a life of organic love

the sweet of november continues...

2008-12-05T16:16:00.001-08:00

the sweetness of November

2008-11-08T20:31:00.000-08:00

Life has been pretty great lately. Lots of walks, baking, homeschooling and hanging out with friends. Being open to life's possibilities.

Rick has been practicing music a lot at night so the girls and I have come up with a great night time rhythm. It is very sweet.

Giselle has started taking piano lessons and she makes sure to practice everyday. Today she randomly got up in the middle of her dinner and went over to the piano to play a few notes and then without having to remind her to come back to the table she just ran back like nothing ever happened... i love that.

Neomie loves to chant G G G G - telling her sister to come and see something or to help her with something (usually turning the tap on). there is A LOT of love there. Neomie went to the potty 3 times today. She loves flushing the toilet - she waves and says bye bye.

It is all very sweet.

i

Canadian Thanksgiving and our 10th wedding anniversary

2008-10-19T20:45:00.000-07:00

Our long awaited and overdue visit to Vancouver was greeted by our beautiful family, beautiful weather and some much needed adventure.
we ate many bobups (smoothy popsicles), spent time with Em, Micheal & Ibi, Bernie & Diane, Stephen, Barb, Sarah & Lily, ate vegetarian dim sum as many times as humanly possible, visited the Aquarium, walked the sea wall, attended Barbie's 75 birthday party, ate at the Naam, visited Banyan Books and had a piece of organic pie... and our visit was a record of only 5 days. (once our visit turned into a 2-3 weeks stay- thanks Barb...;-)

then we left on the Tsawassen Ferry to Vancouver Island and spent a night at the same hotel where we stayed on our wedding night. it is such a magical hotel. then we ventured up island and visited the exact piece of earth where we were married. Giselle took a ton of pictures and it was as beautiful as we remembered it. we played on the beach and stayed till the sun set. then we ate at one of my favorite restaurants called Rebar. I have had this cookbook for several years (as well as everyone I know) and have many favorite receipes so choosing from the menu was tough. We were all happy with our choices. it was a wonderful anniversary and it was a joy to share our love and experiences with our children.

next we headed a little farther north to a town called Cowichan Bay. we stayed right on the bay and our view in the morning was a huge dock with over 40 boats mooring. the salt air smelled so good. We visited Duncan BC and the waldorf school. they were closed but the property and the buildings were inspiring.

On the drive back to Victoria to catch the Ferry from Victoria to Port Angeles we saw a salmon run and first nations kids fishing. It was incredible and the river was gorgeous. On the ferry we saw wales breeching. We thought that was the piece de resistance! but due to the timing of our ferry we couldn't make the drive back to Bend and we had some extra time to visit the Portland Zoo and see for ourslves the cutest baby around - sorry Neomie - but the baby elephant at the Portland Zoo just stole our hearts.
we feel blessed to have such a great family to share this great adventure we call life.
namaste

the newest addition to the Portland Zoo

Gigi and Neomie on the Mountain Goat

"Look Mama no hands" Neomie on her trike

Gigi in front of the Vancouver Aquarium

the new baby beluga and her mother

a view of Sooke Harbor

Richard at sunset

mossy baby feet

a group shot of the fabulous 4

a view from the Tsawassen Ferry

my little snuggle bunny

another fabulous shot of the family

Richard and his girls

an inspiration from Vancouver Island

a picture of Richard and I at the same spot we were married 10 years ago that day...

wow. where do i begin...

2008-10-06T21:32:00.000-07:00

...the Ziff gang have had an amazing summer spending lots of time with friends and family.

Since September Giselle and I have been homeschooling. we love the flexibility and I love being with the girls. I am now a teacher and I am honored.
we took a couple weeks to travel down to California, and Southern Oregon - taking our classroom with us.

Neomie walk (runs) and says a few words now. she is a dear love. Giselle loves playing the piano, is an avid bread maker and the best big sister.

the time we spend together is bringing us closer as a family everyday.
Here is a short photo essay of the past few months...

Neomie is now little lady

fast friends

just hanging out

swinging is a great pastime

Giselle has a green thumb in our garden

my feet finally touching sand

Neomie and Rick on the Cali Coast

Gigi and her seaweed train

the girls and the elk in Orick

Giselle the ballerina

Neomie, Jen and Darci

Gigi at the westend Lava block party

Giselle baking bread on bread day

sleeping with the bear

Neomie making a connection

Neomie and Cinnamon

high dessert museum fun

Renee and Neomie at the Oregon Country Fair

Gigi and Juju at the fair

Grandpapa, Chris and Brett at Holiday Market

Rafting on the Deschutes River

Emilie, Mireille, Anna, Neomie, Helene and Emma at the Winery

Brett, Chris, Anna, Mireille and Atsuko at Todd Lake

Coyote Festival

2008-06-24T21:16:00.001-07:00

Our drive to the Coyote Festival was uneventful and short but wow when those 60 mile per hour winds kicked up at 1 am it definitely rocked our world! tents were like kites and the energy was amazing. It gave me a new appreciation and respect for the wind.

