Fall Picnic ~ Northwest Style!

Yesterday, we got to head up to my parents' neck of the woods for a Fall Picnic!

I was particularly excited to go because this was an annual event that the McKinley Family puts on, and I had attend in years past (being that it is in my home stake).

It was just the perfect picture of what a Fall Picnic should be...

There was:

Not to mention somebody was rather excited to brush the cobwebs off of his:

We got out of the car and I saw my Dad put on his cowboy hat, and I said, "You're not actually going to wear that are you?". To which he promptly replied, "You betcha!"

My Dad is so funny. :)

Okay he actually looked very John Wayne'ish if I do say so. And I guess as the Stake President you gotta show your goofy side once in a while. Ha-ha.

After a very scrumptious potluck dinner that included delights such as NW salmon, fried chicken, blackberry cobbler, plum pie and a dozen different array of other desserts and sidedishes, everyone found their own little bonfire and kept warm...

Yeah, I decided that instead of highlighting my hair again, I would do a temporary dye to get it back to my natural strawberry blonde. It was fun.

Preston enjoyed the wide open space of wandering freely - the kid must have walked 8 miles. :p

Will and I enjoyed a child-less 45 minute hike through the woods (a.k.a first date in a long time). I have to say, wow, it is quite amazing what just a short time to ourselves without a child will do for our marriage. :)

Grandma and Grandpa chased Preston around. Oh, and showed him off to everyone they knew. It was very cute to see my Dad hold Preston and go up to everyone he knew and say "I want to introduce you to my grandson." I feel so happy that though all their other grandchildren are several states away, they can at least have one close by.

All the other kids took turns going for tractor hay rides and we could hear the screams all the way into the forest on our hike as they would go over bumps at amazing speeds in the that tractor.

After bonfires, dinner, and our impromptu "date", we sat and enjoyed the fireworks display, thanks again to the McKinley Family. It was even longer and more impressive than the Lake Union Seattle fireworks on the 4th of July.

We actually enjoyed a full...

I got to snuggle with Preston during the fireworks because he was both tired and scared. I loved it.

The End.