thanksgiving....

Okay, so it's been over a week, but arriving home from our vacation I was faced with grading students' tests and papers which kept me from posting ...  even my Friday's (this moment).  But I'm back... and here are some highlights from our trip to Portland, Oregon.  It has been a tradition in Jenn's family to be together at Thanksgiving and I'm grateful that my family has "released" me from any obligation to be with them as it has become my tradition now too and I LOVE that Avi is growing up with these traditions too. 

After a looong flight -- looong in the sense that Avi fell asleep 15 minutes before we arrived at the airport and thus didn't fall asleep on the plane and screamed quite a lot due to his last tooth coming through -- we were excited to arrive just in time for Thanksgiving dinner. 

 This beautifully set table couldn't compare with the aroma of our delicious dinner cooking in the kitchen

 The magic maker - Avi's Grandma (Jenn's mom), Sandy putting on the finishing touches

I took other shots of the delicious dinner, but my camera was set on the wrong setting and most of my pics were blurry, but alas, this one, this most important photo, turned out!  

So thankful - for the pie and the photo!!

Avi's Grandpa and Grandma, Harvey and Sandy.

Our first adventure was at the stables of Portland's Mounted Patrol.  Avi loves horses as much as his Ema does... and his grandpa set up this tour for us.  (thanks Grandpa)!

Mama and Avi looking at a horse in the arena.

Here Avi is meeting Beau - in the foreground is Franz, one of PDX's finest, who gave us the tour.

Another adventure took us to the playground at Washington Park.  

While cold, cloudy, and wet, we still had fun playing. 

I found myself falling in love with how a rainy climate looks.  

Here is one such moment.

A rare bit of sunshine and a precarious illegal stop on Vista Bridge, I captured this shot of Mount Hood.

At Munchkin Playland

Homemade play dough with Grandma while Ema and Mama escaped to a movie! It's the little things!

And thank goodness the Children's Museum is closed on Mondays otherwise we wouldn't have gone to OMSI.  Their science playground, designed for kiddos aged 6 and under, is AMAZING! It made me want to move to Portland.

"Ball", says Avi as he throws them into the cyclone.

Splish Splash!

look out!

Avi signs 'FISH'

An afternoon walk.  

So thankful!

A Portland sunset captured.

We said goodbye to the sun and turned around to welcome the moon. 

This is the "evening" of day and night. 

Even \E"ven\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Evened; p. pr. & vb. n. Evening] 

1. To make even or level; to level; to lay smooth. 

Falling in love with the moss.

We could be a Keen commercial.

Only a straggler gets this perspective.

And this one.

What are you thankful for?  What perspectives do you embrace?  What do you fall in love with when you visit another climate?