Our First Snow of 2011

Finally. It didn't stay around long, but it sure was pretty, and it happened twice in one day. Each time, it melted away pretty quickly. No harm, no foul, i guess. It is, however really cold, and there is still a little dusting here and there. Una and I excitedly watched the snow fall and decided to run outside and enjoy it while it lasted. Big fluffy flakes that gave quick coverage. And, i'm not sure, maybe it was the camera i had in her face, but someone was such a somber little pony out there in the snow. When it stopped, there was sunshine, and the occasional breeze would shake the trees and give the illusion that it was still snowing, just for a moment. It gave me the same feeling you get on christmas morning, just after you've opened the last present, and they are all sitting quietly under the tree, unwrapped.

Barrette

Una has FINALLY let me put barrettes in her hair. HOORAY!

Anecdote

Today i had a wonderful discovery...una is now old enough to go out into the garden with me and i can get a little something done before she gets bored and i have to start chasing her. It was a balmy 65 and mostly sunny today, so we spent about an hour outside. And thus, the following cute little story. While i was looking down and fiercely grabbing weeds while keeping one eye glued on Una, she was busy looking up. She goes, "I see moon up thar! I see moon up thar!" and then she fell over backwards into the dirt. After i helped her back up, i looked up and yes indeed, there was the moon up thar! it was so cute, that i haven't stopped thinking about it and had to share it with you. the end.

22 Months

I cannot believe that Una will be 2 years old in a 2 months from today. She is becoming quite the little girl. She is talking up a storm and likes to say, "That's amazing!" alot. I am amazed how much she absorbs, remembers and repeats. She can look at most of her books and tell you almost word for word the words that are written there...like she's reading it. She has an AMAZING memory, just like daddy. By the way, it is important to note that the only way i could get these photos of Una with hat, glasses and a smile was to tell her that they were for Alex. Una Belle, you are something else!

Beach Movie

And our little movie of the beach...click here.

The Oregon Coast

Pacific Way Cafe at the center of Gearheart, Oregon

Our darling hotel room in Gearheart

Laurie was there for a girls' weekend. We crashed their party.

I'm a week behind in my postings. Last weekend we went to the oregon coast for a little get-away. We tried out Gearheart, oregon because it is only 1.5 hours from portland. It is so darling! A very small and quaint little ocean town with mostly residential homes and not a lot of tourism. We stayed at an Inn right in the center of town next to the Cafe and Bakery, which are delicious and super cute too. I loved the Inn. We got a one bedroom suite. It had a kitchen, bathroom, living room, and bedroom upstairs. It was perfect for a one night escape. Una enjoyed the stairs immensely. They were just her size for practicing.

It was a little chilly when we first arrived on the beach. You can literally drive your car onto the beach, and down the beach one way for quite a while. I can't believe they let you do this. And i can't believe the beach is as nice as it is with all the cars driving all over it. Una loved the ocean at first. When she first saw it she said, "It's moving. It's amazing!" But then at some point she got frightened by it. On the second day, she wouldn't even go down onto the beach. She would only sit at the top of the dunes and look out. It must be a bit overwelming for a wee person. The second day, we found a nice walk from our Inn, past a park with a gorgeous view and then a little trail through the dunes to the beach. I loved the whole experience and can't wait to go back in April with the girls. It was also nice running into Laurie and spending some time visiting with her and her girlfriends. What a gorgeous old house they were staying in!

Stay tuned for a little movie of this adventure coming soon...