Unstuck

It was a weird year.

I was stuck.

In my chair.

Unless I was visiting family.

In 2020, I will try to get unstuck.

And for your New Year,

I wish you love and purpose

laughter and dance.

and maybe, just maybe this following clip will fulfill two of those wishes!

Love you 

Mean it!

Donna Elsie

Dear Baby Jesus

Christmas, my child, is love in action. Every time we love, every time we give, it's Christmas.

~Dale Evans Rogers



Merry Christmas!

Love Donna

twenty kisses when you wake

Not even a cupcake this year.  

Katie is 20 years old today...

and she is sick.  So we've laid low and watched movies and decided to save the chocolate pie for a different day. 

Paulie is with us this year!  I made him meatloaf, mashed potatoes and pork and beans for dinner and he was delighted.  He is also thrilled that we have ME tv and he can watch all of his favorites;  McHale's Navy, Perry Mason and Green Acres.

My little Degas.

Happy Birthday dear Katie.

Our beloved caboose.

Love Always,

Mom

beams of love

Who does she look like?
Isn't that the question we always ask as we look at new babies?

This big cheeked baby is me.

I sure had a lot of hair!
Not really a surprise! he he

I was once told by a friend's mother, "Esther loved her babies."

Babies are hard work.  How we worry.  How we want to puke from exhaustion.

But somehow, Esther Jean was known for loving her babies. 
Even when she had two in one year and two in one day!

Love is a powerful things.
It is the most important thing.
It is eternal.

How far that little candle throws her beams,
Donna

Fresh from God

“I love these little people; and it is not a slight thing when they, 

who are so fresh from God, love us.”

~Dickens

The One Where Emma Has A Baby

On Nov. 19th about 9:00am Emma called.  

'I think I am having contractions, I think my water might have broken last night, I think this is it.'

I called Patrick.

I scrambled around the house to finish packing my bag and the car.

I was out the door and on my way to Missouri.

Melinda, in Omaha was doing the same.

I had a four hundred mile drive to make.

As early as 10:00 am  Emma was at already to four.

Melinda was worried we would miss the birth.

When Melinda arrived she texted me;

"Emma is at 8 cm and cool as a cucumber."

I was in the middle of Missouri waiting for crossing guards and children and tractors to....

GET OUT OF MY WAY!

I arrived at the hospital at 4:00 pm

I did not know where to park.

I was in a panic.

I had to basically walk around the whole hospital.

I got to Emma's room about 4:20.

It was quiet and dark and Emma was on her side.  She was handling her contractions with yoga breathing.  James was helping her along.

Melinda and I were astonished to see her doing so well.

I held back and prayed.

Melinda sweetly encouraged Emma when she started to transition.

In a matter of ten minutes, Emma was ready to push.

My strong tough girl pushed hard and well and by 5:02

River Jean screamed her way into this world.

Melinda and I stood back and watched the beauty and marvel of it all.

Emma and James took turns doing skin on skin.

Emma was able to follow her birth plan.  No drugs. No epidural.

Incredible, just incredible.

"And so began our longest journey together."

Lorelei has been such a sweet, happy big sister!!!  

James is taking the night shift so that Emma can sleep.

He is a helpful, fantastic daddy and husband.

Emma is happy to hold River all day and misses her at night as she sleeps.

River is content and a good eater.

She loves when we sing to her and hates cold wipes.

She is beautiful, of course.

I will miss this pretty little face as I have come home now.

River is loved beyond measure.

The happiest days are when babies come.

Donna Elsie