As I sit here, getting ready to write the last blog of the year, I think back on the fun, the challenges, the firsts, the changes, the love and support, and mostly of the people who are involved with our lives. We are so thankful for each and everyone who has any influence in our lives. From our family, to our friends (who are also our family), you are the most valuable possessions we have. We are so fortunate in so many ways! We wish you all, all the best this holiday season!
Ok, enough sappy stuff (but I needed to get it off my chest), let's get going with what we have been up to!
When last we left off, I had gotten older, Finn had gotten older, and by now all of the pumpkins we got, have gotten so old, they are no longer! Halloween was great this year (despite me being, surprise!, SICK!). Finn adamantly told me he was not dressing up. He was going to stay home and hand out candy with me, which was fine. We went to the toy store to start with the Christmas shopping (that is my Type-A personality shining through!) and we came across the best Peter Pan costume. Finn wore it around the store for a while and declared he was going to be Peter Pan for Halloween (I guess our little trip to Disney had an impact!). He was the best Peter Pan the entire day of Halloween. He got to go trick-or-treating around the Village with one of his little friends, and after he got home (and Mick got home from work), they went out around the neighborhood for a little more trick-or-treating. We still have candy he is working through! Luckily, he isn't a kid who likes a lot of candy (although he is starting to like it a little more these days).
Our little Finny-Pan!
The day before Halloween, Mick and Finn gave me a day with my favorite girls, and took Mina to the beach. They had a really nice day despite the weather. They played on the beach, visited a friend, went to the aquarium, and were home for dinner!
The big dig!
We have made a few trips down to Eugene for football games (and to visit family, of course!). The last game we went down for was against USC, in a surprise upset, where the Ducks lost. That was our only loss of the season, but it was heartbreaking. It upset thoughts that we might go back to the National Championship (although I never thought we would be going back this year), but we have been given a spot in the Rose Bowl, and that is nothing to be upset about. We'll see how we do on 2 Jan...maybe we will get our first bowl win in a very long time!
Mick has continued with his business travel. He was mostly in California, but had the luck to go to Phoenix for a few days and enjoy nearly 70 degree days (where we were lucky to get up to 31). In fact, he has travelled so much, that he got a handsigned christmas card from the Hilton, where he always stays on his trips in California. You know you travel a lot when that happens!
Finn and I have been keeping busy around the house, when he isn't in school. When he is in school, I am still keeping busy! He helped improve property values in our neighborhood by helping rake up leaves in the front yard (although he probably spent more time playing in them, but he did help). This was the first year that it was dry enough to enjoy playing in them, which we don't get that very often!
When there is a pile of leaves, can you resist jumping in them?
After 8 weeks of hacking up both lungs, and working my abs to the point of a 6-pack (oh, I wish!), the doc's finally decided to put me back on antibiotics for the 7th time this year for treatment of Whooping Cough. So much for that vaccine when I was little (guess I should have been better with the boosters as an adult!). I started getting better within the week, and have been holding ground since (KNOCK ON WOOD). Right after I got better, I got my Christmas present from Mick. We decided to invest in our health this year and I now have a treadmill! I can hear groans as you read, but honestly, this is one thing I have been missing since I left Nike and I couldn't be happier about it!
To continue getting in the holiday spirit, we decided to do a little something new! The Mt Hood Railroad puts on a special holiday train in the theme of one of my favorite childrens's books, "The Polar Express". It was done far better than Mick and I expected and we had such a good time. The train ride takes us from Hood River to "The North Pole", where we pick up Santa and all of his elves, and they come through the train, giving each kid a special bell. We are also served hot cocoa and cookies on the journey, sing carrols, and hear a reading of the book. It was so much fun, made even better by Finn's best school buddy and his family. They joined us on the trip, and the night was a blast!
Finn meets the Hobo on the "Polar Express"
Hey look! It's me and Mick!
When Mick isn't traveling, he has been hard at work in the garage. Ironically, it is not on the car (I am stating for the record, the car has been evicted to the trailer to make a warm spot for Dottie...first time one of my things have been in the garage! Yeah!). Mick has been building Finn a crane. He finished it the other day and just brought it in. Finn has gone crazy over it. It is fully functional with lights and a beeping sound. The 'skip' goes up and down depending on which button you push, and he can change the brightness of the lights. It is pretty cool.
Finn really loves it more than his face shows in this picture!
The holidays kicked off with Thanksgiving last month. We had a quiet day, eating with family at Sean and Belle's house. It was perfect, and it was nice to be with folks who were able to make it. Things have continued to get busier and busier as we get closer to Christmas, but we are coming to the end of it all with New Years less than 2 weeks away. We have plenty of fun packed into all of those days. We just had the big family gathering (Mick wasn't able to make it this year, and I wasn't able to get any pictures), Finn had so much fun playing with his big cousins and slept really well that night!
Until next year! We wish everyone comfort, joy, peace, happiness and love in this holiday season. We wish you all good things in the New Year and we will catch you on the flip side! Happy Hanukkah, Merry Christmas, and Happy New Year!
