because it was jensen's 10th birthday (i know, BIG deal!) i decided to go all out with a big party. i planned a surprise harry potter party for him and it was so much fun. as i was thinking up all the little details, i couldn't help but get a little giddy about it as i knew how much jensen would enjoy it; he is a huge harry potter fan! we had the party at the church gym. i decorated it like the great hall - complete with house banners, potion jars with potions and gross ingredients on the tables, house colours everywhere, a sorting hat where everyone got sorted before they could join the party, butter beer, and even a candy "kiosk" straight from honey duke's candy shop. there were bertie bott's every flavour beans, fizzing whizbees, chocolate wands, drooble's best blowing gum, and chocolate frogs - complete with wizard cards and featuring a special jensen wizard card. again, it was SO! MUCH! FUN! as it was also easter weekend, we were lucky to have family come for the party.
 |
| jensen when he saw the great hall |
 |
| waiting at platform 9 and 3/4 for the party to start. |
jensen’s birthday was the first in our whirlwind month of
birthdays. we celebrated evan’s 6th and paige’s 3rd
birthdays on the same weekend as their birthdays are only 5 days apart. we were
so happy to have family come in to town for the weekend and celebrate with us
again. those of you who know me know how much i like to make my kids birthday
cakes. i put a lot of thought and effort in to making “cool” cakes for them. i have a few very talented friends who make amazingly beautiful cakes. just to be
clear, my cakes are nowhere near the baked artistry of my friends' cakes but i still
really like to make them. so for evan and paige, i wanted to make a layered
rainbow cake. i found out the hard way that making a huge layered cake is much
more than just baking and stacking layers. the type and density of the cake as
well as the way you layer it are definitely things i should have taken in to
consideration. even with the help of my awesome sister in law, my rainbow cake
was more of a leaning tower than a cake. it was on the verge of tipping over
when brent came up with the brilliant idea of propping up one side of the plate
so the cake appeared more level. well, thank goodness for brent because his
idea saved the cake; it remained standing until after we cut it! i was feeling
somewhat depressed by my cake disaster until evan came in to the kitchen, saw
the cake, and said, “awesome!” at least he liked the cake! and paige did too –
it tasted good, just was a complete messJ
 |
| the other 2 birthday kids |
 |
| paigey liked the cake a lot |
 |
| the leaning cake |
 |
| ev was just a bit excited |
 |
| my beautiful birthday girl |
birthdays always remind me of how fast time is passing. my
children are growing way too much!! and with 3 birthdays in 1 month, i have
really been feeling just how quickly my kids are growing. i love being a mom. that was always my ultimate goal – to be a wife and mother; to not just be a
“stay at home mom” but to be a home maker. that is my favorite title for what i
do; i am a woman, i am a wife, i am a mother, and i am a home maker. i make our house a home, a safe haven for my family. and
i have been blessed with wonderful children in my home. of course they have
their typical kid moments, but at their core, they are good kids. they are
innocent and pure, untainted from a some times scary world. they want to be
good and try so hard to do what is right. my fervent prayer is that they will continue to have this desire to do good, that they continue to be clean and pure as they are exposed to more and more in this world that is tainted and unwholesome and some times scary. i pray that they remember what brent and i are teaching them about who they need to be - what kind of people they need to be.
i wouldn't trade being a mom and raising my kids for anything. almost everything i do every day is for brent and our children. they are my whole world. that being said, i find myself sometimes complaining about all the messes and work that come with raising children. i recently came across a quote by the prophet of our church, president thomas s. monson, that said.....
"if you are still in the process of raising children, be aware that the piles and piles of laundry (and the dirty floors, disaster bathrooms, untidy rooms, shoes at the door, clothes strewn everywhere, etc.....!!!) will disappear all too soon and that you will, to your surprise, miss them profoundly."
one of my new favourite songs by hilary weeks also reminds me of how precious each moment with my growing children is. the song is called "stand still"
"fingerprints all over the sliding glass door and i can barely see underneath the toys on the floor. i have wished away the sleepless nights, the noise and the messes made. but my heart reminds me i'm going to miss those days."
i really do cherish each and every moment with my kids. each hug, kiss, smile, laugh, and "i love you mom!" jensen and i were walking the other day and he easily slipped his hand in to mine so we could hold hands. little does he know how very much that means to me! i hope that i can continue to raise my children so they never doubt for a second how much love i have for them. and i hope they are never too old or too cool for hugs and kisses.
raising children is so bittersweet!!
they are so very precious. my greatest treasures.
No comments:
Post a Comment