Baumgartner Christmas 09

Despite Ray's schedule, we did get to do one family Christmas- and, fortunately, even overlapped with my brother Steve's family. With this many pilots around, that's decent.

I'll warn you now, there are a lot of photos- most of them hiding behind this link.


Aunt Missy insisted that Eamon open one present early. He didn't object - and finally started to figure out the whole "tearing off paper" concept. Given what he can do to my magazines, I would have thought that was a natural talent.


WE ladies put on a good spread, if I have to say so myself. We won't discuss the debate over how "done" a roast should be (not at all, in my opinion). Ray, unfortunately, missed it due to some stomach ailment. He also missed mass, if an hour spent in the cry room counts as such. You'll note that he made it back in time for gifts...barely.
Eamon used his newfound talents to help his aunt out. And we discovered that separating a baby and shiny wrapping paper is harder than you'd think.
Kilroy was here. And Ray's gift was tall.
Ahh, a garden claw. Compost, beware!
Eamon found another box...
Steven continued tradition...
...(2005). Good thing the bows got bigger.
Steven's mother also continued traditons (nice pig, Dad!). Note the boys playing in the background... all the closer pics I tried to get of this were blurry for some reason (huh), but E really liked hanging out with his cousins. And I've never seen teenagers fight to sit in the middle seat of a Civic (next to E) before!
Eamon rapidly got better at unwrapping.
And I realized that my gift (a two-person zero-degree sleeping bag!) provides hours of family entertainment.
Of course, so did some of Eamon's...
They did eventually let him have it.

This one... Ray and I are still playing with. We're well trained to fetch balls as they fly through the air. Eamon likes it, too..
..but was also quite happy with this.
One last present, that, like many of the Christmas traditions, Eamon will be growing into. It has been a great holiday - thanks to all of you for the cards, wishes, food, and presents! I'm sad that we didn't get to see so many of our family and friends this year, but we are thinking of all of you. I hope everyone did have a good holiday!!