Laughable...

My baking skills. It is really true and I hate to admit it out loud or rather online but its true. It was my dad's birthday so I thought I would whip up a cake. It always goes so smoothly in my head, the whole process of baking and frosting. When it comes right down to it I always regret not ordering the cake from a bakery.
I started out baking the cakes the day before and was feeling optimistic about them even though one was kind of sunken in and one had puffed up like a cupcake. What had happened, I am not quite sure but my mother was certain it was because I used two different brands of cake mix for each cake. I put the two cakes together very awkwardly and thought again to myself why did I decide to bake a cake? I then made the frosting, the same kind of frosting my sister made for Emme's cake and it was delicious. Mine tasted too salty and I should not have added the almond flavor. Also I did not have enough meringue powder to make a whole batch of frosting so I pulled out a can of betty crocker frosting. Betty makes much better frosting than I do, I don't know that I ever need to make frosting again:) Since my frosting was white and Betty's was cream I stuck coconut all over the sides and called it good!At dinner I told my Grandpa Clark that this was the Last cake I am ever going to make and he told me not to say that because I have ALOT more birthdays ahead that I will be needing to be making cakes for. During this conversation with my Grandpa I remembered my sweet neighbor that makes the most amazing cakes and even teaches. Maybe one day I will take a lesson but for now I am hiring her the next time I need a cake!
If you look closely (ok its pretty obvious) you will notice which cake puffed up and which one sunk:)
My Grandpa Clark, his wife Janis, My mom and dad all came over for dinner and each one of them commented to me that I was not going to be able to fit all the candles on such a small cake. When Ruffin got home from work and asked me the exact same thing I just thought in my mind I will just put them close together. So I did and we all laughed, luckily I did not start my kitchen on fire.
I nearly stepped in to help blow out the candles... I have about 15 pictures of these two huffing and puffing:) Emme has that same face in every picture, I think she was mesmerized by the flame:)!
Gracee and Emme each got to pick out a present for their Grandpa... They were so excited to give them to him. I love that my dad is pleased as punch with any small trinket:)
Emme picked out the dog, she loves dogs and knew that Grandpa would love this one. Gracee originally had a heart shaped glass jewlery box but switched it when she found the collectible below. She immediately told me it was Grandpa and Grandma. It made me smile to think of my parents out sledding and throwing snowballs.
Oh and as for the cake it was tasted just fine, I don't really care for cake and but I liked the cream frosting with coconut:) I asked Janis and my mom which frosting they liked better. Janis chose Betty's and my mom knew the top almond tasting frosting was mine and chose it:)
Happy Birthday to my dad and thanks mom for telling me my cake looked great even though it struggled just a little!