Gigi and her hoolihoop

the family

playing to the music

go Emma go

watching the show

rollin' with the hoop

gigi is thinking about the wind.... SCARY

Tim - Red Light Dance Tribe

Kevin - Red Light Dance Tribe

Darcy - Red Light Dance Tribe

Richard - Red Light Dance Tribe

Kim, Andrew and Jen

Happy Birthday Neomie!!!!

2008-06-19T23:29:00.001-07:00

It is amazing to think that it has already been a year since Neomie has joined our tribe.
she is an adventurous, happy, and loving spirit. we can't even remember our lives without her. we are truly blessed by this little angel. thank you for choosing us Neomie.
we LOVE you so.

Ziff's trip to the big Apple

2008-06-19T23:20:00.000-07:00

Richard left us on father's day on a trip to N.Y.C.
we did a little photoshoot at the airport before his flight...

A day at the Park

2008-05-23T10:21:00.001-07:00

A visit to the dentist

2008-05-23T10:15:00.000-07:00

Giselle had so much fun at the dentist that she wishes she could go back tomorrow.
A+ report from the dentist!
He said Giselle will not need braces. I don't know how he can tell so young but hooray for that!

in the backyard...

2008-05-22T16:54:00.000-07:00

Joe, Sam and Giselle built a nest for their little egg (Neomie)
they were waiting to see if she would hatch... then i think Sam was waiting to see if he would hatch.

Summer Lake Hot Springs

2008-05-22T16:40:00.001-07:00

Last weekend we packed up the car and drove through the Oregon Outback to Summer Lake Hotsprings where we helped our good friend Tim celebrate his 40th Birthday. On hand were about 20 guests. with activities like ping pong, hiking, soaking in the tubs, cooking, eating and hanging out everyone had a great time and so did we!

Neomie playing with Native artifact

the birthday boy

the view from the soaking pools

Bella and Giselle BFF

the fire circle

Kaya is finally here

2008-05-22T16:33:00.000-07:00

Kaya arrived a few weeks ago and has been on many adventures already.
She has been to the park to swing, to the river for hikes and to the native lands of central Oregon. Kaya is well loved.

Neomie at 10 months

2008-05-08T14:19:00.000-07:00

Neomie has a tooth now. It finally popped out at 10 1/2 months. She loves to blow kisses, wave Hi and Bye, she does the hand sign for duck and nursing. she likes to feed herself and her favorite food is avocado. Her favorite toy is Sophie the Giraffe and Giselle's doll Kaya.

Neomie loves jumping on the couch, dancing to music, playing the piano and playing in the tipi outside.

She loves going on long walks and only takes one nap a day. She sleeps at least 12 hours at night and whenever she is cranky the only thing sure to make her laugh is Giselle - her true love.

Make sure to check out the video of Neomie playing the piano...

B & D visit

2008-05-06T21:07:00.000-07:00

Bernie and Diane came to Bend for a visit a couple of weeks ago.

They had the chance to see Giselle's ballet recital, we went out to the High Desert Museum and spent some quality time together. we miss you and hope to see you very soon.

group shot at the High Desert Museum

hitching a ride on a covered wagon

Bernie feeds Neomie - open wide...

for some reason Bernie and Diane said all Neomie did was eat when they were here... i don't know what they mean ;-) Watch the 2 videos to find out

Earth Day 2008

2008-05-06T20:55:00.001-07:00

It was a very chilly Earth Day but we just pretended it was a really nice winter day and then it seemed warm. I was a cat and Giselle, Rick were birds. Neomie was a very cute skunk.

the flock has landed

at lunch with our Jen and Tim

Emma turns 8!

2008-05-06T20:29:00.000-07:00

So for Emma's birthday weekend we headed over to Eugene for a sleepover.

there were 5 girls and Julien.

We ate a lot of cake, opened gifts, made and ate pizza's, painted our nails, painted pottery, went out for tea and muffins, and the girls all slept in Emma's bedroom.

Sister Cousins

Neomie, Emma and Giselle

Richard and his little girl

the cake

eating the cake (we ate dinner after the cake)

Brett and Neomie chill

examining the gifts

the gang heads over to Brush and Fire to paint some pottery

Do you want to get out??????????????????????

2008-04-10T18:39:00.000-07:00

Giselle is growing up!

