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”

Our first family camping trip

This summer, we finally had the equipment and the support to do what we’ve wanted to do since moving to Portland: go camping.

We were invited by some friends to go car camping with a whole bunch of families, which sounded ideal because there would be plenty of confident hands assisting us, and lots of other children for the kids to play with.

So, off we went. We went to Barview Jetty Campground on the Oregon coast, which was flush with the amenities that would make Martina in particular comfortable, such as running water, flush toilets and hot showers.

Continue reading “Our first family camping trip”

Family pictures 2018

After we discovered Jess and Jon at Cascade Photography last year and fell in love with the great job they did on our family photos last year, we asked them to come back and do some more photos for us this year.

Fall is a perfect time for family photos in Portland because the leaves are beautiful and colourful and of course we can include those pictures on our Christmas cards.

Continue reading “Family pictures 2018”

Ellie’s first day at school [VIDEO]

This day was a long time coming. I think Ellie’s been ready to go to school for about three years, but she finally got the chance.

We sent her off into the world and she had an excellent first day at school. She rode the bus without issue and forgot about us the second she got on the bus.

Ever since, she’s truly thrived at school and loves going. She’s coming alive with learning new information and skills and will undoubtedly become a very intelligent person. Continue reading “Ellie’s first day at school [VIDEO]”

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”

December 2017

Last December, we were settling in for our first winter and our first Christmas in Oregon, and we certainly made the most of it.

We took a trip up to Mount Hood to go tubing and build snowmen, we took a ride on the Christmas train, we made gingerbread houses and generally had a jolly old time. Continue reading “December 2017”

Nicola & Max came to visit

Last August, my sister (Ellie’s aunty) and my nephew (Ellie’s cousin) came to Oregon to visit us all.

During that time, we fit a lot in. We went to the Chinese Gardens, visited Powell’s, went to the coast, went up Mount Hood, enjoyed a jet boat ride on the Willamette and visited some wineries (naturally). Continue reading “Nicola & Max came to visit”

The last many months

I know. It’s been a long time. Because moving, life, busyness etc. But I’m here now.

We’ve been up to a lot since we got to Oregon back in March. We absolutely love it here and have done our fair share of exploring, getting out and about, and enjoying the outdoors. Continue reading “The last many months”

“Cinderella came to wake me”

Yesterday, Ellie went over and introduced herself to some of our neighbours and it came to pass that one of the girls was a bit older than her and had some dresses that she had outgrown which would be a good fit for Ellie.

So we brought them home and hung them up for her, telling her that we could play with them the following day. Continue reading ““Cinderella came to wake me””

Closet hardcore Republican

Tonight, we were telling Ellie about how there’s a presidential election in 2 days. ThE past couple of weeks, we’ve been talking about the two main candidates and who we support. Tonight:

Ellie, who do you think should be president? Hillary or Donald Trump?

Donald Trump.

Thinking that it might have been because we used his full name and not hers:

Ellie, should Hillary Clinton or Donald Trump be president?

Donald Trump.

Maybe it’s because she always chooses the second answer…

Ellie, who should be president? Donald Trump or Hillary Clinton?

Donald Trump.

I then proceeded to explain some of the many reasons I don’t think Donald Trump should be president.

Ellie, Donald Trump treats women horribly and thinks that they’re worth less than men. Especially since having a daughter, I can’t support someone who thinks that women aren’t equal to men. Do you think women should be treated equally or that men should be treated better than women?

Men should be treated better than women.

😐