Christmas!

Official FSA gear!

Now we will be super victorious at Angry Birds!  Thank you Dad!

Grandpa and Laurel

cookies for Santa in 2011 Christmas Jammies (holiday aliens)

Christmas morning sunrise

We've had some Christmas scope creep, which was agreeable to all involved.  We decorated early this year- the day after Thanksgiving- and I didn't get tired of the tree's extended stay in our living room.  

Laurel and Owen had the week before Christmas off from school, and I had some extra vacation days, so we filled the week playing with my dad, baking, doing a little more shopping, and taking a trip out to the aquarium.  Richard, my dad, and Owen had clear weather on Thursday for a rocket launch, where it was discovered if you put the really big engine in the really small rocket it goes REALLY far- and is lost to the wilds of Oregon.  Likely it already has moss growing on it.

We kicked off the festivities in earnest on Christmas Eve, with the Muhly's and my dad joining us for a meal and presents.  Lots of big hits with the boys- Ben is in crafting heaven with a big box of craft supplies pick out by Susie and Laurel.  He spent the rest of that day and most of Christmas day painting.  Owen was excited about a new rocket from grandpa, as well as an iPad from my dad for the entire family- the boys have been enjoying playing Angry Birds.  Todd made FSA t-shirts for the kids, and Owen and Laurel wore them proudly for the rest of the week.  They also got Owen a planetarium projector for his room- to which we all have been a witness to his and Laurel's new and improved space lectures.  Ben did great through Christmas Eve Mass, sitting in the main part of the church, not needing the cry room and on a vigil to see Baby Jesus and Mary.  When we got home, we decorated gingerbread cookies for Santa and tried to get a couple of very excited boys to bed.

Christmas morning arrived early, with a beautiful sunrise and the orange light coming into the bedrooms and waking up Ben and Owen.  With a small distraction by the paints and the craft box, the boys made it out to the front room to discover whether Santa came this year or not.  Apparently the boys were good, and Santa left plenty of loot.  Dad came over and we spent the morning unwrapping gifts and munching on gingerbread cookies.  The boys loved all the new toys mailed in from Richard's family, and we loved our new books and clothes and games from Sally and our Secret Santa's Roger and Justin.  Richard made us a great Christmas dinner with his famous crab cakes, while Dad and Owen worked on new magic tricks- thanks to Aunt Susan, Owen now can levitate.  We were thankful to be able to spend a wonderful holiday with our two amazing little guys and that my dad could join us.  We miss all of our family across the country during this season and will see you this coming year!

holiday greetings!

Ben and Owen, ready for Christmas!  The official 2011 holiday picture.

Ben showing off his big blue eyes... 

and big pink lips.

Owen hoping Mom will finish taking pictures soon. 

Getting punchy!

Heather got a nice one of Owen and I

Ben and Richard at the courthouse, under Ben's ornament- the blue one.

Merry Christmas from our family!  It's really looking a lot like Christmas around here- the tree is up, the stockings are up, and my dad flew in yesterday.  We are about to head to Susie's church to hear Laurel play the piano and sing in their Christmas pageant.  First though, the boys are cuddled together watching the Grinch.

It's been a wonderful (and fast!) year.  You can read about it in the blog, or here are some highlights.

Owen is in the first grade at Zion Lutheran school.  He is in a class size of 11, with an amazing teacher, and we are so happy to have found such a good fit for him.  He is reading now, and doing a great job with it.  He is singularly obsessed with space.  He loves rockets, the space shuttle, planets... anything space related.  He and his friends and his cousin Laurel have a space agency at school- the FSA (Fabulous Space Agency), and are scheduling shuttle launches for the winter.  He is also enjoying Cub Scouts, especially now that Richard is the den leader.  Owen is getting taller and taller, and now has his two front teeth growing back in.

Ben will turn 3 at the beginning of January and is a ball of energy.  He hasn't gained any weight this year- just stretched out.  He follows his brother around and mimics what he says- he has a great role model in Owen.  Ben is at the Monroe Center, in a class of 2 and 3 year olds where he has some fast friends and loving teachers.  Ben loves animals and art, asking either for a farm animal or for paint from Santa.  He is in his second class at Little Kickers and loves learning soccer from Coach Mike.

Richard and I are still at HP, Richard is making new inks and I'm making big printers.  Richard spent a week in Ireland in November for work and enjoyed seeing some places he hadn't been before.  I have slowed down travel considerably, but will likely end up in San Diego a few times next year and hope to manage a trip to Germany in May for a huge tradeshow, Drupa- the Olympics of Printing.

As a family we took trips around Oregon this year, and we are still enjoying discovering our state.  Richard and Owen did a fun camping trip in the cascades.  We did our annual summer trip to visit my dad in Virginia and Richard's family in Vermont and New York.  I took a special side trip this summer to Brazil, Indiana for a special concert in honor of my grandfather, Carl Kumpf.  I joined some old friends in Napa Valley in the spring, and Richard and I went to Portland for the weekend for our anniversary.

We hope the holiday season finds you and your family well, and hope to connect with you in 2012!

we give thanks

Richard's first cheese plate

The chef presents the bird

the kids table

the bigger kids table

we got a head start this year!

for family, friends, a mostly rain free weekend, and cute little boys.

