Fall 2025

 Since finishing an amazing summer, we've had a very busy and memorable few months. 

There have been concerts:

Alex's Choir Concert

Dan's Halloween set at the PX for Trunk or Treat

Cade sang with the Cleveland Chamber Choir among his many concerts

There's been a lot of this video game played by all us! In fact, we even went to PAX-west, a table top and video game convention, with a few of Alex's friends!

The long awaited sequel of Hollow Knight! 7 years in the making.

Alex has been wanting a Virtual Boy for some time and he finally found a great deal!

There have been birthdays!

Laura

I got a treadmill for those cold, rainy Washington days that I still want to walk!

Sopapillas for my B-day treat!

Awesome sand table my family got for me. Pick your design and watch it come to life!

Dan

For his birthday we went to a Sausage Festival that is held only one day a year in Verboort, Oregon. Buy their specially made sausage in bulk, and enjoy an all you can eat family style dinner. It was a true, rainy PNW kind of day, but we met up with some friends and had a great day!

Stopped by the beautiful 'Old Scotch Church' near Verboort

And why not Top Golf! 

Alex made Dan all of the 3D printed designs on top of this case, but for his birthday was the silver one- a beloved character from SilkSong

And holidays!

Laura's pumpkin!

Dan's pumpkin!

Alex's Pumpkin!

We also drove out to Boise to partake in Brett and Kristina's annual Halloween Extravaganza. They put together a whole house immersive escape room experience. It was amazing. They provided us with a clue booklet and all through the house were things to figure out and discover. At the end was an alien in the attic. SO glad we made the trip out there!

Our pinata costumes! Hit us and see what happens!

And its spaceship crashed into our charcuterie board, lol

Battalion Trunk-or-Treat

Outings to the Bonsai Museum and Rhododendron Garden

Until I went to this museum I don't think I realized that just about any type of tree can be a bonsai. It's all in the way it is planted and shaped that makes it a bonsai. Certain types certainly fare better, but the wide variety of types of trees at this museum blew my mind. Don't mind some of the double pictures. I like view of them by themselves, and then with a person in them to show size perspective!

Looks like a forest...

...but it's the size of a bonsai!

Weeping willows are some of my favorite trees- never seen a bonsai version until now

Look at those roots! The white is dead, but purposely included

Carefully potted in what is meant to look like a dinosaur egg

Bamboo!

I loved the life cycle of these plants. Watch how they change over the next 4 pictures.

Near the gardens was this old abandoned, moss covered building. Very apocalyptic feeling!

Injuries:

Yup. I did the thing. We were out for a walk one evening when I rolled my ankle, fell really hard and landed on the opposite knee. It hurt, a lot. I stood up and moved to the side of the road and told Dan I'd have to sit for a second to regroup. I also felt really sick and dizzy. The next thing I knew I was having some dreams. I woke up and realized, wait, why am I dreaming? Wasn't I on a walk. That's when Dan said I had passed out. He was trying to keep me awake but I was too sleepy. I passed out a second time. That's when Dan started having a hard time finding my pulse so he had the neighbor nearby call 911. Man they came in full force. Dan said there was 2 ambulances and a fire truck. I think I remember about 8 EMTs around us. Long story short, it was vasovagal syncope. A pain response that caused me to pass out. After a full workup at the ER to rule out any other reasons for passing out, it was determined that it was just badly sprained and I could go home.

I spent a few days on crutches, 2 weeks in a boot, and it's been another 2 weeks of having a lighter ankle brace. I am just now starting to do walks outside again, and the pain is not gone. I definitely rolled it good and it will take awhile before I feel 100%, darn it. I was going so strong on my health goals, but I'm determined to keep fit!

Firsts:

First Day back to School!

First Time playing cocktail hour at a charity event! That was stressful!

First time teaching beginning band! That's been stressful too!

And Changes:

Sadly, in late August, our sweet kitty Apollo, who had been an indoor/outdoor cat, never came home. He had never missed a meal from his automatic feeder until he missed all of them. :(    We did a lot of searching and flyer posting and reaching out to shelter and vets. 

The house suddenly felt VERY empty with Cade back to school, Apollo missing, and Carson still very much in our hearts after passing away in February. After nearly 2 months without Apollo, Jorie's parents were fostering a mother and her kittens they had rescued. All of the kittens had been placed except for one and its mother.  Say hello to Lace (the mom) and Hornet (the kitten). Yes, those names are from SilkSong... we're a little obsessed right now!   

Lace and Hornet are very well taken care of, though they've had their struggles in the beginning here. Lace is very reluctant to join the family. She was also sick with some worms and getting her to the vet and getting medicine was quite an ordeal. Hopefully through time and love she will warm up to us. 

Hornet was losing her hair and had some ear and eye issues, but she is doing much better now. She has already grown a lot, and she has her psycho moments as well as some incredibly fun and cute moments. 

Welcome to the family kitties, we will take good care of you!

That's a lot that happened in the past few months! We're headed full steam into the holidays. Bring it on!