31 today!
Yesterday started off the same way as our usual Sundays do… being lazy and then finally getting ready and heading off for church. Brooke wore headbands all of the time when she was younger and it was fun to bring one back yesterday.
I guess we weren’t completely lazy Sunday morning. The cake baking began.
I went with the chocolate coconut cake and I am happy to report, it was an amazing decision.
After church Andrew made the frosting and Brooke got to work on decorating the chocolate chip cookie with coconut frosting.
And then one of us pretended she was a puppy.
Brooke was pretty happy that I sat in the backseat with her because Mer was in the front seat to go over to my parent’s house. Last night was originally going to be the birthday party for me and my dad (his bday is on the 17th) but last minute it got switched to next week. My sister’s family and my aunt all got sick and had to cancel so next week will be the real deal but technically we still celebrated a little bit yesterday.
Our family’s favorite lasagna is something that I look forward to weeks in advance. My grandma told me that this recipe has been in the family for over 65 years now! She found it in a magazine forever ago and it has stuck in our family for that long. Brooke is already in love with it too and I’m sure the lasagna will just keep being passed down.
Back to playing dogs again. She played fetch for quite some time.
Andrew outdid himself. He made the most beautiful cake ever. It was also egg free so my dad could have it too. The chocolate was perfect and the coconut frosting was just the right amount of coconut. This might just have to be part of the yearly lasagna tradition. I’m sure he’s okay with that.
The recipe is from THIS amazing cake cookbook. If you want to make good cakes, buy Layered.
My dad and I have celebrated our birthdays together every single year and it is one of my favorite parts of my birthday.
Mer was laughing pretty hard over how huge the slice of cake was that Andrew cut for her:) She took 90% home with her!
A look at the inside (the slice on the left started slipping down and Andrew caught it just in time).
After dessert we all hung out for awhile talking and Andrew’s parents came over too. Our parents get along so well and it is fun to hear their conversations and to see them all together.
I caught Andrew looking at puppies… maybe he is going to get one for my bday;) I think we can only handle one at a time.
I saw a little questionnaire going around Facebook because of Valentines Day coming up and I thought I would answer it for Andrew and me on the blog today:
Who’s oldest? Me (I’m 31 now and he is 28… until March 14th when he turns 29)
Who was interested first? I think he was a little bit more cautious at first and I was ALL IN from the beginning but I think we were both interested right away. This is a tangent but did I tell you about the time I was in California before I had even met Andrew? We had talked on the phone once and set up a date for the following week and I was in California for the weekend. I was sitting in church with a really good friend of mine that I never see but trust her opinion completely. She asked me how dating was going and I said… there was no one I was currently interested in but that I had a good feeling about my blind date coming up. She asked to see a picture of my blind date so I quickly stalked him and showed her… she looked at me and said, “Janae, you need to marry him,” and then went on and on about how she knew Andrew really well and how great he was and all of the amazing things about him. So I got to go into my blind date with Andrew with confidence knowing from her that he was a really good person.
Same high school? Nope but we did go to the same elementary school in St. George… I’m sure we hung out on the playground or something.
Most sensitive? We both are sensitive but I am definitely more sensitive.
Worst temper? Probably me too (I like to be a roller coaster of emotions;)
More social? Me again. I NEED TO SEE MY GIRLFRIENDS.
Hardest working? Definitely Andrew.
More sarcastic? ANDREW!!!! Sometimes I have a hard time telling the difference.
Who makes the most mess? Andrew;) But that is just because I am OCD about cleaning.
Wakes up first? Me.
Bigger family? Andrew.
Who cooks the most? Definitely Andrew.
Who cries the most? Me but I think if I stopped watching TV shows that I feel so connected to that I would not cry very much.
Better singer? Andrew. The kids request me to stop singing when we are in the car and their favorite songs come on because they don’t want to hear me.
Hogs the remote? Andrew and it isn’t even baseball season yet…
Better driver? Andrew even though I used to be a drivers ed teacher:)
Better cook? Andrew and I love the baking part. I also can survive on a sweet potato and some protein for pretty much every meal so I need to work on that to build my motivation to cook.
Most patient? Depends on the day and amount of sleep each person had the night before.
