South 47 Farm to Hunt Pumpkins!!!

We went to an urban farm nearby to get pumpkins last month. When I was a kid it was more of a mystery, but now that I've been around the farm a few times, I know the drill.

We started with a little hay bail riding.
What do you think, can I pass as a local?

Now, where did I put that pumpkin?

Here's my buddy Foster. He's a professional pumpkin lifter. This was a mid weight for him.

Now, after warming up, do you think Foster can lift this one?

Dad and Auntie Naynay picked up a couple of pumpkins for us all. We went big this year.

I helped too. . .

And, I played in the mud. Dinosaur boots: kid tested, mother approved.

And, we saw the tractor ride come through, so we waived.

But they wouldn't stop for us. Oh well, let's go see the animals!

But, I need to have a quick melt down first.

This guy didn't move a lot, but he always had a nice smile for the pictures.

I like feeding GOATS!!!!!

Auntie Naynay give professional horse feeding lessons.

And at the end, we took a family portrait. I like this one.

Oh, come on Mom and Dad, really?

I Make Cake

I don't know about you guys, but I love cake. Over the years, I've been learning to make it myself.
Now, it's important to taste the batter before baking the cake. It's too late to change things once its in the oven you know . . .

Finished product, yum yum. . . . The sprinkles really add to the taste.

Oh yeah, the whole reason for the cake was to celebrate Uncle Ian's birthday.

We made sure we got the University of Oregon's colors (Go Ducks!) into the cake. I think it is a pretty color palette.

Monster Rave in Glenview Illinois

Hey Everyone,

We were in Chicago in early October to visit Oma and Opa. Opa had a little tune up (surgery) and we wanted to see how he was doing, plus get face to face with the family overall and make sure they were keeping it all on the up and up. . .

We got together with Mom's friend Kim and of course Jack and James. Now, Jack has this thing about shirtless Thursdays, and I think we visited on Thursday . . . (just kidding)

Jacks little brother James can't walk yet, but he does manage to roll around and get in the game. He managed to tickle Oma's feet and had her on the run.

Did I mention that Jack is "Super Chill&Happy Baby"?

At one point Jack was accessorizing. We managed a lot of activities in our visit, including a trip to the Kohl's Museum.

Party!!!!

For those of you that can't make it out, my shirt says, "I'm Kind of a Big Deal" :)

When I'm back with Oma and Opa, it seems like some of the rules magically disappear for a while. Can anyone say Dove Bar?

See food.

Opa was helping me eat some pretzels too. I didn't know how much better everything is with butter.

I can't wait until the next trip to Chicago where I can learn another cool food combo. It's all so European :)

Rocket Scientist in the House

Alright, slowly getting current with the summer activity :) In this special edition, I'd like to give a cross-country shout out to my buddy Zan. We didn't take a lot of pictures cause we were busy having fun. But, let's start with some couch time just chill-axing. . .

Did I eat something spicy, or did I make a present? You decide.

At one point, while I was taking a nap, Dad and Zan went out to meet a friend named Dan for a day downtown. This is a picture of them down on the waterfront by the aquarium.

Zan got a real kick out of this game that I like to play with Dad. We call it trust falls. Ready, set,

Fall!!!

Thanks for visiting Zan!

Uncoordinated White Guys with Chainsaws

Hey Gramma,



What's that up there?



It looks like Daddy and Grampa. What are they doing?



It's like they are "tree-whispering". And, what's that thing propped in the tree at Daddy's feet?

And why is Grampa tying a rope to the tree? Does he want to make a swing?

Wait, where did the tree go? They're cutting it down!! Do they know what they are doing? And why does Daddy look like he's just hanging out . . . with a chainsaw . . . in a tree?

Almost done with the big branches. I hope this one doesn't hit the neighbor's car.

I am the master of my domain :) Who is going to clean up all this mess. I can't ride my bike through this.

It looks a lot nicer without that dieing tree hanging over everything.

And I'm spent. Nap time. See you soon :)

Connor and Thomas Together Forever

Hey Everyone,

Sorry for taking so long since my last post. I've just been consumed with thinking about Thomas the Train ever since I had a Day Out with Thomas. Only now can I look at these pictures and not feel a deep sense of loss over not being able to re-experience the day.


There he is. Simply put, I love him.
Gramma and Grampa were excited to spend time with Thomas too. They had heard me tell so many good stories.

Even Mommy allowed herself to get photographed. I was biting my nails in anticipation.

Once we were on the train my anxiety turned to sheer joy.
On the train ride we passed by the Snoqualmie Lodge.

And could look down the Snoqualmie falls.

At one point though, I felt like I was being watched from unseen eyes.

But, I forgot all about it once I got my hand tattoo.

And spent a fair amount of time in the tent filled with train sets on tables. There were lots of train sets to test drive.

Even Grampa got into the action. He's got skills.

Grampa is also tricky. When he wanted train play time to end, he got me a Popsicle to lure me away.

Not a bad deal for me all in all.

They also had a model train set with Thomas characters. Here is Percy making the loop.

But, when Daddy tried to take me into a small locomotive, I just had enough. Let's go home!!

Bye bye Thomas!