiver. And, if you’re really lucky, it’s something she made.  

Halloween is her favorite holiday and orange is her favorite color. She was a pumpkin for Halloween 4 years in a row. And wouldn't let Mimi make her a bigger costume. THAT was interesting. As she got older, all of her birthday party themes were Halloween related.

Birdie has the patience of a saint (which she gets from her dad...stop laughing) and is creative in multiple ways. When she was little, Birdie loved to sit on my mother’s lap (Mimi) while she was sewing. Mother always puts her pins in her mouth and, one day, she noticed that Birdie was doing it too! Mimi never put pins in her mouth again whenever Birdie was around. Birdie pays attention to detail. While she was in Texas, Birdie taught herself to quilt.

She is strong willed and independent. She is my quiet child. The one who NEVER rocks the boat. She lives and loves purely and simply. She gets her feelings hurt but only a couple of us know because she doesn’t put herself out there when it comes to feelings. You really have to know her to know this side of her.  When she was little and rode roller coasters (which she has always loved- they are never  too twisty/fast/high for Birdie), her expression was the same as if she was just sitting there reading a book.

Birdie is a lot like my granddaddy especially in her practical jokes and that 'gotcha' giggle that is just like his. And the fact that they were both people of few spoken words. She also hangs up the phone when she's finished talking, often without a goodbye. Just like he did. They never knew each other, but he lives on in this one. 

She is never jealous or possessive. She never ceases to amaze us. Everyday with Birdie is a blessed day. 

Oh, and Birdie? Somebody loves you, it's ME! Happy Birthday my sweet Bird!

Since Birdie's love of music is so vast, I decided not to try and go through a ton of choices but, instead, chose her favorite Beatles song for her slideshow. Enjoy!

For some reason, I can't get the video to come up on the posted post. Sorry y'all. It's showing up on the draft just fine. Go figure.