snapshot of explorers

@ Grampa Bob's back lot.  

the life and times...

Here is what has been going on in our life according to my iPhone:

 Face plant!  Can't keep this boy out of the trees.

Portrait by Wally.

An inquisitive patient.

Completely amazing Coldplay concert. 

 Auntie Lisa comes to visit in Sunriver!

 Why not slice your thumb open, drive yourself to urgent care and get six stitches the first day of moving? For a bonus get your tetanus and pertussis shot, no chance of whooping cough here!

 The strangest rainbow out my window, flat and wispy like the Northern Lights.

 A weekend in Gig Harbor to celebrate our soon to be new cousin!

 Talented Gramma's quilt for baby.

 Auntie Bridget with cute baby belly. 

 Steamers and muffins @ Strictly Organic.

 Legos.  Always.

 Sticky dessert.

 Critters in the pantry beware... Current body count: 2.  Yuck.

 My post barre3 ritual.  Kindle and a cup of tea @ Backporch.  

 Another glorious day.  Ready to wear out Grandaddy's legs!

 Goofing on Bond Street.  

 Lovely walk at Shevlin Park with Gramma and Grandaddy.

It's been a pretty busy month.  Definitely a great one!  

garden toes

I happened to notice two sets of these beauties at lunch one day after a morning of weeding (playing) in the garden.  Yikes!  I wonder how much more topsoil was deposited on the floors before I clued in!  

spring break cousins' club

"Baby Ryan" is now officially "Cousin Ryan" as he really no longer qualifies as a baby.  Now we just play as three big boy cousins together....such fun!  

festival of lights

Mara and Uncle Jonathan were finally home for some visiting and fun with the family and we were so, so glad to spend time together!  Mara's aunt Bonny and cousin Abigail, made a valiant effort to see her, driving all the way down from Tacoma for one quick pizza dinner.  And they brought crafts and games!  The kids made bees wax candles for the menorah and learned how to play dreidel.  Mara and Abigail sang the prayers and lit the candles.  It was a very special night and my boys were talking about "The Festival of Lights" for the next week straight!  Thank you, friends, for sharing your traditions with us!  

presents with family, take 2

 I was a pretty pathetic keeper of family memories this Christmas season.  We were just too busy and really trying to enjoy the moments together with family rather than obsess about pictures.  Nevermind...I was just lazy.  

Case in point.  Fritz and Wally played owls with Mara and Jon the whole time we were together.  Mara and Jon have a very magical owl named Walden that made quite an impression on the boys.  Here Fritz is showing off Baby McKenzie, a.k.a. Owlette, wearing his new magic headband.  

 Sweet Ryan letting his cousins open even his presents!  

Check out Wally's silly bandz, rockin both arms loaded up.  

A drill set and bean bag toss from Ryan, Auntie Ali and Uncle Steve.  

Darling alpaca hats and ornaments from Mara and Uncle Jonny.  

Santa mugs, tortilla press and Playmobile figures from Grandmere.  

And probably some other wonderful things I've already forgotten!  

cinderella

My Cinderella pumpkin from the Central Oregon Pumpkin Co. Patch in Terrebonne, Oregon made its way up to Vancouver, was roasted and baked into our Thanksgiving pie.  Well worth the extra effort!  This year I broke away from tradition and went with some new recipes.  I turned to what I consider to be the most reliable recipe source online, Smitten Kitchen.  Basically, I've come to the conclusion that her recipes are fail proof.  This was no exception and I will probably stick with these recipes for life (with this exception: the pumpkin filling recipe called for canned yams and I used all pumpkin.  I'm a purist.).  Read her two part series on pie crust, it is pretty enlightening...in the "duh, your great great grandmother knew what she was talking about" kind of way.  It was to date my best pie crust ever.  

And of course, there was Matty's pecan pie.  His specialty.  The only thing really missing was Jonathan.  Simply because I have such fond memories of Matt and Jonny making this pie together in years past.

We managed to escape Thanksgiving without any leftovers, except a few pieces of pie (now gone!).  That was a stupid move in that Ali and Mary made simply AMAZING THINGS that I could have and would have eaten for days.  So in that regard it was a smart move, because heaven's knows I need to stop. eating. period!  We are headed to Mexico for New Years...could there be a worse time to wear a bathing suit than post holiday gluttony and ultra white winter skin to boot?  Barre3 is going to be my constant companion in the coming month, let's hope it works!

(Have I ever put this many links in a blog entry?  Think not.  Must be feeling like quite the serious blogger tonight.)

the kopers

We had a lovely brunch last weekend with Auntie Ali, Uncle Steve and Cousin Ryan at our house in Vancouver.  Ali and I had planned a photo session in attempt to capture a Christmas card family photo.  Breakfast was very yummy (if I do say so myself!), the pretty leaves were still on the trees, Koper's were dressed in super cute coordination...  You know how this story ends, right?  The camera batteries were 100% dead.  We whipped out the iPhone so as to not completely miss the opportunity.  I don't think it will make the official holiday card, but I love it anyway.  And I love them.

School Days

The first day of school really is magical.  I know some people love year round school, but I think September through June is perfect.  It gives our family time to enjoy the summer and each other.  And then right when you've had (ahem) just about enough of each other and too much freedom for your own good, September rolls back into town and whips you into shape.  Schedules and routines from here on out!  Or at least until June when we are ready for a dose of sunny, freedom filled days again.

summer evening

Post naps this afternoon we headed back to Esther Short Park to play in the fountain/stream.  This has become one of our favorite spots in Vancouver.  It was still 92 degrees at 4:45pm, a perfect evening to squeeze out the last drops of summer joy.  Tomorrow morning is the first day of school!  

Hard to get a true sense of it here, but this is Wally doing a happy dance for the whole park crowd.  He picked the highest rock as his stage and was encouraging Fritz to join him.  

belated birthday pics

I'm spending nap time today getting my email inbox organized.  Here are some fun photos taken by Ali from the boys birthday dinner with family.  Thankful to have talented family photographers around when I drop the ball!  

updates from our garden