First Day of First Grade

Vestal Back to School Clean Up and Celebration

Greta and Maddy picking up trash

Before the start of the School Year we volunteered at the Vestal Clean Up weekend and helped clear out blackberries, trash and weeds so the play court and playground would look good for the kiddos.  Maddy's friend Greta and her family were there helping out, and Steve and I tackled the blackberries.
After cleaning up there was a Back to School celebration for new and returning Vestal families.  We met up with new friends and existing friends, enjoyed a BBQ and a much-needed sprinkler.

Chopping Down Blackberries

Back to School BBQ

Vestal swag for sale

Sun After School Program Info

Total Eclipse and Althea's Birthday Party!

Happy Birthday Althea!

August 21, 2017 was a BIG day!

It was the total eclipse day and Oregon was part of the "Path of Totality".  Our home was in the 99% zone so we did not experience the total eclipse but it was still a pretty neat experience.  It the peak it turned dusk-like and chilly, and shadows looked like crescent moons.

Also...Althea had her dream birthday party - Unicorn/Pink/Purple/Sparkles themed with a beautiful cake...and a dance party!  This girl knows how to celebrate!

Watching the Eclipse

Eclipsed Shadows (half moons)

More Eclipsed Shadows

Yay Althea!

Birthday Girl Dance Party

Megan and Daynia with Ella and Audrey

Emily, Steve and Tyson

Also a Happy Birthday to Wyatt!

August Shenanigans

Maddy, Ben, Karina, Henry and Daniel (ChildRoots Southsiders)

We had a second ChildRoots Southsiders reunion at the Zoo.  This time more friends showed up and they had a great time goofing around.

Maddy played soccer over the summer with the Rose City United Soccer league and her team's name was the Cheetahs.  Her good friend Ariel was on the team and they played well with each other.  It was amazing how much Maddy's soccer skills improved over the summer!

After over a decade co-leading the "People in Portland with MS 40'ish and Under" Self-Help/Support Group, Marnie stepped down.  Her co-leader (Lee) has a new co-leader (Scott) and all is well.  Carol Choutka (Self-Help Group liaison with the National MS Society) came to the last meeting Marnie co-led, and brought flowers, cupcakes and a National MS Society paperweight as a thank you gift.  It was a really nice end of an era.

Maddy's current bedtime routine includes a series of 10 kisses (cheek, cheek, forehead, chin, nose, then repeat) and meditation.

Marnie and Steve celebrated 9 years of marriage with a fantastic dinner & dessert at Portland City Grill.

Maddy and Marnie went to the Outlet Stores down I-5 for back to school (!) shopping and Maddy got her wish to go to a "Build-A-Bear Workshop".  Maddy chose a Princess Kitty she named Fluffy.  Fluffy purrs, has a heartbeat and also scent - cotton candy.

Karina, Ben and Maddy

Ben, Henry, Daniel, Karina

Karina and Maddy

Mommy/Daughter Lunch

Maddy and Sarai - Y-Care

Maddy and Pecky at Bedtime - 10 kisses!

Basil and Tomatoes from our garden

...make an amazing Caprese Salad!

Cheetahs Soccer!

National MS Society Thank You

9th Anniversary ❤

Anniversary Dinner at Portland City Grill

"Building" a Kitty at Build-A-Bear-Workshop

Meet Fluffy

Tillamook County Fair and Camping at Kilchis River

Luella and Maddy...or Hamsters?

One of Steve's work projects is the Tillamook County Fairgrounds (master plan for fairgrounds and facilities) so we decided to check it out this summer.  The Sweanys joined us for a weekend of camping and hanging out at the Tillamook County Fair.  Maddy and Lu had fun pretending to be hamsters in water-balls (hilarious) and super-bouncing.  The highlight of the fair are the "Pig and Ford" races which dates back a long time.  Hand-crank old timey fords are used for the races, and the drivers need to grab a pig from a pen, hand crank the car then drive around the race track.  Word has it that back in the day, all the pigs were in one pen...and were greased.  Bizarre fun in Tillamook County!

Our campground was great, too, right on a river that was very cold but also very refreshing on a hot day.  I braved the river and convinced Maddy to join me (briefly!)  Growing up on Lake Superior has given me thick skin for cold water. 😁

Before heading back to Portland we hit the beach and the girls ran in the waves, played in the sand and thoroughly enjoyed every single moment.

Steve's Project!

Andy, Steve and I enjoying the Pig and Ford Races

Here are the Hand-Crank Fords

Yes, he's got a Pig

Maddy and Marnie braving Kilchis River

Pure Joy

Buddies : )