Much love to all!
10.13.11 - Birthdays, vacations, and pumpkins!
Wow, where did the last 2 months go? Staying true to form, we have kept plenty busy! Here is the latest chapter in our lives!
A couple of weeks after the last blog posted, Finn and I took a camping trip to Silver Falls State park for 3 days. We had such a great time...so much fun, in fact, Finn and I didn't want to come home (other than to see Mick of course!). The first day we were down there, we made a stop at Enchanted Forest and met up with our dearest friends the LaMars. Finn had a great time playing with Kian and going on rides. I hadn't been there in years, and it was so much fun seeing it through the kids eyes. Plus, it was great to catch up with Bobby and Carrie.
Finn with the LaMar's at Enchanted Forest
The rest of the trip was spent hiking and riding bikes. Finn got to play with lots of other kids playing there too. It was some really quiet time, away from everything fast. I think we needed the down time! Plus, we got to see some really amazing waterfalls! When he gets bigger, I think we will do some of the longer hikes (there is one with 10 waterfalls!), and we will definitely bring Mick back with us next time! Finn did do a 3 mile hike, all on his own, so I don't think we are too far off! Click HERE for more pictures from our camping trip.
Enjoying a little breakfast on our last morning
A few days after we got back from camping, we decided to have an early family celebration of Finn's birthday. We had a few people over to enjoy a little of Finn's favorite dinner (steak, risotto, steamed broccoli), a little ice cream cake and a few presents. It was so nice to have a small gathering, as the next day brought our family vacation! Click HERE for more pictures from Finn's party.
He may have turned 4, but we gave him a whole bunch of candles to blow out!
Mick has been traveling so much, we decided it was time the 3 of us got away and had a bunch of fun together. So, we winged it down to Anaheim for 3 days at Disneyland.
Finn says his favorite rides are Splash Mountain and the 'run away train'!
The first day we were at the park, my cousin Sheri and her daughter Emily (who is a few months younger than Finn) joined us at the park. That was Finn's actual birthday, so the park gave him a special button he got to wear around the park saying it was his birthday. Everyone who worked for Disneyland, that saw the button, stopped and wished him a happy birthday. It was cool! That was the coolest part of the day as the temps were over 100 degrees on the black top and we were all sweating like crazy! Thank goodness for the awesome water park at our hotel! We were getting pretty good at finding the rides with air conditioning by the end of the day (for the record...the Monorail does not have A/C!). We had a great day and were so thankful to have been able to spend it with Sheri and Emily. We finished up with a special dinner at the Rainforest Cafe. The next couple of days we paced ourselves and spent time at both Disney and California Adventure. Finn missed the height requirement for many of the rides at CA, so we are going to have to go back to do those with him (he was so disappointed he couldn't do them). He loves his rollercoasters (and so do mum and dad!). Click HERE for more pictures from our Disney trip.
Finn and Emily trying to cool off at Disneyland!
After we got back from our trip, Mick was off to Japan for a week, then California for 3. Finn and I got back into our daily routine, and enjoyed the 3 weeks of summer that we were finally blessed with. Crazy weather this year! The garden did a good job of producing food for us (despite the wetter and colder than usual weather) and we had some lovely, fresh dinners! Finn also started school with a new class. His birthday is 6 days after the cut-off, so he is spending a second year in Preschool (which we knew would happen and were expecting it), even though most of his friends from last year have moved up to Pre-K. He is missing his friends a little bit, but the 2 classes still play a lot together, so he gets to see them often. He is making some new friends too, and is adjusting well.
Finn and I made a trip to Eugene September, to take in a Duck game. So far, they are doing pretty well this year! He also got to see his first volleyball game and thought that was pretty neat too. While we were down there, we also stopped in to the ski shop and got him fully kitted in ski gear. He outgrew everything! At his check-up last week, we learned he is 41.5 inches tall (5.5 inches taller than last year at this time) and is up to 32lbs (up 1lb from last year). The doctor says he looks really healthy and comments that his gross motor skills are on par with a 5 year old. Also, his vision is 20/20!
I got to start my next trip around the sun a couple of weekends back. The last one was pretty good, and this one is off to a great start! I had a wonderful dinner out with my boys and then they dropped me off for a night at a hotel downtown for a little R&R. The next day, the boys picked me up and took me for sushi lunch, then shooed me off to a massage they had booked. It was a great weekend!
Since then we have been celebrating lots of friends birthdays (popular time of year for folks to be born...holiday babies!). It has been really fun getting out and seeing people. I feel like we have all been holed up with the weather!
Finn and I have done a couple of trips to farms in the last couple of weeks. We went apple picking with some friends and have made some really lovely applesauce, and today we went to the pumpkin patch with our friends Angie and Natalie (and baby Ken!).
My little pumpkin and his perfect pumpkin!
We had a great time out there and found a great pumpkin! Finn also had a first (boy, they seem to few and far between these days...you get so spoiled those first few years!)! Finn had his first pony ride. He loved it, but I am not sure if it was because he liked riding the pony or because they played the song "Move It, Move It", which he loves, during his ride. Click HERE for more pictures from our trip to the patch!
