Tuesday, December 8, 2009

2009 Christmas Letter

We decided to post our Christmas Letter on our blog this year. I've put some links in the letter to take you to older posts from the year. Simply click on one of them to read more about that event. Enjoy!

Merry Christmas from the Hilgendorf’s!

Kyle-This year Kyle turned 30! His gifts included tickets to the US Senior Open in Carmel, and he finally got to go on a tour of Wrigley Field. He loved seeing the Cubs press box, clubhouse, dugout, and stepping onto the field. Kyle is still working at Eli Lilly after 8 years there and things are going pretty well. Right now Kyle is trying to heal from a broken foot that he got from playing football with the high schoolers!

Krista-I am very much enjoying being a stay-at-home mom with Ryne. I love getting to spend each day with him and seeing how he is learning and growing. I am also involved with some women’s programs at my church during the week. Kyle and I continue to work with the youth group at our church and have been able to go on a few trips with them this year.

Ryne-On to our sweet Ryne James…As I looked back over pictures and blogs from the last year, I am amazed at how much Ryne has changed. He started out the year just beginning to crawl. In June he started taking his first steps and now runs everywhere. He also has a very extensive vocabulary. Ryne LOVES his grandparents and can’t get enough of his “Papas and Mamas”. In May we celebrated Ryne’s 1st birthday with a Sesame Street party. Little did we know how much he would grow to love Elmo! In June, Ryne got to attend his first Cubs game (although it was in Cincinnati). Ryne made it until the 9th inning and stayed up until almost 10:30 that night!

Dogs-This year we unfortunately had to get rid of one of our dogs, Sammy. She was having lots of trouble getting along with our other dog Chloe. Fortunately, Sammy has been adopted by another family and we pray that she is enjoying her new home.

Family-This January we welcomed our newest niece, Penelope, into the family. She and Ryne are becoming great friends. We now have 4 nieces and nephews: Titus, Ellie, Addison, and Penny. This past August my sister and her family moved to Germany to do mission work at a school. They are dorm parents for 25 high school boys who are children of missionaries. Kyle, Ryne, and I will be going to visit them for Christmas. It will be Ryne’s 1st plane ride and should be an adventure!


We always love this time of year to receive pictures and letters in the mail from our friends that we have not seen or spoken to in quite some time. May God bless you and your families this holiday season and into 2010. We love you all.

Kyle, Krista, and Ryne

Friday, November 27, 2009

Ryne and Ellie High 5, Hug, Kiss

Cousins Ryne and Ellie have been hanging out this weekend for Thanksgiving. It's been awhile since they have been together but they have become great friends. Here is a fun video snapped during some playtime.

Thursday, November 26, 2009

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving to all of our family and friends! We are so thankful for all of you. God has been incredibly good to us and our family. Last night the 3 of us took some time to build a thankful tree. We each took turns writing down what we were thankful for and tying them to the tree. Ryne didn't quite understand what was going on, but he was thankful for Papas, Mamas, and "George/Thomas/Elmo". Here are a couple of pictures.




Saturday, October 31, 2009

Family Time at the ZooBoo

The Indianapolis Zoo has their "ZooBoo" event every year leading up to Halloween. We went as a family and also were joined by Kyle's sister Emily and our niece Penny. Here are some pictures and a video from the day.


Kyle and Emily with Ryne and Penny
From Oct. 2009

In front of the sea lions
From Oct. 2009

Shark Petting!
From Oct. 2009

Ryne and Penny
From Oct. 2009

One of his new favorite words, "Pumpkins!"
From Oct. 2009

Giraffes
From Oct. 2009

Ryne didn't quite know what to think.
From Oct. 2009

Getting candy from one of the trick or treat stations around the zoo.
From Oct. 2009

The highlight of his day, the Hay Maze. Video follows with clips from the maze and his time on the playground.
From Oct. 2009


Tuesday, October 27, 2009

Trunk or Treat

Sunday we went to the annual "Trunk or Treat" at our church. This involves several of the high school and junior high students decorating the trunks of their cars and handing out candy to the little kids. Here are some videos and pictures of Ryne's experience. After about 3 cars he got the hang of it and literally became a candy snatching machine.

From Oct. 2009

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From Oct. 2009
Getting the hang of it!


From Oct. 2009

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From Oct. 2009
Sharing with cousin Penny.


From Oct. 2009
At home with his stuffed Tigger.

Saturday, October 24, 2009

Ryne and Jackson Piano Time

Last weekend we went to Cincinnati to celebrate Jenny's 30th birthday. Their son Jackson and Ryne get along great and had a lot of fun together, especially practicing the piano!

Tuesday, October 20, 2009

Fall is Here!

Fall is my (Krista) favorite season. We have had a chance to enjoy the weather and do some fun fall activities. Here are a few pictures of the season so far:
From Oct. 2009
Stuckey Farms with Grandma and Grandpa P.

From Oct. 2009
Ryne loves the tractors!

From Oct. 2009
First wagon ride.

From Oct. 2009
Picking pumpkins at Bales Farm.

From Oct. 2009

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First hayride!

From Oct. 2009
Church friends at Bales Farm.

From Oct. 2009