Amelia is officially two! So hard to believe. She's a great talker (proof she is a Kemp!), runs around on six-cylinders, and keeps us on our toes.
For a nice weekend away from the East Bay, Stu (Nancy)
came and picked me (Amanda) up from school and headed
on our adventure to San Francisco. We first stopped
in Sausalito, the adorable town on the other side of
the Golden Gate Bridge for some lunch and then
continued our way to the city. After a full day in
Union Square shopping and exploring, we went down to
Fisherman's Wharf for some great food and (of course) a
Ghiradeli sundae. The next day we had a delicious
breakfast at Mama's ( a MUST for any San Francisco
visitor), drove down Lombard Street, and went over to
the Golden Gate Park. These pictures are those from
the beautiful Japanese Tea Garden inside the park.
Hmmm.... Any guesses as to which historical location recruited Emily away from Colonial Williamsburg????
Jimmy was in L.A., speaking at the Rose Bowl, and made a stopover with college friend, Travis, to visit the new Hummel house in Woodland Hills. Travis finally figured out Rob's cell phone in order to capture the moment. The hallway and hallway gate were a big hit. Then Jimmy and Travis continued down Topanga Canyon to visit Jon, Gina, and Miss Maddie in Santa Monica.
Amelia insists on doing things by herself these days. Can you tell we are about to enter the wonderful world of two-year-olds?! Well, sometimes we were outside, sitting by the beautiful bay communing with nature (see previous post). And other times we were busy with things of an electronic nature....
Well, here is the Hummel entry to Julianna's request for Christmas photos. We rented a house on Chincoteague Island in Virginia. Rob and I had a few days there by ourselves while Em and Claire spent time together in Williamsburg. After Em got off work on Christmas day, she and Claire drove through a rain storm to get to the island. But it was wonderful and beautiful and full of happiness.
Amelia and Maddie wanted to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas! They had a great time opening presents and hope you all did too. 
Today on the OpinionJournal, John Fund writes about the 50th Anniversary of the Hungarian Revolution. He quotes James Michener as saying, "It was at that moment many Americans fully grasped the evil of Communism."
This of course reminded me of Jake Boritt's project. I haven’t heard an update from Jake in a while, but assume he is nearing completion. Does anyone know how it is going? The preview is on YouTube.
I also remember the event that uncle Tom and Jack hosted in
We just got back from Hungary yesterday - the US Embassy screened the film at 4 cities around Hungary. The film is not 100 % finished. I am actually reediting some sections right now. But we didn't want to miss the opportunity to screen in Hungary during the 50th anniversary nor pass up the Embassy invite. It went very well. The Oct. 23 celebrations were marred by the riots - my dad and I actually got caught in the middle of some of the action - tear gas, rubber bullets and molotov cocktails. I filmed it so that may now have to be cut into the film. All in all it was very interesting.
I am planning on writing an update on the project shortly - I'll email to you and post it on the website. Finsihing the film and the Hungary trip has kept me very busy. Still have some funraising to do to complete the last stages of the film.
Jack was planning to host another fundraising party - in November in DC at the Hungarian Embassy -though the original date was changed and I haven't heard the new date yet. I'll keep you posted.
I still miss Tom a lot - miss conversations with him - he was planning on coming to Hungary for this past trip. I'm sure he was there in spirit.
Amelia is doing all she can to help rally the Tar Heels to a win on the football field. Her efforts are strong, but it's an uphill battle, as Carolina is surely struggling this season. If games could be won on the cuteness of a team's fans, the Heels just might have a chance!
We just got back from a wonderful trip home. Lee was in Los Angeles for the X Games, so the Brinson girls headed south to Irvine for some fun with Grandma and Grandpa! 
Tim Brock (center) and his friend Jeff Kryka (left) are in Hollywood for the Young Film Composers' Conference. Jeff is a finalist in the competition which will be decided tonight. Rob and Anne dragged them both off to see some magic at the Magic Castle, which was only a couple of blocks from their hotel. Tim recognized it as the "Gothic Castle" spoofed in "Arrested Development." Great to see Tim again!
