Best buds

JGF loves to play with his big bro WKF!
Can we just talk about how amazing these dino tails are for a second?? Birdie if you are reading this, they are so fab. And how cute do these 2 look wearing them!

What will we do without you guys

I got to work today to find these 2 lovely things on my computer:

From Sara & Oli

From Matt & Leigh
Love you guys so much. Don't worry you'll be seeing lots of us!

Its Movin' Time

So we found a great place over in SE that we'll be slowly moving into over the next 30 days. We've loved this neighborhood for a long time, so we're excited get over there and discover a new side of PDX.

We've been so spoiled living on such a great street with such great friends/neighbors right there. The house hasn't been too bad either. Its had some hiccups, but all worth dealing with for the view and big yard. I think the thing I'll miss the most is those amazing sunrises that we wake up to almost every morning.
Either way, we'll be sad to leave Hammy T, we've really loved it there. Good thing we have a sweet little guest house to stay in anytime we want to visit!

Thanks.

Thanksgiving might just be my favorite holiday. Cooking, eating, drinking friends, family... Does it get much better than that? There's no pressure of gift buying, crazy holiday shopping, it's all just about coming together with the people that are most important to you and being grateful for what fortunate lives we all live.
This will be our second year hosting and we can't wait. I love the feeling of having our home filled with our greatest friends, everyone so happy to be together, all the yummy smells from the kitchen. I know, I know, I'm totally cheesing out right now, but it really is such a wonderful time. There will be 12 of us this year which is perfect considering that's about all our table can hold. Everyone is bringing a tasty dish or 2 and a bottle of wine for the table. Robb & I will be heading up the turkey & mashies (Robb's a master mashie maker) again this year, sure to be yummier than ever!
So wherever you are and whomever you're with, Happy Thanksgiving from Mia, Robb & Mona!

Ice Cream, Yous Cream

We got an ice cream maker in the mail last week for a shower gift!!! SO excited to make some soon. We got all the fixins to make coffee ice cream to bring over to S&O's but we didn't realize it would take 6-22 hours to freeze the bucket. Lame. Anyway, we'll be ice cream makin' in no time! Thanks J&C!

Limoncello

Last week Robb and I decided to make Limoncello. It's one of our favorite after dinner drinks and surprisingly easy to make.

All you need is:
1 liter of Everclear alcohol

10 medium to large lemons

1 1/2 liters of water (6 1/3 cups)
3 lbs. of sugar (6 1/2 cups)
From there, you use a potato peeler and take all the lemon rinds off so there is no white pith on the peel. Place the rind peelings in a large container with the Everclear. Cover the container and let it sit for 7 days.
After a day the peels turn the alcohol a great yellow color. (see pix)

On day eight strain the peels and discard.
Next, make the simple syrup in a large saucepan. Combine the water and sugar and let it simmer "fast" for 15 minutes. Then let simple syrup cool to room temperature. Finally add it to alcohol!

Just put it in the freezer over night and it's ready to drink by the next day! It's oh so yummy.

Funny Confession

I'm stealing this idea from SKF, b/c it made me think of her.

So the other night I was having a really great run and this Jackson 5 song came on and i just started singing at the top of my lungs (after looking around and making sure that no one was around). Then I saw this group of runners up ahead and my first reaction was to stop singing, but then i was like "no way!" I started singing even louder and continued until I passed them. By the look on their faces, they were quite amused ;) I have to say it was one of my best runs yet because of it...

Dear Winter,

I know you've been hearing all about me. I've been hearing (and seeing) all about you too. I just want you to know that even though I haven't come up to meet you yet, doesn't mean I don't already love you to bits. If anything I love you even more! And just think, that means quadruple the amount of snuggles and kisses when we do actually meet.
Yes, it's true, I've got this pesky cough that just won't end. But I'm going to visit the doctor this week to figure out how to get better, so we can hang all the time. My goal is to be cold-kickin' it on the porch with you by this weekend. how does that sound?

So since we're so close yet so far away, I thought I'd write to you so we can get to know each other a little better. That way we'll be best buds before we know it.

Here are somethings we already have in common:

-You really love your parents (S & O), I really love your parents!
-You live on Hamilton Terrace, I live on Hamilton Terrace!
-You've got a great head of dark hair, I've got a great head of dark hair! (or used to, i'll fill you in on that story another time)
-You're an only child, I'm an only child!
-You like to sleep all day, I like to sleep all day!
-You met Uncle Robb and think he is the coolest dude ever, I also think he is the coolest (and hottest i must add) dude ever!

