Funny when they're two. Not cute when they are older.

Pouting...I do not know where she picked it up. This is one of the first times she did it. It is also one of the last times she did it.

Snow day, and some pictures of our land

This is where the property begins. Our land is set 5 acres off a road, down a hill.

This is our large pond, and front pasture at the begining of the property.

This is the gate access to the pond.

This is a view from the driveway down to the lower pasture. The fence line is the boundary. At this point the property levels out.

This is one of the bigger trees on the property.

This is a picture of Luke next to the big tree, from the back side.

This is looking down the driveway. The lower pasture is on the right.

This is the gate access to the upper pastures. Behind Luke is the garden area, then the drop to the lower land.

This picture is facing the front of the barn. To the left is the garden, then the lower pasture. To the right is the two upper pastures.

This is the small pond in the front yard.

This is a picture of the driveway close to the house. From left to right: the house, wood shed, shop and in front of the shop, the RV storage. The driveway is on the boundary line. Our property is the two pastures on the left. Where the house sits is the other boundary line. Just past it is a private owned, large acre parcel. It is thick with evergreen trees and maples.

The Back yard.

"Please don't"... Instruction on some less common table manners

Please don't eat the mystery food from the booster seat.

Please don't put your feet on the table.

Please don't pretend there are tiny screaming people on the piece of broccoli and then eat them like you are a giant...at the table.

How to make your parents laugh

Ask Mom to sit on Dad's lap.

A globe for Christmas

This year, Luke asked Santa for a globe.

"A globe?" Repeated mall Santa.

"Yes." Said Luke.

"Do you know what that is?" Said mall Santa.

"Yes. It is a small earth that spins around and you can look and find Africa and Kodiak Island! Do you know about Kodiak Island? I will go there to fish with my Dad and Uncle B when I am older." Said Luke.

Mall Santa asked Ryan and I to come over. He said no child had ever asked him for a globe. He said he has been a santa for a long time. He thought it was neat that a 5 year old was interested in the earth, and traveling.

Thank you Uncle Oby and Auntie Josie!

Grandpa's Fort

During Christmas this last year. The washer and dryer went out. So a couple of days before Christmas, we went shopping and bought a new set. Of course there was a wonderfully large box. So Grandpa took his knife out and made a fort for Luke and Daphne. I really don't know who had more fun? What do you think?

Uncle Oby and Auntie Josie

Sweet sleep after playing the day away.

Luke roaring at his aunt. I believe he said he was a wolf.

The children reading with Uncle.

Our new animals

This is our barn cat-Ansel. He is black and white. This is as close
as I've ever been to him. (He is in the center of the picture)

This is Huck getting decorated by Daphne.

Merry Christmas!

Ryan is the center king.

Live Nativity at Lynchwood.

Dear friends and family,

Merry Christmas! We hope this letter finds you and your family in good spirits and health.
This year has been a great adventure. Here are some highlights.

We are very excited to announce we have a new home. Our journey started in late 2006. At that time, we thought we just needed a bigger house and yard.

We decided to wait until there were more homes available on the market, which ended up being a very wise choice. As housing prices fell, we saw more and more options available. We sold our house in Troutdale and moved into a rental in the outer parts of Oregon City in November of 2009. We thought we would live there for a month or two until we closed on a new house. We ended up putting at least 6 offers on different houses in a years’ time. Most of our weekends were spent looking at houses in Corbett, Boring, Eagle Creek, Estacada, Molalla and Canby. We even ventured out to Washington state several times.

As of this November, we are now living in a wonderful house on 5 acres in Sandy. It is a lovely home with a good layout that fits our family well. There is a shop, small barn and 3 pastures divided by a white 3 rail fence. The prior owners took very good care of it so it was mostly move-in ready. We are now working on getting it set up the way we’d like to have it.

Our new neighbors have a horse boarding facility and have around 18 horses on their property. This gives us a view of beautiful horses right next to the house, with no horse maintenance! There is also a small pond, which we hope to stock with trout in the future.

Ryan is enjoying farm life. In the short time we have been here he has cut the fields, plowed the driveway, and scooped the leaves with his tractor. He is happy to have a shop with elbowroom for his projects. Ryan currently is contemplating how to set up for the animals we will get next spring. He and Luke spend a lot of his off work time doing farm work together. They enjoy riding the ATV and working alongside each other. .

This will be Ryan’s 10th year at PacifiCorp. He is currently manager of external reporting.

Shelsea is excited about having a permanent home to live in. She is now working on getting the house running in a more orderly fashion. She is also schooling Luke this year, and enjoying doing so

She is learning about how to raise farm animals, plant gardens, compost, and store food. This has been especially challenging given that the food must be gluten, nut, oat and sometimes dairy free. But she is confident she will find good substitutes.

Luke is 5 and in kindergarten this year. He is learning to read. He particularly enjoys learning facts about wildlife.

He is adjusting to farm life well. He enjoys riding the tractor and ATV with his dad. He is learning to help with the yard work, getting firewood and is learning how to take care of our dogs It is good to see him growing up and having mature conversations with his dad about what they will do on the farm together. Luke wants to do everything like his dad!

Daphne is 2. She spends her time playing pretend with her brother. She is a little shadow now and wants to participate in whatever activity everyone else is doing. She especially likes to help her mom cook and unload the dishwasher. She is also our little singer. She will belt out a song almost anywhere.

We also adopted a dog. He is a 6 year old, chocolate lab named Huck. He fits right in. He and Smokey like to go on walks together. It is almost like he’s been here all along.

We hope you and your family have a wonderful Christmas and a good new year!

Other pictures

Every now and again, the children do their own thing. I only know about it after the fact. One thing Luke does is take the camera and snap pictures of things that are important to him. This picture is of Daphne straight out of the bath. Dad had just combed her hair. She showed it to Luke, and he snapped this photo. He later told me he was taking her picture because she looked so "Beautiful and tidy".

Luke loves to sit exactly like Ryan in the camping chairs. He gets a deep voice and speaks much like a man. He tries to mimic adult conversation. Maybe I'll try to record him and post it.

This is just what happens if one chooses to comb Daphne's hair when it is dry.

The beach

I love these pictures. Luke would play solitaire just like Ryan. Except he played his own way. He usually takes one card and snaps it back and forth under his chin. In the above picture I think he nearly looks like an old man smoking a pipe.

Ryan makes this face while playing cards.

Oh the sad tale of wee crab. Did anyone out there know that there are different types of hermit crabs? Land and watter ones. I did not know. So we brought this little one home and watched as it slowly died. Good lesson for the children about death. Rough way to go for little crab.

Aquarium

Be the piranha. Sorry about the poor quality picture. There are 2 layers of glass and water between us.

Stalk the piranha. Can you see the fish peering over the wall just under Luke?

It took a while for Daphne to get courage enough to touch anything. But after she started, that's all she wanted to do. That is how it is with her. Whatever she has interest in, she fully applies herself.

Camping

Erik carved Ethan and Luke a knife. Then the boys went on the attack! We were some of the last people to leave the camp site. This poor duck couple came to us seeking handouts. They received something a little different. Right after the picture was taken, Shayna and I had the boys stop running with the knives! Safety first.