I'm Dreaming of our WHite Christmas...

...that has turned to rain and slush. But fun while it lasted!

Jake waits eagerly for Jason to "chuck" a ball down our snowy street. "Hmmm...where is that glass slipper?"

"Whew, Eleanor, what did you put in that eggnog?"

Mom and I out for an adult only sled (and Jake too)

Mom and Jake who is sporting his new jacket which we got after he was shivering playing in the snow with us. Those Weimers don't have much hair! I think he likes it. He had so much fun chasing our sleds down the hill and racing us back up.

We took Mom for a ride through the Gorge filled with ice and snow. It was beautiful.

A rare family photo...

Waterfall sightseeing in the Gorge...

Christmas Joy and Sadness

It is with great sadness and yet with great hope that we say MERRY CHRISTMAS! this year. Our dear Oma, Jason's grandmother, passed away last night on Christmas Eve after her struggle with cancer. Joan Little, or as known around these parts as "Oma," was a vibrant woman who loved people, loved her husband of sixty years with passion, loved being on the go and active, and most of all loved Jesus with a steady and confident faith. Oma was someone who would put her arm around you and say, "How are you doing, honey?." And she and Opa are probably the best 'Happy Birthday' singers I've ever heard. Holding the emotions of Oma's death and the joy of Christmas all in the same twenty four hours is a fitting way to remember that God broke into our world as a baby. That HIS life, death, and resurrection mean that we can sing with Handel the words of Scripture, "Since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection from the dead." Amen, and come Lord Jesus, come. We love Oma. We will miss her terribly. But we are thankful for her faith which even in the end proved to minister the love of God to others.

Oma in her earlier days looking stunning

Oma-still radiant- with Rynn in downtown Portland - November'07



Christmas was celebrated by the Littles here in Portland in what was the whitest Christmas Portland has seen since the 1940s. My mom arrived yesterday to enjoy some snow, her grandbabies, and our dog who can't get enough loves from her.

Jason helps us carry on the Little tradition of iced butter cookies. Strict orders of business here. Got to get the icing just right...not too thick, not too thin...

Rynn says, "Daddy, these are the yummiest!."

...and I think Eleanor agrees.

Our jake story continues...

Icy roads, some advice from the experts, some re-analysis of the events, moods, and unusual circumstances (cooped up, snow storms, etc..), and a foiled attempt to drive down to Lebanon, OR to return Jake to his foster family (the roads and traffic were terrible), have led us to the conclusion that we are going to KEEP Jake!!!!! Yipppeeee!!!! We have some training to do, both of ourselves in how to better understand and treat a dog, and with Jake in getting used to us. We are excited, though, and feel good about our decision. More to come..

...and the snow keeps 'a comin' down...

Several more inches blanketed the neighborhood last night causing interstates to close, public transportation to close, and the neighbors to congregate in the streets to share sleds!

Wintery Wonderland

Snow and ice continue to slam Portland and the Columbia River Valley. Rynn missed three days of school last week and it looks as though church is going to be canceled again this Sunday, largely due to the layer of ice that covered several inches of snow last night making the roads impassable. This is NOT typical Portland weather. Our newspaper said it well,

"As the week sloshed to an end, Portlanders were officially making the transition from winter-wonderland-take-cute-photos-with-the-kids to enough already-when-can -we-get-back-to-the-rain griping. For Portlanders, snowfall is an unexpected delight, a sudden dose of magic, a Currier & Ives style evocation of all things wintry and quaint. Until it starts to melt. And refreeze. And then keeps hanging tiresomely around, mooshing into crinkly frozen chunks or terrifying ice-slicks of doom..."- Kristi Turnquist, THE OREGONIAN
Eleanor opts for some indoor play with some new flubber and playdough we made.

...while Rynn builds ice castles in the backyard.


Snow drifts pile around my car.

Jason shovels the sidewalk getting some much needed activity after a week of snow storms following a week of knee surgery rest.

The ice storm which blew in last night left the trees looking especially pretty with a layer of ice coating their branches...just watch out walking under the tall older ones! Those branches are sharp!

