Back to School & Cider Squeeze

When summer ended this year, autumn literally swept us off our feet. After 14.5 years since stepping foot in a college classroom, Chad returned to school. Here he is on his first day, all ready to go:



That first week of classes was intense, and Chad definitely needed a break from all the hard-core studying he'd been doing. So on a brisk Saturday morning in September, we set off for the 32nd annual cider squeeze and harvest festival at Philip Foster Farm. It turned out to be a really great way to welcome autumn! There was live music:



... ready-to-be harvested veggies (here's Grace checking out the broccoli plants):



... super realistic scarecrows (oh wait! That's Chad!):



... and of course, bushels of apples just waiting to be squeezed into fresh cider:







Elsewhere on the farm, Grace got to feed a pony:



... pose next to a sunny sunflower:



... and peek out the window of a little cabin:



She even got to build her very own cabin out of life-size Lincoln Logs!







After all that, we took home some freshly squeezed apple cider as a souvenir of our fun day. Yummy!

Mike and Ashley's Late Summer Visit

Right around Labor Day weekend, Mike and Ashley came to visit us. On Saturday, we took them to the Lake Oswego Farmers' Market where they posed for this beautiful picture:



For lunch, we went to Pioneer Courthouse Square for Festa Italiana. We all enjoyed lo cibo e bevande molto delizioso.







Later that afternoon, we spent some time at the playground behind our house. It seemed that Mike and Ashley loved playing as much as G did!









That night, Mama Ashley gave Gracie her bath.


Check out Gracie's new look!



The next day, we walked around the Portland Saturday Market.



Gracie helped Mama Ashley pick out a pretty new cell phone cover:



Here are some shots of Gracie sitting perfectly still while getting her face painted:







After a fun-filled weekend, it was time to say goodbye. Here are some cute photos we took before we went our separate ways.

West Linn Art in the Park

Waaaaay back in late August while looking for a fun and inexpensive way to spend a Saturday afternoon, we stumbled upon the annual West Linn Art in the Park event. The initial draw, of course, was the park.









There was a lot to see and do at the event, despite Gracie's reluctance to leave the playground. We thought this old tree was pretty, so we stopped for a quick pic:



On our way to the 'art' part of the event, we found this cool splash fountain. We couldn't resist letting Gracie play for awhile. Good thing it was a warm, sunny Indian Summer day:





In the distance, the sound of bagpipes beckoned:



... so we decided to stop for lunch and watch the entertainment line-up. Our favorite acts were the Bollywood dancers:





... especially the children's performance. (The little girl in pink was a hoot!)



We never actually made it to the art show that day. But... we had such a great time on Saturday that we returned on Sunday!

The art was wonderful, but once again we found ourselves enjoying the other activities. Grace really appreciated this red balloon:



And luckily, we knew to bring a swimsuit for Gracie this time:



But naturally, the playground was the highlight for Miss G.



Here's an adorable parting shot of my Hula Honeys. Aren't they sweet?

Baby Maddox

After months of anticipation (nine months + a couple weeks, to be exact), Maddox Reid Sage made his big debut on August 25, 2009!

During the last few months of Megan's pregnancy, we took the opportunity to explain to Gracie that when she was a tiny baby, she grew in her Mama Ashley's belly just like Meggie's baby was growing in hers. Now that Maddox is finally here, Gracie really seems to understand! In fact, she regularly tells us about how she was in Mama Ashee's tummy. I love it!

Anyway, when we got the call that Maddox had arrived, we could not wait to meet him! Here is a beautiful shot of the proud/exhausted mamas, and Gracie welcoming her new little friend:



Here's Jilly showing off her sweet baby boy:



... and his adorable monkey-bottom outfit:



BTW: Benji is conspicuously absent from these photos because, for a short while after Maddox was born, he just wasn't quite sure about him. He came around pretty quickly thereafter, though, and now he loves to show off his baby brother.

Gracie, on the other hand, can't get enough of him!





Here are some pics we took a week or so later. I'm pretty sure I was thinking, Wow, it was just yesterday that Gracie was this tiny...






Gracie is completely enamored with Baby Maddox. She loves it when he comes over and sleeps in her bed. She takes every opportunity to hold him and kiss him. I think someone will be a fantastic big sister someday!