———————————————–
Feel free to answer any of the above questions!!
What recipe/meal has been in your family forever?
Do you do a special run on your birthday? Run your year in miles? Group run? Special place?
-I run every birthday with Josse and we are keeping that going this year too!
I hope your day is an amazing one!
67 comments
Natalie
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, Janae!! Hope it is an amazing one! I’m so happy for you and Andrew–you two truly seem perfect for each other, and it’s wonderful to see how much happiness he’s brought into your life. :)
And I love that shirt you’re wearing with the flower sleeves! Is that from Roolee??
Nikki
Happy Birthday Janae!!!!!! Hope you have an amazing day!
Brandy H.
Happy Birthday Janae!!! I hope you have a wonderful day! And that cake looks AMAZING! Nice job Andrew!
Arthi
Happy, Happy Birthday!! Hope it’s a great one filled with lots of running, candy, and sweet potatoes :)
And look at that cake!! Good work, Andrew!
meredith (The Cookie ChRUNicles)
have a very happy birthday!
Mollie Sweet
Happy birthday! I hope you have a great day and a fantastic run!!
Andrew is a rockstar baker, btw. :)
Kathy
Happy Birthday….Golden birthdays are fun to celebrate but do you get something even more special when you can say you are the age of your date flipped??? I wouldn’t get to celebrate that separately since mine was the 11th….and some may never make it if there bday was the 29th….since not every one lives to be 92. ;-)
I think that simple fact should be celebrated a big more….so live it up for being 31 or 13 flipped….(sheesh some times the craziest things pop into my head…ha!)
Marissa @ Run Riss Run
Happy Birthday!!
I feel like you need to share this lasagna recipe with us! The recipes that are still around are mostly sweets :) Specifically a carrot cake and cherry chocolate dump cake.
For my bday, I just like to run with friends. It’s the best.
Alyssa
HAPPY BIRTHDAY PRETTY FRIEND!!!! That coconut cake looks amazing and I seriously need to make your mom’s lasagna one of these days after all these years of reading about it. I hope you have just the best day ever. I love how good life is being to you :)
We have a chocolate chip cookie recipe that my mom got from a former ward member years ago and we’re all obsessed with it. If you want it, I’d be happy to shoot it over to you :)
Kristina Running
HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!! Aww that bday cake came out perfectly! :) I love it!
Rosie
Happy Birthday Janae-have a great day and a wonderful year ahead!
Kaytlin
Happy birthday!!! :)
Cheryl
Happy birthday Janae!! Hope it’s awesome. Thank you for sharing your life with us on your blog! I learn tons and get so much inspiration! I love reading!!
Torrie
Happy Birthday Janae! I hope you enjoy it and have a fantastic few days celebrating! Your cake looks amazing! Andrew did a great job :-)
Mel _OutRunCf
Happy birthday Janae! And great job Andrew on the cake, very impressive! I used to run my age in kilometers every year on my birthday but I am getting closer and closer to a marathon haha I still have six months to train for it though ;-)
Lauren
Happy birthday!! I hope you have the most amazing day – your birthday cake looks awesome, maybe Andrew should start a cake baking business on the side and Brooke can give him a hand with the cookies?
My grandma always used to make spaghetti bolognase and that I will always use that recipe when I cook, it always tastes amazing!! Apart from that we don’t really have any family hand me downs – we’re not very experimental at cooking so we tend to just stick to what we know :)
Nathaly @NathyCure
HAPPY BIRTHDAY JANAE! And Happy Birthday to your Dad:)
Andrew is the sweetest by baking you that gorgeous cake. It looks delicious.
I usually do long runs on my birthday because they are so rewarding. If I wanted to run my year in miles this next birthday, I will have to run a marathon!!
Virjinia
Happy Birthday! I did a spin class on my birthday last year and it was a party! As far as recipes goes, I would say tamales but my mom won’t share it with us! I keep bugging her about it every year lol.
Chelsea
Happy, happy Birthday! The cakes looks AMAZING!!!!!
Gretchen
Happy birthday!!
For mine, I’ve been doing a race that week for the past few years. It’s a fun way to mark the year :) I love your story about how you knew with Andrew before you even met..same kind of thing happened with me! I was friends with his roommate and we both had to stay at that friends’ apartment during band camp in college, and he just knew that we would end up together!
