Valentines

Waiting for my Valentine

Reuben signing shoes, as in "where are...'

Callum signing "baby" re the much older "baby" beside him

Kind Christina and her friend: I took their pics and she so very kindly paid it forward by getting us entry for the day to the Botanical Gardens

I love taking pics of complete strangers, Valentines Day, click here for slideshow:
and today I saw a man sitting by a bunch of beautiful red roses awaiting his Valentine outside the Huntington Botanical Gardens in Pasadena, gloriously situated in the foothills of the San Gabriel Mts. What a gorgeous image of love disguised as friendship! Well, I got shooting, and I love how the pics came out especially as his lady friend arrived and joined in the fun.

I set this shot up and got her to click the shutter and I'm delighted to have "one of me with the boys".

In gratitude they gave us entry into the Botanical Gardens which was a bit beyond our budget today. How incredibly kind hey! We'd originally planned a trip to the snowy mountains thus I'm wearing thermal and boots in 80F but the roads were closed due to mud slides.

And PS I don't actually celebrate Valentine's so the flowers, balloon and chocolates were for the lucky other woman but made great props!

Happy Easter

Callum on the Santa Monica Bluffs

My seriously handsome and cool big boy in his new transition lenses glasses

Saint Monica's RC Church

Callum's lovely blue eyes reflecting the sky

Awe and wonder in the church

Reuben insisted on signing all the capital letters on the list noting the Benefactors for the 1994 earthquake relief for this famous church. He loves to read with fingerspelling. Sometimes it takes me a while to see the letters he's seeing

Reuben with the Easter basket from Nurse Jenn

... to all our family and friends.

We had a lovely day at the LA Zoo, and then mama went to see Scottish rockers Travis by herself, then a day at Disneyland and today Easter mass at St Monica's.

I remember growing up how Mum and Dad tried to convince us that Easter was a bigger celebration than Christmas and I couldn't quite understand it. We had a choice back then between a Cadbury's Easter egg (a large chocolate egg filled with smaller chocolates) or a huge chocolate bar and mum and dad would get us girls the eggs even though they tried to encourage us that the bars were better value. After Easter, I would go to Woolworths, an old institution which has now closed down in hard times, and stock up on clearance Easter eggs the day after Easter. I would perhaps go to the Ideal Home Exhibition as a teenager because I love kitchen design. We would watch Jesus of Nazareth and endure the 2-3 hour Good Friday service or attend vigils for the coming of Easter. Easter is now my favourite time of year; loving the joys of spring, delphiniums, Easter lilies, bluebells and the promise of new life. The community of Saint Monica's continues to humble me, a gospel singer searching her soul as she sang Amazing Grace to a huge congregation spilling out into the school's gym, his halls and the streets, overhearing the lovely Monseigneur of the parish say "Let's fill her up" to his consort between masses, the queues of people block long outside awaiting the next service. I miss Advent and Lent, the way we used to celebrate them growing up. The waiting. It gave the great feasts ("holidays") meaning. Sadly, I rarely go to church now and yet, each time I do, I wish I made (or had) the time to go more. I missed the turkey dinner. The whole family bar us and Joseph were with mum and dad. I miss too the way these holidays are celebrated in the UK. Christmas has the public holiday of Boxing Day following it (26th) and Easter has both Good Friday and Easter Monday as public holidays. Just cultural differences between the US and UK.

Happy St Patricks Day!

Will have to get some pics of the boys in their attire. Happy day.

White Christmas

Just looked out of the kitchen window on a clear, clear, winter day after days of torrential rain. If I can see snow on the Angeles mountains, does that make a White Christmas?

Christmas Eve

Christmas party

My favourite memories from the party today at home.

watching Reuben raucously laugh at Jaxon as the two play bang the big red playroom table in unison...............................stroking Gracie's silken hair and feeling her hand unfold and wrap round mine, a look of pleasure on her sweet face...........Preston's open arms to be held...the warmth, love and inherent kindness of the Swann children..................the promise of happy days to come with their move here...the sounds of happy children's voices and tracheal breathes...Reuben riding the red nosed reindeer lit by the fairy lights beside the tree, his beautiful eyes so full of love, his hands tentatively touching the silver bauble onto which we are both reflected... the basket of clementines, their glossy green leaves and the gorgeous scent from their skin.........the taste of British mince pies in my mouth....Jennifer's delightful embossed tree ornaments for the boys with their little names, heirlooms for all their Christmas trees to come... the happiness of Reu nestled between his two nurses Kristina & Jenn, here as guests beside the tree....................the peace of two healthy boys in my arms.....my 16 year old second cousin Kyle on the sofa cradling Callum, feeling heavy lids and nodding to the sound of his little breaths and gasps of contentment, the joy of having the Olsen family to share the day with

..........the guests long departed, looking down at Snuggles on my lap in his Santa outfit, a little My first Christmas sock carelessly being fiddled in my hand, the other hand cradling my son, I haven't held you much today my little love, sharing the warmth of his body, hearing his soft breaths, little coos and sighs in his sleep, his little hands curled around my single finger, the house otherwise silent, the tree lights twinkling and new memories grown like vines all around me... tiredness setting in yet knowing this is a moment I'll cherish for the rest of my life.

Self portrait of me and Snuggles in that moment

Jennifer has been exceptionally kind to Reuben and I'm pleased to have captured an essence of that here

In the midst of everything Kristi's been busy with, she had these wonderful laminated ABC song slides made up along with the Powerpoint presentation. Looking forward to using them with Gwen although I'm loathe to take off the lovely ribbon and note! And a glorious citrus basket and gift for Callum which I'm saving for Christmas Day.

The Flock of Swanns with whom we have so much in common. Preston was born one week after Reuben and Kristi is Reuben's friend in CHARGE. We met at the CHARGE conference in July 07 for a couple of minutes in an elevator, they visited us just after Reuben's heart surgery in August 07 and are now near neighbours to us in LA

Kristi & Miss Gracie. Kristi has that rare quality of being as beautiful on the inside as on the outside

Nurses Jenn (nights) & Kristina (days) with Reuben. Finally, finally blessed with two great nurses giving Reuben and our family such great stability!

Santa babies

Reuben's "festive" dress courtesy of Jason. "Men don't care about these things". Thanks to the Chauhans for Callum's Christmas outfit and Lori for his socks.

Here's the funny thing. I'm standing in line with Jennifer and Jaxon and who should show up but Cassandra, Dylan's mum and family, friends from the NICU. Jennifer and Cassandra already knew each other from Reu's birthday and the baby shower and Jennifer has just done Cassandra's photo shoot for her new Momma Wear line. And we all get chatting to another mum with twins in the queue and we mention to her that Cassandra and I met in the NICU and discovered we had the same IVF Dr back then and lo and behold, this same woman also went to Dr Najmabadi for IVF. Another coincidence, not only was Dylan a 29 week preemie, but so too were this same woman's twins. Very small world! Given Jennifer's always behind the lens, it's great to have her in this shot and doesn't Dylan look amazing after his colostomy reversal in July and major complications afterwards! We all then enjoyed a lovely inpromptu french meal in the Farmer's Market.

Thanksgiving pics

Mama loves Callum

Enroute to our American family who also live in LA

With my Auntie Angie, Mum's sister who emigrated from Scotland nearly 50 years ago

Taking over my cousin's house with all our gear

Reuben making a new friend

Signing with his Great Uncle John

My Auntie Angie, Uncle John & Callum

My cousin by marriage, Karen, mum to 3 boys! Callum's going through a growth spurt so it's hard to keep up with the nursing and bottles