When you are through here, you might want to read the
2005 Winter Letter or the 2007 Winter Letter

Greetings Everyone! Happy Winter!

Nick and I have had a really fun year with action packed adventures around every corner. I don't know that we have gotten any more sleep this year than last, and there is not a day that goes by without a new challenge but we are all doing great, digging life and trying to have fun along the way.

The boys are such inspiration and joy (loud and wild at times too) we are truly fortunate and blessed and are thankful for it all!

We wish everyone in our circle of friends and family yet another year of love and laughter. May peace be with you and joy dance in your hearts.

Amy, Nick, Owen and Myles
Bela & Bandito

Owen

Owen turned 6 in November. Still quite the train enthusiast-he continues to run to the window to count "mocolotives" every time he hears one coming. As he and li'l brother stand on the arm of the chair to watch-he instructs Myles on the finer points of trains and their engineering.

It's been a big year of growing-over 4 inches this year and losing our first 2 teeth and now growing a crazy hairdo (inspired by our teenage neighbor who is a kewl skater). Owen has also gotten into music, dancing, banging on the drums, and singing at the top of his lungs and asks for a daily craft project. He is great on the computer and just recently announced he is ready for his own laptop. (We'll ask Santa to get right on that one...)

School work is good for Owen when its hands on! (Tactile learner.) We aren't reading yet, but he shows strengths in math and science. And if it's outside its all good-We had several backyard adventures this summer while we watched caterpillar eggs, larva, chrysalis and then adults emerge and fly away, we were visited by a turtle, tree frogs, a garter snake, and the resident toad and wolf spider at the sandbox. He is a very bright guy and is getting along well-now if we can just find some kids to play with!

Myles

Myles just turned 2 on November 30th. We never experienced "terrible twos" with Owen-so Myles is making up for it! He isn't terrible by any means he's just quick, enthusiastic, determined, stubborn, loud and can climb a bookshelf to the ceiling in less than a minute.

The really cool thing with the second child is that with an older sibling coaching, they learn things so much faster than the first child. (Or so it seems) Myles is learning his ABCs and counting just from listening to Owen and I go over them. I'm impressed by that.

He's really starting to talk now and its fun. He is very expressive and means everything he says! (And he swings from the curtain rod in the window!) I admire his ability to love everything-he kisses pictures of babies and hugs his baby doll often and is usually cooing and being cute. From the flip side of King Kong-it's why we call him Sweet Loulie Bear!

But beware-when King Kong shows up-it's on! He can single handedly destroy a room and its contents in less than 5 minutes. Throw himself to the floor kicking and screaming and can throw a heavy object quite far. I like to call him intriguingly versatile!

(We learn why we go through so much toilet paper...)

Amy

I graduated from the Alexandria School of Scientific Therapeutics in June and have been doing massage in the evenings and on weekends. It's going well; I enjoy the work and I have a few regular clients now. I am eager to learn more types of therapy and body work-because it's all been so interesting and helpful to many. I also worked this summer teaching Science Camp for the Community Education Coalition and continue to drive the "Galileo Science Mobile" for them when I can. Nick and I had fun working together on a project called "The Amazing Science Race" in October. It was a cross between a scavenger hunt and a science fair made just for families- It was fun shooting off water rockets, carving airplane wings, making catapult boats etc. while getting paid to do so!

I have been home schooling Owen this year, as he would have started kindergarten in August. There is not enough time or space here to write all that it entails. It has been fun, easy, challenging, dismal, refreshing, stressful, overwhelming, exciting, and fulfilling and the list goes on and on. We have great days and we have not so great days-and going to 1st grade here is not out of the question. I have recently volunteered to teach our home school group once a month at the library. I'm trying to build a network of support for other overwhelmed moms and Owen needs some social interaction with other kids his age. So far it's been positive-I hope it continues to build. We also are trying to find some outside programs to attend but most sports and clubs outside of school don't start until you are about 7 years old. Perhaps next year, cub scouts, mini 4H and a sport will help. I promised to give home schooling a try-as it is such an ideal situation, but its proving to be difficult with limited time and resources. We will see how we feel next August! Until then I will just keep on keeping on doing the best I can!

Nick

Nick is still working in Richmond with Ray doing Doxpop. Doxpop is in its 6th year and continues to grow with 8 full time employees now. It's doing well and he is pleased with the work that has been done.

