Tuesday, August 21, 2012

"New 'Ome!"

What hasn't Tor done since we left Minnesota? He flew on an airplane. He visited Grandpa and Grandma (whom he christened "Aah-Bee"). He beat pneumonia and scarcely shed a tear. He roamed Tahoe's beaches and measured himself against giant sequoias. He slept in a hammock, a tent, and a backpack. And he landed unscathed at 6567 Flanders Drive in Newark, CA.

That impish grin is becoming a regular fixture

"Found her before you did, Gracie!"

Waterworld's littlest extra


What would a visit to Grandma and Grandpa's be without a few new toys to show for it? (Yep, we'll have to break him of that habit.)































DaDa and Grandpa arrived from their drive across the country with spirits high and Dendro in tow. Tor enjoyed a night of duets before being stricken with the black lung. 

"Welcome back, Pops!"
With backpacking plans brought to ruin by the requirement of refrigerating Tor's antibiotic, we and our buddies from Houston (including Tor's godfather Josh) spent three nights in a campground in Sequoia National Park.

King of the stump

Kickin' it old school

How does HE look so cute crawling out of a tent in the morning?!

Kudos where they're due: he hiked .002% of the six miles
A snapshot of the remaining 99.98%

Wouldn't kick Elmo out of the stroller for eating crackers

Street urchin charm

Didgeridoo massage complimentary with new home!

Monday, August 6, 2012

Hitting the Road


My last substantive post was at T minus four weeks until leaving Minneapolis. We've successfully departed, but plans for moving into the new house and taking off on a backpacking trip have been derailed by Tor contracting bilateral pneumonia. Bad enough at the best of times, his illness has turned the move into a logistical nightmare--but at least we weren't five miles into the backcountry when his fever hit 105.5 degrees. We're comfortable at Grandma and Grandpa's in Lake Tahoe, and Tor is on the mend.

To recap our end times in Minnesota:
  • Lars returned from New York.
Rocking his welcome-home-DaDa t-shirt
Note Tor's mattress in the background, because...
  • We all moved into the living room for the final week. The house got boxed up and cleaned.

"Ready for school! But I feel like I've forgotten
something...let me check my to-do list."

The parents' floor nest is always greener
Enjoying stairs while we've got them












































  • And we loaded our material goods into containers and said farewell to dear friends.
"Where do these kids go?"

Madeline is now a big sister...and we just missed Baby Greta's arrival!!

Getting some artistic pointers from an old hand


One of the flock






























































Tight with his little buddy Owen


"Hey Sonia, whaddaya think that cloud looks like?"

Perhaps the hardest goodbyes for Tor: DJ, Ulises...

...and Melissa