We started off the month with a party for Lina's 1st Birthday.  No way does it feel like she should be 1 already!

The next day I took the girls to see the Nutcracker.  It was put on by a dance school Jessi used to dance with.  I took Emily to it when she was Arianna's age.  Arianna was mesmerized!  She came home dancing.  

Then there was the day I spotted a bobcat!  It was in the yard that adjoins ours.  He crossed the driveway as I was coming in.  I ran inside for my camera.  Everybody thinks I should have been afraid, but really, the only thing I was afraid of was if I didn't get a good shot.  He was very timid, as soon as I got a few shots, I moved in closer and he got up off the rock and walked away.  He was about twice the size of our cat Bazzel.  

I worked fast to get the house and baking all done a week early because Dennis and Abby and Gabe and Daniel came!  We wanted a really tall tree for the new house and it was outrageous what they wanted for a live tree 101/2 ft tall to be flocked.  I decided to splurge for an artificial tree for the first time ever.  It will pay for itself in two years according to what they were wanting for flocking a real one.  

 Since they don't go out to buy a tree in California, we thought we should show them how Oregonians do it.  I had planned on going to a tree farm and cutting one, but it was pouring rain, so we settled for a tree lot.  The boys pointed out a tree and home we came with it.  We put the real one up in the family room.

 The Dennis Dixons could only be here the week before Christmas, so we celebrated Christmas with them early.  

Always, a Birthday Cake for Jesus!

Daniel got a special kick out of his train set.  

The week raced by and off the went for home.  

 The next day I came down with something weird.  Headache, chills and fever.  It was awful.  But the kids and John jumped right in and took over on our Christmas Eve dinner.  John even made the cheesecake!! I think he was pretty pleased with himself.  So in spite of me not feeling up to it, we had a great dinner after all. (Here it is 3 weeks later, many calls to the doctor and a trip to the ER and I am still not 100% over it.  Crazy stuff.)

 Emily and the kids watching their new DVD.

Joshua showing off his new long board...and even took them for a ride!

 We had a rare full moon on Christmas Day.  I really loved what it did to the clouds and canyon.

 a peek through the clouds to see the new snow.

The mountain is so gorgeous.  I keep telling myself that I don't have to take a photo of every gorgeous moment, but so far, I can't keep myself from it.   

 I liked the half moon right above the mountain like that.

 this one made it look like there was a huge spotlight on it.

 this is a night shot of the stars over Mt. Hood.  Normally, we only see a few lights across the canyon, but with the long exposure all kinds of lights showed up.  I was surprised by those lights at the horizon.  There is not city that way, so I think it may be some sort of aurora lights. you can see Hood on the left by the lights.

 HaHa!  not all days are beautiful and glorious out that window...here is a day of fog. 

and then there was the day it was clear...except for the clouds that covered the mountain like a blanket.  

 November. 

 We moved.  

I feel like I belong  here, like I have always been here.  It is home.  

And yet, it is a complete feeling of awe at the same time.  I can not believe that this is my home, that I get to live here.  I walk from room to room checking it out over and over.  I don't think it will ever get old to me, this house, this place, the view.

  Even on the days when the mountain does not come out, it is amazing.  Even if it is foggy and I can't see the river below, I can still hear it.  And now, with all that rain, it is roaring and louder than I have heard it before. The leaves have all fallen from the trees and I can even see more of the river now.  

What a place to get to see such the magnificent handiwork of God who has given me so much.

Here is a shot that Cyndi and Dan took from their plane. Our house is the second from the left.

Here is the front view.  Mt. Hood is right behind there.

September and October

September still felt like summer.  The dry warm sunny weather stayed even though the leaves were beginning to change color.  Josiah and Arianna both started pre-school.  The first school event was the Teddy Bear Parade in Gresham.  Grandpa and I got to take them to it.  

One day, I even had Lina all to myself while the older two were in school.

My friends Maria and Alison, friends since we met at Outdoor School in the 6th grade, met up for a glass blowing class.  We all made pumpkins.  They made the traditional colors, but I decided I needed a purple one.

And then sometime in the month, the rain began.  It seemed as if all the rain had been storing up for a huge rainstorm.  It poured!!

I just happened to be at the park for my walk when it decided to dump down on me.

But the change of weather has also brought a few new birds to the park.  

Even though it has poured rain off and on in September and October, the lake is still dry enough to walk the full way around it.  Those logs are normally under water.

The park is starting to close up for the winter.  Sure it will be open to visitors, but they have everything all stored up and ready for the cold weather to start.

The sky is full of geese heading here and there.  Sometimes their sounds are so loud that is all you can hear.  

Emily had her district meet in cross country.  She helped her team to their school's first win in 12 years!  They came in 3rd and will be going to the State meet!

Josh competed in two meets a week later.  First was the Nike Elite Meet.  It poured rain, sideways rain with the wind blowing it so hard that you could not keep your umbrella straight up. He placed 45 and came away with a medal for finishing in the top 50.  Two days later he competed for his school team at district.

And then there is the time I get to spend with these 3...

And the reason I am so late in posting September and just added it to October?  

WE BOUGHT A HOUSE!!!  

The last two months have been packed with looking at homes, deciding on which to buy, getting rid of the furniture that I have had forever and shopping for new things to make this place our own, then packing up the home we are living in.   Move in starts tomorrow with just a few things when we get the keys.  The actual moving day is Saturday when the movers arrive with the truck.  This house is on the Bluff in Sandy with the most amazing view of Mt. Hood and the Sandy River below.   

 I can not believe that I get to live there!!