Look at me, I'm FREE!! My doctor said I could be finished with my oxygen today!! Yippee! I've gotten lots of kisses all over my face this afternoon! I need to wear one of my monitors for a couple of more weeks, but we're praying I'll be "alarm" free so I can be safe to be done with all my cords! Oh, and I was hiding my smiles from the camera, but I started smiling this week too! - Ian

The little growing lady, Danielle, has caught on to the desire to see the picture behind the camera more than posing. So those smiles have been hard to catch (plus my hands have been a little full lately). She is becoming quite adept at all kinds of puzzles and is talking up a storm! She can say all the kids' names (but likes to say Ja-COB best :). Her word of the day was "coop" (for scoop) - this was the word I used to explain how to get baked beans on her spoon. She's loving getting outside now that it's sunny.

Lots of fun, sweet silliness occurs at our house! We are so grateful to see so many smiling faces and to hear so many laughs! Danielle has one of those little infectious laughs, too.

"Big Bear" has been a long time friend of Jacob's. He's resurfaced from the comfy bean bag video game area in Keith & Jacob's room in preparations for him to move to camp (for use in a review game for Camp Promise). After wrestling Simon & Jacob and "reading" to Danielle, Big Bear held Ian for one of his naps :)!

Our WONDERFUL Ortling helpers!!!!!!!!!!

Meet little Ian :)! He's come to join the Ort house for a time. All the Ortlings have been a good help & even the big boys have been spending their free time staring at him, comparing finger sizes, etc. Simon was relieved that Ian was bigger than a peanut (his initial impression when I said Ian was "little")! Even Danielle has been careful around all Ian's equipment - he'll need to be on oxygen for a little while. He came home from the hospital on Monday afternoon, but none of the kids had held him until today. Kara was the first to ask. She quickly said he was "heavy", but look at the sweet way he's looking up at her! SO ADORABLE!

Jacob is 10!!!

Mid April weather in Montana. Gropple - foreign substance to this Southern girl . . . cool stuff! Looks lovely in my wooden tulip (sweet bouquet from my hubby)! Glad the real ones weren't open yet!