Four Hours Old

Luke Dustin Spriggs....four hours old!

He arrived 4-12-2012 at 12:36 pm.
This is Bernie's first peek at his grandson.

8lb 6 oz...20 inches long.
And like his mom and dad and grandparents, he has big feet!

So this is what a 14th Generation American looks like.
He descends on both sides of his parentage from people who settled in America in the early 1600s.
I hope he will feel proud of his heritage and live a life that will love and honor God, just as generations before him have.

Doesn't he look bright eyed for one so new? 

Bernie was half way across America this morning.  He was able to  fly home and be here two hours after Luke arrived.
I had spent the night at the hospital waiting for the birth, but I left once I was told he had safely arrived without seeing him.
I wanted to share the experience of seeing our first grandchild with Bernie.
It was worth waiting a couple of more hours to meet Luke in order to have that be a shared experience.

He is a big baby...but still looks tiny next to his grandfather's hand.

Labor was long...pushing lasted a long time too.
For a little guy who had been squashed in labor and was twelve days over due, he was very mellow.

 

The new mom and new dad are still getting used to their little lad. 

Those feet...with the newborn peeling skin.
Precious in our sight.
We bless God for a safe arrival of a healthy child and for the new parents too.
Thanking God, and those who prayed for his safe arrival.

He Arose!

Just in case anyone was wondering...our family proudly proclaims that we welcome Easter!

Spring fresh colors and iconic figures are added to our home.
(The new print above the mantel was a photo of a baby gull taken up in Seattle last summer).

It doesn't take much to change out our decorations to spring time.
A basket is filled with potted primroses and a ceramic bunny get a fresh bow around his neck.

Some gardening related books are selected from our book titles.

This year I found a new table runner to freshing up the Easter dinner table setting.

My mom made the bunny years ago and together we made the ceramic eggs.
The dishes...I selected as a sixteen year old.
The pink goblets belonged to my paternal grandmother.
The silverware belonged to my maternal grandmother. 

 

The cat in the window, Hart, was acquired at the Houston Humane Society about eleven years ago.

 

The Lamb...to remind us of our Passover Lamb who was slain for our sins.
(I miss having Passover with my Messianic friends. Eating the Passover meal makes the Easter season  so much more real to me).

Easter bonnet...with all the trim upon it.A simple black skirt and white shirt was all that needed for an Easter outfit. 

Every Easter morning I wonder what the sermon will highlight.
Today...we looked at the event through the eyes of Mary Magdalene.
I learned something from the message.
Scripture mentions that Joseph of Ariamatha was a member of the Jewish Counsel.
Apparently he revered Christ greatly as he gave his newly hewed and very expensive garden tomb.

What I didn't know before:

The laws in Israel at the time of Christ's death were such that a criminal could not share a grave.
To be crucified was the way a criminal was killed.
Joseph's very costly newly hewn tomb was a structure designed to serve as a tomb for his entire family.

He knew that by allowing crucified Jesus to be buried in the tomb he would have to pay to have another tomb made.
Interesting.

It just astonishes me that there are still details to learn about the circumstances of the death and resurrection of my Savior. 

Tate *may* get decorated too...just can't decide what color bow to use...

I hadn't planned on cooking an Easter dinner as the doctor had told our daughter-in-law for months that she would be induced once she was one week over due.
I figured the new little family would just be getting home from the hospital on Easter...and taking a simple meal over to their house would make more sense.
The doctor changed her mind.
(Groan...)
The new "latest date before induction" is next Friday.
I have to say it was a gloomy change of plans.
 We were all geared up for a baby this weekend.
Please be praying that Luke will arrive soon!

Which is it?

Good Friday...a day that is so sad and yet so good!
A day when the Hebraic logic of "and" and "both" is in full usage.
It isn't a Greek logic kind of day...Greek logic being "either" and "or".
Can a pine tree be both pink AND green?
This time of year, with fresh new growth, a pine tree can be both.

Can Autumn's pumpkins and Spring's petunias shiver together under Winter like snow?
Today...on Good Friday...here on my deck...yes they can.

Sometimes one has to follow the whole story...

Such as the story of a King of Israel one day being hailed with palm fronds, then another day quietly consuming a Passover meal with dearest friends, then hours later having one of those dear friend become a traitor...

The same crowds that earlier called out The King's name in joy days later called for that same name...only this time they cried out that He be crucified.
And so it was...
and He was buried.
And yet...
the story was not over.
There was still some arising to come!

Things that make me curious...

Modern Dog magazine?
Seriously?
How can one tell if their dog is modern or traditional?
Anyone got a clue?

I note that Canadians can continue to use their pennies indefinitely...but what about good old American me?
I've got a couple of Canadian pennies hanging around in our coin jar...should I take them to the scrap metal yard for recycling?
Probably would get more than a penny for them...but the cost of gas to drive them to the recycling center...I'd wind up losing money I think.

