A well-watered garden, an ever-flowing stream: June 2011

1845 Pioneers finally reach Oregon!

After many trials and tribulations, these hardy emigrants finally reached the Willamette Valley. We faced gunfights, horse thieves, broken wagons, broken bones, cholera, drownings, river crossings, steep mountains, deserts and more. Nonetheless, most of us made it, including eight new babies who were born on the way.

Rhiannon & Kaelynn came to our house!

Dressed for church

June 11 & 12 was a quiet weekend, except for when the dogs were all wrestling! Rhiannon had been working and babysitting since she got home from Georgia & Texas. I was headed for my last week of school: still teaching, grading, giving tests, and trying to finish projects. Yikes!

Me & my shadow

Singing away - one of her three songs: Jesus Loves the Little Children, Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star or Now I Know My ABCs

After church, when we headed for Shirley's out in Veneta to see Erin & her kids, it was back to Oregon rain...

Everything had to be dried off first.

Note the rain clothes, all borrowed from Ben!

Ben & Bethany in background; Shirley in front

These boots are just too big to get into the stirrups!

Good luck to anyone else who wanted to swing...

Eden & Haley turn one!

While we were at the zoo the day before, the twins actually turned one. We had their party on Sunday, June 6. Hard to believe these big healthy girls were preemies just a year ago and had to be in isolettes!

Party dresses

For some reason, Geoff was threatening me! Seems he would treat me a little better...

Trying to get the balloons loose

Determination

Grandma Peggy and Grandpa Mike

Kaelynn was too busy playing with Callie, Kachina's little girl, to stay in any lap very long.

Since when do we eat outside and why is everyone staring?

This better be good...

What on earth are these?

A little assistance from Mom & Dad

Getting the idea: notice Eden is diving right in and Haley is being a little more careful...

Better than I expected!

Happy Birthday, girls!

Grandkids Galore

On Memorial Day weekend, instead of going camping on Winter Ridge (too cold, too much snow and a rainy, thunder & lightning forecast) we went to Portland where Rhiannon was babysitting the twins.

Sitting with Grandpa

It was a wild hair morning, but a sip of milk makes all things good!

Better keep an eye on things, because there are sharp-eyed little robbers about...

Any time is a good time for a snooze

Especially if you are having to go to the ear doctor

Or uneasily waiting your turn!

Lots of fun stuff in Kaelynn's toy closet

I know keys go in here

I know I can get up here!

I know these keys go in here, too.

Dressed and ready to walk to coffee

Another bad hair day...

But a bowl of cheerios can certainly make things right

You should always watch what you eat!

Aaaahhh!

My Mother taught me to drink my milk from a bowl. My Grandma & Great Grandma Joy do not approve, in fact, are shocked, if not horrified...

The next weekend, I headed back to Portland. This time Julia was babysitting and we went to the zoo with Julia's college roommate, Sally. It was a perfect day, in fact, the first perfect blue-skied, warm day of summer. Most people in Northwest Oregon also thought it was a great opportunity to go to the zoo... No parking anywhere, cars patrolling and circling like sharks. We went to the overflow lot up the road (lots of parking), rode a school bus (Kaelynn was so excited!) and headed for a day of fun.

I told Kaelynn that this was her Zoo shirt and she didn't seem to mind wearing it. A leash is a wonderful invention for keeping track of speedy little kids accompanied by somewhat slower and older relatives!

Look at those white legs! Oregon fish-belly white is the usual color of Oregonians on their first outings of the summer. Plenty of sunscreen needed by all.