The teen years.

This past Saturday Brock turned thirteen. I am officially a parent of a teen now! It really is a blur and crazy how fast those years go by. But I must say that I consider myself very lucky to have been able to watch Brock grow from a tiny 6 lb. 1 ounce little guy to the person he has become these past 13 years.
Brock has always been a mild-mannered, people-pleasing, good-humored, tolerable, patient, thoughtful, witty and likable and many other great things. We watched him change from follower to leader in our home among the kids after his sister died and as more kids have been added to the family. He fills his role well and there is added happiness in our life because of his presence in our lives everyday.
Some 13 year olds can be very demanding, but not so with Brock. At this point in his life he is loves video games and his PS3, but is equally happy to let his brother and sisters play it too. He puts forth good effort in all of his classes at school and enjoys the saxophone, social studies, science and math. He is signed up for lacrosse this spring and hopefully will get some time to play more golf this summer too. He has lots of friends back in Michigan and is making new ones here in Minnesota as he gets the opportunity.
He still is always willing to do what I ask of him- like help with Crew and Teague or give up something for someone else, like a seat on the couch- when asked the first time. It amazes me and I try to let him constantly know how much I love and appreciate his obedience. I marvel at it more and more as the other kids grow and never respond the way Brock does. He sets the bar high when it comes to obeying your parents.
And yet he's not afraid to speak his mind and let us know when he feels something isn't fair or that he wants some space to himself. We are lucky that he is in our life and family and I sometimes I try to imagine how life would be if we had lost him in our tragic incident too. He came very close to not being here with us and I don't ever want to take that for granted. I don't deserve any of the kids I have in my life- they are all true gifts to me and 13 years with Brock has certainly been more than a blessing. It's been my joy to be his mom.
And friend.
He just got Face Book- as we made him wait until he was legally 13 to get a page. I got to be his first "friend" and somehow I am fortunate to be mom and friend. I hope that our relationship will grow even better with time. I'm am sure there will be days where we don't see eye to eye on things or where we need a little extra soace from one another. But for now I can honestly say that it is a remarkable and wonderful thing to have a teen in the house. Or maybe it's just Brock. =) He really is a great kid and I hope that in the years he has yet to grow and learn and share his life and goodness with the world that the world recognizes a tiny bit of his greatness and gives some of it right back. Happy teen years to my Brock!
{That cake Brock requested is here if you want to make one of your own...Pillsbury Turtle Cake. Delicious, easy and makes for a great birthday cake!}

Time for some chocolate around here!

You can thank me later for this recipe. Actually, you can thank my mom. A few weeks ago she came over and brought with her 2 things- a chocolate cake mix and an angel food cake mix. In just over one minute we had the above pictured dessert in front of us. My kids fell in love, and so did I. And I am not typically a big chocolate fan. Don't get me wrong, I do like good chocolate and melted chocolate with real whipped cream is even better. But given the choice, I will choose vanilla over chocolate almost every time.
But this cake? This cake is a must in your recipe file.
So put those two items on your next grocery list- a chocolate cake mix and an angel food cake mix and be prepared to fall in love with the deliciousness of this easy, EASY dessert!
It goes together like this:
Place both cake mixes into a bowl and stir them up. Next, grab a coffee cup. Get one that's a little on the large size- not your china tea cup. Pour 1/3 cup of the dry cake mixture into your mug. No greasing required. Add 3 tablespoons of water and stir it up a bit. Got it so far...cake mix and water in a mug. Now, if you want you can add in some chocolate chips or peanut butter cups or nuts or whatever you like to mix into your cake. I like 60% cacao Ghiardelli chips myself. So toss them in or skip that part if you don't have any mix-ins and place your mug in a microwave for 75 seconds.
When it beeps, you can eat this cake straight out of the mug, or spoon it out onto a plate or bowl. This is where the whipped cream comes into play if you like that dort of thing too. I do. It's my favorite part. Next to the melted chocolate and hot, fluffy cake. =)
It is seriously that easy, delicious and probably not the best thing for your New Year's diet resolution. But it is a really great recipe to know, keep on hand and really fun to enjoy alone or with a group of people. I have not tried it with cake other than chocolate, but the kids and I think it would be fun to try with Red Velvet mix, Classic Yellow and even Funfetti.
I guess there have been different versions of this floating around the web. I haven't seen them myself, but if you know any good links, leave them in the comments here. Also, a few people have asked about finding me on Pinterest. You can do a search under "people" and type in my name with no spaces: jodyferlaak. You should find my account. I plan to 'pin' this recipe for a few friends who have asked about it.
Chip was gone for 4 days this past week to Orlando, FL for the PGA Show. The last thing I made him add to the grocery list were two cake mixes before he left. Turns out you don't miss someone being away quite so much when you can enjoy this cake- fresh and hot. Oh. And when your mom comes to stay with you for 3 of the 4 days too. =) Thanks, Mom!!

