Happy Birthday Baby Boy!

My baby was 11 years old yesterday!
And, as it goes in most larger families, I don't have many (alright, I don't have any) pictures of him by himself. (Look at all those cheeks! Don't you just want to smother them in kisses?)



















Bear with me while I recall the day that he was born (no rolling of eyes, please).......actually, I have a way cooler story. It really started with the birth of my third child, also a boy.

It was the end of February in Texas and I was lounging in the hospital bed with my sweet, newest, baby, boy in my arms when my beloved mountain boy husband sauntered into the room. He was holding a small pot of flowers as a "thank-you-my-great-wife-for-birthing-this-boy-child-of-my-loins" gift. Tulips! My favorite! How did he know! Anyway, I was sitting there admiring the little pot of flowers when he announced that the reason he had chosen that particular pot was that red was my favorite color. And there were three little, red blooms.....and we had three sweet, little babies in our family. As he was speaking, I peered down into the pot and, low and behold, saw a fourth little red bloom just barely peaking out of the soil! A fourth bloom...... It was a sign.......it was a sign that we were CRAZY because almost a year to the day our youngest was born....in that same place.

(When I went in for my first visit with the fourth pregnancy, the doctor wrote on my prenatal chart "non compliant patient".....That's doctor talk for "she didn't do what I told her to do--as a matter of fact she did EXACTLY what I told her not to do" because most doctors like new moms to wait at least 2 years between pregnancies. We waited, um, 30 minutes or so.)

Anywhoo, one year and two weeks after I discovered the fourth little tulip bloom, Daniel was born. And guess what? My mountain boy husband didn't bring me any flowers that time..........it's a sign. And that's a true story.

We started his big day off with his breakfast request: chocolate chip pancakes and fried potatoes with onions. We ended the day with a dinner request from me (he didn't argue. He's sweet like that): marinated pork steaks from the broiler and baby greens with home made pesto dressing and peanut butter pie......yum.

Here's a picture of the birthday dinner (blurry and over exposed, of course):

Here's a picture of the peanut butter pie. This pie is a favorite of my children's for special occasions. In years past I have made all sorts of theme related birthday cakes; cakes in the shape of boots, dinosaurs, lots of dinosaurs, lady bugs, baseball hats, baseballs, basketballs, footballs. But, as they've grown, the children have become more sophisticated in their tastes.....plus I think they are tired of the butter cream icing that graced each and every past cake staining their mouths weird shades of blue, red, purple and green. So now we are having pie.

Before:

After (note the tongue print where some unidentified child licked the bottom of the plate, kinda gross, huh):

Happy birthday, baby boy......


I'll love you forever.


I'll like you for always,


As long as I'm living,


My baby you'll be.


(Stolen from a great literary work of art, Love You Forever by Robert Munsch)



Just in case you're salavating over these great pictures, here's the recipe for Peanut Butter Pie. It's an old Pampered Chef recipe that I've tweeked here and there:

Heavenly Peanut Butter Pie
1 package (8 oz) cream cheese, softened
1 cup peanut butter (creamy or chunky)
1 cup powdered sugar
1 container (8 oz) frozen whipped topping, thawed (I use the real stuff. Once you try real whipping cream, you'll never go back)
1 prepared graham cracker pie crust (I make my own instead of the store bought stuff. A girl just can't run out to the store every time she needs a pie crust when she lives in the woods! The recipe is on almost every box of graham crackers known to man. What? There is no recipe on the side of your box? Ok, ok. I'll include that one next!)

In a large bowl, beat cream cheese until fluffy. Beat in peanut butter and sugar. Fold in whipped cream topping, spoon into crust. Refrigerate until chilled at least 5 hours. (5 hours, my eye ball. I would be good to make it 1 hour.)

Graham Cracker Crust

(from my trusty red and white checked Better Homes and Garden Cook Book, cira 1989)

In a small saucepan melt 6 tablespoons of butter.
Place about 24 graham crackers in a plastic bag. Roll with a rolling pin until finely crushed. This may be done in small batches.
Measure 1 1/2 cups of graham cracker crumbs into a medium bowl.
Add 1/4 cup of sugar to the graham crackers.
Add the melted butter.
Stir or blend together with your hands.
Press into the pie plate or other pan.
To pre-bake the pie crust, bake for 8 to 10 minutes in a preheated 350 degree F. oven.

Eat and be merry!