A few more pictures...

Hydrangea are beautiful, but poisonous. Don't put them on your wedding cake.

I'm so smart. I move things and then I stand on them to make myself taller.

Sunset.

Hey Run, I'm ready for my audition.

I'm the antibrarian.

An Experiment in Time Management.

I should be working on a memo right now. The memo should be based on a fairly interesting case study about the LA Philharmonic. I should be...

What am I doing instead? I'm watching the trainwreck that is the eighth inning of the Angels-Yankees game. Two errors? Are you kidding me? According to the Angels' current level of play, I am good enough to be a professional baseball player. Not just a professional, but a professional in the ALCS. Just sayin'.

Anyway, I should be memo-writing, but I'm back to procrastinating. Baseball watching and blog writing, not a bad way to pass a Sunday evening. Luckily the memo is not actually due till Wednesday. I am wiping my hand across my brow in relief, even as I type this.

Here are some pictures.

Are you kidding me with that face?

Are you kidding me with that sunrise?

Seriously, the upside of having an early rising baby is that you never miss an incredible sunrise.

Welcome back Fall. We miss you. Please don't lead us to a freezing cold winter. Please.

Reed gets fresh with Lili.

If...

Reed had a facebook page, I would post on his wall:

Please stop yelling at me and go to sleep.

GalOREgon

* I can't get my pictures to post the way I want. So they're a list of pictures*

Two trips to Oregon in four weeks?!

Visits with new and old friends on the beach and the city and the country!

We have been fortunate enough to go on two separate trips to one of my all-time favorite states in this great country of ours. And no, its not because it is called the Beaver State. Well, not entirely anyway.

Our friends Anna and Jon, along with their new daughter Lillian invited us to share a house in Manzanita with them for a weekend. We jumped at the chance. Rob got a couple days off work and we had our first family road trip. I would be lying if I said I wasn't nervous. I imagined a lot of screaming. Primarily from Reed, but also from his parents. Man, was I surprised when he slept for three of the four hours! Rob and I spent those three hours in the front seat and it was almost like it was just the two of us again. Almost. And then Reed screamed. But man, was the drive beautiful.

We enjoyed amazing food, fabulous company, and the incredible Oregon Coast.

And our trip didn't end there. We took Reed to Portland for the first time. Portland is hands down my favorite city and I hope to live there again someday. We met up with several good friends, many from my AFS days. It was so great to see everyone and meet new spouses and children, and visit with old friends, and drink beer in the park. The geese were a bit much to deal with. There were just so many of them.

And then, four weeks later, we traveled to Scappoose, Oregon to celebrate Hill's 28th birthday a week late. Hill moved to the lovely Oregon Countryside maybe four(?) months ago. That is probably wrong. It was a reunion of sorts, with Becca returning from Chile. I think that may become a theme of our lives. Becca will forever be returning from Chile, only to go back once more. Perhaps one of these times, we'll visit her there. I think Reed would really like South America. However, we were one short, with Julia traveling to Denver this exact weekend.

We celebrated Hill with a trip to the Scappoose Sauerkraut festival and Big Pot'o'Meat, which is exactly what it sounds like. My vegetarian husband was appalled. Yum. We followed that up with a delicious, albeit lopsided chocolate cake and valencia orange chocolate sauce. MMMM. It was fantastic to see Hill's parents and meet (again) her new man. She seems happy and relaxed and she can drive heavy machinery like no one's bidness.

Just helping with some chores

First I'll load the dishwasher.

And then I'll put the yogurt away.

And you reward me with this poison?

Grieving the loss of a friend

We lost an amazing friend today. Our wonderful black lab mix Sparky has passed away. Despite his age, his passing was extremely unexpected. He had a strong heart and strong lungs, but has been ailing over the past several months.

Sparky was about 14 years old, 98 in dog years. We don't know much about his puppyhood, but we have loved him since he was four years old. He has provided our family with so many happy times, visiting Danville will just not be the same without him there to greet us with his regal profile and his dopey grin.

Jeremy and I picked Sparky out at the Dublin animal shelter when we were 14 and 18respectively. Our parents sent us to maybe look for a small dog that doesn't shed. Two hours later, we called and said that we met a great dog and that I (using my newly established adult and legal signature) had adopted a dog. Several days later, after the customary shelter procedures, my father and Jeremy went to pick up the giant and hairy black lab that would become the most loved and spoiled member of our family.

Sparky came with the name Sparky and we didn't have the heart to change it on him. However, it took on several forms, including, Sparkplug, Sparticus, and Sparkles, among others. He was particularly close to my mom and would bark loudly whenever anyone attempted to hug her. He was a black lab who hated water and refused to fetch. He avoided the kiddy pool in our backyard, never drank from the toilet, and would stare blankly at you if you were silly enough to throw a ball or a stick. He seemed to be saying "Well if you wanted that stick, why did you throw it across the yard?"

He was a bit skittish and hated hair dryers, vacuums, and strangers, but once you earned his trust, he loved you forever. He loved giving kisses and getting a good long back scratch. He was the sweetest dog you could ever hope to meet.

We will miss you so much Sparky. I feel honored to have known you.

Reed couldn't tell the difference between his Uncle Sparky and his Uncle Jeremy.

Sparky was so gentle with Reed. Patiently watching him till he could sneak in a big kiss.

We love you Sparky. You'll be missed.

Making Friends- A Video Diary