4 months of missing my dad!

Hey dad!  How you doing?  I am so glad that you are free of pain, but I miss you terribly.  There is not a day that does not go by where I don't think of you.  I know that we had our issues along the way.  But, these past 5 or 6 years were the best they could be and we did the best we could to spend time together.  The kids miss you terribly too.  Kendall has the hardest time, I think.  Not that the others don't miss you, I just think that Kendall is the one that shows it to me the most (ya know, that little bit of drama in her!  Dave wonders where it comes from???  Do you know?).

Oh, there are so many things that I wish I could call you up - 651-336-1022 - and tell you!  I drove home from Como Zoo with Cindy on the 29th (you must have been looking over us that day since that car almost t-boned me right in front of Chelsea Heights!) and driving by where the new Walmart is on 35W in Roseville got me a little teary-eyed.  I was driving you to my house one day and they were finishing building it.  I said, wonder what's going in there.  You said "a Walmart.  Can you believe Roseville wanted a WALMART there instead of a Costco?"  I replied, "what?  Walmart instead of Costco!?  Seriously?"

It is those simple things that I miss so much.  Even though it was a meaningless conversation, it now means so much.

Here is a picture of dad from 1969.  So, so young - he was only 20.

 This photo was from some time in the 80's - probably the earlier to mid 80's when my dad worked for a company in Minneapolis called Smith Sharpe.  Look at that "semi-bowl" haircut.  Who EVER thought this was a good "style?"  Not sure Heather would have allowed him to have his hair cut like that! 

Feeding ducks at the Man Pond!

We always drive by this little pond in SLP.  I don't recall the name of it, but a few years ago, we started to call it the "man pond."  There were always so many MALE mallards - only a few gals here and there.  Hence, it became the man pond.  After years of driving by it, today we bought a 10 pound bag of cracked corn (better for the ducks I guess, since they don't "find" bread in the wild, makes sense!) and stopped to feed the ducks.  Not too many males and still some babies - yes, babies...in late JULY!

We must have feed them for over an hour.  And a WHOLE 10 pounds of cracked corn!

                                             

      

 The ducks would just come right up to you.  They knew when we got here that we were here to feed them!  And they were ready for it.  What shocked me most is these baby ducks.  Seems so late in the season to be having babies!  But, it was fun to see them and feed them.

At the end of the bag, Cooper must have rubbed his face!  He had cracked corn dust all over his face.  You can even see it on his eyelashes!  Love this photo of him!

Willow River State Park - Hudson, WI

We like to take the kids hiking a few times a summer (when it is not super hot or BUGGy!) and we have typically gone to Taylors Falls or across the river to St. Croix Falls.  I suggested somewhere else - Willow River as I had seen someone post photos on FB.  It looked cool and is not too far, just in Hudson.  So off we went, picking up some Subs on the way to add to our filled picnic cooler. 

This tree was so big Massive!  I have never seen a tree so wide and tall.  Of course Carter wanted to climb it, but then he had trouble getting down.  

I will miss these photos when they aren't holding hands anymore.  Gotta snap 'em while I can.

Along one of the bends, I saw this deer.  As the kids started to walk forward, another deer came booking out the woods, practically running the girls over.  Well, not really, but it felt that way.  Kendall was totally freaked out - the stayed by me most of the rest of the hike.  I didn't blame her, I freaked out a little too!

Sisterly love!

I forgot to shut off my date imprint.  I just don't need that anymore.  Argh...nice pictures ruined by an orange date!  Guess I could crop them out next time (sort of like I was trying to do the whole time of this couple taking photos in the falls...you can see them in the bottom corner of the picture right below.  It was so annoying, they were there FOREVER.  Didn't they know I was trying to get some nice photos WITHOUT them in them!)

As we got down to the falls area (quite a hike) the girls both said they had to go to the bathroom.  Sorry, no porta-potty here or anywhere close.  We went up to the side of the hill, tucked back behind some trees, where an old tree lie on the ground and they learned how to "use a tree as a potty chair!"  Reese was not too keen at first of this idea but after watching big sister do it, she went!  Thank goodness for the fallen tree and a small pack of tissues!

Carter climbed up into the falls.  The water was pretty cool so I am amazed he stayed as long in it as he did.  This is his "success" chest pound, like Tarzan."

Next time I am going to make everyone flip their hats around.  I don't like the shadows they cast.  But, at least we have a family photo!  Yaey!

Look another photo of me!  Yaey!

Gotta climb up one more thing before we hike back to out starting point!  See Carter tucked in the trees.  He blends in with the grey rocks!

It was a great day for hiking!  Glad that we checked out this place.  There is a graveyard or something like that that the kids want to check out another time.  Till next time, Willow Creek Park!