We had a great Thanksgiving weekend, starting with the big day- Richard spent the day cooking the turkey dinner and all the fixings, while the boys spent the morning watching the Macy's parade.  The Muhly's and the Stokes' joined us for dinner and the kids alternately enjoyed and taunted each other.

Friday and Saturday were both rain free- opportunities to for Owen and Richard to do a bike ride, Ben and I to go to the park, and for us to get the Christmas tree up.  Richard almost got all the lights up outside before the rain started on Sunday... but ended a little wet.

obsession

Owen and Sophie and the external fuel tank

Mom's obsession?  Footed jammies on Ben!  What could be cuter?

A mid November check in, with some happy pictures of the kids and the topic of: obsession.

Owen has been interested in planes and rockets for a few years, but is in the middle of a fever pitch over the space shuttle right now.  It's being fueled by Sophie at school, who is also excited about rockets. Together they spend each recess plotting and building various paper rockets and shuttle, discussing fuel options, and plotting their space launch.  Other kids on the playground (including Laurel) are signed up to man the command center and do other various jobs- basically they have organized the Zion Lutheran School Space Program- which they have named the FSA- Fabulous Space Agency.  During a play date last week, Owen and Sophie were supposed to go into space, but they scrapped that launch due to some technical issues.  Yesterday she came here to play and they built the solid rocket boosters and the external fuel tank.  We'll need another play date to build the orbiter- Sophie is concerned about how we will make the ceramic tiles strong enough to withstand the heat of re-entry.  Oh, the problems of youth.

Ben is in the middle of a 2 day obsession with painting.  Super fun artwork is being generated.  There was one mishap last night when during a game of chase, Ben decided to ramp it up a bit, grabbed a bottle of paint and threw it all over Owen (and the floors).  Richard laid down the law, got everyone cleaned up, and Ben was reciting to me this morning: Paint is for Paper.

Everyone is healthy at the moment- hope it lasts through Thanksgiving!

my tiger cub

Never underestimate the power of a good bribe.  Here's my super cute cub scout.

trick or treat

Discount!

Super handsome Shuttle Commander Owen

And his fearless brother, Pilot Ben, complete with blankie

Fairy Princess Laurel and Commander Owen hit the neighborhood

A record year- both brothers and mom dressed for Halloween this year.  It was hit or miss with Ben- last minute he decided he wanted to be Mickey Mouse.  Aunt Susie's timely trip to Disneyland scored him a perfect Mickey Mouse sweatshirt and ears, Zappo's came through with yellow Croc's, and Kmart had white gloves. But Ben wasn't feeling good and changed his mind.  To doggy from last year- great it still fits!  No.  He wants to be a Tiger.  Great!  We have one of those!

Halloween morning came, Owen put on his flight suit from Aunt Pat, and Ben wanted his on too.  Done.  Two cute astronauts works for me.

My friend Tim gave me most of my Flo costume for my birthday, so I got the rest of the pieces (blue Converse, white jeans, a bump it for my hair, red lipstick, black eyeliner) and had a fun day as my chirpier alter-ego.  I think I may be Flo more then once a year- she's a blast.

Richard took the boys downtown trick-or-treating.  Ben loved it- walked the whole time- and was only scared once by a Darth Maul costume.  They came home, Ben was pooped, so Owen and I met up with Laurel and Susie and some neighborhood friends to get more loot.  Ben enjoyed handing out candy to the few kids that make it to our cul-de-sac.

Ben asked Richard that night when it's Halloween again, and Richard said Thanksgiving is next.  Ben asked if we can go to Thanksgiving, and Richard replied that actually Thanksgiving will come to us.  Ben said "ding-dong!  Hi!  Thanksgiving is here!"

pumpkin season

We did our annual hay ride and pumpkin finding trip, to Davis Farms again this year. Mother Nature blessed us with an amazing fall day, and the Davis family blessed us with great pumpkins and freshly made donuts and cider.

Owen and Richard went to Muddy Creek Farms last weekend, and did the GIANT corn maze.  This year they were prepared with a printed map and they were successful!

october

Owen's front teeth have made an appearance!

Peeking out of a spacecraft at OMSI

Sylvie and Owen deeply engaged in playing with buckets at OMSI

the best picture I could get away with

Some random pictures from October.  This month flew by, with both kids alternating who was sick but ensuring we never had a fully healthy week.  Now that it's November, they passed the germs on to Richard.

Owen's front tooth finally broke through, and its neighbor peeked out a couple of days ago.  Ben was so excited for him "Now Owen can eat corn on the cob!" he said.

Owen got a couple of model rockets for his Christmas gift from Uncle Steve.  He's been "flying" them around the house since then, but finally was ready to launch them for real..  Richard and Owen got them put together, and brought them to a Adair Park.  Owen put the rockets on the launch pad, Richard put in the ignitor, and they launched it up.  Both went really high, and both were recovered safely.  They went much higher then Owen had expected.

Owen is now a Tiger Cubscout, part of Zion's pack.  He and Richard baked a colorful cake for the Cubscout cake auction, went on a hike, and are about to participate in the Space Derby.  Owen is lukewarm to most of it, but we hope it will grow on him.  All the kids are from his school and are excited he has been coming to the meetings.  He looks SO CUTE in his uniform, but I didn't yet capture it on film in all it's glory.  Next time...