sixteen years ago today....

...there was a beautiful baby boy, born into a family SO excited to meet him, they could scarcely believe he had really arrived. Mama had lost a baby boy at seven months, June 16 the year before...so this new baby boy, Mama was actually in disbelief, until he cried...and announced his...alive-ness. I'm serious here, when you hold a tiny, perfect baby, a baby who ISN'T breathing, a perfect little guy, all wrapped in the familiar striped hospital blanket, and then have to say goodbye, and visit that baby in the cemetery, well...your trust that a pregnancy will produce an actual crying, breathing baby...well, it's just not something you ever take for granted again. So when Jonathan made his entrance into this world, he was the loudest crier, and he cried for the first hour of life...I didn't have a name yet. All babies are blessings, and all of mine, I've received with thankfulness, straight from God, straight from heaven, but oh dear, can you just imagine how much of a blessing little Jonny was, right from the very start?

He's been a sweetheart all of his life.


With Lydia, with Elise, with Wulf...what a good Uncle Jonny!


With newborn Achilles, and newborn Ophelia...


With Paul, and with me...


(with Abigail and me...and with Paul and Emily)
Jonathan liked his brownies, with peanut butter (melted in the microwave, with some powdered sugar, and brown sugar) swirled in before baking. Camille made peanut butter buttercream frosting, and we bought chocolate ice cream. His gifts: a new phone case, some good coffee, a nice water bottle,(Emily) the expansion pack for The Settlers of Catan, a new x-box controller (thank you Sam!), and gifts from Evelyn: more coffee (Starbucks expresso), a nice coffee mug, and a silly one too.

We had his favorite: hot sausage with peppers and onions, onion rings, tater tots, and a huge tossed salad. I'm not sure salad is his favorite, but anyway. It has been a cozy evening, as it pours rain outside. There are candles lit, and we're happy.