So Much To Be Thankful For

We had a wonderful, impromptu Thanksgiving this year.  Greg roasted up a lovely tofurky, which in spite of it's name, is actually quite appetizing.  There was stuffing and squash, mashed potatoes and mushroom gravy.  Tegan and Noah even brought a keg of their homemade 'Back Ally Bitter', so named for the gorgeous, yet neglected hops that Noah rescued from the ally side of a fence.  There were little leftovers to speak of, alas, no tofurky sandwiches the day after.  And we were all so full that the desert that Sean and Kelsey brought is still sitting untouched in the freezer.  It was truly a reminder of all the things we have to be thankful for!

Norah makes an excellent assistant grocery getter!

Tegan and Noah line up for some Tofurky!

This is the most people who have ever been around this table!

As fun as it was, we are excited for our grown-up dining room table that Mom got us for Christmas!

While Norah loved the tofurky, squash and mashers, her favorite was the cranberry sauce.

Norah's World of FUN!

Norah is growing more and more every day!  After taking her first few steps a few weeks ago she is full on walking!  She can walk across the kitchen, into the living room and down the hall... all without stopping for a break!  She can stop and start, she can bend down and pick up a book and then walk away with it, she can turn around and when she gets really excited she does a little jig!  

She has also started saying "Hi!"  It's too soon to tell if she really knows that she's saying 'Hello' or if she is just good at repeating what we say, none the less, it is adorable and makes for some of the most enjoyable conversations I have ever had! 

Norah is at such a fun stage right now, I just can't say it enough.  Her personality is really beginning to shine.  She is outgoing, brave, resilient, determined and remarkably independent.  She's also quite the snuggle bug, she'll just melt into you and pause for a moment and then go back to whatever it was that she was doing.  We are just cherishing our every moment with her.  

Baby Love!

Norah and I have a standing date every Tuesday with our good friends Magda, Ellyn and her seven week old son, William.  This week Will was very interactive and awake and the two babes were very curious about each other.  Norah was especially intrigued when Will would cry, she was so sweet and gentle with him.

Norah with Magda and Ellyn at the Keystone Cafe a week before Will was born.

Ellyn and Lil Will

Norah likes Will!

I thought I was the baby?!

Lets make like two babies and scoot off!

Blocks!

Norah loves to play with Sean and Kelsey, who are among her favorite local adopted aunts and uncles!  Sean is so in touch with his inner child that has been dubbed 'Uncle Whimsy', much to the detriment of his male pride.  

"This is strong enough for her to sit on!"

"You were saying?!"

Such silliness!

Norah in Motion

Norah is standing up and taking more steps every day!  It is so fun, and kind of crazy to see her walking.  Her record, which she will likely break before I am done with this entry, is walking two feet!  

She is discovering new things every day.  She loves to read and turn the pages of the books; her favorites are touch and feel books.  She loves to take walks and meet new faces.  When you ask her where the doggy is she will look for Bishop and sometimes crawl over to him.  He is very tolerant of her and she is really pretty gentle with him.  She she is very talkative and says 'hi!'  and 'mama' and 'dadi' and 'dat' and she even roars like a lion (which is my personal favorite... although mama is a close second!)  

We are having so much fun with her!  

Big Girl Steps!

Norah recently started taking a step every now and then.  She doesn't do it all the time and seems more inclined when she is a little tired and more motivated to get to you for a good snuggle... I'll have to remind myself of this when she starts running away from me ;)  

Scrub-a-dub-dub!

It's Norah in the TUB!!!!

Gimpa's Girl

Gimpa came to town to help nurse our little family back to health after we all got the dreaded flu.  Miserable as it was, it ended pretty quickly and unremarkably, and so we were able to have lots of fun with Gimpa during his stay!  We are excited for this spring when he will be back in Oregon and this time with Nana Sue!

Norah catches a ride on top of the world with her Gimpa!

Gimpa and his Girl along the West Fork of the Willamette River.

Gimpa was great at getting Norah to walk a lot!  

He was the one who inspired her first steps!

A great sitting spot on the Willamette River!

Infant Geology 010