Happy Birthday, Pat!

Today we celebrated Pat's 28th birthday.  It's the first year since we've lived in Seattle that we haven't had friends over to help us celebrate.  Pat said that he wanted to keep things low key with just the kids and me, and so I listened.  

I hate to make things too easy on myself, and so I decided to bake him a chocolate cake from scratch using a recipe from Mel's Kitchen Cafe (thanks for mentioning her, Amy).  I'm LOVING this food blog.  You should check it out if you don't know about her already.  I've yet to make something that I haven't enjoyed.

He worked all day, but came home to his little family very excited to see him.  We had a few gifts wrapped on the table for him, and Quinn had to use every bit of restraint that he had in him not to devour the cake and tear into "daddy's birfday presents" before Pat got home.                              

 Quinn volunteered to help open each and every one of Pat's gifts.  He's such a helper.     "Here ya go, Daddy.  Here's a birfday present for you."   

 After presents we took a quick dinner break.  Pat requested French Dip sandwiches and Sun chips (random).  Seriously, could he have made this any easier on me this year?  They were delicious, and simple.

 And then it was time for cake!  Quinn did the best I've ever heard him when it came time for singing happy birthday.  It's fun to see him starting to get this birthday celebration thing.  I wish I could say the cake was the best thing I've ever tasted.  I'm just really not much of a cake person, and honestly, Pat would probably appreciate a box or store bought cake just as much.  But, I show love through acts of service, and so I felt good about my efforts.    

 Happy birthday, Patrick David!  You are loved!

And, tomorrow we have a babysitter coming so we can enjoy a meal out sans children!  Date nights are few and far between these days and so I'm really looking forward to a couple of hours out.  The thought of eating a warm meal without having to entertain children has become quite foreign to me.  I think I'll manage, though.

Happy weekend!