Corn Maze!

On Wednesday, October 8th, I decided to take the kids to the Corn Maze. I had looked at the weather coming up and it was showing rain...lots and lots of rain! I usually like to wait to go to the corn maze until later in the month, but I really don't like going after it's been raining a bunch since it feels like it turns into a muddy mess and if you wait to go until too late in the month then a bunch of the corn stalks have been knocked down by people making short cuts through the maze. 

The mazes this year were an Outlaw and a Cowboy. It's always fun to see what designs Carpinito Brothers comes up with. 

Ella, Justine and I went into the Cowboy Maze first while Jack and Zeke went to the Outlaw Maze. 

They had laid down a really nice layer of bark so the maze was in great shape. There were already a few shortcuts from people walking through the stalks, but it wasn't bad. 

It took us about 20 minutes to finish the maze. 

Time for the Outlaw Maze. 

That maze was fun because the 'WANTED' letters were so big! It took us less than 20 minutes to finish the Outlaw Maze. We finished both mazes before Jack and Zeke did. In fact we heard them when we were in the Wanted Maze so they hadn't even finished that one after we had already finished the Cowboy Maze. 

Justine on his Throne of Hay! 

The pumpkin patch is so cute. I wanted to go over and get pictures with the sign that says, 'How tall this fall?' But you have to pay to get in there and then we would have ended up getting pumpkins which I didn't want to get this year. So instead we went over to check out the produce section. 

I didn't end up seeing anything that I needed to buy so we went over to look at the HUGE pumpkins. This was the first time I remember there being so many pumpkins usually it's just one or two. 

Jackson ended up coming down to Corn Maze a bunch since he got hired on for the season. He only worked for about a month. His job was to deal with all the wheelbarrows and then he also added up the weight of the pumpkins and gave people their slip of paper to take over to the cashier. It wasn't his favorite job by all means, but it did give him a little cash. He was thinking about possibly applying for another seasonal job with Carpinito Brothers at their Christmas tree lot, but then one of the other employees said he worked there last season and it seriously sucked all the joy out of the holiday season so Jack decided that wasn't for him. One of the really nice benefits to him working there was when he worked a closing shift he could go over to the roasted corn stand and if they had leftovers they'd give him a bag to bring home. He was able to bring home a bag of roasted corn on the cob 3 times. Yummy!!!

Fall Festivities 2024!

At the end of October, Jen texted me and asked if we were busy and if Logan could spend the weekend with us. Of course!!! Logan had a Dr's appt in Seattle on Friday October 25th, so they were going to meet us at the Corn Maze that's 10 minutes from our house. 

We got there before them so we went ahead and did one maze. Ella and Jack when it one maze and Zeke and I went in the other maze. Zeke and I were finished with our maze in no time and then we sat outside the other maze waiting for Ella and Jack to come out. They were in there so long we ended up calling them to make sure they were okay. 

I think in all we waited about 20 minutes for them to get out. 

Right after they finished the one maze Logan and Jen showed up. 

Jack, Ella and Logan then went to the maze that they hadn't done yet and then Jen, Zeke and I went to the one we hadn't done. Of course we finished that one before them as well. In fact they actually didn't even finish finding all the checkpoints they just got tired and found the way out! :) 

On Sunday, October 27th, our church had our Fall Festival. This time around it was a bit more stressful for me planning wise, but thankfully the volunteers were rockstars so the event went great! Ga-Ga, Cathie and Debra held down the fort in the kitchen. These ladies work really well together! 

Michael was grilling the hot dogs and Craig was his assistant. Thankfully this year it wasn't raining! 

Kristi was ready at the prayer station. 

Micah and Scott were heading up balloon animals. 

We had 10 games total...Jack and Andrew were running the golf game. 

Owen and Liam were stationed at the Axe Throwing...Liam was really taking it to another level! 

Ella and Justine were running the Pop-A-Shot. 

Bertie & Clayton were running a Tossing Game. 

We had rock painting which is always a hit! Gail & Linda were at this station. 

We also had a few people doing face painting. There was a whole other room with more games that I didn't get any pictures of. We also had caramel apples and fresh popped popcorn for people to take on their way out of the event. 

On Halloween night we headed down to Ga-Ga & Pa's house. This year the Kuch Family couldn't make it so it wasn't nearly as fun. Plus these kids are getting older so it's just not the same as when they were little kiddos! 

