2nd Trip to the Pumpkin Patch

K was so bummed that T got to go to the pumpkin patch on a field trip and she didn't so we planned an afternoon that we would take them both together. So yesterday after Cliff picked up T from school, we went out to Lone Pine Farms. They have a great playground there that the kids love, we were able to pet the goats, play on old tractors and then pick pumpkins.

We considered riding the hayride out to the patch but knew it wasn't too bad of a walk so we headed out. When we came to the pumpkin patch, there was a sign advising that one was closed. So we had to walk about another 1/2 mile to the next patch on the farm. It felt like four times that long. The kids did enjoy all the mud puddles though. K kept stopping and bending over so far that her hair was nearly in the water, she thought she could see horses in the water. Yeah, she's a crazy little girl. :0)

So we finally got to the patch and every pumpkin was so big that there wasn't anything the kids or I could carry. We looked around for about 20 minutes and the kids decided they didn't want one anymore so we walked all the way back.

After some more playing on the playground, we let them go into the store for cookies where they found the pumpkins they wanted. They were the ones that are a few inches high and cost something like $.69. Too bad we didn't know that was all they wanted before we walked all over the farm!

First Ever Field Trip - The Pumpkin Patch

I can't believe my son is old enough to be going on field trips. We had our first one this week and it was to Northern Lights Christmas Tree Farm which also has an awesome set up for a pumpkin patch, hay ride, spider shed (?), massive pumpkins, turkeys, goats, cows, a catapult from which they made 3 pumpkins fly further than I've ever seen and much to the kid's joy, smashed all over the ground. I volunteered to drive for the field trip and by the morning of was deeply regretting it. I woke up feeling awful and sicker than I had felt in a long time. However, I figured it was just a cold and I could tough it out. I am so glad I did, it was a blast! All the kids were able to pick a pumpkin, two gourds and three ears of popping corn. They had different colors of corn, red, white and blue. We are supposed to let it dry for a week, remove the husk and then put it in a paper bag into the microwave and I guess it just pops right on the ear. We'll see if it works.

I'm so glad that I am a stay at home mom and get to participate in things like this. My only complaint, sitting in the rain on a hay bale in the rain didn't help my cold and by that night I was in bed with a fever and have yet to recover. So next time, if I feel sick, I'll send grandma. :0)

WOF Conference 2007

Last weekend my Mom, Aunt Karen, Debi and I made our way to Portland (with a few shopping stops) for the Women of Faith Conference. What an amazing time. I'll admit, the motel (and I do mean MOTEL, not Hotel) lived up to it's 2 star rating but it did have a pretty big TV. Making up for our motel in the ghetto were the 3 Starbucks all within walking distance. Although on Saturday morning as Debi and I were walking to Starbucks we started wondering if people driving by were thinking, "Hm, those two gals must be from out of town. No two women walk alone in this part of town." Nonetheless, the shooting that happened during the night wasn't TOO close to our motel. :0) Okay, enough about the motel.

The first session was Friday night at 7:00. The conference was held at the Rose Garden which held all 18,000 women for the weekend. There were amazing speakers, singers and even someone who performed drama monologues. We laughed A LOT and at times had tears in our eyes. These women had been through a lot and yet they were able to stand up in front of thousands of women and tell their stories. None of their stories were fun ones to share but yet they shared anyway, hopefully benefiting someone else. We were there until 10 o'clock or so Friday night and then back again Saturday morning at 9 o'clock for the next day of speakers. It also was a wonderful day full of laughter. We were able to meet up during the lunch break with my Aunt Kathy and my Aunt Sherri who were there but in a different seating area. Then after the day was done, we met Aunt Sherri for dinner in Portland and then Mom and Karen rode home with her.

I am so glad that I was able to spend this time with my mom, aunts, and Debi - it was a blast. Hopefully we'll be there again next year!

Six of The Best Years of My Life

Yesterday, October 6th, was our six year wedding anniversary. I can't believe it has already been six years. In some ways, it seems as if we've been married for many more years. In other ways, it seems like just a couple of years ago that we went on our first date.

I'm sure most of you know how we met but if not, I'll fill you in. In May of 2000 I was working as a dispatcher for EPD and Cliff was a deputy on the traffic team at LCSO. One of my good friends from work, Crystal, was dating a deputy at LCSO, Dave. Between the two of them they decided that Cliff and I would make a good match. So one evening at a get-together, they asked Cliff if he would be interested in meeting someone Crystal worked with and going on a second date. Cliff said yes much to his own surprise. Looking back now, he says that it must have been God and he knew that maybe I would be the one even before meeting me just because he felt compelled to say, "yes." I was so eager to meet a great guy that I jumped at the chance to meet him even though I was scared to death of a blind date.

Dave & Crystal pretty much planned it. They picked me up at City Hall and we then met Cliff at BJ's restaurant. I can still remember him walking in, dark blue polo shirt, blue jeans, brown shoes and a good looking haircut. I sat next to Crystal, Cliff sat next to Dave. Cliff was a bit quiet, I think because he was nervous. I, on the other hand, tend to talk insanely fast when I get nervous and have no loss for words. Once we were done with dinner we left to go bowling (Cliff held the door for me - SCORE!) Dave rode with Cliff to the bowling alley and I rode with Crystal so I could tell her what I thought of Cliff, I imagine the boys were doing the same.

We went to the bowling alley behind Reed & Cross and bowled a few games. I remember one time sitting down next to Cliff when it wasn't either of our turns, I think I made him nervous by sitting so close. :0) Oh, by the way, he held the door open for me coming to and going from the bowling alley. (Again, SCORE!)

After bowling, Crystal took me to get my car and then we went to Shari's restaurant where we stayed until about 2 a.m. talking about everything, mostly work though. I was hooked, he was so handsome and I wanted to know more and more about him. When it came time to leave, Crystal and Dave rushed to their car and were gone before we could even hardly say anything. Guess this was their tactic so we would be forced to be alone. Cliff nervously asked for my phone number and I eagerly gave it to him. We said good-bye and went to our cars. I was all giddy and nervous, trying to find a good CD to blare on the way home to celebrate my first and hopefully last blind date. Once I picked the perfect CD, I looked in my rearview mirror to back out and realized that Cliff was in his truck, waiting to make sure I left the parking lot okay before he left. (Again, SCORE!) That was when I knew I wanted to marry him. No guy that I had ever dated waited to be sure I was safe, opened my doors or was such a gentleman. Diana and Don brought up a good man.

So obviously he called, we went on a second date (with Carl & Debi), a third (with SWAT guys) and finally a fourth that was just me and him. And the rest is history. I love this man.

These are just a couple of pictures from our date last night for our anniversary. We went to the movies and saw The Kingdom and then went to Lucky Noodle for dinner. We've done these things before but something was different last night, it was an amazing night. We waited for nearly an hour for our table but it didn't matter, we were like a young married couple again and it was incredible.