Happy Birthday Shanna and Haley!

Shanna and Haley turned SIX last week!  Crazy!  They are almost done with kindergarten too and are quite the little ladies.  I love my girls and enjoy their different, yet similar personalities.

Lee and our friend Andrew came to the rescue the morning of the birthday.  Usually the night before a birthday Lee and I finish the cake, decorate the dining area and set out presents.  Since the oven wasn't hooked up I had no way to bake their cake.  I looked for a frozen cake at Sharp Shopper, but there weren't any.  Thursday morning--the day of their birthday--Lee took the cake pan with the batter in it over to a friend's house to bake.  I finally had a cake to work with.  Thursday was a crazy day so I didn't get the cakes done before they got home from school. I was at the school three different times that day. Thankfully they wanted an easy design....lady bugs.

Before school we let the girls open their presents from Clark, Cal and Elden.




I was planning on bringing cupcakes to school, but with no oven, that wasn't going to happen.  I got some ice cream and sprinkles instead.  Their teachers were really nice and let us have the ice cream snack together with both of their classes at one time.






Early evening I was finally "ready" for their birthday!


Like I just mentioned, it was great that they both picked the same thing-ladybugs. I just baked one 13x9 cake and cut it in half.  Then each half I "carved" into a lady bug shape. Usually Lee is the carving master, but with him at work I had to go for it myself.  I am doing a better job with the cakes--mainly getting them to look smooth. 








Overall I enjoy working with this homemade fondant recipe.  We don't spend a lot of money on birthdays, but I still want them to be special.  With fondant we can pretty much make any type of cake they want.  So whatever they dream up, we make.  Sometimes it doesn't always turn out the best, but we go for it anyway.  I am not sure what they think, but I'm hoping these cakes will have a fond place in their memories!








Clark had a piano lesson that night and afterwards we stayed at the park for awhile.  We ate a VERY late dinner.  So before dinner the girls opened their presents from me and Lee.


It was awesome finding these tents on clearance at Target.  We spent about $15.00 on each girl for all birthday goodies (including the boys gifts to them).  I set aside a chunk of money to buy the girls new bikes...so it helped their other gifts were inexpensive.  Lee and I have been casually looking around for bikes.  I couldn't bring myself to buy them a brand new bike at Target or Walmart for $60.  On Friday I drove by a yardsale on the way to school to drop off the kids.  Afterwards I was heading home and spotted a bike at the same yard sale and thought that I should turn around and check it out.  I am SO glad I did.  I bought three girl bikes for $5 each! (Always handy to have a third bike around for parts!) The girls were in "need" of new bikes as they had the little tiny ones--12" wheels.  Now they have 16" wheeled bikes.  And luckily, all of them are in working order!  Which is a nice bonus...Lee could have fixed them up for sure, but this saves him some time. It was a nice blessing to have found these bikes! I'll have to post pictures of the bikes.


After dinner and baths, it was time for cake and ice cream. We thought this lady bug looked a little freaky....










I have realized just recently that Cal LOVES being in pictures.












Happy Birthday girls!!!  As I wrote on facebook, I was amazed for the longest time after they were first born that I had TWO babies.  Now it's weird thinking that they are actually twins!  We are so blessed that they are in our family.  We wouldn't have it any other way.

Believe it or not, they were both over 7 pounds each.  I was 39 weeks and 1 day when they were born.  I actually drove myself to the hospital.  Lee had a quiz that morning at optometry school, so I went on head to the triage place to be prepped for a c-section...both girls were breech. My mom and Clark and Cal were with me, so after I got out, she took over the wheel and drove back to our apartment.  About 10-15 minutes before the surgery Lee arrived.  Shanna weighed 7 pounds, 1 ounce.  Haley weighed 7 pounds, 6 ounces.  


The picture below is of the girls during the fall of 2007, about 4-5 months old. It's fun looking back and seeing their personalities shining through even at a few months old.  This picture definitely captures it.  Haley is happily content, with Shanna adding a little extra flare.