Pumpkins and Leaves

Last Friday we took a "family day" and just spent the whole day together having fun. No chores, commitments or adgenda. It was a gorgeous day and everyone was finally feeling up for getting out of the house. We hung out and played at home for a while and then headed up to the Harvest Festival at Suncadia later in the morning. It was really fun, the kids were terrified of the ponies at first (though their owners were a little overzealous about getting the kids to ride them - they even tried to put me on one!), so we skipped that for a while and started with a photo op. The back ground was all set up:

Next we remembered the covered wagon ride from last year and went to go see our Clydesdale friends Lucky and Tipp. It was fun and very bumpy, can't imagine what it would have been like with wooden wagon wheels! This is Cora and I on the wagon ride, she thought it was great, Wyatt was a little unsure this year.

Next we went to the little pumpkin patch. Each of the kids picked out a pumpkin, but the people tending to the pay station never came back so we decided to leave those ones and try the real pumpkin patch on the way home.

After that we went through the hay bale maze (no pigs!!!!) which was pretty long and a little tricky with Cora. We lost her a couple times because she took off ahead of us and then we weren't sure which way she had gone. I think this was Wyatt's favorite part because he was leading the way and deciding where to turn and which way to go! As soon as we came out Cora saw the ponies again and started saying "I see horseys, I see horseys!" Then "pet the horsey, pet the horsey," and finally as we got closer "I ride the baby horsey!" We were so excited, sure we were going to have a picture of our baby girl on a pony! Once we got there however she wouldn't sit on one, but she did ask to pet each and every horesy! Wyatt on the other had got maybe 3 feet from one of them and decided that was it.

From Suncadia we drove the the real good old fashioned cut it off the vine yourself pumpkin patch. Very cute and has great pumpkins! Cora couldn't decide which one to get, but finally ran up to a big pile of gnarly vines with this totally misshapen pumpkin sitting in the middle and said "disa one, disa one right here!" First Mike told her it was rotten, however upon Mommy's inspection it was indeed fine, just a bit of a misfit pumpkin. So we cut it off and brought it home, she was so proud! She also found a tree with rotting "apoos" and was pretty thrilled too!

Wyatt decided on the biggest pumpkin he could find and then made a bee line for this VERY old car that was sitting in the middle of the field. Obviously his favorite part!

We ended our outing with a walk by the river to see all of the fall color. I got lucky and the sun came through the trees for a few minutes and just lit it all up!

We took a few family pics, ran a couple errands, grabbed some dinner (which the kids were to tired to eat by then) and didn't get back home until bed time. It was a long day, but it was so nice spend it together and be outside in all of the fall beauty that God gives us!