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!
We took a break in our very slow gift opening process to eat our Christmas morning breakfast OUTSIDE! It was hard to believe, but it really felt like we were in Napa, instead of Merrill.
Dad was so surprised to find the sander unwrapped under the tree marked, To Dave, from Dave :)
And the big hit was definitely the kids kayak. It has had many, many adventures already, before its even touched the water.
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! 
