birthday, beaching & butter-cream

it was extra special to have everyone visiting because wednesday was my 30th birthday! {holy moly!} wes actually got called to a fancy pants meeting in denver and wasn't here for my big 3-0. i forgave him because my friends were here, and also because he took us to a resort in kona when he got back. we spent my birthday is hilo and it was a perfect and chill way to celebrate my day. 

we started off by having lunch at short n sweet bakery. they have a cute patio with a little table for the littlest costumers. the boys munched on grilled cheese sandwiches and played with their cars and planes. such boys. 

side note: aunty shellie and uncle bubs scored big with this travel road (or runway) and car (or plane) carrying case they gave c for christmas.

after lunch we loaded up the double stroller (thank you sigls!) and took a walk through the hilo farmers market and then headed to the mokupapapa marine discovery center. 

then is was beaching time. we headed to onekahakaha beach park. this isn't our favorite beach in hilo, but it is good for the kiddos. they have put a breaker wall in so there aren't any big waves, just small kieki pools. coen is right at home on the beach and in the water, but it was so fun to watch beckett experience these things...i think it blew his little mind. 

                                          

                                          

after a full day out we headed home to cook up some dinner and put the boys to bed early. i whipped up this super easy dinner. i think everyone like it, but beckett was in love with it. like, lick the bowl and rub it all over his body in love with it. mmmmmmm gooooood.


gnocchi bake 


Ingredients

• 1 (18 ounce) package frozen or fresh gnocchi
• 1 pound bulk Italian sausage
• 1 (14 ounce) jar spaghetti sauce
• 1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add gnocchi, and cook until tender, 5 to 8 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, crumble the sausage into a skillet over medium-high heat. Cook and stir until evenly browned. Drain grease, and stir in the spaghetti sauce. Remove from heat, and carefully mix in the cooked gnocchi and half of the mozzarella cheese. Transfer to a casserole dish. Sprinkle the remaining cheese on top.
4. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes in the preheated oven, until the cheese is melted and the sauce is bubbly.

we got the boys bathed and in bed while the pastry chef (lauren) was down in the kitchen whipping up cupcakes with italian butter cream frosting and a caramel drizzle. i ate two. then we curled up on the couch and watched breaking dawn. perfect ending to my dirty thirty...which wasn't dirty at all...except for all the sand we brought home from the beach.