Our family (minus our Rachel) had a delightful time together this evening in the wonderful spring evening air.

Lem and Jessica were getting ready to head back to Philadelphia:

Jesse and Christina, back from California, were relaxing after a very eventful weekend since they got home.

Raph was chillin’ with his guitar — “What songs do you want to hear, Momma?” he asked — and then played them for me.  Gina was hovering close — sometimes singing along, sometimes just being there.  The evening sun made interesting patterns on their faces and hair.

Deborah worked last night, and spent a good deal of the day sleeping, but came out, still in her sleeping clothes, to be with us, too.  She and Jesse were looking at a book about “Innocent Juices” that she and Rachel became acquainted with while in Europe and are very fond of.

Certain Man was with us.  He and I love this wind chime that sounds like a Westminster Clock (!) that he bought for me in a store in New York that was run by a conservative Mennonite group.  He realized later that it was an incredibly low price for such a quality chime.  It has given us so much joy, and we plan to move it back to the other side of the house where we can hear it from our upstairs bedroom window during the breezy, Delaware nights.

He also needed to “walk the grandbaby!”

Of course, Charis was one of the chief attractions.  It seems like she grew up a whole lot in the California sun:

She still isn’t walking by herself — and we are sure it isn’t because she CAN”T, but rather that she is choosing not to. 

“Give Mommy kisses–!!!” was met with some resistance tonight.

So happy.  So precious.  Such an incredible gift!

Hanging upside down on Mommy’s lap to get the diaper changed.

What fun!  A ride on Cecilia’s Wheel Chair with Auntie Gina.  Mommy is doing the pushing.  Is this safe?  We don’t know, but we sure are having fun!

And Grammy’s knee was feeling good enough to come outside and cuddle this grandbaby for a little while! Charis is very worried about my knee — especially when it has Lidocaine patches on either side of the incision.  She will suddenly think about Grammy’s “owie” and will reach down and yank up my skirt and then (depending on her mood) give it a gentle, wonderfully sweet rub, or will act like she thinks it needs some “bossing up” and will try to squish it or smack it or pinch it like the recovery depends on her making sure that Grammy’s knee knows that this kind of appearance is totally unacceptable.  Her Daddy, whom she loves intensely, will say, “Be gentle, Charis.  Don’t hurt Grammy,” and she seems to know to go easy.  She cheers me up so much.   We are enjoying her more than I had dreamed possible.

Such a nice, nice day!!!