2008-04-10T18:35:00.000-07:00

Giselle is 5 years and 4 months.
She can't wait to celebrate her 5 1/2 year birthday on July 19th. She wants a Piñata.

a ghost in the house

2008-04-10T18:32:00.001-07:00

Neomie is growing... and growing... (9 months)

2008-04-03T19:10:00.001-07:00

no it's a River Otter

2008-04-03T18:55:00.000-07:00

We visited the High Desert Museum and did we ever have fun.
We almost had to sleep there because most of the exhibits are outside and we were not aware of the 5pm closing time... well at 5:15 we left main building... not even one car in the parking lot.
boy did we ever have fun.

check out this video

Rickles and Neomie

BIG cat nap

Gigi holds on for a ride (it's not real)

we couldn't fit us all into one shot

Spring Celebrations

2008-04-03T18:45:00.000-07:00

As a family we celebrate Easter as a symbol for new life, rebirth, growth and change.
Giselle and I decorated dyed and decorated eggs (experimented with natural dyes) and had a few egg hunts... Richard and Giselle made some beautiful beeswax candles.

Gigi made Neomie's 1st year birthday candle

our spring candles

the bounty of eggs

finding eggs in the forest

a Waldorf blessing

this was Neomie's first time in the Waldorf class. i think she likes it...

Spring Skiing

2008-04-03T18:22:00.000-07:00

Reveling in the sunny powder days on Mt. Bachelor.

Richard and his sidekick

changing in the car (with the sunroof open for more head space of course!)

the gorgeous view of the Sisters from the parking lot

Cirque du Soleil

2008-03-14T17:23:00.001-07:00

Last weekend on a sunny Sunday we were lucky enough to see Corteo - Cirque du Soleil's new performance. We met up with the Perlingieri family in Portland for an incredible show. The kids were mesmerized by the performance and Neomie didn't say a word for an hour (except for a few joyful squeals here and there). It was a beautiful day and a mind blowing show.

Isadore, Mayan and Giselle

Mayan, Giselle, Neomie and Isadore during intermission

Sophie the Giraffe (cont.)

2008-03-14T17:15:00.001-07:00

Sophie the Giraffe had been of tour with us for the past 8 months now. She has found herself on planes, trains and our automobiles.

riding shotgun

enjoying the view

Neomie and her Sophie the Giraffe

2008-03-14T10:23:00.001-07:00

it is a love affair

At the Tea House

2008-03-13T21:16:00.001-07:00

Giselle and I had a date. we went to the teahouse. Each time we go we try a different kind of tea. we are getting to be quite the connoisseurs.

A Sunny Day at Drake Park

2008-03-13T21:02:00.000-07:00

In Bend feeding the ducks is a daily ritual for some.

Giselle scores some bread from a stranger

the ducks fill up on yummy processed white bread

Neomie's first ride in the stroller. Her first sign is duck.

Kaya and Me

2008-03-05T16:51:00.001-08:00

GISELLE AND EMMA'S KAYA

Neomie gets pampered

2008-03-05T16:37:00.000-08:00

Neomie got her first massage the other day. She was really relaxed and she really enjoyed it. Laura Elmore is very talented at baby massage and she gave me a few really good tips...

A Magical Day

2008-02-27T23:27:00.001-08:00

Ziff turns 40

2008-02-27T11:22:00.000-08:00

Barb orchestrated a perfect surprise birthday party for Stephen's 40th.
there were over 50 people at the Rhizome restaurant and one of Stephen's favorite musicians C.R. Avery was there to help celebrate. There was a great slide show of all the great moments in Stephen's life up to date. it was a great night. Happy Birthday.

Me and Neomie

the birthday cupcake cake - Barb, Lily, Stephen and Sarah

C.R. Avery and his band

Rick, Neomie, Gigi, Lily, Barb and Sarah

Fun in the Big City

2008-02-27T11:15:00.001-08:00

While we were in Vancouver we visited the Vancouver Aquarium, Stanley Park, Victoria Park and Granville Island. we had vegetarian chinese dim sum twice (Giselle and I were thrilled!) and visited with friends old and new. the weather was gorgeous!!!

Giselle and her friend Sophia

Neomie moving it around

Gigi and Lily give away the balloons from Stephen's party

Carrie Warner and Neomie

Hanging at the park on a beautiful sunny February day

Rick and Neomie at the Vancouver Aquarium

I LOVE this picture of Neomie checking out the Jelly Fish

THE Boy Beluga at the Vancouver Aquarium - i forget his name. His friend Kaila is pregnant and due to have a baby ( after a 14 month gestation ) in July or August.

felt like i was in Hawaii swimming with the turtles.

forget what these cuties are called but they hide in the sand

Stephen, Richard and Neomie at Granville Island

Neomie and Helene at Granville Island

giggling girls - Gigi and Lily

China town Shopping

on the bus at Barb and Stephen's

Welcome Ibi

2008-02-27T11:02:00.001-08:00

Congratulations Emily and Michael on the birth of your little Ibi Margaret Ziff.
Ibi was born at 12:35am thursday february 7th on the first day of the new chinese new year of the rat.

the gang of girl Ziff's (sorry Bernie!)

loving the little Ibi

at the baby naming ceremony

Talula, Helene & Neomie

Whister - a visit with Bernie and Diane

2008-02-27T10:36:00.001-08:00

Whistler is a bustling little town with so much mountain beauty. At certain vantage points I felt like I was in Nepal looking up at the Himalayas.

