April showers?

It's actually been a great month in Portland. We had two amazingly warm weekends and not-so-bad weather in between. We spent the majority of the month at home, and even completed a yard project this weekend (shocker, I know!).

14 adults & 2 babies set out for the hut
(Photo courtesy of Jen Gardiner)

Nick's first Easter was actually spent at a ski hut near Mt. Rainier. Unfortunately, the Easter Bunny did not make it up to the hut (it was quite snowy) but he did arrive a few days early in Portland (thanks Mimi!). We skied/snowshoed up to the Copper Creek Hut with a gang of Portlanders and a few folks from Seattle and spent two nights there. The weather didn't bode well for backcountry skiing while we were up there, but we did build a sweet kicker, get in some quality sledding, and partake in all sorts of games. We had a great time and appreciate our dear friends being so patient and helpful with the babies. The kiddos were awesome, but I have a feeling it might've been a good dose of birth control!

Lily (French) & Nick at the hut

Andy got a new (to him) road bike last month and has been getting in rides whenever possible. He's even been out on his mountain bike once or twice. I have been able to ride to work a few times which has been great and we've had Nick out in the Burley too. Before long, he'll need his own bike!

Nick has had a month full of accomplishments and set-backs. He's perfecting his crawling, learning how to pull himself up, broadening his language capabilities (he's mastered all sorts of consonants), and showing signs of being able to wave. However, he's also had bronchiolitis, an ear infection, a chronic cough and runny nose, explosive diarrhea, and most recently the rotavirus (self-diagnosed; maybe it's the swine flu). The joys of daycare...Lucky for Andy and I, he passed that last one on to us. Oh yes, and he's had a black eye and several bumps and bruises. We're hoping at this pace, he and his immune system will be bulletproof by his first birthday.

Speaking of the swine flu, Andy is heading to a wedding in Queretaro, Mexico later this week (flying into Mexico City). His good friend Paul Boyer is getting married (to Vero Gomez, who's from Queretaro) and Andy's in the wedding. It was a bit too far and too expensive for us all to go, but I think Andy will have a good time celebrating with his old friends from Spokane (without the old ball and chain).

All in all, it's been a great month. Business continues to be busy for Andy and work is going well for me. We are crossing our fingers that Nick is through the worst of his woes! And hopefully this nice weather will stick around for a while.

Andy's Wallowa Trip

At the end of March, Andy went on a backcoutry hut trip in the Wallowa Mountains in Eastern Oregon. He was joined by our good friend Sean, Jackie and Scott from Chicago and Jackie's brother Bryan. They had great snow, great weather, and a great time as evident from the pictures.

Rocky Mountain High...

Nick and I took a trip "home-home" (as we used to call it in college) last week to Colorado. We hit the weather just right and were blessed with 70 degree temps and days full of sunshine. While I love snow, I'm glad I was there last week and not this week for the blizzard.

We spent a few days in Glenwood, seeing our wonderful family and friends, before heading to Moab for the weekend with my mom, dad, sister and her three kids. I think it was the first time the four of us had been together on a vacation (without Andy or Richie) in over 10 years. While we missed our men, it was fun to be just with the Sheriffs.

The weather in Moab was perfect. High 70s and 80s, sun, a few clouds, and a nice breeze. Our purpose for going to Moab, other than sun, relaxation, and family time, was to run in the Canyonlands 5 Mile Race. My mom, sister and I all ran it and finished a few minutes under our goal of 50 minutes (speed-racers, I know). My mom actually took 5th in her age group and earned herself a medal. I can only hope I am in as great of shape as her when I'm 56. Heck, I can't even keep up with her at the age of 29. She's a rockstar.

Papa did a great job getting all the kids to the finish line!

Going home always soothes my soul. It's so nice to have such a fun and supportive family and great friends to welcome me. Nick was in heaven playing with his cousins - he and Brady are hilarious together and he can't get enough of Addie and Cooper. I got to spend some quality time with my cousins, who are turning into such mature, nice people. And we got to see Karen, Mandy & John, Steph & Nate (who are expecting!!), and Nick's godparents Becky & Daren (at a long layover at DIA). Good times.

Here are some more pictures - all of Nick & Brady!

Gettin' around

Nick heard that Brady started crawling last week and Jack from daycare figured it out over the weekend, so now it's his turn to step up to the plate. It's not exactly what I'd call crawling but he's on the move! You'd be surprised by the things that get him moving. Forget toys, he's more interested in shoes, computers, remotes, cell phones, and in this instance, the camera!

Fiesta Friday!

We hosted a little fiesta a few Fridays ago, inspired by an awesome pulled pork taco recipe my friend Lindsey Hayes passed along. Nick whipped up a batch of his killer (literally) margahooties. Fortunately for him, he was in bed long before the debauchery began. Fun was had by all, as evident from the pictures, and a double dose of Advil was necessary on Saturday morning.

Here's the recipe for the tacos. The margahooties...well, you'll have to speak with Nick about that one. He's a tough nut to crack.