For My Dad

For those of you who don't already know this, my Dad Rick lives on Friday Harbor in The San Juan Islands. By car, it's close to 4 hrs from our house to the anacordes ferry, and then another hour on the Ferry to get to the Island. Because of the length of the trip, we rarely make it.

On my dad's end, he doesn't get to leave the Island for much due to a busy work schedule. He owns a gift store (The Mystical Mermaid) that he & his girlfriend Wendy have basically put their lives into over at least the last decade. It's a pretty unique place, and it's where they spend 7 days a week.

Since we rarely get any actual face time with my Dad, he relies on phone calls and pictures via my blog. Unfortunately for him, I'm not great at making or taking phone calls....and as we all know, I'm pretty sporadic when it comes to posting on my blog.

He pretty relentlessly begs for photos when we do talk, so today this is for my Dad. There isn't any rhyme or reason to what I'm posting today as far as the pictures go....it's what my dad has been requesting for the past 6 months to a year.

So here ya go Dad, hope this adds a smile to your face today & makes your work day pass a bit quicker.

Love Missy

Bronchitis

I have it. Sweet! No those aren't my lungs, just a nice example.

Beautiful Boy

Pumpkin Hunting!

So, every year we go to Hunters Farm off of Yelm highway in Olympia. It feels pretty high class, like we're at a real pumpkin patch/x-mas tree farm. They have multiple activities for the kids, and the adults. Quad rides, Merry-go-round, Hay maze, big & little corn maze, 2 super slides, and of course a buggy hooked up to an old tractor that hauls you back and forth from the pumpkin patches.

This place is beautiful, it's on a huge chunk of land, and there's great decor everywhere too. They also sell the best hot apple cider Norm & I have ever had. This year was shaping up the same as all other years, I was super excited yesterday on the drive there.

When we arrived, we purchases our very value priced wristbands that allowed us to participate in all the activities, got some cider & quarters for the goat food machine, walked around and took some pictures. Then...it was time to head out to get our Family Pumpkins.

The old man driving us out was so sweet, he offered to take the camera & get a family shot. He also told us which seats on the buggy were the best, and remarked about what a nice family we were (he obviously doesn't know us). Then.....he said 16 little words, that shocked me, and truthfully, made me feel as though this magical place was actually just a fraud.

"Lemme take ya out to where the good punkins are, brought in today...fresh from Shelton".

What???????? My precious, special, original, unique, MAGICAL, un-like any other farm is having their pumpkins delivered....and from my own hometown?

Hunters will never be the same in my mind ever again. I picture those pumpkins as growing out there, and just ever so gently falling off their vines..into the spot in the dirt where I find them. Come to find out, it's all just a fantasy.

Thank you Hunters Farm, for crushing my dreams.

My litte Monkey

Last year a monkey. This year a Puppy dog (pending Old Navy getting another one in his size).

Last year Pumpkin Patch

Here are a couple of last year...this year to come soon! Too rainy today though, and today had been our plan. Bummer. So, I'm reminiscing with these :)

Boo!

This post is mainly for my friend Jessica...assuming she'll read this. This year we are having a Halloween party, thus I want multiple pumpkins...carved fabulously and placed all around the entrance to our home.

However, Norm & I are not artists. Guess who is though.... Yep, J's Hubby (Dale) is one hell of a carver (not in the serial killer sense).

Anyway--I'm in need of some ideas, that I could pull off. Nothing extravagant, just something a bit different from the usual triangle eyes and parentheses mouth.

Thanks Jess...for the awesome ideas I know you'll be forwarding me very soon.

For example: this is just a smidge too difficult for our abilities.

P.s. Hope your hernia surgery went as well as it could have.

3 years old

On August 10th, Nixon turned three. We celebrated his special day @ Chuck E cheese. He is SO big, and SO grown up. Which makes me happy & sad (only because I miss my little baby). I'm honored to be his mom, and incredibly lucky to have such a charismatic and full of life boy. He is all boy, and rarely afraid of anything--which often results in injury and visits to St. Petes & his Dentist.

Nixon enjoys being a copy cat, as all kids do. These are some of things he's been saying lately--phrases that remind me just how grown up he is.

"Mom, I'm a growing boy you know"

"Get out! I need my privacies" (said from his personal bathroom)

"I sure did have a good time with you today"

"I'm getting strong just like my dad"

"Sleep tight guys (to me & Norm), and don't let those bed bugs bite"

"Shoe you fly, don't you bother meeee"

"Are we going back to our Captain house soon" (about our cabin, in skykomish)

"Ughhhhh, then your not gonna be my best friend anymore then"

"But I just wanna watch Mickey for a second mom, just 1 second"

"But we don't say F*ck, cause that's a bad word. We onee say Gosh darnit" (That's right son!)

I love my Nixon, and I'm very proud of the 3 year old that he is. I know he will only get smarter, kinder, and more handsome each year, and that is something to be grateful for.

Hiking with G'pa.

My boys

These pics were taken @ beautiful Schafer park, here in Centralia. You won't find big toys, or even swings here. You will find a beautiful section of the Skookumchuck river, a fair size area of sand, and a ton of grass to run in.

Nixon asked to go here everyday for a good week, during the hot part of summer. He was even brave enough to wade in the water up to his waste...if you know my son, you know he doesn't enjoy swimming unless the water is quite warm and no deeper than 2 feet.


Great place to be on a hot summer day...we even floated down it in an inflatable raft once this season. Nixon thought it was so peaceful, he took a nap as we drifted! Good times.