Cousins come to visit

There is new park equipment in Silverton, thanks to a ton of volunteers...including our friend Mandy Petrik who sits on the Parks Planning Commission...way to go!! Thanks for all your hard work!
For those who don't know, Dad is actively engaged in a park equipment install in St. Maries. You'd think he was excited about having a place for grandkids to play or something?!?

NeNe (Nathan) and Mateo on a slide together. My sister & John produce such handsome blonds!! And NeNe is all trouble...but certainly holds his own with the big boys.
I have never seen a kid smile as much as him!!

Lukas is such a ham...we had family pictures taken, mostly so we could get shots of the grandsons & Papa...all the boys wanted to do was run & play & roll on the hill. Yet, even then, Lukas can offer up a pose.

Mateo loves to laugh...this is a shot of him mid-action rolling down a hill. Another fun activity is tickle torture...where he voluntarily comes to mom or dad who tickle him until he is shrieking. When we stop, he says more please. It is quite fun and has us all full of giggles before long.

The Lamers boys were so much fun to play with. They were just the right age range to keep themselves entertained...and all three boys slept in Mateo's room. We weren't sure how it would be, but it worked great!

We love them and wish we lived closer together...and nearer to Papa. But until then, we hope it becomes a tradition to celebrate Mother's Day in Oregon, and Labor Day in Boise or St. Maries.

We love you...Sarah & Matt & Mateo

Fun at the Ag Show

The last weekend in April, the Oregon Agriculture Festival came to the state fairgrounds. It had two of Mateo's current favorite things: Animals and heavy farm and construction equipment. He's particularly been on a tear lately over TRACTORS. Finding Nemo and Cars are his favorite movies, and his most super especial favorite scene is the one in Cars where the racecar Lightning McQueen is taken by his country pal Tow Mater out for a rousing night of "Tractor Tipping". Mateo gets a half hour of video or TV per day, and sometimes he'll spend his entire allotment on just that scene! The last picture above shows him reenacting the end of the tractor-tipping prank, when the two cars are chased out of the field by "Frank", the combine!

This was one of those great opportunities to see him growing. We went to the show last year, and he got some firsts. He loved looking at the farm animals, the first he saw close up or touched, and even had a word or two for them. And he sat in an audience at a performance for the first time, clapping along with everyone (finally understanding the source of the "applause" sound he 'd heard at the end of some of the songs on his kids' albums). But at this fair, you could really see a year of development in a nutshell. Now when we saw animals, he'd name them, make the sound they make (and actually hear the animal making it!) and we could talk about them (what the animals were doing, refer to books we read that have the same animals, etc). Plus he's so much better, a year on, at petting animals gently!

We also got to actually participate in the activities in the exhibition hall. Above he's digging for potatoes in an effort to earn a potato sticker(at the Oregon Potato Council booth or somesuch). Note the balloon pirate hat (yes, that's a pirate hat. Couldn't you tell?) He also planted plants, collected lots more stickers, milked a simulated cow, and saw wool being spun into yarn.

Back home now, we're all incredibly busy. Sarah just hosted (to rave reviews) a regional event of her professional organization, the Project Management Institute. Speaking of hosting, this weekend Sarah's dad and her sister's family will come to visit to celebrate Mother's day. The weather should cooperate enough for Mateo and his cousins to have a good time outside. Matt is working to complete the kids' bathroom before we head off on our vacation (and get enough done to be usable for when our guests come), and Sarah's just been headhunted into a new job in state government. More details to follow in the next posting.....

Finally, Papa Birthday Pictures

Mateo got a trike for Easter...and showed off his new helmet. The owie on his nose is from wiping out at a 30 second easter egg hunt at the Oregon Garden.

Cousin Kalie came for a visit while we were at Papa's. It was great to see her.

Mateo had so much fun at Papa's in the snow...the first time he ever got to lick an icicle. He loved the snow even though he could barely walk in the snow suit!

Mateo loved helping Papa open his birthday presents.

Hanging out in Papa's lap, watching his present from Lukas & NeNe (short films from Pixar).

We love Papa and miss him a lot. Good thing he is coming in a few weeks for another visit to Oregon. Aunt Rachel & Uncle John & Cousin Lukas & Cousin NeNe are also coming the same weekend for a visit.

Please say a prayer for Grand-Papa Don LaPlante. He is having a biopsy on a lung tumor tomorrow, and we pray for peace in his journey.

Love, Sarah & Matt & Mateo

Uncle Joe pics

Uncle Joe playing with a toy...doesn't he look like he is teaching Mateo something important?

Who taught my kid to be such a ham?

Three generations of LaPlante's...pretty cool for Papa!

It was great to see Joe before he headed back to WestPoint to finish out his 2nd year. We are SO PROUD of him. He is an incredible adult, and he is going to make a great Army dude.

Mateo giving Uncle Joe bye-bye hugs. We sure miss him. Hope to see him this summer!!

Easter pics

Tia LaLa overseeing the hunting of eggs into the yellow bucket of the new trike!

So the nose scar is courtesy of a face plant at the Oregon Garden. The helmet is from Nona to go with the trike that the Easter Bunny brought.

Sarah's co-worker Oscar is a new friend. He joined us for dinner at Nona's.

Uncle Dan doesn't fit on the trike...his knees are too big for the pedals!!

Nona overseeing the egg hunting. Thanks for a magnificent Easter Nona!!