Jason tries to de-ice the car in hopes that we will have church tonight...not looking too likely. We may be looking at a white Christmas! I hope Nana can make it in!

9pm update: No church...instead, we walked to our neighbor Anna's house for some warm soup and 'igloo' building. Below...Anna and the girls 'warming up' in their igloo.

After the sun set, we decided it was time to head home, so Jason pulled the girls home in his kayak. And I do believe that today is the winter's solstice- the longest night of the year. So, tomorrow, we can look forward to our days getting a bit longer. Yeah!

Three times a charm

So...for those of you wondering why Jason is icing his knee in the last entry, I apologize for leaving out details. I was in a hurry to go sledding yesterday! Last week Jason had his THIRD knee surgery. We are hoping that 2 ACLs + 1 meniscus= one hopefully happy mountain climber this summer. Like a crack in the windshield Jason had a torn meniscus which needed repair before the crack spread leaving his knee not in good shape for staying active in the future. So, he decided to go for it and get it fixed. Lots of ice and some rehab, and he should be fine in a few weeks. Sort of a bummer for the first snow storm we've had since living in Portland. He's being a good sport, though, and even sat in the car and watched while Rynn, the dog, and I went sledding this morning in VERY cold but gloriously sunny weather! Eleanor was not interested in being either cold or in having her picture her taken. She kept Jason company listening to Portland indie bands in the car.

And Since We've No Place to Go....

LET IT SNOW! LET IT SNOW! LET IT SNOW!

Even Jake was asked to endure Jason's pleas for post-surgical sympathy

Church was canceled, school tomorrow is canceled, and Portland is enjoying its biggest snowstorm in the last few years. So, let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!

HO! HO! HO!

The tree is up! The kids are pumped! And Christmas energy is in the air. Rynn's quote of the week, "Mommy, I think this year I am going to believe in Santa Claus."
Grammy, I wrapped all the presents but I couldn't resist getting a little wear out of the Christmas PJs before Christmas Eve...so cute.

Jake wants in on the fun. He jumped in to be a part of the pictures and got a hug in return.

Man + Beast= Man Knows Man

It has been one week since Jake became part of our family, and already he is quite at home. He comes to us when we call, he plays with us off leash at the park, he cuddles with us in the evenings, and he gracefully and eagerly accepts the girls hugs. Life with a dog has changed. I've walked or run more in the past week than I have in the past month combined. I've talked to more people in the park than I ever have with just my children. Here is a slice of the people who have introduced themselves to me this last week because of Jake.

Cindy- owner of dog 'Andy', told me her whole divorce story and troubles with her thirteen year old after I let Jake off-leash to play with her dog Andy

John- Older retired man who loves to walk his dogs to the park

Two hippie jimbay players- while burning candles and playing their drums this afternoon in the park, these two guys eagerly struck up conversation about jake, etc..., and turned into the girls and I listening to their drums for twenty minutes

Charlotte- Her Weimeraner 'Amos' played with Jake in the park. She also is a foster mom for Weimeraners, loves them, and was full of advice. Jake wearied of playing with Amos, and sought refuge by my side.

Mike- Was quicker than a hippie mom offering breastfeeding advice to tell me that I shouldn't be using a choke chain...that there are more humane means of walking your dog. Oh, and by the way, he has friend at the Humane Society who he could call if I needed help with Jake. Thanks, Mike.

Brenda- a homeopathic physician from Connecticut/neighbor who walks her dog "Conner"- a gorgeous Golden Retriever- by our house at least once/week. We had the longest conversation I've ever had with her. Why? Because Jake was with us in the front yard.

So, all this got me to thinking. What is it that is so special about animals? Is it the way they seem to understand something we don't about our crazy human world? Is it the way the give affection and listen to our problems without offering advice? Is it the sense of love that fills our hearts in being able to nurture something? I think the answer to all these questions is YES. But more than anything, the thing I find most amazing about having an animal is the way he opens the doors for human relationship. It is stunning actually. So, I raise a toast to our new buddy Jake.