Giselle has now skied from the SUMMIT of both Whistler and Blackcomb. this girl rages.

Bernie and Diane where the perfect hosts and their house was warm and welcoming.
thank you. Rick got 3 good days on the mountain . Bernie was shooshing along side Giselle as he got the green light to get back on the mountain post surgery.

Roadtrip to Canada

2008-02-27T10:29:00.000-08:00

Valentine's day after a beautiful lunch at our new favorite restaurant we hit the road and headed for the border. the Canadian border that is. We drove straight through to Vancouver. Road Warriors!

the long shadows of late afternoon

Giselle's view of Neomi and I

My view of Neomi and Gigi

Pick me Mrs. Snowberry

2008-02-27T10:26:00.000-08:00

Every year in Bend there is a Winterfest held down town. Every year we go to see the Mrs. Snowberry and Frosty's birthday show. This year for the first time Giselle REALLY wanted to get chosen to go up on stage to help with the magic tricks....

Sunrise

2008-02-27T10:24:00.000-08:00

Richard took this beautiful picture of the sunrise the other morning.

Giselle and her braid

2008-02-27T10:22:00.000-08:00

So on Giselle's 5 th birthday she had her hair braided into a very cool spiral braid. it was so cool we had to go back to Dara for more....

Jump Rope

2008-02-27T10:03:00.000-08:00

The Piano

2008-02-03T21:32:00.001-08:00

Here it is... our new Piano.
well it is really an old new piano.
circa 1920's or 30's.
It is funky and it has it's original ivory keys.
The piano was hand built in New York before it traveled to Alaska where it lived for quite some time. It then moved to Bend, Oregon where it was stored in a garage for 2 years before we found it on Craigslist. It needed a new home and what a loving one it has found. The piano has been tuned and is played every day.

Neomi 7 months

2008-02-03T21:20:00.001-08:00

a picture says a thousand words but I will try to add a few...

Neomi weighs 20 pounds.
she is 30 inches.
she eats solid foods - sweet potatoes, yams, squash, pear, rice cereal.
her love for Giselle grows every day.
we feel so blessed she is in our lives.

the laugh

big sister reading me a book

what a sweet heart

the serenade

loving every bite

musically inclined... what do you think Marielle?

SNOW and then MORE SNOW!!!

2008-02-03T21:18:00.001-08:00

and this is just the tip of the iceberg so to speak...

The Summit

2008-02-03T20:58:00.001-08:00

When was Giselle was officially still 4 years old she took the chair up and skied from the Summit of Mt. Bachelor... here are the pictures to prove it.
She said it was pretty steep and that the harness was pulling on her but she would do it again when she was five.

self portrait

original ski bunny

the view from the top

turning the big "5"

2008-02-03T20:40:00.000-08:00

On the 19th of January we all helped Giselle celebrate her 5th birthday.
We had a heart shaped chocolate and vanilla cake, Silly Lilly came to perform and we invited over 10 children over to share in the festivities.
hummm the only thing I think we forgot was a pinyata. there is always next year.
We love you Giselle. Happy Birthday.

Spider Sam

Spider Benjamin

Hulky Joe

Kitty Kayla

Peacock Lily

the party goers...

a bird's eye view

The Silly Lilly Magic Show

The Silly Lilly Face painting Show

the birthday Gremlins

a Special Lauren Surprise

Kayla and the Birthday Butterfly

Giselle's Birthday Braid

a Birthday dance class

Neomi in Action

2007-12-25T12:11:00.000-08:00

Snow Angels

2007-12-25T12:09:00.001-08:00

Hazel turns 95

2007-12-25T12:01:00.001-08:00

This is my mother's mother. Hazel Normandeau.
She just celebrated her 95th birthday.
Her favorite food is a big steak and her favorite drink is Crown Royal.
She cracks her self up with the craziest jokes.
She is one cool lady.

Christmas Day

2007-12-25T11:55:00.001-08:00

Papa and Neomi

Neomi lights up the room

Off to Canada

2007-12-25T11:26:00.001-08:00

We made it to Windsor!

