happy fall, y'all! {2014}

We took Natalie to her first pumpkin patch this past weekend and got some pretty good photos of the kids.  That's what parents do, right?  They go to pumpkin patches to get photos, right?  Not to buy the ridiculously priced pumpkins, surely...

We bought a couple of itty bitty pumpkins, but no way were we buying those other $20+ pumpkins, when I can get a perfectly good pumpkin at my Harris Teeter for half that price or less.

This pumpkin patch we went to is a local one here in Hampstead and is always really popular each fall season.  They're open for the better part of October/November with pumpkins, but they had a fall festival this past weekend.  It's the first time we've gone and we really enjoyed ourselves.  It was unseasonably warm (read: not feeling fall-ish at.all.) and the sun was shining so it was a good day to be out.

We went over and got our photos in the pumpkin patch and then let Deacon wear himself OUT on the bounce houses.  Natalie just hung out in the carrier attached to mama.  :)  Then we went on a free hay ride around the property of Hampstead UMC (where the festival/patch is located).  We all enjoyed that.

Fall is my all-time favorite season so it was fun to be together as a family last weekend, celebrating the season and introducing Natalie to pumpkins (she wasn't impressed, in case you were wondering).

Happy Fall, Y'all!

 

fall fun at Hill Ridge Farms...

Deacon is old enough now that I wanted to take him to an area farm that boasted of kid-friendly, fun fall activities.  Things like a tractor ride and/or pumpkin patch, a corn maze, etc.  It just so happens there is such a place called Hill Ridge Farms and -- bonus! -- it's 10 minutes from where we have friends living in Wake Forest!  So we made plans to come visit them and they were able to go with us to the farm.

And while there wasn't a corn maze at this farm (there's always next year!), there were other fun things for little ones to do, including a "colorful maze".  And for the short amount of time we had before the little ones were [subconsciously] ready for a nap, we found plenty to keep them busy!

1) the "colorful" maze -- it was a little wet from rain the night before but we enjoyed it anyway
2) Deacon loves to slide!
3) "driving" the 'cool bus :)
4) a long tube stuck in a mound of hay bales

 [Scarlett, Emily & Deacon checking out the gigantic tee pee]

I think the adults liked this one just as much as the kids!  They had pig races (and duck races and goat races) around this small circle track.  It was the cutest thing and the kids were right there at the gate when the animals came around.  I think they really enjoyed that.

 [nothing like a big pile of hay bales to keep a boy busy...]

 [tractor ride!]

It was a picture perfect day -- seriously, we couldn't have ordered it better than it turned out -- and we enjoyed spending time with our friends out in the beauty of God's creation.  We love fall in this household!

carving our pumpkins...

 

Better late than never, right??

 

I mentioned in my last post that I'm very behind with some things I need to post here, but I'm slowly getting to them in this busy time of year.

 

We decided to carve some pumpkins this year, thinking this would be the first year Deacon would really be able to participate and get into it watch.  I've never actually carved a pumpkin so it was my first time to do that, too.  I picked up a couple of good sized pumpkins and then found some patterns to use.

 

That's how I roll.  This chic doesn't do "free-hand" anything, really.

 

Deacon did okay.  He watched Daddy take the top off of his pumpkin and then we let him stick his hand in to try to help get the guts out.

 

 

NOT interested in that AT.ALL.

 

:: scrunchy nose face ::

 

"Yahky."

 

But he did watch the rest of the process for the most part.  I think he just liked sitting on the table.

Considering this was my first crack at it, I'm pretty pleased with my jolly-faced pumpkin.  :)  Stay tuned for some precious trick-or-treating fun!

pumpkin patch...

We took Deacon to a pumpkin patch last weekend.  Well, it's more than a pumpkin patch...it's Mike's Farm!  And those who live around here know or have heard of what I'm talking about.  It's a great "autumn thing" to experience -- a hayride to a pumpkin patch, a cute little country store with lots of fudge flavors for sale and yummy family style dining!  Oh, the restaurant is awesome, ya'll!  Country cooking including homeade mac & cheese, ham biscuits and banana pudding.  Mmm...

Deacon, of course, is a little young to even know what we were doing but he was a trooper through the waiting in line for hayride tickets, waiting in line for the hayride itself, waiting for our names to be called at the restaurant...

It's a pretty popular place this time of year.

He did fine on the crowded hayride, checking everything out along the way, as he always does.  We got some cute photos at the pumpkin patch which, of course, is the whole POINT of this trip.  :)

Shhh, don't tell anyone -- we didn't even get a pumpkin.  I wanted to get a small one for Deacon, but they were all gone (or smashed).  We didn't get one because Jeff has his own pumpkins growing and we're planning to carve one of those this weekend.  At least one of them, should be close to ready to harvest by then.  I hope the "guts" will be good because I'm planning to bake with it!