Tradition!!!! Pumpkin Patch

Our fall pumpkin patch tradition continues. It was the kids' fall break and the day before I started work, so for a Family Home Afternoon we went to Waterman's Pumpkin Patch. It was warm, uncrowded and a good time with the family.

We played on the "amish trampoline" for a while, which appeared to be new. It looked uncut and round from what I remember from years before. It seemed a lot taller as well.

Xela lifting herself up onto the "trampoline"

Nate the Great!!

Graigry the Grand

Eric chilling and watching the monkeys

Neta hiking up the haystack

The smaller hay maze was fun. It's dark and I've never really wanted to be crawling on plywood, in the dark and crashing into walls of hay. This year I decided to follow the kids through. All the kids, except Neta really, went through it a few times.

Nate crawling out of the maze.

Eric blocked the exit, and the light, to confuse the kids.
We got a good laugh; so did the kids.

This year they had a petting zoo, with a buffalo, llama or alpaca, sheep, pony, cow and goats. The kids loved it, especially Aurora our "animal whisperer."

Maybe it's a camel.
Neta and Graigry enjoying the goats.

Before going into the corn maze, we took a picture of...

our little farm animals.


After our little photo shoot, we headed into the maze. This year it took us a little longer to find the exit we didn't enter. Kids had fun, but feet got a little tired after running through the first time.

They're off!!

Taking a short cut through the corn.

"This way!"
At every fork, the kids take turns deciding which way we go .

Where in the corn are the Scotts?
(some hide better than others)

Daddy and Neta finding their way out
of another short cut.

After getting ourselves out of the maze, we worked our way toward the hay ride. In route to the hayride, we stopped at a combine the kids could climb into.

Neta testing her steering skills

Next stop was the bumper cars. I have fun with these, but am always the one behind the camera. Nate is big enough now that he can pretty much steer himself and I'm small enough that I fit. Eric got in one and tried to chase me down. Good times!

The Scott Train with the caboose leading the way.

Xela makes the turn with Nate on her tail!

After the race track, we did the bouncy house for a few minutes and then had our own barn raising.

This piece of the barn weighed 100 lbs,
if I remember correctly.

The kids had to put each piece in the right place
in order for the barn to stand strong.

Xela hammering the peg into the hole,
locking the pieces together.

Neta securing the bottom peg.

Working together on the other side.

Nate's turn to pound a peg.

Lifting the cross brace
Again, I think it was 100 lbs

With the barn raising complete,
we had to get a photo just like the "old days"

Because Mommy likes to and it follows tradition, I had each of the kids stare into the sun so we could get their "How Tall This Fall" picture.

She's almost as tall as me.
Not cool!

I felt a little bad about the sun, but not too bad, obviously.

Finally, we were off to pick our pumpkins! The rule is still, you can keep the pumpkin you pick if you can haul it to the car.

Neta picked a pretty little pumpkin pretty quickly.

Xela makes her claim after trying a few on for weight.

Graigry on the hunt, ready to pounce.

Nate the Great lifter of pumpkins.
I think he tried on a few before he made a final decision.

Aurora giving her arms a break on the way to the hay ride.

Graigry worked his way around the carry it
to the car and rolled it.
I'm not going to slack on this next year.

Back on the hay ride to weigh our pumpkins, I had to get the annual picture. Unfortunately, no one was paying attention to the camera. This is probably the worst wagon picture we've ever taken.

Thanks, Xela.
At least someone was ready for the picture.

I found another one.
Xela is not paying attention in this one.

After pumpkin picking, and paying for our heavy load, Eric bought pears as a snack for the kids. By the time we left it was between six and seven, so they were getting hungry.

Scott kids with their pumpkin chairs and pears.

Neta with pumpkin and pear

Graigry looks like he's had one to many and
it was just one pear.

As you can tell, they enjoyed them.

We didn't do Anderson Apple orchard this year, but I couldn't let us not go to the pumpkin patch. We've done that every year for the last nine years. It's one of the things that I hope my kids carry with them as fond memories from their childhood.