Cake Pops.

I thought I would do a step by step of the recipe/instructions for the cake pops. They were so incredibly fun and easy! (Just time consuming...)

Stuff You Need
Box cake - your choice in flavor (I used your standard Yellow cake mix)

Vanilla Buttercream Frosting Ingredients:
2 C Powdered Sugar
1/4 C (1/2 stick) Butter
1/2 t Vanilla
1.5-2 T Milk

Candy Melts (A cheap quality that comes in various colors found in Michael's are by Wilton but I like the ones found in specialty candy stores because they are better quality)
Oil Based Food Coloring (You will need this if you don't buy the pre-colored melts from Micheal's)
Lollipop Sticks
3"x4" Treat Bags
1/8" Ribbon
Cake Sparkles (or any other candies for decorating)
Foam (for cooling/drying)

Directions
Bake box cake to instructions on the box. Let cool 10 minutes once you remove cake from oven. Scoop out cake into a bowl and place in fridge to cool for about an hour.

Meanwhile, make the buttercream frosting by combining all ingredients in mixing bowl and mix until combined. Add more milk if necessary for spreading consistency. Set aside.

Once the cake is cooled, add frosting to cake and combine until all the cake is moistened. Roll the cake between hands into 1" balls and place on parchment paper.

Once the balls are rolled, melt the candy melts by following instructions on the bag. Dip the tip of the lollipop sticks into melted candy and place the dipped end into the cake ball a little over halfway. Once all the cake balls have their sticks in place, put the cake balls into the fridge and cool for an additional hour or until the melted candy has hardened.

Following the cooling process, reheat the candy melts until smooth again, and dip the pops in the melted candy one at a time. Sprinkle with decoration and place pop into the foam to cool or dry.

Once all pops are dipped and cooled, put them into the treat bags and tie with ribbon. You can choose to add little labels too to add a special customized element!

First steps.

Mark and I witnessed Breckan's first two steps at 9.5 months - June 5, 2011. Breckan was standing by the play pen and was holding on and smiling away. I called him to come over by me, just mere steps away and he let go of the side of that play pen and BAM two steps to Momma! I was so ecstatic I looked up at Mark and said, "Does that count as first steps?!" I guess so! We then put him back and he did it again. It was so exciting.

Since then, he has been having more and more of those moments with more and more steps each time. Today, I just saw him walk 5-6 steps to me! What a big boy. It is hard to think that just 10 months ago my little boy just arrived into this world and he could only cry, eat, sleep and poop! Ever since his mobility came into the mix, I feel like our son is an entirely different baby. Bye bye colic, hello sweet, beautiful, giggly Breckan!

Not only is Breckan getting closer and closer to walking, but he is also showing those pearly whites! He has two bottom teeth and two top ones: the ones to the immediate right and left of his two front teeth. He is our little dracula! I don't think it is too common to have those come in first, but I had those lateral incisors come in before my two front ones too! I guess we are alike.

Because of all his teething this past week has been a little rough at night. He was up 4-6 times for about three days straight. Poor little boy! I am glad the pain is now gone to the point where he is back to his 1-2x a night waking.

A a totally different note, my lovely husband will be celebrating his first father's day tomorrow. I couldn't have asked for a better father for my son, and I am so grateful for all the sacrifices he makes so that we don't have to place Breckan in daycare. He is one dedicated Dad and we love him so.

As Breckan's first birthday is creeping up on us, I have been expirimenting with some things that I plan to have at his birthday. I am thinking of doing a little blue and black candy bar with candy along with some home-made goodies to go with the "little rebel" theme that we have planned. I am planning on making chocolate covered pretzels, chocolate dipped marshmallows, blue dyed rice krispie treats, and last but not least, cake pops. I have never done cake pops before so I experimented today with making them. They are a lot of work, but oh my gosh!!! So adorable and cute. Cake pops are basically baked cake that has been cooled, mixed with my homemade buttercream frosting (so it is a roll-able consistency) and rolled into balls and then dipped in candy melts on a lollipop stick! These cute treats are perfect for little bite sized snacks. I decorated my experimental ones for father's day tomorrow and wrapped them in treat bags and tied a ribbon around them. SO ADORABLE! I will be posting a photo of my work shortly.

