Ranger is asleep in the car behind me, having just arrived back at the house after a trip to the National Zoo in D.C. I will post photos till he wakes up. Hope you enjoy.
(Note: Sorry for the lack of chronological order. Apparently, posting from one's phone has its limitations.)
Family dinner. Clockwise from far left: Sarah, Grandpa John, Shao, Shao's girlfriend Liz, Ayla, Meg, Scott, Dave
Scouting for the Christmas tree. L to R: Zongmin, Meg (in background), Ranger, Grandpa John
Rudolph gets a smooch from Brick
On the second day of Christmas... two turtle cousins, Elizabeth and Ranger.
On the flight out, the baby sitter watches the kids... I mean, the kids watch the baby sitter.
Niece Elizabeth with Aunt Meg.
Fikru at the wheel with Elizabeth riding, at the National Zoo in Washington, D.C.
(Uncle Fikru lived with Meg and family when Meg and Sarah were girls, and has been a close family friend for many, many years. I believe that John and Judy knew Fikru and his family when they lived in Ethiopia.)
Three small-toothed otters at the National Zoo in D.C.
The Christmas Eve children's service at John and Zongmin's church. Note the kids "on stage" performing the story of Jesus's birth. The girls in white are the angels announcing His coming. Ayla cried when the play stopped, because she didn't want it to end. (She LOVED that kids were performing. Quite cute.)
Fikru, wishing that the Tinkertoys had been for him.
A cute family of vampires, walking the neighborhood at night to find cool Christmas lights.
For Christmas, Santa gave Meg and me a panda bear.
The day before we headed East, we met up with our good friends, Jesse and Vivian, and their son, Ben (pictured with Ayla and Ranger), for a Christmas brunch at the Hyatt in downtown San Francisco. We plopped the kids in Santa's chair for a photo opportunity when Santa left to send a quick text to Mrs. Claus.
Aunt Sarah and Niece Spider Ayla, in holiday garb.
Bad guys, you better take your holiday shenanigans elsewhere, 'cause this dynamic duo is about to clean up this two-bit town.
A rare sighting of the Christmas cider monkey, at a Virginia Christmas tree farm.
The Christmas tree farm had baby bunnies. Cutest. Thing. Ever.
The Deacles (Dave, Scott, Sarah, Elizabeht) show off our many-antlered Christmas tree, after an exhausting yet exhilarating hunt.
Zongmin and Elizabeth get some cuddles in.
Even while sleeping, Dave manages to absorb more precise scientific facts about dinosaurs.
What, one photo of Ranger with a baby bunny was enough for you?
Dave can't yet read, but he does memorize books after the first or second time you read them to him, so, here is Cousin Dave, reading 'Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?" to Cousin Ranger. Excuse me a moment. I'm a little veklempt. (Editor's correction: According to reliable parental sources, Dave apparently memorizes "by the 100th reading," not the first. Luckily, parents love repetition, too.)
Christmas morning. L to R: Aunt Sarah, Cousin Elizabeth, Cousin Dave, Ranger, Ayla, Meg.
Elizbeth pulls herself up the coffee table, to get a better view of her cousin, Ranger, and the sparkly Christmas tree.
Zongmin takes a photo of a savage lion in its natural habitat, on Christmas morning.
A little blurriness and a lot of cute. (Makes me want to run downstairs and pinch Elizabeth's chubby cheeks right now.)
Aging lions wear pinstripes and glasses. Rrraawwrr.
A Ranger caterpillar prepares to emerge from his cocoon.
"Der ee is."
Uncle Scott, Dave, and Ranger enjoy a moment at the playground across the street from John and Zongmin's soon-to-be-new home, in Alexandria, Virginia.
Ayla meets The Big Man for the very first time.
Asian elephant, at the National Zoo in D.C.
Watching the Christmas play on Christmas Eve, at John and Zongmin's church.
Ayla, Grandpa, Ranger, and Lau Lau relax in the basement after some energetic play time.
Uncle Shao and his girlfriend Liz, with a content Bucky Dog.
Ayla, entranced by the kids performing the story of the birth of Jesus, at the children's service on Christmas Eve. (She cried when it was over, because she wanted to meet some of the kids in the play and wasn't able to.)
Dave and Ranger play behind the tree.
Panda Girl having a blast at the National Zoo in D.C.
Ayla, Brick, and Dave take a brief time-out from Christmas tree hunting to pose for the camera.
Ayla and Dave check out the Asian elephants at the National Zoo in D.C.
Meg is cute. :^)
Dave familiarizes himself with his very first Tinkertoy set, on Christmas morning.
Too cute. The Deacles, L to R: Sarah, Elizabeth, Scott, and David.
Dave helps Dad haul the Christmas tree up the hill for wrapping and car-tying.
Grandpa John and his two granddaughters, Elizabeth and Ayla, at the end of our trip the the National Zoo in D.C.
Sisters Sarah and Meg with their baby bundles.
Brick and Zongmin, on a cider break at the Christmas tree farm.
