Getting ready for a long few weeks.

First I wanted to show everyone our first [succesful] jackolantern together!!
Mike will be going out to sea for another underway this week. That wasn't the original plan, but since the last week got messed up they have to be gone this week, and the next three. He does get to come home on weekends but his duty days kind of clash with those. Unfortunately he has duty on his birthday also, so he will be gone for over an extended period of time that week. I have to say this underway really snuck up on me and I am not in the right state of mind at all. I'm not so prepared as I was the last time but when we are done with this one, we don't have to worry about it again until deployment, and I KNOW that won't sneak up on us since I have plenty of time to prepare.
I also want to share a photo of my nephew and I, sort of together. This was his mom's idea and I thought it was really cool. Since we can't be together, this is our way of bonding when he goes over to my parents house for time with Gramma and Grampa.
Micah and Aunt Mikey

Fall Findings

It finally feels like fall here in La Mesa. We are still getting our hot afternoons but nothing like it was, and the mornings are pleasant. That's great for the walks Willow and I take with my friend Emily and her pups Molly and Ellie. The view is great and I will post some pictures when I can steal them from Emily.
We tried to do a little decorating for Halloween, though it's a bit difficult with our balcony being blocked in by a tree. We did hang the old Keplar Pumpkin my dad and I made years and years ago, and a wreath on the door. We also decorated and carved our own pumpkins. Unfortunately the pumpkin we chose looked perfect on the outside but only took two days to rot so I never got a chance to get a picture of it. I do have pictures of our decorated baby pumpkins.


Our family pumpkns.


A sleepy Willow after I finished her pumpkin.
Last night I tried a new recipe, called Bacon Cheeseburger Upsidedown Pizza. I thought it was something Mike would definitely enjoy but I thought wrong, though that says nothing for how good the dish actually was. I'd say next time I could cut out the bacon and use a little less sauce, but I loved it and think it would be a great family meal.


The end result.
Today I notices our strawberries weren't going to last much longer so I wanted to use them all with something, so I searched for recipes. I ended up making a delicious strawberry bread.