Finn's first pony ride...this pony is called Jett!
So, that should bring you up to date. Mick has also been getting in some fun days at the track and is pulling fast times. I am keeping busy holding down the fort, and tried my hand at glass blowing. All in all, things are great! We hope things are going well for you all too! Until next time! Hugs!
8.7.11 - A day with the cousins, Camping, Boating, and a wedding!
Wowsers! Can someone please tell me where July went? We were so busy, that was probably the fastest month I have had in a long time! The nice weather finally showed up towards the end too, so that has definitely lifted our spirits and made it feel more like that elusive season for the Northwest...SUMMER!!!
Just after the last blog, one of my cousins came down from Alaska with her daughter, and we decided it would be a good thing for us cousins to spend the day together. So, me and Finn, my cousin Nancy and Issiah, and Stacey and Sabrina took off for the zoo. It was such a fun day and made me wish Stacey lived a bit closer (and we actually made a better effort at seeing each other...Nancy, we need to work on that!). The kids had an absolute blast together too. For more pictures from the fun at the zoo, please click HERE.
Zay, Finn, and Sabrina enjoying the Dinosaurs!
Mick had some business travel to Europe, so the day after he got back, we made sure to leave town (poor guy didn't even have a chance to get jet-lag on that trip, he was only there for 3 days, and I am pretty sure he was in the air longer than he was on the ground). We packed up Dottie and headed to the Eugene area for the 4th of July weekend. We stopped at my parents house long enough to drop off Mina (no dogs allowed where we were going), and headed out to Fern Ridge Resevoir to spend the weekend with my aunt Nancy, uncle Pat, and cousin Bryan at the Eugene Yacht Club. We were members back when I was young (I was around 3 when we joined and were members until I was about 12). That is where we spent our entire summers and I learned to sail, so it was great getting back there, seeing what had changed, seeing folks I hadn't seen in a long time, and going for a solo sail for the first time in 20 years! I remembered the Lasers being fun, but I forgot how much. Mick even got in a boat and had a little sailing lesson with Bryan. He still isn't sold on the whole idea. The weekend was so much fun and full of playing, yet relaxing so Mick could catch his breath. To see more pictures from the weekend, please click HERE.
Finn got to go for bike rides and we got to go for nice walks along the shore of the lake
Mick finally learned how to throw a spiral!
Finn got lots of Nancy time, which I think they both love!
Finn and I were home for 5 days before leaving town again. In those 5 days, we had the pleasure of being a part of my cousin Brandy's wedding. It was a gorgeous day and everyone had fun, but maybe no one more than Finn. He had a great time walking on the paths, checking out the water features, taking pictures, blowing bubbles, playing cars, and DANCING! He was dancing with everyone! Brandy and Niles were amazing and the wedding was just perfect. To see more pictures from the wedding, please click HERE.
Gettin' on down with his bad self!
The day after the wedding, Finn and I hit the road to Anacortes to meet up with my folks to enjoy 2 weeks on the boat. By the end of the trip, we had lost count how many animals we had seen. It ranged from seals and porpoises to snakes and bugs and even a camel! The first day we headed to Friday Harbor. We spent a couple of days there going into town and visiting the Whale Museum before noticing the rains were coming in. In a quick decision, and not something we normally do, we headed to Victoria thinking there would be a few more indoor activities, than some of our usual places. One of the highlights was definitely the Victoria Bug Zoo. I think my parents and I may have enjoyed it even more than Finn did (and that is saying a lot)! We also spent some time in the Royal BC Museum and the IMAX theater, which was great fun.
Finn helping Poppy steer us toward Victoria
Sarah making friends with a millipede
After a few days in Victoria, we decided to set out and head for Ganges, where we really got into some weather. It didn't affect our journey, but the 3 days we were there, it poured. 2 years ago, when we were here, it was over 100 degrees...this year we were barely hitting 60. Crazy! Finn had some great days at the park, we enjoyed the Saturday Market, and the French patisserie. Finn and I made friends with a family at the park and ended up spending an afternoon swimming and having ice cream with them. It was really fun!
Finn happy to be getting some park time in during a dry spell!
During our stay in Ganges, Finn mastered a new skill. He learned to cross the monkey bars all on his own. It was amazing to watch him struggle one day, and the next he is yelling, "mummy, mummy, watch me, watch me!" and zipping right across. Fantastic!
After a few days in Ganges, we took off for a night in Montague Bay. After an afternoon of beach combing for sea glass and a quick dinner, we headed for shore and hopped on the Pub Bus to take us somewhere...still not sure exactly where though...for a bit of dessert at the Hummingbird Pub. Finn loved that! We decided on just one night in Montague before heading over to Roche Harbor, which is always a favorite!
Checking out English Camp on San Juan Island
While at Roche, we spent a morning exploring English Camp and Finn became a Jr National Park Ranger while we were there. We also stopped at Wescott Bay for fresh steamer clams, played Bocce, ate ice cream, and took a little trip on the island bus to Friday Harbor for a little shopping and lunch (this is when we even got to see a real, life camel!). It was a great end to the trip with lots of fun, but low-key and relaxing. To see all of the pictures from our trip, please click HERE.
