Christmas 2011

Except for a trip to the ER on Christmas eve that extended into Christmas morning and a lack of snow, it was a GREAT Christmas. Caden and Jeannie and Jamie being home made it AWESOME! In fact after their visit Nora officially thinks she has a little brother named Caden. She's told her teacher and her classmates and sticks to it no matter how many times I explain "cousin" to her.

The holidays were filled with everything they should be; family, food, and fun!

Ralph dragging our perfect tree back to the car

Heading to the park

Mimi Lynnda and Nora

Christmas cookies for Santa

Jeff reading the night before Christmas

Jeannie, Caden and I went for a hike at Smith Rock

Nothing says Christmas

like Sushi

Nora has picked up a quirky, halirous trait.....when you say "smile" she tucks her upper lip under tight against her teeth. I suppose she figures you show your teeth when you smile so the more teeth the better.

This holiday season certainly had a seafood theme, we went up to Portland to have Christmas in January with Dave and Rena and Kyle and feasted on oysters

A dis-jointed Fall

It's been so long since I've posted because our camera died, for real this time. We missed out on pictures of some great stuff (Mimi Lynnda's surprise birthday and Halloween mostly):( But we'll just pick up where we are; Thanksgiving, Mom's birthday and our first trip to the mountain.

While I am truly trying to embrace all phases, Nora has entered into a challenging one - the whining phase, peppered with more frequent and illogical complete melt-downs. Thank god she's so funny and she says "I love you" so much, it makes the challenges less painful.

Casey and Nora helping mom with birthday presents

Jeff and Casey hosted their 2nd stellar Thanksgiving.

Livy, Bella and Nora

The two coolest moms in town

The mountain opened on Thanksgiving with just under 3 ft. Nora does pretty well if you can actually get her to stand and weight her own legs. If she had it her way she would "take a little break" every couple of feet and eat snow for 10 minutes

Between riding the chairlift up and skiing down, the chairlift ride up continues to crush skiing down in a popularity contest.

This is the last picture the old camera took. It took this timer shot then propelled itself backwards off a rock to it's death. It landed just perfectly, or just un-perfectly right on the screen:(

Nora wanted to ride "like a little baby." Whoooo, I forgot how hard it is having all that weight out in front of you blocking the view of the ground. Man, pregnant women are tough.

Jeff and Nora displaying their new ages

Nora's first day of school

The Brandi Carlile concert

Evie and Nora at a family reunion

Summer 2011

With Nora's help, I completed my first triathlon; she trained me well for the olympic distance Deschutes Dash! 3hrs 1 min. 5th in my age group. Thanks coach!!!

Well, although the calendar suggests we should be wrapping summer up, we're just getting going. We're still banking on plenty of nice weather, outdoor adventures, and ice cream.

Plumping up our wood supply for this Winter. Nora didn't especially like the noise of the chain saw so she sat and watched the wood, then Bean decided to sit and watch Nora.

Nora leaving the Deschutes county fair with Mt. Jefferson framed in the exit.
Riding the little canoes with her new friend the purple penguin that she found on the swings ride
We're the second to the last car. I wish you could zoom in cause Nora's enthusiasm is priceless.
"Hi little guy"
Another mother daughter hiking excursion. This is the snow pack of early August! We had an exciting glissade down the mountain....whoooooo hooooooo!
Little overnight on the Deschutes

Patio progress
Nora's first fish a finished patio