Belated Birthdays

While all my kids are in the same state, I thought we would attempt
to get them all in the same house and have a belated birthday party.
Tonight I pulled it off.

Birthdays at our house always begin when I pull this  old
cookbook off the shelf.  You can tell it has been well used.

It was the first cookbook I bought,thirty years ago.  Under the New and
Revised Edition at the bottom, it says Including Microwave Recipes.  Yes,
I remember when microwaves were just making an entrance into American
kitchens.  I wanted one so badly, but we had no money for such things.
Now I have one that I hardly ever use.

German Chocolate is the birthday cake of choice around here.
I've found that I can get by with using a cake mix, if I make my own frosting.
Homemade frosting makes the cake!!

And not just one frosting, but two frostings.
Coconut Pecan is the traditional frosting for this cake and we
love it.  It's easy to make it yourself and soooooo much better
than anything you can get in a can.
But I also make a chocolate buttercream to frost the sides and
between the layers and that takes it over the top!!

It goes like this:  a layer of cake, a layer of chocolate frosting, a layer of 

coconut pecan frosting, another layer of cake, and pecan frosting

on top.

Chocolate frosting on sides.

Let the party begin!

One candle for each of the belated birthdays.  Jantzen had his cake

when he came home for his last visit.

My three sons...

oh, man, they don't look too happy about getting older.

That's a little better.

Travis, Kenzie and Mom

The whole gang.... together for an evening.

The older we get, the more difficult it becomes for everyone to be 

together, so each gathering is precious. I'm so thankful for the blessing

of a wonderful family.

Love you guys so much!!!