sledding!

fun time sledding with amy, edward and annik. we just had to try out Oren's new snow suit, and there is no waiting around for snow in this town. Hopefully it still fits him next year too!

PAM visit

We went to the Portland Art Museum a couple weekends ago to see the Mark Rothko exhibit. So nice, even if we took turns chasing O around the sculpture court most of the time, it was also fun to talk about 'paintings, shapes, and colors' with him. and a picnic with friends in the park afterward was great too!

belated - oren's 2nd birthday!

It was all about trains!

To begin with, Peggy made not one but TWO amazing train cakes! so impressive, and tasty too. Oren loved them, and even blew out the candles!
We all had a great time with family and friends, and I think even the adults enjoyed themselves.

Activities for the kiddos. Ian built this long low table. It worked perfectly!

Oren driving his trains down the tracks.

decorating the tree!

oren was such a good helper! until he realized it's just as fun to pull ornaments OFF as to put them on the tree. :-)

a few fun things...

Mt. hood harvest festival - late October

to say oren likes tractors right now would be a gross understatement.

ditto with trains... this is on the portland streetcar.

In early november we spent a long weekend at the coast...

oren's 1st taste of apple pie - even though he's been talking about apple pie since we went apple picking in October. so cute to hear him say 'apple pie'. he really liked it. :-)

oops...

so... i'm a little overdue on a post...big big apologies. seems like i can't get caught up on so many things. but i know you all understand, right? :-\

we are prepping for a great thanksgiving with family and friends this year, although i'm feeling rather bittersweet - missing my own family so so much lately. i wish fun times and full bellies to all...and wish we could all be together.

xoxo

hanging out at home

oren sometimes says 'nice' when we sit back in the chairs. just like his momma does. :-)

love the cousins!

we just spent a weekend in manzanita with the rest of the gelbrichs. nathan and aidan were so amazing with oren...so very sweet and patient and willing to play with him. they are such good boys and oren was so taken with them.

a little frisbee on the beach

tired after the long weekend.

camping along the nestucca river

After two 'failed' attempts in this area last year, we finally made it work. This trip was great - the weather was beautiful and edward, amy and annik were able to join us. so fun!

edward & annik - in for a swim

lucy chasing sticks.

best thing about camping - tent pillow fight!! :-)

I'm looking forward to our next trip over labor day with shem, noelle and elijah.

one more...

he's just growing up so fast.

summer fun

it's been a busy summer - but lots of fun time spent with friends and family.

happy day.

wallowa lake

i've been hoping to visit this area again since i was in wallowa county doing the courthouse assessments several years ago.

deer in our campsite!!

helping ian pick up firewood

i had to fight him for my share!

oren & ian fishing

pool party!

helping sarah fill the pool while house & dog sitting for Ron and Peggy. this was so much fun! oren had a ball belly-flopping into the pool. he would throw out a ball or frisbee as an excuse to get out of the pool, throw it back in, and then dive in on top of it. he even came up laughing after getting a face-full of water several times.

the way lucy is eyeing oscar's ball, i guess it was a goner from the start

such a cute photo of oscar... do you think the dogs want something?

oren and elijah hanging out in the bottom of the bookcase