They made it more fun!

My parents came for a visit from Minnesota last week and we sure appreciated all they did for us and to help us have a little more summer fun together. With a ratio of two adults to six kids considering the ages and special needs of three of them it's much more manageable to do activities with a couple more helpers. Grandma and Grandpa were more than helpers. They made life more enjoyable and eased some of the daily burdens that tend to weigh Chip and me down so much.

We spent an overnight at a cabin of our friends on Big Star Lake here in Michigan. It was perfect weather and there was a lot to do- including a boat, kayaks, tubing, building sand castles, relaxing and a family outing to the famous Jones' Ice Cream. My parents are so laid-back around our kids and just jump right in playing with them and doing other household projects like defrosting our upright freezer. Like I said... the fun stuff. =)

Chip and I marked our 16th wedding annivesary {on August 12th} and my mom made us a carrot cake- very similar to the one she made for us on our wedding day. I have to tell you this has probably been the hardest year for us on so many levels. More difficult even then the year we had our Old Depot incident. Some days Chip and I wonder how we manage to even stay together. For me it is proof that God exists. He is holding us together when we would rather split our problems in half or just let half the family have some breathing room to feel "normal" at times. I'm thankful for the miracle God keeps doing in our hearts and lives as He keeps us together. I hope we can look back years from now and see just how far we've come. But in the throws of the tough stuff it can be hard to see.

I'm still thankful for Chip sharing his life with me and we love each other to the core. It's just the fun isn't the same kind of fun we used to have and we're trying to live in the moments of wonderful that we do have each day and recognize that we are pretty lucky- evenso.

I think we know it inside.

My parents visit reminded me that we DO have so much to be grateful for. We DO have a lot of fun when we can make it happen and God DOES want to see our marriage through all seasons of our lives. I hope we're eating cake together- as a couple and as a family- for a long, long time.

It's time!

Today we've been telling Crew it's his last day to be the baby around here. I'm not sure that he is ready to be a big brother, but he sure likes to act 'grown up' a lot of the time. The top two photos I took several weeks ago when he woke up from a nap. He still loves a bottle when he's tired and I'm a slacker mom when it comes to breaking him of something he loves so much. Thank goodness he loves cups "with no lids" even more than bottles. He is just "passionate" about certain things, is what Chip would say. =)

Then, because I had the oven on and was feeling guilty about all the times I've snapped at all the kids over the past couple of weeks (mostly due to my extreme itching arms and lack of sleep as a result) I baked a yellow bundt cake and frosted it before it was even cool at dinner time last night. The kids were all excited about the cake and wanted to know what the celebration was all about. I told them there wasn't a special reason except that I appreciate that they put up with me being crabby in life right now. They acted like they didn't know what I was talking about saying, "We think you're the best mom and you've been nice a lot lately too!".

