4th of July

I wanted to post a few pictures of our 4th of July trip up to Seattle (Kirkland) before we left for our Sun River, Oregon trip tomorrow.  The weather is beautiful here in the Pacific North West and summer has started.  We may have to deal with some crummy weather most of the year, but there is no better place during the summer!

Getting ready to walk in the Children's Parade!

Parade Watching

Nicholas was so excited to spend time swimming, riding bikes and hanging out with his good buddy Roman!

We hope everyone had a happy 4th and are enjoying summer!

Summertime!

Memorial Day hike at the Columbia River Gorge

Summer time is here and the boys are growing up quickly-too quickly!

Nicholas got his first two wheel bike this week and was riding it a few days later, no training wheels!  He started out on a balance bike when he was three, which is a bike with no pedals. The idea behind the balance bike is that pedaling is the easy part, balancing is the difficult part; so why not teach them to balance before they pedal?  It works!   I am so proud of my big guy!  It's a very exciting milestone, on par with walking and first words in my book.

And, in other news, my other big guy, Christian, is singing his ABC's!  He has been on a language explosion lately, and so cute to hear his conversations!  He is also in a screaming stage right now, (can you say terrible two's?) and I hope it passes quickly!  Good thing he is so darn cute!

We had a fun little hike on Memorial Day weekend this year, the Gorge is full of many trails with numerous waterfalls, so there is still so much more for us to explore!

Growing up, my birthday on June 23, was always the kick off to my summer.  Over the years you're not as excited for your birthday but it is fun to see how excited the boys get with any birthday or holiday!

Strawberry Picking!

We went to Sauvie Island to strawberry pick with some friends.  Christian and the other little girl his age ate, and ate, and ate.  Not a single strawberry in his pint.  Nicholas and his friend were actually quite helpful!  Yum, fresh Oregon strawberries are delish!

Nicholas insisted we make strawberry jam virtually the minute we got home, thanks to his Highlights subscription, courtesy of his Ranalli grandparents.  We read it in his magazine that morning.  He cleaned them and mashed them, and boy did he LOVE mashing them!

 Lots of summer reading too, we pick up new books from the library every week.

     

Summer hiking dates!  It's so cute to see how much fun kids have together with nothing but nature!

We have been swimming a bunch!  Christian just moved up to the next level in his swim class, which is without me, it's kind of sad.  He is doing great though!  Both boys love swimming.  We also belong to an outdoor swim pool this summer and Christian cleared out the wading pool with a little poop accident, EMBARRASSING!    I am so thankful he did not do it in the big pool, I would have felt terrible to evacuate that one. Something for his memory book for sure!

 Yes, he has that much energy all of the time!

Fly fisherman in training!  Getting ready to go fish with Dad!

It's almost July, can't wait to see what else this summer has in store for us!  Lot's of trips and visitors coming up!

Best Dad Around!

Seriously, unequivocally, hands down, the best!  We love you Chris!  Happy Father's Day!

Chris and the boys eating lunch during a four wheeling adventure thru Tillamook State Forest earlier this week.

Chris also stayed home to care for the boys this past week, while I said goodbye to a great woman, my grandmother.  She was the proud grandmother of 8 grandchildren and 6 great-grandson's and a nurse for 45 years! We are lucky to have such great memories of GG that will last a life time!  As she use to say to me about Chris, "Boy, he must be smart!  You're lucky to have him!"  I sure am, Gram, and glad we have you to be our angel watching over us!

Thank you to Pop-Pop Ranalli, Grandpop Bob, and Pop for being special and important father's in our life.  May you all have a very special day!

Happy Mother's Day!

Happy Mother's Day to all of the mothers out there!  I know my children are very fortunate to have two wonderful grandmother's and two great-grandmother's!  Grandmom Ranalli is out here visiting in Portland and was able to spend Mother's Day with us this year. My mom and all of the mother figures in my life, including my mother in-law, grandmother's, aunts and friends certainly have shaped who I am as a person and I know that it will also shape the character of my children.

 

Spending a beautiful Mother's Day in Portland today!

We love you Mom-Mom!

We love you Mimi!

We love you GG (Great-Gram)

We love you Great-Grandmom DD!

As a mother now myself, the greatest gift of all is seeing my two boys love each other!  Being a mom is the greatest thing in the world!

                       

Oregon

It's been nearly three months since we moved to Portland and we have been having lots of fun discovering Oregon!  From the coast to the desert, we have been keeping busy in this beautiful state.  I went thru our cell phones today and weeded out the best pictures of our latest adventures.

 Today, at the Portland Japanese Gardens

"Look Christian, a koi fish."

 Construction zone in our backyard!

Construction zone in the garage!

Spring skiing with Daddy in Mt. Hood

Chris and I skiing/riding Mt. Bachelor near Bend, Oregon for his birthday weekend.

Chris and his good buddy Marc fishing on the Deschuttes River during Chris' birthday weekend in Bend, Oregon.  

Pop-Pop and boys at the World Forestry Center in Portland

Christian and his buddies at the Forestry Center

Nicholas learning what great hearing bats have! 

Climbing at the Portland Children's Museum

 One of Nicholas' favorite spots in Portland, Voodoo Doughnut.

Waiting to take the street car to the Farmers market.

On our way!

Special date day with Nicholas to sushi and a show at the Portland Children's Theater

What did we see?  One of Nicholas' favorite book's, Richard Scary's "Busytown."  Nicholas above pictured with Lowly worm.

Earth Day hike, right down the street from our house in Forest Park.

Fishing!

Like Daddy, like sons.  They have gone fishing two weekends in a row now.

Cannon Beach, Oregon at Haystack Rock.  Recognize it?  It was on the final scene of the movie Goonies as the ship sets sail.

Nicholas and Mimi

Best Friends

Sand dunes 

  Nature Boy!

 More adventures to come, I'm sure!  Hopefully, some with those of you who read this blog.  Greetings from cold, rainy, snowy, sunny, warm, beautiful Oregon!