Time to try a little harder at this blogging thing

Well I haven't been keeping up with this whole thing, but it is time to again.  Dad started the process nine months ago to get a liver transplant, but that isn't going to work out.  The tumor got too big.  So it is now time to record everything we love about him.  I think it should start tomorrow...

Autumn and all the pumpkins

Fall is one of my favorite times of the year to spend with my dad.  He is extremely generous and goes nuts giving away squash and pumpkins.  Dad mentioned the other day that a goal of his for next year is to grow enough squash and pumpkins that he can donate a bunch to the local food shelf.  What a great guy...

Dad grows lots of different pumpkins, but growing up I was always partial to Baby Boos.  These are tiny handheld white pumpkins.  Throughout my grade school years dad would always pick enough for me to bring them to everyone in my class at school.  We would spend a class hour painting the pumpkins and everyone at school would think my dad was the coolest.  Dad stopped growing those when I became to cool for my dad's silly little pumpkins. 

Despite this, my dad has never been deterred from growing new kinds every year.  I think he is most proud of his giant pumpkins.  It takes him an hour to get out of the garden and roll up to the big oak tree in the center of the yard, but once it is there, he sure is proud.  These are a few of his smallest pumpkins this year.  My sister and him are loading them in the car to bring home to the grandson.

Gooooo Kirrrbbyyy Puuckkkettt!!!!

Some of my favorite moments with my dad occur at Twins Games. My dad has been taking me since I was old enough to sit on a seat by myself. We started going to the Sunday afternoon games. Luckily the Twins were bad enough back then that for every adult general admission ticket you bought, you could get three child tickets for free! My sister and I each got to bring a friend. It was always better though when it was just Daddy and his girls.

As a growing girl I have to admit that I mostly went for the food. We always stopped at a little gas station on the way and could picked out our favorite treats. We also were treated to a Dome Dog while at the game. I was usually able to talk him into at least one more treat! Dad's favorites are the salted in shell peanuts.

We went to games so often that the game infiltrated my little brain. My dad also really enjoyed high school sports. We would go to high school basketball and football games without knowing any of the kids but by name. When I was about three my dad brought me to a varsity girls basketball game. As the girls ran onto the court to excite the crowd, I screamed at the top of my little lungs "GOOOO KIRRBBYYYY PUUCCKKEETTTT." I don't envy the long explanation my dad had to muster up for the ride home.