A birthday party success

Well the party was a success.  We ended up having it at some friends house.  I started the cake on Thursday and finished it this morning at my friends house. 

Yesterday was my husband's flex day so I had to get creative.  I did all the icing after the first layer in my sewing room.  He was told his presents were in there so he wasn't allowed in.  Which his presents are in there so I wasn't lying.

Thursday afternoon I bought a pan for the job and came home and made three cake mixes to fill it to the 2/3rds area.  It took a long time to cook but it did the job.  However,  The butter that I spread everywhere in the pan was not enough.  The middle bottom part was stuck in the pan and the only option was to tear the cake.  I was wanting to tort it...although I wasn't sure how with it being so big.  So I didn't tort it.  I was actually really frustrated.  Well I got it all set up and cut the top of the cake off.

This is what I cut off the top.  A lot!

Ok well after it that I made the frosting and thinned it out like I was taught and I put the first layer of frosting on.  I originally planned on turning it green but forgot so it was white.

After it was safe in my sewing room I decided to start on the trees so they could set up over night as well.

I used sugar cones for the tops and big pretzels for the trunk.  The white stuff is the icing.

While I was letting the first layer set up I made another recipe of icing for the second layer.  I knew that once my husband was home I wouldn't be able to make it for later that night.  So I made it and moved all my utensils into my sewing room so later I could ice the cake a second time...this time in blue.  I figured it would be an island.

I did this while Josh was mowing the yard.  Then I let it sit over night to set up completely.  Then Thursday while Josh was working in the garage I told him that he couldn't come in the house because I needed the table to lay out something I was working on.  The table in my sewing room wasn't big enough.

I used the glittery gel stuff to draw in my river.  Then I went to work on the grass.

 It took a while.  My arm kept getting tired and I would take a few seconds to brake.

I put grass along the bottom to continue the effect.

Then this morning I used the blue sparkle gel to write on the river.

I was going to make icing and do it.  I was going to make it brown but honestly I got lazy.  This was quick and easy.  I'm glad I did because I would have run out of time.

Another friend who works with Josh went tool shopping with Josh at 10 and then at noon then went to the shooting range.  I waited 20 minutes to make sure they weren't coming back and then I started getting everything ready to go.  I had to thaw the hamburger patties, grab the buns, condiments, cheese, tomatoes, plates, cups, napkins, cake, icing, trees, swim suits, towels, pop, ice cream and utensils.  I took them all over to our friends house.  While there I finished the trees and put them in the cake.  She helped me figure out the placing which was great because I wasn't sure where to put them.  I also bought to little deer to place on the cake and some numbered candles.

Those are three of the five trees on the cake.  They were fun.  They took a little bit of time to do and getting them to stand up straight was a bit hard so most of them were leaning which was fine because trees lean.

Making the cake was so much fun.  It turned out great.  After it was all set up I brought the girls home so Yana could nap for a few.  I forgot to mention that earlier in the day our friends had called my husband if he could come over around 2 to help move a piano.  He said later that he thought I was planning something but when he came home to drop off the guns (I told him I was going to the store).  The house was the same so he figured I wasn't up to anything. 

He had called and told me he was on his way - earlier than I expected - so I told him I was already on the way out the door to the store so I would see him after he moved the piano.  So I called my other friends and they piled into their car and followed me over there.  We parked a block away and they climbed into my car and we drove to our friends and into their garage so Josh wouldn't see our car.  Everyone arrived earlier than I had planned which turned out great.  We had been at the house for just a few minutes when Josh got there.  They brought him in the front door while we were all standing in the kitchen by the cake waiting for him.  It took him a second to realize what was going on but it was awesome.  He loved it.  He liked the cake, the wonderful company and the fun.

It was a lot of fun.  We ate our hamburgers, baked beans, chips and salad and then went swimming with the kids for a bit.  Then we came in and cut up the cake.  It has been a busy day.

My girls are bathed and ready for bed and my husband is at the Priesthood meeting.  I hope that you all had a wonderful day.  See ya on Monday.