We arrived in a snow storm.
Marielle picked us up at the airport and drove us to Papa's house.
Renee, Brett, Emma and Julien joined us there 2 days later.

off to the airport

sister journey

Marielle and Giselle

Papa and Mimi Normandeau

Mimi, Neomi, Giselle and Aunt Helen

Neomi, Renee and Mimi Normandeau

Neomi and Aunt Helen

Giselle and Aunt Betsy

Windsor at sunset

Mateo and Giselle

Neomi naps

Christmas elves

three sisters

Our little Firefly

2007-12-25T11:24:00.000-08:00

Oh Christmas Tree Oh Christmas Tree

2007-12-05T20:29:00.001-08:00

We have our tree up and glowing. It is so beautiful and it brings so much joy into our house.
Giselle couldn't understand why we wouldn't let her sleep under the tree... When I was a kid I used to lie under my tree for hours basking in the colored lights. Something magical about those Christmas trees.

Thanksgiving Weekend

2007-12-05T20:20:00.001-08:00

We took a little mini vacation on Thanksgiving weekend.
We went to Dexter Oregon!
The first day we spent alone and then the Bisnaire - Wakeham gang joined us on Saturday afternoon after their return from Arizona.

she is in disguise...

Emma treated us to a concert

the girls looking like little ladies

Julien looking cute in stripes

sitting up - not spitting up

2007-12-01T00:20:00.001-08:00

Neomi is way into her new toy. This was Gigi's and she did the EXACT same thing!

Keeping Warm

2007-12-01T00:16:00.000-08:00

It's starting to feel a lot like Winter.

Sick and Sad

2007-11-27T20:46:00.000-08:00

so we we have rid our house of sickness.

we left for the Thanksgiving weekend to visit Renee (sweet visit - thank you) and to escape the bug.
Giselle got it a couple of weeks ago and survived like a champ. she kicked it after 7 hour of vomiting. After a couple of days it just seemed like a bad dream. We all got back on track and I caught back up on my sleep...

Then the night before Thanksgiving as Richard and I were watching a movie I heard a strange sound come from the monitor at around 10:30pm... "oh no!!!" I exclaimed as I ran up the stairs (what did people do before monitors??) I found Neomi laying in her puke looking up at me in the dark. SO SAD. every 15 minutes she continued to throw up - for HOURS.
The night dragged on and even though she smiled after each session she was sick till 5:30pm the next day.

I am so grateful that Giselle had it first - i felt like a professional caregiver at this point.
Neomi didn't want to nurse for two days. my milk supply was way confused and i have to say that just today that I feel back to normal.

Growing up

2007-11-21T20:21:00.000-08:00

Neomi looks so big in this picture...

...she looks so small in this picture.

Neomi's first carrot nibble

Giselle in her favorite outfit - her p.j.'s.

Giselle pretty much lives in her p.j's unless we have to go out and about.
This is her longest telephone conversation ever.
She is talking with her Aunt Barb.

I guess we are all growing up.

Neomi is 5 months...

2007-11-15T13:59:00.000-08:00

November has been an incredible month so far with blue skies and mild weather.
We try to get out every opportunity we get. On Tuesday Neomi turned 5 months.

video of neomi on the swing

gigi really wanted to show off her toes

Cutie Patootie

2007-11-02T00:02:00.001-07:00

HAPPY HALLOWEEN

2007-11-01T21:12:00.001-07:00

at the beginning of the evening we were torn between staying at home and handing out treats or going out and hitting up our neighbors for treats. in the end we split up - Richard staying home to hand out the goodies and Giselle and I toured around with our next door neighbors Troy & Kate and their two pirates Sam and Joe....

upon our return we had a raging Halloween party - a round of pin the tail on the pumpkin and a fishing game. thank you everyone for coming. it was so much fun.

Richard, Neomi and Giselle's pumpkins

Maman's pumpkin

the one and only Puss in Boots

fishing for treats

a friendly Vampire

Kate, Troy and pirate Richard
(Kate is due any minute now...)

Chelsea, Dana, & Stella

Waldorf Fall Festival

2007-11-01T21:05:00.000-07:00

there was a fall festival at the Waldorf School the other day. the kids went on a walk , they chose a pumpkin to take home, drank warm cider and played in the sunny fall weather.

Giselle's Miss Laura

Hanging out on the playground

searching for honey sticks in the hay (not so easy!)

Neomi, her hand and her father - she has all she needs

D&D Ranch

2007-11-01T20:21:00.000-07:00

Bernie and Diane came down for the weekend to prepare for their final move to Whistler. We had a great visit and the weather was perfect for picking out pumpkins at the Double D Ranch in Tumalo. Papa B and Mimi arrived safely in Whistler and have unpacking to look forward to now!

Papa B and Giselle with the bucking bronco

the girls in the Sun

this poor mama pig has her work cut out for her - i feel for her

a good round of "Farmer Brown let me down"

a little mouse in the hay

Dance Gigi Dance

2007-10-27T12:48:00.000-07:00

On Fridays Giselle takes ballet classes at the Academie de Ballet Classique.

There is live pianist in the class and the girls have so much fun.
They will be performing Snow White for their end of the year performance.

twinkle toes

swan lake

the girls from dance class

whose bum is this?

