Chinese Gardens in downtown Portland

So Grace and I have the whole day in beautiful Portland and we at first decide to go to the Zoo, the last time we were there, Grace was 2, but the parking lot was a ZOO and I couldn't find a place to park, so I got back on the freeway and ended up downtown. We parked at Pioneer Square and went to the information site. We decided to go to Saturday market via the train and then eat at Old Town Pizza so Grace could ask about the ghost that supposedly still haunts the old hotel turned pizza place. The waitress said that she hasn't seen the ghost, but she has heard stories that if you go down in the basement the lights will go off and the door will close, Grace was very intrigued. Then we went to the beautiful Chinese gardens pictured above, it was so tranquil. Then we hiked back up to Pioneer Square and went shopping, it was a wonderful day!

Phone cords?

We went to Sherwood, OR this weekend for a skating competition for Grace, she did well again and it is so much fun to watch her glide on the ice. We get to the hotel and Grace says you know what I love about the hotel? (Other than the pool of course) is that the phones have CORDS on them! My thoughts were that you won't like them so much when you are a teenager and talking to your boyfriend and you can't GO anywhere! We had a wonderful mother, daughter time. Here is Grace pictured with fellow New Englander friends (well the parents are from NH) and other skater enthusiasts.

Fun in the snow.....

I took some excerpts from Kurt's emails that he sent me and they are posted below. The pictures are of as I remember, a castle in the woods, Grace at 7th Heaven, gold medal and then Grace and Kurt at the Symphony Bowl. We are each trying to convince each other that our vacations were the best and the question is, who will give in so we can go together next year! Vote for your favorite!

We crossed the border into Canada. This was more than we expected since at the border they though that I was stealing Grace. It did not help that I told them my wife was in Florida. Grace put on a good show and we made it through. It felt like the movie Green Card.

We ventured over to Blackcomb Mountain today. The locals say it has the best skiing. The weather was clear and sunny and you could see for miles. After another gondola trip (Grace liked this one for it was shorter and you placed the skies on the outside) we then took 3 different chair lifts to get to Heaven (actually called 7th Heaven).

Our week finally came to an end. We rounded out the day with Grace taking ski lessons for the day in the intermediate level 4 group. The day in general was very cloudy and very difficult to find the right snow and visibility. Grace had fun in ski school and learned to turn backward on skis and did a black diamond with her instructor.

Vacation North or Vacation South......

Well this is my idea of paradise! We went to the park, I went running most mornings, we hung out at the pool, went to the Ringling Circus museum and kids science museum, went swimming in the gulf at the beach, had dinner at sunset with the whole Chambers family, pina colada and fresh fish, need I say more? My cousins came down from Michigan with their kids and my cousin Kim drove across the state, it was a GREAT reunion, we want to know why we don't do it more often and maybe we will......

Spring Fever and Proud Coach

Spring Fever was so much fun and what is better than Grace being able to spend it with her best friend. The military is an amazing way to meet special people. I asked Grace what the best thing about competing was and she said being on the ice all by myself. She did a great job and had fun. Next is Sherwood, OR the last weekend in April and then we will go to ISI Worlds in Denver, CO at then end of July, as long as she has fun that is all that matters.

Another note, my little girl is 8 today, I cannot believe it! At school they sang Happy Birthday to her and then Julia and I brought balloons to her classroom, the end of birthday was spent at Olive Garden, her request on her quest for Lasagna. She got Mia, the newest American Girl doll who is a skater. It was a special day.