Baby Novella!

Have you ever seen a happier cousin!! Jake was so excited to hold the baby!
Riley was in awe, he did not want to give her up. Riley loves babies in general, but Aunt Mary and Ryan's baby tops the cake!!
Of course Aunt Danna got to hold her! What a blessing to be there and help as much as I could. We can not wait to get to know Novella better!

The Fruit of Mary's Labor!!!

Yea! Novella Royale got here Friday, she shares a birthday with her mama!!! After a VERY long labor little Novella was not doing so well, so Mary had an emergency c-section. But they are doing really well now, Novella is a good nurser too! She was 8lbs. and 20 1/2 inch. And has a good amount of her Daddy's red hair!!
I have some great pictures of the kids meeting cousin Novella, but I will share just one tonight. Here is Fern taking a peek at her new cousin.

We got home late last night (or early this morning) and are enjoying being together as a family. 2 1/2 weeks is a long time, and our house is all pretty, maybe I should leave Dan home alone more often!! :) Naaaa! :)

Dan's Pictures!

Since you all can't see what the kids and I are doing, I thought I'd let you see Dan's pretty pictures from Europe! Here is the Eiffel Tower, doesn't this picture just make you want to sing "Paris in the Spring Time"? Dan took this one just for me, because I like daffodils, I love the barely budding trees and the misty-ness of it too. Pretty, Pretty!
Here is Dan in Rome at the Colosseum, pretty handsome guy, wish I was there with him!! :)
Then at the end of their trip they stopped in Ireland for fuel ON St. Patrick's Day! Do the Irish pinch too??

We have extended our stay in Calif. (I can not say "sunny" because it is raining!) until Saturday. We are praying that the babe will decide to come on her own before Mary's midwife thinks she should come out! Mary is 41 wks. and 4 days today, so say your prayers too! Dan is getting alot of work done on the house with out the 4 of us to get in his way, so maybe you all will see more pictures of our house soon! :) I can't wait to see what it all looks like! :)

Look What We are Missing!!

Yep, it snowed, big time. Dan got home last night and had to shovel snow!!! He said there is about 6 inch. And here we are enjoying the sun! :) He He!

We are still waiting for our new niece/ cousin to decide to meet us. She has decided that she is just not quite done being in Mary's comfy belly! :) So we wait!

Thanks Dan for the picture!!

Where is Danna?

Here I am!

There have been no post because the kids and I are in Calif. eagerly awaiting the birth of our new niece/cousin! And of course as it is when I travel I can not get pictures off my camera, so you have to deal without seeing my cuties for a little while! But so that you do not feel too bad for me I thought I'd show you this photo of the beach in Encinitas, and tell you it was 80 degrees F. yesterday! I hear it is going to cool down but that is certainly a relative term after trying to acclimate to Connecticut this winter. (And a mild one I have been told!!)

So if you need to get ahold of me the best bet is email. Also don't worry about Dan foraging for himself, he is flying around Europe!

Mail!

The package that Aunt Mary and Ryan sent with the boys skateboards got here today, I think they may get a package back!
Maybe two!
Fern thought the skateboards should be hers! Jake gave her rides up and down the hall, when he decided he wanted to play with it, we all heard about it from Fern!
Jake summed it all up when he said," I am not a cowboy, I am Ryan!" He enjoyed posing for this action shot! :) Thanks Mary and Ryan!

White Fun!!

Well for the two days Dan was home we got a TON of snow, every other time we have had enough to play in he has been gone. He we so excited he took the kids out three times in one day to sled and such! Here is Miss Fern who decided she would brave the snowsuit and the cold and go play with Dad.
Here they are happy as clams. Why do we say that, are clams happy? Not when they are being eaten I suppose.
Fern is NOT sold on sledding, but Dad is sure if he keeps taking her she'll learn. :)
I got the boys to stand still for one second and I got this photo, then they took off in opposite directions!!
We finally had enough of the right kind of snow for Riley to get his snow man! He was so happy! The snowman later got attacked and knifed and his head got rolled down the hill at my Honda. Poor snowman, poor Honda.