Pumpkin Patch!

Every year, our family goes with our sisters' families to the Pumpkin Patch* here in Long Beach. It is the highlight of the fall. As each of our families has more kids, the trips get more and more fun. They have pumpkins, rides and games, a petting zoo, ponies, a giant slide, carnival food and more pumpkins. The kids love it and so do we.

Here is Ruthie and Ian, checking out some pumpkins. Ruthie is wearing a darling Peek-a-Boooo! shirt that you can't quite see.

And here are all the kiddos, having fun while Uncle Rob pulls them around in a wagon. In the back row are Mary and Mike's kids - Abbie (facing sideways), Sam (I guess also facing sideways), an Clare, showing off her newly learned skill of sitting up (and kind of facing sideways - they should do something about that).

In the front, left to ride, is Heather and Rob's Finnley and Rowan, then of course Ruthie. Aren't they all so cute?!

When we first arrived, Ian and I were both hungry. Naturally, our first order of business was "delicious" carnival food - I had a hot dog and chips and Ian had nachos and a corn dog. Then we had to feed Ruthie her dinner (which was not carnival food), while the other kids went in the petting zoo. By the time all that happened, we really only had time for one ride with Ruthie.

Here is Ian and Ruthie on the carousel - Ruthie has just started to not want us to put her on the carousel and stand behind her, like she used to do. So on this day, Ian sat with her on a bench. Yesterday at Disneyland, my mom had to get up on the horse and hold Ruthie in order to get her to ride King Arthur's Carousel  But in both cases, I think both parties had fun, so it worked out.

This Pumpkin Patch will, in just a few short days, become a Christmas Tree Lot, which will also be fun (though we tend to get our trees from Home Depot and don't make the drive back out to this one). I love this time of year - all the great smells, decorations, food, time with family, change in the weather. Two thumbs up for it all!

*You do realize that I use the term "patch" here loosely, right?  It's a parking lot covered with hay with pumpkins thrown on top. But it's what we've got, here in So Cal, and we'll take it!