Time with the Basom Otradoskys...

We were so lucky in October to enjoy a visit from the Basom Otradosky family. Marnie has been like a sister to me...and her kids, Cole and Ellie, love Mateo like their own brother. It's always a good time for them to hang out together (nice for me & Marnie too...)

Cole enjoying a model airplane at the Evergreen Aviation Museum...

Mateo and Ellie riding their own model airplanes...

Mateo checking out a cockpit! He wants (this week at least) to be an airplane pilot when he grows up...

Ellie and Mateo getting ready to fly!

At the base of the Arc they built at OMSI (well actually Matt & Jim built) but they supervised!

Hugs from Oregon, Sarah, Matt & Mateo

More Carter Cousin Pics...

The Miller clan, Cousin Sally with Casey, and Cousin Ann with Maddie and Megan...outside The Old Spaghetti Warehouse...kid friendly restaurant!

There were giant fake lincoln logs, and all three cousins got inside...

Getting in...or was it out???

Mateo loved the horse to ride...

The "dirt" was like ground up shoe leather...deep enough to dig in...so fun (but a bit stinky!!) He would have played here for hours if we had let him!

Love from Silverton...Sarah & the boys

Hanging out with the Carter Family Cousins

So some of you may know that my maternal second cousin, Amy Carter Misuik, died this past year from undiagnosed breast cancer. Six weeks younger than me, it really scared and devastated me. She left two children, Maddie and Evan. She had a sister, Sally Carter LaBay, who was just a few months younger than Rachel...and Sally has two children, Casey & Megan. Her family, including mom Ann Carter (my mom's cousin), and Maddie, came to Portland to walk in the Komen Race for the Cure in September. We had a chance for the kids to play with Mateo at the Portland Children's Museum and they had a great time...

Mateo climbing..."Look Mommy" (Mommy taking picture trying hard not to freak out about the chance of falling!!

What is it about water play that makes toddlers LOVE it so?

Getting wetter...

Megan who has red hair just like her daddy...that's Maddie in the background!

Casey, Megan, and Maddie brushing the teeth of the dinosaur!

It was an incredible time together and makes me want to do it annually...

Love, Sarah

Connecting with the Adoption Community

We have made special effort this past year to connect with other adoptive families in our area. We want Mateo to have adopted friends, and to feel comfortable from the very beginning with adoptive family issues. This year we went to the annual Journey's of the Heart reunion in Portland. We used this agency to facilitate our adoption for Mateo, and we enjoyed getting to know Julian--who is also adopted from Guatemala.

Mateo and Julian waiting their turn to climb up...

Going slowly down the slide...

Slow and steady is the Mateo preferred way...

Getting braver...

He did this about 30 times that day...he is a big fan of slides...

Here's to many more adoption celebrations!

Love, Sarah

Camping Part 2 and Mateo Self Art

The single thing I love best about camping is the warmth from the campfire...and now that I have found the joys of real thermal underwear...I love to hang out in nature...and get all covered with the fine layer of dust...you know the kind that runs kid boogers black! Plus I love having Mateo in my lap...nice extra layer of heat!


But the thing about always wanting to take cute pictures of your kid is eventually, he wants none of it. He would only agree to let us take pictures if he could take some too...so the next series is a set of Mateo originals...destined to be the next great American photographer...


That really is black snot in his nose...for days he had black boogers!!

Love from Oregon, the Millers