paniolo country.

this year we went to a new pumpkin patch

at waimanalo country farms.

they actually harvest sweet corn there, but clear out several acres in october and bring in pumpkins from the other pumpkin patch that actually grows pumpkins for us to buy!

i wasn't too impressed, but mini-he enjoyed it.

i went for the lemonade.

grandma went for the pumpkins.

mini-he only cared about climbing on the tractor.

mini-she just wanted to leave and eat lunch somewhere.

kids.

have you been to your pumpkin patch?

feeding the animals. mini-she was freaked by this goat's eyes.

i'd be more freaked by this tongue!

picking our pumpkins.

yummy lemonade in jars.

we had to wait forever for the "hay" ride.

wait, where's the hay??

view from the cornfields. recognize that island?

mini-he was in heaven on this huge tractor.

a run thru the corn maze on the way out.

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buckle up.

i remember i wanted this seat belt backpack badly.

i thought it was the coolest backpack a

college student could carry around.

but it wasn't exactly in a college student's budget.

my sister surprised me and bought it for my birthday.

now i'll use it for work if i have to make day trips to the neighbor islands. i can shove everything i need in there and still have two hands free. poor bag has taken a beating, but

many years later and it still looks brand new.

totally durable.

also wanted to take a minute to say how appreciative i am of the friendships i've made with you all. from those who have been here since the beginning to new-found friends,

i'm amazed by the support fellow bloggers extend,

unconditionally, to total strangers.

a huge shout out to my friend, juanita, for sending the

sweetest card when i lost my dog a couple weeks ago.

from south africa to hawaii...

(backpack, harveys (similar))

mixed metals.

i used to think it was a fashion faux pas to

mix silver and gold in the same outfit.

like gold earrings didn't go with a silver necklace, or a gold belt buckle didn't match with a silver watch. even down to the tiny buckles on my shoes...if it was gold,

everything else was gold.

while i still prefer to keep them separate,

i do like to experiment.

how bout you...do you mix metals?

speaking of breakfast yesterday, mini-she surprised me by making my pb+j this morning...complete with mini-he's sandwich box

and note. gawd...who's the parent here?!

of course, this was followed by, "can i have money for the snack bar?"

(denim, zara (buy); top, old navy (buy); clutch, local boutique (silver)(similar);

shoes, jessica simpson (similar))

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