The cake was still a big hit and it made them happy and made me feel like I just might be able to pull off being a good mom even as we add another member to our family afterall. Tomorrow morning Chip and I will head to the hospital and I am hoping that the induction goes well. It's mainly due to the itching and change in baby movement the past week or so, but I am ready as ever- even if I was feeling "normal".

As long as our internet connection works at the hospital you can expect an update or post and likely some photos in the next day or two. It may be Chip jumping in on here, but he has my blessing to hijack my blog if I'm too tired {or crabby} to post. =)

Thanks for all your excitement and thoughts and prayers for our family as we prepare to be blessed with yet another baby- a gift we know that comes with great responsibilty, but also one that will allow us to grow our love that much more too. We never dreamed it would be "time" for us again... but God knew otherwise and we are trusting Him to give us more than we need to step up to the occasion. I guess we have another reason to eat cake afterall... another "birth day"!

Yum...springtime!

I have fresh, organic Rhubarb Cream Cake baking in my oven right now. {Click here for recipe.} I have all the windows open. I have flowers planted by Chip along the border of our landscape and blossoming in containers by my door. I have a couple of kids playing outside with the neighbor kids in their sprinkler.
Spring is a wonderful time of year!
What do you love about spring?
Feel free to share {and leave links to recipes too!} =)

Princess for a day.

Ava celebrated her 6th birthday yesterday. She had requested a pink frosted castle cake after seeing a similar blue one in a book that the kids all like to look through. She was awakened by all of us saying, "Surprise!" to her too- after she had requested that the night before as well. =) Funny how she "planned" her own party, but seem genuinely surprised and happy when it all actually came true before her eyes.

There were presents and brunch and an afternoon out of the house at a lacrosse game and playing with the neighbor kids too. It was sweet and simple, but as the pictures show, she was as happy as could be. It sure is fun to be princess- if even for a day.

Happy Birthday, Ava. You are loved- just the way you are!

Growing a belly.

Here is my official first belly picture of my pregnancy at 15 weeks. Which, by the way, where do the weeks go? In just a few more weeks we will have an ultra sound and decide if we want to find out if we're having a boy or girl. And just next month we'll be at the half-way point- and I tend to "go early", so that means we'll be over the half-way mark. Crazy how fast the weeks go by compared to the first time around. =) I don't plan to document and post my growth as often as last pregnancy, but it is fun to do occasional updates for my friends and family who won't see me for the duration.

I am finally feeling a bit of energy come back and have for the most part, put the nausea behind me. Thank goodness! I was thinking that the queasy feeling might never end! I also have been trying to watch my calorie intake as I feel like I am going to be very big at the end of this nine months. But, I can tell you that I indulged on something worth every calorie and delicious bite last week. You know we were having a rough week with Wyndham being sick and the rest of us just barely recovered from a month-long of colds and stomach bugs. Anyway, Chip and I had the rare opportunity to grab a quick breakfast together and at a local cafe, much to my delight, there was a new item on the menu. Carrot, Oat and Nut Pancakes topped with a dollop of Cream Cheese spread. When they were placed in front of me I couldn't have been happier. Two plate-sized pancakes filled of shredded carrots, sugared pecans and oats. They were so delectible and if I had been blindfolded I would have thought I was eating carrot cake for breakfast! I think it was one of the top 3 breakfasts I have ever eaten in my life. Yum! {The other two were: Room-service breakfast when we were put up at the Omni Hotel as guests of the Oprah Show... I had Vanilla Bean French Toast with a side of pears. The other was on our honeymoon in Kauai- Macadamian Nut Waffles with Coconut Syrup and fresh ground Kona coffee and cream. The fresh air as we sat near the beach was the perfect setting for such a meal too!} Okay. Back to real life. =)

I did find a recipe online for Carrot Cake Pancakes and I vow to try to make my own at home soon. I also came across this amazing-looking recipe from the blog Abbey Goes design scouting for Carrot Cake Whoopie Pies {the photo above is credited to her}. I figure if I am going to be growing a big belly, I might as well have a little fun with it along the way. Right?! If you happen to have any other fabulous carrot cake recipes, feel free to link me up here. I am more than happy to try them out, or at least dream about how they might taste. Maybe having a big belly isn't such a bad thing afterall! =)

Nine is a big thing.

