oh blessed summer...we love you!

simple beautful summer we adore you.

a portland summer:

farmers markets, family bike riding, running, parks, music at parks and farms, family, friends, new babies, barbeques, drinking beer and summer tea, sprinklers, kiddie pools, museums, messy art, bouncy houses, picking green beans, eagerly awaiting corn, squash and pumpkins, home projects, hammock swinging, quiet starry nights, moments of nothing and much more....

we are immersed in watching our sweet boy grow up. it's happening so fast. run jonah run. we are lovin' keeping up with you.

Jonah + Spring = Pure Bliss

Praying for less rain and more sun.

Jonah is obsessed with being outside, even when it's raining. It's really a win win all around-or a win win win as Steve Carrell would say. Our friends, LJ and Matt-have transformed our yard into a beautiful oasis for us. We are looking forward to more dry days to have friends and family over for barbeque's very soon!

Wishing you all peace and joy wherever you are today.

Love Joelle, James and Jonah

P.S. This is what happens when I don't blog for a long time and take pictures exclusively on my phone. There are over a 100 pictures in the most recent album. Enjoy!

Jonah devouring an apple

This is my normal header, where I say "I can't believe Jonah is [blank] old...". But, its the truth. I am in awe that in 4 quick months Jonah will be turning 2 years old. Life has never been more satisfying with him in it!

The winter months have been cruising by, with many birthday celebrations, including a lot of friends hitting the big 30 and some others hitting that 31st year, 33rd year, 55th year, and a little traveling, lots of working and good times had by one and all!

Be sure to check out some of the pictures and videos that I posted. Too cute! I have been taking tons of pictures on my phone that I plan to upload this week too!

Sending all of our loved ones well wishes-and hoping that 2010 brings us closer together.

Love Joelle, James and Jonah

Jonah turns 19 months old

This is the first post I have done without a picture, but for the sake of time and falling behind again on posting I had to check in and share some of the daily "goings on" of the Allen household.

Let's first start with some happy things. Portland has been blessed with incredible weather over the past week. The type of weather that makes you feel like anything is possible!

The not so happy event was that Jonah caught a horrible virus starting this past Tuesday and it has finally simmered itself. The poor kiddo has temperatures ranging from 101-104 pretty consistently up until Saturday. Motrin was the only thing that kept his temperature down. Thank goodness for the amazing weather because we were not totally cooped up at home, or otherwise we would have really lost our minds. Though, at times I swore we had. I am definitely grateful that the virus is behind us all.

But, thanks to the support of my parents and my loving and amazing husband we managed to come out of the week alive. Okay, well that is a bit dramatic, but it wrecked us.

Let's lighten up the mood Joelle. Okay! I thought I would share some of the sweet words Jonah is saying, because he has been somewhat a late talker amongst his peers. Thus, why we have all been so grateful for sign language.

His word list; recent favorite, HI (and he says it to cute girls with a big smile), ball, boat, boot, bird, blue, duck, quack quack, goat, snake (sounds like nake), jonah (sounds like nu-nah), mama, dada, nana, papa (PA-PA!), more...that's all I can think of now.

But, his first word outside of mama and dada was when Jonah and I were walking with friends at the Rhododendron Gardens and as we approached the ducks, he said "Duck" completely on his own, and then the next day we say a goat and he said "Goat" once again on his own.

Let's see...what else. Jonah loves his slide that his great grandma hilda got for him. He will go up and down it I swear a hundred times a day. He loves to color with crayons, finger paint, to stick tape and stickers on paper, play with play do, LOVES TO BE OUTSIDE (would never come inside unless we carried him in crying sometimes), loves to take walks and be pushed in his little red car, loves to push cars around the house, loves to run around the house, and look at books and more and more....

As for James and I (yes, I suppose there is more to our lives except Jonah) are really enjoying our office space and cruising along on projects at work. We are very busy and that is exactly what we want!

Well, I am now officially tired, but wanted to take a moment before I let more time go to check in with family and friends to share a little taste with you of our sweet Jonah.

Love Joelle and family

Jonah is 18 months old!

We can hardly believe Jonah is now 18 1/2 months old! It has been a busy last few months for us, but very fulfilling for all of us! Jonah just gets more and more amazing each day, as do all of these amazing little ones.

Jonah started at the CMLC in January. It was a hard transition for all of us at first, but he really loves going to school. I look forward to picking him up each day, mainly so I can hear about his adventures for the day. They are doing some fabulous enrichment activities with the kids, and both James and I consider joining him for snacks and lunch because it is beautifully made. The space is really inspiring as well. It is filled with beautiful murals and just radiates joy.

I hear funny comments back like Jonah is learning about sharing space-likes to sit on his friends on the red couch. This does not surprise me! And that he is outgoing and loves to have his picture taken, or loves to dance and listen to music, or wash his hands, or draw...It is so comforting to know while I am at the office, just a few blocks away that he is at a place filled with so much love.

Personally I am really enjoying the time to tackle my long list of to-do's at the office. And James and I get to sneak out for lunch dates and walks with Jasmine. Another one of my favorite perks has been to meet my sister in law, Monique downtown for runs. She and I have some fun plans for the future months to come.

This is a picture of Jonah sporting our super cool 3d shades from watching Avatar.

Much Love,

Joelle, James and Jonah