While Finn and I were away, Mick spent some time working on his car. While the coaching at the track has been going well, the driving of his car is not. The poor engine caught fire for a second time, and he has now put in a different engine, which is leaking oil. He just can't catch a break. Hopefully everything will get sorted soon, so he can give Tim back the Miata...I don't think we need a 4th car!
We were home 3 days before Finn and I set out for Eugene to help my parents prepare for the big McCully Family BBQ. It is so much fun every year, and we enoyed the time with all of the family and friends. We have been so lucky to see so many folks we care about this summer! To see pictures from the BBQ, please click HERE.
We got back to Portland for 5 days, and were off again! Whew! This time we packed up Dottie for our first camping trip in a while. We were able to get together with fellow teardroppers and other Camp-Inn trailers. We were camping in the Gifford Pinchot National Forest at the Big Cedars Campground, which was a first for all of us.
Finn and our new friend Evan, saying hello to one of the locals!
Finn had lots of kids to play with, which was lots terrific, and since I had to set everything up on my own, I have a new solo-camping confidence! In fact, I am already planning a few trips with just Finn and I. All of that was possible because Mick spent a whole day installing a trailer hitch and brake controller on my car. Let's face it, Mick is pretty awesome and super handy! Anyway, back to camping, the weekend was really fun and we are looking forward to next year...this is going to be an annual thing! On top of the fun, we have made some great new friends, that I am hoping we will see a lot more of. For more pictures from the camp out (although we forgot cameras, so we just used our phones), click HERE.
The next month should be slightly slower, but it is summer, so we still have a few things in the works. I hope this month has been as great for you all too. Until September! Can you believe I have a nearly 4-year-old?!!! Talk about Wowsers! XOXO!
6.19.11 - 40th Birthday, Pneumonia, and a possible start of summer...maybe?
It has been an awfully long time since we updated the blog, so we thought as a big birthday was celebrated, we should probaly let folks know we are still here and keeping plenty busy! But we are also taking some time to sit back and relax on those semi-rare dry days.
A boy, his chair, and his dog...life is sweet!
This weekend Mick celebrated the big 4-0 with a few of his closest friends and family. He was actually in town after traveling for 2 weeks straight, and for the last 3 months. It was a really fun night with great food and company. The weather didn't cooperate, but we didn't let it dampen our spirits (and came up with some creative solutions!). The weekend finished with a very leisurely Father's Day at home and plenty of movie and couch time with the misery happening outside).
Mick loving his beer at his party
For the last 2 weeks (for Finn) and 4 weeks (for me), we have also been trying to get better. I am finally getting over bronchitis...slowly. Finn was diagnosed with pneumonia last week, but is doing much better and will head back to school tomorrow, as well as getting back into his activities. For a kid who was suffering from 105 degree fever, you would hardly know he was sick. He is one tough little nugget!
Finn getting an albuterol treatment at the doctor for pneumonia
His violin lessons are going well and he is starting to get the hang of playing a note per syllabyl in each word in a song. He is also constantly singing around the house, doing beat-box and dance moves, and he is drumming on everything. The kid has music flowing through his body constantly! He is also doing well in school and all reports were good at the last parent-teach conference. He has been adjusting to a new teacher, as Teacher Melissa has moved to Finland for a few months with her fiance. We really miss her, and Finn asks about her, but we hope to see her when she gets back. Finn just finished up a couple of sport classes, where he has taken a shine to basketball. In fact, I would go so far as to say, he might even be obessed, asking Mick to build him a 'basket hoop' so he can play at home. Looks like we may have to put in some sort of sport court soon! Swimming is also going, well, swimmingly! He is able to dive all the way to the bottom of the 4 foot pool to retreive his toy, and swim back to the wall. He is the only one in his class who has been able to do it, but he is a bit of a lead weight, packing so little body fat. The kid is lean and mean! Well, lean at least, because he really is sweet!
Getting ready to dive!
As things are starting to dry out (but not warming up, just yet), we have been spending more time in the yard and we have been getting more and more planted. We now have a new blueberry bed with several varieties and we have 2 new varieties of raspberries planted. Summer is going to get tasty around here in the next couple of years...if the weather would cooperate! Things are really starting to come together. Our planter box gardens are also doing super well, which is a 180 from last summer's complete heartbreak. They say 80 degree days are coming next week, which the beans and tomatoes will really love (we will too!). I am expecting a full explosion of plants with that! We'll see how long it lasts!
The new blueberries and raspberries...I have now mulched the raspberry patch too!
Sadly, we lost a few things in the last couple of months. Our old washer and dryer finally died after months of squeaking and one last shot of oil over all of our clothes. They were easier to say good bye to (although the money was hard to bid farewell), than the loss of our little grey fish. S/he put up a good fight, but in the end, didn't make it. The fish had been struggling for about a month, and we have a new little fish to keep our orange one company. The new fish is a calico and is much more active than the other fish we have had. The all orange fish is certainly getting a work out and I notice it resting a bit more!
