Pumpkin Patch

Today was the start of a new family tradition - going to a pumpkin patch to pick out pumpkins for Halloween! I am all for creating memories that my children will remember and cherish in their hearts forever. As a child, I remember my brother and I begging our parents to carve pumpkins! It felt like we had to wait FOREVER because we weren't allowed to carve them until a few days before Halloween to prevent the pumpkins from rotting. When carving day finally arrived, we took the pumpkins down to our utility room, layed out newspapers on the floor, drew a face on our pumpkins with a permanent marker, and then let our dad do the cutting. My brother and I got to do the fun and messy part - cleaning out the 'guts.' I remember that we used ice cream scoops to dig it all out. Then we picked out all of the seeds and let them dry over night so our mom could bake them the next day. I will never forget how happy I felt while doing this.
That is why I want to create memories and tradition with my own family. I know that Harper probably won't remember going to the pumpkin patch this year, or even next year. But the point is that we are creating a tradition that she will be able to look back on when she gets older. I don't want to buy my child happiness, I want to create it! Spending quality time as a family is way more meaningful to me than anything else in this world.
Anyways....we had a good time at the pumpkin patch. It's also an apple orchard. It was 'Apple Fest' weekend - so it was crazy busy! Some of the activities included: hayrides down Pumpkin Hill to the pumpkin patch, haunted house, live music, inflatables, carnival games, face painting, playground area, food vendors (apple cider, Carmel apples, kettle corn, apple pie), etc. I'm sure I'm forgetting things. We didn't visit the gift shop or cafe because it was so packed. Adam treated himself to a Carmel apple that he got to dip himself. Brett tried the apple cider - which tasted delicious. We will definitely be going back next year, but probably on a different weekend so it's not so busy and we can enjoy ourselves a little more. Here's a few pictures from our day:

Cutest pumpkin in the patch!

Our lil' family :)

Our pumpkins...

In case you're wondering - we went to Community Orchard in Fort Dodge. Check out the website if you're interested in more information.

Also, FYI: When carving your pumpkins, do not cut a circle in the top of the pumpkin. Instead, cut a square or a triangle. This will make it easier to figure out which way the lid fits back on. This is a little trick that my dad taught us :)