A mere four days ago...

Seriously... flip flops and short sleeves. Now we have many inches of snow and is hovering at zero! Wrong direction, weather man!

Sunday afternoons...

Home from church early on a cold winter day means.... books & breakfast!

Rhys: happily reading a library book instead of finishing his literature homework.

Lou reading to George, although George would claim it's the other way around!

Cael working hard on his umpteenth waffle! (Is it awful that I mix my raw milk with Bisquick to make waffles?!)

Lou & I had to go pick up an Azure delivery. This is at 3pm. Brrrrrr.... It's a good thing we had 60's earlier this week or I'd be hard pressed to believe that spring really is on the way!

Fun in the (fake) sun...

My youngest nephew had the audacity to turn two, despite his mother's insistence that he stay a baby... She caved and threw him a lovely party at the water-park.

Cael spent his time in the wave pool- spinning. I have video but blogger won't cooperate...

George launching out of the big-kid slide!

Lou crossing the floating lily pads.

Lou & cousin, Maddi, having a bribe, er... treat for getting out of the water and dressed!

Grandma's birthday

Grandma Barb went and had another birthday... So, we felt the need to celebrate!

Auntie Sara & uncle Josh came early. Sara trimmed all the kids' hair (boy, is she cheap labor!?)

While uncle Josh kept the boys occupied. Brennen ran circles around Josh & Rhys playing catch. Round and round and round he went....

Sara told the boys to "shhhh" and Cael happily oblilged... Such an easy toddler!

I made basic BBQ fare: hamburgers, potato salad (with and without egg), pasta salad watermelon and chips. Dessert, on the other hand, needed to be special. I made a scrumptious Chocolate Sour Cream Bundt Cake (see recipe at bottom of this post). It was fabulous topped with some fresh whipped cream and fresh rasberries.

No birthday cake (even an unfrosted, bundt cake) is complete without a candle!

Following a whole lotta eating, we played a new card game. Yes, we deviated from our standard Rage game and played "Swap" instead.

It's a bit violent, but much fun. Even Rhys & Kjersten were able to play. Obviously, the hand slapping was the most entertaining!

Chocolate Sour Cream Bundt Cake~ America's Test Kitchen

Serves 12 to 14

Ingredients

Cake Release
1 tablespoon butter, melted
1 tablespoon cocoa

¾ cup Dutch-processed cocoa (2 1/4 ounces)
6 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
1 teaspoon instant espresso powder (optional)
¾ cup water (boiling)
1 cup sour cream, room temperature
1¾ cups unbleached all-purpose flour (8 3/4 ounces)
1 teaspoon table salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
12 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 1/2 sticks), room temperature
2 cups light brown sugar (14 ounces)
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
5 large eggs, room temperature
Confectioners' sugar for dusting

Directions

1. FOR THE PAN: Stir together butter and cocoa in small bowl until paste forms; using a pastry brush, coat all interior surfaces of standard 12-cup Bundt pan. (If mixture becomes too thick to brush on, microwave it for 10 to 20 seconds, or until warm and softened.) Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position; heat oven to 350 degrees.

2. FOR THE CAKE: Combine cocoa, chocolate, and espresso powder (if using) in medium heatproof bowl; pour boiling water over and whisk until smooth. Cool to room temperature; then whisk in sour cream. Whisk flour, salt, and baking soda in second bowl to combine.

3. In standing mixer fitted with flat beater, beat butter, sugar, and vanilla on medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Reduce speed to medium and add eggs one at a time, mixing about 30 seconds after each addition and scraping down bowl with rubber spatula after first 2 additions. Reduce to medium-low speed (batter may appear separated); add about one third of flour mixture and half of chocolate/sour cream mixture and mix until just incorporated, about 20 seconds. Scrape bowl and repeat using half of remaining flour mixture and all of remaining chocolate mixture; add remaining flour mixture and beat until just incorporated, about 10 seconds. Scrape bowl and mix on medium-low until batter is thoroughly combined, about 30 seconds.

4. Pour batter into prepared Bundt pan, being careful not to pour batter on sides of pan. Bake until wooden skewer inserted into center comes out with few crumbs attached, 45 to 50 minutes.

5. Cool in pan 10 minutes, then invert cake onto parchment-lined wire rack; cool to room temperature, about 3 hours.

6. Dust with confectioners' sugar, transfer to serving platter, and cut into wedges; serve with Tangy Whipped Cream and raspberries, if desired.

Easter Dinner

We had Easter dinner with Jason's family after the Easter egg hunt. It's the same every year. Eat. Play games. Eat more. Play more games. Eat more. Stay up way too late.

