Happy Birthday Emma!!

Today Emma turns 9! We asked her what she wanted to do on her birthday and she said canoeing. We took the ferry across the Potomac River to a little shop that rents canoes. We had to split up, myself and Emma in one canoe, Clay and Rebekah in the other. We paddled about 1.25 miles up to a couple of little islands. There we stopped and had lunch. Then we paddled back down to return the canoes. It was a beautiful morning, a little hazy to keep things cool. The river was low and slow, like a lake. So beautiful with big green trees lining the banks. I wish I had pictures but we were afraid to take the camera with the girls with us. We saw lots of herons and other water fowls. We even saw some fish jumping out of the water.



That evening we invited Uncle Jay and his girlfriend, Leigh, over for dinner to help celebrate Emma's birthday. I made skirt_steak_tostadas_with_mango_salsa. It is so good! One of my favorite marinades (except I use balsamic vinegar instead of soy sauce). Turned out great and the girls love it too. After, we opened presents and had some cake!



I made this cake completely egg-free so that Rebekah could have some too. All the flowers are done with real buttercream. No meringue powder to stiffen it up, so I had to work fast and keep it in the fridge. But it tasted great! I love doing these cakes for my girls. Emma loved it! I also tried a new_method for frosting the cake to get it smooth. I'm happy with how it turned out.

Happy Birthday Sweetie!!