Did I mention that Miranda has a rat?

His name is Bob.He's a Fancy. (You know, the type of rat. As opposed to Everyday.?) And Sandy absolutely adores him.

Sandy's Uncle Leon and Aunt Sally...

... came down from PA to see everybody in Washington, DC.

Peter apparently takes meeting them very seriously.

Washington, DC

I know it has been a while since I've posted...a good part of the break included a trip to Washington, DC. My parents have been going to a conference every January for the last 15(?) years, and they usually take a grandchild. They took Jackson, and since it was the last time, Sandy took Peter and Miranda, so they could get a DC trip under their belts also.

They visited most of the monuments on the mall, went up the Washington, tried--but couldn't--visit the White House, went to the International Spy Museum (I think the favorite of both of them), the mint--to watch money printed--and the Natural History Museum.

Sandy, Miranda, and Peter are home. Jackson remains with his grandparents and Uncle Paul and Aunt Pat. I believe they went to Mount Vernon today.

Merry Christmas

(on the Orthodox calendar--tomorrow; on the Armenian Apostolic Church calendar--today)

Peter's been smiling a lot lately, so we caught quite a little string of big smiles.

What we count as his first smile actually came on Christmas day (Western Church calendar).

The Year, In White, Gets Underway

We spent New Year's Eve and Day at Snoqualmie Pass with some friends from church. The snow was deep and powdery, and even though there were several thousand people within a one-mile radius of us, "our" sledding place (we've gone several times), which was about a 1/2 mile drive from our house, was practically empty.

Who doesn't love holiday bowling?

I know these are a little blurry, but that just adds to the drama, doesn't it?

Jackson and Miranda

drumming and resting.

Our After Christmas Celebration

The Mylars came from Utah for Peter's baptism, and Marsha, Glen, Geoffrey, Melanie and Tucker came over the Friday before, so we had a little After Christmas get-together.

Jessica and Peter.

This is the All Hat Team. Everybody is wearing his/her hat, all of which were handknit by Mim.