Grandpa Paul's traditional Easter bunny cake. (I think it's scary and I've never been brave enough to eat any, but the kids love it!)

Boys off to plunder foreign lands with the foam swords grandpa found for them.

Uncle Josh making a point.

Great grandpa Thelmar.

The "whist" table.

The "rage" table with Cael feeding Auntie Heidi some pie.

Cael explaining to great aunt Kathy why he needed seconds!

George: up much too late

Kjersten: also up much too late but seemingly still on an Easter candy sugar high!

And, finally, auntie Heidi... Up too late with NOT enough sugar.

(Jason made me post this pic, Heidi. Blame him!)

A day without Wii, TV, or computer?

We studied the Jewish Shabbat (our Sabbath) recently and I've been longing for a less chaotic, more purposefully restful weekend for some time! The kids seemed game and I convinced Jason that one way we could have such a day was to give up our "screens" (TV, computer, Wii). Amazingly, they all agreed!

It was lovely. We went to the water park (a treat that will NOT be repeated regularly), naps, and hours assembling the puzzle I bought specifically for this day. We can't wait to do it again! (Jason says just the boys are going to go screen-free this weekend too even with Lou, Cael, and I gone...)

Here's the puzzle:

A glimpse of our calendar...

Notice that most of our activities fall in the afternoon/ evening. Lots going on, but that's to be expected with four kiddos, huh? I'm so grateful Sara gets me this awesome calendar every year! With a different color Sharpie for each of us, I can tell at a glance who needs to be where when.

A cacophony of sound...

George, Auntie Heidi, Great Auntie Twyla, daddy, and grandma all jamming with their guitars and voices. They did some church songs, some John Denver, and even a little Johnny Cash. As the night wore on, they got better.

I'll get some video of George and his song about Cael soon. He's a natural!

Happy Birthday Lou!

Grandma assembling the desired baby pram. (It's going back... It has sharp edges and the wheels won't stay on. Grrrrr... I'm getting her a "real" umbrella stroller for 1/2 the price and, as a bonus, it'll actually hold her baby brother!)


Her very own copy of her favorite movie!


Yes, that's 8 candles on ONE cupcake.


Good stuff!

Our niece, Maddy.

Who keeps giving this kid cupcakes?!

Who keeps giving this 'kid' cupcakes?!

Memories of your wedding day, Sara?

Looks like she's not that mad after all...

Awwww... Josh is forgiven (once again)!

My Uncle Ed

My family is very sad tonite. My uncle Ed has been missing for the past 21 days. He went for a walk the Monday before Christmas and no one had heard from or seen him since. His body was found today. For his wife, Kati, and children, Colleen & Michael, their sorrow is confirmed and grieving begins again.

I am so sad for each of them. For my dad (Ed's brother). For me.

You may not know, but I was blessed to live with Ed & Kati my senior year of high school. They provided stability when my parents really couldn't. I've never been able to express my deep gratitude for their graciousness and it's hard not to feel guilty for that now. You can bet I'll be talking with my aunt Kati soon to tell her all those things I wish I'd said a few months ago...

My uncle Ed was always so accepting of me. I always believed he loved me, Jason, and our kids and I never felt pressure to be anything but myself in his presence. In the craziness of my immediate family, it was such a relief. For these reasons and many more, I will miss him.

For Colleen's post and more pictures see Young Adventures.

(My apologies to Collen. I took this picture from her blog. Most of my pics are on an external hard drive and I'm too exhausted to go get it hooked up...)

Cabbage Bread and More Games

Four generations. Great grandma, Peggy. Grandma Barb. Auntie Sara. Kjersten.
(Yes. This was the only good picture of all of them. And you all think Lou is shy...)



Sewing on her new machine. I'm going to have a little seamstress on my hands. (Yippee for me!)

Uncle Josh was happy to help her get the hang of it.

The last hand of Rage where grandpa Paul...

...lost!!!!

George, complete with new Minnesota Twins baseball hat, playing ball... in the house!

Great grandpa, Thelmar...

Auntie Heidi testing out Kjersten's new guitar.

Lou.

Kjersten getting some assistance from Grandma and Brennen and Cael...

Cael being cute.

Auntie Heidi buttering Cabbage Bread while homemade ice cream mixes in the foreground. Yum!

Cabbage bread. Not 'my' thing, but really loved by all of Jason's family including our kids. Lucky me.

Lou and her grandma.

Who gave the boys (cousin Caleb & George) Mountain Dew?! Ack!