It’s a beautiful weekend here in the Pacific Northwest…sunny and crisp, great weather for being outside. This afternoon Jeff and I continued our tradition of visiting a corn maze each fall. This was a great maze, there was some flattened corn from the high winds we had here a week ago, but for the most part the corn was tall and dense, and we definitely needed the map they gave us! Thankfully Jeff is an excellent navigator and we found our way through. Then we wandered around the farm a bit, and discovered (much to Jeff’s great delight) that the farm does “punkin chunkin”….they have two pumpkin cannons to launch your pumpkin into the field. A really good launch will send the pumpkin into the creek. It was a great way to spend a fall afternoon!

I would like to add a disclaimer to the above photo: I do not normally wear my jeans that way, I had them folded up because the maze was quite muddy.

Okay, so it’s not really a turnip…but our baby is now the size of a turnip, according to Babycenter. They send me an email every week detailing what’s going on with the baby’s development and they always helpfully compare it to some food item. Last week it was an avocado, as of today, a turnip! Also in today’s email: the baby’s skeleton is now becoming harder and not so rubbery, and it weighs about 5 ounces.

I’m definitely expanding a bit. From this:

To this (taken today):

We had a great vacation in the Midwest, spending time with family. We managed to see my Dad and Helen, Jeff’s parents, and the Wagenaar family, all in one trip! It did entail a fair bit of driving, and I was reminded of how much I don’t miss that Southern Ohio heat and humidity, but overall it was a wonderful trip. It was so nice to not have to go to work, to sleep in, and most of all to see the people we love! Here are a couple photos from our time in Oxford (my hometown).

With my dad on Miami University’s campus

My childhood home…note the curvy driveway. It was built that way to preserve the tree you see in the center of the picture. It made for a very challenging time when learning to drive and trying to back out of the driveway. Note also the lamppost towards the bottom left corner of the picture. See its proximity to the driveway? Imagine being a brand-new driver and misjudging your path just a bit…in theory, one could back into that lamppost. Perhaps on your way to high school one morning….I’m just theorizing.

My 30th birthday was a great day. I slept in and Jeff brought me “Keri Coffee” (half milk/half coffee) in bed. Then we headed east and stopped in Monroe for breakfast before continuing on to Wallace Falls. This is a great hike, with gorgeous views at the lower, middle and upper falls. The day ended with a yummy seafood dinner at Anthony’s on the water with Jeff and my mom. Plus of course there were presents and cake. An excellent birthday!

Here are some photos from the hike:

And, just in case you didn’t know: