He'd confided to me over the phone a few times that he worried Leila might be shy of him or "forget" him during this time away, but that wasn't the case-- she was as excited as the rest of us and gave her long-lost daddy plenty of love.
Jon missed all of our fall color, but he did get to deal with its aftermath-- by mowing and raking a lawn that was about a foot deep in leaves, on his return.
The kids and I did a little half-hearted raking while he was gone, but the oak trees had us outnumbered.
While Jon was away, I took the kids (and a neighbor girl) to Pleasant Valley Tree Farm in Elk Mound.
We used to enjoy the drive to Pleasant Valley 
when we lived in Eau Claire. The rolling wooded hills and farmland we passed through on the way to the "pumpkin patch" were always a hilight. Now we get to LIVE in those rolling wooded hills... Pleasant Valley's only about two miles away from our home in Colfax!
It's kind of pricey (admission is now $6.50 a piece; yikes). But they have all the seasonal bells and whistles: hay wagon rides, pumpkins and gourds, a corn maze, petting zoo, and spooky trail... not to mention an excellent seasonal gift shop.
It was hot the day we went, so the kid
s enjoyed cooling down by panning for "gold" (especially Leila, who loved all the water and mud involved in that enterprise!).
A few weeks ago my in-laws celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary. Their daughters, Ann and Sally, helped throw a small party for them at the Care Center, where Bud now
resides.
The picture at right was actually taken on Father's Day. I'm having trouble with my scanner so couldn't scan in pictures Jane gave us from the anniversary party. But her and Bud were all dressed up and wearing corsages; they looked very nice. They had a beautiful cake, as well.
60 years of marriage and seven children is quite an accomplishment! I am fortunate to have in-laws as kind, warm, and friendly as B
ud and Jane have been. They are excellent role models for the rest of us, as we bring up our own families. Congratulations to them both!
This weekend while Jon was home we had dinner with Jonathan, Lindsay, and Lindsay's parents, Steve and Sandy Walter. This was our first time meeting the Walters, and we found them warm, friendly, and very supportive of their daughter (and Jonathan). 
Lindsay is around 7 months pregnant, but still pretty slim. There's a bit of a baby bump showing, but not much... she feels the baby's movement, though, and Jonathan has received a few kicks from his little son.
Susan and I plan on having a baby shower for Lindsay in December, the day after Christmas. We're doing it then because Susan will only be home in Wisconsin for a short window of time around the holidays. I'll send out invites as the day gets closer. It will be a fun way for the Hurlburt women to meet Lindsay's mother and get to know Lindsay better.
I have to close on a sad note. Our little dog Coco passed away Monday morning. She had been suffering from Lyme's disease, which we had tried to treat, but she ran into complications and her kidneys finally shut down. Jon took her in to the vet to see what more could be done for her, but it was too late at that point. They put her to sleep and Jon buried her under the trellis in our flower garden.
The kids are sad. We're all sad. I've never been one to get overly attached to animals, but Coco was really a good dog and I miss having her around. She was smart, loyal, slightly mischievous, but always gentle with the kids. She was a good watchdog who always let us know by her bark whenever someone was at the door. I keep looking over at the chair by the furnace, expecting to see her there, curled up.
Goodbye, little Coconut.
