news-y

Thumb sucking is relaxing.

Indiana's Oncle Nate is going home tomorrow after a nice 4 day visit.

Grandpa Donnie retires in 6 months 2 weeks and 3 days.

Daddy is back to working lots of overtime. We miss him.

Brother Duck turns 14 in 7 more days. Quack!

It's been a slow, relaxing week and we don't have much to say, but it was time to post a new picture and let ya'll know we were alive and well.

On the battle field

My Union Duck taking out a few "rebs".

Although I myself haven't been south of the Mason-Dixon line (heck I don't know where the Mason-Dixon line IS, I just think the phrase sounds cool), Indiana's daddy is a proud southern gentleman. I wonder if we should tell him that the "Ducks" won this one?

Union Duck

Was Oregon part of the union? I think Oregon Territory was neutral during the civil war just because of geography, actually. This particular musket toting Duck is a union boy.

We all went off to the local Enchanted Forrest where folks can dress up in union and or confederate gear and do pictures with a Lincoln impersonator. There are lots of other things to do there including a fun log flume ride, a haunted house, and a shooting gallery. It is a pleasant walk along a tree shaded hillside amongst fairy-tale creatures and their habitat. You can walk thru faux Indian caves, wander the seven dwarves mine, peer into the three bears home, and even visit peter peter pumpkin eater.

More pictures of our fun day out to come.

WCC

Orange County Choppers, with the Tuetel's, is better, but out here on the West Coast, its all about Jessie James and the West Coast Choppers. They even make bicycles (well... Schwinn made this one, but you know). Duck is looking forward, it seems, to teaching his little brother to ride a bike.

Some Much To Do!

Finally the internet is up and running again. Goodbye DSL... Hello Comcast cable internet!

We have been so very very busy the last few weeks. I suppose you could say that without the internet to distract us we had to do family stuff or nothing at all! So without further delay, I present to ya'll some photos and short commentaries on the past weeks. Enjoy!

Indiana did a little gardening...



Daddy took Indy driving in the van...



The neighbors purchased Indy a new toy box that needed "in depth" investigation (yes, that is his new Harley in the background...



Indy won a game of "king of the mountain" at a local park...



Indy even spent some time just lounging around the house...



Indiana made a new friend, named Daniel (his mommy lives in our building) and is learning to share...



We even went out to Beverly Beach State Park (just north of Newport, Oregon on hwy. 101) to gaze at the beautiful Pacific Ocean...


So, now, as summer draws to a close, school begins again, the sun goes down earlier every evening than the one before it, we are working more and playing less. We really lived these last days of summer and made memories that will last me a lifetime or more. I love this chance to share our lives with you all, thanks for visiting!

technical difficulties

our ISP will be unavailable until the 5th of September.
I look forward to sharing some fun new pictures amd maybe even a nice 30 second video as soon as the ISP problems are resolved.
See you all back here soon!

Up a Tree (without a paddle)...

Falling out of trees is bad.... fortunately Indy was caught from behind and didn't suffer humpty dumpty's fate.

Ok, HD was pushed off of a wall by a skinny girl AND Indy was never in danger of falling because his dad was hiding behind the tree holding his shirt while i took some pictures of Indiana in my grandmother's apple tree.

southern at heart

Indy's dad is southern, so although Indiana is a pacific north-westerner born, hes a southern boy at heart.

ouchies, etc.

The most impressive thing happened to me. I went to the emergency room with a "maybe its broken maybe its only strained lets put it in a cast and look at it in a week" injury. It took only an hour to triage diagnose treat cast and discharge me! I do believe that's a record for a Friday night emergency room visit in our town. And to answer the quest, no, I'm not sure what happened. I was moving around the furniture in my clients home Thursday night, and I don't recall any specific incidence of trauma, but my wrist has been hurting badly since then. When I finally had it looked at I couldn't move it an inch without blinding pain. So, now I type with a cast.

Other stuff... Be sure to check out my mom's blog! She is back to blogging and has a great new camera! CLICK HERE

Need a pick me up? heck out the cartoons over at Simunation ... thanks for the tip Hoss!

Awesome News!

My mother called me up. That in itself isn't significant. We chat often. However, she called me excited with news to share!
"We have finally done it" she enthused.
My mind was racing, what had they done?
Bought a new car?
Bought a new house?
Well, it turns out it is even better than that!

My mother, at last, got DSL! She is blogging again! AOL was blocking her ability to use blogger. But now she is back and She has so much beauty to share. At her site you will find flowers and gardens and the beach and trees and pieces of our wonderful state. Its a small slice of peace, right on your computer screen. I installed her modem yesterday and she has already posted on her blog! Be sure to visit her often at Daffodils and Dragons !

