Hiking at Silver Falls State Park

We live amazingly close to the largest state park in Oregon...Silver Falls...where waterfalls abound. If we haven't taken you there when you have come to visit, shame on us. It's fun to go hiking now that Mateo can mostly walk on his own.

I love watching Matt teach Mateo about things in nature. His personality is so inquisitive, and Matt is so patient, explaining the biology behind what he is asking. I've learned a ton (or re-learned a ton as the case may be) by hanging out with them!

Silver Creek, the one that runs through Silverton, has a prominent position in the state park. After we got all hot and sweaty, Matt and Mateo stuck their feet in the creek to cool off.

Mateo's fascination with butterflies (see previous post) continues...

We had to move over on the trail so a dirt mover/trail builder/really cool machine from Mateo's perspective, could go by...lucky for us there was shade to rest in.

Make sure you ask to see the falls when you are in town...we'd love to show them off to you!

Hugs, Sarah & Matt & Mateo

Hanging out with Tegan

While Matt & Mateo were in Seattle for the Mariner's game, they took opportunity to spend some time with cousin Tegan seeing the kid-friendly, cool, sites in the Space Needle's Hometown...they caught a butterfly exhibit...

Mateo was awestruck to get to be so close to the butterflies! He's been chasing them around ever since...

Tegan took Mateo to the Children's Museum...oh, how Mateo loves to play in the water!

He only wished he could crawl in the water to play like the bathtub!

Mateo's focus is so amazing...it takes him a while to get into things, but once he does...it can take an hour to get him out of things!

Thanks Tegan for making it such a fun visit!

Love, Mateo

Mariner's Game with Papa and NAFA Camp-out

For many years, Papa has been taking Joseph to a Mariner's game. Recently, he has added an invitation to the grandsons and their fathers...so Matt and Mateo made the trek to Seattle to meet Papa for this year's Mariner's game.

Lukas and Mateo had a great time getting autographs from important Mariners...especially Mariner Moose!

We have belonged to an adoptive family support group, called NAFA, for several years. Each year they host a camp-out at Barton Park, where the entire campground is reserved for adoptive families...this year we went, and Mateo had great fun in the Clackamas river looking for pollywogs!

The best part of the camp-out is the group parenting of kids...Mateo was hanging out with our campsite neighbor Jill who was helping him catch pollywogs!

It was like 90+ degrees...so here is a rare shot of me, wilting in the hot, hot sun. It's not rare for me to wilt...just rare to let Matt take a picture of me!

Hugs from Oregon, Sarah

Mateo & Buford...plus at the County Fair

Some of you may recognize Buford, who is a little worse for the wear...this is the original Buford that Greg & Angela Murphy gave to us to take to Mateo when we first found out we matched to him, more than three years ago.

We have since purchased five of them, in the hopes that we could cycle them so they would accumulate age the same way...well, somehow he found us out, and insisted on always wanting the "hard wa-wa"...and so we have four of the original five that all look about the same (one's at Nona's house)...but there can still be only one preferred Buford!

Here's Mateo at the County Fair enjoying one of the kiddie rides...amazingly, the Mountain View Construction hat from Papa (see previous post) was the quickest way to spot him in the rides...

Mateo has flown a TON in his lifetime...like more than 60 flights before age 4...and so he has a natural fascination with airplanes. He particularly enjoyed piloting this one...he can even make engine noises as sound effects!

Mateo had a blast riding in the Model T...as I watch my friends train their children to drive...I am grateful that there is at least 10 years before that happens for us! I am not ready for that yet...but my how time flies...I feel like I blink and a whole year goes by!

Love, Sarah

4th of July Camping with the Cousins

We went camping on the 4th of July weekend at the Wikkiup Reservoir in Central Oregon. John brought Nathan and Lukas over for a weekend of Cousin Time! As you can see here, the water was VERY cold!

This is Matt and Mateo in the inaugural ride of his Father's Day present...a red canoe for the boys in the Miller family. I get terribly sea sick and so have no desire to partake...but Matt loves it as it helps him reminisce back to his boy scout days!!

Mateo has officially entered boyhood. He loves bugs, and small animals (snakes, frogs, etc)...his favorite trick is catching one and running to show mommy (who frankly would be perfectly happy NOT seeing said small animals).

Uncle John took time to show Mateo how the whole fishing process works. As I recall, none were actually caught that weekend...but Mateo picked up some lessons by osmosis...he is quite the caster of fishing lines now...

Checking out the sites, and figuring out where to run (in opposite directions of course)...

Best part of all, I think we have agreed to make this an annual camping trip (alternating locations so that each family takes turns driving a longer way!)

I love that Mateo loves his cousins...and that the family supports us hanging out together!

Love, Sarah