Happy Golden Birthday, Josh!

Today my darling dearest turns 25 on October 25th – so it’s his Golden Birthday! In theme loving fashion, I asked our family and friends to play along with the theme for the care packages and cards they would send him. Let me tell you…people brought their A-game. I’m sure Josh will take some pictures of the gifts he received, but first let me give you a tour of his golden birthday care package.

I started with a box and lined it with gold and glitter gold paper.

a day or so before I prepared cake in a mason jar. scroll down to see the “tutorial video” from which you will probably not learn much.

Since I couldn’t make Josh dinner, I sent him a microwavable meal: chicken and rice.

you can’t see the whole thing (obvs) but I made a birthday banner with gold-flecked cardstock and gold pen.

…i also cannot believe that I am 15 in this photo.

the golden boy himself.

Contents: 3 mason jars of yellow cake, gold napkins, gold plates, banner, gold table cloth, 3 forks, a glitter box filled with werther’s candy (you’re “werth” your weight in gold), thank you cards, birthday candles, chocolate frosting, chicken and rice dinner, and a couple little notes from me. xo.

there she be.

It’s tough being away for holidays, anniversaries, birthdays and friends’ weddings. All of our special days and major holidays (minus Easter) seem to fall on the half of the year that Josh is away. Making care packages and including our loved ones in on sharing those moments helps ease the hurt and longing. At the end of the day, it’s still difficult and frustrating to be apart, but at least I get to look forward to hearing how much Josh loves the care packages/cards he receives from me and our family/friends! And trust me – he loves them! He’s blown away by your thoughtfulness and care for him. People have been incredibly generous and loving. Thank you!

And for all our adoring fans (crickets) it’s time to unveil our next, full length episode of Catholic Kitchen! Aka the cake in a mason jar “tutorial”…aka Birthday Bash…aka does Ashlie know how to bake because it seems like she doesn’t? I did actually have to get a new stove/oven after this episode was filmed, so that’s pretty exciting! It’s white and shiny.

Enough tangents, Ashlie! Bring us the film! Alright…alright. Here you go. Sit back, kick the feet up, have a snack and try to tolerate the next 17 minutes of your life.

You can find the directions to make cake in a jar here at spousebuzz

My cake recipe was from Southern Living, but you can make any kind of cake you want!

On a more serious note:

John and Liesl aka Mom and Dad. Thank you for co-creating, birthing, raising, supporting and loving your son, my husband, Joshua Ian. He is a good and loving man, and I thank you for doing such a wonderful job raising him to pursue Jesus, love, and holiness. He is so good to me. I know you reeeeeally wanted a baby girl by the time Josh was born, but I am certainly glad that you had a boy!

My J,

You are my world. I’ll love you forever. And I’ll save the rest of this love letter for a less public space. Yours, A