Something worth saving

About six and half years ago, B tore the ACL ligament in his left knee and had it repaired at the OHSU campus in the West Hills. Then, something happened and he had to get it repaired again at the new OHSU building on Portland's south waterfront. They had just finished building this spaceship looking aerial tram from the waterfront up to the main campus and were handing out free passes to families who were waiting for loved ones to come out of surgery. The perfect time-waster.

I didn't use the pass I received that day, but instead, put in our bulletin board at home. Skip ahead about six and half years to this past week when I was packing up the bulletin board and lo and behold, there was our free tram pass.  It seems that sometimes, being a hoarder pays off.  We took advantage of a gorgeous Portland Saturday and cashed it in.

Curious about Portland's famous tram? Check out gobytram.com.

Springtime in Portland

Finally, a visit to Portland in the spring isn't complete without a stop at the Crystal Springs Rhododendron Garden. We strolled about and looked at the early blooms while Kate did her best to yell at all of the ducks. Oh, and try to feed them rocks. And try to catch them. And maybe try to feed them rocks again.

Kate goes to the coast

And, now for one last time at the coast.  Check that off the list too.  How fitting that Granny would be with us for Kate's first Oregon beach day and also her last. We ended up having the Manzanita beach all to ourselves yesterday and Kate had just as much fun in the sand this time too.

November Showers bring April Flowers

Correction: November through April showers bring April flowers.

Ok folks, our time here in Oregon is really starting to come to an end. Time to kick the sight-seeing into high gear! Granny came to stay for one last time this week and we had lots of fun adventures together. First up: the tulip fields at the Wooden Shoe Tulip Farm in Woodburn.  The Lodge girls joined us and we hit the fields on a perfect day during peak blooms.

Twenty months

The Last Hike

For our last Oregon hike, we chose Eagle Creek in the Columbia River Gorge.  Waterfalls, views, old growth forest.  Gosh darn, will we miss this!  Nebraska, take note: you have some big shoes to fill.

 Our happy little hiker

 The pool at Punchbowl Falls

 Yes B, I see you walking on slippery rocks and holding my sweet girl over rushing, freezing water.

 Throwing rocks.

 PB&J

 Lunchtime view. Hiking on a Thursday means you get the best rocks for your lunch spot.

All tuckered out.

Kate goes backcountry skiing

One of the perks of not going to work for a couple of weeks is the amount of Portland play time we are fitting in.  Since we are moving in a few short weeks, there are a few things that we wanted to make sure we did before we left.  "Go skiing one more time" was on that list and when we started to make plans, we both decided we couldn't leave Kate at home.  She had to come too!  So instead of heading to the resort, we clicked into our backcountry skis, strapped Kate to B's back and took her on a tour of White River Canyon on the south side of Mt. Hood.

Our little mountain girl handled the snow conditions like a pro.  Her snowball-throwing accuracy could use some work, but her avalanche-forecasting skills were spot on.  We had an awesome day.

Decompression

My last week at REI was... rough.  And, emotional.  I've spent nine and a half years with some of these people and it just wasn't that easy to say goodbye.  That's why when Katie invited me to go snowshoeing the weekend after my last day, I agreed without hesitation.  I needed some time to decompress and spending the day with a good friend in the snow was perfection.

Miss Independent

Just a small glimpse into daily life with a toddler.  Her budding independent streak is showing up in very hilarious ways.

Sunny Easter Sunday

Easter Sunday brunch at our house.  A great day spent with family and friends. He is risen!