Little H Photo Shoot

The talented and gracious Kacie of In the Moment Photography visited this past Friday to capture Harrison at one years old....and on this particular day, this little one year old happened to be in a rather fussy (and fortunately rare) state. Although fearing these photos may not reflect our son's typical day to day existence, we carried on with the photo shoot at a nearby park and found ourselves enjoying even the most outrageous outbursts from our little man. And the result: pure authentic brilliance! I'm including some of my favorites which truly capture the essence of the scene...a beautiful whirlwind of life's moments from elation to frustration to curiosity and joy.

Lava Lake Adventure

This past weekend we discovered a gem of a lake and campsite near Mt. Bachelor (Little Lava Lake) where we spent a few glorious days enjoying the Fall-like weather and campfires under the stars.

At the lake sits an old country store, renting small boats and pedaling worms and ice cream bars to camouflaged fisher people...and although we were missing our camo gear, we enthusiastically partook in the sport du jour. Harrison was rather excited about his boating adventure for the first few moments, however once he realized sitting in a boat with a life jacket around your face wasn't all that it was cracked up to be, he spent the rest of the time perfecting his unhappy look.

Happy boaters

Still somewhat amused

Very unhappy boater

Family at the lake - Harrison still reflecting on the afternoon boat adventure

The first evening of our campout was spent taking in a gorgeous smokey sunset with a bottle of wine, cheese and our favorite little man.

Our friends Drew and his son Holden joined us for a day of biking, hot dogs, s'mores and stories around the campfire. Here are the campers on a warm, sunny morning.

This trip was momentous in several ways: Harrison experienced his first deer up close and personal (of which he was rather uneasy about), and we tested the roll capabilities of the Chariot bike stroller while on a ride with Dad (all ended well and Harrison really seemed to enjoy his ride).

Oh Deer!

Mama, Mama's Mama and Baby Retreat

This week my Mom, Harrison and I loaded up the car and headed East to Sisters, Oregon for a belated Mother's Day retreat. Once we arrived at the Five Pine (see below) and checked into our lovely cabin, we threw aside our plans taking us elsewhere and decided to enjoy our immediate surroundings. We spent several rejuvenating days walking into town for coffee, swimming, hiking, and sitting on our patio admiring the view (and we may have squeezed in a spa treatment or two :)). Harrison loved checking out the wildflowers, cruising into town in his chariot, kicking his little feet in the pool and taking a bath in our luxurious tub. It was the perfect getaway for all!


Harrison loved getting up close and personal with the flowers.

Hanging out at Sisters Roasting...we spent a good deal of time here.

Cute backside...a tribute to Mike's ice cream in Hood River.

Our walk into town took us across this cool bridge.

And the incredible pool...Harrison LOVED spending time in the water and hanging out with Gigi.

A tired little man after our swimming adventures finishes off the day in the incredible bath tub, complete with a waterfall faucet filling the grand tub from the ceiling....Ahhhhhhhhhh.

Summer afternoons

A beautiful sunny afternoon inspired a little r and r on the back deck. I soaked in the summer goodness while Harrison humored me with his fascination for everything in sight, including our new market basket and the mint plant....put these things together and it makes for an entertaining situation.


Baby in basket...I couldn't resist.


Intrigue sets in for the nearby mint plant....

and of course, straight to the mouth...delicious!

The Adventure of Wayne and the Canadians

Harrison was overjoyed to meet his Canadian auntie Karen and uncle Geoff this past weekend. Not only is this dynamic duo entertaining and witty, they are also rather creative in regards to the gift they bestowed upon Harrison from afar. Below is a brief photographic journal of their adventures with a monster named Wayne.

Karen and Geoff aboard the BC Ferry in transport of monster Wayne. Wayne is a special monster of Canadian descent....according to his maker, he regards himself a good listener but his attention has been known to wander.

By boat,

by car

and by way of luxury hotels, Wayne courageously made his long journey to his new home with Harrison in Portland...bringing with him infinite wisdom of the Canadian world and culture beyond our border. Harrison loves his new monster friend, although at times isn't sure what to make of the heart lodged in Wayne's head.

These photos were taken recently of Wayne and Harrison (9 months) spending their day together in bliss.

Harrison tickling Wayne's belly

Chewing on Wayne's feet (Wayne doesn't seem to mind)

Staring longingly into each others' eyes

Also with their visit came an incredible quilt made so thoughtfully by Andy's Aunt Rayne. It is the perfect tribute to Harrison's Canadian heritage and showcases fabrics available only in Canada during the 2010 winter Olympic games. Harrison will forever cherish this beautiful creation.

Go Baby Go...

This hat is rather fitting for the little one who has started crawling. Although the crawl more closely resembles a move special forces employ, Harrison is propelling himself from room to room in a matter of moments...and leaving little left unturned or light socket unchecked. Bring on the baby proofing!

Here are a few photos from our 8 month photo shoot...