Braden is 4!

First of all, may I just note that none of my pictures loaded in the correct order so they're all out of whack. Sorry.

I try to make cute cakes for the kids each year, but they don't always turn out the way I think they will. Braden, who is big into volcanoes right now, really wanted a volcano cake. So I did an internet search and came up with a few ideas, but I didn't wait long enough for the cake to cool so the frosting melted and globbed, and just looked pretty pathetic. The lava turned out pretty cool, but then, again, I should've waited until the day of his birthday rather than the night before to insert it into the cake, because it wasn't cooled enough and it tipped over and ripped half the cake apart. So here is my patched up version of the cake. Braden was so excited and loved it even though it didn't really turn out.

The important thing is that it tasted good.Braden is a big fan of blowing out candles and in the past I've done this and it was always a big hit, so we're going to keep the tradition alive. Each meal I put a candle in their food and they get to make a wish and blow it out. Then they get the birthday excitement all day. I also make pancakes (a favorite at our hosue) in their number. Isn't it funny how the thing they play with most is the box the toy came in. Blowing out the candles. Braden thought it was cool that his volcano was on fire. Opening presents with a little help from baby brother. He was very cute with Landon and let him help. Here's the stash. A great big thanks to all the grandparents who sent gifts for him. He loved them. All the boys scrambling to play with the new hotwheels race track. We love floor puzzles too. I picked up some rocket balloons out of the cheep clearance bin at Target not knowing what they really were. But they were a huge hit. So we went to the park and see the full effect. They had so much fun with these.