Papa's House Progress

So Papa just sent this picture of his new house from the east side of the property. We are so excited that it is moving so quickly. Here's to the first family celebration in it...we miss you Papa!!

The Beach

So leave it to us to go to the beach on the only day in the past few weeks that it rained...so we had to bundle up...but we had the whole beach to ourselves...

Mateo is sporting a hat from the "Cole O." store...and holding one of his favorite boats. It is still leaving sand everywhere we take it.

Mateo has this love for small places...he is standing in a hole here...and loving it.

As you can see, I was way covered...rain hat with sweatshirt hood on over the top, under a blanket...which was pooling with water. Needless to say, I only lasted about 45 minutes until I had enough...

This is on the beach outside of Mo's Restaurant in Lincoln City...which is where we landed to have some chowder and warm Mama's very cold bones.

Later that same week, Rachel came for a visit and we went back to the beach for some sister bonding. The weather was only slightly better...but we had a great visit. She has some pictures on her camera which I will try to post if she sends them to me! :)

Love from Oregon, Sarah & the family

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Today we went to the "Steam-up" in Brooks, a town about 20 minutes away. It's at an attraction called the Antique Powerland (http://www.antiquepowerland.com) It's a pretty remarkable state-fairground-sized place that hosts a number of independent museums, displays and a layout of model, rideable railways. They all seem to be powered by the efforts of hordes of volunteer collectors and hobbyists. We lived in Silverton for 5 years without realizing this place existed; When I lived in Portland, every time I drove down to my sister's home in Eugene, my regular 'pit stop' was the truck stop just across the street. No clue it was there. We're glad we know now. They host the "Steam-up" for two weekends each summer and we had a great time. There are loads of antique tractors, trucks, trains, and basically every historical steam, gas and deisel apparatus you can imagine. We even got home-made ice cream made with a steam-powered churn! There was a big parade of historic tractors, which you can see on the video. The little steam tractor at the top is from 1912. It's not a restored model. The guy driving it drove it when he was a boy on his family's farm and has owned it ever since. He's in his 90's. He just maintains it and takes it out of the barn for the Steam-up. Sarah and Mateo are posing in front of some of the other antiques. And also riding on the miniature trains. There was a huge 'small engine' exhibition area but Mateo enjoyed most using the hand pumps next to the pumping engine displays - and of course playing with trucks and tractors in the sand box.

-Matt

Sienna

So one day we went to Sienna which is this crazy city where it is a big circle that all comes down to a piazza (which I managed not to get a picture of...bummer), but it is so amazing to see things built just into a slope...

There are these tiny streets that use switchbacks to go up the side of the hill...which means you are always climbing up in one direction or the other.

These homes give all new meaning to "spitting in your neighbors window"...

That round window belongs to a church...surrounded by neighborhood houses...
It was hot that day...really really hot...and I paid $15 USD for a coke and a bottled water while waiting for Matt to check some things out. Then we got stuck in the parking lot because our ticket couldn't get us out...Matt couldn't talk to the guy in Italian, so we had to wait until someone came to our aid...who drove Matt clear across the city to the parking office to get a new ticket, while I waited peacefully (good thing for me Mateo was in the car...kept my thoughts in my head, instead of coming out of my mouth). We finally got out and went back to the villa...exhausted!

Playing in the Park in Greve in Chianti

One of our favorite days was playing in the park with Cole & Ellie while Dad went to Florence and saw the Uffizzi...you know how Mom feels about museums!! :)

Mateo is addicted to slides, and he always wants to do them himself...

This was a really cool and safe teeter-totter...Ellie was a big help!!

Jim & Marnie went out on a date night to a restaurant they had eaten at on their last trip to Italy...this time it was not quite as good.