Chapter 315

Happy National Grandparents Day!

Sunday September 13th

As if the abrupt slamming of summer's door last week wasn't signal enough that summer coming to an end, my yard is also signaling loud and clear that fall is bearing down upon us.  My lily plant is getting it's fall colors...

...shadows are getting longer...

 ...and leaves are starting to show up on our dead lawn. I'm pretty good about checking the background out for wierdness before I take a picture. This sign that must have been abandoned by the road workers didn't register until afterward. Although the reader can't really see what it says, I found it entertaining. Is this an abbreviated phrase or a warning?

Another sure sign fall is here. School starts. This is our new instructor, Kurt, with his very first class. The class is actually larger than this, but our shared students from the other 3 schools haven't arrived yet.

While class is underway on the inside, finishing touches are being completed on the outside. Here they are pouring concrete outside our small gas engine lab.

The Walkers went to the Olympia Children's Museum and Reagan enjoyed her passion of the moment, sliding.

Reagan drove a police car while her dad hung on and screamed in silent terror.

 Reagan is not missing out on any chances to get out of the house and explore her new world. BC (before children) Carissa and Chris enjoyed quiet kayak tours in their many beautiful local waters. Now that Reagan is old enough, they took her out with them for the first time. They had a nice kayak ride around the dock area although I'm sure it wasn't at all quiet this time.

Reagan all kitted out for her first kayak adventure.

A little mother/daughter teeth brushing time before heading out for the day.

The Walkers came over this weekend so Chris could do his Air Force Drill. Reagan loves to play in the fountain so I went out to change the water to be sure she had mountain fresh spring water that birds had not been drinking out of. Bob came along and not only cleaned the fountain, he cleaned anything else that birds had even looked at so Reagan had a nice clean place to walk around.

After playing in the yard, it was dinner and story time before bed. 

This weekend was the annual family day at McChord. The military personnel get to take their spouses and kids to the base for special activities and a picnic. One of the special activities was to a flight in a C-17 airplane, coincidentally the type that Chris works on when he is on duty.

So the 20 or so spouses troup off to the plane...

...hop aboard...

...secure their gear...

...and take their seats...

While Carissa was out enjoying a flight around our fine state, Chris was entertaining Reagan back on the runway.

Having a snack while watching airplanes. Both of their favorite activities.

All of this activity made Reagan really tired and she was looking for a place she could finally lay down on. Much to Chris' horror, she found the official rug of Chris' group. The rug shows their mascot dragon and a C-17. No one is to walk on the sacred carpet for any reason.  Reagan, however, saw a soft place to land and flopped down dead center. Chris was trying to figure how to get her off when the commander came around and said "shoot it and share" it! So Chris did.

More Reagan and Dad hunting for airplanes. Not a tough job since they were on a runway.

"Do you think the airplane wants a cracker?"

I think Great Grampa Keefer had a plane like that. 

Playing at the Children's museum with her second favorite piece of machinery, a tractor.

  Chris left town for business for a couple of day so he made sure to spend extra time with Reagan the day he left.

Carissa and Reagan went out for ice cream. With this intense look on her face, her eyes look very Chelsea-like.

Without Chris' help Reagan was on a toddler rampage while Carissa tried to get the basics of life taken care of.

Today we watched the Seahawks game. Go Hawks!

And as long as we are talking cute outfits, check this out:

I spent hours creating a costume that wasn't half as cute as this one. 

And it only cost me $7.