Saturday, August 31, 2013

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:




















Thursday, February 14, 2013

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. ;)

Sunday, January 13, 2013

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.