We made it back from 9 days in my hometown of Portland, Oregon and it was a great trip! First of all, Eleanor travelled like a champ. She never cried, just watched all the people in the airports (five of them, in total) like a true Sociologist. She slept and played quietly, unlike all the other kids on the plane. We were very proud parents! Once in Portland, Eleanor met her Uncle Tony:
who discovered that babies aren't so bad when they are your niece, even when they do pull on one's beard. She giggled every time she saw him, so the feeling was mutual.
On day 1, Nora met Wendy's best friend Ruth and her kids Eva and Noah after some morning shopping and lunch with Uncle Anthony. On Friday, the family visited Wendy's Grandma Jean (namesake and maternal Grandmother) and Aunt Lisa who informed us that Eleanor in French (Aunt Lisa is fluent in French and has traveled the world extensively) is El-E-uh-nor, which we thought was just beautiful. After that, we met up with Wendy's high school friend Meg and her partner Kelly and their baby Quincy; and Wendy's college friends Molly & Mike and their son Tygan. It was a big day of visiting for all.
That is Geoff with Quincy, who decided Geoff was pretty neat.
On Day 3, Geoff and Wendy left Nora Bean with Grandma and headed an hour away to the Spirit Mountain Resort & Casino in Grand Ronde, Oregon. A dry casino, we promptly headed to the local spirits shop to get provisions for an all grown-ups holiday! We spent Saturday - Monday there and relaxed, ate well, drank well, and gambled a lot. No real winning to speak of, except Wendy sat down at a 25 cent machine and on the second bet, won 900 quarters. That allowed us to recoup about $200 of the $700 spent in machines and on tables. It was a wonderful time. While we were gone, Eleanor and Grandma attended a wedding and had loads of fun on walks, shopping, singing, and being introduced to all of Grandma's friends.
Back in Portland on Christmas Eve (Day 5 of trip), we did some final shopping, wrapping of all presents, then headed back to Grandma Jean's house for a Vuksich Family Christmas Eve, just like we used to have. Sidebar: When visiting a few days prior, Wendy asked if there would be any gathering of the Vuksiches (Grandma's maiden name, by the way). The answer was no, but we returned from our vacation with the news that we would gather! This was very special to Wendy given that she grew up going to this side of the family's house on Christmas Eve every year of her childhood and early adulthood. There Eleanor met Wendy's aunts Ginny, Tara (& hubby Ray), and Lisa; cousins Cameron (& wife Angie, kids Elijah & Isabelle), Nicole (& boyfriend Dan), Stanley, and Rudy. Wendy spent the whole night marveling at how grown up her cousins were (she kept asking, "How old are you?" followed by a genuinely shocked "No way"). Unfortunately, no pictures were taken as Mama forgot the camera (seriously, the diaper bag is enough of a hassle and I usually forget that....). It was a very fun night and Geoff was so gracious seeing everyone again, Eleanor was charming and we were able to take a picture of four generations (which hopefully Wendy's Mama will send her) that included Wendy's grandmother, mother, and daughter.
And, while away, our friends Patrick and Beth Long welcomed a baby boy into their family, whom they named Trevor Mason Long. Congratulations to Mommy, Daddy, and big sister Lauren! Stay tuned for Christmas in Oregon--Days 6-9 tomorrow!
