After the kids go to bed... A peaceful Christmas scene.

Supertoddler to the rescue!

I failed to convince him that this costume was going to be waaaay to big for him.

Christmas concert pics

Signe in the Christmas concert

Signe's solo... Christmas concert.

Guess which one of the Christmas turkeys was squeezing the Christmas bulb ornaments?

This "icicle" is the result of cutting a load of wood in single digit temperatures.

Beautiful.

Cooper brushes, Gunnar blushes.

Red juice for lunch!

Cooper n Aunt Bobbie

Grandma n Karsten

Grandpa n Signe.

...

Grandpa, Grandma, n Grandkids.

Grandma n grand kids

Advent gift... Train tracks!

Oops!

This didn't get sent with my first post

More tussling for the ball

Football at the beach

Playing with cousin Cooper the day before Thanksgiving at Neskowin Beach. Cooper caught the ball.


Sent from my iPhone

Dinner at the Holloway house

What truly makes my wife happy...

In San Diego for a conference.

Fall Family Picture

Here's our annual family pic, which we take every year sitting on a hay bale at the Harvest Fest.

Heroes and more...

The kids stand behind their pumpkins as they prepare for the annual harvest festival at the school gym. This year we have Buzz Lightyear, a genie, Captain America, and a ninja.
(And earlier in the afternoon Signe had a "feis" (pronounced "fesh"), which was a judged competition for her Irish Step moves. She got a second place ribbon for her jig!). Did I mention it has been a busy day?

Jack o lanterns

Meanwhile, the big kids picked out pumpkins at Safeway and started carving away. The menfolk returned just in time for Daddy to help Karsten with his little pumpkin.

Wood cutters

Saturday morning, and Karsten felt pretty special squishing between Grandpa and Daddy in Daddy's old beater truck to head to the woods. He cried for a minute or so in fear when the chainsaw was first revved up, but soon rallied and proudly told Mom later that he "was brave".

Climbing trees in the fall

It is a busy weekend at the Holloway house. Grandma & Grandpa came out for the weekend, and Nick officiated his last football game of the year on Friday night. We look forward to seeing more of him now!
Signe and Grandma take advantage of the absolutely gorgeous and warm (for Moscow) fall weather.

Fall at the Holloway House.

Karsten flies...

A fall day in the arboretum.

Two handsome lunch dates

One thing I am thoroughly enjoying this year, and for the only year in the middle of a 9-year-span, is that I never have an 11:30 school pickup. I have two in school all day and two home all day, with no preschoolers or kindergarteners. This luxury means I have time to do things like drive down to Clarkston to shop at Costco. Yesterday was the first time my littles and I made the trek that didn't involve an entire family excursion on the weekend.
The boys were great "helpers", and were rewarded with chocolate Oreo shakes at lunch. We only managed to eat half that huge pile of fries.
And after we got home, they let me admire how strong they are when they helped carry little boxes of things up the stairs. I love it!

We got haircuts.

Panorama shot on Zane's birthday.

Zane at the center of attention on his birthday.

Post b-day sword fight.

Zane's 4th birthday

Singing to Zane on his 4th birthday.

Gathered around for Zane's b-day.

Gathered around for Zane's b-day.

Zane meets The Chicken

Today we are loving small town Idaho. I pulled the little guys in the bike trailer for a short ride to the fairgrounds, where we met up with Gunnar and Ransom's first grade class field trip at the Latah County Fair. We got to pet a cow, rabbit, donkey, pygmy goat, and chicken today.

Ice cream treats

Signe and Gunnar each ran the mile in P.E. for the first time this year (in 90 degree weather!). Signe placed first out of the girls in her grade. So we stopped at Baskin Robbins on our way home from school to, um, celebrate. Or something like that. Better not let Zane find out when we get home or we will never hear the end of it.

Heading to school

Signe's flower hair

Burying the kids at the coast.

Dad, Gunnar, Zane.

Cousins at the Oregon coast

Cooper crushed by cousins.

Gunnar's t-ball team pic

Coaching Gunnar's T-ball team, last game...

The kids had fun and I enjoyed coaching them.

Sabbath dinner at the Holloway house.

For the pilot

Grandpa is arriving today to help Nick replace our 40 year old single pane windows in our house (hurray!!). Since he will be staying in Signe's room, she drew him a picture to make him feel welcome.

Celebrating the 4th

Karsten admires his sparkler at the water's edge.