And we're off to Merrill for Christmas!

Thanksgiving

We were able to salvage some pictures from Patrick's phone so here they are.

Yes, babies are adorable, but no Patrick, we can't get one!

Nikki was telling us about how G-ma handled the twin's graduation party!  

December 2014

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!  We're having so much fun decorating, and mostly singing Christmas carols.  Trajan has turned in to quite the little performer, and Percival is insisting on telling jokes this year at our family  Christmas Eve program, so that should provide a laugh (on many levels)!I attened the math conference in Monterey this week.  Silly though it sounds, but it really did leave me longing for the Oregon version in Lincoln City. . . 

I'm teaching this semester in a converted green room in what used to be our theater.  It's lined with black curtain along the back and when my students finally go around to exploring they found the comfy chairs.  Good thing it was the last day of class!

I wish I had taken pictures of our first real storm of this winter (first of what we hope will be many).  Trajan and I attempted to walk Percival to school in the morning but couldn't actually cross the first 'rainy day river' without the water being way over Percy's rain boots - so we crossed anyway, just so we could cross back, then went home, changed, and drove.  By the time I headed to work an hour later the drains were clear and the flooding in our neighborhood has subsided, but for a while there, we thought some of the cars would actually float away (some of the wast bins actually did)!

These pictures are from a few days later, showing the runoff from the hills behind our neighborhood.

You have to admit, it's cute.  Besides, we've had kittens for a few months now and I have somehow resisted the temptation to post hundreds of pictures and even video.  This picture is striking because it just amazes me that they don't just run from Trajan whenever the hear him coming.  As parents, part of the reason we have pets it to help our children learn to be gentle and loving with animals.  Trajan is getting the loving part, but I think he's learning about tolerance (their's toward him) and gentleness will hopefully come soon!

Leaf Art

Leaves, Leaves, Everywhere!

Though the rain has been wonderful, we're always appreciative when it stops at least long enough to rake the leaves.  The fact that we do so pretty much every weekend in our shirtsleeves, reminds us how grateful we are to be back in Napa!

Goffy Kids!

We tried for about half an hour to get a decent picture of all five of us.  Obviously, we were unsuccessful :)  Poor dad is probably going to need surgery on his other arm from holding the camera!

We'll try again at Christmas and you'll get to judge if we've made any progress.

This was actualy Thanksgiving day, as we were on our way to Medford.  Patrick was camera man for the day and since his phone recently crashed, we are once again without any pictures of Thanksgiving.  So the pictures are all in our memories.  It was a much smaller crowd than usual, which changed the feel a bit, but it was still great to get together and count our blessings.

November 2014

We have taken full advantage of our mild fall this year.  Although everyone around here has been hoping for more rain, the mild November was lots of fun!  

Percival's 9th Birthday

Well it really happened.  Percival turned nine.  He hosted is first official sleepover and had lots of fun constructing Mine Craft cubes out of cake.