A day at the Park

2007-10-24T23:02:00.001-07:00

Giselle's dream came true.
she doesn't have to push her dolls on the swing anymore

first time on the swing and lovin' it

It was a gorgeous 75 degrees out today. we checked out the park at lunch for a picnic and a swing.

Journey 3 ... the journey continues

2007-10-24T22:58:00.001-07:00

Giselle on her first day of Journey 3

She's a swimmer! she jumped right into the BIG pool on her second day of class.

We heart Portland

2007-10-21T21:43:00.001-07:00

Out of the blue we decided to go to Portland for the weekend. We drove straight to our hotel Friday night. It rained all night and the next day - if felt sooo good.

Saturday morning we stayed in bed late and took a tub. Neomi and Rick took a nap while Giselle and I walked to Finnegan's toy store. We all met up and went for lunch did a little shopping, saw Lauren on the street and then called Blake, Leah, Mayan and Isadore. We headed over to their house for a short visit before dinner.

Sunday we had an early lunch and headed over to the PDX Zoo. It was either the Zoo or Ikea... the Zoo won out. we headed home late afternoon to get over mountain pass during daylight.
what a great weekend

Leah, her bun in the oven, and Neomi as the purple grape

a close up at the Zoo

a family portrait
(Neomi is passed out - not that she could see anyway with that hat over her eyes!)

the Asian Elephant. she is so gentle and beautiful

Neomi's banana necklace - keeps her entertained on the 3 hour ride

Rick China

2007-10-21T21:32:00.001-07:00

Rick's trip to China was productive and almost uneventful. He said the most exciting part of his trip were the acrobatic performance in his hotel lobby and the fittings with Jessica, Jason and Jimmy - the three J's.
Upon his return he stopped by the warehouse in Oakland for a little walk through. Yes there is Of the Earth product on the shelves!

she is standing on her friends head - now that's good!

the China possy

the crew back home - sending our love through Skype

the distribution center

Giddy up

2007-10-21T21:14:00.000-07:00

we headed downtown for the Bend Fall festival. between the balloons, the hay bale maze and the pony ride (had to do it twice) it was a great time. the weather was perfect and there were DJ's and some hip live art.

that sweet little pony's name was Rose

Neomi's cozy perch

growing like a weed

2007-10-19T12:46:00.001-07:00

I AM REALLY HUNGRY MAMA

twinkle toes

the best way to spend the day

tastes so good.

She is growing out of all of her clothes so fast. we keep thinking that they are shrinking forgetting that she is growing so fast. she wears 6 to 12 mnth clothes now. she is 4 months.

Queen Diane and her princesses

2007-10-19T12:37:00.000-07:00

the "girls"

Neomi smiles for the camera!

Gigi is growing up!

thank you Diane for your support and love last week. We all really appreciated it! xoxo

a rainy morning

2007-10-04T17:15:00.000-07:00

on our morning walk the dark heavy clouds finally decided to send some angel kisses down on the wind. it felt good and we walked through the sagebrush and dust. when we got home we took our warmth off and made some tea. I love fall.

this is how we roll

2007-10-04T12:20:00.000-07:00

Neomi rolled over a couple of days ago. we were very excited... and i think she was too.

Vancouver 2007

2007-09-27T10:02:00.000-07:00

Our trip began with a wonderful lunch at Barb's house for Roshashanna. Bernie's sister and her family joined the celebration.

Barbie, Barb, Sarah, Phil, Donna, Diane and Barry

Barry and Neomi

Karen and Neomi

Neomi recuperating from the drive

Barb and Sarah

Lily and Giselle dress up by their stylist Meagan

another of many outfit changes by Meagan

this is the top of Whistler mountain - the site where the 2010 Olympics will be held. Bernie and Diane took us on a wonderful tour and we ate lunch at the top. Lily came up with us to spend a night. We are so excited for Bernie and Diane and wish them wonderful success and happiness in Whistler - oh and a great ski year too!

Oh Canada our home and native land

the top of Whistler

Diane, Lily, Giselle and Rick - beautiful

along for the ride

Bernie and his girls

the Aquarium.
Barb, Lily, Sarah, Giselle, Richard, Neomi and I made the trip at our first chance. it was a beautiful day.

many thanks to Barb, Stephen, Lily, Sarah, Kaylie and Logan for sharing their home and their hearts with us. we are so grateful.

the Victoria stoop and a heartfelt goodbye

the garden

2007-09-27T09:57:00.000-07:00

Giselle started these carrots from seed at school and then transplanted them into the garden at home. they were cute and sweet.

we have also so harvested purple beans, green beans, sweet peas, baby tomatoes, tomatoes, hot chili peppers, peppers and flowers.