Please Don't Eat the Daises!

Isn't it crazy how cute some people's children are? Take for example Indiana! He smiles, he charms, he capers, he is just the most adorable little thing around. Don't take my word for it! Ask my besotted neighbors. The folks who live near us buy treats to have on hand, just for days when Indy passes by their door on his rambling strolls and might want something good to eat. The girls at the grocery are smitten with his stunning smile, and hand him cookies every chance they get. The boys who man the pumps at our local filling station make faces at him through the windows of the van.

Indy has his dad's fabulous looks and his mom's sparkling personality. Look out girls!

I just don't understand

How does a persons life go crazy? How is it that a person you thought you knew, you don't know at all? Recent things and not so recent things, happening in my town have me wondering.

Today, I missed the memorial service for a girl whom I knew when I was young. When her and I were in Jr high school together, walking the same halls, sitting through the same classes, she was so much "better than me". If I were to be voted anything, it would have been most likely to be stupid, drunk, high and dead before 21. She wouldn't speak to me in those hallowed halls. I was bad. I fixed my life. Unfortunately, so did she. She became the girl I was destined to be. Today, Friday the 28th of July, 2006 at 3pm Fisher Funeral Home of Albany Oregon held a memorial service for Rachel Lea Soto, who chose death by police officer. I wanted to go to her memorial service. I think a lot of people wanted to attend who couldn't. The city held it during the week, when those of us with jobs and lives couldn't make it. Cut down on the mourners that way. It should have been a packed house. What Happened to Rachel?

what you will hear on the news is that Rachel was a serial criminal. The truth is that Rachel tried to live her life the best she could, but circumstance brought her down. Men brought her further down, and finally, she chose to fight to the death, to go out in a blaze of glory. None of us will ever forget her now. Rachel Soto was killed by an Albany city Police Officer. That same police officer had been to my house just the week before over something petty (a neighbor had absconded with our property). Now, he has killed someone whom 15 years ago, I wished I could call friend. I wont forget you Rachel, not the girl who you were, nor the woman you should have been. I will try with all my heart to forget the person you died as.

Then there is Jeff. Have you ever met someone whom you have never met? Our paths crossed so many times, yet I never knew you. You are but 5 months younger than I, born in the same place, raised in our same valley. Are you guilty? Ten years now and I still don't know. How long can you wait for justice? What really happened?

So, with lives going wrong, I sit, and I cry for the people they should have been. Sometimes I cry for who I should have been, too.

flower power

my parents go on vacation in July. All of July. They usually go somewhere fun and they always take Jengibre. Mom couldn't resist this great shot of Jen in a field of dandelions and bee balm.

So far they are having a wonderful vacation, and I am sure they both are dreading the return of August when Donnie returns to work.

shots etc

All our shots are now up to date until Indy turns 2. He gets one shot at that age and then no more until kindergarten.

he is up to 25 1/2 pounds now and 33ish inches. (the ish is because he doesn't stop wiggling on the scale... hehe)

Slacker

Sometimes I just get lazy about stuff. Like keeping up with Indy's blog; Like making sure the dishes in the dishwasher are run before bed instead of in the morning when I need them. I am getting better about making sure the expiration date on the milk is not last week. I guess that's progress.

Indy is doing well. He has a doctors appointment today to get SHOTS. So I am sure this afternoon he wont be so happy with me, but I will update soon as to height weight and all the other fun things that the doc tells us.

til then, be well my friends....

Shining moments

Today, Indiana became a klutz. He was running through the neighborhood, happily investigating everything when IT happened. BOOM he lost his balance and down he went. He bashed his head pretty good off of the concrete. Later, he was struggling to get outside again before I shut the door and his head got whacked with the closing door. Still later he tumbled head first off of the couch. So, I believe that if Indy doesn't turn out to be the genius of his age, we can look back on the head injuries he sustained today and know the reason why.

Parenting...

"Show me a sane man and I will cure him for you."- C. G. Jung (1875-1961)

I do believe that Jung meant he would give the poor fellow a child with sleep problems to care for.
C'mon kid! Its been nearly a year and a half. We aren't going anywhere... Sleep through the night already. Mommy is exhausted.

Happy 4th

Happy Birthday United States of America. At 230 years old, you are a toddler on the world stage. Thinking of life with a toddler in the home, That explains a lot.

Angelic Doesn't Cover It!

Sometimes a photo needs no caption.

uh, yep.

The only thing worse than being talked about is not being talked about.
- Oscar Wilde

I seem to go in fits and starts. Since I have given my moms camera back to her and I have not yet purchased a new one for us, I am not posting as much as I was. I appreciate my loyal readers and I sincerely hope I am back to posting pictures and blurbs that are worth talking about very very soon.