End of the end of the end of 2018: Multnomah Falls

As our final excursion of 2018, we visited Multnomah Falls on New Years Eve. We got there just early enough to find parking right at the trailhead. By the time we left, the falls felt like downtown Portland.

We even hiked up a little way, spotting evidence of the Eagle Creek fire as we went ...

... but soon the steep paths were a little scary and the cold temperature didn't help. So instead of hiking more, we built our first fire at our new house to say a cozy goodbye to 2018.

End of the end of 2018: Oswald West and the Pacific part 2

The tide was coming in quickly, but we were still able to enjoy the beauty of the coast.

Maddie found the weird molted exoskeleton of some creature. If you know what it is, let us know!

She wasn't sure what to think of her find.

As the day stretched on, the sky grew dramatic.

And we drew closer to the end of 2018 with a splash of cold, salty Pacific Ocean water.

End of 2018: Oswald West and the Pacific part 1

We decided to begin our goodbye to 2018 with a trip to the Pacific coast (symbolically appropriate given our westward year).

After lunch at Moe's in Cannon Beach ...

... we meandered a little further down the coast to Oswald West State Park.

It's a short hike through the woods to get to the beach ...

... but a fun one with big trees ...

... and fun roots to climb on.

Christmas afternoon 2018

After opening presents, the kids wasted no time in digging into their new colorful sculpting clay. Oliver made Anzu ...

... and Maddie made a whole Christmas scene.

Later, we went over to Grandma Mandy & Grandpa Paul's for another round of gifts and dinner.

And that night, Oliver wanted to sleep with his beloved new dragon sleeping bag.

Christmas morning 2018

On Christmas morning, the kids were very excited to see what Santa had brought them.

Oliver was excited about a box of Annie's shells, one of his favorites!

Maddie was also impressed with Santa's insight into her interests.

Oliver won the prize for biggest gift.

He was not alone in finding Christmas morning a fun and satisfying experience.

Christmas Eve Night!

After the pajama elves visited ...

... the stockings were hung by the chimney with care ...

in hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there!

Closer to Christmas 2018: Christmas Eve dinner

The kids really enjoyed a series of pre-Christmas gifts from Nanny and Pop Pop, including a kit for making paper chains ...

... and fun cat cards.

Anzu Meow Meow figured out how to climb a ladder and found a cozy spot in Maddie's nook.

And we hosted Christmas Eve dinner! Our table only seats six comfortably, so the rest of us found spots at the bar.

But we enjoyed festive decor, including greens I snipped from our yard, and delicious prime rib too. Yum.

December 2018: reading, lighting, playing, resting

Maddie really enjoys reading to Oliver.

We got our house ready to add some light to the dark December evenings.

Maddie had a violin concert.

And, with our help at a school workshop, she made a bed for Anzu Meow Meow. He is a kindlier cat than many and both uses and openly appreciates thoughtful gifts like this.

December 2018: Mt. Hood, yoga, and cookies

On a neighborhood run one day, I encountered a lovely view of Mt. Hood.

Oliver practiced his yoga.

And, as usual, we made lots of cookies!

Including puffballs ...

... and gingerbread.

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas 2018

As December advanced, school happenings became more frequent. Maddie's choir sang.

Meanwhile, Anzu Meow Meow was growing.

He likes the kitchen sink.

At school, Oliver's class has worked on sewing. He loves it. His big project before winter break was a mini-Oliver!

Fall 2018: almost winter, O Christmas Tree

As November drew to a close, Nory was able to tolerate (barely) closer proximities to Anzu.

For his part, Anzu continued to be a cuddly darling.

At the outset of December, we hosted a sleepover for the first time! Maddie and her friend had lots of fun, baked cookies, watched a movie, and didn't sleep much.

Next it was Christmas tree selection time. We found the experience a bit perplexing to navigate, and we missed our old place in Tiverton (except last year when they ran out of trees), but it was hard to argue with the beautiful views and flawless trees.

We found ours pretty much right away, and cut it down and hauled it off.

Then we didn't waste much time before decorating it!

O Christmas Tree.