Rose Festival

On Saturday we went downtown to experience some of the Portland Rose Festival's offerings, as a last hurrah before Yuka's departure.

This blog is supposed to be all about Madelyn, but someone apparently can't operate the camera! (Love you, Honey)

Yoo-hoo, where is Madelyn?

We walked through the Waterfront Village, got food and the obligatory elephant ears, rode one ride of Yuka's choice (four bucks for a haunted mine!), and played some skee-ball and a (surely) rigged ring-toss game. We wanted to see some of the Starlight Parade, but having not saved our seats back in February, we couldn't really see over everyone else's heads.

Waiting for the Starlight Parade to begin

Madelyn signing "eat," signifying that it was time to go.

Storybook for Yuka

This is the Storybook that I created as a surprise gift for Yuka. It is a hard-cover book chronicling her experience in America from August 9, 2007 to June 1, 2008. Please click on the partial button that says "Full Screen" to view it larger, and then you can simply turn the pages like a real book.

Farewell Party

It's almost time for Yuka to return home to Japan. I threw her a farewell party so family and friends could wish her well before her journey home.

Madelyn's Hello Kitty shirt is a gift from Yuka's family, and I LOVE it! The funny thing is, while baby-clothes shopping with Yuka months ago, I mentioned that I hate clothes with "characters" on them: Princesses, Dora, Winnie the Pooh, etc. Yuka said that when she saw her mom had sent this shirt she was so worried that I would hate it. But for some reason (probably because it is marketed differently) I don't view Hello Kitty in the same category, and I think this shirt is so adorable. The back has a big pink outline of Kitty, it is awesome!

Here's Madelyn playing with Grandpa among some of the crowd of friends who came to say farewell to Yuka. She made lots of great friends on the lacrosse team and at school! (You can enlarge the photo for a glimpse of the back of Madelyn's sweet shirt)

Now, it's normally a rule of mine not to post hideous pictures of Madelyn on this blog. I happen to think that Madelyn is an especially beautiful baby (maybe I'm biased), but sometimes the camera clicks at an inopportune moment and the result isn't representative of reality. So be trigger-happy with the camera: that's how you get the good photos! But this particular picture is so bad that it deserves recognition:

Zoom in to fully appreciate this horrid stoned zombie face.

Thank you, thank you.

One last family picture before Madelyn heads off to bed. We gave Yuka a framed family photo, a peace-sign necklace she told me she loved, and we compiled, along with help from ALL of her awesome friends, a memory box containing items brought and made by each person. I also compiled a book of favorite recipes we made in our home, and created a Heritage Makers album to immortalize her special journey in America. The next post will contain this album in its entirety for your viewing pleasure. Unfortunately the book didn't arrive in time to present at the party, so Yuka could only view it online. She cried all over my laptop! :) Don't be embarassed, Yuka, it was so sweet!

Baking

Finally Madelyn has a chance to wear the super-cute Hello Kitty apron that Yuka's parents gave to her: while "helping" Yuka bake chocolate chip cookies for the party!

Yuka: That was a great example of the "quotations" fingers that we do! I said Madelyn was "helping" you bake cookies, and I would make my fingers into quotations for that word because, as you recall, she didn't really help. So I wasn't using the word in its literal sense.

Try to explain this sarcastic nuance to a foreign speaker, my friends!

OMSI

We love hanging out with our friends Demitri and Sarah. Today we went to OMSI to explore. This was Madelyn's first time, and we got to mooch off of Sarah's family membership (thanks!)

So cute holding hands! And if you click on the photo you can see that one deep dimple on her left cheek! (Mommy has one dimple on the right cheek)

This is the only other picture I took...Madelyn can sign and say "fish."

More Gifts from Yuka!

Memorial Day was the last opportunity Yuka had to see several of my family members, so she presented some lovely Japanese gifts to everyone. Yuka's parents have been incredibly generous throughout her stay with us. They sent special gifts to Madelyn for each holiday, souvenirs from their trips to Tokyo and Australia, dolls for Momo no Sekku (Girl's Day), and many beautiful and useful things that we will always treasure. I hope one day we can meet Mr. and Mrs. Mogaki.

My Gram took this nice family picture

Raining

Just before it was time to go home, Madelyn discovered the rain outside. I figured there would be no harm riding home in just a clean diaper. Kids need to have fun!

As I gathered up the rest of our gear, my mother dressed Madelyn in a pair of Jack's pajamas. I thought that was nice, and appreciated it even more when I got home and carried the sleeping baby from her carseat into her crib without a blink of her eye. Since it was way past her bedtime, it was awesome that she didn't have to wake up for diaper change and getting dressed. Grandmas are the best!

