8 Years

This past week we celebrated Micah's 8th birthday.  

Of all of Micah's 8 years, this one was probably the hardest.  He had a rough year dealing with anxieties and fears that are far beyond his years.  But I honestly feel we've come through the worst and most hopeless season of it and for the progress we've seen in these last months, I'm very thankful.  Talking with others in similar situations, gathering information online, and doing a lot of praying have all been helpful parts of this process.  

When it came time to plan his party, we decided to keep it simple and have a party at home doing all the farm things that Micah loves to do with his Daddy - mainly hockey!

(Balloons decorated by the birthday boy)

I found a fantastically simple hockey cupcake idea on Pinterest.  White icing (with some sprinkled sugar for a snowy effect), pretzels and a chocolate chip for the puck.

We were prepared for typical rainy December weather, but thankfully the rain held out and the kids had a blast playing hockey on the street and no one complained about being cold.

After the kids were tuckered out from their game, it was time for a hayride.  These boys got a kick out of the cows and calves following the tractor.

Then to end the party, we all headed inside for hot chocolate, snacks and those delicious hockey cupcakes :)

My prayer for Micah these days is a spirit of joy and optimism.  I also pray that what he is experiencing will shape him in a positive way and make him sensitive to others who are anxious and fearful.  Lastly, I pray for the innocence of childhood to stay with him as long as possible.

We love you so much Micah :)

Easy Christmas Baking 101

Christmas baking has been low on my priority this year, but the other day I had the urge to whip up something simple.  If you've spent any time on Pinterest, you've certainly seen various versions of these little treats.  They just looked so easy that I had to give them a whirl.  

First I gathered my 3 ingredients...  waffle pretzels from Superstore, "Hugs", and M&Ms (the mint kind since I already them).

Silas had the tedious job of unwrapping all those hugs and placing them on the pretzels.

Ready to go into the oven...
(Bake at 350 degrees.  3 minutes wasn't long enough, 5 minutes was a little too melty.  So next time I'll do 4 :)

Once the hugs have softened, remove from the oven and place an M&M on each one.  I did this while they were still on the pan.  Then I recommend letting them fully cool off before trying to take them off the pan.  This took awhile (maybe because I let them get too melty in the oven).  Next time I might put the whole pan in the freezer to speed up the chocolate hardening process.

Super simple and quite festive looking.  I started imagining other variations - like a mini peanut butter cup with a Reese's Pieces candy on top... Mmmm.

I'm thinking a handful of these in a cellophane bag might be a great addition to this year's teacher gifts.