Oden Adventures

On February 8, sweet V turned 22 months old.  Her year of being one is slipping so quickly through our fingers - and yet, we're trying our best to soak up & savor as much of the cuteness as possible.

This was our first photo shoot at our new place, in the backyard.  Vianne loves the new house, loves having her own bedroom, loves the backyard where we do a lot of playing in her house, running, and "catching the ball".  She loves to color with Mama or Daddy and chooses our color for us and where on the page we should be applying that color.  She's added Doc McStuffins to her list of favorite shows, loves dancing ("I spinning!") when there's music on, loves playing her saxophone & with her trains, and helping Mama & Daddy with whatever we're doing.  She does a lot of work sitting at Daddy's desk ("I working!") which consists mainly of banging on the keyboard.  She also loves to "go to work" which consists of putting something - anything - resembling a purse or bag over her arm, giving us kisses and saying goodbye.  She usually returns within seconds, "I back!"

She's been counting to eleven lately, and singing the alphabet song with about 90% accuracy.  Never does either for the video camera, of course :-). 

On the morning of our fifth anniversary, I told Patrick I had something for him...and I sensed the brief moment of terror, as we had never done anniversary gifts, and had reconfirmed we weren't doing them this year.  Well, it wasn't a gift per se, just a little tune I'd composed in the prior months, and managed to (hastily) record in (my few) solitary moments...

We were up in Oregon for New Year's so we took advantage of my mom's very capable grandkid skills and her generosity and braved our very first overnight (well, my first overnight) without Vianne for a lovely time away in Forest Grove, OR, at McMenamin's Grand Lodge.  (Vianne apparently did great, and I didn't do too poorly myself.) 

We had the Mozart room, very charming...

...king-sized bed with a private bathroom...

...well, private to the rest of the hotel, anyway...

...drinks and the must-have tater tots at Pat's Corner...

..another stroll around downtown Forest Grove, though a little too late to see anything, and then back to the hotel for a lovely dinner.  

Even more lovely, though, was the breakfast we had at the same place the next morning.  Who knew McMenamin's had one of the most incredible breakfast menus around?  Not us!  We were floored (and I sure wished I was feeling better).  I (still) enjoyed the Brioche French Toast and their delicious coffee, while Patrick indulged in the Chicken Fried Steak with eggs and these fabulous biscuits that were like croissants and possibly the closest thing to heaven on earth.

We took another leisurely stroll around the grounds, cameras in hand...

Woke up to a frost-covered wonderland

Posing under our window (top center)

Blessed with this gorgeous view of Mt. Hood for 10 or so miles of the way back!  Softened the blow of returning to normal life :-).