random stenbakken: 2009 Family Update

If the theme of this year's card is eluding you, think "Tchaikovsky" … and if that doesn't do it, think "Sugar Plum Fairy" … and if that doesn't do it, here it is: Finn is the Nutcracker.

Woo hoo! 2009 is just about done. Where did it go? Ah, right. Diaper changes. Midnight bottle feedings. Diaper blowouts. Baths. Repeat. The good news is He's turning into a little boy -- and a pretty good one too.

Yes. Finn Christian Stenbakken is the big news of the year. Born Jan. 19 in the usual way. Alien cone head went back to normal within an hour or so, but made for some great dramatic photo ops. Those'll be handy when he starts dating. Gelerie took four months off work for maternity leave and we all enjoyed that. She went back to work "part time" (that is, about 40 - 50 hours a week) and is still enjoying her work in the Fort Collins group. We still live in Greeley though.

Aubrey is enjoying first grade and is now sooo much older than the kindergartners. In June, Aubrey, Finn, and Gelerie visited family in California. Aubrey got to go to Disney (do they make traps for mice that big?). Daddy had to stay and work. In other Aubrey news, she's now riding her bike without training wheels. Four wheels to two … then back to four as a teenager *sigh*.

We tried camping in the Westy at Mount Rushmore. Hmmm. Let's just say that I now recommend children be over six months old before you attempt to sleep in a very small, enclosed space. So that vacation was shorter than we'd planned. We're looking forward to this summer when he's more like 18 months old. Glenwood Springs in the fall was great, though. Finn did much better (and so did the rest of us as a result). We all loved the warm water and had fantastic Colorado fall weather.

We had a great harvest of cherries, by far the best so far. Apples were good this fall too (Galas and Red Delicious). We now have a great supply of home made applesauce. Good thing Finn likes it too.

Erik is still doing the photography thing. Work is slower than last year (no surprise, the economy what it is). I'm now getting my toes into video. We'll see where that goes. I finally got out and did a 14er again (that is, a mountain over 14,000 ft high). I did two at once with Stan Kahler [Grays and Torreys in mid Oct.]

There's this funny story about Craigslist and child seats…

And the rest of the photos are pretty much self-explanatory. And before Child Protective Services calls, that black eye is Aubrey as self-painted kitty (see the ears above her eyes?) Her friend, Sofia is a, um, different animal. Enjoy. Drop us a line.