Ruby learning to read

Ruby is already learning to read...ok maybe not, but she sure looks like she is paying attention while listening to what Kelly is reading.

She is also working on her neck muscles...

Next we will work on math and building train tracks!

Thanksgiving is over...now it's time for Chirstmas

On Friday after Thanksgiving - we met the Leptich family at Trinity Tree Farm in Issaquah to find our 2011 Christmas Tree.

Here is the family photo in front of our tree! Nice smile Oliver!

Oliver and Gavin on the hunt for the best tree...

The Leptich family photo in front of their tree

Oliver and daddy making strides to saw the tree down

Let's just say I can't wait until Oliver can take this job over for me...I probably have a few years for that

Mommy and Ruby enjoying the sunshine

Gavin, Avery, and Oliver buckled in for the out and back train ride...all aboard!

And here is the living room 2 days later. Thanksgiving was great - but we've moved on and are now in the Christmas mood!

Thanksgiving week

Thanksgiving week kicked off with the Wright family coming down from Mt Vernon to meet Ruby and have dinner. It was a ton of fun and great to see Luke and Oliver play so well together. Riley was a trooper too with the boys and kept them entertained. Below is a photo of all the kiddos - including Zane!

Thanksgiving day was terrific! We had a low key morning around the house and then made the long commute over to Grandpa Jim and Grammy Karen's for dinner and pumpkin desserts! Grandma Joan, Doug, Julia, and Susan all joined in on the fun.

Grandpa Jim checking out Ruby's eyeballs

Julia was entertaining and making friends

The two girls playing together...hmm - not too exciting yet

Ashley, Doug, and Julia during dinner

Ruby during dinner

Woodinville Wine Country

Last weekend Kelly, Ruby, and I joined Jill and Matt for an afternoon of wine tasting in Woodinville. We visited some great wineries and tasting rooms including Stevens, Guardian, Sparkman, and Goose Ridge wineries. Here are a few pics from the night:

Tim Stevens showing us his last batch of grapes that are fermenting and waiting to be turned into wine

This bucket produces over 1000 bottles of wine

Here is one of the machines out back squeezing all the juice after the fermentation process and pumping the wine into barrels

The barrel is topped off

Ruby enjoying a peaceful and relaxing evening with us

Random iPhone photos

Here are a few photos on the phone from the last couple weeks:

Oliver all dressed up and ready to attend his first Husky basketball game. Here he is in the driveway practicing his cheers!

Oliver and Gavin posing with Harry the Husky!

Checking out the last 15 seconds of the game...stayed until the buzzer sounded

Oliver helping mommy make a pineapple pizza

The college next door has a cool stream through it that Oliver likes to play at. We bike over and then play in the leaves and over the bridges. Lots of beautiful leaves right now

Climbing a big, big tree

Oliver, mommy, and Ruby cuddling on the chair and telling some late night stories

Nan and Steve met Ruby a couple weeks ago during a morning brunch. Here is Nan with little Ruby

So you might think that this is a silly picture to include...but its even more silly since I took it at Redmond Town Center around November 15th...really Santa...November 15th?

Here is Oliver receiving his end of the season soccer certificate

And now for some Ruby smile shots caught in action

So fun!

Finally a picture of daddy and Oliver trying on his Thanksgiving hats made in school

Ruby is two months old!

Ruby turned 2 months old just a couple days ago. She is growing so quickly - it's a ton of fun to see.

I've got my eyes on you cat

Hmmm...you don't taste that good

Here is Ruby earlier today showing us her new smile...so fun!

Grandpa Bryan and Grandma Tami

Last week we made the trip down to Portland for a couple work meetings and to also visit Grandpa Bryan and Grandma Tami and introduce Ruby to them. It was a quick trip, but Ruby enjoyed every minute of it.

Grandpa Bryan enjoying time with his newest granddaughter

Grandma Tami snuggling away

Ruby showing off some cute PJs

Visit from Rudolph

Just the other morning, Kelly and Oliver where hanging in the front room when a visitor strolled by...I know it's a rare sight to see Rudolph, but they caught a glimpse. He was checking in on all the boys and girls on the street to report back to Santa on who is being naughty and who is being nice.

The Mondloch family visit

Arnie, Katie, Anna, and Ellie joined us for some brunch the other morning, but more importantly got to meet Ruby. Too bad Maria wasn't able to join us, but I guess she has better things to do as a freshman over at Gonzaga.

Ellie with Ruby and Anna with Oliver - I think everyone might be smiling in the photo

Ellie getting some quality time with Ruby

Katie's turn!

Oliver over the last week...

It's easy to say that the train table gets much more use than the pool table ever has from us.

Oliver trying to play Hungry Hippos by himself - 4 hippos, 4 limbs...all good

Oliver stopped by the office over the weekend and played a bit of ping pong

Family evening reading session

In the last couple of weeks - I've been joining Oliver on some biking adventures in front of the house.

Brett Kruse and I ran the Chuckanut 50k last year and plan to run it again in 2012. Here is the ad in an upcoming publication with us in it...at least they caught our good side