This past Saturday Ranger turned thirteen! It’s so hard to believe that we now have two teens in our home and we are only eighteen short months away from three teens… Unfortunately I just can’t seem to find the pause button on their childhood and they are going to grow up whether I like it or not. I’m not ready for this!!! 😉
This year the birthday boy requested a “Ranger’s Apprentice
party theme and lemon cake.” Lemon didn’t exactly go with the decorations I had planned for the cake so he actually ended up getting
two birthday cakes this year! The chocolate candy covered
Archery Target Cake and lemon “Castle Redmont” cake which I simply baked in a
castle shaped bundt pan and dusted with powdered sugar. The boys provided me with a minifigure to represent Will, the main character from the Ranger’s Apprentice series. It was perfect!
“Even though the circumstances were unusual, he had given permission for Will to be accepted as a ward of Castle Redmont.”
Everyone, including Ranger, loved the cakes when they woke up and discovered them in the morning. Along with the cake I had a coffee/hot cocoa bar with fruit and pastries set up for breakfast, since all Rangers drink coffee.
Other than the cake(s) and themed food for the day, I didn’t have time to plan any games or decorations. He didn’t mind, what he really wanted was for the whole family (including mom!) to come and watch their hockey games, so that is what we did (even my parents and one of my sisters showed up to watch!) and the boys won their games! ❤
.: Rangers’ Coffee Bar and Master Chubb’s Sweet Cakes:.
Learn how to drink coffee, sweeten it with honey if you must.
~ Do’s and Don’t for Rangers in Training
“He can climb, all right. I remember when he climbed up a drainpipe into my kitchen and stole a tray of sweet cakes that were cooling on the windowsill.”
.: Wild Boar Bacon Bites :.
“Halt’s heavy-shafted, long arrow was almost buried in it’s side, driven there by the full power of the Ranger’s mighty longbow. He’d struck the charging monster right behind the left shoulder, driving the head of the arrow into and through the pig’s massive heart. A perfect shot.”
.: Will’s Flaming Arrows :.
“Will watched, horrified. A thought was forming, an idea was lurking somewhere at the edge of his mind. He looked to one side, saw the flickering torch that Baron Arald has discarded. Fire. The one weapon that could defeat the Kalkara. But he was forty meters away…”
“He whipped an arrow from his quiver, slipping from the saddle and running lightly to the flickering torch. A good supply of sticky, melted pitch had run down the handle of the torch and he quickly rolled the arrowhead in the soft, clinging stuff, forming a huge goblet of it on the arrow. Then he placed it in the flame until it flared to life.”
“Will brought the arrow back to full draw, wincing at the pain as the flames singed against his bow hand. He raised his aim point a little to allow for the extra weight of the pitch, and released.”
.: Apprentice Oak Leaf Chocolates :.
“Later that afternoon, after all the noise and celebrations had died down, Will sat alone on the tiny verandah of Halt’s small cottage. In his hand he held a small bronze amulet, shaped like an oak lac, with a steel chain threaded through a ring at the top. “It’s our symbol,” his teacher had explained as he handed it to him after the events at the castle. “The Rangers’ equivalent of a coat of arms.””
“Bronze is the apprentice color,” Halt told him. When you finish your learning, you’ll receive a silver oak leaf like this one. We all wear them in the Ranger Corps, either silver or bronze.”
.: Tug’s Apple Cider :.
“Tug’s ears shot up. He liked apples. He also thought he liked this boy-he played this game well. Tossing his head approvingly, he trotted forward and took the apple delicately. Will seized hold of the bridle and the pony crunched the apple. If a horse could be said to look blissful, this one did.”
.: Ranger’s Stew :.
 |
| Organic Carrots of Many Colors and Baby Potatoes |
“He led the way to the kitchen and introduced Will to the mysteries of cooking: peeling and chopping onions, choosing a piece of beef from the meat safe, trimming it and cutting it into neat cubes, then chopping vegetables, searing the beef in a sizzling pan, and finally adding a generous dash of red wine and some of what Halt called his “secret ingredients.” The result was a savory-smelling stew, simmering on the top of the stove.”
.: Birthday Cake :.
“As they rode through the crisp, white snow, their horses’ hooves making only the smallest of sounds, Halt had been pointing to disturbances in the even white cover. They were tracks left by animals and it was Will’s task to identify them.”
*All quotes are from Ranger’s Apprentice, Book 1, The Ruins of Gorlan by John Flanagan
.: Birthday Gifts :.
Ranger’s siblings all surprised him with 13 of the new Series 13 Minifigures for his 13th birthday! Twinkle Toes also gave him the Archer Minifigure from Series 3 (
like this one) and Captain gave him the
Epic Perplexus we found on clearance after Christmas. He also received cards/gifts from both sets of Grandparents.
