The Pumpkin Patch ~ wrapping up!

One of the best parts of the pumpkin patch is the food!  We all look forward to the sausage, curly fries, corn on the cob and apple cider doughnuts.

When I'm at the pumpkin patch my mind goes back to this....

2008

2009

2009

2010

2010

2010

2011

It goes too quickly.



I have pictures of baby faces poking through these cut outs.

But the pumpkin patch is busy and my mind can't linger here too long, as there are new memories to make. And that is what we did!

We started at the hay maze.  The older kids went to the obstacle course maze and Shannon and I took the little ones to the smaller maze with the slide. 







Andrew joined us for a bit as well.  I find that he sort of has a foot in both worlds right now.



The Zip line was up next. Always a favorite.







The kids were going at the same times and Shannon and I were running around like crazy trying to snap photos of all of them. :) The one of Andrew didn't turn out great and he didn't want to go a second time, so I don't have one of him.



The bouncy pillow is another favorite.



Until someone bumps into you and hurts your ear.



It's nice when Daddy is there to give comfort.
He's good at that.



He's also good at capitalizing on the moment and turning things into a funny situation. He started doing these dramatic poses while I was taking photos.







More posing.
He was being such a goof and I was laughing at him and taking more pictures.



I was laughing really hard at this point.



Tickling Andrew and more posing.
so funny.



Sooooooo pleased with himself.
This series is SO Dan.



I've said it before, I'll say it again.
I love Dan's smile.
And his sense of humor.
He's fun.



What can I say?
:)

Except maybe, love the flower, Ryan.



Next up, feeding the animals.



And swinging rounded out the day.

It was a beautiful day at the farm.  We had a great time, with great friends.
I love the pumpkin patch ~ the perfect way to welcome fall!

Pumpkin Patch 2011

First order of business when we arrive at the pumpkin patch is to torture the children with some photos.  The same photos we take every year.

Because it's tradition.

These are some of my favorite photos each year.  I brought Reese's Pieces this year to bribe them.
I have no shame.



The kids actually cooperated pretty well.  Minus Katie, who loves to use this moment to exert her control and refuses to look at the camera.  However my standards are pretty low for posed photos.  If they're all in the frame and looking somewhat happy, it's declared a success.



Matthew, the thinker.






Katie is picking up so many of Andrew's mannerisms.  You can see it a bit in this photo.






Katie was hiding from the big kids.  I found her and snapped her photo.  Love this.



Our "merry little band" as a friend likes to say.  :)



I love to see the friendship between these two still strong...they have been friends since they were babies and Andrew would steal food off of Claire's high chair.  Now he says he's going to marry her. :)

I'm all for that!

Lots more pumpkin patch photos to come, this is what I've managed to go through so far! 

Pumpkin Patch!!

We made our annual trip to the pumpkin patch today!  It was a great fall day.  Overcast, and the perfect cool temperature.  It did rain off and on, but it was manageable.  The kids had a fantastic time, and it feels like it is officially fall!



Unfortunately I don't have time tonight to get this post done. The old Kathy would stay up until 1am and finish it. But I just can't do that this year. Sadly, I'm having to prioritize sleep more. But I did just want to check in and share just a couple of photos.  I haven't gone through them all ~ I've just barely started but will have to finish the project later.



I love this photo of Katie.  How she looks small and sort of hidden in the garden.

There were a collection of Katie in the beginning that I loved, and will post some of those.  The grounds are so beautiful, I just love following the kids around and snapping photos while they play.  Nature's backdrop is the best and their spontaneous smiles are my favorite.  It just means I have a LOT of photos to sort through when I get home.  And being that I have so little free time right now, it might take me a while to get through them.





The kids were chasing each other and I happened to catch Katie as she ran by.  :)

More later...I have to get organized for the week and head to bed!

Pumpkin Patch--Part Two

The pumpkin patch that we go to is really big and has a LOT of activities. The kids had a ball and the weather was beautiful. We did a lot of different things, but here are a few of the highlights....

Lunch with cider doughnuts for dessert. They were literally selling them as fast as they were making them. They are SO good.

The hay maze is a favorite. We spent a lot of time there going through the maze and then shooting down the slide.

Here is Matthew post-slide. I went down with Kaitlin and we shot completely off into the gravel. It was pretty funny.

Andrew loves the slides!

The boys did the zip line. Always a favorite. Here they are running back to me after they were done....

And while the boys ran to me, Kaitlin ran to Daddy....

Sweetness.

Just a photo I liked of the bug playing while we waited on the boys....

I took Kaitlin to the petting zoo while Dan got in line with the boys to ride the little cars....

It was time to start heading home so we went to pick out some pumpkins.

Matthew took his pumpkin selection very seriously. It took him a while to find the perfect one....

Andrew being Andrew, found one easily and loved it immediately....

And the bug found one just her size.

Dan took the kids to the car while I went to the market to purchase our pumpkins and other fun fall treats. I love this stop. I bought some corn stalks to decorate our front porch and I think I was the only one that was thrilled with that decision. :) They were a huge mess and we had all sorts of interesting bugs visiting on the ride home.

I loaded the van up with our goodies, shoved the cornstalks down the middle of the van and another fun day at the pumpkin patch came to an end.

And as I am writing this post I can't believe that it is nearly Halloween and November is just around the corner! I actually wrapped some Christmas gifts today! The days are going by so quickly.

Happy Fall!