The alliance spent Oscar's first Christmas in Wisconsin. Oscar really enjoyed getting presents, especially getting to tear wrapping paper. Of course the grandparents pulled out all the stops and got him a ton of great presents. After the present opening chaos subsided we enjoyed a great family dinner.
We are spending Christmas in Wisconsin this year and we had a little treat before heading out. As it turns out, Santa was hanging out in Terminal B at SeaTac airport. Oscar got a chance to get his picture taken with him and...well let's say it was what most babies first reaction to Santa is: total terror. But, we had a nice family portrait with that jolly old elf and it helped the whole family get into the holiday spirit.
Jenn and Noah came over on Saturday for a great visit. It was great to see Jenn and spend time playing with Noah. Oscar was a good host and even shared his toys. Good times!
Since the alliance was formed, we have been in search of a salute. Oscar made this up last weekend and I think we are adopting it as the official alliance salute. Note the proper syncing of father and son. When you see Oscar, please make sure to give him the proper salute.
We managed to get all of our gear to the pass and get Oscar out for his first XC ski. The sun was out and the snow was surprisingly good. The chariot turned out to be easy to use and I think Oscar enjoyed being hauled around on the trails.
The Alliance spent Thanksgiving with Marc, Lina, Annie, Louis and Pascal. The meal was amazing! It may have been the best Thanksgiving meal I (Jessica) ever had. Marc outdid himself with with a deliciously moist turkey, Annie's stuffing brought me home, Evan made his olive oil rolls that never disappoint, Lina wowed us with a chocolate carmel tart, and I impressed myself with a buttery galette. The table was set so beautifully to boot!
I am not sure how the Gefurstamillers pulled it off while juggling Louis and Pascal. Nice work parents and Grandma!
Thanksgiving has always been my favorite holiday. Three years ago it became even more special, when on the eve, Evan asked me to marry him and we chose to spend our lives together in Marc and Lina's home. Spending Thanksgiving there each year since has been very special to us.
Oscar celebrated his first Thanksgiving. He was in such good spirits all day as we cooked, watched the Packers win and just lazed around the house.
At dinner he ate nearly everything we ate. I think turkey and mashed potatoes were his favorite.
After dinner Marc took a nap to prepare for a long evening with Pascal and Louis. While Evan, Annie, Lina and I played a game of hearts. Annie is a card shark-who knew? I guess we know where Lina gets her competitive spirit.
The house was filled with laughter and warmth and much love. I couldn't have asked for a better Thanksgiving. I am so grateful for my family and my good friends.
The first big snows have hit the Cascades so we decided it was time for Oscar to have his first play in the snow. We went with Kate, Christopher, Edit, and Betty and Cosmo. The weather was great and I think Oscar loved the snow.
We had a great visit from Grandma this past weekend. She was charmed by Oscar's personality. Oscar has grown and developed quite a bit since July when we visited her in Wisconsin. He went from crying everytime she held him in July to smiling and giving kisses during this visit. He learned how to take books off of the shelves this weekend. Better than that he learned a few new things from Grandma, like the humpty dumpty rhyme and how to turn pages in a book. Here is a small collection of photos from the weekend. Thanks for a great visit Grandma!
The alliance was out in full force this Halloween weekend. We attended a baby Halloween party with Oscar. And, we even got a baby sitter and went out to a great adult party hosted by our friends Tricia and David.
We took a long weekend and went to Oregon to visit Jo and Frank. It has been several months since Jo has seen Oscar an even longer for my dad. Oscar was more interactive this visit and I am certain he stole their hearts even more this trip. We had a great time going for walks, playing, and just relaxing. The weather was good and one day we went for a long family drive over Mckenzie Pass and saw some really awe inspiring scenery.
A view at McKenzie Pass, the picture doesn't even capture what the lava fields look like. It was truly a sight to see.
We seized the sunny October day and found our way to Fall City Farm for a little fall fun. The three of us were joined by Jenn and Noah for the afternoon. Not only did we find pumpkins in the patch we enjoyed listening and dancing to the Toucans Steel Drum Band. These pictures are all pretty fun, but the first is my favorite. Enjoy!
A couple weeks ago we got Oscar an egg shaker toy from a music shop. He likes it and I think he might even be able to keep a beat...if he does not drop it.
The one thing that has really fallen by the wayside since Oscar came along has been regular exercise. Now that Oscar is a little older, we are starting to get back into the habit of regular workouts. It's still really hard but important to do. This Saturday we finally made it to the morning kickboxing class. We brought Oscar along and he was great. Everyone loved meeting him and he even worked out with us.
The whole family once again braved the back country and went for a serious hike. We hiked 7 miles round trip to Spray Park on Mt. Rainier. It was a warm day and Oscar was very talkative the whole time. On the way up, there many streams and Oscar loved to sit and listen to them. We had great views of Mt. Rainier and there were even some wild flowers still around. A great day to be outside!
Here are some photos from the hike. You can see them all at:
Oscar doesn’t laugh very often, but when he does, we are beside ourselves with joy.The things he finds funny are random, slurping an iced drink, dancing and singing in the kitchen, and funny faces.He sometimes waits for us to acknowledge him and then lets out his little laugh.Here is a quick video of his beautiful laugh - enjoy!
Oscar got to take his first swim! We went to the Coleman pool in West Seattle which is a salt water pool. Oscar was a little taken aback at first but then really enjoyed playing in the water.
