Ezamay Louise.....

Today is the day!  Tuesday, October 22, 2019 - Ezamay's birthday!

Charlotte (here 16 years old) was SO ready.  She's being induced and it was tough on her.  I was worried that she would be difficult - she can do that sometimes - especially since I'm sure she was hurting and Markel was not at the hospital yet.  I've never actually given birth, so I was no help with breathing and such.  I was ushered away when Markel arrived in time for the epidural.  It all worked out.

We do love pain killers....all better.  Look at that beautiful tree outside her window.  Beauty everywhere.

And, after what Charlotte remembers as one big push, at 9:45 pm, at 20 inches long and 7 pounds, 12 ounces, she is here.  Markel was weak and pale, poor boy.  He was trying not to faint, and so Charlotte cut her own umbilical cord.  The nurses were very kind and supportive.  There were lots of rules, but, they walked us right through this and had many sweet things to say about our young mother.

The feeling in this photo?  I see:  Peace.  Relief.  Gratitude.  Love.

She's perfect.  What an angel.

Ezamay has to meet her family - Aunt Josephine (who turned 15 two weeks ago).

And Poppa.

Charlotte was Momma immediately.

Great grandmother!

One of my favorites - Mom is so pleased.  Babies are a blessing.  Charlotte looks so content and ready for her adventure.

Uncle JMichael. (JMichael is eleven)

Meeting Grammy Beans

and Aunt Samantha (20 years old),

and great Aunt Abbey.

Samantha and Josephine have decided to be surgeons for Halloween....

Our ladies - Ezamay and her Aunts.  Wow.

Ezamay came home from the hospital Thursday, October 24.  This is her first car ride.

We can now celebrate all the firsts a baby brings - first encounter with rain, a dog, the wind.  Learning her little cries - she's such a good baby.  Babies are a blessing.

Welcome, Ezamay Louise.

Splash - September 2019

The September splash was taken at the Salisbury Zoo.  I don't know what it is about zoos - our BallTeam loves strolling around and visiting the animals.  They talk to them, call them, imitate them and generally just enjoy each other's company while seeing the wild things.  Salisbury has a great size zoo - it has some cool animals like, flamingos, crocodiles, bears, monkeys, bison and lots o'llamas!

High School for Josephine

Josephine began the ninth grade this year - high school!  Here she is tolerating my taking her picture at enrollment - can't you just see in her beautiful smile that she is also saying, hurry, mom, get this over with...

Then, two very short weeks later, this is Josephine in high school - online.  She tried, she really did try.  She went to two weeks of classes and was miserable.  She said people were not mean, but, they were indifferent.  She tried to introduce herself, pay compliments to people, participate in class and generally put herself out there so she could meet people.  Nope.

She found an accredited program online which allows her to work at her own pace, take as many math classes as her logic-loving brain can tolerate and just tear through content.  She is currently taking US History, Freshman English, AP Biology, Music History and Appreciation, AP Algebra II and AP Geometry.  She keeps all As.  She does her assignments and she is dedicated to graduating high school before Rachel and Samantha graduate from college.

You watch.  She will do what she sets out to do.  I feel usually like all I can do is help or get out of her way.  May she always use her powers of dedication for good.

Splash - August 2019

We had a crazy busy summer - three moves and lots of running around.  New schools, new jobs, new places....still thick as thieves.  This splash was taken in front of Mom's new house in Salisbury.  The Ball Team is living in two different houses - but, still a Team. 

Cloud thought bubble

Is this an amazing cloud formation, or what?  It's like a giant thought bubble in the sky.  What is God thinking?  I shudder to wonder.

Splash - July 2019

The July Splash is at Mom's new house!  Mom sold her house in Elkton (it was only on Zillow for seven hours!) and bought a smaller, but, big enough, house in Salisbury.  She's about an hour from our house in Easton and about twenty minutes from Eric and Abbey in Mardela Springs.  She's back in Salisbury Ward and so she fell in to her old group of friends.  She's rebuilding the deck, updating the appliances and plumbing.  She had most of us painting, ripping up carpet, unpacking the pods and unboxing the boxes.  She has a great big workshop in the back of her garage and three bedrooms.  She loves it and she is making it her own.

Samantha is Twenty ... ?!?!!!

The first order of business for Samantha's twentieth birthday was all about Grandmom.  Her pods were delivered and she called on the family and Salisbury Ward to start the unloading at nine in the morning.  From what I hear (cause I slept late...) Salisbury Ward was there in force and the whole project was finished by nine thirty.  Whoa.  Thank you!!

The next order of business was relaxing and celebrating.  Samantha is twenty - that's two decades old.  She is smart, pretty, and kind.  She has a very strict definition of the foods and snacks she likes, but, she's always on the hunt for her next favorite.  She just got her hair dyed - something she's been wanting for a while - now she's really a blonde.  She and Rachel and Matt are living in Fruitland, paying their way, making their path, bored one minute and busy the next.  

Samantha is always up for staying in.  She's a pro with Netflix and while she does like to be out and about - she is still a simple girl - nature documentaries on Netflix and working out at home are two of her biggest ways to spend her day off.

Samantha has her learner's permit for driving, but, not her license yet.  She's a good driver and now that she's working she is saving for a car of her own.  One day she will meet a young man she can't live without.  Meanwhile, every movie, every date, every outing, I ask - are we dating this boy?  And always, it's no, Mom.  We are just friends.  I will let you know when we start dating.

You better....Happy Birthday Sam-ba-lam.

We had a bit of a crowd that afternoon, evening to hang out - here we have Abbey, Mom and Eric.

And here we have Dan (Samantha's work bud), Rachel, Charlotte, Josephine, JMichael, Gavin and Emily.  This pool, by the way, is an exercise pool.  It was 95 degrees!

We had supper - but, you gotta catch 'em if you want to eat 'em!  Matt and Jimmie were trying to steam crabs - can you blame the poor things for trying to run?  Everyone grab some tongs - they're getting away!

BEFORE

and AFTER!  Steph (at seven o'clock), Jimmy (at one o'clock) with Samantha (two o'clock) and James (at three o'clock).

Stephanie and Abbey - sharing a moment on the dance floor.

Samantha's birthday "cake"....

See?  A watermelon works great as a birthday cake!

I included this picture because  Ginny and Sadie, standing behind me, had never been to a Samantha's birthday bash, and were just astonished that we would use a watermelon as a birthday cake.  Welcome to Samantha's world, friends!