He SMILED!!!

And this one counts. Its wasn't gas or anything like that. It was a true legitimate smile. Check it out!

Katlyn has the magic touch

Katlyn has twice now been able to get a quick smile from Gabriel. I wasn't able to catch the smile on video but I did get him responding to her. Nana get your kleenex!

He's growing!

I took this photo of Gabriel today. He's such a cutie pie! I didn't notice but Katlyn pointed out that his blankie matches the bear in the photo. Takes a child's eye sometimes I suppose!

One Happy Baby...

Nothing more can be said.

Sibling Love

The girls and Matthew are so thrilled to have Gabriel here at last. This is a picture that our photographer friend Julia Sapirtook last week. I think its a great way to show you how these kids feel about their little brother.

Our baby announcement

Cliff's Amusement Park

Today we attended the end of year field trip with our homeschool group (Thank you Amber for arranging). We went to Cliff's Amusement Park here in Albuquerque. Lori and Matthew went on their first thrill ride which was called the Rocky Mountain Rapids. It was a typical log ride and they loved it. Lori got a little scared just before the drop but wanted to go again once we reached the bottom. We got Lori and Devi on the New Mexico Rattler. It is a huge wooden coaster. Lori was again a little hysterical during the ride but said she loved it once we were done. Matthew's favorite was the bumper cars (see video) and Lori's favorite was the log ride. I don't mention Katlyn much because she stayed with her friend Stevie Rae most of the time we were there. We had a fabulous time and I've attached a video here hoping it will work.

My precious angel

I cannot begin to describe how precious Gabriel is to me. I feel so very blessed to have him in my life. Here is a picture that sums it up...

Albuquerque Rattle Snake

We took these pictures a few days before Gabriel was born. This snake is located in the far, FAR south valley of Albuquerque. We discovered it one day when exploring.

Another new arrival.....

We had another new arrival in our family today. Introducing,

Maya Angel



We adopted Maya from the Siberian Husky Rescue of New Mexico She is amazing and we are so happy to have her as part of our family.

As part of her arrival we were honored to have a trainer come to our home and help with the transition with our other pets and the kids. Maya has done great. We got some great tips for helping Bandit settle down and be more like a normal dog too!

Maya is 7 years old and she's a Husky cross. We're not sure what she's crossed with but think she's gorgeouse nonetheless. She and Bandit get along great and eventually we're sure she'll see the cats as more than just furry treats. I'll keep you posted on that one.

Oh yeah, I have other kids and they're cute too!

Today Matthew played out in the rain and mud. When he came back in he was so tired he fell asleep on Devi's bed while watching cartoons. Here's a picture.

Gabriel's First Bath

Although it was a sponge bath, Gabriel did great! He did cry once and what a cry it was. He held it out so long that he started to turn purple and I had to blow in his face. Here's a photo...

Is that what they mean by "sleeping like a baby"?

Gabriel is such an angel. Our first night to gether was not a great one as he hardly slept at all. I suppose there's just too much excitement for him. Last night however, he slept in 2-3 hour intervals waking only to eat. He is such a good baby!

Did I mention I LOVE baby feet???

So the first thing the nurse said when Gabriel was born was "Wow, look how long his feet are!" After looking at them we agree! They're gigantic! Matthew was almost 2 inches longer at birth and his feet were not this long.





He's also got adorable little toes...

More photos of Gabriel

Settling in for a long night...



A perfect heart rate



Happy Siblings...



Here he is...

And the winner is....

LISA!!!! Lisa from Laughing Orca Ranch is the winner of the "guess the date" contest. Congratulations Lisa!!!

He's Here!!!

Gabriel Lorenzo was born May 9th 2008 at 1:43 pm. Gabriel was 7 lbs 8oz and 20 inches long. Mom and baby are doing great.

Bastet, Egyptian Goddess

In Egyptian mythology, Bastet is an ancient solar and war goddess, worshipped at least since the Second Dynasty.



Originally she was viewed as the protector goddess of Lower Egypt, and consequently depicted as a fierce lioness. Indeed, her name means (female) devourer. As protector, she was seen as defender of the pharaoh, and consequently of the later chief male deity, Ra, who was a solar deity also, gaining her the titles Lady of Flame and Eye of Ra.

Due to the severe disaster to the food supply that could be caused by simple vermin such as mice and rats, and their ability to fight and kill snakes, especially cobras, cats in Egypt were revered highly, sometimes being given golden jewelry to wear and being allowed to eat from the same plates as their owners. Consequently, later as the main cat (rather than lioness) deity, Bastet was strongly revered as the patron of cats.

Some of you may be asking..."Why is she telling us this?" Well here is why. Our cat Dixie still believes she should be worshipped as the egyptian cats were. Here's proof...

Nothing to report...

Sadly I am still pregnant and have nothing to tell you. I know some people are anxiously watching my blog for news. Sorry!

Blown away...literally

Today we had winds gusting up to 45-50 miles per hour. Rudy had the great idea to go outside and play in the wind. We took some large pieces of cardboard and a sheet and the kids had an absolute blast. We had my friend Amber's kids Mary and Ruth visiting with us today and it was so much fun. The kids showed their inquisitive sides and tried different angles and things to see what the wind would do. Here are some photos.