Annie's Purple Dino Cake

The day after Annie's 3rd birthday, Annie described the cake she would want for her 4th birthday, one year later: a purple-frosted, chocolate, dinosaur cake. "Like the Dino Park," she said.

Annie and Jude, at the "Dino Park," just down the street from us.
Don't ask me how she knows it tastes like chocolate.

Rebekah has an impressive cake resume (1) to her credit, but this was easily the kids' most daunting request to date. The request was not made less daunting when, the day before she was to make it, Jonathan reported from the grocery store that there were no chocolate mixes to be found. Unfazed, the master of culinary improvisations soldiered bravely into the challenge before her. This is her story (in pictures).

An Interview with Annie

The Process

                                               

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(1) Some of Bek's past cakes:

a west texas love song

 

guacamole

a love song for rebekah
(that gets longer every year)

 

her hair was two parts shiner

and half sangria wine

a little amarillo

a lot dark texas pine

her smile was enchiladas

her eyes a praline art

inside her, she was salsa

with an avocado heart

he was a broken taco

still karosene-type tough

a modern san jacinto

whose soul had seen enough

one hot july she found him

beneath a bright tortilla moon

for him was grace, for her a place

to sing their two-part tune:

love, hear the soft cicadas?

the coyotes (kai-oats) call out, too

each time they cry, love, til i die

they sing my love to you

their love was made for rivers

for cracked-wide-open skies

for sipping warm jarritos

while he sang into her eyes

o hear the soft cicadas

the coyotes' sweet song, too

don't wonder why, love, til i die

they sing my love to you

and love, when I am faded

and we no longer sing

know that i in paradise cry

the song the coyotes still bring:

o hear the soft cicadas

the coyotes' sweet song too

the angels out loud--this whole holy crowd...

we sing this love song for you

i love you, bek. ;)

Christmas with the Bakers! (2012)

Some from nearly 700 photos that Rebekah's dad (and others) snapped at our Christmas visit. We had a wonderful time on the first leg of our Cleveland/Dallas family vacation. Lots of down time, play time, some rest, yes, sick kids (and parents), snow, one another, and a lot of fun. Pics of Big D to come.

From the Month We Lived in Cars

40-something of the best (from over 1,100!) pics Bek's parents took over the course of our three week road-trip and vacay at Sunset Beach. Enjoy!