He is Risen! Alleluia! Alleluia!

From our house to yours...

HAPPY EASTER!

with sweet cousin Ava!

Will did a fantastic job during his first "official" Mass as an altar server!



Christmas Catch Up, Part III

Ok, I promise this is it :) Photos, 1000 words, you fill in the captions :)

Photo by John Paul.  Quite the stager.  Nativity at Hogwarts.

The Greats come to visit!

Over Will's birthday weekend, we had some very special visitors join us - Great Papa and Great Betty!  Great Papa is my maternal grandfather and the kids love him and Betty to pieces.  He and Betty act much younger than they really are, still travel, are in great health and always have good nuggets of wisdom to share.

They are a blessing to our family and I feel so fortunate that my kids have the opportunity to develop a relationship with a great-grandparent.  How cool is that?

The Greats and all the Grands :-)

Here's hoping we get to see you both in Amarillo before long!

Ava, Sweet Ava

So, December 6 was a pretty awesome day.  Scott and I became an Aunt and Uncle, round 2, and it rocked.  We scrambled up to the hospital shortly after her birth, in fact, Aunt Amanda was still in the delivery room nursing Ava for the first time when we arrived! 

The kids were ecstatic, we witnessed the first bath and caused all sorts of chaos before coming home.  I'm pretty sure our clan was birth control for the entire maternity ward at Seton hospital that evening.  Later in the week, Scott, Luke and I ventured up to the hospital to love on Ava a bit more.

Loved.  It.

Ooh, la, la. So in love with the outfit she's wearing. When Scott and I were in France this spring, we bought newborn girl and boy outfits for our bambino. It worked out perfecto that we had a boy and my brother had a girl!

Nana Farnum bought the cutest Christmas outfits and we just had to schedule a photo shoot.  Luke cooperated, but Miss Ava was just annoyed she wasn't eating.  Can't blame her.  It is her number one job.

Tomorrow, I've got a fantabulous top ten.  Then, I'll fill you in on the Christmas parties and Jesus' birthday celebration round these parts.  What a fantastically fun week.  I think it just might've beenp our...Best. Christmas. Ever.

It's a...GIRL!!!

Yep.  My little brother, Daniel, and his wife, Amanda, had a baby girl tonight.  (Well, Amanda did all the hard work, Daniel was a great cheerleader.)

Ava Marie (seriously, is that not one of the prettiest names you've ever heard?)
5:38pm
6lbs. 2oz.
17.5in.

Scott went to 9:30 Mass with the kids this morning, while I stayed home with Luke.  He didn't see D&A there and none of us had heard from them.  So, on my way to 11:30 Mass, I called Daniel and said (with a touch of sarcasm), "So, are you at the hospital?"  HAHA.  Joke's on me.  They had a long night, but Ava arrived safe and healthy this afternoon.  I have to say, it's weird being on the other side of childbirth.  I was anxious all day waiting for the texts from Daniel.  Then, we journeyed up to the hospital tonight and it was just breathtaking.  Parenthood suits them well.

After being in the NICU for so long, I've come to appreciate that whole "miraculousness" of childbirth.  No doubt in my mind that every birth has a healthy dose of that grace.  Praise GOD their's was blissfully normal...as it should be.

Oh, Daniel and Amanda...life will change.  And, I know you've heard that like a bazillion times.  But it's so darn true.  A new chapter.  A new life.  If I could bundle all the bits of advice people have given us, package it and send it your way, I would.  But, that's called life experience and best lived, rather than heard.  Just know you have our love, our prayers and our kids' germs.  They can't wait to really love on Ava.  I'll make sure they're sanitized first :-)

And, because I'm kindof a sap these days...Daniel, I'm quite proud to be your big sister.  You and Amanda just looked so happy when I walked in that room tonight.  Amanda, so confidently nursing that baby.  You, making sure they had everything they needed.  It reminded me of how precious and new life is, the first time around.  I love that you gave me the best hug ever.  I found myself looking forward to Ava and Luke being good buddies.  Her, making sure he doesn't fall for a really icky girl.  Him, protecting her from all the icky boys.  Dadhood is the best and no doubt you will come to cherish Amanda's role in her vocation of motherhood.  Watching her care for Ava will most definitely bring tears to your eyes and your prayer life to its knees.  Amanda, seeing Daniel dote on a daughter will allow you to appreciate, on a whole other level, the relationship between a father and daughter.  (insert squeal of excitement here)  I am SO excited for the chapter.  It looks like you are, too.

I will post some fantabulous pictures later in the week.  Promise.  Here's a peek from Amanda.