Grammy will be recovering from surgery on Christmas day, so we celebrated early this year. Friday night we got together, had a feast and exchanged gifts. We all had a great time and send our thanks to Julie and Cindy for hosting. Here are some pictures; I need to edit some video so I’m not sure when I’ll be able to post it.
The boys enjoyed putting up Christmas lights, decorating the tree, and talking about our Christmas traditions. We’ve been watching Christmas videos almost daily (Charlie Brown Christmas, Polar Express, etc.) and talking about our family traditions as well as the true meaning of Christmas, the Christ child. We are gratified that they are able to contribute to the conversations with meaningful questions and insights. Here are a few pictures of us decorating the outside of the house. Note: the boys behaved very appropriately and cautiously on the roof, and I think they benefitted from the experience.
The final product
Our friends (see the link to Fun Faith Filled Family blog) invited us to join them for lunch at an Ethiopian restaurant in Seattle. Despite the fact that Sary-Jo could not join us, we had a good time and I think everyone thoroughly enjoyed the food. Tim and Katie are preparing to travel to Ethiopia in just a few weeks to bring their new kids home, so we talked about travel, the embassy appointment, etc. Daniel and David really loved food from their birth home (especially the injera). And of course, all the kids got along great. Click the picture to see more from the restaurant.
Randy, Daniel & David
Heading out for goodies
With over 200 costumes to choose from, the boys stuck with what was familiar to them – Spiderman… in duplicate. They enjoyed their matching costumes. On the 30th, we went to the carnival at Karshner School and played games, ate a corn dog, and met many of the kids and staff. On the 31st, Dad took the kids (including Sarah and Ilaria) Trick or Treating while Mom stayed home to hand out treats to the many dozens of Trick or Treaters who came by. Click the picture to see more. And watch the video.
We had our first experience carving pumpkins! The boys enjoyed the experience as each designed the face for their pumpkin. Dad did the carving at their direction. They got a bit gooey cleaning out the insides. Click the picture to see a few more.
Finished Product
We had a family day together for Randy’s birthday on the 15th, including some time at the park and a visit to the oral surgeon for Behayelu. We had dinner with Sarah, Kyle, Ilaria, Chris and Paul at our favorite Mexican restaurant, Playa Azul. Thanks for all the cards, phone calls and online greetings!
Randy and the boys
At Point Defiance Zoo & Acquarium
Behayelu turned seven years old today! The boys awoke before Mom, so they climbed in bed with her and watched a few minutes of TV. Behayelu opened some gifts there. After an easy-going morning we went to the Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium with Sarah & Ilaria (thanks for the pass, Julie & Cindy). We saw many varieties of fish, sharks, birds and other animals. The sharks and walruses were especially impressive, and the otters were quite playful. The boys had a blast. They were so funny, as always.
When we got back from the zoo, we had fish sticks and mashed potatoes for dinner and then headed off to Bible Study Fellowship. The boys love going to BSF! They are making friends and, although they cannot yet complete or comprehend the lessons, they are memorizing God’s word like nobody’s business!! The evening ended with cupcakes, “Happy Birthday” and big smiles!!
Behayelu & Fraol
We had a great turnout for the boys’ birthday party in the park today. It was awesome, with clear blue skies and sunshine (although it got a bit cool after about 4:00 – it is October 11, after all). Our small local park was the perfect setting for a laid-back and unstructured party. We played various games, cooked hot dogs, and just generally had a good time (and, of course, the boys rode the bicycles). There were kids galore and the boys were overwhelmed with gifts (we’ll have to parcel them out over several days so they can appreciate them). Thanks to all who came; you made it a great afternoon!
The Titus family stayed after all the others had left and Jason broke out his kite, which was a great treat for the boys. Even though the wind had died down, all the kids had a blast trying to get the kite to fly. Later, after their bath (playing with new bath toys!), the boys put together the 3-D Lightning McQueen puzzle.
It was a great way to introduce the concept of celebrating birthdays to the boys.
Group photo in the corn maze
We went to the Pumpkin Patch (at Spooner Farms) with Grammy, MacKenzie, Mason, Kyle, Sarah and Ilaria. Grandpa stayed at our house with the cats (and, more importantly to him, the University of Oregon game in HD). We went through the corn maze as a group, finding all six stations in sequence and in record time (especially compared to last year). We stopped for pictures along the way and just enjoyed it all.
After the corn maze, the kids (including Sary-Jo) each picked out a pumpkin to take home. Then we hit the snack bar and it was on to the pumpkin slingshot! The kids needed some help pulling against the slingshots, but we really enjoyed watching when they tried it on their own. We never hit the bullseye, but we came pretty close and had a lot of fun. Later this month, we’ll carve the boys’ pumpkins and post pictures of that experience. We’ll probably see some wide-eyes again!
After the pumpkin patch, the kids relaxed on our bed and watched TV with the cats for a few minutes.
Behayelu & Fraol with the Viking Mascot
We took the boys to their first sporting event – a Puyallup High School football game. We had a blast and saw a few long-time friends: the Smithhislers and the Malkuchs. As we left the stadium we ran into Lauren and her friends! The boys got their picture taken with the Viking mascot and one of the cheerleaders – both were very kind. And especially for Sarah, there’s a picture with Mandy Malkuch!
