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! 

Family Pictures 2022!

Back on October 1st, we met with Starr for the first time since 2019 for Family Pictures! I was so excited so finally have new pictures of our family on the wall. The kids had grown SO much it was crazy! Plus is was just nice to get to see Starr. 

The weather was gorgeous which is not the best for photography. Starr wanted to meet later in the afternoon, but we had a party to go to so we met up earlier and she just worked her magic and the pictures came out amazing! 

It always seems like the hardest thing to figure out is the location for the pictures. I don't really want to drive somewhere that's 2 hours away and we've taken pictures at so many of the local places we've even used one of the locations twice. I wanted something different. Starr actually recommended the old historic McMillian Bridge that is only 2 miles or so from my parents house. I thought it was a great idea! We did have to be mindful of bike riders, but only on the one bridge. Once we moved over to the old road bridge they weren't an issue at all. 

It's crazy to me that we were all...except Owen...able to wear short sleeves and Ella was able to wear shorts! The weather was amazing! 

Since we tend to get pictures taken for our Christmas cards, it's usually always cold and dreary out and the leaves have all changed color and many have fallen to the ground. It was a fun change to have it be so bright and green out. 

Ella is 12 & Zeke is 10!

Owen is 15 & Jack is 14! 

These sweet kids did so much growing up in the last 3 years! In fact during our last Family Picture session in 2019, Zeke didn't even fully have his big front teeth in yet! 

Soon they'll all be taller than Ga-Ga & Pa!!! 

Then we moved over to the old highway bridge. There was graffiti sprayed on the pillars. I would imagine that Starr used her magic to tone it down a bit, but it did make a fun backdrop! 

Handsome young men! 

Usually Ga-Ga is freezing during our pictures sessions so it was so nice for a change that she wasn't! 

Love this picture of them!

Individual grandkid pictures! 

Sweet Zeke boy! 

He wanted some input on one of his poses so Starr let him decide this pose! 

Jackson loves to climb and do ninja warrior stuff so I really like this picture of him! 

Sweet beautiful Ella Grace!

How is it that he's almost 16 years old!?!?!

I love it when the pictures that are posed to be natural actually end up looking natural! 

This ended up being my favorite family shot. It was funny one of Ella's friends actually thought I was taller than Michael when she saw this picture. Nope...I'm just standing on the curb! Don't worry I'm not actually elbowing Jack in the neck. My arm is behind him! 

Me and my love!!! 

Mama with her boy! 

All the boys! 

Daddy with his boys! 

Pa with the boys! 

Me and my girl! 

All the girls! 

Daddy with his girl! 

I love this shot! I think Michael might be making fun of her sassiness! 

Fun creative shot...you wouldn't think it would be hard to run in a straight line, but this picture proved to be so much more difficult than it should have been!! :P

And always a tradition....our Blessings picture! 

It wasn't very long after these pictures were taken that my friend Starr got some bad news. She found out she had a cancerous brain tumor. She's been undergoing chemo for months now. She has good days and bad. She been separated from her family a lot during this time. She knows the Lord and has put her faith and trust in Him, but that doesn't mean that she doesn't have times of being angry and frustrated at her situation. If you've made it this far in his post please say a prayer for her and her family!