Pittock Mansion

Next stop: Historic Pittock Mansion in the West Hills of Portland

It's impossible to walk with two people holding Madelyn's hands because her bones disappear from her legs. She collpases to the floor saying "Wheee!" until you drag her along or swing her as above. She walks just fine if one person is holding one hand, but two hands held means it's time to swing!

Madelyn, Mom, and Grandma on a beautiful sunny day

There's the back of the mansion (we were also here on Christmas Eve, remember?)

View of the city

Downtown

My cousin Lora and her daughter Jennifer came from Utah to stay with my parents for a few days, so we did the "Portland Tourist" thing with them. I love being a tourist at home because there are so many wonderful, exciting, and beautiful things to do and see around Oregon--many of which we don't take advantage of very often.Madelyn pointing to boats in the Willamette River (for you non-natives: that's Wuh-LAM-it)
We walked along Portland's Waterfront for a little while before hitting Saturday Market.

Mom, me, Jenn, Madelyn, Diana, Lora

in front of Skidmore Fountain

Trying to get IN the fountain

CUTE Aunt Diana and Madelyn

I love the guy with the Obama sign in the background. Ah, downtown Portland...But I think he's "preaching to the choir," since Oregon is a very blue state. I suppose Saturday Market probably draws plenty of us ignorant hillbillies out from the suburbs, though. So preach on, brotha.

Madelyn got such a kick out of these animal puppets. She giggled so hard when it snuck up and nibbled on her cheek.

Playtime with Cousins

My blog would have you think we've been spending an inordinate amount of time at my parents' house lately. We do enjoy being there, but it's also just that we're more likely to take photos of fun stuff happening there than doing the everyday stuff at home.

Plyaing on the trampoline with Jack

Hugging the bears with Jack and Kaden (mind the bird poop!)

Ready for Aunt Diana to pull them in the wagon

When we got home it was time to make dinner. I set Madelyn down, standing, on the kitchen floor, got a recipe book out of a cabinet, and turned back to find her like this:

All that playing wears a girl out!

A Drink of Rain

Madelyn loves to play out on our deck. When it's really wet and rainy I try to keep her inside, but sometimes it's hard to say no.

I think she realizes that normally you don't wear clothes when getting wet (bath, swimming...)

A little rain water won't hurt her, right?

Big Girl Seat

Gary, Madelyn, and I enjoyed homemade mac-n-cheese out on our sunny deck this afternoon.

We didn't feel like putting forth the (rather minimal) effort required to squeeze the Babee Tenda out the sliding door, so instead we grabbed some phone books and Madelyn got to sit at the table like a Big Girl!

And yeah, we put ketchup on our mac-n-cheese.

Don't bash it til you try it.

Midnight Sneak

Sometimes, before we go to bed, Gary and I get so giddy in adoration of our baby that we sneak into her room just so we can look at her.

Precious.

Mount St. Helens

Gary did not have to work today, which is very unusual for a weekend. So we took advantage of the opportunity to go on an adventure! It was a beautiful day: 95 degrees!

We drove up to Mount St. Helens in Washington. I have never been there, and I found the experience absolutely fascinating.

Of course it was a little cooler at this higher elevation: a mere 78 degrees. It was funny to be out there in tank tops and be able to build a snowman! This volcano erupted the year before I was born. Actually we didn't even realize that we arrived one day before it's anniversary: May 18th. I've always viewed Mt. St. Helens distantly from the south side, but the north side of the volcano is the part that actually blew away, and it was an incredible sight.

Gary and Madelyn making an earthquake on the seismograph.

Big laugh!

I guess she was worn out from all the jumping, because she laid down in the middle of the visitors' center floor.

This mountain and valley were once covered in lush green forests, and you can see right into the crater that was created by the 1980 blast, as well as the new lava dome forming inside of it. It is really spectacular.

When we returned to the car, perhaps an hour or so later, this is what we found of our snowman.

Poor thing didn't stand a chance in the glaring sun!

I encourage you to learn more about this amazing landmark and important event in world history!

Chickens

Madelyn went out to to the coop to help Grandpa feed the chickens

She loved pointing to them, and she would open her mouth as above. She looked like she was saying "balk balk" like a chicken, only not actually making the noise.

Winkel Family

In honor of Yuka preparing to head back to Japan in a few weeks, we took a photo of the WHOLE family on Mother's Day! Well, actually, my brother John is currently living in Utah so he was not able to be here. But other than missing him, I think the picture turned out great!

There are 21 and a half people in the Bryce Winkel family: my parents, five kids, four spouses, ten grandkids, and one bun in the oven (Bryan and Laurel are expecting). That's the awesome airplane see-saw that I helped build earlier this month.

Madelyn playing in Grandpa Winkel's giant sandbox (it's larger than many bedrooms and covered from the rain and sun)

Ethan taking Madelyn for a ride--she wanted to steer!

Off they go!