It's a girl!

My note:  For months we've all been awaiting the new baby.  Linda was so excited that she couldn't sleep last night.  Today at Durham General at 12:33 pm the little package arrived and Linda became a grandmother.  I tried to document the baby with my old Nikon CoolPix 995.  Apologies for any blurry pictures but the baby moves a lot and I didn't want to use flash too much.  The baby weighed 8 lbs 3½ ounces and measured 20½ inches.  The name they selected was Ava Annelise.  I took the pictures but I also got to hold little Annelise.  Here are the pictures of the baby hot off the presses.

Linda's notebook:  What I was doing when I first heard you were born..."Waiting for you in the hospital waiting room down the hall where you were born.  I was trying to read "Handwoven" magazines but I was thinking of you.  In fact I could hardly work today I was so excited.  PaPa Dave picked me up at the Forest and we had lunch at Piper's down the street from your house and we went straight to the hospital and arrived at 12:15 P.M.  Your dad finally came and got us at 1:30 so we could have our first look."

How that wonderful news made me feel..."We were overjoyed that you and your mom were ok.  You are absolutely beautiful with rosy cheeks, a dimple in your chin like your dad, curly auburn hair, and blue eyes.  Of course NaNa was there as well (Grandmother Ingrid) and she was grateful that you and your mother were well.  Your  mom and dad cried when you popped out to meet the world.  And they said you were screaming."

For more pictures of Ava as she grows up go to Ava.

Durham Regional Hospital	Jan. 15th, 2004	Anne Marie and Ava Annelise		Linda wants to be called Nonna.		Her hair looks a little red.		Ingrid holds the little baby.
		Group picture of Anne, Annelise, Ingrid, John, Linda		John hovering over the baby.		John holds the baby.		Best picture of the baby
	Jan. 17th, 2004	Anne Marie and Annalise		Happy Fambly		Baby trying out the formula		Linda helps with feeding

Delaware

 

My daughter Deb and her long-time friend, Jason Kratzer, finally took the plunge.  They did it on the beach at Rehoboth, Delaware.  Jason's uncle George presided over the ceremony with the surf rolling in the background, with friends and family and sunbathers looking on and with seagulls and occasional plane or helicopter flying overhead.  It seems they met on the beach there years ago when we lived in Rehoboth.

It was a lovely day with cloud cover which made excellent conditions for photography.  You can see a view of the boardwalk and the beach right now by clicking on .  I took the photos below with the Nikon CoolPix 950 whenever I wasn't busy schmoozing and swing dancing with Linda. My nephew Ken took some excellent video footage with my JVC GR-DV50.  He has very steady hands.  A number of these pictures are frames that were grabbed from the video so they are not as fine a resolution.  The professional photographer was Jim Ritch who promised that our poses will soon appear at his website http://www.RitchPhoto.com  Look for your pictures there and you can contact him for prints and enlargements.  Enjoy, as I did greatly.

Rehoboth Beach, Delaware	Sept. 15th, 2000
Wedding on the sand	Sept 16th	Guests crossing the dunes				Deb and Jay exchange their vows
After the marriage	The Kiss		Mr. and Mrs. Jason Kratzer		Congrats to the new couple!

Illinois

 

 

 

Earlier in the month I had an enjoyable visit with my family while we celebrated the wedding of Denise Suwala and Jason Arp.  The wedding took place in the Church of Saint Dennis (picture to the left). Read of the origins of this historic church by clicking on the link. My cousin Ken lives out in Lockport, Illinois.  Here are a number of relatives, you know who you are.  Enjoy.  Write if you want a print of any one of the pictures.

Lockport and Joliet, Illinois	Sept. 1st