Snow on Kelly Avenue

Portland, Oregon + Snow = Odd
Portland, Oregon + "You're snowed in!" = Shocking, unbelievable, maybe scandalous
We got at least a foot.

And On I Go....

As for me....
Nothing major to report. December found me sewing, denting the seats of Portland's public transportation, earning my CPR certification, getting snowed in at my apartment with my friend Amy and missing Christmas with my family, flying to North Dakota for a much-needed visit with Phil & Mandi and family, and completing my twenty-third year on Planet Earth.

Sister Me

Some memories of a fun day in the cold. Taking pictures, being silly, and warming up in a fun cafe were just a few of the day's activities.

If you don't have five sisters, you should be jealous of me.

Miriam

Miriam continues to be one of my greatest sources of laughter. God was good to give me Miriam for a sister. Patient, hilarious, brave and creative....this girl's one of a kind! If you get the opportunity to hang out with her---do it!

Madalyne

My littlest sister is all grown up and beautiful. I had the lucky job of taking her school pictures this year so Miriam and I braved the cold to snap some shots of Mads. It was so fun to walk all over downtown West Linn and snap shots as we came to neat places. And Madalyne is so photogenic, she made my job easy!

"Mom, I'm going to rhyme you!"

His new trick.....

I Can't Spell Hippopotamus

Apparently, anything can be spelled with just T-O-P. Ahh, homeschooling..... I wish I had learned that years ago.

Malachi's Scary Adventure

It's all about the details and sound effects.

Note: The only reason my face is peering around the corner is because he would only be cute for the camera if the screen was facing him (so he could see himself). Consequently, I spent the whole time trying to make sure he was in the frame and I was not.

Happy Birthday to Monte

Clone The Brithday Girl Contest

Ranking as #1 in the fun party games, the guests were required to dress a teammate in toilet paper, with the objective being to make him or her look the most like the Birthday Girl.



Apparently Mark's team is unable to distinguish between "girl" and "bride". Mark looks lovely, however.....


Flipflops....

The glasses are a nice touch.

Amy's team went for a more realistic approach. I suppose it helped that their model was the right gender to begin with.

Hmm...Pet Bird?

A nice waterproof watch.

Malachi the Judge. He voted for Amy.

Although I like Malachi's uniform, I think it's great that not all judges dress this way, don't you?

Happy Birthday, Madalyne!

I'm just finally getting these photos up....Madalyne turned 14 on October 23rd and we had a fun breakfast birthday party to celebrate. We made coffeecake, smoothies, coffee and tea and played fun games all morning. Here's a peek into the fun:


Playing "Move It".


Musical Chairs

Team #1 of "Dress a Party Guest in Toilet Paper".

Team #2 of "Dress a Party Guest in Toilet Paper".

I Fell in Love with a Schwinn

This is "the green bike that I ride to the grocery store." Not only is it adorable, it's terribly practical. I can be green, do my errands and feel the wind in my hair---all while getting some exercise.

Back to Portland

Yes, I've moved again. :O
And yes, I'm tired of re-stacking my mattresses on a new floor every several months. : /
And yes, I know that' s what young people do. : ?

But..... I had some great help. They work for homemade omelettes, too! :)

A Little Sparkle For My Day

I finally took the plunge a few months ago and got my nose pierced. I love having a discreet little sparkle on the right side of my face! :D It was rather uncomfortable while healing, but now it only hurts if I accidentally bang it---which for clumsy me is a daily occurence. Sigh.



I've heard that it's almost the most unpleasant thing in the world to have a nose ring and a sinus infection at the same time...SO: I've started figuring in extra multi-vitamins into my monthly budget.


It's a great incentive to stay healthy! Everyone should get one......

Miriam's Blog

I just was doing a bit of reading on my sister Miriam's Blog and wanted to encourage everyone to check it out! She's a great writer and has some very inspiring thoughts, as well as some recent pictures of the kids.

http://masterfulmusingsandmeditations.blogspot.com/

The Little Pit That Could

"Mmm."

"Good guacamole!"

"Yeah, this is really good."

"Maggie, this is really.......Maggie?" They called into the kitchen, surprised that the guacamole monster herself was not loading chips as fast as everyone else.

Maggie was, in fact, carefully inserting toothpicks into the sides of the avocado pit and balancing it over a cup of water.

"What are you doing?"

"One man's trash is another man's treasure--or in this case, agricultural experiment." Maggie said, confidently.

They called her crazy and jeered at the little avocado pit. They told her to leave the growing of fruits and vegetables to farmers and people who belonged in overalls. They told her it couldn't be done.

But it could. And it was. And in 20 years I will have my own avocados.

Moving

Moving to Troutdale a few weeks ago was a breeze with my awesome friends. They even took lovely care of my houseplants. And yes, I realize this picture is a bit cheezy (okay, maybe a lot cheezy) and Brian IS kissing the Jade plant.....but they were super helpful and it was 2am.

More Beach

Some Beach Days....

Family Beach Trip. Miriam's been getting a bit trendy with the shades these days....
Uncle and Nephew in the same stroller?
Malachi getting brave with the crabs...
Handsomeness.