WIWW... 33

What I Wore Wednesday for week 33. Yikes! In all honesty, I have been posting outfits for well over 33 weeks. However, I take long breaks here and there, which means 33 total outfits on this blog. Some have been deleted because I continue to have this love-hate relationship with What I Wore posts. I'm getting better but well... you know.

33 always stands out for me. My husband, who I have know since childhood, had a minor major obsession in junior high with Scottie Pippen. For all the young'uns, he was a basketball player for the Chicago Bulls back in their glory days. I think my husband had every 33 basketball jersey made. Believe me, knowing those things and having an actual visual about your husband is kind of funny. And strange all at the same time. I think he even swiped the number 33 for his own basketball jersey. I should really try to pull that thing out. Maybe I could have a WIWW feature one of these days? Well, maybe after a couple Fitness Fridays.

Short and sweet this week. 

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Pumpkin Patch {Fall Bucket List}

I can barely believe I am writing our pumpkin patch post. Life gets so busy and before you know it, you're ringing in a new year. Right now, we are thinking pumpkins and before long it will be all about turkeys. Eek! How does this happen every. single. year? We wait so patiently for summer to turn to fall. And once the temperature drops...BOOM!...we are unwrapping Christmas presents. 

For our family, the past 4 weeks seem to have flown by. We are two weeks out from Halloween and a new month, November. I'm losing my footing, friends. I need to dig my heels in and start making the most of my favorite season. Thankfully a free weekend day presented itself and we headed to the pumpkin patch. Not the one in the mall parking lot but the farm type. Believe it or not, California does have real, true-to-the-name pumpkin patches. Bates Nut Farm is our local favorite. In fact, we have only ever ventured to Bates' pumpkin patch for our pumpkin hunting adventure. I love we are on an actual farm and we can scour the fields for the perfect pumpkins. The kids are especially into it.

The pumpkin patch keeps true to its farm feel with tractor hay rides, a petting zoo, and "corn" maze. By corn, they mean hay bales but you have to cut them some slack. It's Southern California, they probably don't know the difference!

The field of orange always makes a great picture. My kids love to walk through and try to pick up the heaviest pumpkins. Or stand on them... *ehm* Derrick. 

Seriously, it's like his thing.

Zac is all about pushing the wheelbarrow. Derrick too. However, Derrick is a bit lot clumsy. He managed to topple the pumpkin filled wheelbarrow one or twelve times on its side.  I had to put him on restriction. Ky is smarter than to believe in the novelty of a wheelbarrow. She was more into photographing Charlie. On the pumpkin, beside the pumpkin, looking at the pumpkin, sniffing the pumpkin. She is all about her dog.

Now, the torch is passed to the husband. He is the official pumpkin carver of our home. I do triangles. He does characters. Creative. Power tools. The kids love it. I get a break. Everyone is happy.

We've got two more weeks left of this wonderful month. Have you made a trip to the pumpkin patch? Are you finding other ways to enjoy the season?

WIWW ...32

I hope you are all having a good week. 

I was running around crazy yesterday trying to get everything in order for the new job.

I'm not sure how today is going since this posts at 3:30AM.

Let's be optimistic and say Great! 

Blazer- ATL

Cords- ATL

Top- Cynthia Rowley

Top- Merona
Jeans- 7 for all mankind
Shoes- Target

Santa Rosa Preserve Vernal Pool Trail

A quick visit back to Santa Rosa Plateau to hike the Vernal Pool Trail. An fairly easy hike leading to the historic adobes. In the spring, the vernal pools are thriving. Fall, winter, and summer the focus is the open plain. Do not be deceived by the flat terrain shown in these pictures. There is definitely hills to be navigated and benches when a rest is needed. Chances are you will need a little break on the trail. The path to the adobes and back is close to 5 miles. 

The biggest selling point for this trail is its kid-friendliness. All of Santa Rosa Preserve is perfect family hiking. However, don't bring the pup on the Vernal Pool Trailhead. They are not allowed.

Preparing for Departure

It's Military Monday! Time to talk all things unique to this lifestyle we live! Eights on the Move hosts a fantastic linkup for military bloggers regarding many relevant issues to our population. Today we are talking Departures. Whether it's Unaccompanied Tours which seem to last forever, deployments, school, or training, we have probably all experienced the 'goodbyes'. The question is how do you prepare for the goodbyes? Is there a trick to making them easier? I'd like to say yes; however, it really depends on the couple or family.

When it comes to deployment, we usually put a little more effort into our goodbyes. I always feel like we need to stockpile moments and memories for our time apart. We usually take the last weekend before goodbye and make it family time. We might visit an amusement park one day and do a special dinner on the other. The fun of the weekend helps distract us from the impending departure. Keeps things as happy as they can be. When the kids were little little we always bought them something special from Daddy. This was before Daddy Dolls were so widely available. It certainly helped.

Keeping older kids informed and prepared is the most important thing you can do before deployment. In my opinion, of course. We start approximately one month before deployment bringing the departure topic up to the kids. We don't overkill the topic but subtly mention here or there 'Dad is leaving soon'. I try to keep it upbeat and encouraging with them. I don't teach the kids to be strong and unemotional. I teach my kids to be empathetic and a support to one another. I want them to know their negative feelings are normal and acceptable.

During deployment, there are even times my kids will see me cry. Not excessively but sometimes it just can't be helped. About midpoint through deployment, I will get thrown off by some obstacle I am just too mentally exhausted to handle and end up crying. I tell them deployment is hard and it makes me sad sometimes. We all agree, complain a moment, and then move on. This is our life.

When my husband is required to leave for short periods of time, like two weeks or less, we don't really pay any attention. Lately he has been away more often. I just let him do his thing. As much as I'd love to help him pack, I stay away. He is a last minute packer which drives me crazy. I won't even attempt to assist him in his midnight fueled packing rampage. Nope. I just grab the remote and turn up the volume.

Even though we miss my husband anytime he leaves, we tend to look at his short time away in a positive light. Late nights, pizza dinners, and way more silliness are things we look forward too. Maybe it's a great way for the kids and I to reconnect? They get a little more of my attention when dad is away. And they get away with a little more. What kid doesn't love that?!?