July 22nd, 2007
We’re just back from our big summer vacation – a week of camping along the Oregon coast. We stayed two days and nights at state parks in Newhalem Bay, Newport, and just south of Coos Bay. The weather was mixed all week with as much rain as sun – but we found good cover in aquariums and restaurants when things got too cold and wet. The drive along the coast was a spectacular a mix of forests, cliffs and seastacks (we shut our eyes going through most of the small cities and towns). Kieran had lots of time to play on the beach, walk around campgrounds looking at the other tents and RV’s, and hop in the backpack for hikes in the woods and along the shore. We also had a chance to break up the drive home with an overnight stay in Portland with our Yale friends Matt and Abby and little Rowan.
John |
Uncategorized |
July 8th, 2007
The great summer of car camping trips got off to a tough start in late May with an outing to Fort Ebey on Whidbey Island. Soaking rains poured the first night and most of the next day, which coupled with the 40 degree temperatures led to an early retreat to Seattle on Saturday night. Waiting until late June made all the difference for our second outing – this time to Cape Disappointment where the Columbia River meets the Pacific. We enjoyed a great long weekend playing on the beach and hiking along to the coast to different lighthouses. This past weekend, we had a great trip to Colonial Creek in the North Cascades with Neil and Meredith. We were lucky enough to get two waterfront sites for the holiday weekend, and we had great weather for our hikes up to Blue Lake and along Thunder Creek. Kieran loves camping – he runs around the campsite, throws rocks in the water, takes lots of time to watch birds and critters, and thinks playing in the tent is a blast. Good thing we’ve got a few more trips to go.
John |
Uncategorized |
May 21st, 2007
Sorry the posts and new pictures stopped in recent months – it might have something to do with gutting our old kitchen and overseeing the remodel ourselves. That led to three weeks of chaos – ranging from the classic exercise of washing dishes in the bathtub to learning how to assemble and install a duct at 2:00 in the morning. In the end though, it was of course worth it – we love the new kitchen (and especially having our first dishwasher!). Of course as soon as we were done with that remodel, we took on replacing our deck, which was mostly finished in time for a visit from Grandma and Grandpa Daly around Mothers Day. There are also some outdoor adventure updates, including a recent summit/ski trip on St Helens with Mark from Yale and Chris and Paul from Seattle. We’re now gearing up for a summer of family camping trips all around WA and OR.
John |
Uncategorized |
February 26th, 2007
We’re just back from an excellent long weekend in the beautiful and snowy Methow Valley. We got to celebrate Kieran’s first birthday with Scott, Holly, Nicolas and Jonas. The chocolate birthday cake Joy made for him was probably his highlight of the trip, but we hope he also enjoyed sliding behind us on ski trails throughout the valley. (As always, click on the “photos” tab to see more from this trip!). Perhaps escaping Seattle for some real winter time in the Methow can become an annual tradition? Oh yeah, someone has been walking for a few weeks too…exciting and troubling all at once.
John |
Uncategorized |
December 30th, 2006
Kieran’s first Christmas involved a fun-filled week with friends and family in New England. Most of the time was spent at Grandma and Grandpa Daly’s house with aunts and uncles – and of course the two-year old twin cousins. Bridget and Moriah proved tough to keep up with, as Kieran continued to crawl and tried only a few steps alongside chairs and tables. However, there were plenty of interesting destinations to crawl to, with the Christmas tree being a close second to the carbon monoxide detector in the hallway. We also got to catch-up with those Christofersons still in western MA, and Kieran met his great-grandma Blanco for the first time in CT.
John |
Uncategorized |
December 4th, 2006
We took Kieran up to Snoqualmie Pass this weekend to go snowshoeing. It was such a good idea, we were joined by our friends Laura and Noah with their 11 month old Eli, Scott and Holly with Nicolas and Jonas, as well as Scott’s parents who are in town for a few days. Of course Baxter, the great snow dingo, came along as well. The snow was great, the sun was shining, and Kieran had a great time taking in the scenery or snoozing in the backpack. Hope the snow sticks around this winter, and that we get out many more times.
John |
Family, Hiking |
October 31st, 2006
We’ve learned a few things about infants, costumes and Halloween. 1) The good infant costumes sell out months ahead of time. 2) Not everyone appreciates what a great costume a Red Sox player can be. 3) Infants are not wild about being stuck in the equivalent of a fuzzy brown pillow case with holes for the face and arms. However, Kieran managed this quick smile in his dog costume for the camera, before grabbing the ears, pulling the hood over his face, and crying until we took the costume off. Just like with the Red Sox, there is always next year.
John |
Uncategorized, Family |
September 24th, 2006
Yes, Kieran is now crossing the living room with ease. Items of greatest interest appear to be the TV cabinet and the cat. Of course, Alex can easily make tracks to other rooms whenever he spies Kieran coming. The TV cabinet is not so fortunate – the doors have been child-proofed on the inside and coated in drool on the outside.
John |
Family |
August 6th, 2006
Understatement of the month: Kieran’s first experience with solid food seems a bit more popular than letting him cry himself to sleep.
John |
Family |
August 1st, 2006
We have just returned from a wonderful 10 day trip to the east coast. Kieran was a champ on the direct flight to Boston, but got cranky later in the day as his first tooth made an appearance. The next morning we headed south to have him meet Joy’s grandmother and Aunt Chris in Connecticut. We also got to spend some time around Boston with Miranda, newly weds Caleb and Joanna, and Jess Boyles. We then headed north for a week of relaxing at a cottage on Long Pond in Maine’s Belgrade Lakes. Kieran got to spend lots of time with Grandma and Grandpa Daly, Julia and Doug, the endlessly fascinating Moriah and Bridget, Laurel and Rob, and Neil and Meredith (after Neil completed his bar exam mid-week – congrats!). We wrapped things up with another trip to Connecticut to see some of the grad school crew at a pool party at Dave, Mona and Townes’ place. Now, it is back to work for a few weeks before starting a new job at the end of the month with the Alliance for Puget Sound Shorelines. Whew!
John |
Family |