Pumpkin Patching

Well, it wouldn't be fall without a trip to the pumpkin patch. This year, we chose Pete's Pumpkin Patch just outside of Rolla, Missouri, a place close to my hometown so that my parents, sister, nieces & nephew could go with us. And you guys, we had the BEST time! This place had so many activities, not just your typical hay wagon and box full of corn. Even my parents got in on the action chasing the kids around and posing for silly pictures. You know what they say, you're only as old as you feel!

First, we visited the animals where Taylor sang to the pigs, refused to hold the bunny, and spoke (mostly gibberish) to the mini horse. I'm not sure why but she is always drawn to the pigs and scared of the horses. Perhaps we need to talk Daddy into a pet pig?!

Next up, a few trips down the slide (for everyone but the pregnant lady) followed by lots of running around and climbing through tunnels and over stacks of hay bales. Taylor is totally an outdoor girl so this was right up her alley. Her favorite activity was climbing halfway through the tunnels (just to the point where we couldn't reach her) and then sitting. Super fun for her but not so much for the other kids who wanted to go all the way through to the other side.

On our way to the train, Taylor spotted a wooden truck sitting in the middle of the field and she instantly fell in love. She spent a solid 30 minutes rotating from the driver's seat to the flatbed, making one of us get in to play with her with every rotation. And that picture of her and my mom just cracks me up because they were obviously having a very serious conversation.

Next, we rode the train, played on the tire swings, and got in a few games of tic-tac-toe. Eventually, the girls spotted the bounce house and it was all down hill from there. Kids go absolutely bananas for inflatable bounce houses. While the little ones bounced away, the older girls decided to tackle the rock climbing wall. Even Uncle Jake got in on the action challenging Natalie to a race, but unfortunately for him she weighs next to nothing and is exceptionally strong. The 6' giant lost to a 10 year old girl which means she has bragging rights forever.

After finishing all of the other activities, we jumped on the hay wagon and headed out to the patch to pick some pumpkins. The little girls were hilarious trying to pick up the pumpkins on their own but quickly learned that two is better than one and made it a joint effort. I just love these little ladies and their goofy personalities!

The kids were exhausted and nap time was long overdue, so we paid for our pumpkins, grabbed a few bags of kettle corn, and hit the road. It's safe to say that our pumpkin patch trip was definitely a success! And with the wide variety of the activities for all of the kids to enjoy, I'm sure we'll be visiting Pete's again next year.