Today {and yesterday} our family celebrates Wyndham turning 9! She had a small party with a BIG cupcake cake at Red Robin yesterday and then games and fun at Chuck E. Cheese with our family and a few friends. She really seemed to like her cupcake- topped off with her favorite color flowers. It's a big deal for her to have a birthday and be able to enjoy her party too.

In years past several times she has been very sick or even just coming home from the hospital on her birthday and there's just something not-so-fun about IV's and tummy ache's that take away the thrill of the party. We're so happy that she is strong and healthy and happy this year to actually take it in and enjoy her special day.

As I stopped to think about what has gone in her nine years of life it is nothing short of amazing. Scary and heart-wrenching too many times, but inspiring and hopeful more than anything! Wyndham at 9, has lots of daily challenges and has only spoken a few words in her whole lifetime. She still wears pull-ups and can't run and jump like her friends can, however her heart is huge, her willingness to try to learn new things and never give up, and the sparkle in her eyes when she accomplishes the ordinary are a joy to witness.

I remember the nurses gasp as they placed her tiny body on the baby scale just minutes after she was born and announced, "Four pounds; six ounces"! My heart skipped a beat and for a moment I was afraid something might be really wrong. (She was born 12 days early- but wasn't preemie.) Moments later she was wiped cleaned, wrapped in a blanket and placed in my arms. She was perfect. Tiny, but perfect. She managed to maintain a normal body temperature {which is one of the big concerns for tiny babies} and we took her home a couple of days later and all was right in our little corner of the world. Teagan was as proud as any big sister could be! She was nearly four years old and took on the roll of helper and charmer to Wyndham. =) Brock was more or less indifferent to Wyndham's entrance into his life. He did ask to hold her from time to time, but seemed content that she slept a lot. Wyndham was born into a family who loved her and I recall feeling like the luckiest Mom of three kids ever.

Could we ever dream this far into her future and see how much she would endure? Not in a million years. Would I take her place and suffer for her if I could? In a heartbeat. I have dropped to my knees, shaking inside with tears pouring from my eyes begging God to spare her life and heal her. He has answered my prayers for Wyndham more than once. Could we ever have imagined that she would pull through her critical injuries and one day beam at her cupcake cake topped with 9 glowing candles? Never.

But it has happened. It is a big deal. This day rips at my heart for what it could have been for her, and yet it grips my heart and fills me with a pride for her I cannot fabricate on my own. She inspires me everyday- even in the trying times. I feel horribly unqualified to meet her needs so many times, but I am also humbled and know just what a privilege it is that I get to call her my own too. We are so happy to have Wyndham in our lives and overjoyed to be able to sing Happy Birthday to her in words and sign. She has more than blessed our lives, and somehow I feel like she'll never fully know how much she means to us and so many others. She is one incredible little girl and whether or not she knows that, it's true now and always. Happy 9th birthday, dear Wyndham!

Yum. Cake.

Yesterday was my birthday. Thirty-seven years of having a good excuse to eat cake in the middle of the busy holiday season. =) I was treated very well by all my family~ Chip kept the kids busy all day; or was it the kids keeping Chip busy all day?! Either way I basically got to enjoy some time out of the house (including a stop for an Eggnog latte) and enjoyed my time back in the house. Chip had baked me the second cake you see here- one of my favorites. It's a Pillsbury Bake-Off winner and the fresh whipped cream is the main thing I love about this one.

That other cake came from the colour lovers' blog. The creator of the blog celebrated his 28th birthday a few months back and his mom and girlfriend surprised him with a very colorful BIG cake! Wouldn't you love that! There is time, thought and love poured into both of these cakes and I am happy to say that I had a great birthday. Even though it meant I got another year older. If you wished me Happy Birthday on Facebook, I saw your note. It took me awhile to read over 100 messages, but they sure made me realize I am loved and that's a good thing when you get old too!

