Little pieces of Heaven

Jack has begun asking questions about God and about death and the people who are no longer with us. A couple days ago, we were cuddling and he said to me, "Mom, did you color your eyes blue?" I told him no, that they are just that way. His response was this, "No, mom, God colored your eyes blue." I have no idea where he got that from, but I guess it, combined with genetics, is true. We say prayers every night and, as he is a stubborn kid, he will not go to bed until he has prayed for all of us, all of his friends and family, specific cousins, sometimes inanimate objects, and for his little sister (at least three times). He really likes the part where we say "for the kingdom, the power and the glory are yours" (side note - apparently Catholics do not say this! per Great-Grandma Ruth). God has power, he likes to tell me. God must be just like a super hero. Yep, little man, He kind of is.

Each night, we pray that those who have passed away keep watch over us. Specifically, we pray for my dad and Amanda. Jack knows who they are and it gives me a little happiness to know that, even though he won't grow up physically knowing them, he knows them and considers them his very own angels. In his little man voice, Jack asks about Heaven and I really think he believes that those who watch over him from up there have magic powers to keep him safe at night. A little piece of me still believes that too, I guess!

Curious little boy. Always asking questions

He also asks about death and dying. I don't believe that death is something to be scared of, and I am trying my hardest to explain what it is without making his three-year-old mind confused or worried. I do understand that death is a very difficult topic to grasp and discuss. He has said a few times that he does not want to be dead. I respond the best I know how, but it sure is heart-wrenching to hear him think of things like that. He is growing so quickly and learning so much that I just hope I can keep up and answer all of his questions with grace and truth. An aunt once told me that she never lies to her kids. If they ask a question, she answers it as fully and as knowledgably as she can, even if the truth is difficult to hear. I hope to emulate that and really hope that I can find the right answers.

Annalee, with her Grandma Joan dissapproval face. I LOVE this!

 

2 year stats

Annalee is two! Just in case you didn't realize this from my past two posts!
We made it to see Dr. Barry yesterday and she is a happy, healthy little girl!

Her stats are:
Height: 2'10" (64.48%)
Weight: 29 lbs (77.86%)
Head Circ.: 51.6 cm (99.88%)

So, we still have a large head, but it isn't the largest!

Some pics for you now.

We like to eat breakfast with our blanket on our head.

That way, it doesn't get dirty!

Added again, because I just love this one!

Annalee turns 2! And gets to be in a wedding!

This weekend, we celebrated Annalee turning two by spending the day celebrating Zach and Krista's nuptials. We couldn't have asked for a more beautiful Saturday! The Fall leaves were vibrant and the sun was out all day! We were lucky to get to spend a majority of the afternoon outdoors for pictures and the happy couple was able to fully enjoy their day with family and friends. Annalee thought she was a princess and was delighted at the beautiful dress that she "got" for her birthday. She did a fantastic job walking down the aisle as the flower girl and tossed the petals in her basket like it was the most important duty ever! Auntie Em picked the kids up prior to the reception, so they could go home and have birthday cake and watch a movie. It allowed Ryan and I to have a much calmer experience at the reception and fully enjoy the evening. Win-win for all parties! Auntie Em, you are our superstar!

Annalee's birthday cake!

Coming soon, a blog post all about Annalee's 2nd birthday but first....

I made this cake and wanted to share it with the world!

It may look kind of like something any kid could make and the decorations may not be fantastic, but it is not the outside of the cake that I am pumped about. It is the inside!

I decided to theme Anna's birthday party as a rainbow party. I did this on the Monday of the party week. Note to self: don't do that ever again.

This cake is a compilation of recipes I found on Pintrest. It was easier than making the rainbow layer cake, as I was pressed for time and felt exhausted after doing all of my other self-inflicted projects!

So, this is how it went.

I mixed up a white cake mix and created the different colors for the rainbow cake in separate bowls using colored gel.

I then gobbed the batter into a prepared pan. I chose to use an angel food cake pan with the thought of cutting the finished product in half and creating two separate rainbow shaped cakes and adding the cupcakes to the bottom to act as clouds. That did not happen, as you will see, but the thought was there!

 

 The cake was then baked per the directions on the box. Perhaps it was lazy of me to use a boxed cake, but those folks have been doing it a long time and I assume they stay in business for the ease and deliciousness of their products! 

Here is the completed product prior to decoration. I then baked a couple dozen cupcakes to ensure everyone would have their proper allotment of birthday cake at the party!

Here is the finished product! Delicious and vibrant, just like our little birthday girl!

I'd say she was pretty darn happy with it! Happy rainbow birthday, Annalee!