Pictures from Q2 2020

The second quarter of 2020 has been… different! We’ve been in lockdown for most of it because of COVID-19, so we haven’t had much opportunity to get out and do much.

We’ve been making the most of our time at home though. Both Ellie and Jack have helped me to till and reseed the lawn, Ellie has been busy doing remote learning, and we’ve ventured out of the house a handful of times.

Continue reading “Pictures from Q2 2020”

Visiting the Cherry Blossoms in Portland

We live in the PNW because we love everything about it, and we live that reality out. At every opportunity, we’re out seeing all of the beautiful sites around us.

For whatever reason, in the first two springs here, we didn’t get a chance to make it down to Tom McCall Waterfront Park to see the cherry blossom trees blooming in early spring, but we didn’t make that mistake this year.

We have a lot of cherry blossom trees here in Portland and they’re just a beautiful adornment to an already beautiful city.

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Monster Jam [VIDEO]

Ever since Jack has been on the scene, the interest in monster trucks in our house has gone through the roof.

So to treat the kids, we took them to see Monster Jam at the Moda Center. The kids definitely needed their ear protection (the sound really reverberates inside the arena), but they had a great time watching them do their tricks.

Continue reading “Monster Jam [VIDEO]”

July – September 2018

While we didn’t explore quite as much as I would have liked this summer, we certainly got out and saw some new places. We did a few hikes, explored some new places and did a few activities like riding the Oregon Coast Scenic Railroad.

With Ellie starting school, she participated in fun run at school. We also got a new addition to the family: our first dog, Miles, whom Ellie has fallen in love with. Continue reading “July – September 2018”

Ellie’s 5th birthday

Ellie celebrated her fifth(!) birthday this summer. To celebrate, we invited a bunch of her friends to come and celebrate at Enchanted Forest: a theme park based on fairy tales which hasn’t seen too many updates since the 1970s. However, all of the adults agreed that that was part of its charm; it isn’t flashy or over the top, but offers some great entertainment for a reasonable price without going crazy.

For her actual birthday, she was insistent on wearing her princess dress, and looked beautiful and grown up. Continue reading “Ellie’s 5th birthday”

Family vacation to Bend, OR [VIDEO]

This summer, we made the decision to take our family vacation in Bend, OR. Bend is characterized by the high desert climate, notably different from the wetter climate on the west side of the Cascades (where Portland is), but its craft beer scene and its many options for outdoor adventure.

It was a pretty low-key affair and more than anything, it was just a good break from the everyday slog of life at home, but while we were there, we definitely took the opportunity to do some activities that we wouldn’t ordinarily be able to do.

For example, we took Ellie and Jack horseback riding which went really well. Jack definitely needed some convincing, but once he realised he was OK, he loved it up on the horse. Continue reading “Family vacation to Bend, OR [VIDEO]”

January – March 2018

December was largely a write-off because of sickness throughout the house, however we got right on with enjoying the new year.

Ellie spent a fair amount of time building the Lego sets that she got at Christmas. Ellie and I also participated in a 13-week Daddy-Daughter Ballet class: she was definitely the better ballerina, but it was nice to have that special experience with her.

It was a pretty mild winter all told, to the point of us being able to visit vineyards towards the end of March in the sun with short sleeves on. Continue reading “January – March 2018”

Ellie and Daddy do Seattle [VIDEO]

This past weekend, I took Ellie to Seattle for a little daddy-daughter weekend before she starts school in a couple of weeks! We had so much fun seeing the sights and I cherished the opportunity to dote on my little girl, and do things like get dressed up and take her on a date.

We got up to write a lot during our time in Seattle. We:

  • Rode the light rail and the monorail (this is exciting to Ellie).
  • Went on a dinner date together, with Ellie in her princess dress and me in a shirt and tie.
  • Went up to the Space Needle and watched Seattle from high up, with the city lights aglow (Ellie often says how pretty the city looks at night because of all the lights.
  • Went to Pike Place Market.
  • Grabbed breakfast at Wayward Vegan Cafe (this wasn’t planned, but Ellie wanted waffles for breakfast, so the girl had to have waffles!).
  • Spent a few hours in the Pacific Science Center.
  • Went on the Seattle Great Wheel.
  • Grabbed breakfast together at Starbucks.
  • Went to Genessee Park to the Seafair Festival so that we could watch the Blue Angels. Continue reading “Ellie and Daddy do Seattle [VIDEO]”