Kaitlyn...and Colin & Linnea...home for Christmas!

Kaitlyn AND Colin & Linnea both were able to come home (to Portland) during the Christmas season!  We told them that if they could travel from NYC and AUSTRIA, then we'd travel to Portland to see them. So in the days leading up to Christmas, we got in the car and started the Nat'l Lochhead-Lampoons Christmas Vacation! 

First stop, Auntie Julie's, OF COURSE. (This was a funny visit with her, because we've been secretly planning to help her go get a Nessa-puppy for her brother and the girls for Christmas.  In a few days she was coming up to us to drive to Plains, MT to bring home the pup!)

We picked up C&L from the airport at midnight (actually, we=Grace & Jeff) and stayed with them at Becky's.  The next morning we drove with Linnea to Salem, where we got to see our sweet Kaitlyn AND her family, who played Santa Claus and gave us so many gifts!

It was so wonderful to hug our Kaitlyn again. So much has changed for her in the last few years--biggest of all being her getting married!  Luis and his son, Matthias weren't able to come with her, but we got to hear all of the latests in their lives.  Next time!

The puzzle box with the $20 bill!  This had been handed down to many in Kaitlyn's family--and her dad just chuckled watching the kids try and try to get into it.

And then with C&L, we wandered downtown Portland with them one afternoon and spent the evening participating in the Christmas Edition of Cupcake Wars: Gingerbread House Wars!  Such fun had by all...

We drove through Lewis & Clark University and took pics for Abby, our future Newfoundlander (?)

All too soon we had to say goodbye.  But the icing on the cake? Running into Zach and Kate at the Taco Bell in Kennewick on our way home!!!  No way!!!

July Days

Jeff went on some bike rides!  Lovely pics and lovely skies.

Kaitlyn and Luis got engaged!!!  Such sweet pictures sent our way.

Nessa loves to go into her crate to earn treats.  :)  Grace is starting to get ideas/decor for her new room...

We took a hike down the switchbacks.  It was SO.  HOT.  we invested in a kiddie pool for the pups on the way home.  Saw a snake, it was very exciting.

Flowers from my yard!  Why not cut them and enjoy them since we're moving?!?

Mimi found an antler toy for Nessa--it was huge!--but Nessa LOVED it.  :)

Rock painting to fill the time.  We ended up hiding them around the block and told the Eccleshalls that they could go collect them whenever they rode around the block.  They couldn't wait and ended up collecting them that day!  :)

And as a service project, we cleaned up the Lochhead plot at Dartford.  Jeff got to visit with Carole and the kids did a semi-decent job helping.  Colin rocked it.

All sorts of memes being shared at this time...