Catching up and planning ahead.

Helloooooooooo... are you still there? Oh! Hi Mom. =)

Our days continue to just run from one to the next with a string of ordinary stuff to tie them all together. I don't quite have a routine established or predictable schedule, but I guess that's what keeps this mom on her toes. No day is the same as the one before, but not all that different at the same time. Funny how that works; it's the season of our lives right now!

I looked back and realized I never posted photos of Wyndham and Ava's first day of school. They are in the same kindergarten class this year and it is going very well. They both love their teacher and helpers and have activities that keep them learning and busy Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Wyndham comes home wiped out and ready to veg out in her room with a few videos. I snapped that picture of her in her room yesterday afternoon. Ava needs a nap, but fights it and somehow manages to get through the day without one. Crew continues to creep along furniture and take a couple of steps on his own as well. He still LOVES to climb the stairs and did that about 6 times yesterday. I am anxious for him to learn how to get down too. It will make my stress levels drop in half, I'm sure of that!

Bella is loving school and reading is one of her favorite subjects. She is enjoying reading to Ava and Wyndham at bedtime each night and in turn it's something the kids all have fun doing together.

Do you need some color in your life right now? If so, Ava and I spotted this cake and recipe online this morning and she has decided that she wants this cake on her next birthday. Which is in March- five and a half months away. Nothing like planning ahead, right?! I think we may have to make this cake before then too.

That sums things up around here for today anyway. We're definitely feeling the effects of fall around here as we awoke to cool temperatures- in the low 30's this morning! It's time to pull out the pumpkin recipes and electric blanket too. Some of my favorite things in life. Not much changes afterall...we like the simple things around here!

Simple and sweet.

The birthday boy and everyone else is asleep in their beds for the night. Today we celebrated Crew turning 1 and it was a low-key, mostly mellow day. Just enough fun and excitement so that everyone knew there was something special and different about the day, but simple enough that so Crew could enjoy it.

First off, Chip was up and gone early and ran his first half-marathon. He finished in 2 hours and 8 minutes and was very happy with that time. We didn't see his race, but we're proud of him and were glad to have him home for most of the rest of the day.

One of the hardest parts of throwing a birthday party for a one-year old- the youngest of 6 kids- is that he really didn't need any new 'stuff'. However, one of his gifts was a waffle maker that makes farm-shaped waffles and it was a big hit with Crew and all the other kids too. Our waffle maker recently quit working after 14 years and after our recent trip to the local dairy farm this just seemed fun and fitting. Crew loves waffles. Even better than that was the fun he had climbing on and over the box. Isn't that how it always is with little kids! They love the box 10 times more than what's in it! =)

Later on I made Crew a birthday hat and as you can see from these photos, he didn't like it as much as I had hoped he would. In one of the pictures I think he is saying, "It's my birthday... get this thing off od me right now!"

I also had plans for some cute letters spelling out his name for the cake, but when this Elmo card came in the mail from Grandma and Grandpa, well, it just seemed suited to be used as a cake topper. Crew was thrilled with the cake- even though you can't sense his excitement from these pictures. He's had a thing for Reddi-wip since he was about 6 months old and had his first squirt straight out of the can. His eyes lit up as he watched us top his cake with whipped cream and then we let him sit and eat right off the cake for several bites after he (we) blew the candle out. He seemed very surprised that we would let him eat off the big plate. I was surprised at how little mess he made. He was very good about licking his fingers clean. =)

It's been a wonderful and challenging pleasure to have Crew join our family this past year. He has found a special place in all of our hearts.

I found myself thinking at different times during the day that at some point these moments that we shared and savored and enjoyed together will be moments I will recall in the future and I'll wish I could have them back. It's a good day- birthday or not- to realize what a gift the here and now truly is. It may not have been perfect or filled with lots of fanfare, but it was simple, sweet and a day to be treasured for years to come.

