Happy views

The view from our front porch on an incredible January evening. My dream come true: the kids playing with the nieghbors in the cul de sac one evening.
A rainbow over Kingston.

A New Year (it's a silly one)

The kids are sure growing up! Here are some gems from our silly gang. Notice the sly smile on Sly's face...

I've never been able to do this, and my son can do it at 5. Shawn's genes I guess!

There was a little girl, who had a little curl...

Breakfast

At Nonna and Grandpa's house, the Japanese soaking tub makes for some spectacular bubbles!

Sylvia at gymnastics

The laundry baskets are a constant source of fun.

Everyone pile on Daddy!

Finished the dinosaur puzzle on his own!

Andy helped Sylvia get princessed up.

The last of 2009

Last photos from 2009

Andy's drawings of a bicycle of some kind. What I love is how he does studies on a theme --seriously, I sometimes find a stack of drawings of the same thing over and over which he drew until he got it the way it was in his head. Pretty cool!

Finally pigtails. And lots of barrettes.

Happy 2010!

Zoo

Watching the penguins

Winter's Day Discovery

A great day to spend the last days of the year:

They usually play really well together. No really.

See?

Christmas Day 2009

Santa arrived bearing bicycles.

Andy wonders about the orange in his stocking

Andy asked Santa for a tuba. No lead up, just an announcement a week before Christmas that he's asking Santa for a tuba. Below, Andy's "tuba-sax," custom made by Santa's elves.

The traditional Koivunen Christmas breakfast - rice pudding and dried fruit. Shawn made it from Grandma Helvi's recipe!

Christmas dinner by Nonna

Grrrr

Our new neighborhood is renowned for its Christmas lights. We decided to take a walk after dinner, something I hope will be an annual tradition!

Just one example of our neighbors' enthusiasm for the lights!

And our more modest lights -- obviously we'll have to work on this in years to come!