Pumpkins!

Now I have a trio of adorable jack-o-lanterns on my front steps,

and freshly toasted pumpkin seeds to munch on.

Fall is good :)

It's Not Summer...

Until the sprinkler comes out, and the spray of cold water delights and cools our children.

I hope they never outgrow these simple pleasures!

Hiking Another Day

Beacon Rock had been such a success that we decided to stick with the gorge and climb to the top of Multnomah Falls on our next afternoon outing. Although the climb was approximately the same distance, it seemed to be a slightly steeper trek; so none of us complained when we reached the top :)

 The view was impressive, but our favorite part was when we walked upstream a little ways and the kids went splashing in the water to cool off!

It was definitely a nice treat to get out into the beauty of the pacific northwest!

Beacon Rock, on a whim

Jenna has been in summer school these last two weeks, so we decided to use the three hours that she is at school in the afternoon to do things that we normally don't; things that aren't very wheelchair friendly.

I haven't brought the camera along for each outing, but I did when we decided (kind of last minute) to climb Beacon Rock in the gorge. We were even joined by a couple family members who didn't mind the last minute planning :)

In a day or two I will post pictures of a hike we did on another day...stay tuned :)

Happy birthday Em & Ry!

We are SO glad to have you in our lives!

Warmer weather+water+cul-de-sac

Nothing like a little water play to celebrate the *slightly* warmer temperatures of spring :)

watch out for the girl weilding a hose!

How Do You Really Feel?

My son's illustration on his spelling list.

An artistic interpretation of how he feels about practicing his words????

Technical Difficulties

I know my blog has been a little on the silent side lately, but contrary to current events, I did not delete it all together! My naive and unsuspecting daughter accidentally altered my google account and informed them I was not yet 13. While I appreciate the nod to being a young, hip mom, I am OBVIOUSLY NOT THAT YOUNG!!!

Sigh.

Our children can be so tech savvy, but there are times that level of comfort gets them into trouble. They don't appreciate how fragile technology can be and how a few wrong clicks can cause all sorts of grief. Anyhow, long story short, I had to allow google a $0.30 charge on my credit card to prove I am indeed not a teenager anymore. A little salt in the wound, but my account is back up and running.

P.S. thanks for checking in on my silly little blog, Dad!

Happy New Year

I tip my head in remembrance for all that 2011 held,

and pause to wonder what is in store for 2012.

May each of us grow in grace and gratitude as a result of the road ahead.