Ever heard the phrase, "baking a cake can be sentimental?" Well this year I learned baking a cake can be a lot of things. A mess, a project, a pain in the rear, and yes-surprisingly sentimental. Maybe it's that I've birthed two kids and my emotions are shot. I cry at the drop of a hat at anything the least bit moving it would seem. You know those "adopt a puppy, and save a life" commercials? Well, you get the idea. All this is to say, as I stood in my kitchen watching the sugar, flour, and eggs mull around in my mixer, I couldn't help but get a little teary eyed thinking about my sweet Carter and how he is already two years old! Where did the time go?? My sweet baby moo, growing up so fast? I felt panicked at the idea that I couldn't slow things down, and that he was changing every day right before my eyes! I wanted his cake to be perfect, something that even a two year old would love. This was not just a cake- this was a tribute, an expression of love for all of the joy that he has given me the last two years. And THAT is why baking his cake was sentimental. How can you express to your little boy who barely gets that it's his birthday (or doesn't) how much he has meant to you, and that you'd do anything in the whole world for him? Well, let's just say- it's tough. But Woody and Buzz Lightyear were my fighting chance this year :) Carter is obsessed with Toy Story and "Wooody and Buzz". We watch all 3 movies all week, every day, all the time it feels like. And Carter spends the rest of his day jumping off of furniture yelling "to inpinity......and eeeeyond!". So I knew if I wanted to speak love and devotion, this was how. Thus I got to work on my 24 hour cake project. A two tiered, fondant toy story cake. Because it was such a project, and this post is mainly to focus on the boy of the day... I'll just give you an idea of how it went making my own fondant, making the cake, homemade buttercream frosting, dying the fondant, and decorating..... mostly it looked like this.
And I don't think this illustrates the serious MESS that became my kitchen after the fact. This was just the beginning.
Carter loves balloons, and had me blow up a whole bag until I literally felt like I couldn't stand for even one minute at a time :) Oh the things we do.
Now for the decorations!
Complete with bubbles, party hats, and blowers.
And the cake.....let's give a few angles shall we? It only last literally 10 minutes as my masterpiece.
Blowing out the candles! (I think the clouds on the cake are my favorite)
Mater the Bubble Truck was a birthday present from Grandma Rhodes, here featured by miss Ainsley.
We were lucky enough to have Aunt Roch here for the party!
Carter's present from mom and dad. He tries to steal every scooter he sees so we decided this was for the best :)
A present from Aunt Kar. Thomas the train puzzle and book, which we now read faithfully each night.
So that's about it. We love our Carter so so much more than we could ever imagine. He is truly the reason for so much of our happiness! So I'd just like to say for the books, "Dear Carter, although you were in no way planned, and perhaps the biggest shocker of our lives.....we would never ever trade you for the whole entire world! You are our most perfect accident ;) WE LOVE YOU!!!!!!"
*My dad for lots of years made a birthday video for each of us kids as a little tribute, and we watch it on each birthday. Nate is starting that tradition, so mostly for family's sake...you can see his birthday video here.
Memorial day in Concord was pretty neat! Normally when I'm at home, we go and visit loved ones at the cemetery and decorate their graves with beautiful flowers. I missed that a lot this year, but we did our best to celebrate differently. We got to visit some pretty neat grave sites still. Ralph Waldo Emerson and family, Louisa Mae Alcott and family, Nathaniel Hawthorne, Henry David Thoreau...all placed nearby each other on what people call "Author's Ridge". Never actually foresaw myself paying homage to these people at my local cemetery! But hey- I felt truly privileged! 10 minutes from my front door lay some of the greater legacy's of our American history. Driving past cemeteries and walking through them is actually one of my favorite pass time's here. They all look SOOO old! It is truly a wonder sometimes how the headstones are still standing in one piece. Incredible. But back to the festivities- what is memorial day without some hot dogs?? Now and again, when I was young my dad would take us to RC Willey to have a free hot dog and fountain drink at their memorial day sale. Now my memorial day pretty much revolves around that hot dog. Last year or maybe the year before, I convinced Nate to go with me to get that free dog, and I was literally crushed when they told us they were out. I never miss a memorial day dog. So naturally, we had to go to Costco. But I digress. Here's some pictures of our day.
I idolize this woman a bit. And LOVE her book little women.
This row of matching headstones are all of Louisa's sisters, with her parents just behind them.
Ralph W. Emerson's huge rock headstone :) loved it.
and Nathaniel Hawthorne..
Now on to our barbeque complete with good lookin' kids!
Carter LOVES to swing. loves it.
My niece, Ainsley, AKA the diet coke cover child...