Happy 13th Birthday Ranger!
Prayer of Mothers
Father in heaven, grant me the grace to appreciate the dignity which you have conferred on me. Let me realize that not even the Angels have been blessed with such a privilege—to share in your creative miracle and bring new Saints to heaven. Make me a good mother to all my children after the example of Mary, the Mother of your Son. Through the intercession of Jesus and Mary I ask your continued blessings on my family. Let us all be dedicated to your service on earth and attain the eternal happiness of your kingdom in heaven. Amen.
What a fun birthday!
2015-02-12 04:58:10
amazing!! I love all the little goodies, very fun. 🙂
2015-02-12 12:06:32
Love it Jessica! How fun and festive! The cakes looked awesome and yummy! Happy birthday to your teen!
2015-02-12 12:21:55
Aww you did great with all the decorations, food, and gifts! I hope he enjoyed it all….looks like he did! Happy Birthday, Ranger!
2015-02-12 13:35:37
I'm in as much denial as you having teenagers as you are, I don't want your kids to grow up either! I've seen that target type cake for years now on Pinterest and I've wondered how user friendly it was. Looks Great! We made that exact recipe of bacon wrapped smokies for our family fun night/ SuperBowl night. The kids were obsessed with them! I have another pack in the fridge we should make for Mardi Gras. We bought Epic for our five year old for Christmas. We didn't know there were different levels of the Perplexus.(it was our first one) I have to say it's THE best toy for kids. Quiet, no pieces, uses brain power and keeps them busy for hours. HOURS! Love it!
2015-02-12 20:30:26
What an incredible birthday celebration for your young man! I so enjoyed your unique ideas for his party Jessica. Amazing birthday cake… and there is nothing better than watching our sons compete in sports!!!! Oh my ~ your two oldest sons are growing up so fast. This post shows the new maturity in their faces. Soon their voices will be deepening (if they have not already). Yes I so agree with you that childhood passes by much too quickly but… you are so blessed to be home schooling your children and have them with you each day. That is so wonderful! Our son is now 33 and our twin daughters just turned 32 and for my husband and I it seems like it was only yesterday we were caring for three babies at one time. I know you enjoy each and every precious moment with your sweet children. May God continue to bless you and your beautiful family. I so admire the way you and your husband are raising God's special creations and providing each of them with such a happy memorable childhood. I admire your dedication to motherhood Jessica… ~Sincerely, Debbie
2015-02-12 22:38:02
Love all of the details. You are an amazing mom!
2015-02-13 02:49:24
I can see how Ranger's face is changing as he is growing into a young man! I'm sure it must be bittersweet for you as a mom. 🙂 Incidentally, I'm still hoping you get to post pics of the Anne of Green Gables birthday party! That's one of my favorite books.
2015-02-14 21:50:25
Another fantastic, fun birthday!
Question, do you read the kids' books and take notes for the food choices, or do the kids show you the passages?
:o) Becky
2015-02-15 05:59:50
Looks like wonderful fun! Thanks for sharing. Also thanks for sharing the idea for the cloak. Did your friend start her etsy shop to make those? I was thinking of making my son one for his birthday—only an elven Lord of the Rings cloak. I know he will love it, and I am sure his brother will also, so I would probably need a second one for another birthday. 🙂
Also I was sad to hear about Catholic Embroidery closing. Their products are so beautifully made. Do you have leads to other embroidery companies, like theirs? I wondered if you would be finding a new source for the Catholic Cuisine aprons. I am so grateful my husband purchased me one as a gift a couple of years ago. God bless!
2015-02-15 21:23:20
Thanks for posting the nice and great article.
2015-03-05 16:05:00
Peace!
I love your ideas. My daughter is being Will for Halloween. Can I ask where you got the oak leave necklace?
We made a cloak and it looks just like yours…although your is neater!
2016-10-12 12:18:59
Thank you so much. The link is not working but I will do a search on Etsy. God bless.
2016-10-12 15:13:04
I'm sorry the link isn't working! It looks like that specific item isn't in his shop anymore, but perhaps it could be custom ordered. I paid $14.95 for it (plus $2 shipping) from a shop called "whitworth". Good luck!
2016-10-12 15:22:34
This looks like a great party! Great job!! We like the quotes you have by the food. We can see the one by the coffee and wondered if you had a link posted for them so we could print some out for our party.
2019-10-17 03:54:31
What lemon cake recipe is this? Thanks!
2020-08-06 21:47:11
It was just a boxed cake mix.
2020-09-01 05:08:09
Thank you, Theresa! I found the Oak Leaf Necklace over at Etsy: https://www.etsy.com/transaction/177969481
2016-10-12 15:03:49
I happened to save it over on Pinterest:
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/116389971595834163/…
2019-10-18 18:48:44