Our new fish, named Fish. Just like all of the others!
Mick did a track weekend out in Central Oregon. We would love to show pictures or video, but something went wrong, and it didn't happen. He says he was the fastest car on the track by at least 3 seconds, so it seems those new hips aren't giving him any trouble at all! He has another track day this week, but in Portland, so maybe we can post something from the track next time. Since we don't have anything else...here is Mick showing off his car last night at his party.
With Mick traveling, Finn and I have done a couple of trips to Eugene. We did one a couple of weeks ago to see the Prefontaine Classic with my mom and our friend Conni. It was Finn's first time at a track meet, and I think he liked it. It was a fast overnight trip, but he also got to spend some time with Aunt Nancy, riding bikes and playing soccer. It was lots of fun for him, while I built mom's new pergola. We also got to see the Louies and they loaded Finn up with plenty of sugar (Uncle Van is a pro at that!).
Dammo explaining some of the events to Finn at the Pre Classic
In the next few months, we will have more adventures and it won't be as many stories of our regular lives. Mick has lots of business travel on the docket, and Finn and I have a couple of trips in the works as well. We also have lots of weddings and parties and, and, and...it seems summer is finally here. At least the calendar is telling me so!
We wish you all the best until next time! Hugs! And we'll leave you with this last picture of Finn cleaning an aligators teeth at the childrens museum yesterday, just to show he is feeling much better now! Take care!
4.25.11 - Out and About...Finally!
Hello friends and family! Since we last wrote, we have been keeping really busy, so we are going to jump right into this, so we don't keep you too long from whatever you need to do!
Just after the last blog, Mick did a bunch of business travel, taking him mostly to California. But he knew that there was light at the end of the tunnel as we had a vacation planned! We took off for Maui for a week. My folks had won a week at a beautiful house on the island of Maui in an auction, and since they had extra rooms (and Hawaiian Airlines were having a sale on airfares), they asked us to join them, and we couldn't refuse! We traded cold rain for warm rain (little did we know we were staying on the wet side of the island, where they get 400" of rain a year...pretty sure that is more than Oregon). We had a great time, but spent a lot of it driving to the drier side. Finn loved playing in the warm ocean, chasing waves and just having lots of time with Mummy and Daddy. Plus, he got to have lots of time with Dammo and Poppy too!
The view from our house when we first got there...look, no rain!
A barefoot Finn, for the first time in months!!!
Mick and Finn playing in the waves
Finn thanking the pilots for a good flight home and trying on their hats!
After we got back, Mick started his trips to California again, but we decided to plan another weekend away in Dottie. This time we went to Hood River. We had booked tickets on the Mt Hood Express and learned we were going to be there for the Blossom Festival. With the weather we have been having, the pear blossoms are about 10 days late (they are figuring), so we didn't get to see them, but apparently it is a sight to behold when they are in full bloom. The train was great fun, and Finn just loved it. We found it very relaxing and scenic and I loved the history aspect of it all. In all we spent 2 nights out, and it rained until we were getting ready to head home. The bright sides of all of that rain: we are getting used to the set up of what we need to do to stay dry and the waterfalls in the Gorge were spectacular! I have never seen so many of them, and the usual ones were incredibly powerful. We got soaked at Multnomah Falls (and we had only JUST dried out!).
Mick and Finn with the big diesel engine of the Mt. Hood Express
The family at Multnomah Falls in the glorious sun!
Finn is doing great at school and drop-offs are a breeze these days. Sure is a big change from just a few months ago! His teachers just love him and he loves them and all of his friends. He will stay in that room for 1 more year (due to his birthday being after the cut-off), so he is going to start making all sorts of new friends as most of his current class will be moving to pre-k. The two classes play a lot together, so he will get to see all of his same friends, which I am so happy about.
Finn has also taken up the violin. After asking for months and months to learn, and then Poppy buying him his first violin, we have tracked down a wonderful teacher who was willing to teach him. It is hard to find folks who want to teach kids as young as Finn (they like to start them after 5, but I was worried he would lose interest by then). His teacher, Edie, actually teaches kids as young as 2! Amazing! These violins get pretty tiny! He is really loving it and will gladly put on a concert for you, should you stop by our house!
The violin fresh out of the box, and Finn giving it a test run!
Finn with Teacher Edie at his lesson
I have been learning my ukulele, and things are going pretty well with that too. I am really enjoying it, although I am finding my music reading isn't coming back to me as fast as I had hoped. It has been a long time since I played an instrument, and I am finding my brain is trying to adjust but slow. Some days are better than others. It is really fun, and will be great to take along camping with us, as I get a little better. Outside of playing my uke, I have been getting the gardens ready and have peas, potatoes, radishes, and beets already popping themselve above the soil surface! So exciting!