Fiona @ Get Fit Fiona
The cake Andrew made you looks delicious!Anything chocolate pretty much has to be tasty.
Happy birthday!
Hollie
What a fun quiz. It’s always interesting to get to know someone’s significant other too. I think I cry the most. I was trying to figure out who hogs the remote the most but we always watch TV at different times so I feel like we both do. LOL
mallory
HAPPY BIRTHDAY JANAE!!!!!! 31 is going to be an amazing year for you!
Kristen
HAPPY BIRTHDAY JANAE!! And your cake looks fabulous!!!!!
MaryM
Happy Birthday Janae! Your cake looks amazing (I love coconut and chocolate) and your Dad is looking much better! Have an awesome run with Josse today!
Jasmine
Happy birthday, birthday twin;) That cake looks delicious, I have to wait until my mum gets home from work to have mine and open presents, I may be turning 20 but I’m still impatient lol! Hope you’re having a fantastic day and that your 31st year is your best one yet xox
Blake G
Happy happy Birthday!!! Have an amazing day!!
Your cake looks amazing- how sweet of Andrew! :-)
My mom made my sister and me each a recipe box with handwritten recipe cards with all of our favorite meals, sides, Christmas cookies, etc. My favorite is probably my mom’s spaghetti sauce recipe that her grandma taught her how to make, so that is really special (& delicious).
Wendy
Wishing you a very Happy Birthday Janae :) And, great job on the cake Andrew! It looks amazing!!!
Allison
HAPPY BIRTHDAY!! The cake Andrew made you looks amazing. And I just love Brooke’s headband! So cute. I wish I could pull that off.
I hope you have the best day. <3
Lynn @The Not Dead Yet Blog
I can’t sing either! My four year old tells me to “shut that off” when I try.
Tiffany
Happiest of Birthdays to you, Janae! What a year you have had! Enjoy every second and I pray for a happy and healthy year to come with your beautiful family!
Kristi Petrosky
Happy 31st birthday to you!! That cake looks AMAZING! Enjoy your extended bday celebrations all week, you deserve it! ; )
Ziahlily
Happy birthday Janae! I’m so happy that your 31st year was such an amazing one! I’m wishing you much happiness in the year to come!
Maggie L
Happy Birthday!! That cake looks amazing!
Juli
Happy Birthday Janae! Hope 31 is your best year yet! So seriously impressed with Andrew’s cake:)
Bailey
Happy birthday Janae!!! I hope this birthday is your best one yet!!
Michelle
Happy Birthday!
Loribeth
Happy Birthday! (Feb birthdays are the best!) Mine is in two weeks. I will be running a lot the week before while we are on vacation, and I have a half marathon the week after my birthday, so I think I will do a simple 3 or 4 miles on my birthday. It is the beginning of taper week, so I better take it easy and eat cake!!
Erica
Happy Birthday Janae! I hope you have a wonderful day and even better year ahead. Enjoy your bday run and eat some delicious food!
Sarah
Happy birthday!!! Hope you enjoy your birthday day/week!
Today is my man’s birthday as well and I just made him his cake, Victoria Sponge, which I have never made before so hope it is tasty. Also, I’m 31 and he turns 29 today!
I always like a run on my birthday, sadly none of my friends like running so I’m on my own.
Nina
Happy birthday, Janae! I hope it’s as good as the past few days have been for you. Party on.
I like to run or do a really good workout on my birthday. It makes me happy and feel accomplished, what better way to start the day?
I think I was interested first, he’s the most patient (he’s honestly one of the most patient and laid back people I know), I have a quicker temper (I’m pointing to his patience), and I cry more. He hogs the tv remote but I generally control the car radio. I’m a better cook, he’s more outgoing.
Kathy McElhaney
Happy birthday, Janae! Not sure how you can top last year, but hope this is another amazing year for you! xoxo
jade
Happy Birthday Janae!!
Peggi K.
Happy Birthday to you Janae! Hope its super special, you deserve it! My husband and son share their Feb birthday (it was on the 9th – hubby turned 40 and son turned 11) and then my brother in laws in today. Lots of fun Feb birthdays!!! That cake looked fantastic – way to go Andrew!