You know those places that on a rough day or when you need time to think, you escape to? Just because that certain place makes you feel happy, peaceful, or relaxed? I never thought I'd be able to say this, but Nate and I escape to the "Old North Bridge". A national monument! Part of minuteman historical park. Only 10 minutes from home. The north bridge now stands as a replica of the bridge that stood during the revolution near the old Manse house, a house built by Ralph Waldo Emerson's grandfather, Rev. Emerson, who actually watched the battle at the North bridge from his fields and his wife and children saw it from their windows upstairs. Ralph Waldo Emerson lived there for a time, and also Nathaniel Hawthorne who rented the home, and shared company with Henry Thoreau. It is striking. Nate and I recently shared some incredible Ben and Jerry's ice cream there in the parking lot for a "mini" date night. S'mores flavor? Brilliant. We've also taken the whole fam for a picnic. I like to run around this area, and it feels so quiet and beautiful. Something else about this place is so mystical! I know it is funny to say, but really truly, there is something special and perfect about being here! I think partly I love it so much because I feel like the scenery and historical homes put me into a different era. I like that. None of these pictures will do the place true justice, but to give you a glimpse...
Me and the Moby again, of course. Yes there is in fact a person in there, who I so happen to be munching :)
The monument says, "HERE On the 19 of April, 1775, was made the first forcible resistance to British aggression[.] On the opposite Bank stood the American Militia[.] Here stood the Invading Army and on this spot the first of the Enemy fell in the War of that Revolution which gave Independence to these United States[.] In gratitude to GOD and In the love of Freedom this Monument was erected AD. 1836."
(Kindly borrowed from good old google. This looks most like what it is now)
In 1837 on July 4th, Ralph Waldo Emerson dedicated the monument here with his "Concord Hymn"- famous for this portion..
By the rude bridge that arched the flood, Their flag to April's breeze unfurled, Here once the embattled farmers stood And fired the shot heard round the world.
This monument here is the "Grave of British Soldiers". Pretty reverent to stand there actually. This place is amazing.
It is so amazing to me to stand where all of our independence began! Crazy to think of that day and what these hills must have looked like! Men running out the doors of their homes, leaving their wives and families inside as they grabbed their guns and maybe even said their last goodbyes to protect their freedoms. It paints an incredible picture to actually be here. Recently, Massachusetts celebrated a holiday they title Patriots day, on April 19th in honor of that first battle in Concord. It was SO neat! Everyone gets together and actually reinact all of the events that took place that day, starting at the crack of dawn. They wear time period clothing and reinact the battle and the surrender at the North Bridge. You can even hear gun shots and cannons going off periodically throughout the day. Watching it happen makes you want to shout for joy that people were willing to put their lives on the line for us! Against some really great odds, it is amazing what happened to bring America to freedom. There is a parade, and people walk in honor of the "minutemen" from all of their respective neighboring towns to come and help defend Concord. Some people walked up to 10 miles! It is incredible really. I can't believe I actually get to live in such a place. Hopefully there will be many more walks, talks, and ben and jerry's shared on this incredible piece of ground!
When you are native to Boston, Cape Cod is known as "the cape". My sister Stephanie mocks me for feeling legit saying this, but the cape is gorgeous. And I love it. One ordinary saturday morning, my adventurous husband said we should go for a drive to the beach. Cape Cod is only a couple hours from where we live so we felt pretty excited and privileged to live so close. So that ordinary saturday morning turned into a really exciting road trip. I love those spur of the minute kind of ventures. The kids were great in the car and Carter was ecstatic to be at the beach. It was hard keeping him nearby since he wanted to see the boats and play in the water. It was warm and sunny, and we even made a small seashell collection. Loved it. Everything was so stunning and it made me realize that I had not set foot on a beach for 3 1/2 years! Even more enjoyable. There are a lot of breath taking sights and incredible sea food to eat too. I ate the best clam chowda I have ever had in my life, and saw the biggest lobster I've ever seen too. 5 lbs! They call those ones the "small" guys. Crazy. Nate loves him some lobster rolls. I had no idea what a lobster roll was until I moved here. Essentially a lobster salad kind of mix on a big hot dog like bun. Wow. Amazing. We took lots of pictures and plan to head back there soon! It's amazing being able to live in such a historical, beautiful, beachy, green, and exciting place. Boston holds much of my heart these days. Check out the view from where we sit!
This purple wrap is called a Moby. And it has been a saving grace. Yes, my baby is inside it haha and she is happiest there so it would seem. It is a lot of work to tie on but is the best thing I have found for my girl thus far!
Such good lookin' guys. Ow ow!
This is felt very much like a scene from Prince Edward Island for those Green Gables fans like me :)
So gorgeous. I truly LOVE the beach and this place I can call home!
