Holiday Hello

Olivia with her little swing.

David and Ben at Virginia Beach

The spectacular Grand Canyon!



Merry Christmas from Pine Hill!

I hope you and yours have had a wonderful year! It has been active at exciting in Nashville (and elsewhere, as in the Grand Canyon photo above) this year. We have traveled a lot of places in this great country and have had a lot of fun at home as well. Here is some news and a few snapshots of the highlights.

Ben is now 12 and in the seventh grade at Bellevue Middle School. We are really proud of him and his accomplishments. He still plays the violin and takes lots of hikes in the woods. He is great with his little sister, and did not wind up moving into his tree house, which is what he said he would do when she was born. Of course, since I've said they do well together, she is now throwing a fit on the floor while Ben tries to watch TV. I am also dreading March 24, when we will suddenly have a teenager and wonder what we were thinking. I saw a bumper sticker that said "Teenagers are the reason some species eat their young." I remember thinking that it could be a bitter meal! Ben is a great kid, and I really hope we make it through the next few years with a little color left in our hair!

Olivia is VERY 2! She has a lot of personality and talks all the time now. Most frequently heard Olivia-isms are "Wet go!" "What are you doing? ... Oh!" and " 'top it!" She loves to go outside and "Fwing" on her little swingset and play in the sand in her play yard. Mom still keeps her some, but O goes to daycare about 3 days a week, because we all need a rest.

This year included trips to Minnesota and Wisconsin, Virginia Beach, Saguaro National Park and the Grand Canyon. We have gotten to see some really wonderful scenery and wildlife. Not least on that list is the bald eagle we saw from the kitchen window this fall. After a terribly dry and hot summer, we were treated to spectacular fall foliage. Our house is surrounded by trees, and the leaves have been just gorgeous!

David is still traveling and teaching. He is really busy with a new product, the Labquest, that has come out this year. The book that we wrote earlier received a teacher's choice award, which means a lot to us. David is working now to adapt it for use with the Labquest, and we are hopeful that its popularity will continue. I am teaching first grade at Charlotte Park Elementary School. I am really enjoying having the same schedule as Ben and being able to travel with David in the summers.

That's the news from Pine Hill!

We hope the Christmas season finds you enjoying life and family!

Marti, David, Ben, and Olivia