Giddy-Up Santa!!!

Ruby's hit the big time on YouTube.

Willa's #2

Daddy Post: While Willa has made large strides in her potty training as of late, this #2 represents Willa's second birthday which went down on November 5th. Actually, November 5th was on a Thursday so we didn't actually celebrate until that Sunday with the rest of the family over at GG's. Willa relished all of the attention and was well versed in what was expected of her. Cousins Holden and Lilly made the occassion even more memorable and it is obvious that such occurences are going to be frequent in the future. After all of the cake, presents, and play Willa was ready to demonstrate her preference for bed.

The Witch, the Princess, and CANDY!!!

Daddy Post: Wow...it's been a little while but the good news is that we spent the down time buying a new camera and computer so keeping up to date on the blog will now be much more easy. Here are some Halloween pictures. Ruby went as a witch (which was kindly donated by the Nelson family) and Willa was a (rabbit?) princess. Their good friends Bristol and John David joined them for the candy pilgrimmage. Afterward, both of the girls good so unbelievably high that they spend a good 25 minutes straight jumping from the living room chair onto the cushion below. This then evolved into jumping over Jack which then became Willa jumping on top of Ruby while she laid on the ground with the cusion on top of her. Just today we're finally almost out of candy. This is a plus considering I won't be lying anymore when I tell them that we don't have anymore.

Cool Morning at Columbia Farms

Momma Post: Gosh these photos to our annual trip to Columbia Farms on Sauvie Island feel like ages ago...since then we've celebrated Halloween, Willa's birthday and are quickly headed to Thanksgiving. Regardless, we had a wonderful time picking out pumpkins with the Hager family who joined us this year. We headed out to Sauvie early Sunday morning to beat the crowds that make crossing the two-lane bridge difficult. The kids enjoyed climbing the stacked hay bales and and hiding in the structure's tunnel. After selecting pumpkins, the gang enjoyed running through and hiding in the sun flower stalks, which had seen better days.

One last note, now that we've purchased a new camera, due to my misplacement of our old one on the Amtrak train, hopefully these posts will be back on track in a regular fashion. Thanks for your patience.

How You Like Them Apples!?!

Daddy Post: This last weekend we took the girls on a trip to Hood River to do the "Fruit Loop" tour and pick some apples. The weather surprisingly cooperated and the girls seemed to enjoy taking in the countryside. Along the way we stopped at Marty's favorite fruit stand and gift shop where she secured us an excellent homemade vanilla/pear pie that she has since declared "the best pie she's ever eaten." Being such a connoisseur of all things pastry, that is the highest of compliments. From there we stopped in Parkdale and had lunch at the Elliott-Glacier Brew Pub. The Mt. Hood Railroad had also stopped there which allowed the girls to yell "TRAIN!" more than they usually do. After that we went to the Draper-Girls farm and hand picked some apples. Both Ruby and Willa were naturals. A memorable and pleasant day all around.

The following day was also memorable, but not for the right reasons. Marty found a coupon for Chuck E. Cheese so we took the girls there. My experience left me less enthusiastic about America's potential as we entered into a vortex of chaos complete with a cacophony of sounds, rude children, and lower income families emulating the American dream as they perceived it by means of MTV and FOX news. That might sound a bit harsh, but I dare you to go there to find out for yourself. You will likely see that I am being generous in my assessment. In any case, the girls seemed to enjoy it. In the last picture Ruby celebrates her cache of tickets that probably cost us about $10 so that she could redeem them for a plastic ring worth 10 cents. She's still wearing it. I hope this isn't a precedent for her spending time at the slots. Sorry the pics are a little fuzzy. They were taken with my iphone as the camera is currently missing...

Clackamas County Fair Fun

Daddy Post: For the 4th year in a row we made it down to the Clackamas County Fair. It was a lot of fun having the girls be a little older. The pony rides were a HUGE hit. As the pictures suggest, Willa inherited her daddy's tongue quirk. When the pony ride was over her smile quickly transformed into a face of fury as she let us know that she wasn't yet finished. Ruby was big enough for a couple of the bigger rides and we rocked the Tilt-a-Whirl. Willa had to settle for a train ride with mom. It was a morning well spent overall.

More Scenes of Summer

Daddy Post: Here are some more pictures of the girls enjoying their summer. As a side note, I suppose one could tell that I'm ready for football season to start when I'm spending time trying to educate Ruby on the proper way to do a Heisman pose. I still have some work to do on that.

Head Honcho 1917 - 2009

Daddy Post: It is with heavy heart that I pay tribute to my Grandfather Doyle "Head Honcho" Stockton who passed away this weekend. The girls and us have been incredibly fortunate to have his kindness, sense of humor, and resolve positively shape our sense of being in the world and we will miss him greatly. One not look much further than the Ruby and Willa's own strength of character to know that they were a part of his lineage. I've posted a couple of photos from our recent trip down there last weekend as well as a couple I found from past trips.

Staying Cool in the Hot Summer Sun

Daddy Post: Just some quick shots of the girls embracing the summer sprinkler season (plus, Willa being attacked by a bucket). Cutest....Daughters....Ever!!!

Ruby: First Blood Part II

Daddy Post: Evidently, staples are a close second to duct tape in terms of utility. Ruby is a champ.