Crazy busy mama here, and my heart can hardly believe it—my son Kale just turned 21! How are we already here? It feels like only yesterday he was that little boy running bases in the backyard, teasing his sisters or wrestling with Q and Fisher after dinner. And now he’s this incredible young man stepping into such a big milestone with the same love for faith, family, and of course, baseball.
Here in the Conway house, we love birthdays! Everyone should be celebrated on their very own holiday! This year we started with a family get-together at home, because in our house, nothing matters more than being surrounded by the people who love you most. Kale isn’t a “traditional cake” guy, but he’s always down for ice cream cake, so I whipped up a Cosmic Brownie Ice Cream Cake (his favorite combo). It was simple, colorful, and oh-so-fun to layer together. And the best part? Seeing Kale’s smile when everyone gathered around to sing. Those are the moments you want to bottle up forever.
But this birthday wasn’t just about the cake. It was bittersweet in ways words hardly capture. This was Kale’s first big milestone birthday without his dad. It has been a long and difficult journey for each of us after we unexpectedly lost Q in April of 2024 and turning 21 without him here left an empty seat at the table we all felt.
Kale shared it so beautifully himself in these two posts:
Twenty-One .. The age I used to dream about — raising a glass with my dad, hearing him say, “Proud of you, son.”
But this year looked different.
I blew out candles without him. I turned 21 without the man who raised me, who was supposed to be right there cracking a joke and hugging me too tight.
Instead, I sat across from my mom — the strongest woman I know — and we both felt the empty seat at the table.
We smiled anyway. We laughed anyway. We celebrated anyway.
It was beautiful. And it hurt.
Bittersweet doesn’t even begin to describe it.
But if there’s one thing this year has taught me, it’s this: Grief doesn’t cancel out joy. And joy doesn’t erase grief.
Sometimes they sit side by side — and you just hold both.
Here’s to 21.
To my mom, who shows up no matter what.
And to my dad, who I carry with me every step of the way.
Today is a very bittersweet moment because I really wish my dad was here. I remember he would always be correcting me or tell me how he’s right and I’ll think of him later. Always telling me that he can’t wait to sit down and have a beer with me.
Now, unfortunately, that won’t be able to happen, but I will definitely have a beer for him today. Love and miss you, dad.
Reading those words as his mom brought tears to my eyes. They perfectly captured what this year has felt like: a mix of joy, sorrow, gratitude, and longing all at once.
After celebrating with family, Kale and I took a special mother-son trip to Nashville to mark the occasion. We ate good food, listened to live music, and just soaked up time together. It wasn’t the trip he imagined having with both his mom and dad, but it was meaningful in its own way. We laughed, we remembered, we dreamed forward. And in every step, we carried his dad with us.
Kale, if you’re reading this—your dad would be so proud of you. I know he’s smiling down, saying the words you longed to hear: “Proud of you, son.” And I’ll say it here too, as many times as it takes for you to believe it—your family is endlessly proud of the man you’re becoming.
Here’s to 21.
Here’s to Kale.
Here’s to carrying both grief and joy, hand in hand, as we walk into the next season of life.
Cosmic Brownie Ice Cream Cake Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 boxes Cosmic Brownies or 1 large box
- 2 boxes ice cream sandwich bars 12 count each ice cream bars
- 16 oz Cool Whip
- Sprinkles
- Hershey syrup
Instructions
- Layer the base: Unwrap the ice cream bars and lay them in the bottom of a baking dish (cut to fit if needed).
- Brownie mixture: Mix ½ of the Cool Whip with chopped Cosmic Brownies and a generous portion of sprinkles (set aside 2 brownies, chopped, for the topping).
- Add filling: Spread the brownie mixture over the ice cream bars. Drizzle with Hershey syrup.
- Second layer: Add another layer of ice cream bars on top.
- Whipped topping: Mix the remaining Cool Whip with sprinkles and spread it evenly over the top layer.
- Decorate: Drizzle with more Hershey syrup and sprinkle the reserved chopped brownies on top.
- Freeze: Cover and freeze for at least 8 hours (overnight is best).
- Serve & enjoy: Slice and serve this fun, nostalgic cake! 🎉
Video
Notes
Nutrition
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