Family Time

Earlier tonight we enjoyed Christmas together with one son’s family who've been in Oregon for a week or so. We’ll look forward to a celebration with the other son’s family when they get back home to Oregon from California where they are enjoying the holidays.

Pictured is grandson NJ, looking dapper and a little "preppy" in a new outfit. He zoomed around our condo pushing his portable, interactive “gadget pack” that has music, toys and a phone – a Christmas gift from Grandma and Grandpa. The boy is a gadget-lover to be sure, and now he can “take them with him”. Click on the pic for a larger image; his eyes reveal the fun he's having.

Nothing like Christmas time with family for this grandpa who’s still full from dinner and grandma’s incredible home-made apple pie.

A Very Merry Christmas To You

Merry Christmas!

Raphael's "Nativity" gives us the real story of Christmas -- the Incarnation.

Budding Photographer?

The photo above was taken yesterday by grandson NJ. It's his view of the family Christmas tree from his vantage point on my lap.

As I've mentioned before, he loves anything electronic, and our camera falls perfectly into that category. He watched Kay Lynne and I taking pictures and wanted to try it out himself. He's 15 months old. Not bad, I'd say. He may be a natural.

After the camera fun, he climbed back onto my lap to check out my computer case (which he's tightly holding under his arm in the pic at left). He was hoping there'd be something more of the "blinking lights and push button" variety in there. O, btw, he also gave Grandma his "cute" pose for the pic.

Hayley’s Christmas School Band Concert

Oregon’s Chehalem Valley Middle School music students took on a big challenge by playing some difficult musical pieces Tuesday evening, but they came through with flying colors in a magnificent performance.

We drove down during the day so we could see the concert and our seventh-grade granddaughter, Hayley, (above) who is first-chair clarinet in the Advanced Band. The concert also included performances by the combined Intermediate Bands (Chehalem and Mountain View Middle School), the CVMS Choir and the combined Intermediate and Advanced Strings.

As I have mentioned in previous posts, this school district has one of the strongest music programs at the Middle School level in the entire Pacific Northwest. The bands are directed by David Sanders, and the Strings and Choir are directed by Gwen Gilbertson. Very difficult renditions included Leroy Anderson’s arrangement of Sleigh Ride by the Advanced Band and Robert W. Smith’s The Children’s Carols by the Combined Strings.

Above is the Advanced Band during its performance. Hayley is in the front row, second from left. Thanks to our son, Gregg, for the nice photos.