Dino Disaster!

Dalton celebrated is 4th birthday on Friday and the theme of the party was "Dinosaurs!" Kristin did a great job putting everything together and the kids loved it. I attempted to make a Dinosaur cake, and despite my best efforts...it was a disaster!
Let me start by saying I looked all over the internet for a cute but easy dinosaur cake idea. I finally found the perfect one at a sight called "Easycakes.com" So what could be easier?First, you bake a cake in two 6" bowls and one 8" round. Cool the cakes. Cut the 8" round into tail and head.
Level the top of the bowl cakes and split into two layers. Frost between the layers. Stack the first bowl on your plate or board, right side up. Frost and stack the second bowl and place upside down on top of the other bowl cake.

Attach the tail and frost with a thin white icing to hold in place. (So far...so good)
Take the leg section and slice it in half creating 2 pieces. Attach one piece on either side of the body with frosting. Take the smaller head section and spit horizontally. Secure a smaller head shape on either side of the larger one, creating a half football shape.
NOW THIS IS THE STEP I MISSED!
Push a cake decorating skewer through the body vertically about 3" extending from the top of the body. Push the head on to the skewer to finish your dinosaur.
When you miss this step...this is what happens!
( I left it for an hour or two while I ran errands and this is what I came back to! A decapitated dinosaur!)
I replaced the head, using LOTS of frosting, and then covered it with green butter cream frosting.
The original recipe had you make the eyes, teeth and back fins out of colored molding chocolate. Instead, I used "Runts" for the claws, and the teeth. (Candy corn would have made better teeth) I found "Sour watermelon" triangles and used them for the fins on the back. I frosted two lady fingers cookies and placed them on the sides for the arms.
This takes a ton of frosting!! That was part of the problem. I used so much frosting to hold it all together, that as we traveled to the party on the bumpy road, it just started to fall apart! By the time we got to Kristin's it was a pretty sorry dinosaur! As the structure fell and the frosting squished out the sides, he became more of a "squatty body" and looked more like a blow fish!
Tania had the perfect explanation. She said, "Let's just tell the kids that it got into a fight with Tyrannosaurus Rex!" (That works for me!)

Grateful for Grads!

We've had a busy, but memorable month...four graduations and a trip to New York!
Up first...Chelsea! She graduated from the University of Utah on May 7th! What a GREAT accomplishment and a great day! We're very proud of her determination and hard work! She's amazing. Doesn't she look beautiful and smart! (No "small brain" here! ;) Congratulations Chelsea!!

Next up... On May 26th Bryan received his doctorate in dentistry from NYU! (Not to mention he graduated WITH HONORS in aesthetic dentistry! Can I just say "WOW!" This is something I can't even imagine doing. I couldn't be more proud of him and his beautiful wife BreAnna! Luckily, all his family was there to help him celebrate! Congratulations! And...if anyone needs a fabulous dentist, I just happen to know one!
Then, on June 5th, Sean graduated from Bountiful High School. This is our last child to graduate from high school! (I can't stand it!) I still remember my mother at my high school graduation...she cried a lot harder than I did, and now I understand why. No more high school plays, musicals, dances, basketball and football games. Life changes dramatically after high school. Sean seems to handling it just fine...I'm the one who's struggling! He has worked incredibility hard since he started school 12 years ago and it shows! We're proud of him and his many accomplishments!


And last, BUT not least...Sean graduated with his four year degree from Seminary! I'm as proud of him for this accomplishment as I am for all his school accomplishments.
As I told all my kids, (and I include Bre and Chels) we are very blessed, and I am so proud of each of them! They are all so different...each with different talents and different challenges, but they get along so well and they love and support each other through everything! As a mother, there is no greater pay off!!