Finn and I have been getting around Oregon a bit these last couple of weeks too. Last week we went down to Woodburn for the annual Tulip Festival. We got to see some new things this year too, which was great. I understand there was a news crew there, filming the activities, so they fired up the steam tractors and had the wooden shoe carver there. They are usually just a weekend thing, so we got lucky! The boys were enthralled with that steam tractor though, and the fellow running it was so nice about answering all of their questions. He even blew the whistle for them. The tulips were really amazing too. We had some of our playgroup friends join us this year, which made the morning even more fun than it has been. Finn was having a blast and didn't want to leave, but he had to get to school.
He always takes time to stop and smell the flowers!
Enjoying a little tractor time! Look at all of that color!
Out standing in a field!
This last weekend, I thought I would give Mick a bachelor weekend to work on the car and to relax. He has been traveling so much and has some big trips coming up, and I knew he needed the time to get the car ready for the upcoming track days too. When we are here, he spends the time with us (thank goodness!). He also got the fence all fixed up, so hopefully it will keep Mina on our side, rather than chasing the squirrels on the other side!
Finn and I went down to Eugene for the weekend and it was a blast. We had some good fun with Dammo, Finn got to go to Aunt Nancy's house for a couple of hours and rode bikes and played with Tinker Toys, we checked out one of the Duck practices (football), we went flying with Poppy, had an Easter Egg hunt, had Easter dinner, went to the movies, went bowling, and got to surprise Poppy on his birthday when we came to his surprise lunch. It was all fantastic, but Finn was most excited to tell daddy all about flying. Poppy let him take the controls (don't worry, Poppy kept a hand on things so we were safe), and taught Finn how to go up and down, left and right. Finn thought that was the best thing ever. At the end of the flight, as we were heading back to the airport, Finn turned to Poppy and said, "Poppy, I am going to need some help landing your plane. Will you help me?" This kid has some crazy confidence! Maybe we have a future violin playing pilot on our hands?!
Checking out the Mighty Oregon Ducks while they practice!
Riding bikes with Aunt Nancy!
Finn at the controls and giggling with delight!
Mick got to get out on the track for a day, despite the bad weather. His car did great, came home in one piece, and he was only black flagged for being too loud (and that is WITH the silencer!). Apparently, Monday is the 'quiet' day at the track. Normally, Mick's car is fine. For folks who are interested, Mick just dyno'd his car and is pulling 430whp. All I know is, that is fast. The numbers don't mean much else to me, so talk to him if you are interested. :)
Mina has been keeping busy too. This weekend she has caught a squirrel and a mole (but we are hoping she didn't catch worms...ewwwwww!), and has kept the raccoons at bay. Mick saw more wildlife in one weekend, than I ever have in the 8 years I have been at this house. Insane. Mina on the other hand, has proven to be a much better hunter than I have ever given her credit for, and has earned her keep for another week. We are hoping that mole has moved on to greener (dogless) pastures, far from here. The grass was just starting to look nice!
The dreaded mole! Hoping this one moved it's family to another neighborhood!
That is pretty much the gist of the last few weeks. We hope things are well with you and your family. Much love!
3.7.11 - Happy almost Spring!
Here is March already! Spring is just around the corner, and things are starting to wake up in the yard again! All of the chickens are laying now and have been able to get out more with the very slightly drier weather we have been having. While having romps about the yard they are systematically dead-heading all of the flowers - I sure hope they are not trying to tell me something, especially with the summer we had last year! They have also found 3 new chickens in the yard...they have seen their reflections recently and had me laughing for about a half hour while they were trying to figure out where these 3 strangers came from!
Well, lets get on with this...here is what we have been up to these last 2 months!
Finn has been doing great these last couple of months. He is working hard learning all sorts of great stuff like his ABC's, his counting, his writing, his swimming, his whining, his backtalking, his tantrums, and his negotiation skills. He is logical to a fault sometimes, which is either highly annoying or incredibly funny. He LOVES playing games, and constantly beats us at anything involving luck. We still are able to take him to school when it comes to games of memory or anything with a dice (hey, I was really starting to feel stupid when it came to Candyland...I can't win that game, even if I don't let him cheat!).
Finn's love of classical music (and most music with big bands) abounds and he has been asking to learn how to play the violin for months. We are going to try and nuture this passion and his new violin is on it's way to the house. I am sure most of you think I am completely nuts, but Mick agreed it was a good thing (I am just now realizing he spends a big chunk of time at work or out of town, so I suppose he will not be subjected as often as I will). As we listen to the classical music stations he is picking out certain instruments (most of them are pretty generic, but I have been impressed). We have been playing games too where we listen and figure out what the song sounds like (horses running, bees buzzing, etc).
Over Valentines Day weekend, we were invited to join my family in Eugene to attend my dad's Gleemen concert. Finn was in heaven! Lots of singing and they had fun band play for dancing. It was also fun to get dressed up and Finn enjoyed wearing his first bow tie!
This was his great-grandfather's bowtie, and he loves it!
Checking out a drum-kit
We had the pleasure of having a snow day...if you can call it that. The entire city of Portland tried to shut down for a couple of hours for what most were calling a complete 'Snovereaction'. The kids got a snow day from school and were sledding across the grass by 10:30am in our neighborhood, but we got out for a few minutes because Finn said he wanted to catch snowflakes with his tongue.
