C20's birthday celebration was fit for a Queen.....

Big thanks to all the friends and family who helped us celebrate C20's birthday basically the entire weekend!  Showing up and calling means a lot!  Without friends and family, what is there?

Today started off with a vegetarian breakfast feast, sugar, friends, and a massive dinner at Fuku Asian Bistro which never disappoints.  Now we are on to (cake part 2) and cannoli and binge-watching Netflix.

Happy birthday again to one of the greatest kids/young adults out there!

A birthday filled with food......

Homemade pancakes with maple syrup for breakfast.

Homemade flatbread pizzas for dinner.

Sauteed cherry tomatoes.

Organic spinach.

Baby bellas and green peppers.

MorningStar veggie strips.

Feta cheese, mozzarella, and vegan cheddar.

My masterpiece!  It was way too much but YOLO!  

And the birthday cake finale.  Yes, I am 29 again!  My kids are so funny, like me.

Thanks to my girls for making today such a great birthday!  And friends and family for lunch Friday and Saturday.  Cannot wait!!!

Cake #4 for the bday girl...........

A16 and our favorite 10-year-old neighbor made this awesome cake for C18.

It took them a while to decorate it but look how beautiful and unique.

Strawberry cake with vanilla frosting, chocolate frosting, and fresh strawberries.

No boring chocolate or yellow cakes this year. She had red velvet, carrot cake, raspberry with white chocolate drizzle, and strawberry.

It was also delicious!

I think we are all done with cake for a while.

Had a great Mother's Day, thanks to my kiddos........

This Mother's Day was a little different this year since I was in my car driving to pick the kiddos up at 3 a.m., yes, 3 a.m. on Sunday morning, Mother's Day!  We got back around 6 a.m. and all fell asleep for a few hours.  There was a lot of coffee after that.  These sneaky kids had picked out some gifts for me and surprised me.  I had no clue!  New headphones for my job, lots of candy and bubble gum, an amazing gift basket from Bath & Body in my favorite scent cucumber melon, and of course, the new Harry CD.  We ate veggies for dinner, went for a walk, and finished up with cake and a movie.  This was such a great day!  Thanks girls!

This year C17 wanted lemon cake. Turned out to be a delicious break from chocolate

~Yummo.......

Such a pretty birthday cake!

There can never be enough birthday cake!

Happy birthday to me!

My amazing friends spoiled me with a pre-birthday lunch, cake, and gifts.  As a joke, they got me candles for 29 but the 9 broke so it turned into 20 but I am no where near 20 (or 29 for that matter).  That's okay, I would not go back to 20 for anything!  I am not afraid of getting older.  Getting older is something everyone should embrace.  I have learned a lot in all my years especially in the last two years specifically.  I have learned to stand on my own two feet, raise my kids alone, work all kinds of jobs, home-school two teenagers and a hundred other things, I don't live with my parents (yet anyway), and I am not in debt.  It took a long time to get here but I like it!  Age is just a number anyway, right?

This cake was fantastic! 

This card, love it!

Way to be not dead!  So funny!

Thanks Friends for the cake, card, and gifts.  We are having lunch tomorrow again and more cake so life is looking pretty good at my age, pretty good indeed!

Swiss Roll and cream cake

Pinterest is a goldmine!  I am always finding things I want to try or do or makes me laugh like crazy.  We have a few birthdays coming up so I was looking for a different kind of cake and I hit the jackpot.  I took this recipe and picture directly from Homemaking Hacks with Debra Lopez.  You can visit her blog here for more amazing goodies.

Swiss Roll Cookies and Cream Cake Recipe

Ingredients

• 16.5 Devil's Food Cake Boxed Mix Prepared
• 16 oz Can of Creamy Chocolate Frosting
• 16 oz Can of Creamy Vanilla Frosting
• 3 Packages of 8 Count Swiss Rolls
• Family Gourmet Chocolate Crème Sandwich Cookies (7 Cookies Crushed)

Instructions

1. Prepare the Devil's Food Cake Mix according to package directions using (2) 9" cake pans. Once completely cooled, trim your cakes so that they are both flat using a straight knife. Then, spread a layer of chocolate frosting on top of one cake, then place the second cake on top. Use the remaining chocolate frosting to cover the sides of both cakes. Use the vanilla frosting to cover the top cake. Use a round frosting tip to make a pretty design with the frosting or trim the corner out of a plastic baggy to pipe the frosting. You can also simply spread the frosting over the top if you like. Next, remove Swiss Rolls from packaging and trim the top off each cake, about 1/2 inch so that they line up just above your cake layers. Line the Swiss Rolls around the entirety of the cake by pressing the flat side onto the frosting. Tie a small piece of ribbon around the cake to secure it. Lastly, sprinkle the crushed Chocolate Crème Sandwich Cookies over the top of the cake. Voila! Now you have a professional cake at a fraction of the cost! Enjoy!

This seems so easy to make and not an expensive cake for sure.  I can only image how sweet this is going to be..............Yummmmmmmm!!!!

Birthdays!

My oldest daughter just turned 11.  I can hardly believe it.  She requested a strawberry-flavored cake with funfetti frosting.  It was delicious!

My youngest daughter bought her a bike.  This is how she wrapped it.