The Essence of Love

Where does this instant, massive love come from? The love of new parents towards their baby?

God surely knew what He was doing when he decided Family was the perfect place for a new child and then {miracle of miracles} gives the parents {who, by the way, claimed not to have a "maternal bone in their body"!}this unbelievable adoring passion for their baby.

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RILLA, Cont.

Actually, this is only the beginning.

Rilla

Pretty sure the house is going to go to wrack and ruin, my husband is going to wonder where dinner is, and I simply won't get another thing done! Newborn photos however, will get taken. By me. Today. I want to learn how to do this. And little Rilla baby is so easy and fun to photograph right now. The main challenge is to get enough light on these dark December days! { natural light only!}

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Our Christmas Day

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Christmas:Ready or not here I come

Decorating done, check.

Packages wrapped, check.

Cards received (but not sent), check.

Baking done (sort of. If one batch of cookies and one pie counts) check.

Dickens's Christmas Carol read, check.

Newest baby welcomed, check, check, check.

Well then, I think we're ready! 

Christmas Present

Ben and Shannon's little girl has arrived. Her name is Rilla Grey and she is wonderful. What an indescribable miracle is a new life .

And Baby makes 3

Yawn! 

Mother and Daughter

Love

  

I am so glad I was able to travel by train to California for a two week visit with Mom and Dad and my brother, John, his wife Melody and daughter Aimee who live next door to them. I'm finally getting to some of the pictures I took of my time with them.

Mom is currently having treatment for cancer and I'm so sorry I can't be with her for the whole time of her treatment. Dad had his own battle with Lymphoma the last 2 1/2 years and is doing so much better, and now it seems it's Moms turn. Dad is doing a lot for her now as she did for him {except for the driving which the doctors say he shouldn't do}.  John and Melody are a continuous support and encouragement for them and take such wonderful care with shared dinner times, help with errands and Dr. appointments, and all manner of assistance  too numerous to count.

The first days of my visit are so balmy I just don't want to be inside. They're so used to their wonderful climate that they don't really give it much thought but it is a real treat to this soggy, chilled Oregonian I can tell you!. So we enjoy lunch al-fresco in 80 degrees several days running.

The Sunday of Veteran's Day Dad and I go to the ceremony held at the beautiful veterans memorial park near them. There are several speakers {including a Marine from their church},a fly-over of "war birds", color guard, bagpipers, WWII era choir numbers, and honors for the various branches of service.

Melody's birthday is also on that same Sunday and John and Aimee cook up a feast fit for a Queen and the rest of us get to enjoy it too! Would you believe salmon, shrimp risotto, and salad. And Aimee is perfecting her gluten-free cupcakes. Beautiful.

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While going through some things to organize at Mom and Dad's we find two old photo albums among the lot. What fun to go through them with Mom, having her tell us who everyone was. Now Dad has another project on the computer to scan and digitize the best ones so Mom can put them with a story on video. {Right, Mom?}

My visit comes to an end all too quickly and the train bears me home. The scenery that flashes by is almost impossible to capture. It is a tranquil
and peaceful interlude preparing me for the busy week that follows. {Baby shower for Shannon and then Thanksgiving.}