Winter/Summer

We went back to some of the same spots we visited last winter. Here are some winter/summer comparisons...of both people and terrain!

Camping

We had a heat wave last weekend, so we went to the mountains, camping, to escape the hot weather. Shorts in the snow is the best!

(Hood River)

(yes, it was hard to get all that dirt off!)

Neighborhood Concert

Last night one of our neighbors put a chalkboard up in their front lawn that said, "Neighborhood Concert tonight 7:00pm." Well, we had to find out what this was all about. It was a guy playing his guitar, telling life stories and singing folk songs, in the living room. There was a bowl on their dinning room table asking for money for the singer, and everyone left their shoes outside on the porch. An interesting experience!

small town

dont have an emergency after business hours in hood river, OR.....

what does the future hold for this special one?

she is our pride and joy, yes, but what might she become in the future?....a noble prize winner?.... Mensa member and all around genius?....lately, she has taken up the fine sport of dumping buckets of dirt and water on her head, and then wearing the empty bucket like some kind of deep sea diving helmet and posing for the camera......hmmm...thats it! she's practicing to be a world renowned marine biologist....with her own show on the Discovery Channel!

scooter update

it could be the perfect vehicle....takes $5 to fill the tank for a week, parks anywhere, easily carries a case of Fullsail IPA, and is Amya's perfered ride when cruisin with Elmo....(just kidding about the last one)

Cheryl and Kevin's Fireplace...

...is underway! That is cedar up on that mantle! Almost done!...

Just Hangin' Out

(Curls)

Summer Solstice

We went to a restaurant aptly named, Solstice, to celebrate the summer solstice with the Petersons. Here are some pictures Michael sent us! (Kailey started walking on Sunday and was salsa dancing by Saturday!)

The One That Didn't Get Away!

The Perfect Day...

...went something like this...



We got up early and went for a short walk around the hood, mowed the lawn, ate breakfast (scrambled eggs, soy sausage, pancakes and french toast...I had a lot of energy this morning!), then headed out to Rasmussen Farms to pick our own strawberries!!
Once Amya figured out that she could eat those red things in the plants, she started shoveling them in her mouth....green, covered with dirt, connected to long stems...it didn't matter! She was on a mission!

Then It Was On To The Airport...

...to look at the planes taking off. Amya gets excited when she hears an airplane or a train, so we decided to show her where the planes hang out when they're not "coloring with white crayons in the sky"
We stopped by another fruit farm and picked up a huckleberry milkshake...for the family to share. "Sharing" is not a word Amya comprehends all that well....especially when it come to ice cream! When we asked for a turn, it was like we had just told her it was nap time...the tears and protests started flowing!

(you can see the tear drops under each eye...I must have just snagged a slurp!)

A River Runs Through It

We ended our afternoon with a little hike and some fishing.

You Know You Live In Oregon When...

1)...you get to work and there is a health fair. You go to the acupuncture booth, get pepper seeds taped inside your ear at the points that represent the fetal heart, in your symbolic fetal shaped ear, then go back to your cubical to get some serious work done!

2)...you take your kid to an early afternoon movie, and after the movie you have to resort to licence plate number identification to locate your white Subaru wagon in the parking lot.

3)...after the movie, you sheepishly take your toddler to the local micro brewery to enjoy a little adult beverage and pizza. When you arrive, it appears the local brewery ranks second, only to the library story hour, as the most popular place for kids to meet other kids.

4)...on the menu at the afor mentioned "restaurant", your pizza toppings rang from pears to pepitos, from salmon to sweet potatoes.

...all in a day in Oregon!

Angelina Tait?

So, I had a dream last night that Hank and Mary Tait finally told us who their secret foster child was, way back when...Angelina Jolie! They had to finally give in and reveal their mystery foster child because Brad, Angie and the kids were coming for a visit, which inevitably meant the press would be sniffing around. I remember, in my dream, thinking, "Man, the Tait boys grew up with Angelina Jolie and never squeaked?!" Weird!

Somebody Who Loves Me...

Thanks Grandma Joyce and Grandpa Russ! Amya insisted on wearing it first thing this morning!

Apparently when you ask Amya if you can see her shirt, it translates to, "Can I see your belly?"