EXTREME Biker!

Check out our lil buddy learning the ins-and-outs of bicycle riding, with patient tutorial from Mom. Kellen's first whip is a present from Nana and he loves it. He got on this weekend for his maiden voyage shortly after Dad assembled (thank you very much, naysayers). We'll be looking to remove these training wheels in no time!

Maple Row Part II

We had so much fun getting our tree, we decided to join my Mom the following weekend and help her find her "perfect" tree. It was another fun day and another great photo op!

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!

This Christmas, we decided it was time to cut down our tree and make a day out of it. My Dad was in town for a visit and Kellen was certainly getting into the spirit of Christmas. We got in the car and had a beautiful drive through the CT countryside and arrived at Maple Row Tree Farm. Our journey included a tractor hay ride, some homemade cider (spiked, of course) and donuts, lots of picture taking, and a short hike through the trees to find the perfect one. It was a success! We found our tree and had a lot of fun!

K's Birthday Part 2

We celebrated Kellen's birthday a few days early, so when the actual day rolled around, we decided to have a little ice cream party with two of Kellen's friends, Gavin and Olivia (or as Kellen calls her, ee-ya). Kellen LOVED his strawberry ice cream cone and is still talking today about his "special treat".

These are pics of Kellen enjoying one of his birthday presents from mom and dad, a wagon! This wagon has it all- cup holder, compartment for his toys, and a seat belt! Certainly not like how they used to make 'em! (or so I am told)

Deuces WILD

We celebrated Mr. Kellen's 2nd Birthday with family this weekend and lucked out with some beautiful weather. Em and I got the festivities started by making limited edition birthday tee-shirts to commemorate the day. Kellen got his own special tee, which elicited a couple 'happy birthday!''s from strangers.
We packed a cooler with lunches, drinks and some treats (animal crackers are awesome!) and headed to the Bronx Zoo for the day. Kellen enjoyed seeing all the animals with one minor exception: the sea lion got a little too close for his comfort.
Our perfect day was topped off with BBQ, cake and presents back at our house. We did some really good eating for dinner (to be expected!) and Emilie stayed up late with Zach, Jill and me (not going to bed until 11 o'clock!!!). Kellen now has a nice set of wheels in the new wagon his Mom and Dad got him. It'll be perfect for some pumpkin picking in the next week.

The (little) Man of Many Talents

And because I am on a roll, I wanted to share some of K's new "talents". He does make his Mommy and Daddy so proud:)

1. Loves to high five. Also loves the "foot five" which we created in the car when he is in his seat and he can't reach our hand. The high five isn't just saved for people, he also likes to high five stuffed animals and Hazel (the dog).
2. Says "bless you" when someone sneezes (or his version of bless you)
3. When Adam is at work and I put K on the phone, he either says "choo choo" or "shower" which, I am guessing, are the two things that come to mind when he hears Adam's voice.
4. Does all of the animal noises. My favorites are his version of "cock-a-doodle-doo" and when he snorts to make a pig sound.
5. Obsessed with flushing the toliet...sorry to all those water conservationists.
6. Plays peek a boo non stop, even when no one is looking.
7. Likes to find garbage and either throws it out in the garbage can, or says "ewwww" and hands it to me to throw out.

More to come...

Vacation Part 2

Some pics from our trip to Bend. We enjoyed a beautiful hike up Iron Mountain...brought Hazel (the dog), but left K at home. We also enjoyed a bike ride at Sunriver, a float down the Deschutes River, lots of amazing meals, and most importantly, the sun!


This was our trip to Oceanside, Or with our friends from college and their little ones. Had fun catching up, playing on the beach, taking a tour of Tillamook Cheese factory, and watching the kids play together...wish we could see each other more often!



And of course, the impetus for our trip was Dave's retirement from the Oregonian...45 years! We had a lot of fun surprising him and getting to meet all of his co-workers at his retirement party. Portland was all about spending time with friends, family and EATING! We certainly miss all of the good food (and beer) that Portland has to offer.