Pre-Halloween Party/ 1st Snow

My strawberry costume has run its course.

Thatcher came as Stoned Immaculate.

Me no likee 1st snow of season.
At our church Halloween party Hope was a busy little bee with quite a stinger. She wanted all the prizes she could get but went far off course while trying to pin the wart on the witch. Shes a champ at musical chairs and wedges her way in blasting the other kid out of the seat.
Hunter has a half mask with the charming name of King Rot. We like to read the Spanish on the label, sounds better as El Rey de Putrefacto.

Four!

seeing those pics of young maggie made me realize i had not posted any pics of elizabeth on her 4th birthday back on Sept. 28. most simpson bloggers rarely see this kid so here's a few shots taken recently.









Elizabeth is happy and healthy. She's curious, feisty, and an excellent negotiator. She goes to pre-school and takes gymnastics. She likes pizza and clams and steak. Her favorite thing to do is play with her friends. She claims she's looking forward to being a big sis but I'm not convinced she's going to like the competition.

I'm so cute!

Dog the bounty hunter and family.....

Dog and Beth are the proud parents of twins. I am sure you can see the family resemblance.

Happy Halloween

We have been busy...

We had many visitors from Nebraska and beyond. Starting from the top:

• Grandma Lynn
• Great-Grandpa Don, Grandma Angie, and Grandpa Jim
• Uncle Aric (my brother) , Aunt Brandi, Sierra, Andrew and Layton
• Grandma Lynn and her best friend Jan(we went to Baltimore for a work thing for me)
• Joni (my Maid of honor)

We had lots of fun with all of them but I think Chris is glad they are gone :)

Great Grandma Dorris and Maggie.

I am glad they got to meet

Mom

Mom's hands are moving.
Shes stirring something in with her left.
The right hand fingers pinch the air.
Her eyelids flutter and she tries to wake up.
Mouth slightly open she breathes raggedly.

She is not resting comfortably as they say.
Her mind is working, she says a few words.
Lots of drugs in her system float her along.
She wakes, makes sense, knows where she is.

This is not the way we hoped to see it happen
Who gets that wish every time? Not many.
Dad took a bike ride one morning
He rode home and died.

Mom goes on and on and on beyond that
A life with many friends, endless activity, good works
She is tired and I know she hurts
What can we do to make it right?


My Mom , Doris Jane Perry, died yesterday at the grand old age of 93. She was resting comfortably at the end. I foolishly thought that it might be easier to let her go because of her many years,her long good life. What a dope am I. Its very hard to believe she is gone.

He's lagging a little behind

You've probably all seen this, but it's worth preserving in the blog archives.

Island Girls

We are out on the northwestern island chain, enjoying the cool air with Sara and Dave. We spent a couple of days in Victoria, the BC capital, and are now in Nanaimo watching the seaplanes go by and the Bosox hit long outs.

Modeling new outerware.

Chip off the old block.

Shopping.

Scoring.

A beautiful view

Here are a few photos from our new sun deck at our rental. We were able to sell our house and close on it within a month...a bitter sweet goodbye to Kiwi Cottage. But it does feel good to have that monkey off our back as we prepare to head back east come Spring.

Mary and Chaz arrive today...really looking forward to seeing them!!

Dear William

Dear William,
Everything is fine here. The weather is brisk and clear, the temps are bracing, the leaves are slowly turning from lackluster summer greens to lusty reds, oranges and yellows. It’s fall in New England, the best time of year, my favorite season. It’s worth suffering through the mud of spring and the mosquitoes and black flies of summer to be able to immerse oneself in the glories of Maine in autumn. I remember I always loved New York in autumn, too. That sweltering heat of late summer changes abruptly to the stimulating crisp air of October and the fist-in-the-face fridge of November. Won’t be long though before the winter winds come roaring down the canyons of the avenues, making you tighten your collar and don an extra shirt beneath your Bobby Zimmerman leather jacket (if you’re lucky enough have one). Winter can be tough in the city, but there are always warm and friendly places to duck into for a cup of joe or a bowl of soup. Ah, the Big Apple. I do miss it sometimes. I’m sure you are doing your best to make the most of your experience there. I hope also that you are finding school to be stimulating and challenging. Sometime, if you get a chance, write me a paragraph describing your best class or a memorable moment.

As you know, we are heading for B.C. Canada early Wednesday morning, winging our way west on a wing and a prayer. I am sorry to learn that I will miss your first return from college and from the city. One’s first return after getting through the early months of college is always the best of all returns home, for it is then that you reunite with your old chums over a Bud and a Lucky and compare notes on the experience. Though you’ve been gone but a month and a half, it seems like much longer, and you’ll all have so many tales to tell—it’s as if you’ve been apart for years!

So have a great time at home and, of course, be careful. Like I said, I am sorry to be missing you, but hopefully I can get down to see you at school before Thanksgiving. Take care.
Love,
Dad