Soren and Mike like to cook

Soren and Friends

Soren's favorite shirt.


Soren's new friend, August, came over last Sunday with his parents, Michele and Paul, for a play date.


Paul wanted to show us his tongue. Paul and his brother, Thomas, live across the street from us. They're a bit older than Soren, but by next year Soren should catch up!


Mel and Judy Zinter are the parents of our friend, Susan. They spent 10 days in Portland on a wine tasting tour. They brought us delicious pears, that were a treat for many days! Soren gave them a tour of our neighborhood. We went to our first Vegan restaurant, had coffee at Stumptown, cupcakes at St. Cupcake and took a quick home tour of our block. It was a good afternoon.

Near Mount St. Helens

Our Minneapolis friends Bill and Brad were in Seattle for a wedding this weekend. On Saturday, we met halfway between Seattle and Portland. We had great greasy hashbrowns and eggs for breakfast, then toured the Mount St. Helens visitor center.

A lot can happen in just 60 seconds

Neighbors on Friday Night

Soren is walking! And he loves his chair!

Just days after we moved to Portland, Soren discovered how to walk. We went to Pottery Barn and got him his own chair (Thanks, Bob & Elsa!!). Soren thinks he's pretty special when he sits in his chair.

Our new house in Portland

We moved to Portland, Oregon a few weeks ago and have been very busy getting settled into the new house. Here are a few quick photos. As you can see, our house sits up on a hill.

Sunday at the Beach

We brought Soren to one of the beaches at Wilder Ranch State Park in Santa Cruz on Sunday. We had the whole beach to ourselves with lots of room to play. Not sure who played harder, Mike or Soren. Anyways, it was our last full weekend in California together and we were very glad to not have to say 'good-bye' to the ocean. Portland is about 1 1/2 hours away from the Pacific. We leave for Portland on the 21st!

Soren likes to walk the dog

Playing Hide and Seek

Cindy's Trip to San Jose

While Steven was in New York for an IBM conference, Cindy came to stay for a week and a fun week it was! We made homemade pasta, lounged in the Rose Garden during sunny afternoons, drove to Santa Cruz and had fun on the beach, traveled to Sonoma for wine tasting, AND watched lots of "Law and Order." The day after Cindy left, Soren couldn't figure out where she went and kept on crawling back to her room to see if she was there. It was good bonding time and we miss our Dindie.

Rancho San Antonio

We went back to the farm at Rancho San Antonio this afternoon. Soren loves all the animals.

Almost Walking

Soren loves/insists on walking everywhere now with his walker. Soon he won't need the assistance.

4th of July Weekend

Over the 4th of July holiday weekend, Mike and Steven were in New Hampshire for Cindy and Loring's wedding. Mike was the officiant for the wedding ceremony and did an amazing job!



While we were at the wedding, Soren's Grandma, Aunt Cindy, Aunt Pam and Cousin Hallie stayed with him in San Jose. As you can see, Soren was the center of attention, even at breakfast.

Memorial Day Weekend

The first photo is of Grandpa, Soren and cousin Logan. The second photo is of Soren and Mike at the wedding. The final photo is of Grandpa, Grandma and Soren's cousins on Mike's side of the family.

Happy 1st Birthday Soren!

Because Chris (Mike's brother) and Lori's wedding was in St. Cloud over Memorial Day Weekend, we were in Minneapolis for Soren's first birthday. Our friends, Kate and Mike, hosted a fantastic outdoor party for him. Soren loves cupcakes!!

Good-bye Yosemite!!

It turned out the be a spectacular week for Yosemite. Too cold for bugs, spring flowers were blooming, and the running water got stronger each day. Our last hike, through the lower Yosemite valley, was all Soren could take! The last picture is of us a bit in front of our lodge. This was definitely a "do again" trip.