Pumpkin Patch at Kruger Farms

We went to Kruger Farms to go to their pumpkin patch with Per, Gabrielle, and Tycho. I intended to get a couple of photos of the little cousins together, but Phoenix was not happy about getting his picture taken (or wearing "uncomfortable clothes), so I decided it wouldn't be a good idea to introduce a baby to the "photo shoot"!

But, here are some pictures of us looking for some carving and decorative pumpkins as well as some "photo shoot" pictures (after we made Phoenix change clothes - yes, in the pumpkin patch!).

Pony Rides!

We went to Sauvie Island and Gabrielle suggested that we go to Kruger Farms (instead of the Pumpkin Patch). They also have hay rides, pumpkin patch, corn maze, and market -- just on a smaller scale, and a little less crowded than the "original" pumpkin patch down the road (on the same island).

Here is Phoenix riding a pony at Kruger Farms. He enjoyed it, but I think we waited too long (too close to his nap time) to do it! 

Visit with Cousin Tycho

We went up to Portland to visit with Phoenix's uncle Per (Lisa's brother) and Aunt Gabrielle and their 9 month old son, Tycho (Phoenix's cousin).

Tycho is quite large for his age, so Phoenix was a little confused why he wouldn't "talk" to him or play more! But, here they are playing on Tycho's "rocking boat"!

Phoenix is also still learning about the words "mom" and "dad". We think he thinks of them more as "titles" not "names". As he often calls random women "mom". And now, for the first time, he's called a man "dad" (because we told him that Per was Tycho's dad). He could say "Per" but kept calling him "dad". Poor kid... I think he'll be confused for a while. It makes it difficult to understand when you have TWO "moms" (and no one to call "dad")!

Feeding the Ducks

We (Steph, Lisa, and Grandpa Chris) went to take Phoenix to feed the ducks for the first time at a small (man made) lake in Albany last week. Steph went all out and bought 5 loaves of "cheap" bread from the Franz outlet store. There were a lot of ducks and geese, so they had no problem gobbling it all up! Phoenix thought is was a hoot watching all of the ducks fly over from the other side of the lake and land like sea planes, en mass, to eat the bread he'd already been throwing into the water. He even let some of the ducks and geese eat out of his hand. And, then as we finished off the last loaf, he shouted out "GO GUCKS!" (That's what he shouts out during Oregon Ducks football games... "Go Ducks" or as he says, "Go Gucks"!). I laughed out loud!

Picking Blackberries

Mormor (Phoenix's grandma, Lisa's mom) came to visit and help us unpack / organize, as we have moved to a much smaller house than we were living in and seem to be "stuck" trying to figure out where to put things!

She was of invaluable help and on the second to last day she was here, we (Mormor, Steph, Lisa, Phoenix, and Bobbi, Steph's mom) went to pick (thorn-less) blackberries at a u-pick farm. Here are some pictures... I also included photos of Phoenix leading his Mormor through a small hay maze at the same u-pick farm. We also visited the market and bought other fresh vegetables to take home. And, Lisa's mom bought us a nice bouquet of fresh flowers to grace our dining room table that we can now see and use!