Wednesday, October 29, 2008
Saturday, October 25, 2008
Adorable
I had dressed Hunter up in this outfit to take her picture with the pumpkins, but it obviously didn't happen with her sleeping. So I thought I'd get share the cute outfit she was wearing for her pumpkin photos. :)
And then here are just a few of her over the last few days on the camera. (The camera I can actually take photos off of)
And then here are just a few of her over the last few days on the camera. (The camera I can actually take photos off of)
Pumpkin time!
Today our plans didn't pan out like planned so Brandon decided to take some much needed alone time for a few hours and I went to the pumpkin patch with Teri. Hunter pretty much slept the whole time so we kept her in her carseat. It was a beautiful day and even though the place was super packed, we got some good pictures (These pics are compliments of Teri, I can't get mine off the camera I used) . Next year Hunter will be running around, at least for now she was chilling by the pumpkins.
She even slept through the tracker ride and everything. We felt it best to leave her in the carseat so she didn't start getting fussy on the way back.
There is the tracker you got on to go back and forth to the pumpkin patch area.
We think maybe some people thought we were lesbians. Teri's hat didn't help matters.
"just kidding!!"
She even slept through the tracker ride and everything. We felt it best to leave her in the carseat so she didn't start getting fussy on the way back.
There is the tracker you got on to go back and forth to the pumpkin patch area.
We think maybe some people thought we were lesbians. Teri's hat didn't help matters."just kidding!!"
Friday, October 24, 2008
Changing of the Guard
Crystal and I have offically switched positions. Even though Hunter doesn't like nursing off of me for some reason we seem to be getting along pretty well. She has learned some new tricks thanks to the rigourous training program I've setup for her. 
We've also been taking advantage of this great weather and have been taking walks daily. I've also introduced her to the beauty of Pink Floyd: Darkside of the Moon and a wide range of classical music.
I like to call this the look and grab. She has been focusing on objects and grabbing for them even holding and tugging. The next one I like to call the Chopper Stare, eventually to be perfected in the Chopper Pet.
The next one Crystal and I have dubbed Tummy Time, but Hunter came up with her own variation on this one. I like to call it Melt Daddy's heart
We've also been taking advantage of this great weather and have been taking walks daily. I've also introduced her to the beauty of Pink Floyd: Darkside of the Moon and a wide range of classical music.
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
Hunter
I started work last week and it sucks! But, it's awesome knowing that Brandon is home with her every day. He is making a excellent Mr. Mom.
I asked him to put up a blog and he took some pictures today to put up. I just saw them and had to post this one cuz she's so freaking cute!
And then I took this one of her tonight.
I asked him to put up a blog and he took some pictures today to put up. I just saw them and had to post this one cuz she's so freaking cute!
And then I took this one of her tonight.
She's getting so strong, pretty much holding her own head most of the time and has good control over her upper body. It's so awesome to see her growing!
Wine tasting with the fam
Newberg is basically wine country so we have many many wineries very close to us. For the past three years (I think, I've only been around since last year), Brandon, Mark, Teri, Erin and Auntie Susan have gone on wine tasting "tours". Last year it was Susan's son Travis who was our designated driver and this year it was her daugher Kalynn. And also this year her other son Brian and his wife Amber and then Susan's partner Dell (spelling?) joined us.
We have so many wineries around us you just kinda pick which ones you want and go, we hit four of them this year up in the Dundee Hills. Four doesn't seem like a lot, but you get pretty toasted after a few, especially this year where they were giving us some pretty generous pours.
Mark thought we should ride in style so he rented us this awesome ride!
Ok, not really. I don't think any of us would be seen in that hideous thing, it was just at one of the wineries we went to. Instead we all piled in a big truck that Susan rented. Brandon and Erin had to squeeze into the way back.
Our first stop was at Winter's Hill, we had them take a group shot.
Then we went to Vista Hills where I took this rad picture of Erin.
Then we all hit up the tasting room where we met Dago (no Teri, that's not the spanish version of Doug) and he told us all about their yummy wines. The girls were schmoozing it up, as you can see.
Then we found the perfect spot for lunch, what a view!!!
Of course we have to add in a cutesy picture of us. If you look closely you can see Brian in between us.
It was a great day! I can't wait to go again! Oh, Hunter got to hang out with Ruby and Ted all day, it'll be awhile before she can join us on this kind of adventure.
We have so many wineries around us you just kinda pick which ones you want and go, we hit four of them this year up in the Dundee Hills. Four doesn't seem like a lot, but you get pretty toasted after a few, especially this year where they were giving us some pretty generous pours.
Mark thought we should ride in style so he rented us this awesome ride!
Ok, not really. I don't think any of us would be seen in that hideous thing, it was just at one of the wineries we went to. Instead we all piled in a big truck that Susan rented. Brandon and Erin had to squeeze into the way back.
Our first stop was at Winter's Hill, we had them take a group shot.
Then we went to Vista Hills where I took this rad picture of Erin.
After Susan was cheating and getting more pours of wine than she should of we took off to White Rose. Susan took a picture of us in one of the vineyards by the tasting room.
