Tomorrow morning at 2:45am (that is only about three hours from now!) twenty five people from my church are leaving for Ecuador on a Mission Trip.  They will be building a church in less than two weeks.  Please pray for their safety, that they will get the church built, and that they will be good witnesses for God. 

My sister Pam, brother-in-law Darryl, niece Kiara and nephew Braden are all part of Team Ecuador 2007 so this is very dear to our hearts. (Pink hard hats in the back row are Pam and Kiara, bright blue hard hats in the front row are Braden and Darryl.)

Thanks for your prayers!  Go Team Ecuador 2007!

Dear Emma,

Happy 19 Month Birthday!

I'm so glad you are well.  You had another ear infection this month (both ears!) and it seemed like you were sick for weeks.  I even had to take you for a midnight run to the Emergency Room.  We finally got you on the right antibiotic and you got well pretty fast.  The antibiotics had some weird side effects, however.  Stealth pooping.  We didn't even know your diapers were dirty because your dirty diapers literally didn't stink.  (Believe me, that is not usually the case.)

We have been experimenting with dropping your morning nap.  If you take two naps each day it seems you can't sleep through the night.   Could this be the reason you've decided to showcase your ability to stamp your foot and throw your sippy cup to the floor when you don't get your way? 

You are getting four molars all at the same time.  You've been waking up a lot at night, and have earned the new nickname Her Grumpiness.  I know this is a passing thing, and our sweet baby is in there somewhere.  We see glimpses of that sweet girl often enough to know that it is pain making you behave in such a grumpy fashion.

You and Tessa (whom you used to call "Teh-tuh" but now call "Sessa") have decided this month that is very fun to play together.  Tessa looks forward to when you wake up in the morning, and you chase each other down the hallway laughing and giggling.   Your daddy and I have started making sure (if we travel somewhere with two cars) that we put both of you in the same car.  You two don't like to be split up.  Tessa has been in VBS this past week and you nearly cry when we drop her off in the mornings.

You try to copy the things Tessa does all the time now.  The juice in Tessa's cup tastes better, the toys in Tessa's room are more fun, and anything Tessa is currently interested in is what you want for yourself. 

We play a game now where we pretend to lose Cuppy or Taggie and then we have to find them.  You say, "Gigi, are you?" which is your way of saying, "Taggie, where are you?"  When you find Cuppy you take it to Tessa.  When Tessa is sad you find Cuppy and bring it to her, which is so sweet.

When I'm sorting laundry, you like to help.  I separate things into several piles such as whites, darks, reds, towels, etc.  You take items from the whites and add them to the reds.  Darks go into the towels.  It is SUCH a big help.  Thanks!

We've been trying to teach you to be gentle.  We touch your face very lightly and say, "gentle".  You take both hands and smack our cheeks and say, "gentle!"   Let me just say, Emma dear, if it leaves a mark on mommy or daddy's face it is not so very gentle.  You are finally getting it I think, but daddy and I are still on our guard should you decide to give us another "gentle" smack in the face.

You like to say "sock" and try to put a sock on.  You say ABC, ABC, ABC over and over.  When you want to jump on the trampoline (or the bed) you say, "jumpy jumpy".  (Daddy is the one who lets you jump on the bed, not me.)

There is this cool thing you can do and I don't know where you learned it, unless it was Elmo who taught you.  If I say one, you say two.  If I say three, you say four.  We make it up to about seven. 

You've discovered Dora the Explorer and Hi-5, and love to dance to the songs. You can say "Dowa!"

Your nicknames this month are Cuddlebunny, Cootiebug, Snugglebunny, Emma Yemma Ding Dong, Eh-muh (said in a whiny voice), Tofutti, Elmoid, Cruddyface (still true), Pooh, Little Pooh, Snugglebucket, Little Moon Pie and as we have already mentioned, Her Grumpiness.

Since so much good fruit is in season you've been sampling a lot to see what your favorites are.  I'm trying to get you to like cantaloupe and mango, but it seems your favorite fruit right now (other than bananas of course) is red grapes. 

My favorite thing about you right now is that you are very cuddly and loving and you like to be held.  At night we rock in the rocking chair if you wake up in the middle of the night.

Your smile and laughter light up the room.  My life is so much better, so much richer because you are in it.  I'm so thankful for you.  I'll never forget what a blessing, what a gift you are.

I'm praying for you always.  I love you Emma.

Love,

Mama

Start with a pink cake mix.  Actually buy several, just in case.

Mix.

Prepare Barbie…

… by removing her legs. (Gasp!)

Bake cakes in several shapes and sizes including…

Bundt

Round

Pyrex measuring cup (what?)

and cupcakes (which you should frost in case the Barbie cake doesn't work out)

Assemble barbie cake by stacking the bundt cake on top of the round cake.  Jam a cupcake down into the hole, and then cut up the pyrex measuring cup shaped cake into three pieces and see which one seems to fit the best.  Jam legless Barbie into the center of the cake. Begin to frost with copious amounts of frosting.

Keep adding frosting.  Lots and lots of frosting.  Realize that legless Barbie is sinking into the cake like quicksand. 

See if adding Barbie's tutu helps.  Nope.  All the frosting in the world isn't going to hold her steady.

Decide to reattach legs.  Pull Barbie out of cake.

Reattach legs.  Realize Barbie is now too tall for the cake.  Cut Barbie's feet off with snips to make her shorter.

It worked!  Here is the finished Barbie Cake.

You could follow these steps and make your very own Barbie cake. 

~~~OR~~~

You could buy a Wilton Wonder Mold and do it the easy way.  It even comes with a Barbie doll pick… so there is no possibility of having to cut any limbs off Barbie.

*When I was searching the Internet for how to make this cake I found this Barbie doll cake.  That is where we got the name "Princess Lumpy." 

**Tessa was very offended by the name Princess Lumpy.  Since she had a Barbie 12 Dancing Princesses Party she wanted the cake to be called Princess Genevieve.