Catching snowflakes
Off and running!
This snow storm, along with loads of our other rain storms, has been putting snow in the mountains. We all went down to Eugene to ski with my family for a weekend too. Finn ended up sick the whole time (which lead to all of us being sick the following week), so he didn't get to ski. Mick, my dad, and I all went up to Willamette Pass for a day of skiing and it was great. The snow was fantastic and so was the company. Finn is still asking to go skiing, so we will try to get down again this spring and have him ski a couple of days. My aunt Nancy is itching to teach him (which we couldn't be happier about!).
Mick has been keeping busy too. Work has him on the run with trips to Germany, Japan (only 6 days apart...he wasn't sure which time zone he was in...another reason we went to Eugene for Valentines weekend!), and California.
Erfurt, Germany
View from hotel in Tokyo, Japan
In his spare time, Mick has taken on a couple of projects around the house. He has built the worlds largest fenders for his car, and he was inspired by a play structure at the zoo and has built these fun 'mushrooms' for Finn to climb on.
He made them in contrasting colors, so you can see them
He climbs from one to the other
When Mick isn't working, he and Finn are off doing some pretty fun things like trips to the park or the zoo. Finn has decided he likes the steam engine at the zoo, much better than the diesel train. He has also seen some new animals at the zoo.
During the week, I have been feeling like I have been needing to get out of the house more, and like Finn needs to burn off some of the energy he has, so I enrolled him in several sport classes at the community center. He continues with his swimming, but has recently been learning soccer, basketball, baseball, floor hockey, and rock climbing. He is loving it!
These soccer classes are really paying off!
As for me, I have been keeping busy keeping the boy in line and the house somewhat under control. I am starting to get excited, but not TOO excited, about the garden this year. We are planning things a little differently this year as we are losing 3 of my big beds. They just don't get enough light any more and it wasn't working very well last year. This year, or until we get the front yard relandscaped, I will be container gardening. I just got all of my seeds and several plants ordered. It will be great to get things started. I have been enjoying being a 'farmer' through the winter with the chickens. They are pretty funny.
Finn giving Evie and Ellie some treats
Huge "Euge" Eugenie just after a hen house clean
In light of Finn taking on an instrument, I decided this was as good a time as any for me to full-fill a desire to learn a new instrument, and I have just purchased my first ukulele. It is off to the luthier for repairs (I bought a vintage 1920s Regal, and it just needs some new strings and over-all tuning). I have been learning about chords and tabs and have been itching to play, so I bought a starter ukulele to get me through the fix. One is a soprano uke and the other is a tenor. I am so excited!
My 1920s Regal
Coming up, we have a vacation to warm location, so the next update should be somewhat sooner than this one...or at least some new pictures will be uploaded. We hope you all are doing well and this finds you healthy and happy! Until next time! Hugs!
1.15.11 - Happy New Year!
Wow! I am not sure where those last 2 months and the last couple of weeks went, but I have been useless at updating the blog! On the bright side, not a 'huge' amount happened (ha ha...this got a little long, so here is your warning!), just the usual getting sick, getting ready for Thanksgiving, Duck games, getting sick, getting the Xmas tree, getting sick, getting the gifts for Xmas, Finn getting sick and going to Urgent Care twice (no worries...just pink eye and hives...ugh), Mick traveling for business, getting sick, celebrating Xmas, getting sick, Eugenie getting plucked by Evie (hoping those feather grow back quick), getting packed for Whister, getting sick, going to Whistler, getting sick. Tis the season, right?
So, here is the recap!
Once we got home from our big cross-country road trip, we had a lot of things to get back used to. We got Finn back in school and he started learning about all sorts of great stuff. We are finally seeing some art coming home too, which has been really fun. We even have several new holiday decorations now as they were teaching the kids about Channukah and Xmas. They also learned about the Indian Festival of Lights (called Diwali). Finn may have been getting a few things mixed up along the way, as told his teachers that he was pretty sure Santa pulls the raindeer. Not really sure how that works, but he is very creative. I suppose with the holidays, there is really a lot to learn! He started getting very good at counting to 5 and recently has mastered all the way to 11 (I would love to insert a Spinal Tap joke here, but seriously...hasn't gotten 12 yet). He also got back into swimming (which I think he really missed), and has been learning all sorts of new strokes (he was learning the breast-stroke and the butterfly the other day).
For Thanksgiving we headed down to Eugene, which was the first time we have had Thanksgiving down there in a few years. My aunt Nancy and her family invited us over to her house for dinner, and it was great to spend time with that side of the family. Mick even taught Finn the fine art of balancing spoons on noses.
Every family has traditions, right?
Thanksgiving weekend we also go to go to another Duck game. The season ended on a high note, with the Ducks being the Conference Champs and qualifying for a trip to the National Championship. We were all very excited as this was the first trip for the Ducks to 'The Big Ship', ever. At the end of the regular season, the Ducks were ranked #2 (by the BCS polls, but #1 by several others, before the Championship game...very exciting for all of us!).
