Pumpkin Patch Trip

Our family went to the Pumpkin Patch this past weekend. We had a good time enjoying the mid 50's and the clear skies. My three kids love the pumpkin patch and we've started a tradition that a group of friends and their children all come to the same one on the same day. The girls love the gathering part. We go to a Michigan Farm called Trabbic Family Farm. They have an assortment of farm animals that you're aloud to go near to pet, but not feed, and to watch as they mosey around their pens.

My oldest, Hannah, loved the Roosters and Turkeys. She actually stood there and started making the gobbling sounds to them. They reacted with their own calls, which she was thrilled with. They were beautiful birds. Even a fun one with a pom pom of feathers on it head.

We don't usually buy pumpkins there, because I usually get them from the Farmer's market the weekend before Halloween. We do however usually do some sort of Pumpkin Express Train ride each year.. This is the normal view we get of Emma from the train.

Hey Mom! Hey Dad!

We usually try to get a few cute photos, worth of hanging in the living room each year. I have just a regular point and shoot camera. (Which kills me btw, because I loved my old, one step down from a DSLR camera, which just randomly stopped working. ) So here's our single photos we took of the girls. I also took ones of each of them on the pumpkins like Hannah's photo, but Lilly's turned out funky with almost glittery hair, and Emma had a funny smile, so I will settle for these three.

We had great weather, and enjoyed the morning there. The end of the trip to the pumpkin patch, we always no matter how many times we tell Emma (who is 5 now) to tell us where she is going, we always end up losing her. The last 2 years haven't been so great. Sounds like bad parenting, but really one year she ran into the Hay Tunnels and didn't tell us, this year her friend and her went over and sat on a bench across the pumpkin area and didn't tell us. I'm pretty sure next year we will be playing a recording while she is asleep the nights before that says the following: "Please tell Mama and Dad where you are going on the farm. Please tell Mama and Dad where you are going on the farm." Well.. you get the point.

Kind of sad that it's already come and gone. Though, I am so glad that the girls had a blast!

Sunny Days.

It's now October, and we are in Toledo, Ohio. It should already be "fall-like" conditions, and in the next few days it's going to hit Upper 70's and almost mid-80's ! I see the leaves changing colors already.. it has to be one of my favorite things to see. I grew up in Seattle, so my whole life we saw a little bit of change of colors, but mostly everything was a certain Evergreen type of tree. Not to say we didn't have other trees, more like we just saw the leaves go yellow and then fall. In Ohio and other surrounding Midwest states, there are so many wonderful vibrant colors through the trees.

When I first made my way to Ohio, it was this time of the year. My then boyfriend, now husband Eric, took me down to Kent State for a concert there. I was amazed at all the colors through the hills. I couldn't believe it. I took it all in, with as many memory photographs as I could. I knew it existed I just didn't know that I would be driving through it all. I could only imagine then someday I would see it each and every year.

My children haven't been able to see all the greenery and water that surrounds Seattle yet. Only in photos. I have to say, I miss the mountains that you take for granted that see every day when you live in the Pacific Northwest. It's gorgeous. No matter which way you look you see these majestic scenes of snow covered mountains. I really would love for my kids to see them. Especially during the spring or fall. When you have a crisp clear day, Mt. Rainier shines in the sun like nothing you'd ever believe. It was by far my most favorite sight there. I hope that they get the chance to take it all in some day.

But I digress, it's been lovely here. Today would have been my dad's 54th birthday. He loved a beautiful day. My girl's played outside after school today, with the slight breeze, and the summer's sunset in the East. I spent many days with my dad, while he was alive, watching sunsets in the East because our apartment building faced that way. We had huge windows that wrapped around our living room. It would warm our living room at night, just perfect. Though he would usually complain left and right about how the sun was in his eyes while watching whatever show, he would always mention the sunset if it was a gorgeous one, and usually it was just that.

My girls never had the chance to meet him, but each one of them have a little bit in him. Emma has his humor. Hannah has his stubbornness. And Lilly, she has his eyes. I see him, in her, all the time. He would have loved them all in their own silly ways. I sometimes feel cheated by God, when it comes to my Dad being gone too early for my liking. Maybe more like I feel my girls were cheated out of having a Grandpa. Not to discredit my husband's father. He was a wonderful loving Poppa. He spoiled those two older girls like crazy, but would deny it until he was blue in the face. Haha. He and Emma had a really strong connection and Emma was only 2 when he passed away. I don't know if she really remembers him, but she lives to hear stories of when her and Poppa hung out. Now my father in law Don would love a beautiful day too. He would sit on his front porch and watch every car go down the block. Listen to his country music and just enjoy his day sitting, watching and listening.

It's really something when the simplest thing like a sunny day, brings back memories. I really enjoyed today. So did my kids. For that I am blessed.