A Weekend Adventure in Portland

The four of us had a fabulous time visiting Tommy and Adrienne in Portland! Kaitlyn spent more than three weeks packing for the big trip (it's amazing what you need for four days!), and was super excited to show off her new bunny rain boots and pink daisy raincoat. Amazingly, we didn't need them much, as it was sunny for most of our trip...but there were still some great puddles for jumping in!

Highlights of the trip included the Portland Children's Museum, where the girls splashed in water and met the Tooth Fairy; the Portland Zoo, where we saw penguins and polar bears; and a hike to see three, massive waterfalls. If Kaitlyn should tell you that she went "hunting" in Portland, never fear--we weren't particularly successful at explaining the difference between taking in the flora and taking aim at the fauna! We also had some amazing meals: fair-worthy fries and burgers at Five Guys Burgers, a perfect greasy spoon breakfast at Skyline, gourmet fare at Iorio and Pix, and Adrienne's homemade guacamole. Yum!

Thanks for a great visit, Tommy and Adrienne!

Christmas in Ohio, Part II

We all loaded up in Mom and Dad's Honda Pilot on Christmas Eve and drove to Piqua for the second half of our holiday celebration. We made it in time for evening Mass, followed by a fabulous feast of all of our favorite appetizers and hours of present opening. The best gift, by far, was the handmade table and chair set that Papa made for Kaitlyn and Claire. It's amazing, and I can't wait to have a house to put it in!

There, too, we were blessed with a Christmas miracle as the sledding hill was covered in snow overnight. We all got a chance to fly down the hill on the tobbogan, except poor Claire, who was sick. A trip to the ER helped bring down the fever, but it took Jo to correctly diagnose roseola. Thankfully, she's all better now!

Christmas in Ohio, Part I

We began our holidays in Canfield, Ohio, where barren lands were magically transformed by a blanket of snow on our first night home. It was a Christmas miracle! Kaitlyn loved making snow angels, throwing snowballs, and romping through the snow with Ollie whenever anyone would bundle her up to go out. Claire even got in on the action, donning her fluffy pink snowsuit for the occasion.

It was great to see the extended Kneen family. Kaitlyn and her cousins Bryan and Christopher are the perfect ages to play now, and they were all very sweet to little Claire. Highlights from present opening were a HUGE princess castle, a Little People dollhouse, and watercolor paints. Matt and I didn't do too badly, either! Thanks for a fabulous holiday everyone!

Santa Strikes Out

So, it seems that Santa is still a little scary. Claire cried, and though Kaitlyn refrained from tears, she shot off Santa's lap the second she told him what she wanted this year.

A Winter Wonderland

Disneyland really is the most magical place on earth! This past weekend, Aunt Jo and Uncle Kyle took the girls (along with us) to meet princesses, greet Mickey and Minnie, and ride teacups and flying elephants and deepwater submarines. It was a whirlwind! Highlights were It's a Small World, which Claire absolutely loved--she bounced and laughed and clapped her little hands the whole way through--and Dumbo the Flying Elephant. Kaitlyn was still scared of the horses on the carousel (really!), but she was all about giving Mickey a high five this year. We can't thank Jo and Kyle enough for an amazing day!