Welcome to the Family!

Cruz Anthony Monjure

It is with great pride and pleasure that I present the newest member of our family . . . Cruz Anthony Monjure! Baby Cruz entered into our world at St. Joseph's Women's Hospital in Tampa, Florida, on August 7, weighing in at 7 lbs. 12 oz. As you can imagine, like his cousin Nathan before him, he is a beautiful baby boy!

Proud parents, John & April

Baby Cruz with his mother and four lovely sisters:
Layna, Olivia, Jillian, and Hailey

Cruz with his Nana (my Aunt Sharon)

Bubby holding Cruz

My sister Carla was privileged to be present in the delivery room, and she has some amazing pictures on her blog. You can read Carla's post here.

Mama and Aunt Mary Lou with Layna in the hospital lobby.

Daddy, Uncle Olan, and Uncle Layne (Cruz's grandaddy)

Rhonda and Carla take care of business.

Bubby with Baby Cruz

Uncle Howie with two of his boys.

I started teasing Nathan that I had a new favorite boy, but he didn't fall for it. I guess I have plenty of love to go around.

As I walked toward the elevators, I passed this portrait of Dr. Rorebeck, the founder of St. Joseph's Women's Hospital. And no, I wasn't just snapping pictures to fluff up my blog. There was a reason I took the picture.

Curtis Gantt Rorebeck M. D.

Almost fifty years ago, on October 3, 1958, Dr. Rorebeck brought me into the world.

After Christmas Party at Jeff & Tonya's

For more years than I can remember, a small group of friends who sang together in the group Alafia and the East Hillsborough Community Mass Choir have been getting together each Christmas for a small dinner party and an after-dinner sing-a-long. This year it didn't work out for us to get together before Christmas, so we got together the Friday after Christmas at Jeff & Tonya's house.

The food was amazing as always. We had grilled steaks, April's artichoke dip, Lisa's potato salad, Tonya's oatmeal cookies, Carla's eggplant casserole, and more delicacies than I can remember. But the highlight of the meal was Jeff's unending supply of lobster tails. Needless to say, we stuffed ourselves that night.

Todd, T.R., and Jeff

Tonya and Tootie, Mandy's new puppy

The Girls: Tonya, Carla, April & Lisa

John joins the girls in the kitchen.

Our singing this year was less than spectacular. For one, we missed Shellie and her strong soprano, and of course we were way out of practice on most of our songs from the past. Under extreme pressure from the girls, I sang "Light of a Million Mornings." But the highlight of the evening was Tonya singing our perennial favorite "Breath of Heaven." I love Amy Grant's version of the song, but I believe the song was written for Tonya. It fits her voice so perfectly and we are always moved emotionally each time we hear it, even when Tonya turns her back on us!

Tonya sings with her back to us.

Here's a clip of Tonya's rendition of "Breath of Heaven." Tonya don't kill me!