The Big Five-O!!!

Today I reached a milestone...my 50th birthday! Hurray for me! I kept thinking when I turned 50 and all my kids were graduated that I would throw myself a party...but then I decided I was just too tired for the effort! LOL!

I used to work in a card store back in the late 70's and I'd see these really funny cards and I'd have to buy them, but then I'd never give them away. Here's a card that was in my collection that describes me now:(in case you're like me and can't read the fine print it says: "Room For The Kids; Older woman retiring. Will trade for condo."...haha!)

Yesterday my husband wanted to take me to town to dinner and get me a gift, but I talked him into staying home. We grilled some steaks and had a good dinner. Then we popped popcorn later and made slushies and watched "Pride and Prejudice." I'd only seen it once over a year ago and my husband has never seen it. He actually liked it.

My daughter Emily had left for town earlier and I gave her a bad time for making an extra trip to town. She drives the 54ish miles to work, and with gas prices so high, why make an extra trip in. But she reminded she was 18 now and could do what she wanted to as she headed out the door. I rolled my eyes. She came home in the evening and had birthday gifts for me. So, she'd gone to town shopping for a special reason I guess. LOL! She is one generous and crazy money spender. She gave me this blender (my last one "bit the dust").And if that weren't already a splendid enough gift, she bought 2 bags full of really delicious fruit! And I'm not kidding you on how good it smelled coming out of the bag with those peaches and nectarines! Oh is it yummy!!!
Then this morning she gave me a funny birthday card....by the way, SHE'S the cat lover! LOL!Oh, but it's a special card!

LOL!
I got birthday wishes from Sarah, Kasey and Traci. They live out of town, so that's the best we could do for today. I got a gift in the mail last week from my missionary daughter, Lindsey, which I posted on her blog lindseysenglandmisson.blogspot.com---it's really special, too.

I decided to make my favorite oatmeal cake and since I can't share it with you I thought it would be fun to share the recipe. Here's the original recipe:
1 1/2 cups hot water
1 cup oatmeal (uncooked)
1/2 cup cooking oil
2 eggs
1 cup white sugar
1 cup brown sugar
1 1/3 cup flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp soda
1 tsp cinnamon
Mix and bake at 350º for 30 min. in a 9x13 pan.
Frosting:
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup butter
Melt and stir til bubbly over warm heat. Remove from heat and add:
2 TBS milk
1/2 to 1 cup coconut
1/2 cup chopped pecans

I got this recipe from a ward friend back in the late 80's so I've been making it for a good 20 years. I've altered the recipe and this is my healthy and equally (I think) as good version:
1 1/2 cups hot water
1 cup oatmeal
1/2 cup canola oil
2 eggs (I'm fine with yokes but you could use 3 egg whites)
1/2 cup white sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
**but today I used 3/4 of turbinado (unprocessed sugar) and no white sugar and it tasted just as sweet.
1 1/3 cup whole wheat "white" flour (meaning it's white wheat and not red--it's called whole wheat pastry flour if you buy it in the health food section)
1 tsp salt
1 tsp soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp baking powder (cause I find it raises the cake more)
No change in the frosting, but I have used unsweetened natural coconut and that's good, too.

Turns out I didn't need to make myself a cake because I got a BIG SURPRISE about 7:00. My sister-in-law, Nancy, came over to bring some pictures on a flash drive that we've been working on for a family history book on my 92 year old Grandmother, Ilene. I had no clue. She said my mom was coming over to meet her to bring the twins--no big deal since Nancy works and my mom babysits. They pulled up and my mom was bringing my grandmother in the house, which is major since it's hard for her to get up the steps. I had temporarily forgotten it was my birthday, but then remembered when I saw my mom with a gift sack and some beautiful roses! Nancy went out the door but I didn't realize till she came back and was hiding something behind my mom....then she showed me. She made me a BARBIE CAKE!
I couldn't believe my eyes! She reminded me that Barbie and I are about the same age.Then Nancy starts pulling stuff out of her special "princess" bag..."Princess Party in a bag!" she said!
We all got to wear princess tiara's...except the boys wouldn't! (Bryson & Soren)
My mom in the yellow and my grandma.
Nancy, my sister-in-law.
Baylee (my niece) and I.
Baylee kept tapping me with the special princess wand full of magical birthday happiness! (LOL!) My mom gave me the Snow White Barbie.I got lots of fun and cool gifts, and my mom and Nancy coincidentally bought me the same birthday card! LOL! It's not every day you turn 50 and get the same card twice. Then we played "put the crown on the princess."



Grandma won, so she is cheering for herself! LOL! (cute)
Here's my sideways video of my special Barbie cake. (I keep forgetting you can't rotate the camera for videos! ) Note the special flashing ring on Barbie's finger!


That was a pretty cool 50th birthday!

By the way, Bryson and Baylee loved the kitty cat card! They started fighting over it and I had to take it away!