I am tired of the cold. I now bombard you with pointless shots, taken to prove that we still live...if not thrive.

Lucy on a cushion with her favorite snack.





Lucy and Baby Jack.

All three kidlings...in a way.

As artwork at Cafe Aroma.

Lucy making beds for herself.

Bowden and I took a walk on the same day that he went to Dead Man's Cave with his father. He began as a knight...
but quickly became surly when I wouldn't let him take his shovel. I just didn't want to end up carrying it.
The beginning of the trail, Bowden chugging along.
Down by the stream, with a "poking stick."


He kept referring to me as "Rescue 6," and I was to call him, "Rescue 7." He told me, "We have a lot of work to do, roger that."

Taking a rest on a hillside.
Wondering if this is a good place to relieve himself (no, it wasn't.)
(Yes, I was sure.)

More work to do, "Hurry, Rescue 6!"

What do we do? Hang out and chew our sippy cups....
And play on the porch. I took these on the last warm day we had...about a week ago...before this nasty cold spell.
I wish, I wish, I wish it was warm.

Our newest picture of our newest child.

I think I may be giving birth to Santa Claus.

Our second ultrasound was a little nerve-racking...we were told two weeks before that there had been a problem with one of his renal valves being too big. When we went in for this visit, it was obvious that one of his kidneys is (what appeared to us to be) much bigger than the other- long story short, it seems that usually this means nothing, it's just a physical attribute like being short or tall, or having dark or light hair. There is a two percent chance that he could have kidney problems somewhere down the line, but a ninety-eight percent chance that it's nothing. Everything else looks perfect, so we were relieved.
The only unfortunate thing was that Jack had his face mushed into my back, and was turned away from the ultrasound...it was unforunate mostly because our insurance required us to go to the hospital for the second ultrasound, and the machine was high-tech, and the technician could have done a 3-D picture for us....also, his feet were tucked into each other, and his hands were touching his face, making for a very funny picture.
With Lucy I had two or three long strips of ultrasound pictures, with Jack, I now have three. I like the new one- if you can make out his face, you can actually see a baby, and not just tiny Skeletor.

Bowden, talking on the phone to Aunt Rosie today, told her that he was a little worried about baby Jack, because, "the doctor says he's okay but I don't know...his arms are in his face!"
I think he'll be pleasantly surprised come June.

Snow, snow, snow, snow, snow....what a pain.

Our Easter...
We took a page from the tradition book for st. Nicholas Day from the Oriental Tates and I made gingerbread cookies and hung them above the table. We did it the night before because our hectic schedule meant that we would have to get up at 6am, go to church, then breakfast, and then pack for our trip to Oxnard, and leave by 9am.
We told Bowden that there was an Easter morning surprise, but that he couldn't see it until after the Sunrise Service. I carried him down as he closed his eyes and held his hands over his face.
The clouds filled up the Valley like the ocean in a bay, and eventually covered the crowd up as the Pastors from the different churches spoke.
A gathering of the early birds from the four or five different evangelical churches on the hill.

It was a little chilly, and our kidlins were not quite able to be quiet, but here we are- the family on Easter morning.
Bowden seeing the table for the first time.
And diving into the treats...he grabbed a cookie that said 'Jesus' immediately, and licked all of the frosting off. Lucy went for a chair to get a better view.
The Fusano-related cousins getting ready for the Easter Egg Hunt.

Bowden and Faith. Faith was the champion collector, with some help from her grown-ups.
Bowden saw the big egg up high. "Jump!" says his mother. He didn't even wait to ask "How high?"
Collecting.
Lucy on a mission.
Bowden showing me his eggs and denying gravity at the same time.
Finding an egg in the flowers!
JUMP!!! I did eventually get it down for him.
It had two fruit treats and two little plastic animals inside.
My best cousin Tony helped Lucy, just because he loves her.

She loves chickens.
She would not eat this egg, although she pleaded to have me peel it.
Bowden ate three or four.
Angelina and Lucy.
Looking at the stash...
My cousin Liz and Gianna.