Happy Birthday Joshua!

Josh turned 2 today! It is hard to believe he is already 2 - it seems like just yesterday he was a tiny baby. But he is definitely acting like a two-year-old - he is constantly saying 'Mine' and 'Do it self'.'

We celebrated yesterday by having some friends over for pizza and cake and ice cream. Joshua didn't seem to quite understand what all the fuss was about, but he sure enjoyed all the attention and presents.

Moo, Baa, La La La by Sandra Boynton is Josh's favorite book. (If you have little kids and haven't read it, you really need to). He makes all the animal sounds and even insists on sleeping with the book. So I made him a 'La La' cake:

This is the picture from the last page of the book. It is all buttercream. The cake itself is a white cake with pink cherry filling.

Licking frosting off his finger...

Blowing out his candles. I love the intense look on his face!

Mmmm...

Yummy chocolate pudding!

It's A Boy!!

We found out on Wednesday we are having a boy!! My mom, sister Arianne and Madison came with us to the ultrasound. Madison was so excited to see the baby - he was yawning and wiggling a lot during the ultrasound - but she was a little disappointed to find out she is going to have another brother (she really, really wants a sister).

Happy Anniversary!

Wednesday was our 10th anniversary. I can hardly believe we have been married for 10 years!

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My wonderful mom flew down on Tuesday afternoon with my brother, Chris, and they and my sis, Arianne, helped Justin arrange a huge surprise for me. Justin took me out to dinner and then we went on a gondola ride at the Venetian and finally surprised me with a room my mom had gotten for us at the Venetian. My mom watched the kids for the night and Justin and I had a wonderful time. He is such a great guy! I love you Justin!

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My mom had to fly back home on Thursday evening - I wish she could have stayed longer! Thanks Mom for everything!! You are amazing!!

I'll bring the cake...

Warning! Super long post!!

This last week has really kicked my butt! I have spent the last few weeks working on flowers and decorations for my step-brother Phil's wedding cake. In the midst of all that I started out this week by making a 1st birthday cake for the daughter of some of Justin's high school friends. I didn't have time to get a very good picture of it, so this is a picture I stole off their blog:

Last weekend was also our Stake's Father and Sons Campout, so Justin took the boys to that on Friday night. Madison helped me finish up the cake and then I took her to Applebees for dinner - she loves Applebees! The next morning I made crepes for her (she ate more than I did) and then we went shopping! We used the gift card she won from the book contest. She had the hardest time deciding what books to spend it on, but finally settled on a couple more books in the fairy series she is reading and also a book from a new princess series. We also got her some new shorts and some ribbon to decorate her new shirts and made what was supposed to be a quick stop at Costco. We were quickly reminded why I never go to Costco on Saturday - UGH! We spent the rest of Saturday (and part of Sunday) doing laundry and trying to finish up stuff for the wedding cake.

Monday morning I got Madison off to school and then Jordan, Joshua and I headed up to Utah. Everyone was so worried about me driving up to Utah by myself with the boys. My mom even offered to fly someone down to drive back up with me. All in all, the trip went really well, aside from the road construction traffic in South Salt Lake and the throwing up just 30 minutes from my mom's house (why, oh why did I give Josh a banana when I couldn't watch to make sure he didn't shove the entire thing in his mouth all at once...).

I spent all of Tuesday and Wednesday and half of Thursday standing in my mom's gorgeous kitchen baking and decorating the wedding cake and cutting up fruit for the luncheon. Luckily, my mom's neighbor has a little boy that is Jordan's age. They played together all day on Tuesday and Wednesday, so Jordan was completely entertained while I decorated! I had a few minor catastrophe's with the cake, but luckily was able to fix all of them.

Thursday afternoon I loaded up the boys and the cake and drove (cringing every time a hit a bump in the road) all they way down to Draper for the luncheon and reception. The reception was held in a beautifully decorated greenhouse. I got the cake done just as the reception was starting. It had a few minor flaws (most of which I'm sure no one but me noticed), but overall I was happy with the way it turned out. Plus Phil and his new wife Chelsea seemed to love it!

The bottom tier was white chocolate cake with strawberry mousse filling and white chocolate almond buttercream. The middle tier was dark chocolate cake with dulce de leche filling and marshmallow buttercream. The top tier was cardamom spice cake with peach filling and cream cheese icing. All three tiers were covered in white chocolate fondant with handmade gumpaste orchids and kumquats.

Jordan and Josh enjoying the delicious ice cream at the reception.

Jordan playing with my brother Daniel, his adorable girlfriend Amy, and my brother Michael.

Phil and Chelsea cutting the cake.

Friday we spent washing dishes and tableclothes, putting away all the decorations from the luncheon, and cleaning my mom's kitchen (which I'm sure has never been that messy before - thanks for letting me use your kitchen all week Mom!). I also made my little sis, Maren, a cake for her 12th birthday! (Forgot to get a pic of it - oops)

Saturday, the boys and I drove all the way home... completely exhausted! My feet and legs still ache from being on them for so many days straight. I am really glad I don't have much going on this next week because I think it is going to take me a few more days to completely recover.

While we were gone, Justin and Madison rode bikes, went to the park, played Barbies (what a good dad!), watched movies, cleaned the house and went to the water park. Madison really missed Jordan and was so excited to have him come home.

Our Award-Winning Author

I am so proud of Madison! Her school had a book writing contest and she entered. They announced the winners this morning and she won!! She got an award certificate and a $20 gift certificate to Barnes and Noble. It was so fun to watch her face as they read her book to a multipurpose room full of people. She was beaming! Here is her book (sorry - the scans don't do her pictures justice):

A Bird by Madison Hansen

Once upon a time there was a bird.

One day it flew to it's friends house. (The bird on the bottom is saying "Come on!")

The bird had so much fun at his friends house. (The bird at the bottom is saying, "It's so much fun!")

That night he had a sleep over at his friends house. The end!

Easter and Spring Break Excitement

Happy Easter! We were all sick for Easter this year (except for Justin), so we are a few days late with this post. Here are some pics of the kids coloring Easter eggs:

Hunting for eggs:

We spent Spring Break up in Utah this year. We had tons of fun hanging out with all my family (except we didn't get to see Daniel). We went and saw Monsters vs. Aliens, hung out with the family, played in the backyard. But the biggest thing we did was throw my Mom a surprise birthday party with all her family and neighbors. Anyone who knows my Mom knows she is impossible to surprise, but somehow we managed to do it! Arianne, Mike Vause and I worked hard planning it for weeks beforehand. A special thanks to them for all they did! Jordan almost gave the surprise away - he told my Mom, "It's your birthday and it's a surprise!" When she asked what the surprise was Madison told her, "We're not telling you." Luckily I overheard and intervened before she could pry the secret out of them. Jordan also told her that she was turning a big number, but that in four years she was turning a really, really big number! You gotta love kids! Happy Birthday Mom!! We love you!

My Mom had to work on Monday and Tuesday. She felt so bad that she wasn't there to entertain us, so she kept trying to give us things to do so she wouldn't be bored. Little did she know, I (with tons and tons of help from Justin) was spending those two days baking her birthday cake! I got started both mornings as soon as she left and then we would hurry and get it all cleaned up and hidden away just before she got home. She kept teasing us for being so pooped when all we'd done is spend the whole day hanging out doing nothing!

It turned out pretty well I think. And it was so delicious! - Dark chocolate cake, marshmallow and dulce de leche fillings, covered in chocolate ganache and chocolate fondant!