Getting around town with the Fam

Coffee time with my Buddy

Stopped for a few minutes this past Wednesday to wait out the traffic. Garrett was hungry and I found the coolest food for him.

I guess with a Peter Rabbit character on the package it is marketed for children. It was an awesome fruit puree that was easy to feed by squeezing the pouch. He loved it!

Where in PDX are Harlan and Tammy?

At the Oregon Zoo!

Hanging out with the...

We made arrangements for J & J to pick up Wyatt from school and meet up with the rest of the kids at the zoo.

It was a bit nippy but the kids were pretty bundled up. They found a lot to keep us busy while we waited. I'm glad the zoo has such a large area to run around in before you have to enter the ticket gate.

Meet up with the Parents

We have all of our grandkids on our zoo pass and get two guests in each time we visit too. It's a great place to take the fam.

Early Valentine's Lunch or a very Belated 5th Anniversary

Logan & Alyssa were able to join Har and I for a lunch date at McMenamin's. (thanks to Krystle and Hayden watching all the kids) I didn't take a picture of our burgers but managed to take pics of the desserts. We split a crumble and they split a carrot cake.

They are off on a Valentine's Day weekend trip while we have their sweet kiddoes here with us.

Thanks for letting us spend time with them. So far, so fun!

Gramma blankies

Before Rowan and Katie came this weekend I wanted to have "Gramma blankies" for them to use just like Joylynn's kids do. So the above photos were taken during the process. The Katie inspired one is on the left and the Rowan inspire one is on the right.

Henry needs one too, so I stopped by Joann's and picked up some flannel. They are having an AWESOME sale til tomorrow. Below is my Henry inspired fabric. The Safari/Adventure print is going to be the back of the blanket. So bright and colorful! That boy loves dogs and cats and pretty much all animals.

Pizza Hut tonight for pizza night

Rowan and Katie are really good eaters. Rowan was working on his 3rd piece and Katie was making her way through her 2nd.

The quarter machines were calling to Rowan the whole time he was eating. We said he could get something when he was finished. With Cameron's help he was one happy boy.

Just what he needs before bed. SUGAR!

This little goofy face girl is going to be 11 months old on the 12th. That means the official 11 month photo is going to be taken. She is the master of many faces. We will see what she comes up with for the photographer or perhaps she is going to play shy.

We shall see. In the meantime, we are going to enjoy every silly minute with her and her brother and their dog.

Great Game Day

February Calendar

Would you believe it took me 5 days to remember to change my calendar to the new month? I love my Susan Winget calendars. I had one last year too. The artwork is "so me". The new page predicted a beautiful day. The day did not disappoint.

Look who can eat in the high chair now!

Katie ate in the dining room with the big kids this morning. Though I'm not ready to give her a bowl with milk in it, she ate bananas and cheerios like a pro.

Super Bowl Food

We started the day with a brunch followed by streaming video church service. Notice the green and yellow peppers? It was a day for Packer colors. After church it was time to start cooking for the game. Homemade macaroni and cheese, Super spicy lil smokies, teriyaki marinaded chicken wings, barbecue meatballs, veggies, spinach dip and salad. Good food, great friends and family to share it with = a wonderful afternoon.

Our Fashionistas

Once again the girls outdid themselves in their wardrobe choices. They are sweet little girls and we have lots of laughs.

4th Generation Packer Backers

These guys are pretty goofy. They sure look happy that "our team" won the Super Bowl. I took a picture of each of them wearing Henry's new hat. Poor Henry wasn't feeling the greatest and slept through the end of the game. I hope to get a picture of him wearing his hat before he heads back to Walla Walla.

Krystle and Nate

I haven't posted a picture of K & N lately. He came over here to watch the game. Actually Nate watched the game and Krystle fell asleep! She isn't what you'd call a sports fan.

Together again!

It was especially wonderful to have this little family here for the weekend. Katie is going to be 11 months old next Saturday. Time for the "official" baby picture to be taken at a studio.

It was a busy but nice day. Next occasion to party... Courtney's birthday aka Valentine's Day. Followed closely by the start of the Nascar season.

Daytona!

Just another excuse to make food and have people over :o)

Blogging is like tying a string around my finger

Today's blog is totally self serving... just to remind me that we do have sun in the winter around here, though rare. I also wanted to remind some of you that lived in Portland at one time or other just what you are missing.

Sunshine for the morning commute

It was a golden morning drive earlier this week. Many of the West Hills homes were reflecting that fact. I love it when I'm out the door to enjoy this time of day.

Sunny + clear = freezing temps

Each of the ornamental fountains at the Murray/Cornell McDs had a layer of ice on them. They were really pretty.

Stopped at Home Depot

Two 2x4s running from the windshield past the back seat. Garrett was cozy in his carseat just behind me.

Heavy inbound traffic on 26?

Barnes to Burnside for our alternate.

Sunny in the Afternoon too!

If you look closely, you can see Wyatt pulling his rolling backpack.

Heading East on 26

I love all the green trees! I once told a friend who was complaining about our grey skies that grey and green really go well together. I think the green looks pretty fabulous with blue too.

Into the tunnel.

And out the other side! Welcome to downtown P-town.

Hayden was the photographer on this rides. He caught a bit of Mt Hood between the Lloyd Center area high rises.

Spoiling myself

Har, the boys and I were able to run to the mall one evening. I have been dreaming about getting us a new tv for the den. Well Sears just happened to have a sale on a discontinued model. We got an excellent deal. Garrett, Har and I watched "Desk Set" on Netflix.

Lyssa is so creative in her gift giving

I wasn't able to post these right after I took them because of the stealthness of her plans.

Alyssa wanted to do something special for Logan and his guys when they got back. Being such an artistic gal she wanted to design a label to put on some of their favorite beverages. This plan turned into having a batch of hand crafted beer made by someone in Logan's home town.

I think they turned out AMAZING!

I'm sure the guys appreciated the sentiment... but not half as much as we appreciate all that they do for us.

"Welcome Home, Well Done"! Indeed!