Nick also has had a busy year outside of work. Besides being the best dad and husband a girl could ask for he is also a great member of our community. The call came from a neighbor asking Nick to be on the county election board, and Nick�s interest in elections has grown quite substantially since he has been working with government. So he decided "duty called" and he answered steady and eager- And then was baptized by fire in his first election. When the name of a candidate was left off the ballot and absentee ballots had already been cast before anyone noticed the error-he was able to make some helpful suggestions and guide the board toward a solution that both Democrats and Republicans could agree on. It was a long day-but proved successful as the results have not been questioned. And after word gets out about folks willing to help, (which takes less than 10 minutes in our town) the ball gets rolling and it wasn't long afterwards that we received another call from the town clerk asking for Nick to be on the Board of Zoning Appeals.

Nick enjoys community service and it's a labor of love for our small town. He goes to "grown up story hour" at our local library (book discussion club) and also got involved in a project there called "Portrait of Liberty" (doing website work and thanks again to the charming young men at Summersault for hosting it!) The project is made up of Miami University photography students mentoring our local high school students. They have photographed our town and people here and are turning it into a really cool historical project. You should check it out if you have a few moments! Yes, we are in the photo and no our town didn't shrink! Ha! As you can see the small town charm is still here and is being captured and saved for generations to come.

The House

The house project is still in motion. After living here for 8 years we finally got one side of the house painted! I know that doesn't sound like much but to me it was a huge step! There are still a lot of things to be done but at least we are not at a stand still anymore-we are moving forward! Hooray!

The Cats

The front porch cat population is climbing again! We are back up to 7- was 8 until a week ago-Nick and Owen bundled up and took off knocking on doors until someone claimed a small kitten that just magically appeared! We currently have 2 new kittens frolicking on our front porch enticing and tormenting the dogs! (If anyone is interested in high quality barn cats we have a great selection to choose from)

The Dogs

The dogs are doing well-Bandit turned 14 in September and Bela will be 7 in February. Bandit is showing signs of years running free at the park in her hips and seems to get along OK but I can tell she is really sore some days. Bela upholds her position as head couch boss. Still unwilling to get off the porch in the rain, barking ferociously at the cats and hogging the feed trough, she is acting middle aged! She's the kind of dog that would rather have you push her head down for a good wrestle than a good snuggle-I don't think that will ever change and its fun to watch her take the romps from King Kong.

The Future

Life here in Liberty seems to slowly crawl by, as I complain about not having a large grocery store to shop in, or no place to get a good work out, or no fantabulous programs for our kids to get involved in. Then I realize that people won't ask me how my grandpa is at Wal-Mart or tell me how great the program was that I put on at the library. I need to relearn to appreciate the high canopy of Hornbeams less than two miles from my house to get exercise in and realize my kids are still more fortunate than most of the kids in the free world. So as much as I buck at the smallness, I appreciate the slowness that allows me this time to reflect and be grateful for the amazing life I am so blessed to be able to share with Nick, the boys and lots of family and friends. Thank you all for sharing your love and friendship!

"Does this thing have brakes?"

One of those pictures you save for the High-School yearbook.

They tried to improve Dad's appearence, to no avail.

A bundle of happy energy.

Safety First! (Fashion Last?)

A simple pleasure.

"Maybe when I'm 3, they'll let me swim in the big pool."

"If I act real casual, no one ever needs to know about the chocolate..."

"My first railroad."

Our pet butterfly when he was a puppy.

*Sigh* They grow up so fast!

The flower child with the flowers he planted this spring.

Dirt makes everything better

Driver's Ed. (only 13 years 'til Myles gets a learner's permit!)

"Honest! It wasn't me! See, there are these little animals with big buck-teeth and... You aren't buying this, are you?"

Note little brother... exiled to the window ledge where he can't take anything apart.

"Dad only got a nickel for his. Something about 'aflation'..."

"I can't believe they put me in a 'King Kong' suit for halloween!"

Fortunately, vampire dentures were available to replace the tooth that fell out...

The weary revelers rest after an evening of extorting candy from the unsuspecting citizens of Liberty.

"I'll finish adjusting the fuel mixture and then let's do another dynamometer test."

A lady slipper we found on a hike.

One of the pleasures of rural living- lounging on the porch swing in pajamas.

"We're ready to go to the Dairy Inn... Who's pulling?"

A slow race across the yard

He might have a future as a mountain climber...

...Or a wrestler.

Picnic

That's a lot of egg salad in our future...

The little man being brave.

Mom & Dad get a bit eager about the picnics in early spring.

The batteries finally run down.

Practicing his extreme scooter tricks.

It's Indiana- of course he's corn-fed.

"Dad... I don't mean to be ungrateful, but this car lacks power and handling."

"Next time, it's Myle's turn to empty the chamber pot!"

"Yep, it's got a hemi."

"You didn't think Dad was typing in all these captions, did you?"

"That's right... 2 large pizzas and a liter of Jolt."

"This guy is as boring as his Dad! I make a motion to adjourn."