Jack's birthday

Our little buddy turned 4 on Sunday!  We didn't do anything big for the day, but we played like crazy! He wanted pancakes, so we brought him to Perkins, where he immediately decided he wanted grilled cheese instead...with bacon. That seems like a good breakfast, right? From there, we went to the park, played, opened gifts, played, went for a bike ride on his new bike, played and invited our Oleson cousins over for cake. Then, we played some more. Jack's favorite gift was his bike. He has known for awhile now that it was coming, but when he actually saw it, his reaction was priceless. He stared, made his funny excited kid noises and said "I told you so, momma! I told you I was getting a bike!" Well, buddy, you were right.

We had plans on Saturday night to take the kids to Frozen on Ice, but Jack got sick, so Annalee and I had a date sans boys. She loved it! And listening to the Target Center echo with all the little kid voices singing Let it Go was probably the most adorable thing I have ever heard.

Just for good measure, here is a photo of Annalee being loved up by her daddy. These two are such hams.
Have a great day!

Fulton

My Grandma Anne passed away last week. She died less than a month after my Grandpa Max. Five weeks to the day, the Fulton clan was back at St. Joseph's Catholic Church saying goodbye to another of the family's leaders. I have so many feelings about her passing. Some are thankful that she is where she wants to be; with my grandpa. Some are angry because death has a way of making me feel that way. Most are just sad. In our family, there has been tension for years about things that I was too young to grasp when they were happening. I still do not fully comprehend the pain that the adults in my life were able to cause each other and I don't know if I even care to understand them now that she is gone. The past is in the past and forgiveness and moving on after old feelings were unearthed for some are going to have to be the next steps taken on this journey.That being said, I loved my Grandma and am quite sad that she is no longer around to chat with. I wholeheartedly believe that she, my Grandpa and my dad are watching over us and having a good laugh together about the folly's we find ourselves in down here. I also think my dad might be shaking his fist at his brothers and sister, wondering how he is going to adjust to dealing with both of them with so little time to adjust! Ha! That is a funny thought.
To all who have offered condolences to my family, thank you. Everything is fine and we have some wonderful memories that will keep their memory alive. And this summer, I plan on kicking ass when it comes to finding four-leaf clovers and will dedicate each of those little treasures to Anne Fulton's memory.

A visit with Santa

Sunday was supposed to be a quiet day. We had been thinking of spending the morning getting the house ready for Christmas, when I came across a post for Eagan's Holiday event at Holz Farm. It was supposed to be a warm(ish) day, so we got the kids dressed and headed out.

It was not warm! And the line for Santa was long. But, since we had already parked and promised the kids they could visit with the elf, we waited. With one of us always in line, the kids were able to sing Christmas carols, visit with the reindeer and warm up near the fire pits. Forty-five minutes later, we met with a wonderful Santa and the kids got to make some wishes. Jack wants a vacuum and a blender, preferably both green. Annalee wants toys.

They were jazzed to see Santa and Jack could have spent an hour talking to the man. But too soon, their turn was done and Santa was on to another family and J & A were on to the cookies and apple cider.

We went immediately home and everyone took a three hour nap. Gotta love an afternoon of cold, fresh air.

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!