Then we all hit up the tasting room where we met Dago (no Teri, that's not the spanish version of Doug) and he told us all about their yummy wines. The girls were schmoozing it up, as you can see.
Then we found the perfect spot for lunch, what a view!!!
Of course we have to add in a cutesy picture of us. If you look closely you can see Brian in between us.
Oh, and we did have one highlight of the day at Domaine Serene, a older lady either passed out or had a seizure. Erin went over and talked to them and advised her to go see her doctor. I have some pictures from that place, but Mark and Teri would be mad if I showed them to anyone. :)
Saturday, October 11, 2008
First little video!
We have been making video with my real video camera, but have yet to get that into video form to show here. But my old digital camera has a video feature, here's a little clip of her and us being silly parents. :)
Family visit
My Aunt Laurie was in Portland this past week and came out to see us in Newberg. It was awesome seeing her and she had her husband, his sister and his son with her. It was great to meet them. I haven't seen Laurie since my brothers wedding about 10 years ago in Iowa. She brought out some family tree history on my Dad's side which is awesome to get and start looking into. Turns out I have Case's in my family, but I don't think Brandon and I are related. I hope not. :)
She also brought me this brush and mirror set that belonged to Great Grandma Hunter, who wanted me to have it and Laurie held onto it for me until I was older. It'll get passed along to Hunter when she's older. It's really cool.
Thursday, October 9, 2008
Giving
This post is a little bit different from our usual Hunter photos, but it felt important for me to write it.
For those of you that know me really well, you know that I love animals and that I have a strong passion for animals. I have been volunteering at the Oregon Humane Society (OHS) for over five years, was a rep for Dogs Deserve Better years ago, and now having moved to Newberg I decided to volunteer at the Newberg-Dundee animal control since their shelter is just two minutes from our house. (Dundee is a small city next to Newberg, we have a combined animal control ) I still volunteer at OHS in Portland but it’s only once or twice a month.
This past sunday morning I went into the Newberg shelter to be trained on how to clean and feed all the animals. I knew the building was small and that they are in the process of raising money for a new shelter, but I was surprised at how small and run-down it is. It’s a one room building (maybe 300-400 sq ft) with 7 kennel runs for the dogs (cement floors) and about 8 small kennels for the cats (those stacked stainless steel kind). Almost all the kennels had 2 dogs in them and there was also a dog in an outside kennel. There were two cages for the cats that had kittens, one had 6 kittens and another had about 10 kittens. I’m all about jumping in and don’t mind getting dirty, so cleaning and feeding and letting the dogs out was pretty easy to learn.
What I did not anticipate was having to watch her put down the kennel of 10 kittens.
I was washing some dishes and looked around to see her injecting the kittens with blue liquid. I will spare everyone the details of everything that I saw, let’s just say it’s something that keeps playing over and over in my brain and I can’t shake it. These kittens had eye infections and diarrhea and they were put down. That is so sad.
I am under no illusion that hundreds of thousands of animals in shelters don’t die every day (even OHS is not a no-kill shelter), but having to see it first hand has hit me really really hard. I wanted so bad to take them into my home and try and get them back to health, but we have no spare room for kittens away from our own animals in our house. I asked her if she could work with another shelter (like OHS) to take in the kittens or to see if they had a foster animal network to take them in. The answer I kept getting was this was the best thing to do for them. Being new to volunteering with them, I felt like I couldn’t jump in and try and save the day, I know it was hard for her to do, but I just can’t help but feeling I could have done something to save them.
I am going to try and stop beating myself up about it though and do something for future kittens that just need some time to get better to be able to be adopted out.
First, I’m going to talk with my connections at OHS to see if I can work with their Second Chance program to give Newberg and Dundee animals that are to be put down a second chance at their shelter if they have the room.
Secondly, I am going to talk with Newberg-Dundee animal control to try and develop a bigger volunteer network for the shelter, maybe even some foster homes for taking in pets that need extra attention before going to a new home. I was surprised to hear that Newberg-Dundee shelter did not have that many volunteers. For cleaning the shelter, I think there are only like 4 women, and now me. The animals are only fed and let out of their cages in the morning, they have nobody coming in to let them out in the evenings. I’m sure I am thinking big and don’t know if I will make a difference, I’m going to try.
I’m also going to continue volunteering there every week. I can’t let this one situation get me so down that I don’t do anything about it. I’ve setup one day a week for now that I will go in for a few hours in the morning and take care of all the animals.
And lastly, I wanted to share this with all of you as well, in hopes that maybe you can make a difference for animals and save future litter of kittens from being put down.
While I don’t think anyone that reads this is going rush out and volunteer at their local animal shelter or animal control, I just hope maybe you can take a look at your time and if you don’t already give back to the community, maybe now is the time to give just a little. Even if it’s a few hours a month, it’s something, and you could be making a huge difference to an animal, a adult or a child.
If you don’t have time, then please please PLEASE, spay and neuter your pets. Pet overpopulation is a serious problem. If you are going to adopt new animals, check out your local shelters, they do have full breed dogs and cats, it’s not just mutts. And really, mutts are great dogs too! If you buy from a breeder make sure they aren’t a “backyard breeder” and are reputable, not just in it for the money, but seriously interested in breeding the best of that breed. In my mind, good breeders have homes for all their puppies before they are born. I didn’t get my three dogs from a shelter, so I know it’s easy to go other routes, but that was many years ago and in the future I will think long and hard about where we get our next dog.
