Father's Day Recap

We had the most amazing day yesterday. It honestly could not have been any better if it had been scripted. I woke up around 6am, got up quietly, did my hair and makeup and made coffee. I watched the sun coming up as I drank my coffee and enjoyed an hour of peace and solitude...pure bliss I'm telling ya. The simple things... I even had a few minutes to spend trying to beat level 30 on Candy Crush {yep, I finally caved, but that's another story}.

Landon woke up around 7:30, ready to fix breakfast for his daddy. We spread out a blanket and enjoyed a breakfast picnic on the family room floor ~ cinnamon rolls, sausage and orange juice. It was so much fun. Landon was so excited to give daddy his gift ~ a new Alvin and the Chipmunks movie. He's just so precious.

 
Later in the day, we headed to my mom's house for a family cookout. Mike's parents and sister were there too. We spent the day on the patio and Landon spent the day in the pool. Mike and his brother grilled steaks and they were AMAZING! We grill steaks a lot, so I'm not sure what made these different, but they were just that good. We did switch from our usual barbecue sauce and used Cattleman's Kansas City. So good ~ it caramelized nicely on the steaks. We ended the day with ice cream cake and banana pudding. We got home around 8pm and Landon was sound asleep by 8:15. 

I love this picture I got of Landon and Mike. Don't you love the matching shirts? It's a family set - mine has a heart instead of the tie. I ordered them from Chic Couture Boutique on etsy. Mike just shakes his head... *wink

30 Days of Thanksgiving | Day 2

As for me & my house, we will serve the Lord.  ~ Joshua 24:15

It's easy for me to be thankful for my husband. God has truly blessed me with this man. He's a wonderful daddy - Landon adores his "Da". He works hard for us every day and is a true provider. He always helps out around the house. After working a full day, he'll spend hours on the floor playing with our boy. He loves his family and mine.

One of the things I love most about him is this - when I look in his eyes, I see his love and know that all he really wants is for his family to be happy. His love is so sincere.  My grandma was right when she said I picked a good man. God brought us together and I'm so, so thankful for that.

Which brings me to the most important thing I love about Mike. He loves our Lord. He loves Jesus and wants Landon to know that same love. And that's all this girl really needs.   

Neopolitan Birthday Cake

Mike turns 40 tomorrow. We're having a small celebration at home. I was planning on the three of us going to dinner at LoneStar, but Mike wants to keep it simple... a cheese pizza and an ice cream cake from Dairy Queen. Is my husband great or what? I'm thinking this menu is from the fact that we watch Home Alone EVERY night {it's become Landon's favorite movie}. Thank goodness for DVR or I'd never be caught up on my favorite programs.

We had a family party for Mike Friday evening. I was crazy proud of the neopolitan birthday cake I made for him. And he LOVED it.  The buttercream frosting was so tasty and an absolute dream to pipe. The recipe is at the end of this post.

Mike's family party didn't turn out quite as I had planned. I envisioned perfect decorations, a breathtaking buffet, etc. However, with my soon-to-be 2 year old helper, I didn't get everything done. But you know what? That's OK. Sometimes life just gets in the way of everything being perfect. And that's the stuff memories are made of.

Buttercream Frosting

recipe courtesy Sweetpolita

1 1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened

8 cups icing sugar (confectioners’)

120 ml whipping cream

2 tablespoons pure vanilla extract

1 tablespoon water

pinch of salt

Beat the butter and icing sugar in an electric mixer on low with the paddle attachment for about 2 minutes. Add the vanilla, water, whipping cream, salt, and strawberry oil, and whip on high speed until fluffy and smooth–about 4 minutes. Add colour and mix until well blended. If consistency is too thick, add more water 1 teaspoon at a time, then whip again for 30 seconds or so.

Makes enough to fill and frost a 3-layer (or 5-6 thin layers) 9″ cake.

Landon cuts grass

How cute is Landon?! He loves to cut mama's grass. He's such a good little helper.  He loves to help me around the house, especially if I'm sweeping or running the vacuum. Any chance he gets, he's grabbing the broom and dust pan.

I finally put together a menu for Mike's birthday party we're having Friday evening. It's all of  his  favorite things...Barbecue sliders with slaw, potato wedges with ranch dipping sauce, pasta salad, etc. Plus the fabulous cake I mentioned the other day. I'll also have a few appetizers, including one of his favorites - cream cheese with red pepper jelly served with crackers. He's so simple...just one of the reasons I LOVE him SO much!