Bliss...my very own "Motor Mouth"

I really should be vacuuming and cleaning bathrooms....but who wants to do that?! My dear friend Tracy subtly reminded me that my blogging is falling sadly behind. But don't you fret, I'm visiting many a blog, probably too often. And with the changing seasons, I so want to change the look of my blog, so I put off posting thinking I need to work on design. But while I do that, I get behind and off track.
I'm sure there are other things that have been on my mind, but at the forefront this past week was a birthday...Bliss's to be exact. He turned 5 last week...5 y'all! Where has the time gone?! I know, so cliche, but still...sheesh...I still have vivid memories of his birth. Granted, those are likely burned in my memory. I don't think you ever forget that pain and discomfort. All that for a cute little baby who 5 years later tells you you're lying and that he hates his brother and sister. So the picture of motherhood I had! Even though this may be the case at times, for the most part he is a kind, loving little boy. He's very creative. And I mean creative in that he can make a gun out of ANYTHING and I feel like we're constantly living in a war zone with all the sound effects. He's really good...he reminds us of Motor Mouth from Police Academy. Bliss has recently taken extra interest in learning and perfecting his writing skills. That means it's become a family ordeal with everyone walking around with notebook and pencil in hand. By everyone, I mean Bliss, Zade, and Isla. Unfortunately, pens are the preference and sometimes stolen from the junk drawer just to be used to practice writing on the cream colored couch (I know, who has cream with kids...Blasen picked it out). Thankfully the couch is microfiber and wipes clean fairly easily.
Bliss wanted a Star Wars birthday. My friend let me borrow her vintage C3PO pan and we were both happy because I didn't have to figure out how to make a Darth Vader cake. It was sort-of busy that week and both weekends surrounding his birthday. As long as he got presents, he didn't really care. We had Blasen's family visiting, rugby, Stake Conference, Blasen leaving for WI, Kid's Market drop-off, visit to Messervy's, visit to Ragland, Blasen back from WI, the Relief Society General Broadcast, and I'm sure there was something else...oh, Direct TV installation which took ALL DAY LONG. I started the cake Friday night, finished it Sunday afternoon and only two pieces have been eaten out of it. All that work for people who aren't really cake people. I made a from scratch carrot cake because that is what Bliss wanted. You can see below the finished project. He looks sort-of mushy because I used cream cheese frosting to decorate with, which isn't that stiff. But who can eat a carrot cake without cream cheese frosting?

The happy birthday boy with kool-aid moustache and all.

The C3PO cake. A big thanks to Jeni for letting me borrow the pan.

Mama Ford made a cake for Bliss while we were there visiting. 

Bliss very excited for his cake. 

We survived another birthday. I don't go all out and I still can't get it together. I tell myself each year I'll do better, but it never happens. Oh well...like I said, all Bliss wanted to do was eat the frosting off his cake and open some gifts. He got exactly that.