All Packaged and ready to go!

Ahhh and now it is time for sleep. Or sleep until Breckan wakes in the middle of the night

Reminisce.

Although delayed, I didn't want to miss out in documenting our trip to NC. After all, it was fun! At the end of May, we had planned to head to Boone, NC (Mark and I's old college town) with Breckan. We were so looking forward to showing him around the place where his Dad and Mom fell in love. So on we went in the middle of the night, driving in the dark for 12 hours so Breckan could sleep the entire way. I can only imagine the horror we would have ensued if we decided to travel through the day with Breckan instead. I don't think he would like being stuck in a car seat for 12 hours, especially since he had crawling down to a science by then. The travel was great, and we arrived in beautiful Boone by 6am the following morning.

Luckily, we stayed at the cabin where I spent my last semester of college, which is also the cabin that Mark's parents and grandparents own. Let's just say, the scenery is gorgeous and it is so peaceful out there! I have so many memories when I walk into this place! It was surreal to think that my time up there was almost 5 years ago. And to think....I am now married and have a baby too!
That day we pretty much relaxed. We also took a small ride on the 4-wheeler around the huge property beyond ours, with Breckan riding along in the Ergo Carrier! He fell asleep on the ride.

The following day, we decided to hike out to table rock and also camp that night. Let me tell you, to hike with a baby on your back is serious business. I got such a workout! Although the forecast called for rain, Mark and I were scoffing at the weather men thinking, "what rain?!!" The scenery was beautiful as always, as it overlooked babble tower area (where Mark and I have hiked in the past). Once we settled down at the campground, got our tent set up, fire started, etc., Breckan fell asleep in the hammock with his Daddy and we moved him to the tent for the rest of his nap so we could get dinner started. We made some amazing steaks, carrots and asparagus and potatoes and MMM MMM was it all good. And then....the THUNDER came. Oh boy. We kept saying to each other, "Should we pack up and go? Or wait it out?" Then the thunder started getting closer...it started getting darker and clouds started rolling in. Then the first drops of rain. Once we felt that drizzle, we had a feeling that this would be one awful night if we didn't make a quick hike back out. The thunder and lighting was creeping up on us and that is no situation you want to be in. So we quickly packed up and by the time we were finished it was pouring. We hiked back out, with Breckan crying the whole way, getting soaked! He was a super trooper though and we made it back in one piece. PHEW. That lighting was making even Mark's neck hairs stand up! In the end, we had a nice hike and a great dinner out of it and we came to the conclusion that camping with a crawling baby is quite difficult! (He was trying to eat dirt the entire time).

In the Hammock at our campsite at table rock - dirty boy!

Hebron Rock Colony!

The following day we decided to take a hike through hebron rock colony. This was my place to take people when they came and visited Boone. You jump a bunch of rocks to get to the top of the stream and the scenery is gorgeous. I hiked in with Breckan on my back in the ergo and it was a much more comfortable trip than the hiking to table rock! The Ergo is the best thing ever. We ran into an old teammate of mine, Charissa and her family. It was wonderful to see her and catch up with each other. I was amazed that the place that was desolate when I was in college is now the ole watering hole for all the college students. It seemed like everyone was there that day. I don't blame them...but now it isn't as much of a secret! To top off the day, we had dinner at my favorite restaurant, Cafe Portofino. MMMM!

Snake Pit Family photo

Another hike was on the docket for the following day. We drove to snake pit which is basically a stream where people can lay out and float around in the water. Mark, Breckan and I popped a seat on a nearby rock and relaxed the day away. That was, until Mark lost his wedding ring. Yep you heard it right. He took a dip into the cold stream water and apparently his fingers shrunk a little too much and while he was climbing out of the water his ring popped off. Luckily, with a trip to walmart and a lot of very helpful people, Mark was able to find his ring! PHEW what a relief...that would have turned our day upside down!

Cutey Boy at Snake Pit

Sprinkled throughout our trip we were able to check out all our favorite local restaurants like Black Cat and Macado's, walk through the town, and show Breckan what Boone was all about. Overall, our trip was a success and we were home a week later with big smiles on our faces!