Cameron and Jasmine are here!

Monday, December 29, 2008

Moma came to visit!

Moma had a layover in PDX for a day, so she came to visit!

We also had a few guest kitty cats for the holiday. Mica and Zoe. Mortimer sure was pissy, but we enjoyed having them!












Friday, December 26, 2008

Merry Christmas

Here's the captions of Christmas.








Merry Christmas Eve

It was a good Christmas for us. I managed to get home with no delays (which was truely amazing considering my original flight got cancelled and my connector got delayed 3 hours). I managed to get on standby and had no wait at all. Mom's still in the ICU.

Fanuil Hall and the freedom bells


We started our Christmas the day before xmas eve! We found it's less overwhelming for the kids to break it up into several days! Here's the day before xmas eve.




Now it's Xmas eve and Mommy helped us make a snowman.

And we found a fun way to eat our veggies!


Cameron decided to climb a tree.

Time to go sledding! After a few rides down the hill, we slide down the slide.


This is the most snow Portland has ever had on xmas day.


Now it's time to eat the ginger bread house!








More pictures of Christmas day coming soon.

Monday, December 22, 2008

I just want to go home!

This has been an awful trip. My mother is very critically ill. I came for a week, but she was sedated the whole time. We really don't know the outcome at this time. My sister won't have power until next year and they keep getting snowed in where they live. My mother's house doesn't have any power either and I didn't feel like staying in a house that's 36 degrees. Plus, I didn't want to get snowed in, so spent 1/2 the week couped up in a hotel in Worcester. Today is the first day in a week it did not snow. But it's about 0 degrees.
View from the hospital.


It took me 5 hours to get to Boston (should take 30 minutes by car). The very long train ride view. Just waiting for a cab took an hour.



Finally Christmas lights! When there's no power there's no Christmas lights!


Now for the extremely slushy walk to the North End. Home sweet away from home.

Time to find some dinner. The walk was rather interesting.
What used to be inexpensive restaurants is now trendy spendy restaurants. The first one, I was the only one in the restaurant. Ok, I've spend a week by myself in the hospital. I need people around me! So I asked the snow plow driver where the action was. He told me Nico's up the street. Well, I walked in and it was packed. But it was a little girl's birthday party and I was the only non birthday party guest. And the birthday girl got a new dog for xmas. Ok, you know I'm lonely when I start talking to a dog and actually enjoy it!!! The only friendly guest was the dog and he had a look of "get me out of here" on his face.

Ok, time to find some friendly people. This looks open. The bar tender was friendly and apparently thought I needed a free drink when I told her why I was here. (Don't worry honey, she was a female!!) Although I did get hit on in the lounge in the other hotel by a couple of guys shipped here from Atlanta by FEMA to clear the downed trees. Hey, at 47, and they were much younger than me, I'll just take that as a compliment!


Ok, time to go to bed. I was bored, so I just snapped a few pictures. I was also the only clown walking around on the streets the entire night. I just had to dodge the snow plow drivers along the way home.



I'm not looking forward to today. Jumping in my soppy wet boots to schlep to the airport and try and get home is the day ahead of me. I'll be very surprised if I get home today. I have a flight to Seattle, then Portland and am supposed to land at midnight. Hmmmmm.......Well, at least the sun is out and I have not seen that since I arrived!

Sunday, December 21, 2008

Holy snowkes!

Just a couple of pictures for Mommy, who's stuck in Boston tonight. Her flight is Monday night from Boston->Seattle->Portland, and all 3 cities are going through some big storms right now. Here's hoping & praying for some breaks in the storms tomorrow so Mommy will be home for Christmas!

Off we go to the hill. Daddy (not pictured) is carrying the boogie board/sled and a bagful of snowman parts. Unfortunately, it wasn't good snowman snow. An inch of crusty ice on top of the icy powdery stuff was pretty great for sledding, though.


There's Cindy, digging out. We're assuming that Brian is on the couch watching football. Lucky bum!


The walk to the park took about 45 minutes. We had to stop & stomp on all of the crunchy snow along the way. Ice is covering everything out there. I hope our bamboo survives! Poor stuff is plastered to the ground.


Sorry, I was too busy running after the kids as they flew down the hill to get any pictures. See the swing in the background? That's about where they ended up each time. Fortunately, no crashes into the poles. A few close calls with some of the other sledders, though!


We miss you, Sweetie, safe journey home!

Saturday, December 20, 2008

Natalie's Birthday

Hi Mommy in Massachusetts! We're having fun here in the snow and miss you a ton! Just got back from Natalie's birthday party. Hope you're warm & coming home soon.

Here's the birthday girl.


And the birthday activity.


Here we go! Jasmine went right in. Cameron took some convincing.


Maybe he foresaw the impending collapse! Our little psychic...


It's pizza time!


And presents time!


Okay, we're ready for cake..


Finally!


Oh yeah, good stuff to smear all over your face.


Num num num..


Oh boy, gift bags!


Time to drive home. Yuck..


Off we go.


What a fun time!




See you soon, Mommy! Love you!

Sunday, December 14, 2008

Winter Wonderland

What a week. My family is all without power in Massachusetts, my mother ended up in the hospital with double pnemonia and I hope she's doing ok. At least she's warm, as she won't have power for about a week. Hello Diane, heard you're buried too! My brother had to hike the mountains to check in on my sister and cut down trees on my mother's house. So, I guess this little snowstorm in Portland is just a dusting compared to the ice storm in Massachusetts.






Saturday, December 13, 2008

Gleneden Beach P II

Jasmine just loves watching the waves.


Hanging out in Depoe Bay.



Want to try my lollipop?


Jasmine discovered sandstone.

Cameron discovered throwing sandstone.

And climbing on sandstone!


another beautiful sunset.

Tuesday, December 09, 2008

Daddy, remember that lipstick you bought Mommy?

No, not this one.....


This one!



Well, it's gone now.
I think I'll head to the beach now to relax.




WOW!! Great sunset!




Just for the record...It was fatty who opened the present, not me!

Tuesday, December 02, 2008

Thanksgiving and the Christmas tree

We had a nice thanksgiving at the Campbells's house. A little inturrupted football, but aside form that we had a great day.


Goofing around at home.



Poor professor Mortimer. Still wearing glasses.



Off to find the perfect Christmas tree. These are two small.





Ta da!