Waldo Lake (part two)

2007-09-08T16:42:00.000-07:00

Waldo Lake has some of the cleanest water on Earth

Gigi all suited up and ready to go

forest friends

Renee and her guy

Brett and Neomi

Neomi bundled up

Oh - so much fun!!

heading over to the island for a picnic

enjoying the ride

Waldo Lake is pretty much halfway between Bend and Dexter. So on Labor Day weekend we spent 3 days at the Lake. Renee was a wonderful chef and we enjoyed every meal. We had lunch picnics and dinners by the campfire. We spent the days walking, swimming and just being.

snoozing

2007-08-31T00:18:00.001-07:00

Neomi loves the shoulder ride. she has such a great Papa.

journey 2...

2007-08-31T00:12:00.000-07:00

Giselle has been taking swimming lessons this summer and she rocks. she just passed her journey 2 class today and will soon start journey 3... we'll keep you posted.

Waldo Lake

2007-08-31T00:05:00.000-07:00

letting it air out

a mermaid spotting

the crew

does this guy look 40???

so we finally made it to Waldo lake on our way home from Dexter the other day. It is a seriously gorgeous lake. It is so clean it is almost like distilled water. we will be back to camp...
i can't beleive that this is only 1 1/2 hours away.

Neomi's World

2007-08-30T21:49:00.001-07:00

What is she trying to tell us???

Lordy Lordy Brett turned 40

2007-08-30T21:43:00.001-07:00

it looks like a festival

It isn't a party without hoola hooping

Grampa Ed, Giselle and Julien

a birthday smooch

Brett and Renee hosted a shindig the other day at their place in honor of Brett's 40th.
i would have to say that there were over 100 people there.
there was a DJ and a band, a sushi chef, 2 birthday cakes and a sauna.
Brett had friends and family come from far and wide and Eugene too!
A fun time was had by all. Happiest Birthday to you Brett.

the Oregon Coast

2007-08-30T21:30:00.000-07:00

we made it to the beach - first time in 9 years

sunset

little sand formations

ready to roll- too cool for school

happy to be alive

can you feel the love

my angels at my side

frolicking in sand

last thursday we headed to the coast for a bit of family time and to enjoy the last of summer before school starts. we stayed in Pacific City just off the beach. we were lucky enough to get sunny weather and we caught sunset every night. Giselle had sand in every nook and cranny. she still has sand in her hair!

Yelly and Yummy

2007-08-30T21:12:00.000-07:00

the little one's name is Yelly

Bubbles and Star the goldfish got 2 new friends the other day. Yelly is a cute guppy and Yummy is an algae eater.
Everyone is healthy and happy.

Mister Michael Michael

2007-08-30T21:00:00.000-07:00

Micheal and his friends Tony and Craig passed through last week on their way to Burning Man.
Giselle and Craig had lots of laughs with their tricycle races and Gigi even peed her pants.
They only stayed one night but we had fun and Micheal got the chance to see Neomi for the first time. thanks for the visit Micheal... hope to spend more time soon.

Happy 2 month Birthday Neomi

2007-08-12T15:50:00.001-07:00

the girls chillin' out

tub time

Neomi turned 2 months today.
she is so cute and we love her so much.
Happy Birthday :-)

Chemynne and Micheal's Peanut baby shower

2007-08-12T15:31:00.000-07:00

Chemynne and Micheal opening gifts

the audience

Leia's daughter Sahalie in her downward dog

this is Giselle's first baby sitter Lauren
(not to be confused with her current Lauren)

We were honored to spend the afternoon at Leia & Jeffrey's house to help celebrate the soon to be arrival of Peanut - Chemynne and Micheal's little baby. their circle of friends bestowed their warmest wishes and Chemynne who is due in 2 weeks looked radiant.
We can't wait to meet the peanut ... in person

The BIG Sale

2007-08-12T15:04:00.001-07:00

Jason & Helene with Samson securing the perimiter

Constance in action

Barbara, Chelsea at the cash with their helper Gigi

a treasure hunt

Constance, Helene and Carey

this is really the backyard of the office!!!

there was a sale at Of the Earth yesterday and it wasn't just any sale - it was the semi annual blow out sample sale. It was great. there were a ton of people there at all times.
the stellar crew (Jason, Barbara, Chelsea, Christine, Carey & Constance) were so organized and efficient. There sure was a dent made in the stock.
Thank you

Bernie and Diane's August visit

2007-08-12T14:59:00.000-07:00

Bernie and his crying Punam granddaughter

i think that Bernie and Diane will be here once a month... Bernie already has his September trip scheduled...
we had a great weekend. Diane rowed in the mornings and we had casual afternoons just playing everything by ear. we enjoyed every second.
thanks for driving down to see us.
I would have put a picture of Diane up but all the pictures of Neomi and Diane are on her camera so send me a picture Diane and I will post it ;-)

2007-08-12T14:58:00.000-07:00

4 Peaks Music Festival

2007-08-12T14:19:00.000-07:00

Giselle, Helene, Neomi (in the sling) and Denali

we went to a festival last weekend and we only had to drive 20 minutes!!!
it was held at a ranch in Tumalo. when we pulled up there was the familiar parking scene, the vending scene and most importantly the music scene.
we had fun with friends on a sunny saturday afternoon in central oregon listening and dancing to some pretty good music.

