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!