A Beautiful Fall Day

This was such a fun photoshoot, I’m always happy when the weather cooperates, you can just feel the magic of Fall.

Balloon Festival

Back in June we all woke up at dawn to go to the Tigard Balloon Festival. When the alarm clock went off I almost gave up and said 'forget it', but Mike got up and so I did as well and I'm so glad we went! It was beautiful seeing the sun rise and so interesting to see the hot air balloons filling up and taking off.

After we left the festival we went out for breakfast, it was only 8:30am, amazing how much you can accomplish when you wake up before 5!

Biking at Oaks Park

Oaks Park is an old amusement park in Portland, OR and it's only open some months of the year. It just opened on weekends for the season but is still closed on week days. We went there last week to bike by the path but realized we could bike around the park too, even though it was closed. It was fun being there when nobody else was around and a completely different experience.

Swimming on the Willamette

Took the kids to the Sellwood Riverfront Park and they jumped right into the river with the dogs. I remember being this fearless in the water and always getting in, no matter how cold it was.

Easter

This is has been a fun week full of Easter activities for the kids and a simultaneous joy for me and Mike to witness. This morning we were visited by the Easter bunny and he left a basket of goodies for both Bella and Charlie.

Birthday Parties

Part of having young kids is going to a lot of birthday parties, sometimes even two in one day. 😉

Pretty soon they'll be older and you won't need to accompany them anymore but I think I'll miss them. With a new little sister arriving in July those days are not quite behind us yet.

Getting Messy

I went through a lull in sharing photos last year, in part because I was too busy and in part because I just needed a break from it. But I did take some photos that I loved and I'm looking back at them now and remembering how much fun it is to get to spend time outdoors. These are all from July 2017.

Looking Forward to Warmer Days

These past two months or so I've been taking a lot less photos than usual and I've really been wanting to draw and paint more. I'm so used to taking my camera everywhere that sometimes I don't even stop to think about whether I really want it there or if it's more of an obligation to capture every moment. It's been nice leaving it at home more often and not worrying about whether I'm missing something. I think that sometimes you just need a little break, even from the things you love most.

The photos below are (obviously) not recent and from last summer. Spring is starting to pop up all around us here in Portland and it's getting all of us excited for longer, sunnier days. Every season has something special to offer, but there is nothing like spending several months in the cold to make us look forward to warmer weather with anticipation.

Picnic in the front yard and running through the sprinkler.

Messy rooms and playtime indoors.

🍓 Strawberry picking and brewery eating.

Hanging out on the empty lot in front of our house one day after work, throwing around some balls and enjoying a beer.

Mostly Outdoor

Portland green! One nice thing about moving to Portland and living in a house is that we get to have a yard and grow things in it.

Manzanita - A Trip to the Coast

A weekend trip to the Oregon coast.

A day of Gardening

This weekend we cut down a small tree in our yard and planted some new plants in it's place. Mike and Bella built a planter so hopefully we will have some fruits and vegetables soon.

New year, new home

I haven't been around much these past couple of months, and there is a good reason for it. The family and I have relocated to rainy, but beautiful, Portland OR. Packing up our lives in New Jersey and moving across the country has been an adventure and we've been enjoying getting settled into our new home.

Expect me to be making more frequent updates on my blog and keeping the digital world posted on what I've been up to.

Meanwhile, here are some photos of us exploring the park by our new home. I've been pleased to discover that the light here is so beautiful and the sun always seems to be low.

Baby Anabella

Back in December we welcomed a baby girl into the world and spending time with her and getting to know her has been amazing. Here is a peak at the little darling who has been taking up a lot of my time lately.