Happy Birthday, dear Crew. We're so glad that we have you in our lives to celebrate... today and always!

Guess who's running a 1/2 marathon tomorrow?

Some of you are probably as surprised and amazed at this as I am. I'm proud of his ongoing effort and committment to health and fitness and even to pushing himself out of his comfort zone. Now, if only a little bit of that could rub off on me!
Join me in wishing Chip good luck tomorrow morning. He'll definitely have earned a piece of cake when we celebrate Crew's birthday later on in the day. It's gonna be a small piece, I bet. Good luck, Chip!

Good practice.

If you're my friend on Facebook, you may have noticed my post/link about the cake you see in the pictures here. We woke up to such a cool morning here in Michigan, and after taking the kids to a park and picnic to play with their classmates for this upcoming school year I was ready to warm up inside for the afternoon. Rather than turn on the heat, I looked up a recipe for Chocolate Zucchini cake and I baked instead. It did warm the house and it made the kids happy too. I had enough Reddi-wip on hand to top this cake off and even give Crew a few mouthfuls straight from the can. The cake, we decided, just might be the one we make for Crew's first birthday, which is just around the corner. I know, I know. It's hard to believe he's going to turn one. But the calendar doesn't lie.

I have a feeling, based on his happy squeals and hand-clapping after some morsels of cake, that he will be more than ready for a party and piece of cake all his own.

Birthdays!

We're thinking birthdays around our house. Today I'd like to send a blog birthday wish to my younger sister. Happy birthday, Jacque! Monday my Mom has a birthday...a big one. She's turning 29 at heart. =) Then next Saturday Bella is turning 7. I haven't been crafty or scrapping anything lately, but I did make her some special invitations to bring to our neighbors/friends. You can see them by clicking here. We're choosing the movie and are down to "Wall-e" or "Horton Hears a Who". It should be a fun party.

We're also in discussion as to what sort of cake/cupcakes to make for the occasion. The photo above is a fun rainbow cake I found online here. A few of my friends have made the recipe and from what I hear and see it works great!

So my survey for today is this: what's your favorite kids movie and/or cupcake flavor?

Do tell. =)

Happy kids.

This is a picture of Wyndham eating cake for Ava's birthday the other day. She was so happy. It was nice to see her that way.
Today ALL the kids are happy.
Chip's parents, Grandma Karen and Grandpa John, arrived last night and are spending a few days here with us for Easter break. We haven't seen them since last August. My kids spent at least the first 30 minutes of their arrival yesterday screaming, laughing, jumping up and down and bringing them every toy, dvd and class paper they were thrilled to share with them since Christmas. It was quite a scene in our home, but fun at the same time.
Today, Ava got a new little bike and Wyndham got a new scooter, and they all are watching "Enchanted" as well as "The Bee Movie" too.
I have actually folded clothes and put them in closets and drawers, rather than just having enough time to haul the clean laundry up from downstairs, but not enough time to do anything else with it. What a treat....folded/put-away laundry!
I guess we're ALL easy to please around here.=)

Thanks so much for all the comments, emails and care for all of us as we missed Teagan in a special way this week. We are still 'dragging out' the celebration with a trip to a local arena to see "High School Musical on Ice" show. Teagan would have loved it...and we are going to make some fun, new memories. Life goes on. So does happiness. And that's a very good thing.

Buttercream overload.

Brock is having a great birthday. He said it's great because there is no school, he got new games for the Wii and he got Ryke's cake with buttercream frosting and Bavarian cream filling. Ok. Just a few calories in a slice of that cake. But that's what birthdays are for, right? A little indulgence is a wonderful thing when it's done with moderation.
These pictures are for my mom and dad. They've had Ryke's cake with us before and I just had to give them a 'taste' of what they're missing. It really is that delicious! And tomorrow we'll have leftovers for breakfast. It's all about moderation around here. =) Yum!