Lovely July Travel

Hi there, friends and family! How delightful to report that Evelyn is over nine months old now, coming rapidly up on ten! She’s been on earth now longer than she spent in my womb. She’s enjoying her time here more than ever. She likes to climb, explore, smile and burble. A soft, blue blankie in her crib brings her delight at sleep time, as do certain toys like Tuffy & "La Vache Qui Vole". She’s still sleeping well for naps & through the night, which means Mike & I are finally able to restore some of that missing, essential element for ourselves.

Our trip to San Francisco & Yosemite was a big hit. Mike, Evelyn, Sophie and I flew down before the 4th of July to spend some time visiting friends & family. Evelyn was great on the plane -- we all napped. Renting a big SUV (the not-awful-to-drive Ford Edge) for the duration, we trucked around the Bay Area. Staying at cousin Roger & Judith’s flat in the Haight, San Francisco’s charms were manifest. We adore this electric city.



We also enjoyed a neighborhood parade with friends for the 4th of July, followed by a BBQ & pool party with more friends. Evelyn swam for the first time! I loved taking a dip with her.




Granddad Doug professed himself smitten with Miss E, and we had a nice afternoon and night in the hot hills of Oakland. He’s doing fantastically after the surgery, with a proverbial spring in his step. Evelyn ate well in a fancy high chair.












Then Yosemite beckoned, and we headed across the central valley of California to enter the bright, verdant hills of this beautiful national park. We stayed at the Evergreen Lodge in a two-bedroom cabin in the woods just outside Yosemite’s boundary, although “just” in this case means 30 minutes from the edge of a park that takes another 30-60 minutes to drive into. As always, Half Dome is a crowning glory of the scene...



Thankfully, Evelyn dealt well with the hours and hours in the car....



Our friends Meg & Jeff got married in a beautiful forest glade on the Lodge grounds. We connected with lots of other folks over the weekend. Bonds forged in school form strong ties, and Mike & I cherish our amigos! Picnicing and swimming in the nearby lake with Chris, Tanya & kids was extra yummy. The kids went polly-wogging, and the water was perfect.



The swing of summer keeps on rolling in Portland! Although we’ve had some rainy days, mostly the environment is fulsome & enjoyable. Gardeners have brought much-needed peace in our garden, and we have more time for fun stuff like visits to the zoo. Membership has its privileges! And all the traveling inspired us to get Evelyn out & about more. She’s started going to Gymboree sessions, where she has a great time exploring all the amenities.



Oh, and in other news, Evelyn really enjoys finger foods, also including cheddar cheese and baguettes. She's eating well if a tad fussier than before. But Cheerios rule!



--Liz

Putting Things Together

Hello hello! We're busy getting ready for a 4th of July vacation to San Francisco and Yosemite, California to celebrate a friend's wedding. We've also been deeply occupied in creating a business together, which is not, however, an appropriate subject for this largely 'nynomized family blog. Never a dull moment! Time is a precious commodity for parents.

The Bean continues to sprout! She's full of vim and vigor, chuckling and laughing at the world. We've had lots of great times together lately. More trips to the zoo, especially nice under blue skies (although their tiny parking lot must be avoided in favor of the Max!). Her Grandmother Sara was here visiting in June, which was a real highlight of the month. They had a great time together!









Evelyn has fun every day exploring all her toys and environments. We expanded her play area and now that she's crawling she is connecting spaces together. She's always pushing herself to stand and walk, making dragon-baby cries and groans as she strives to get to the next level. Food-wise she's been partaking of everything we ask her to try, and usually with gusto after a few feedings. Chicken was her first taste of meat, about which she was very, very dubious. But she's even come to enjoy avocado, so there's hope!




Sophie has been taking wonderful care of Evelyn, indeed. And these days Sophie's always got something fun going on, either out with friends or keeping in touch with her family. She's sporting a very nice tan from a week-long vacation to Miami and Orlando, Florida, where she joined her Dad, step-mom & little brother. She's looking forward to our California jaunt, as we all are.

That's it for now! More pictures are uploaded to Flickr, so enjoy! There are more June photos coming, too, as well as videos, but I'm transitioning from PC to Mac at the moment & things are a bit scattered. I look forward to having a more seamless digital-life experience soon...onwards & upwards!

--Liz