Pumpkins & Ponies

Last weekend we went with some friends to a pumpkin patch/apple orchard/corn maze called Apple Jacks. We decided to try this place because it was pretty well advertised and they seemed to have a lot of activities for the kids. I should have known that this also meant things would be super expensive! Not so much the activities themselves...but we're talkin' $20 for a medium sized pumpkin!!! Are you kidding me? Needless to say, we didn't actually buy any pumpkins there and instead, I picked up 3 large ones for $10 at Target. Anyway, the other issue we had that day is that is was COLD!!!!! Not just a little cold...a LOT cold! We even got snow that morning! Will only made it an hour before he got so cold Drew had to take him back to the car. He and John and Will eventually headed back to our house in our car, while the rest of us stayed and tried to make the most of the day. It was a good time despite not letting the kids pick out their own pumpkins and despite the cold!

I love this pic of Lili! She was so excited and our friend's daughter, Erin, was letting her jump off the trunk of the car and into her arms. I wish someone would let me jump off the trunk of a car and into their arms...that would be fun!

Brrrrrrrrrr!!

Thrilled to be getting her facepainted! She was very skeptical of the whole process, but once she realized the paint wasn't going to "hurt" her, she relaxed a bit. Too bad I wasn't fast enough to catch the expression on her face when she saw her froggy in the mirror for the 1st time!

I know...he's a little young for facial hair, but what can you do?!?!?

The pony ride was seriously the highlight of our day! Lili wasn't even the slightest bit nervous. She hopped right up there and LOVED the little ride. We chose the smallest pony for her, but then all she could talk about the rest of the day was how she wanted to ride "the white one". If you let go of her hand, she would go running back over to the ponies! The lady said she sat perfectly on the saddle and had really good posture...could this mean horseback riding is in her future?!?!

The expert pony rider!

We always have to have a "CHEESE!" shot!

For some reason she had an "issue" with the pumpkins this year. She loves her plastic pumpkin at home, but the real thing wasn't quite as interesting to her. Getting her to even sit next to one was a chore!

Our little apple...

Kids in a wagon! Of course they wouldn't look at the camera at the same time...that would be asking too much!

Walking through the corn maze! It was a pretty cheesy corn maze, but whatever...

At one point we got lost and could see the "outside", so we went off the designated path and busted through the corn. Lili thought that was pretty funny!

Apple people!

The cow train was super fun for Lili, but especially traumatic for me. I put her in, buckled the seat belt, watched as it pulled away...........but then started to panic. They just took them around one of the fields and they were in my sight the whole time, but for some reason I found it totally disturbing. I suddenly was afraid she would try to get out...or maybe that she was scared being by herself... At one point I even started running (yes, RUNNING!) across the field to get to them...thinking that I could jog (yes, JOG!) alongside the train. My friends tried to tell me that I would most likely never catch up and that she was fine. Of course I did not believe that she was fine...but I definitely believed that I would never catch up. So I waited...and waited...and waited...

As they pulled around the corner, I saw Lili squealing and smiling. There was a Mom who was small enough to fit on the train with her daughter and she said Lili laughed the whole time. Apparently I was worried for nothing. I still won't ever do that again though...

As we were walking back to the car, I turned around to check on Lili in the wagon and found her like this. She had snuck an apple spiced donut out of the bag and decided she needed a snack! She wasn't really eating it though...just licking the cinnamon and sugar off!