Krugers Farm with Brookie & Josh

The Thursday night concerts at Krugers Farm on Sauvie's Island is another touchstone of summer for our family. This week we got to go with Brookie and Josh, who is visiting from NYC. Josh went to college with me and Mark. He moved to Portland with us after college and then moved to NYC the day after our wedding.I miss him terribly. It is interesting how we were nearly inseparable in college...and now we live very different lives. (Josh co-owns Russ and Daughters in NYC...if you go - it is a MUST visit). It was so fun to have a night out together. The pictures are a little blurry as we tried to not use the flash...but the happiness of the night comes out.

2 Months for Miss Maggie

Maggie turned two months. She is 45th percentile for weight and 85th for height...some would say perfect model materials.....my dad and I say that she is perfect basketball player material. She is really a wonderful baby who makes a wonderful addition to our family. Her smile is the best -- it is crooked and always starts with a big open mouth as if she is saying "Yahoo!". She is really talkative and seems to be most verbal at night with her daddy. Henry and Frances are still her favorite "toys" to look at and listen to. If you are wondering about the ADORABLE dress....present from Grandpa Gordon to Frances when she was little. Again...getting as much dress wearing in as possible before Miss Maggie has an opinion.

Above are pictures of Henry and Frances at 2 months (I wish I could figure out how to have the Maggie pictures at the top...any bloggers with tips?). Henry is with the green 2 and Frances with the blue shirt. It is interesting to see the similarities....and differences.

NY Cousins

Katie and Brian stayed a couple days after Jenny left and so we got more time with "our NY cousins" as Henry calls them. It was a blast - we went for hikes, to the pool, and the adults even got to go out for a wonderful dinner. I have to say, I feel so blessed that my sisters both married men that I absolutely adore and love hanging out with. Katie and I also were able to take my parents out for their 42nd anniversary while the boys stayed home with the kids. It was nice to have alone time with Joanie and Jimbo and to thank them for the loving family we were raised in.

Cousins Reunited 2011

We had the best week because both of my sisters were here in Portland and the cousins were reunited. There is just a magical spark that happens when they all get together. I seriously get teary eyed just watching them play.....others get teary eyed (for different reasons) when they see our big brood coming their way. We seriously take over restaurants. Little does Maggie know the fun that she was born into.....fun times are ahead!!

Plate & Pitchfork - Round 2

We got to go to another Plate & Pitchfork with Brookie and Josh. It was at Viridian Farms and their land and food are magical. So nummers. It was our first night out without Maggie (we figured that between the baby lovers of my sister Katie and my Dad...and the back-up support of my sister Jenny, my brother-in-law Brian and my mom - that they could cover it).

Blazer Camp

Henry went to a Blazer Camp at the MAC. Led by Terry Porter, the camp had a bunch of "old schoolers" who enthusiastically taught the kids. It was awesome. Henry was, by far, one of the kids that was most enthusiastic at the camp. He wore a Blazer jersey everyday. He particularly liked the game of bump out, which he seemed to have a knack for winning. The best part, though, was his post-win celebration....running around the gym with his fist pumping in the air. Hilarious. At the end he got pictures with Terry Porter (he had him sign his shoe) and Chris Dudley. My favorite part of the Dudley picture is how the poor guy,all 7'1 of him, is trying to lean down for the picture and how Henry is bending down too....making the guy do yoga for a photo shoot.

Tyson's Wedding

Andrew's best friend from high school got married this weekend. As you can imagine, it was a very emotional day for my family. It was such a bittersweet event -- we are so happy for him and the new chapter of his life that he is starting, but at the same time so devastated that Andrew was not there to support him and that there will never be a wedding day for Andrew.We brought Maggie with us (thanks Dana for the awesome dress) and that made the poignancy of the loss even more heartfelt as it still shocks me that my children will never know one of the most important people in my life. Death sucks.

My parents continue to inspire and amaze me with their vulnerability, strength and their ability to really let themselves experience all that is life -- the tough parts and the good. They went to the wedding, even though it was really hard, because they love Tyson. They cried and they laughed....and Joanie even did some serious zumba moves on the dance floor. In some small way, I think getting to hold Maggie throughout the wedding and seeing the awe and excitement people had for her at the wedding helped my parents get through it.

Life is definitely a complex layer of emotions with happiness intertwined with sadness.

Random Hood River

I found our other camera and there are so cuties of the kids from Hood River, so had to post them.

Hikes from Heaven

While in Hood River we went on the most amazing hike with incredible views of the Gorge and Mt Hood. Aunt Jenny definitely knows the best places to go! The next day we went on a hike to some beautiful falls and a creek......and half the kids quickly got naked to jump in. Oh to have no shame about your body....

Score on the Hood River Rental

The house we rented in Hood River was PERFECT for us. It had a yard with a pirate ship fort, a view of Mt Adams, and most importantly, a suite on the bottom floor for Joanie so that she could escape the Reuland clan.

As is the sign of a good summer...the kids were 100% filthy at the end of the day.

Hood River - Blueberry Picking!

This year we rented a house in Hood River so that we could get some good quality time with our cousins in one of our favorite places. It was pure joy.

One of the highlights was blueberry picking. Henry eats blueberries every morning ( I keep teasing that he is trying to fight off the Peck-cancer gene from the start), so he was a picking maniac!