Welcome to Canada, Maren!

Well, there isn't much snow to speak of, but at least we have moose!

The Toronto Airport is Awesome!

This was just what the littles needed: a place to get their wiggles out between flights.

Marshmallows bring Peace on Earth

Graydon’s gift to Mami

Graydon gave Mami a CD with eleven piano pieces he recorded over the last several months.

Special time with Tante N

We also had a super visit with Tante N. She arrived early and spent almost a week with us. Each kid got their special time with her: an art museum for Graydon, a natural history ("dinosaur") museum for Wiley, and a bike tour around Town Lake for Portia. They love her special time with her!

Fancy us

We don't get to use our fancy stuff very often, but Christmas is a good occasion! Note the pecan pie on the side board waiting, too. Yummm, thanks Nana!

We’re on our way!

One more testament of how awesome our Beluga is: six people with winter-clothes luggage plus a driver to take the car home and avoid parking fees for two weeks (thanks, Gramps!). We're off to do Christmas Part Deux!

Merry Christmas from Portia

Portia says Merry Christmas to all! (The boys just made silly faces so they won't make the blog this year.)

Merry Christmas from Texas!

We’re a little late with the Christmas mail this year...

Please excuse our tardiness! They are going out today.

Olympic Day

All three kids had their "Olympic Day" performances at the gym where they do gymnastics. It was fun to see how they are progressing. Needless to say our rather-larger-than-average children will never be competitive gymnasts, but they are learning so much about their own bodies and how to control them that this is a great foundation for any future sport they might choose... not to mention it's fun!

Christmas lights!

It's the time of year where we send our au pairs onto ladders in the dark to light up our trees! Actually, all of us enjoy hanging up the lights.

This nine-year-old means business!

The photographer at Graydon's soccer tournament this weekend had the boys do a "serious" pose.

Nikolaus was here!

In Maren's version of a very typical German tradition, Nikolaus comes on December 6 and puts nuts, oranges, and sweets in a shoe (rather than a sock or stocking). The kids were thrilled with their surprise!

Beautiful tree!

This is the first year our Red Oak has been healthy enough to turn colors. This not-so-little-anymore tree is right outside my bedroom window. I love the red and orange colors against the deep blue sky. This was taken a couple of weeks ago... all the leaves have turned brown now. Sniff.

Two peas...

... in a mermaid tail?!?

The knight in camo armor...

Plumbing is fun!

Of course there were projects while we spent a few days at Dripping Springs! Here is the new PVC connection from the rain catcher totes to the wildlife watering hole... along with a helper who is very happy the trench digging part is done!

Mami gets some selfie love

Oh the weather outside is frightful...

... but the fire is so delightful!

So much Au Pair love!!

Clearly the kids have taken to Maren. Not that there was ever a doubt.

One of the best parts of Dripping Springs

Is that you are allowed to be dirty!

New chair covers!

Nana and Mami worked on these over Thanksgiving break. They are sooo much nicer than the yucky old ones.