Friday Things
1. We had so much fun celebrating Dominicโs birthday this week! We threw his party last weekend, and then on Wednesday (his actual birthday), my husband and I took the boys to the local apple orchard to pick out pumpkins and walk around.
They both really enjoyed it, and it was a perfect afternoon to spend outside.
2. Joseph had his first show and tell at school this week and it had to be something orange, so he brought in his little basketball and talked about how he โplays hoopsโ, gah so cute! I love driving him home from school and listening to the little snippets he gives me about what he didโฆ โI played drumsโโฆ โI played in the sandbox with bucketsโโฆ โWe sat on the carpet and sang a songโฆ about what? Halloween.โ โฆ โI saw friendsโโฆ โTeacher read us a bookโโฆ He walks into school each time with a massive, beaming smile from ear to ear. Iโm so thrilled that heโs enjoying his time!
3. I am still in disbelief over what happened in Las Vegas on Sunday night; I just cannot comprehend the horror that those people experienced. So many thoughts and prayers to all of the victims, their families, and the first responders and caretakersโฆ I canโt imagine the emotional turmoil. Every time something like this happens, I feel anxious about sending our boys out into this world :-/
4. And RIP Tom Pettyโฆ I listened to so much of his music from the time I was a pre-teen all the way through adulthood, and have so many memories tied to different songs. I am in full-on regret mode that I wonโt be able to cross him off my concert bucket list :(
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5. Letโs lighten the mood up a bit, eh? I want to talk about earthquake cakesโฆ have you made one? I know itโs a super old recipe that has been around forever, but it just came onto my radar within the last year. Iโve tried it multiple times using varying methods, and while itโs always delicious, it never โquakesโ for me. The nuts and coconut stay on the bottom, the cream cheese layer sinks to the bottom, and the top of the cake may have a couple of cracks in it, but nothing like I see in most pictures. If youโre an earthquake cake connoisseur, do you have any tips for me? Or do you have a tried and true recipe for me?
6. This story about a grandpa who cares for NICU babies will warm your heart and make you feel good about the world again. What a wonderful man! (And here is an accompanying video with an interview of him that totally made me cry >> VIDEO)
7. I just found that they actually make LED crochet hooks that light up, which is awesome if you want to crochet in a dimly lit room (maybe watching a movie or before bed?) โ you can still see what youโre doing!
8. My husband and I went to the Penguinsโ home opener this week, and it was the first time that I got to see a banner raising ceremony, which was so fun to watch. We lost the game, but itโs a looooooong season and I donโt necessarily have high expectations after winning back-to-back, so Iโm happy to just watch and enjoy for the sake of loving the game.
9. Did anyone else watch Curb Your Enthusiasm on Sunday night? Larry David is so crazy awkward but that show makes me belly laugh like nothing else since Seinfeld and The Office. Love it!
10. TGIF! This picture of Duke showed up in my Facebook memories this week, and itโs one of my all-time favoritesโฆ such a snuggly, furry little guy!
Canโt find my recipe from many years ago for the earthquake cake. My cream cheese and powered sugar tend to end in the middle of the cake. Have some cracks on top.
I had never heard of earthquake cake but when you mentioned coconut, pecans and cream cheese it sounded a lot like one of my momโs favorite cakes. Upside down German Chocolate. Assembled in the same order, but you want the coconut and pecan at the bottom and the cream cheese to sink. Itโs hard to find but she swears by the Duncan Heins Swiss Choc is mix.
Adorable, adorable photos of you and Dominic and Joseph (and Dominicโs party)! Sooooo cute, and love seeing pics of YOU! That cuddly one of Duke almost had me melting, Michelle. Have never heard of earthquake cakes, so going to look into that oneโฆ Thanks so much for sharing your joy! Blessings to you and your family. Hugs!
What a great week you had! Happy Birthday Dominic! Reading about picking up Joseph up from school reminded me of how I picked my son up all the way until he got his drivers license, and I loved it! Some friends complained about the long drive, because we live 30 min. from the school, but it was one of my favorite times because I always (even as a teenager!) got to hear about his day! Heโs in college now, and i miss those times! And how gorgeous is Duke! Have a great weekend!
Did you see last nightโs game?? Go Blackhawks!
An eventful week. ย Sad to hear of Tom Pettyโs death. ย The events in LV again raise gun control issues. ย For those of us who live in countries other than the US, the extent of gun ownership is unfathomable. ย As someone who worked as a pediatric nurse for 43 years, the story of the NICU grandpa was lovely. ย Volunteers who come to cuddle babies are are much appreciated by staff and parents. ย Wouldnโt it be good to find an Earthquake Cake recipe that doesnโt contain cake mixโฆthe finished product looks amazing! ย Have a wonderful weekend Michele!
Girlโwe so like, so many of the same thingsโI too had going to a Tom Petty concert on my โconcert bucket listโโฆHe played out here in California recentlyโat the Greek Theater..always wanted to see him play live.
Many prayers to the people involved in the Las Vegas tragedy. May our eyes look towards the Lord as this world gets darker it seems, by the minute. He is our Great Healer and Comforter. Thanks for sharing your babies pictureโฆall 3 of them :)
So kicking myself for not going to his show here in June, ugh!
The boys are so handsome! So glad Dominicโs bday was a successโฆthe pumpkins look good! Las Vegas is another example of why we need to practice more love and patience towards each other and think about others more than ourselvesโฆ.not sure weโll ever really understand people like the gunman. Have a good weekend.
Happy Friday Michelle! Such adorable pictures of your little guys! I can totally relate to all your experiences with your children, my grandchildren are now 5 and 7 and my daughter and I have overlapping schedules so that she can drop them off at school and I can pick them up from school and everyday they tell my stories about their day, itโs such a joy to listen to on our way home. My granddaughters birthday is September 25th and for many years we have taken both of them to the pumpkin patch the week of her birthday but just realized, we have not donโt that yet this year! Looks like this weekend may be a bit of a wash-out around here but something fun to plan for next weekend! Have a great week and letโs pray for peace in this world. We sure need it.
Awww happy birthday to your granddaughter!
http://www.cooks.com/recipe/y10rz6vw/earthquake-cake.html
In regards to the earthquake cakeโฆjust make sure the recipe you use has cola in itโฆthat is the only way it will erupt and ย crackโฆ.Iโve noticed some of the recent recipes Iโve seen donโt have the cola in them. ย
Ooooh thank you so much for that piece of info, I had no idea, and none of the recipes Iโve seen have called for it!
Love hearing about Josephโs school day adventures. He is such a sweetie! So horrible about what happened in Les Vegas! I know what you meanโฆI think about my grandsons every day. We canโt hide them away though, so just pray each day that they will stay safe. Tom Petty left us too soon. Great music!
Love that pic of Duke!