Robin and Kurt

2007-08-12T14:10:00.000-07:00

Kurt and Robin

Giselle and Bella at the reception

In a beautiful pipe ceremony in Tumalo state park Robin and Kurt were wed in the presence of friends and family.
Robin made her dress and Kurt's shirt out of hemp silk. they were so beautiful.
It was honor to be there.

Cute or what

2007-08-02T23:11:00.001-07:00

oh my - does it get any cuter than this?

This is my view of Neomi in the sling.
As soon as Neomi gets tired or fussy we just put her in the sling and she falls asleep right away.
It is such a blessing. she just feels so safe and cozy in there. I would too.

road trip

2007-08-02T23:01:00.001-07:00

family fun

Giselle and the fire clouds at sunset

Princesses sleeping on their organic bedding

the paper doll guy - Giselle's new favorite toys

skipping stones on the way home

Richard had a couple meetings in Portland during the week and had to be gone for an evening. We couldn't bear the thought of being away so Giselle, Neomi and I packed up and went with him. Neomi slept the whole way there but we made a couple of stops on the way back.

On the way back there was a fire just outside of Warm Springs. the smoke made for a beautiful sunset we hope it is contained soon.

the Girls out and about

2007-08-02T22:23:00.000-07:00

Maman and Neomi

Neomi and Giselle

Now that Neomi is 7 weeks we are mobile again. I put Neomi in the sling and Giselle sits in the buggy and we walk down the hill to town. Along the way we stop at the willow trees and make willow crowns. Then we walk to the river in Drake park and say hi to the ducks along the way. The weather has been pretty hot lately but in the shade of the trees it is comfortable.

Emily's Birthday

2007-08-02T22:16:00.000-07:00

Jeanne, Scott, Emily and Justin Greenstone

The Birthday Girl and her Bunny Cake

the grownups!

Over the weekend we attended Emily Greenstone's 2nd birthday. Jeanne made a Bunny cake and we all had pizza. It was very sweet and she is turning into quite the little lady.

on the boat ....

2007-08-02T22:07:00.000-07:00

Chelsea, Bella and Gigi

Over the weekend Richard and Giselle spent the afternoon on Chelsea and Josh's boat. Giselle jumped off the boat into the middle of the lake (she had a life jacket on). The weather was beautiful and a fun time was had by all.

Giselle loves getting wet

2007-08-02T21:22:00.001-07:00

Eva, Gigi and Miss Liz

Giselle has started to take swimming lessons at Juniper pool.
On her first day she just hopped into the pool and away she went.
There are just 2 girls in the class. Her class is in the morning.
She loves it.
Notice her fancy swim cap... she has hair down to her bum now so the only way to maintain is to tuck it away. It works!

Big Sister

2007-07-27T11:58:00.001-07:00

this is Giselle's big sister bike.
she LOVES it and rides as often as she can.

Giselle in the 4th of July Parade - she is a yankee!

giselle's got her!

summer visitors

2007-07-27T11:15:00.000-07:00

what would summer be without guests?

Bernie and Diane...

Bernie and Diane came at the end of June and they are scheduled back on August 2nd. I am sure they will find that Neomi has grown so much since their last visit. I will get some pictures of Diane and Neomi next visit since she is only on video...

Early morning cuddles - i went back to sleep ...thanks Bernie

Bernie and Neomi (the first hold - took a week)

Marielle and Mateo...

Giselle LOVES Mateo. she dug pushing him around in the buggy. I think she even changed a diaper... They became great pals and it was so good for them to get to know each other as cousins.
Marielle and Mateo came on July 5th and stayed a week here and a week at Renee's. It was hot but we managed to stay cool.
We hope they come to visit at least once a year. thank you so much for coming all the way from Windsor Marielle. we really appreciated it. We love you.

Shevlin Park, Bend Oregon

Marielle and Mateo, OCF, Veneta, Oregon

Neomi's 5th week of life

2007-07-23T10:29:00.001-07:00

Giselle took this beautiful picture of her sister.

A birthday weekend

2007-07-23T10:14:00.001-07:00

Over the weekend we attended 2 birthday parties...
Benjamin turned 5 and Trance turned 1.
It was also Renee's 33rd birthday and Mayan's 5th birthday on Saturday as well.

Benjamin's Robin Hood Birthday

Trance's 1 Year Celebration
(yes that is Silly Lily the Clown)