Ok WKF, that's just a few to start. Plenty more to come trust me.
Just know that the only reason I haven't come to meet you yet, is cuz I love you so so much. You're strong and growing boy and you don't need to be hanging out with any sickos just yet. You'll come across plenty of those in your lifetime. (literally and figuratively, but that's a whole other ball of wax)

Anyhoo, I'll let you get back to your day of eating, napping and hanging out with the coolest parents around.

Can't wait to kick it with my new best bud! Hammy T for life!

All my love,
Auntie Mimi

ps- Tell yer Mom to save me a slice of that cake, it was da bomb!

Lazy Sunday

After a great hike with great friends thru Forest Park and up to the Pittock Mansion yesterday, we grabbed some lunch and lounged in the back yard to enjoy the sun. Mona might have gone a little too far with the relaxing...

Where else?

Where else can you go snowboarding in fresh powder, hiking in a lush green forest and bike riding thru downtown all in one weekend in February? PDX of course!
We've been living here for exactly 2 yrs today (happy anniversary Robb!) and I still can't get over the fact that we've been hiking and doing mild weather activities for the past 3 winters. Sunday night after getting back from a quick bike into downtown (i am SO out of bike shape) i was thinking that it doesn't get much better than this. the weather has been great the past couple of weeks, all the spring flowers are blooming and the trees are starting to bud. i can't help but think man i don't miss VT. or at least that part of it...
i'm glad this weather is starting warm up a bit and spring is around the corner. i'm hoping to start riding my bike to work to get back in shape & save some money on gas. $50 to fill my tank, wtf!?!!? oli, wanna join me?

Pearl

Last night Robb and I wanted to get out and get the dogs some exercise, so we headed up to the Marquam trailhead. We had just crossed over Terwilliger into the woods when i un-hooked Mona's leash to let her cruise the path. Just as she started to trot off, we heard this horrible screeching & yelping coming from behind us. I put Mona's leash back on and ran as fast as I could back down to the road. I was convinced that the animal had been hit by a car. But when i got back down to the road, the traffic was flowing like usual and the sounds from the hurt animal had stopped. We were a bit confused and unsure of what to do, so started back on the trail again. We had made it in to about the same spot as before when we heard a woman far off to our right calling for her dog. My heart dropped to the bottom of my stomach. There I was with our dog that is let off her leash all the time in the woods to run and play at her own freedom. This woman had probably done the same with her own pet. I couldn't imagine what she must have been feeling. She was headed closer to us, so Robb trekked thru the overgrown forest to see what had happened and what we could do to help. She said she was on the same path as us just about to leash her dogs before they got close to the road. The same area where we usually leash Mona. Then her dog Pearl (she had another dog with her Dharma), bolted to the left off the path and disappeared. She said she didn't think she had been hit, b/c no cars had stopped and we all agreed we hadn't heard any screeching tires or anything. She said she thought she had been attacked by something. Her biggest concern was that Pearl wasn't making any noise anymore...
Let me rewind for just a sec. After the woman said this, the first thing that popped into my head was a story our neighbor had told us this past weekend. That she was up on the same trail, the same time of day, around dusk with her dog and a dog she was watching. When she came upon what she thought to be a wolf. Being freaked out, she headed back the way she came and met up with some people on the path. Telling them she just thought she saw a wolf, they informed her that it was most likely a coyote. After returning home she did some research on coyotes in the area and found out that they were usually harmless but did occasionally go after small dogs. Pearl was only about 30 lbs.
It's all i could think of but i didn't mention anything to the woman about it.
It continued to get darker as we scanned the sides of the road, all in the forest and down in gullies. It was hard enough to see where we were walking let alone an injured animal. But we still called whistled and called out to her. Robb and i decided to check over on the other side of Terwilliger, wondering if she had wandered across the road. Nothing. We hadn't heard her in over 20 mins, which was unsettling to all of us. The woman's husband showed up with a flashlight and a whistle. By this point it was completely dark and Robb and I were feeling more like we were in the way than helpful at that point. So we left them and decided to just take the dogs for a walk up the road. On our way back thru, we noticed that their cars had gone from where they were parked. I'm not sure that they found her, I can't think that they did, it was so dark. I just hope she didn't suffer too much.
Anyone who lives in our area, please be aware if you are up there at that time of day with a smaller dog. Here's some info:
http://www.audubonportland.org/livingwithwildlife/brochures/coyotes

R.I.P. Pearl