Mama's B-day and New Years

You may have noticed that my posts have been quite spread apart lately to be followed by massive posts in one day.  This has been because we have been CRAZY busy with moving and taking care of our apt stuff.  It's not easy moving on very short notice, with a child, in an apt that you really shouldn't be in for more than a few hours at a time.  But we have come through this adversity and are feeling quite comfortable in my parents basement. Lydia has taken Stevo's old room and we have occupied the quilting room (sorry for kicking you out mom).  Our room is big enough to fit our bed, 2 dressers, our large desk, TV stand and still have room for us to move around freely.  We still got a storage shed for most of our boxes since we decided not to get rid of everything like we were originally thinking we might do.  There are still a few things that we need to find homes for but for the most part we have successfully completed move #13.  Only 2 more to go until we are settled in a house (that's the plan anyway).

New Years Eve is my mom's birthday and we always celebrate by going out to eat and having a small party afterwards.  This year Stephen wasn't working so we got to go to her favorite restaurant, Sizzler.  Boy oh boy do we love Sizzler!!!  It's like our family restaurant.  Dad paid for us all and with 20 people, that didn't come cheap but he loves doing it for my mom because she loves going out with everyone on her birthday.  I baked a special cake for her that day and was excited to try it out.  I did the decorations on a whim and thought that the presentation was okay but the cake was great!  So Happy Birthday to a wonderful mom who has been and ever will be irreplaceable!

Enjoying our very delicious meal!















Of course who better to open up presents with than the Grandkids.


A great present!

I made this apron for my mom as her present.  Do you recognize the pattern Maritza?

My Cake!  It is a three tiered checkerboard style cake with chocolate and white cake.

I wanted to get a picture of the cake with only a few slices taken out, but Gregory didn't get it and I was downstairs taking care of my sick little baby when they sang to her and the cake was cut. Although he wouldn't have gotten one anyway since Amy cut the cake but didn't know that you are only supposed to cut one piece out at a time and cut the whole thing.  So she was just trying to get everyone a piece on a plate while the cake was falling over.  I laughed when I found out but that is also why you only see 2 layers.  I am no professional but all I really want to do it make yummy cakes for my family.  I will never do it professionally.














Dan and Rich hanging out.














Tough guys!














Jayce loving the attention from an adult!














Sammie being...well...Sammie!














And at the end of the party here we are!

Everyone left about 9pm to go to their New Years Celebratory events.  We stayed at the house and our friend Matt came over to spend the night with us.  I went to bed at 9:45pm because I had spent the last 3 nights up with the munchkin because of a cold that she caught from my entire family.  While I was passed out the boys watched a movie where Gregory had to wake Matt up at midnight and said Happy New Year before crawling into bed.  We are party animals that is for sure!  The time will come when we are not so tired from waking up in the night either for a feeding or some comfort and we will stay up and celebrate these things again.  New Years Day was great playing games, baking my cake, and just being with family.

Lydia is now over her cold and I have only had to get up once in the night these past 2 nights for a feeding (growth spurt) but she goes back down really easily and will usually sleep until 7 or so.  I do have to say that I am loving being a mom right now.  Maybe it's because there are lots of other people around that want to play with her, or the open spaces that she can freely roam, or the fact that she is getting more independent and will play by herself, but she is SO MUCH FUN!  Gregory and I are loving every minute with her.  She plays games with us, she laughs, smiles, coos, and is just all around tons of fun.  I'm so glad we got through that hard baby stage.  Being a parent is at it's best right now!