San Diego

The family has made it to San Diego, where Great-Grandpa and Ele came to see us.

Four generations of Shields

More snow

The snow is about Bijou-high.

We shoveled the driveway and did a test drive with some new chains. Now we have only one chain.

Cheri likes eating the snow.

Snowed in

Our train to Bellingham has been canceled due to snow. Gryphon doesn't mind.

Cheri and Bijou going about business as usual.

In diesem Wetter, in diesem Braus

It has been snowing heavily today (above is the view out the front window).
Jared has set up his computer in preparation to housesit for us. Alyson and Cheri and working on crafts with Gryphon at the moment.

Yesterday Nathan's college roommate Chris came for a visit. He's studying in Texas to become a surgeon.

Snow day

8 months old

We celebrated Cheri's dad's birthday this morning, and when it was time to drive home there was an inch of snow on the road. Gryphon was characteristically skeptical.

Toy sounds

Gryphon has some kind of toy worm thing that makes different noises. Cheri and I wanted to know if it cycles through all its noises before repeating, so we started writing them down to keep track:

• giggle-whooo
• widiwidiwidiwidi
• huuuuoo
• squeal: aaaaoooo
• flutter flutter flutter flutter
• peek-a-boo
• mini mini mini mi
• oooyaaah
• ohhhhhh (too bad)
• rrrrwikatupateeeooh
• ha ha
• wheee
• whaaaahhh!
• purrrrrrr
• giggle
• oopsie
• ha ha ha ha ha
• mwah (kiss)
• ohhwheeeeohhhh

After about 5 minutes of this, the following exchange occured, with Cheri unaware of the recording in progress:

Winter hat

Gryphon's hat elicited many comments made in a Scottish accent... from his parents.

Goodnight Moon

Nanna Jo and Dar Dar stopped by on their way back to Bellingham.

A trip to the coast

The last few days have been spent at Depoe Bay with Nanna Jo and Dar Dar. We all appreciated the surreal oceanscapes just outside our windows, and found delicous clam chowder at the Spouting Horn restaurant.


Cheri and Mojo spent a long time putting together a jigsaw puzzle, only to find that it was missing five pieces.

Thanksgiving

We spent a relaxing afternoon eating and chatting with Cheri's parents, grandparents, brother, and some family friends. Everyone was thankful for Gryphon this year. We were also thankful that the mashed potatoes were edible, given their dubious origins in our kitchen:

How Gryphon's days are spent

Hey Jude

3-month old Jude came by for a Scrabble game on Saturday. He got to meet Jonah as he was leaving too.


In the evenings, Gryphon has been enjoying "naked baby time", which lasts as long as the towel does.

Getting ready for a shower

Happy baby

Night at the theater

Gryphon went to see his first play today. It was a high school production of Sherlock Holmes and and Hound of the Baskervilles. He dozed off as the mystery was finally unraveled.

Jonah and Katie came too. Afterward everyone enjoyed an Indian buffet dinner.

Just sitting

Veterans Day

Thanks to: Jack Rathgeber, Melvin Lester, Halsey Stevens, Chuck Shields, Ray Shields, Ken Shields, and James Lester.

Laughing

New Mexico trip

Gryphon, Cheri, and her mom made it back from New Mexico safely on Thursday.

Gryphon got a bath in the blue enameled tub his Grandma was bathed in as a baby.

Grandaddy sang Gryphon a sad song about an old blue hen:
"Those boys, they killed the old blue hen.
They should have let her be.
For every day she layed two eggs,
and on Sundays she laid three."

"Little Jack" and his family. I spun Cody around in circles then let him go. I think Jack got a bit upset at me when Cody immediately face-planted it right in the dirt. Sorry, Jack.

Gryphon's Aunt Madi. She took good care of little Doo-da.




Gryphon and 'Maude the Great,' his great-grandmommy:

Election night

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness.

Pizza

The family went to Pizzicato for some farewell pizza. Gryphon, Cheri, and her mom will accompany the New Mexicans back to their home town to spend a few days.

Big babies

Jonah stopped by for a visit.


Gryphon explained to Jonah how his swing works.

A visit from New Mexicans

Cheri's aunt Naomi, cousin Justina, and Justina's boyfriend Marshall arrived Wednesday for a visit. The first act was a dinner at Newport Grill, where Naomi ordered the rock fish - and was surprised to get the whole thing.


The crew toured PSU - Justina's eye turned toward the speech pathology department - along with other Portland landmarks, such as Powell's Books, Pearl Bakery, and our favorite, the Goodwill Bins.

On Halloween Gryphon dressed up and visited his grandparents.



The others (now with Cheri's brother Jared, his girlfriend Alyson, and Marshall's friend Evan) donned wigs, ate some Cajun food and watched the 1987 vampire movie The Lost Boys at the Laurelhurst Theater.



More photos in the gallery.