Bet this makes you smile.

Beaver Basketball

One of Nate's co-workers has a son who starts for USC's basketball team.  For the past two years, Nate and I have gone on a double date with another couple - to dinner and then to the USC/OSU basketball game.  It's a lot of fun...and a lot bigger deal than I anticipated.  I figured there would be lots of empty seats, but no.  Those games are packed.

Anyway, we went the weekend before my birthday this year and Judson was sad he didn't get to go.  Nate decided to take him to another game, though I really wasn't sure how he'd feel about all of the noise.  They went Sunday and Judson loved it!  Nate said he was pretty serious the whole time.  He's like that in new situations.  He came home and said to me, "They passed the ball to their friends!"

Here are a few pictures before they left.  (Judson was exhausted and napped in the car on the way down.)  What a cute pair!

New hat from Grandma Becky...he just recently decided he likes wearing hats (because Daddy does)

Hat kisses

So tired

"Go Beavers!"

Another trip to the zoo

We went to the zoo last weekend because it was yet another gorgeous day.  Morgan hadn't been since we were little (other than ZooLights, when he was sorely disappointed to not see any animals :).  We had a fun time, though it was considerably windier and colder than Salem...

Love this one...

I love Anna's face in this one.  I think it was because Macy suddenly dropped, as you can see...

You've seen this before.

A family who goes to our church and has kiddos the same ages as ours invited us over to play at their farm the other day.  The weather couldn't have been more perfect...sunny and sixty-two degrees (according to my car).  My mud- and truck/tractor/vehicle-loving son had an absolute blast, as you can imagine.

I didn't get a single shot of the babies.  All they did was sleep in their front packs the whole time.  :)

Two peas in a pod

Still (relatively) clean

Yep.  That's more like it. 

Tree house

I love this picture!  Amos was more willing to pose for me than Judson ever is...

I was afraid I'd never be able to get Judson out of the HUMONGOUS tractor.  Seriously.  He was at least six feet off the ground and soaked in mud.  I really didn't want to have to touch him too much.  :)  Thankfully, he came down without a battle.

The tractor's tire.  There was also a combine.  I knew those things were big, but I'd never been so close to one.  Wow.

Not really into the baby goat or cows.  They were a little loud for his liking.

Mount Hood off in the distance.

Just some random pictures...

I realize the quality on some of these is really lacking.  I've been having so much fun playing with my new lens that I haven't bothered to switch back to my regular lens at all, and it's definitely not ideal in certain situations.  (That's just my disclaimer for everyone who is more talented at photography than I am.  :)

Snuggling with "Blackie," a bear that Nate's great-grandma made for him when he was little.

Cooper's only girlie diaper...so far.  :)  If anyone's curious, it's the new BumGenius all-in-one ("Freetime").  She's only worn it once and she immediately pooped in it, so I'll have to give a review later...

I believe this was first thing in the morning.  He often requests mac and cheese for breakfast.  He is disappointed every time.  :)

My birthday

Judson was sick and cranky on my birthday, but after a rough start, we ended up having a good day.  I finally pulled out the paints that I bought months ago, and he loved it!  I waited long enough...he took his painting very seriously and didn't make much of a mess.  I had fun playing with my birthday gift from my parents and Nate: a low-light lens for my camera.

Nate didn't get home until much later than normal, but still wanted to make dinner.  Caesar salad, complete with homemade dressing,  homemade croutons, and bread with homemade "spread" (I don't know what to call it) on it.  It was quite tasty, and so very sweet of Nate.

 

All in all, a pretty good day!

Mr. Fix-It

Nate used a mallet to put Judson's new, taller basketball hoop together, and now Judson dons his hard hat, asks for "my yadder" (ladder), and works on the hoop at least once a day... (He usually uses more appropriate {plastic} tools. :)

And, for the record, the hoop is not going to live in our living room for long.  As soon as Judson moves to his new room (our current room), it will go in there.

Swinging, part two

We spent over two hours in the sunshine at "Crooked House Park" today.  It was fabulous!  (When we got back in the car, the thermometer said it was sixty-one degrees out.)  We had so much fun.

Cooper was in the Beco (front pack) for most of that time, but at the very end she woke up and I put her in the swing.  She loved it, as you can see.  (She takes after Judson.  He will swing as long as I let him, which is as long as there are other open swings, so I know no one's waiting.  The other day he swung for nearly an hour, as we were the only ones at the park for part of that time.)

My favorite!!

Such a happy girl

And only one decent picture of this guy.  He's much more interested in "huge underdoggie pushes" than posing for countless pictures for me...