Well, we celebrated my 41st birthday in fine fashion on Sunday. We kicked things off with a public speaking engagement at church that turned out just fine. Then the girls and I went canoeing on the lake one last time; Mouse taught me to sing, "Row, row, row your boat, gently down the stream -- until you hit the waterfall, then you start to scream!" Which we sang in rounds, very loudly, as we paddled around the lake.
We had a delicious chocolate cake from a recipe supplied by Starling's mother. I'll include the recipe below for posterity.
I got a VERY nice subcompact camera -- a Canon Powershot SD1400 IS -- that I absolutely love. I have been playing with it, getting to know it and exploring its limits. Much faster shutter speed, and much better tolerance for low light situations. I'll post the results here soon.
Every year, one of the kids wants to know my best present. This year, it was Jaybird. Every year, I have the same answer, so I turned to the older kids and asked them. "Kids, what's my best present?"
"Us!!!"
That made Jaybird smile. She was adorable, by the way, giving out lots of hugs and many homemade cards and presents.
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| Mudpuppy got to share in the cake! |
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| And there is the masterpiece -- the cake, I mean, although the kid is remarkable, too! |
1 box chocolate cake mix
1 small package chocolate pudding mix
1 cup sour cream
1 cup Canola oil
4 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup milk
2 cups mini chocolate chips
Mix all except chips, beat two minutes. Batter will be very thick. Add chips.
Pour into greased 9-inch pans. Bake at 350 for 45 minutes.
About a bazillion calories, which is why it's a once a year cake. :)
Happy Birthday, Jerry, sounds like it was a happy one! I'm so jealous of your new camera by the way. I've been needing to get one for a while.
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