Owen bought himself a new mask this year so he's even freakier looking. Jack has been a Knight's Templar for 3 years in a row. This was Zeke's 2nd year being a Seahawks player. Even though Ella never got to wear her hippy costume last year I couldn't convince her to wear it this year. She has decided that she is too old to trick or treat and she's done with that. 

Side Note: This day was exactly 1 year since Ella last threw up. A whole year!!! There was time when I would be excited she if made it 2 weeks without throwing up. I'm so glad we've gotten her migraines under control. This has honestly been the best year for her health wise! 

 

Zeke was acting freaked out by Ella's "scary" costume! Hahahaha! 

Mine turn! Ahhhhh!!! 

Owen is such a creeper in this picture....lurking in the background! 

Had to take a picture of them actually trick or treating. Who knows this might be their last year! 

But then again Owen was like it's free candy...of course I'm going trick or treating! :) 

Corn Maze & Pumpkin Patch!

On Monday, October 23rd we headed down for our annual trip to the Pumpkin Patch / Corn Maze. 

The kids wanted to split up again this year. Owen and Jack went in one maze while Ella, Zeke and I went in the other one. 

One maze was an Elk and the other was a Bear. 

It was a gorgeous day! A little windy, but so nice! 

I had so much fun with these two! We finished the first maze and then tackled the second one. 

We ended up beating the older boys out so we had some fun taking pictures! 

They have all these cute photo prop areas set up. 

We didn't see Bigfoot in the maze! 

Ella made an awesome find....she found $20 just laying on the ground. It was actually in an area where some kids had cut through the cornstalks instead of using the trails. We looked around and no one else was near us in the maze so she got to keep it. 

Love this precious girly of mine! 

They made it and they didn't kill each other! 

I wish I had yearly pictures with these signs. 

Owen is so close to 6ft! 

We finished with the maze, picked out pumpkins, grabbed some cornstalks for our church's Fall Festival and then it was time to head out. 

Owen pushed the pumpkins to the car. We ended up using our pumpkin's for decorations at the Fall Festival and then we brought them home and carved them! 

Pumpkin Patch & Carving 2022!

On Monday October 17th after the kids finished up school we headed down to the Pumpkin Patch. 

This year we decided to split up where the older 3 kids were together as a team and Zeke and I were team. 

This years theme was aliens! I love how the spaceship is beaming up a cow!!! 

There are checkpoints throughout the two mazes. There is a hole punch that you use to punch that specific checkpoint on your map. Each hole punch is different so you can't just sit there and punch them all with the same one. Besides what would be the fun in that. 

Of course there were some kids there that just don't care about rules so instead of staying on the paths they just cut through the corn instead. I'll never understand that. You have to pay to come in here why take away the challenge and make it easier. Seems silly to me!

Zeke and I had a great time together! 

We ended up beating the older kids since they got lost! 

Just waiting around! 

While we were waiting we saw a dirt devil! 

They finally emerged! 

Of course blaming each other for getting lost! 

Time to go pick pumpkins! Seems so weird to be picking pumpkins and we're not wearing coats or muddy boots!

My rule was you had to be able to carry your pumpkin to the wheelbarrow! 

I love pumpkins! 

I wish I had started this when they were little. It would have been so much fun to compare! 

When we got home we arranged the pumpkins on the porch, but it was too earlier to carve them yet! I made the kids wait at least a week before we got to carve them. With it being unseasonable warm I knew they would turn into a moldy, squishy mess on the porch before Halloween even got here! 

Of course Owen and Zeke still despise getting the guts out. Zeke did actual dig them out himself this time. Owen paid Jack to do it for him! He's so silly! 

He'll happily get paid to dig guts out of a pumpkin! 

Almost cleaned out! 

So focused! 

Ga-Ga had bought the kids one of those carving sets that came with designs to use to make the face you want. Ella used ones of those. 

Sweet girl! 

A table full of guts! 

All ready to carve! 

So proud of his pumpkin! 

Jackson had some struggles with his, but we got it worked out and it turned out nice! 

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Creepy! 

Ella made the winking face! 

Out on the front porch! The funny thing is we are never even home for Halloween and we don't take the pumpkins to Ga-Ga & Pa's so they really don't get to be seen by anyone, but us. It's just a fun tradition though!