Shaving Cream and Smiles

I babysat Myles and Josie tonight. It was a shaving cream art kind of night. Josie was in bed before mom and dad left, so that left Myles and I time to play. We went to town with the cream. Be absolutely sure to watch the videos at the end. They are priceless and when I need to smile I will definitely be watching them.

Waiting patiently...

Diving in!

Look at that unbridled, enthusiastic, childhood joy. This picture speaks volumes to me. So glad I caught it with my camera.

Cheesin' it up!

We needed a bowl of water to keep fingers (aka brushes) "clean."

I'm also glad I captured this picture!

Now...time for some smiles!

I'm so blessed!

Wayside Sacraments

"Never lose an opportunity of seeing anything that is beautiful; for beauty is God's handwriting - a wayside sacrament. Welcome it in every fair face, in every fair sky, in every fair flower, and thank God for it as a cup of blessing." ~Ralph Waldo Emerson

After a long and challenging week, this rainbow appeared on my drive to work Friday morning...a reminder that God is everywhere and there is beauty in everything-even when it may not seem like it. A wayside sacrament if you will....something sacred that is often overlooked.

Wishing You a de-'light'-ful Christmas

The night after Thanksgiving is always the annual tree lighting for the big tree at Pioneer Courthouse Square. I've been a few times and this year, Jenny and Sara joined me. It was pouring rain. In a normal year when I would go by myself I would have probably bowed out. Stayed home and stayed dry watching it on television. But, neither Jenny or Sara has ever seen this event, so we braved the rain and went down. We got there late, which in the end worked out okay because we were standing on the outskirts, and therefore we were able to make a quick get-a-way after the lighting. We hurried to the dryness of a local brewery for dinner with plans to return after eating to get some closer pictures. Here is the evening photo documentation...

Jenny giving the rain thumbs up?! Or was it that we were at the tree lighting that she was approving?!

 Waiting...

 10...9...8...7...6...5...4...3...2...1...LIGHTS! 75 feet of tree lit up!

Post dinner pictures...

You can always count on Jenny for comic relief in pictures. I'm surprised that there are any serious ones that she is in.

 My hair looks so long...I got it cut just a few days after this.

And, the classic "you've been to Pioneer Courthouse Square" pictures with the umbrella man statue. This is the only picture I've had taken with him, too...after all the years of seeing him.

Look at all that water on the ground. It was so rainy and wet that I was clammy and the inside of my coat pockets were wet. Good thing we aren't made of sugar...we'd have melted away.

Thanksgiving and Socks

This is a common sight walking into any Fred Meyer at almost Thanksgiving time. Loads and loads of socks for the Black Friday 50% off sock sale. I hear it is crazy. I will probably never know, because honestly, the preview of boxes after boxes on tables after tables of socks seems crazy enough to me. 

Are you all ready for Black Friday shopping?! Me? Oh, I'll be warm and cozy in my bed at home. The best place to be! 

Preschool Chapel Adventures

Myles started preschool this year. I can't believe the tiny, barely six month old baby boy that moved to PDX with Stasia and Dave is in preschool now. Anywho, I had the opportunity to go to his November Chapel Service yesterday between a doctors appointment and a new electronic medical records training-a sweet thing sandwiched between two challenging things. The kiddos were all so cute and Myles didn't know I was going to be there so he was pleasantly surprised to see me and had a hard time focusing during the service. I was so glad I could make it!

Myles and his cousin John

Myles's 'Indian' name was Jumping Fish, which fits him perfectly because he is a major jumper.

And a good smile from the front!

I'm so lucky to have such wonderful friends and wonderful children of my friends in my life.

Mayan Apocalypse

So, do you suppose there will be free wood?! This sign made me smile when I saw it on my drive. Had to take a picture of it.

Adventures in Holiday Bling

Some days you just have to be silly and have some fun...especially days like today was...and it is always nice when you have a friend to be silly with! 

 Jenny and me having adventures at JoAnn's!

Thanks for the laughs, always!

Walking in a Fall Wonderland

I've been trying to be better about my exercise level lately. Or, I should say my serious lack of exercise. I live close to a couple of trails and in the beautiful, dry fall days we've been having I've been trying to get some good walks in. I love the colors, the brisk fall air, the crunch of leaves when it hasn't been raining, the smell. All things fall. I decided to take my camera along with me on one of my walks to capture the colors (even though pictures don't do color and beauty any justice).

Oak leaves...

Greens and red.

I loved all the water drops on this leave on the street.

Geese....

Albino slug...with all the slugs I've seen in all the years I've been here, I have never seen an albino one...

Yay for fall walks and more exercise.

Hood River: Take 3

Usually I make between one and three visits to Hood River in a year. In the past month I've made three visits alone, and that isn't even counting other visits made earlier in the year. I suppose since autumn is my favorite season, it was fitting to go to one of my favorite places so much in this season. Each trip has been incredibly different than the others, but all have been great. This time around Holly and her son Isaiah joined me (though Holly was the driver-car seat and all). We got a late start due to some scheduling difficulties and changes in plans for Holly and Brian. We headed to Kiyowaka Orchard for some of my favorite new apples (Mutsu's). I bought 20 pounds...and they are oh-so-delicious. I imagine I will be sharing them, too.

Isaiah was amazing with all the apples and the sizes of all the apples. Here he was picking out apples to take home.

On the tractor testing it out.

Exploring the kid sized fort.

We also went to Panorma Point Park. An always beautiful view of the Hood River Valley. A place I really love. Isaiah on Holly's shoulders looking out over the valley at a helicopter that kept landing and taking off.

We stopped in town on the way back to Portland to see the Mt Hood Railroad train cars as Isaiah loves all things boy- trains, planes, trucks, tractors, etc. He was in heaven and informed Holly and I that he would be going on this train sometime.

Isaiah loves adventures and kept saying he wanted to go on another one. It was hard to convince him that it was too dark to go on any more adventures that night, but that he could go on one another day. Even though it wasn't a planned trip, we had a great, brief time away and I now have 20 pounds of apples to enjoy...and I am really asking myself why I didn't get just a few more.

Gifts from the Heart

After Josie (my "Goddaughter" aka my sponsoree) was born I got supplies to crochet her a blanket. I'd decided before she was born that that was something I wanted to do. I went and picked out the yarn the day she was Baptized and started working on it. I worked on the blanket off and on for almost a year, which was challenging as I couldn't work on it when I was with her mom, Stasia (who is my crocheting buddy). Weekly I'd take "alternative and decoy" projects with me all the while crocheting like crazy at home and at work during breaks to finish this blanket. I intended to gift it to her on her 1st Baptismal Anniversary, which was October 30th. I succeeded. It just so happened that the 30th was my typical Tuesday evening to spend with them and I went camera in hand. 

This was a picture I'd taken of the pattern and color...even though a photo doesn't do it justice.

Scalloped edge...

Isn't she a cutie?!

She was good at pulling the tissue paper out.

Just a little help!

And, here is the blanket

She loved the tissue paper balls her big brother made.

Dad even approved of the new blanket...

And, of course, big brother Myles was a bundle of energy and it had been several weeks since I'd seen them all so he was wired. And.He.Had.A.Camera.Dun, Dun, Dun.

Stasia finally got a picture of us without the addition of the camera.

I hope Josie's gift provides comfort and warmth for her for many years to come! I sure enjoyed making it for her