Merry Christmas from the Udstuens!
Once again we are making an attempt at being environmentally conscious. Although we're blogging our Christmas card...we realize that sending pictures out in the mail really defeats the well intended effort. I guess it's about making small steps in the right direction!
It's been a wonderful year in our household. Jonah and Benjamin continue to fill our lives with joy, laughter, and those challenging teachable moments. Just last night we had a lengthy conversation at the dinner table about burps...what kind of burps were polite, what kinds were inappropriate. Of course this conversation was prompted by one of the inappropriate ones. (I had no idea a 4 year old could put out such an impressive belch!)
Jonah is in his second year of preschool. Passionate and enthusiastic are the first words that come to mind to describe him. His preschool teacher says "he always has something he wants to share with the class". (We're educators, we know the translation: "Your kid never stops talking".) But we're happy to see him enjoying the activities in his life. Over the last two years a number of people have told us we should enroll him in a gymnastics/tumbling class. Now that he has mastered full front flips on the couch...we're thinking they may be right. Jonah turns five in January and will start kindergarten at the "big school" next year.
Benjamin transformed from a easygoing, quiet 1 year old to an easygoing LOUD 2 year old. It's the strangest combination. He will give you the sweetest smile and bellow like a drill sergeant, "I LOVE YOU MOM AND DAD!!!" Other loves for Benjamin include tractors, trucks, and those rain boots in our Christmas picture above. He discovered them this summer in his cousin Marcus' suitcase. Fortunately they were too big for Marcus, because Ben wore them everywhere for the next 3 months. They were a great conversation piece at church!
Mark and Rachel continue to enjoy their jobs, as well as life outside their work. Although we enjoy our date nights, nothing beats an evening with the kids in the hammock watching the sun "go to sleep". Life continues to be great!
Merry Christmas and best wishes for 2009!