Then there is the reason that Canada is ditching their pennies.
Apparently Canadians have really small dressers at their homes.
This makes no sense to me at all...doesn't Canada have a booming logging industry?
Why don't they just make bigger dressers with all that harvested timber?
This is just the kind of unquantified sweeping political statements..."too much space"... that leaves good hearted Canadians open to all sorts of other edicts.
Will Flaherty next decide that large eggs take up too much space inside of refrigerators and decree only small eggs will be sold?
(I'm shaking my head sadly now...)
No wonder so many people say Canadians are inscrutable.
(Oh wait..I think that is the Chinese that are inscrutable. Canada..China...both begin with the letter C...which of course takes up a lot of space).

I'm noticing a lot of bloggers writing about how they are decorating (Vee...) and cooking (everyone else) for Easter.
Obviously they are distracted from what really matters this time of year.
(Check out 1982...I love that blue hat on the end above the yellow banner!)

Hint hint...and more hints...time to go shopping for a new hat!

And yes...we are still waiting for our baby boy bunny to arrive.

New stuff on Picasa and question

Do I look like a grandmother?
Well, officially, I'm not one yet anyway...
still waiting around here for that name "tag" to be applied!
(More about that later...)

Picasa has launched a few new photo editing tools.
That might of happened awhile ago, but I just noticed it this weekend.
(This is what is called a "zoom" effect.  Bernie said it looked scary...I thought it looked really cool!)

He said he liked the sketch option best.
That one really highlights facial...details.
(Details=Wrinkles)

I like this painterly look.
Funny how the facial highlights turned out.
Looks like I forgot to blend in the zinc oxide or something.

I used the sketch, then "faded" the sketch to retain some color, and used a shadow border with this picture.
Then I went back and used touch up because the sketch made my pores look like I had an epic case of blackheads all over my face.

Hours of fun...I messed around with pictures that were so awful that I was considering deleting them.  Figured they would make for good practice shots.
Zapped out all the creases, wrinkles and dark spots...justified this by remembering I *usually* use foundation and concealer when I go out...no apologies for that.
Figured if my face was going to be looked at from five inches away via a photo, I would just use electronically based cosmetics too!

OK...now I really need some serious help..beyond help for my obvious photo editing addiction.
I have spent about five hours applying "tags" to my Picasa photos.
Now I want to search by my tags.
Tags like:

Bernie and Jill
Food
Tiggie and Hart

When I try to search for the tags, I do not get all the pictures that I know I should.
Plus...I get albums that have a tagged word in the title...when I just want the pictures from that album that are tagged with the word.
Anyone know what I might be doing wrong?
It is mostly important to me that I can search for a person by name when I want to.
Help!

Fooling Around...

Just so you know...
The awaiting nest is still empty.
Luke is waiting a little longer to show up.

Waiting is making me edgy.
Well, waiting for Luke and the weird weather.
Saturday it got up to 80 degrees and broke the historic high temperature record for the day.
Today...April Fools Day...it is snowing.
The temperature dropped 46 degrees in less than half a day.
That meant we had very strong winds yesterday.
I don't know about you...but strong warm winds makes me jumpy.

36 degree F.
My closet is stuffed as it is currently containing both warm weather and cold weather wardrobe items.
(Look closely at the photo above...you can see some individual snow flakes along the edge).

Right after church I took off to look at my world in winter/spring/winter confusion.

It is pretty...blossoming trees and snow together.

 

The houses that have a tree in full pink outside are just lovely.

And don't those black shutters look smart with the black trunked trees and pink blossom clouds?

Ordinary sidewalks look so inviting don't they?
(Keep in mind that it is snowing...a very wet snow...and just a touch above freezing though!)

A few houses are sporting red tulips that look especially nice against this white and black houses

 

You will bear with me if I take another stroll around Red Butte won't you?
It does look quite different today than it did on Thursday...just four days ago... 

The snow softens the way every view looks. 

 

 Four days ago this tree wasn't yet in bloom.

Quite a rare tree...it only blooms one day a year I have learned.
Sweet isn't it?

Funny how all the benches were free today.

 

It was really snowing hard...and yet little was staying on the ground due to yesterday's warm temperatures.

 

 

 

 

 

Puddles had formed of petals and what I call catkins...soft puffs that form on bare branches this time of year. 

I wondered briefly if this freak storm had messed up any outdoor wedding plans.
Then I remembered what day it was.
I suppose few people plan weddings on April Fool's Day anyway.

 

 

 

 

The garden gnome had a lovely hat on that was just perfect for this weather.

(I have no idea who is knitting caps for garden gnomes, but I think the thoughtful knitter had excellent taste in color selection).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bet you didn't get nearly as cold and wet looking at these pictures as I did taking them.
At one point my hand was so cold I couldn't feel the camera's shutter button!
I did use a camera sleeve made of plastic that is available at most camera stores. I keep one in my camera bag in case of sudden down pours...just in case.
If you would like to see the photos full screen...and I have to say the snow really looks cool in the full screen size...click HERE
So did any one come up with a April Fool prank that topped what Mother Nature pulled here?