Died and Gone to Heaven Choc. Layer Cake...

Earle is having a co-worker over for dinner tonight, so I decided to make something a little out of the ordinary. I had to share this recipe. It comes from my cookbook Eat, Shrink, and Be Merry. It is the last recipe in the book, because it is the one they throw in for when you really want to indulge in something tasty...so unfortunately it is not at all healthy! It turned out really well, and I am really excited to have a piece of it tonight!! So anyway, if you love chocolate, you should totally try this Died and Gone to Heaven Choc. Layer Cake! The picture is the cake on the link...mine looks tasty, but not quite that perfect!!
CB

What is awesome and what is not..this week...

Yesterday....AWESOME!! We spent a good part of the day outside enjoying 70 degree Fahrenheit weather!!

Today...NOT Awesome... having to walk through all of this snow while holding Collin to pick Ben up from school.... I took this picture from outside our car...

Awesome....Yoda Star Wars and Oscar the Grouch socks on little boys' feet!

Happiness is....

One brother helping the other one to accomplish something . Seeing Collin's proud face when he puts a puzzle piece in right, but also seeing how proud Ben is of Collin.

Remembering how sweet little Collin was when he was two and he would go to "time out" and stay there until we told him he could be done. This never worked for Ben!:) Collin was only posing because if he was really in time out he would not be happy. But this is where he goes and stands....bless his heart! So sweet!

Happiness to Ben right now are "home days" where we stay home and have no agenda! We go to the park or maybe I let him stay in his p.j.'s all day and just be lazy! I guess the boy is entitled to that! Also the days his daddy gets to be home with him...he counts the days every day until the weekend and gets so excited!

Happiness to Collin right now is hot chocolate,snacks, diego socks, superman p.j.'s and just getting to play!

This week at a women's bible study, a woman told us it was important to "scrapbook" the little things in life that define happiness....so because this is like my scrapbook...I snapped a couple of shots this week that made me happy!

CB

Easter Pics...

Action Shots....

Ben shaking his booty at the camera rather than saying cheese.

Mr. Collin on the run!

Trying to take one more, but they have had enough!



So cool...

Happy Easter, I knew the grandparents would want to see the pics! We just took them out on the porch to take these before Church. Luckily, it is a beautiful spring day here! We did not get perfectly posed pics of the boys, but we got perfectly them posed pics! Ben and Collin are funny little boys!! Hope you all have a great day!

CB

The Monster in our House...

This is the reason for late afternoon breakdowns. It is what puts me over the edge around 3:00 and makes me call Earle all upset and crying. Silly, I know, but it is our laundry monster!!!! This is 3 days of laundry that has been washed, but not put away! If we are tired at night we tend to even put already folded laundry...back into the tubs because it is late and we want to get into our bed!! Occasionally, I will feel bad late at night because I see Earle quietly putting a load of laundry into the wash. I ask him, why he is doing laundry. He says that he is out of t-shirts or underwear and needs some for the next day. I feel like a bad wife and I usually say, "What are you talking about you have plenty of underwear!! Have you checked, THE TUBS??"

I thought since it was all out so nicely on the bed I would share. Please tell me you can relate!!

Zoo and Stuff

Today was a truly beautiful day outside! I think Spring may finally be here. It has been in the 40s and 50s Fahrenheit all week and sunny. There are still spots of snow, but it is melting and there are many places that are clear of snow. I would say the great weather has truly helped brighten my spirits a bit! We were invited by a friend named Kari from church to go to the zoo today. The boys were super excited...at least Ben was, because he knew what the zoo was. We packed Ben's Diego backpack full of snacks and threw in our old camera for him to take pics of anything that he found interesting. I also brought our other camera along....just in case!



My friend Kari and her little girl...

My sweet friend Erin and her daughter Selah.. Ben, Selah and Collin...there were some interesting issues trying to fit them all in the Sit 'N Stand..but it worked

Random, the other day, I heard Ben asking Collin if he needed to use the potty and I heard the sound of a diaper coming off....I looked in to see this...I guess Ben thinks it is time for Collin to learn how to use the potty!! I don't think Collin loved Ben trying to set him on the potty!

On for the Scientifically educational part of the day...Kari was a great tour guide!

the Ben Pics....

Here is a Black Wolf...(not sure if you can tell)The beautiful Selah..A decent pic of an owl...I think this is a baby fox...

A good idea anyway, but a little short lived.:)










Last but not least, we finally did it, we had him committed to the zoo. We all knew it would happen some day!;) Just kidding of course! Instead we gave him to a kangaroo!

Enjoy!

CB

Sunday....

Conversation a few days ago...went as follows....

Ben randomly asks, "Mommy, do you have to die and be dead to go to God?"

I reply, "Yes, in a way, we do have to die, someday, everybody does."

"Oh, okay. What is it like when we die and go to God?" says he.

"I know it will be great and God will take care of us." I say.

"Can we bring our toys, does Jesus have toys?" he asks.

"No, we can't bring our toys, we won't need them ," I say.

"Can we play?" he asks.

"Yes, I am sure we can play." I say.

Fast forward to yesterday....
Yesterday we were driving back from the store and Ben piped up with another in a constant stream of questions/statements.

"So Mommy, what's it going to be like on Sunday when me, you, Daddy and Collin go to God. Are we going to get to ride a cloud. Maybe if we ask Him, He'll let us. Maybe if we have a good report we can ride the clouds."

"I am not quite sure what you are saying Ben, on Sunday, this Sunday?" I replied.

"Yes, Mommy, you told me yesterday that we would all go to God together Sunday," says Ben.

" I think I told you, SOME day, Ben, SOME day. If we keep trying to obey God, and try to make good choices, and get a good report, yes, we'll all be there SOME Day! And maybe he'll say yes, about the clouds, you can ask him."

It freaked me out a little at first. The willingness to just go from a 4 yr. old just amazes me...blind faith, no fear, and sheer excitement. Ahhh the questions and inquisitions of my Ben. :):)

CB

A Quiet Moment...

I was in the kitchen fixing dinner tonight and all of a sudden I realized it was way too quiet. Oh, no, I thought, where are the boys....I heard the television on in the other room. I peeped around the corner, and to my surprise there sat both Collin and Ben together on the couch, watching the television and Collin reading his little Bible, no less. You have got to be kidding me, I thought! I went quickly to get my camera because I knew this could be one of those moments I'll never see repeated! I had to document the occasion! It only took a second before they realized I was taking their picture and the moment was gone. Ben started say "cheese" and Collin tried to mock him saying, "Taeee". Sweet boys!

While posting this I heard giggling from the bathroom and the toilet flush, I looked in and saw two boys laughing and a used diaper and two empty toilet paper rolls and a plastic wrapper being attempted to be flushed down the toilet!