More new babies

My Dad's good friend Jim and his daughter Melissa came up to visit the other day. Melissa and I used to run around together as kids, now she's got one of her own.

Meet Ryder

Melissa, Jim, and little Ryder It was a lot of fun to hang out with them again, and meet the new one.

Hike

I found another good hike in the mountains above the house
Pretty views over the Clackamas River valley

Plus, fun gooey things

I climbed till I found snow, and went home

It was a nice afternoon walk. I love my home!

Growing Isabella

And Daddy is helping her get tall Katherine is growing another one
Who can stand such cuteness?

Job update

So, I know I've been remiss, but I'm back now, so sorry about the lapse. I'm crawling out of my little hole and back into the world. Got a job even! I started working at Clackamas community college on Monday. I'm teaching introductory biology, 101 and 102. I've only just started, but I am really enjoying it. The hours might end up killing me, I have to be there at 7:30 in the morning but teach till 9 at night. by the time I get home... ugh. But, I will get used to it. Some of my students seem great though, and some bratty enough to love. It will be grand.

Winter hits and Stephanie Visits

Stephanie came to visit me least week and I took her around to a lot of the areas I took Jarka the month before. It was a little colder this time though.
Multnoma Falls was partially frozen, and covered everything around with a coating of frozen mist.

Made for an interesting trip up the trail

Pretty though

We wandered around to visit some other waterfalls

Then it started to snow

Rin loved getting out of the house for a change, got playful

We barely made it home, the snow started coming down with a vengeance. The next day I took Stephanie up the Clackamas river for a snowy hike.

We didn't make it as far up the trail as Jarka and I did, mainly because the snow was pretty deep

Made for a pretty hike though. Even a cave behind a waterfall

Icicles!

Family stuff

I went to Moscow for Thanksgiving. Didn't use my camera much because it was trying to break (got it fixed later, phew! they even cleaned up the annoying spots on my lens!). I got these pictures though

Sunset over Coeur d'Alene

Driving home through the palouse.

Back at home, I got this silly picture of Dad
and Rin with my new lens that Mom got me for Christmas. Yes, I covered a big stretch of time in this post... but
Got a job in that time period though, so I guess my disappearing might be forgivable?

Jarka visit, tour of Oregon

Jarka took advantage of her time in the states to come and visit me in Oregon
I took her for a drive up the gorge. It was spectacular with the tail end of the fall color.

We made it all the way to the eastern desert side and the back of mt Hood.

Back in Estacada, I took her on one of my favorite hikes along the Clackamas River

Waterfalls and trees everywhere, man did I miss this.

It turned into a bit more of an adventure that we originally expected.

These slippery logs were all we had to cross some rather swollen creeks.

Fun stuff.