My sister celebrated another birthday this past year.  She is 21…again and I was able to help her celebrate it.  I found this yummy chocolate cake a few days before her birthday and really wanted to try it out.  So, her birthday was the perfect excuse to bake it.  And boy was it yummy.  I didn’t like the buttercream that the recipe called for, but I really liked this one I found online (and I used heavy cream instead of milk).   I also made the Pioneer Woman’s cinnamon rolls.  I was quiet the baker last weekend!

Can you really have TOO MUCH chocolate?

We had a family party for her on Sunday and then went to Red Robin with friends on Monday.  Later that night we had a date with our husbands and watched Salt.

Thanks for being my sister and letting me celebrate your birthday with you!

Matt had to go to California for work and had the brilliant idea to take Mason along with him since both of our parents live in California, and Mason is still FREE to fly.  The grandparents loved the opportunity to be with their grandson who they really only met at Christmas last year.  So that meant that Kalani and I would have a week of doing “girl things” or at least things that would be difficult to accomplish with 14 month old Mason!

So, here is what our week consisted of; plus some eating out and Kalani swimming at our aunt’s house:

Sunday – Kalani had her cousin Olivia spend the night

Laundy room painted with bead-board and trim

Monday – Kalani and Olivia watched my niece Jaedyn while I painted and put up bead-board and trim in my laundry room.  It turned out pretty well, especially since I didn’t know what direction I really wanted to go when I started.  Went to blockbuster and Baskin-Robbins to end the day.

Tuesday – Painted Mason’s room…nothing excited just the same color as the rest of  the house.  Attended a Hawaiian Family Culture class in the evening…going to try to learn how to make some of the traditional Hawaiian crafts.  And Kalani had her cousin Caleb spend the night

Toy Story 3 in 3-D

Wednesday – Watched “Toy Story 3″ in 3-D and then went SHOPPING!  Kalani has been wearing the same 3 shirts and 3 jeans for the past 5 months…hopefully now she will change her wardrobe a bit and actually wear some shorts in the hot, humid Texas August!

1st fondant cake decorated

Thursday – My wonderful sister watched Kalani so I could attend the temple.  Then I took advantage of my alone time and finally used the massage gift certificate that I have had since I was pregnant with Mason.  After I picked up Kalani I went to a friend’s house and learned how to decorate a cake with fondant.  So, easy and fun…I think I may have cake decorating a part of our homeschool curriculum this year!

Jedi Kalani...or maybe a Bounty Hunter

Friday - Our year pass expires at the end of the month so we went to NASA for a couple of hours.  This summer they were showcasing Star Wars Clone Wars and Kalani was excited to try to be a Jedi.  I then had lunch with a friend from California and her daughter while we were down by NASA.

Kalani's idea of fun while I was being pampered

Saturday – I got a free facial at ULTA and then spent the day cleaning the house and doing laundry.  My reward for my hard work and for Kalani being such a good kid this week we went back to the movies and saw “Despicable Me”

Sunday – Matt and Mason got home and we are a happy family together once again.

I wore her out with all of our mother-daughter time

Tia wasn’t home, I was in the living room, and I heard Mason crying somewhere in the back of the house. After some searching, this is what I found: (and yes, I did leave him in there to go get my camera.. )

Kalani gave my brother the nick name Jonji…and Matt had to add the prefix.  Here he is 2 years ago in Utah with my parents.

Getting ready to go the Missionary Training Center

And now he has return from serving a mission in the Denver Colorado North Mission.  He was there for 24 months and had nearly 20 different companions.  We visited him just a couple of months back and saw how much he has grown and changed.  Meeting strangers, teaching them about Jesus Christ, learning to live with a companion, etc. makes one grow up in ways only achieved by serving a mission.  Now he is home and leaving for school in Hawaii.

2 years later at the airport with mom and dad

No Training Wheels

A couple of months back we tried taking off Kalani’s training wheels, but she couldn’t balance that well without them.  So after months of practicing we decided to try again.  Seriously I just took off the training wheels and held on to the back of her seat for 5 seconds and she was then riding by herself.  She was so proud of herself that she showed all of the neighbors that day and always wants to be outside “practicing”.

Mason is also proud of his big sister