Sunset on Siesta Key

Some pics from our vacation with Raph's family in Sarasota, Florida. Pretty fun. Gabrielle was the star, as is to be expected. Here is the new family and Raph's cousins Jason and Deanna who just made Sarasota home.

Garrulous Gabrielle

My newest niece. Awfully cute. And boy, she'll make conversation all day. Too bad we can't understand.

deluge II

Everyone had a crush on Patrice's six-month-old son, John. Mimi entertained many of us with commentary about gifts, and well a good time was had by me at the least.

the deluge

My friend, Shirley Crawford, once suggested instead of calling a baby shower or a wedding shower a shower, we should call it a deluge. I am lucky to have good friends and family and indeed was given a deluge of gifts. Best of all, I got to see all these people I care about.

First, our host, my childhood best friend, Laurie Giarratani. Thanks Laurie. The baby's new ugly doll. And Cara's mom oggling the baby's hand-knitted quilt from my Aunt Suzanne. I told her, I wasn't sure I was willing to share with the baby because it is so nice.

some more belly

Hope you don't mind seeing my underwear. Raph was playing with the exposure on the camera as I tried to nap. The final days before we went on vacation. I love vacation. Hip hip hooray for year-round schooling.

Pretty Julie and the Bowl Player

We've had visitors this week. My cousin Julie who lives in the Marshall Islands met her mom and step-dad here from blustery Gallupville New York. And Julie's friends came from Chicago as well... Lots of hiking, eating, some cards, laughing. Warren locked himself on the wrong side of the gate, which sent us into hysterics. Jean bought a Tibetan prayer bowl, which she plays "to heal us, bring us into harmony, or wake us up." She is getting quite good at it because it isn't as easy as it looks. And pretty Julie is happy for a hot shower.

4 pounds seems like a lot

Amazingly, at my appointment last week I had gained a grand total of four pounds. So where on earth did this big belly come from. I guess it is a case of redistribution! In any case, I am starting to get big...and the baby likes to kick.

more walk pictures

Some more pictures from my walks...the last one is my favorite - Jobe's tears.

making dinner

By the time we get home from work, there are only a few hours before dark. Without normal electricity, dark has new meaning. We rush to fit in all we like to do in daylight - walk, chores, start homework, and most importantly start dinner. While we intend to move back to the East coast to be near family, having the opportunity to spend so much time with just Raph has been pretty great. Dinner is one of my favorite times. Sometimes I cook, sometimes he cooks, but usually we share. I have always thought there is special intimacy in sharing a kitchen with someone, moving in synch to allow many parts to equal a whole. These images look empty, still, and silent, in the last few minutes of light. But I treasure them for the time I spend with Raph.

on our antennae

This little guy had made a home of the antennae on our truck when we went to exercise that car last weekend. We felt bad to wreck him beautiful home, but alas, we had places to go. Looks pretty scary doesn't he? We're kind of used to them.

daily walk

In order to stay in shape (at least moderately) I have been religiously walking a mile a day since my energy returned right after Christmas. I walk our half-mile driveway to the gate, which I hate to open and close) a path through the woods. I pass the macadamia nut trees, the jobe's tears patch, ancient Ohia (native trees), a gigantic pit crater, Albizia tree bones, and two sets of bee hives. I love it. Raph comes with me sometimes, and when he doesn't, often I stop to pick jobe's tears. I'm going to start posting some nice pictures from my walks.

mac nut farm

On my daily walk yesterday I detoured through the mac nut farm I always pass. The bees were busy with the new flowers while some forgotten nuts still hung from the trees.

Pohulu Valley Hike

One guy did tell me I'd better watch out or I'd be in labor tonight from the exertion, but it was good fun. A challengin hike for my pregnant butt, though worth it!

second baby sweater

This is sweater number 2! Unfortunatley I didn't have enough yarn to make sleeves.

The Year of Light

My friend Becky names her years. You know, the year of health, or growth, or whatever, so I'm following suit this year and deeming 2007 the Year of Light. (Besides that sounds way cooler than the year of the boar!) Our lives are regulated by light. I see the sunrise almost every morning as I rise for school in the dark. One of my new favorite children's books, How to Start a Day, is all about that actually - greeting the sun each morning. I feel it is hugely important to fill daylight with activity, because after dark our solar power will fire up three light bulbs, which isn't enough to trick my body into staying awake. Raph tries with card games, and music and candle-lit dinners, but bed beckons me when the sun has lost sight of us. I don't mind. I've come to love rising and falling with the sun and I'm prefectly alright with sleeping nine hours.

And since we're expecting, the year of light seems appropriate still. His first light. We're about to see the light. I can concoct all sorts of plays on words to justify the name. Speaking of names, two of my favorite Hawaiian names are about light. And boy were those Hawaiians poetic. Malio for example means "earliest morning light as it pierces the shadow of night." And Nikili means "to glimmer through, as light through a small opening." Those are good meanings.

I'm looking forward to seeing what 2007 will be for Becky.

most recent quilt

I've been knitting baby sweaters instead of quilting, but this one I jsut finished the binding on for a wedding gift. The pictures don't really do this one justice, but that's life.

valentines II

My mom and dad sent these and I just love them.

valentines

Homemade. The inside of Raph's valentine was very cute, but I don't want to embarress him. He's a pretty good valentine.

From the porch

The house we live in has good mana, as they say in Hawaii. It means good vibes; I guess technically it means goodness sent by the gods or something like that, but whatever the case, our house, despite the gecko shit everywhere and the mosquitos, is pretty awesome. Here's Raph's artsy picture under the mosquito net also...

after popular requests...

Here are some belly pictuers...since everybody asks me for them. Just over half way, at 20 weeks and a few days. The baby has been very active this last week and kicked me pretty hard a few times yesterday! Though I look pretty big, as of my last doctor's appointment three weeks ago I hadn't gained any weight, but there has definitely been some redistribution! I have another doctor's appointment on Monday, I doubt I'll get the same news this time!

squares and rectagles add up to something

With the awesome light-up knitting needles I got for Christmas, I made my first sweater, albeit for a baby. No pattern, just rectangles. I am very proud of myself and can't wait to start another one. Maybe I'll make the arms a little shorter on the next one! Live and learn.