Rock hounding with Hugo and Lada

Hugo had a long weekend so Dasa and I took the kids and went for a trip to Eastern Oregon to go rock hounding.

Pretty flowers on the pass over the mountains

Stopped at the Warm Springs reservation and Hugo did a pretty good job at the hoop dance.

First stop, thundereggs.

Lana worked pretty hard

Hugo took it seriously and really wanted to find a big one.  

He meticulously cleaned every one he was allowed to keep (weight limits on planes!)

Cliff swallows

The thunderegg ranch was beautiful

Driving to John Day after, we stopped at one of the John Day fossil beds.  Here's us

Fun fossil

First time camping in a tent for the kids

It was cold.  But they all slept on top of room, so...

I froze because my good cold weather bag has a rip from the fated death valley sand storm mad dash.

Lada was adorable, but exhausting

Hugo was great with her in John Day, helping her get to the fossil bed.

Again, Hugo took it very seriously and found some pretty cool fossils.

Lada had fun playing in the dirt, to a point.  

Overall, it was so much fun to spend time with them and show off a bit of Oregon

Bob Butler retirement

UP is facing retirement of 3/4 of the Environmental Studies department.  Good news for me though.  I got a full time lecture position!  I am no longer going to have to drive all over Portland and work at 3-5 different locations.  And I only have to teach 4 classes (compared to the 5-7 I have done in the past).  And I get paid almost twice as much.   Not a bad deal, no?  Sad to see Bob go though, he is the one that instated the no meetings without beer policy.  

Eric's office

Secretary EV?

Saying goodbye to future dangers

I hate cutting trees down, but cottonwoods loose branches like crazy when they get hot (or cold, or whenever) these trees were destined to be right above the house.  So Jim took them out and we planted a big leaf maple and plan to plant a native dogwood this fall.  Better options.  Less deadly branches falling.

Oh and a pretty poppy, just for fun

Frog face

Blazers game

Kimbyl and Marilyn took us all to the Blazers game so Hugo could experience it.

I only have pictures of Hugo because he really had a ton of fun

Pool Party

Well, we are in the adoption pool (not quite yet, but the wheels are turning and its no longer in our hands... a day or two more).  Since we have no idea when baby will come, this seemed like a good way to have a baby shower.  Mom and Gma planned everything and did a great job of not making it annoying.  It was mostly hanging out with people we love.

WE managed to get 'in' before Dasa had to leave so I had both my girls.

Some onesies painted by everyone

Kids had fun playing outside

The cake was silly but the kids loved it

Ali really wanted an eye, so now she looks goth 

It was fun and we are excited that baby could come any day now (or month, or year... the average is 18 months)

Slow Food retreat

Eric has been volunteering with Slow Foods Southwest Washington on their board.  They had a weekend retreat up on Mt Hood to work on consolidating their goals etc (every non profit's to do list).   I tagged along as a spouse to go hiking and play in the snow.  But since I care a lot about their work, I ended up helping out.  

Warren runs the southwest Washington chapter, and this is his family cabin in Government Camp.

I did eventually break free for a short, wet, snowshoe hike.

Iron bacteria in the well

Yuck