~Christmas 2012~

Merry Christmas to all of our friends and family.  As 2013 begins, it's a reminder for me to wrap up the holiday season and reflect on what a happy December we had and an entirely blessed year full of amazing memories.  I can't wait to see what 2013 has in store for us!

 The boys at the tree farm.  Nicholas loved carrying the saw around.

Watching Daddy cut the tree.

The one!

Warming up inside with some hot chocolate.

Santa visit #1 at the tree farm.

One of Nicholas' favorite things about Christmas is the ornaments.  He loves decorating the tree and admiring the ornaments.  He is currently carefully taking down all of the ornaments off the tree as I write this blog.

Santa visit #2

I have to say, Nicholas loves all things about Christmas as I'm sure most kids do.  He loved decorating the gingerbread house, and asked us non stop when we could make one as soon as Thanksgiving ended.

 Christian was into it this year as well!

The boys were so delighted to wake one morning and see our elf, Elvis, admiring the gingerbread house!

So happy Mom-mom and Pop-pop came for Christmas this year!  Everyone enjoyed decorating sugar cookies for Santa!

Tracking Santa on Pop-pop's computer on Christmas Eve.

Leaving a note, milk, gingerbread house and cookies for Santa.  Christian was a little upset they had to share the gingerbread house with Santa, he'd been waiting to eat it for weeks.  Nicholas wanted to make antler ears for the picture!

Nicholas' first letter to Santa!

Christmas morning, opening his Hess Chopper from Uncle Christian.

"What's this one?"

Still loves trash trucks!

Showing off his big stocking, he must have been a good boy this year!

Twins!

Santa left a little piece of the gingerbread house!

Nicholas' "I'm feirce!" face with his lego batman.

Legos, legos, legos!  And, he finally got his remote control hummer too!

Chris gifted his Dad a guided fishing boat on the Willamette River here in Portland.  Pop-pop and Chris came home so happy that day and Pop-pop mentioned it was the best Christmas gift ever!  Successful fishing day is an understatement as these were not the largest sturgeon they caught.  Pop-pop caught an 8 footer too large to bring aboard and Chris caught a 6 footer.  There is already talks of Salmon fishing in the Spring.

The boys back at home were very excited to watch muffins cook in the oven!

And just in the nick' of time, we saw the zoo lights before the season ended!

Wishing you all a very happy 2013!

Happy Birthday, Mimi!

Chris got back from his Asia trip yesterday after two long weeks and Mimi got in today.  The boys are double-ly happy and excited.  They kept asking all day when Mimi's birthday "party" was going to be.  Nicholas helped me make the cake and the icing and we got to sing happy birthday to Mimi a day late, but so glad we got to celebrate with her none the less!  All that the boys need is singing happy birthday and eating cake to make it a party!  At one point today, I ran out to the market and I was told Christian got upset because he thought I left for the birthday party without him.  He is too funny, but I can't explain the warmth that their joy for life brings to me!  We love spending time with you Mom, so happy to have you out with us!

Meem with her happy boys!

Happy Halloween - 2012!

 I thoroughly enjoyed the day, the boys excitement is a delight to see!  However, after what seems like a month long celebration I'm ready to move on from Halloween.  Today was a perfect climax to the Halloween "Season."  My two little pirates may have had their most fun Halloween together yet.  Trick or treating tonight, Nicholas kept saying, "Christian isn't this so much fun?"  and "Mommy, I love you, you're the best!" as if I was the reason he continued to fill his bag with candy.  Putting Christian to bed tonight, he asked if we can do it again tomorrow.  Christian is fond of the lollipops this year, and if a house did not have any he would say, "lollipop please."  Very cute!  One of the best parts?  Their Grandmom Ranalli is here to participate in all the fun!

Attempts at pictures before trick or treating can be quite a challenge due to the anticipation of candy AND the use of cool glow sticks Grandmom gave them.  Both made for VERY excited boys!

Halloween Season also included many other fun days!

Painting pumpkins, I love their concentration faces!  A jack o lantern was also carved, (a bit too early) it didn't quite make it to Halloween.  And, Chris and Nicholas did it one Sunday while Christian and I were napping, so I didn't get pictures of Nicholas' face touching the insides.

A trip to the pumpkin patch with friends.  

The boys are getting big, aren't they?

What would Halloween season be without Halloween pj's?  Thanks Mimi!

And, a Halloween Party at Portland Children's Museum, among the other Halloween parties we attended with Nicholas' school.

One happy Halloween, and one tired mom!  What's next for our little Ranalli family?  Thanksgiving and a move.  That's right, we are finally ready to buy another home and stay awhile!

Early Fall - 2012

Already October tomorrow?  I thought the fall would slow us down a bit, but so far it hasn't.  We're having a beautiful Indian summer here with no rain.  I might regret saying this come April, May and June but, I'm ready for the Pacific Northwest rainy season to begin!

Our unofficial last weekend of summer, Labor Day weekend, was spent with my good friend Dana and Mike.  Dana' first visit to see us in the Northwest, but hopefully not the last!

No trip is complete with a waterfall hike in the Columbia River Gorge.  

And a trip to the beautiful Oregon Coast!

Nicholas started his final year of preschool before kindergarden this year and he is really enjoying it!  He can count to "infinity" as he likes to say when I pick him up everyday...I think he is going to be a math guy!

 Here is a picture of him on the first day.

 And inside his school garden.

Having an after school treat with this two favorite school friends, Miles and William.

We've also gotten in a couple more camping trips before the cold and rain since the boys just love it so much!

Cool kid camping and eating smores!

 Brrr, trying to keep warm in the tent early morning.

Fishing with views of Mt Hood

Like father, like son!

Other than camping and school we've just been enjoying our time around Portland.  We are really loving it here!

 I thought he was awfully quiet one morning!  Mischievous boy got a box of tissues, shredded them and used them as trash in his trash truck.  Yes, he still loves trash trucks!  At least he's graduated from trash cans!

Brothers!

Morning at the zoo while big brother is at school!

Christian and Hadley riding the rides at Oakes Park in SE Portland!

Keeping daddy company fishing on the Willamette River.

Neighborhood biking crew!

Yes, that's right, Christian is now riding Nicholas' old balance bike and doing so well!

Eating some pbj's in the back of Daddy's truck in Tillamook State Forest.  The boys finally convinced me to come along four wheeling, another favorite activity of their's.  Let's just say we'll leave it as "boy time!"  Haha!  If you can believe it, they have off road vehicle parks...much like ski resorts with marked trails that tell you level of difficulty.  Just like skiing; green = easy, blue = intermediate, black = difficult.  Let's just say I was a buzz kill with my worrying and I'm not sure if my neck enjoyed the jerky ride:)!

Arrrrr!

Just this past weekend, Nicholas' good friend, India,  had a pirate ballet birthday party.  Coincidentally, Nicholas wanted to be a pirate for Halloween so it worked out perfectly!  The boys love playing dress up on a normal day at home and the first thing they asked to do when they woke this morning was put on their pirate costume!

Hadley, the ballerina, and the pirate brothers dancing at the party!

Nicholas doing well balancing the book on his head during the pirate treasure race!

Fun birthday party with dear friends, they too lived in Kirkland and now live in Portland.  Fun fall so far too, we're going to enjoy another beautiful week here with no rain in the 10 day forecast.