So, if you read all the way through this, thanks. :)
For those of you that know me really well, you know that I love animals and that I have a strong passion for animals. I have been volunteering at the Oregon Humane Society (OHS) for over five years, was a rep for Dogs Deserve Better years ago, and now having moved to Newberg I decided to volunteer at the Newberg-Dundee animal control since their shelter is just two minutes from our house. (Dundee is a small city next to Newberg, we have a combined animal control ) I still volunteer at OHS in Portland but it’s only once or twice a month.
This past sunday morning I went into the Newberg shelter to be trained on how to clean and feed all the animals. I knew the building was small and that they are in the process of raising money for a new shelter, but I was surprised at how small and run-down it is. It’s a one room building (maybe 300-400 sq ft) with 7 kennel runs for the dogs (cement floors) and about 8 small kennels for the cats (those stacked stainless steel kind). Almost all the kennels had 2 dogs in them and there was also a dog in an outside kennel. There were two cages for the cats that had kittens, one had 6 kittens and another had about 10 kittens. I’m all about jumping in and don’t mind getting dirty, so cleaning and feeding and letting the dogs out was pretty easy to learn.
What I did not anticipate was having to watch her put down the kennel of 10 kittens.
I was washing some dishes and looked around to see her injecting the kittens with blue liquid. I will spare everyone the details of everything that I saw, let’s just say it’s something that keeps playing over and over in my brain and I can’t shake it. These kittens had eye infections and diarrhea and they were put down. That is so sad.
I am under no illusion that hundreds of thousands of animals in shelters don’t die every day (even OHS is not a no-kill shelter), but having to see it first hand has hit me really really hard. I wanted so bad to take them into my home and try and get them back to health, but we have no spare room for kittens away from our own animals in our house. I asked her if she could work with another shelter (like OHS) to take in the kittens or to see if they had a foster animal network to take them in. The answer I kept getting was this was the best thing to do for them. Being new to volunteering with them, I felt like I couldn’t jump in and try and save the day, I know it was hard for her to do, but I just can’t help but feeling I could have done something to save them.
I am going to try and stop beating myself up about it though and do something for future kittens that just need some time to get better to be able to be adopted out.
First, I’m going to talk with my connections at OHS to see if I can work with their Second Chance program to give Newberg and Dundee animals that are to be put down a second chance at their shelter if they have the room.
Secondly, I am going to talk with Newberg-Dundee animal control to try and develop a bigger volunteer network for the shelter, maybe even some foster homes for taking in pets that need extra attention before going to a new home. I was surprised to hear that Newberg-Dundee shelter did not have that many volunteers. For cleaning the shelter, I think there are only like 4 women, and now me. The animals are only fed and let out of their cages in the morning, they have nobody coming in to let them out in the evenings. I’m sure I am thinking big and don’t know if I will make a difference, I’m going to try.
I’m also going to continue volunteering there every week. I can’t let this one situation get me so down that I don’t do anything about it. I’ve setup one day a week for now that I will go in for a few hours in the morning and take care of all the animals.
And lastly, I wanted to share this with all of you as well, in hopes that maybe you can make a difference for animals and save future litter of kittens from being put down.
While I don’t think anyone that reads this is going rush out and volunteer at their local animal shelter or animal control, I just hope maybe you can take a look at your time and if you don’t already give back to the community, maybe now is the time to give just a little. Even if it’s a few hours a month, it’s something, and you could be making a huge difference to an animal, a adult or a child.
If you don’t have time, then please please PLEASE, spay and neuter your pets. Pet overpopulation is a serious problem. If you are going to adopt new animals, check out your local shelters, they do have full breed dogs and cats, it’s not just mutts. And really, mutts are great dogs too! If you buy from a breeder make sure they aren’t a “backyard breeder” and are reputable, not just in it for the money, but seriously interested in breeding the best of that breed. In my mind, good breeders have homes for all their puppies before they are born. I didn’t get my three dogs from a shelter, so I know it’s easy to go other routes, but that was many years ago and in the future I will think long and hard about where we get our next dog.
So, if you read all the way through this, thanks. :)
Saturday, October 4, 2008
She'll be crawling in no time!
We've been putting Hunter on the floor to get her into crawling mode and she's doing great. Her legs are strong and she's trying to move herself forward. I'm sure it'll be awhile, but it's still a good start!
She can lift her head up and turn it every now and again, those neck muscles are getting built up!
She loves to stand up too!
She can lift her head up and turn it every now and again, those neck muscles are getting built up!
She loves to stand up too!
If you look closely in this picture, I think she thinks she's a pirate! Her little finger is making a hook motion. :)
Oh and last week she got to meet another baby friend, Mia. Brandon's buddy Derrick and wife Nicole just had a 2nd child July 24th, so Hunter and her are pretty much the same age. Mia is a bit chunkier than Hunter, she's adorable.
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
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