2009 Christmas Letter

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year!

As we reflect back over the year, we have much to be grateful for. We are most grateful for the safe arrival of our little boy, L, born on July 4. He is such a sweet gift. At 5-1/2 months already, he is incredibly busy. He LOVES the dogs. We are bracing ourselves for when he is mobile & can actually get to them on his own! It is amazing how one little person can utterly change your life. As I recently read, “I kind of resemble me, and sometimes I sound like me, but this new person has lost all sense of fashion and vocabulary.” As a new mom, I am overwhelmed by the love I have for this little boy…my heart walking around on the outside as my mom says. We are enjoying Levi immensely. You can read more about him & the fun things he is continually learning throughout this blog.

We had a lot of fun visiting lots of friends & family early in the year, before my belly got too big to comfortably fly or drive anywhere! L has definitely slowed us down, which is a good thing. We are enjoying the comfort of our home and our friends and family for whom we are so grateful. We continue to be overwhelmed with the kindness & generosity expressed towards us both before & after L arrived.

Everyone asks us, “How are Syd & Max responding to Levi?” The answer is that they don’t pay him much attention yet. They definitely notice him, especially when he’s eating his cereal. But as soon as L figures out he can give the dogs food, they will be his new best friends.

In other news (IS there other news??), The Viewfinder Project is going strong. We continue to conduct models throughout the city and are working to run a model in South Africa in 2010, which is really exciting. The website is www.theviewfinderproject.org.

The Ball Project (www.ballproject.com) is going well. K continues to get balls to communities around the world thanks to the support of many of you!

We look forward to 2010 and the adventures the year holds. (K turns 40 and L turns one within a week of each other!) We are excited to introduce L to you in person in the months & years to come.

All our love,

K, M, and L (and of course Syd & Max the Wonderdogs)

Santa Claus?

As we anticipate the arrival of Christmas in less than a week, a question has been raised that I would love to hear your thoughts on: Will we let Levi believe in Santa Claus and to what extent?

So my question to you: Would you promote the presence of Santa Claus in your families? Why or why not? Whether you speak from your own experience as a kid or if you speak as a parent, it doesn't matter to me. I just want to hear what you think.

We have our own ideas on this and know where we're leading but I'm curious how other families have handled this. Let us know!

mb

Updates from Sanibel

We have now been in Sanibel for over a week and are loving it! Our place is coming together...we even hosted K's parents over Thanksgiving and two friends from Idaho this last week. We're enjoying the warm weather and spending some time just the three of us.

mb + k

5 Months Old (almost)

L is quickly approaching his 5-month birthday which is crazy to me. He is so darn cute. Recent developments include: eating rice cereal (first attempt was on Oct 31 but over the last month he can legitimately EAT it, swallowing and everything), holding himself up while on his belly (see photo), starting to sit up (can lean on his arms while sitting up for short periods until he folds forward or falls sideways), holding his bottle while eating, continuing to improve his grasping skills, and laughing like a little boy. I love it. We'll sing "Itsy Bitsy Spider" and he closes his eyes and opens his mouth anticipating a tickle or the "rain" coming down (our fingers running from his head down his face). So cute. Enjoy the photos!