Final Duck game at Autzen for the season-we won, of course!
After Thanksgiving day, we got into the full swing of Xmas. Thanksgiving weekend, after the Duck game, we went with Dammo and Poppy to get a Christmas Tree for Poppy's office. It was really fun because we got to go on a fun wagon ride around the tree farm, and Finn even got a special ride on the little 4-wheeler, as my dad is friends with the owner of the farm. We were happy to go because we didn't get a real tree for our house this year, as the day after Christmas we left for Whistler. Christmas day was great, with presents and a big family dinner at Sean and Belle's house. A few days before, we went to Aunt Jan and Uncle Tom's house for the annual family Xmas party. That was so much fun and Finn just loves the time playing with the big cousins (and they are so good with him too!).
As I mentioned, the day after Xmas, at about dark:30 we headed out and did the big drive to Whistler. Finn was a trooper and fell asleep about 30 minutes outside of Whistler (mind, the drive is roughly 9 hours). We had a great week up there and Mick was given the all clear by the doctor to snowboard ahead of time. He got 5 days in, which was 5 more than he originally thought he would and everything felt really good. Finn got a solid 3 days in (around 15 runs) and is really getting a feel for the snow. We are going to plan some trips to Eugene so my Aunt Nancy can teach him some of the basics (we aren't good at that since we don't remember learning to ski). I think he is going to pick it up quick though and is going to be jetting around ski area's in no time! Finn says he really likes skiing because he gets to ride the chairlift. Hey, what ever keeps him motivated! I was 'benched' the entire trip with a sever ear infection. I can now cross "visit a Canadian Medical Clinic" and "buy prescription drugs" off my bucket list. I did get to spend some time at a very nice spa. The doctor recommended I do some steaming, so I told Mick about a Scandinavian Spa up the road and how it had been 'prescribed' by a member of the medical community. Since it was medically necessary, Mick gave the all clear and treated me to a few hours in a Eucalyptus Steam room (among some other niceties there!). I suppose there are worse places to be sick, but I was disappointed I couldn't ski for fear of the altitude changes blowing out my ear drum...that would have been really bad!
Finn's first ride up the chair lift this season
After Whistler, we had Mick home for a few extra days of vacation, which was really nice. He was home for a whole month, after basically being gone for 2 solid months. Finn really liked having him home and they got to do lots of things together. One favorite thing is a trip to Home Depot...Finn loves to sit on the tractors there.
He usually likes the John Deere's the best-they are green, his favorite color
The Championship Game was played about a week ago, and didn't end like most Duck fans felt it should have (or wanted it to). The Ducks went to play the Auburn Tigers who were ranked #1. We are still very proud of our team and are looking forward to next season (we have very high hopes!). Finn was able to get to 4 of the home games this year and is sad the season is over. He has expressed that he doesn't like basketball, so we have started to expose him to other sports so he can get through the off-season. We have signed him up for 4 different classes at the community center, and he seems to be enjoying it. There are 2 soccer classes and the other 2 classes are mixed sports classes so he will get to learn different sports. It is nice to be getting out of the house a bit, although they will be learning basketball in one of the classes next week, so we'll see how that goes! He is loving soccer!
Thrilled that he gets to wear the Green pinny!
Practicing a little footwork
We have a new little family member, despite Mick's pleas of 'no more pets'. For Xmas we got a fish tank and have added this little beauty. As the name has gone from Dory to Ginger to Fred to Nemo, we have settled on 'Fish'. I assume when the next fish comes, in about a month, we will end up with a 'Fish 1' and 'Fish 2'. S/he has become very friendly, after being incredibly shy for a week, and now comes swimming over as fast has s/he can when s/he sees us. I think s/he assumes food is on it's way. We are really enjoying 'Fish'.
Last week I bit the bullet and opened my Etsy store. It is a website for hand-made and vintage items. My Aunt Jan taught me how to hand tie pearl necklaces about 6 months ago and I really loved doing it. I have since taught myself how to do wire wrap and have started making different types of bracelets, necklaces and ear-rings. It has been really fun and I am hoping it might end up being a fun side-business. If you would like to see my website, here is the address (and feel free to share this website with anyone who may be interested!): http://SarahMcCullyCreative.etsy.com I will be adding new things as I get them made!
Yesterday, Mick gave a presentation at Finn's school about growing up in England and what the place is like. Mick had to learn the difference between the Yeomen, Beefeaters, and the palace guards quick...I had it right, but being American Mick wasn't buying it until Google told him I was right. I wish Google always told him I was right. Anyway, the presentation went well despite Mick being a little nervous. He is used to presenting in front of hundreds of people, but not 3-4 year olds. The kids loved it (and we will try to post a picture they took at some point). The kids especially loved the biscuits (aka cookies) we brought in. They have been doing all sorts of activities and art involving England, and this is Finn's picture of what he thinks England is:
Well, that has been our last few months. We hope the holidays and the New Year have treated you well. Until next time...hugs!
