Our Big Girl is Walking (Almost)
Her feet look ready, but her face tells the real story.
A Break from Life
Hubby and I were in desperate need of a vacation – FROM LIFE. We had tons to do, the washer had been broken for weeks, taxes weren’t done (and we didn’t know if we could claim Sunita since she isn’t adopted here in the states yet), we needed to get busy doing the paperwork in the states for her adoption, and more and more. So we took a break, and on Feb. 27 we went to Fort Stevens and stayed in a yurt for the weekend.
Half of the inside.
A view out the door.
It was just what we needed. Dad and daughter played. Mom rested. The peanut enjoyed crawling around on the yurt floor and playing on the top bunk of the bunk beds (with dad of course!).
Saturday we went to the Astoria Coffee House. We had wonderful Stumptown coffee (which is why I chose the place) and pastries. The coffee was good but somewhat expensive, and the pastries were good but not knock your socks off. Still, it was a wonderful morning because baby napped in her car seat while I drank wonderful hot nectar of the gods and enjoyed the atmosphere and the company.
Then we drove around Astoria and just looked around. It was cold and wet, typical Oregon coast weather. Astoria was fun to explore, even by car.
The bridge from Astoria to Washington is 4 miles. It was fun to see all the shorebirds and the bald eagles sitting on the mudflats.
Such a tempting place.
This is NOT a fake. Right next to the road this deer just stood there and looked at us. At the bottom of the photograph you can see the road barrier. We saw it on our way up to the Astoria Column.
What would a coast trip be without the sea lion show?
We did do some exploring of Fort Stevens itself as well. This is a barracks/battery/etc. at the fort. We went and poked all around it. It would be a great place to play sardines or hide and seek.
Dad and the little “sweetheart” found the fighting spirit.
I think she kind of looks like an owl with a 360 degree view. Her legs are tucked into the pack and we tried to keep her cozy because it was COLD!
Wait to scroll down if you want to attempt the challenge of “Where’s the Sandpipers”? 10 feet away we stood and didn’t see them at first, but hubby has sharp eyes and caught them moving.
The close up. Can you see them now? How many do you count?
There are 7.
Try again?
How about in the close up? The camoflague they have is incredible.
Bring Dorothy Home Quick!!
She’s unhappy because she isn’t yet with her forever family! If you’d like to help bring Dorothy home, (she is from the same orphanage Sunita came from), see the website.
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Blanket bonanza
We have far too many baby blankets now, and yet I find myself using all of them for one purpose or another. There are 11 homemade + 13 not = 24 total for 1 little girl. Does that seem extraordinary to you?
Well, it seems completely ordinary to her.
“TA-DA”
“Mom, can I tip it now?”
My Grandma Hazel, my mom’s mom, made this one. She passed away last week and this was the last blanket she made. Although not one of the most elegant of our handmade blankies, it means a great deal to me. At 91, if I have the mental capacity, eyesight, and work ethic to make a quilt I think it should be applauded, regardless of its flaws! O, and did I mention that much of the work was done by hand? I am so very thankful for this gift.
A close-up of the fabrics.
My Grandma J, my mother-in-law’s mom, made this one. It’s so cute! I love the farm animals and especially the little calf crying over the split milk. Granny did think we were having a boy when she made this. I love it for our pumpkin because she loves to point at the animals and make the noises.
Isn’t that too cute.
Old friends of mine, the Ponders, made this one. It’s funny because I happened to run into them at our church. I knew them from Homedale (where I grew up), and I knew they had moved here, but didn’t know they were attending 2nd Street Community Church. They helped in our youth group (about 10 years ago) and their daughter was just a bit younger than me. I love the fabrics the daughter chose. She owns a quilt shop, Calico Whale (no website), in Valdez, Alaska now. Her mom actually made the quilt though. Thanks, Julie.
Close up of the fabrics.
These are also from two of our church members. The white and green blanket was made, washed, dirtied by her children, washed again and then delivered to my baby shower all in one day. We use the fleece animal print blanket anytime we get up during the night with the munchkin because it is so big and warm and covers both baby and me in the chair.
This quilt is from a family who’s daughter I had as a student about 8 years ago. She was in the home school outreach class I was teaching while I was still going to school at Fox. She is now a freshman at SPU. Her brother, on the other hand, took an outreach class this last fall at GFU – the program I’m now in charge of…so her mom and I reconnected. I told her we were adopting, and she showed up with this. I continue to be amazed not only at the strange connections, but at the generosity of these connections. It makes me feel selfish; I rarely, if ever, go out of my way for people, especially people like that – who are on the periphery of my life.
I helped make this quilt. Jessi did most of the work. I love the blue and red, the yellow and green combo – not so much.
The pink on the left is from my mother-in-law, the multi-colored one is from my G’ma Ruth (my dad’s mom, who passed away a few years ago). They are beautiful.
I made these two. I’m glad I didn’t know how hard silk was to work with before starting the bottom quilt. Ignorance truly is bliss sometimes.
These are only the handmade ones. Phew.
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