Katie
Happy birthday! Oh my heavens that cake looks amazing! Those are some serious kitchen skills! I love family birthday parties and how fun to be able to share it with your dad!
Lisa @ Lisa 3D
Happy birthday! That cake looks delicious – great choice!
Jen
Happy Birthday!!!!
michelle
Wow, Andrew, those are some SERIOUS baking skills! That cake looks divine, and without eggs no less. Have a great birthday, Janae and glad you get to extend the celebration into next weekend!
My birthday was this weekend and I was supposed to celebrate with my family, but couldn’t get to them due to mudslides, road closures etc. At least we got to google chat and they even baked a cake and sang me happy birthday and my nephews blew my candles out (I hope they got the wish part down). It was awesome. I’m now investigating buying a helicopter…
Bethany @Luluruns
That cake looks amazing!! And I don’t even like cake that much. My birthday is March 15, so if Andrew wants to bake me and cake and send it in the mail, that’d be great. ;)
Krista @ Gringita
Happy birthday !!!!! Hope it is amazing and you get some time to treat yourself and relax for all the things you do for others.
T.O.
Happy happy birthday, Janae!! I hope you have a fantastic day! Sounds like your birthday is off to a great start with your mom’s lasagna and that awesome cake from Andrew! I hope this year is a stellar one for you in lots of ways! :-D
-clk
Happy Birthday Janae!! So much amazingness in your life! Cheers to much more!
Jenny
Happy birthday! Here’s to another great year for you and your family. We have a blended family of five kids and everyone gets along. God bless.
Salina
The cake turned out so good. It looks super pretty and delicious! Happy birthday!
Molly
Happy birthday Janae!
Michelle
HAPPY BIRTHDAY Janae!!
Julie
Happy b-day, Janae! Hope you have a fabulous day! That cake looked awesome & I’m not even a fan of coconut. ;) So sweet of him to make it.
Jill @ RunEatSnap
Happy birthday Janae! That cake looks delicious – Andrew did a good job!
AmandaM
Happy Day! yay, my cake “won” :)
Monica Lewis
Happy Birthday Janae!!! The cake looks amazing!
Desiree @ A Girl's Best Friend
That cake looks SOOO good! Great work Andrew.
My family has so many recipes that we have passed down that we’ve made our own little cookbook out of them.
I don’t currently have a birthday run celebration, but that’s a great idea. I might just take that! We do have a tradition of running a 5k each holiday though.
Jarrelle
Happy Birthday to you!!!! Janae it sounds like it has been wonderful!! That cake sounds amazing. . . Might have to request the same one come August!!! I love doing a big run on my birthday! Then I do not feel as guilty to indulge all day long! Two recipes that have been in the family forever are Ragu, Italian sauce and the Italian cookie, Pizelle’s. The sauce is from my husbands side and the cookies are from mine!!! He has the recipes saved and LOCKED on his phone!! LOL
Enjoy the rest of your birthday and a wonderful Valentine’s Day!!
XO
Caroline
This post……I am smiling so hard my cheeks hurt!!! Just so filled with love and happiness, family, togetherness….hope you have an amazing Birthday….you deserve every bit of peace, joy, happiness, and love that comes your way!
And…Brooke’s face when decorating the cookie!!! So stinkin cute ~ she’s so serious!!!
Lee
Since your party was postponed, foes that mean Andrew will be baking another cake?
Libbie Brinkerhoff
Happy belated birthday!
Megan D
Andrew wins all the points for that cake. It looks and sounds amazing. Plus he made it without eggs – so thoughtful.
I am on that same roller coaster with you. I am sure Ross LOVES the ride I take him on. Ha! ;)
Anna once told me in the care when I was singing, ‘Mom. You know you don’t HAVE to sing the song. Even if it is your favorite.” I didn’t get the hint. And I never will.
Debbie @ Deb Runs
Happy belated birthday, Janae! That cake looks amazing! I don’t think I’ll ever not clear my plate when there’s a dessert on it – good for Mer for having self control.
I will turn sixty in November and I plan to run sixty miles with a little help from my friends in a group run so they can help me with some of the miles (six friends each running ten mile perhaps). ;-)