Playing with pencil sketches...

I was always in awe of the one who has his way with a pencil...

Now it takes only a great App and a click of the button...and I can click- alright!

Sweet Little Donna

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This post is for you Irinka, our dear sister, for letting your precious kiddo out of your site for a weeks time...

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We had a great privilege enjoy presence of the sweet Donna on our Palm Springs trip, the best friend of our own Melanie.

Kids had fun driving in for two whole days (first day 10 hours, second day 12 hours) in the car, eating together, swimming and playing together and had sleepovers during our stay in Palm Springs.

The View From Here..Palm Springs, CA

On Tuesday, after the "storm" has passed we started to enjoy clear, cloudless skies and temperatures in mid 70's...

Five minutes of fame

Melanie got her five minutes of fame on TV; thanks to her Aunty Zoonia for making that happen...

Date on the River

One sunny and beautiful September Friday morning Dragon Fighter and I went for a date on a river, or to be exact on two rivers. We had to reschedule this date several times due to weather not cooperating with our schedules.

While we were getting ready, Melanie and Alina, having day off at school, had fun playing in the boat.

Willamette Park in West Linn (our destination) is the place where the Tualatin and the Willamette rivers meet. In the mornings and evenings you see guys fishing along the river and kids playing on the playground with their moms. You can launch your boat from this park and head up toward Oregon City and the Willamette Falls.

By now, kids are in tender care of their aunty Natali and Dragon Fighter ready to take our boat to the water. Although we didn't know the speed of the river's current, we were hoping for a smooth ride.

The river was smooth, the talk was pleasant, the air was crisp...

I was cosy in the life jacket and warm blanket that Alina provided for my comfort (and I do like my comfort...)

After an hour or so on the river, Dragon Fighter noticed this old, covered with vegetation and with many years of neglect shown, rusty boat.

And if you a Dragon Fighter and you see such a scene, it is not possible to just let it be, you have to explore, touch, smell and wonder what it is and why it is there.

It is still a mystery...

As for me, I just enjoyed the view of the most wonderful and lavish mansions along the Willamette River with perfect manicured backyards and tennis courts, dreaming for such house for myself...

And while dreaming aloud...Dragon Fighter was shivering inside and scratching his head-- how he can ever afford such a house for his wife...

I did not dream for too long, got home, did a little research and found out that the average taxes for such property is $55,000-$65,000/year.

No thank you, I said, I sure do enjoy my cute, Little House on the Cooper and a Johnson Creek in my backyard for only $4,000/year.

"W" is for Work

Dragon Fighter has been working very, very hard this past summer on his remodeling project....

Now that the project is complete (wohoo!) we can all breathe little bit easier as we all did not get enough of his company...

Here are the pictures of the the finished project in the nutshell or should I say in the letter "W" that as Alina will tell you -- stands for "work"...

Emmalynn Faith is born...

On sunny Friday morning, Dragon Fighter's younger brother and his wife welcomed their second child into this world. Yesterday we went to meet our niece for the very first time.



As a rumor has it, she got her name while parents were eating out in Chinese restaurant, and may be "Lynn" in her name has something to do with it.

Proud Papa..

Hello precious!

Of course, Dragon Fighter insisted on holding her and I have left to take pictures of them.

So here is to a new addition to our extended family, may you have a long and fruitful life --baby Emmalynn Faith!