Months in Review

The aforementioned avalanche experienced a deep freeze. The cold front, coming from the realms of Facebook, swept accross my laptop. I am forecasting a thaw, as Talia is nestled in her crib, Jon works steadily at his computer, and I sit with a mug of hot water (blame Yael for that idea). Will this impending warm front be sufficient to dislodge the avalanche of experiences from the last several months?

AUGUST

My last detailed post dates back to Talia's birthday. After her big day, Talia learned to stand (without assistance). Notice her concentration as we happened to capture this momentous occasion.



Gas prices soared so Jon wisely created our Summer List. This list of staycations gave us something to look forward to without breaking the bank. He chose several historical and enjoyable outings within a 50 mile (or so) radius. The first spot on the list was Bridgeport.

Bridgeport is one of the largest double span covered bridges in North America. We visited the bridge, picniced, geocached, and hiked. Here are a few highlights.







SEPTEMBER

On September 1st we drove to Empire Mine. This hard rock gold mine opperated until the 1950s and consisted of 367 miles of underground tunnels and mine shafts. In addition to the mines, buildings, museum, and mining machinery, the park boasts admission to the Bourn estate and its surrounding acres of gardens.







One highlight of September was our (Talia and I) trip to Texas. You can read about that trip in a previous post.

Our next adventure took us to Coloma and the James Marshall Discovery Park. We visited the place where gold was first discovered, ushering in the Gold Rush of 1849. In addition to visiting the historic sites and museums, we hiked, picniced, and geocached.







Mike and Evelyn invited us to welcome autumn with a trip to Bishop's Pumpkin Farm.











It was in September that we learned Jon was very sick. This month began a nearly six week series of tests and appointments to determine the cause of his illness. We had weekend trip to Tahoe in October and a week long vacation to Sea Ranch planned for early November. Jon's doctor told us that he needed to stay close to home while they researched his diagnosis and planned treatments. Jon's doctor called the morning of our trip to Bishop's, we got home, packed, and left on an "emergency" trip to Lake Tahoe.







OCTOBER

One of the highlights of October was Talia's first steps. You can see her first steps on video below. Here she is enjoying her new found freedom.



We joined Mike on a trip to Apple Hill. Cold weather and illness kept some of the family home, but the rest of us had a great time.









NOVEMBER

Come November, we did our civic duty, and enjoyed the benefits. Thank God for America (and Starbucks)!







We enjoyed rather temperate weather. Talia spent quite a bit of time outdoors, playing, on walks, and geocaching.











This Thanksgiving was extra special since all 20 Thomassons were finally together again. We had a great time. After Thanksgiving, we went to Fairy Tale Town. Talia also had her first paid babysitter (with nine of her cousins) while the adults enjoyed a quadruple date.















We bought Talia a kitchen for Christmas. The only problem was we couldn't wait for Christmas to give it to her. She loves it and can cook and explore for hours. Here she is playing in her new kitchen.



There are so many more pictures of Talia if you go to our Flickr album. It is hard to select a few pictures when there are so many more worthy of posting.

DECEMBER

Talia is waking and it is time for me to get dinner started. I will continue with December soon (no promises :)).

Two Months and Counting...

Several people have asked if we plan to maintain our blog. Indeed, we do. Procrastination has left me wondering where to begin. Now that I have broken the ice, let the avalanche begin!

A few have commented on the lack of Talia pictures. There is no true lack, you just need know where to look. Try the Flickr album on the right. We update it every week or so.

Until next post, happy perusing...

Erin's Waterskiing Adventure

Jon insisted that he post some of my water skiing adventure in Tahoe last weekend. We had an "emergency" vacation (more on that in a future post) and Jon spoiled me with this fantastic opportunity. The last time I water skied was in high school and I had been eager to try again. In Tahoe, a wet suit is customary attire for the casual skier (lake temperature ranges from 41 to 68 degrees). My wet suit was pretty baggy so the initial gush of water filling the suit was the most challenging aspect of the outing. I had so much fun I stayed on the water for 45 minutes (with a short break after the pictured face plant). The boat driver said that the average newbie skis for about 20 minutes. I understood why after several days of sore muscles. We hope to go again in the future.

Talia's first steps!

While Talia has occasionally taken a few steps, this was her first true walking experience.

Please excuse Talia's lack of apparel. She decided to start walking right after Mommy had removed her watermelon dribbled shirt.

God Bless Texas

Talia and I (Erin) just returned from a vacation in Texas to visit Joy and Joel. We had a fantastic time! I made the mistake of taking our camera without the memory card so I was only able to capture a few pictures. Here are a few highlights:





Talia loved being with Joy and Joel. They treated her like a princess, even giving her a crown to prove it! The above picture shows them at the Dallas Home Show.





Talia loved many things about the Marlowe's home, especially the dogs. She loved to pet them...





Relish their wet kisses,





And play with them.





Talia enjoyed a Potbelly sandwich, where we happened to run into Joel's dad and his wife. They helped spoil Talia, too.





Joy and Talia became good friends. Joy taught Talia how to use a fork.





Joy gave Talia plenty of walking practice.





Talia also made friends with Sofia and Brenden. Here she is calling Daddy on the phone (she really said, "Hi Dada").





We casually looked for a Stetson for Talia. Not finding one before the flight home, I bought a rather inexpensive "Made in Mexico" hat at the airport. It may have cost $6, but she makes it look like a million bucks.









We are still working on her "yee ha."

Talia ended the trip with a big kiss for Joy. I think they will miss each other, but you should have seen her smile when she saw Daddy waiting for her at the airport!

Now for my thoughts...

Texas has it's own amazing personality. State pride is evident just walking down the street. Many houses flew the state flag or had the lone star ensignia was everywhere. Even the commercials advertising a Texas beer alleged that if you can't find their beer, you must be in a foreign country.

The Texans I met were warm and friendly. Joy and Joel's neighbors waved as they passed by. The owner of the local Chick A Fila spent probably 20 minutes chatting with Joy initially about an inquiry and eventually about life in general. A Texan couple offered to help me at the airport. I got a kick out of the woman at the drug store asking, "Are y'all kin?" Probably one of the nicest evidences of the town pride was an enormous playground that the community built for their children. It was the biggest playground I have ever seen and was financed solely by community donations.

The best part of the trip (and the primary reason for going) was visiting my good friend. Joy reminded me that we met 16 years ago and have been great friends since. We remenisced about our old antics and adventures and spent many hours discussing our lives since then. As is tradition, we played cards and drank Martinelli's sparkling cider. The three girls went on several walks, and Joy and Joel introduced me to Wii Fit. I am very grateful to Jon for allowing me to fly to Texas. It was a selfless act and I truly appreciate his encouragement in making this trip happen. Perhaps we will make a family trip to Texas in the future.

Why the title? The whole time I was in Texas I had a variety country songs running through my head. Songs about yellow roses, Felina, exes, and the promised land created a fitting backdrop to our trip. While Texas has its faults, as do all earthly homes, there is a charm, warmth, and ruggedness that pulls at the heart. So I say it again,

God bless Texas!