Just so stinkin' nice!

Boise Botanical Gardens - October 2008

I love nice people.

I've always wondered why some people choose to be so grumpy. I know that we all have bad days now and then, but it seems like there are those people that simply cannot let themselves smile. I've noticed something here that is so different from Portland. Strangers are so nice! Yes, we did run into nice people in Portland who smiled and said hello. However, it seemed like those that you interacted with at the grocery store, the coffee shop, on the streets were just trying to get through their day. Oh, but here, people smile at you. They ask you how your day is going and actually care to hear the answer. They smile as they pass by you. They hold the door and wave you through in traffic. We've been here two months, and I have yet to see an instance of road rage. Just this past week, while at Wal-Mart paying for my groceries, I joined a conversation with the checker and the lady in front of me. We chatted as she finished her order and then while mine was being rang up. It was so pleasant as we talked about getting older and forgetting things like words and what we were going upstairs for. It was even nicer when the checker said that I couldn't be more than 26 years old! :) My next stop was Starbucks. In Portland, the people that worked at Starbucks would ask for your order, take your money and move on to the next customer...all without a "How are you?" or a smile. Here, they ask how your day is going, actually wait for the answer, take your order, remember your name from last time, and chat at you while you wait for your tall non-fat no-whip two-pump mocha! Now that's friendly!

I love nice people!

Just for Max...

It has been mentioned by a couple of select individuals that there aren't enough pictures of Uncle Max and Aunt Amanda on this blog (hmmm...didn't see their names in the title of the blog!). So, here are a few pictures of Uncle Max from 2003. If I had a scanner, I'd go waaaaaay back to the early years of Max...all dressed up at piano recitals, dressed in white from head to toe to show his goat named "booger" at the fair, his wrestling photos in his singlet, wrestling with any of my friends that were brave enough to come to our house. However, until I resolve this issue, we'll have to settle for photos of "grown-up" Max. Amanda...since I'm starting back a ways, you'll have to wait a while. Don't forget I have some of you growing up, too!

These photos are from December 2003. Max (and Hop and Nana) took Ryan to see the Sruce Goose at the Evergreen Aviation Museum in McMinnville. So begins Ryan's love of airplanes...




That's Max as the horse, spurred on by Uncle Matt, at Ryan's third birthday party.

That's all for now...more photos to come once I have the spare time to go through years of photos just to find some of Uncle Max.

Happy Fall from Ryan and Emma

Gorgeous Fall Colors!

Fall has always been my favorite season. When I was young, Fall meant the smell of apples as we worked in the orchard. Once the apples were picked, we'd sort them on the sorting table in the apple cellar. I still remember the smell of the apple celler...that wonderful smell of earth and fresh apples.

The apple trees are all gone now, but Fall remains my favorite season. It's amazing to me the brilliant colors the result from less sunlight for the trees. The colors here are just starting to change. Today, we passed a lane that was lined with trees on both sides. On the east side of the lane, every tree was a brilliant red. On the west side of the lane, the trees were still completely green. At just the right point during our drive, the trees lined up so that they alternated red and green. It was gorgeous, the contast between the two colors.

Emma's First Playdate

Emma had her first friend over to our house for a playdate this past week.

It was such a beautiful day, so we spent some time outside playing with chalk and doing some bubble-stomping. Fun!

The kids worked on crafts...

...and played with Thomas the Train.

I love this pic of their heads together as they work on the Thomas track.

Wait a minute! It's only October 10th!

When we decided to move here from Beaverton, we knew that we'd see more wintery weather. It snowed in Beaverton 1-2 times a year and the snow usually lasted no more than a day. When I was a kid growing up here, the winters were very long and very cold. I remember a lot of snow. I've been told many times that the winters here over the past ten years have been very mild. It only snows a few times and stays on the ground a few days. I was so glad to hear that because Bob and I haven't driven on snow for ten years, and they don't shut the city down for an inch like they did in Beaverton. So, when I heard the forecast for a chance of snow on October 10th, I was a little concerned. The forecaster had to be wrong though, right? The earliest I ever remember is snowing was on Mom's birthday a long time ago...November 9th.

It started off as a rain/snow mixture. I still thought that it would fizzle out without the ground even turning white.

See...there's just a little coming down...just enough to catch on your tongue.

Wait! I see white on the grass! That can't be. It's October 1oth!!

Ryan's thoughts... "Please, oh please...snow forever!!"

About an hour later...I don't see any green!

The newspaper said that we got over 1 1/2 inches.

Emma and I got all bundled up and made not one snowman, but two. We figured we'd take advantage of the FALL decorations and use pumpkins as heads.

I was able to get one picture of Ryan before he took off with his friends to go sledding down the hill. No pictures of Bob...he decided that he was going to ignore the fact that it was snowing in October and stay inside where it was warm.

Emma and her two new friends, before the one of the left of the photo toppled over. He had a big head...and couldn't take the weight.

"I'm gonna get you, Mom!"

Poor pitiful pumpkin!

Forecast for this week...70 degrees by Friday. Gotta love Idaho...wait a day and the weather changes. I was almost ready to call Mom and Dad and see if they'd help us move back to Beaverton. :)

Emma's Grandparent's program

Emma's preschool had a Grandparent's program last week. We just started at the school, so it was a little last minute for us. Bob's parents live out of town, Dad was working, but Mom was able to come on her day off from work.

They sang songs about grandparents. Emma made the silliest faces.

Telling the grandparents that "we love you!"

This is Emma's teacher, Miss Nicki. This was one of both Ryan and Emma's favorite books when they were babies and toddlers. Emma still loves to read it.

Mom and Emma made a little scrapbook together. Emma loves to use glue sticks and scissors, so she has having a good time!

Fall trip to the Botanical Gardens

The view from the top was beautiful!

Emma looks like she's having a conversation with Sacajawea (probably spelled that wrong!)

Ryan was very interested in the Old Penitentary that sits below the hill we were on.

They had to touch the prison wall.

Thanks for coming with us, Nana!

I love this photo.

Today's project

I finally worked on Emma's skirt today. What a great way to alter old jeans.

Emma picked out the fabric. Thanks, Cassie, for the inspiration.