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

Camping at the Metolius with the Traegers

We went for our second annual Metolius camping trip in Central Oregon on Labor Day weekend. Our friends Eric, Miranda, Sage (about the same age as Mateo), and their new baby Willow Traeger were our camping mates...and the people who first shared the wonder of the Metolius with us. One of our favorite adventures while we are there is to go to the fish hatchery so that the boys can feed the trout with kibble from a vending machine. The fish are well trained and so the littlest kibble causes a bunch of them to come rushing to eat it...causing the boys to shriek with laughter...making the whole trip worthwhile...

Mateo and Sage scouting for fish to feed...I think Mateo has kibbles scrunched up in his hand...
Matt teaching Mateo that the patient way is to throw them out one kibble at a time...Mateo preferred the whole handful method.
Love to see my two favorite Millers walking together hand in hand...
The kibble dispenser...I think I used a whole roll of quarters...a quarter at a time.
Mateo loves small spaces, and he would stick his head through to drop the kibble for the fish...

We love the Metolius and we love camping with the Traegers!! Here's to many more adventures for the boys!

Love, Sarah & Matt & Mateo

Today

So I totally need to come back and blog all of September, but I thought it would be nice for some instant gratification...here are some pictures today, from hanging out with Cielle...who was home for a few weeks from Italy. She's enrolling in a fashion design program in France, and so will be moving to Paris for at least a year of school...it was great to spend some time with her!Mateo making a Cielle Monster Sandwich at Nona's house...

Mateo on a slide at Eugene Field...he is so into doing everything himself...especially climbing...

Mateo and Cielle checking out the swings...they were shrieking with laughter....giggle, giggle, giggle!

Hold on Mateo, you are freaking Mom out leaning back like that!!

Walking down Danger Hill...one of the last nice days before the rain, I'm afraid!!

More pictures soon...love you and miss you all! Sarah & Matt & mateo