A Sunday at the Pumpkin Patch

A couple of Sundays ago we took our annual trek to the pumpkin patch 30 minutes outside of town. We picked up Mom and Dad and packed into our van after church on a beautiful warm day filled with blue skies and a little bit of an October breeze. These yearly visits are definitely a tradition that I look forward to and value, and I know that it's a tradition entrenching itself deep into our boys' memories, too, because every year at the first sight of a store bought pumpkin, they ask when we're heading out to the patch to pick more.

I love the simple routine of these yearly visits - the way Brandon always begs to buy all the baby pumpkins, how Jaden's favorite part is of course the walking tacos and the pumpkin shooter. How every year, I have a photo or two of Brandon running or skipping from one activity to the next, completely wrapped up in his innocent childhood happiness. The way they insist on doing the corn maze only to get lost two minutes in and start frantically searching for the exit. (The way Cody grumbles through the maze with them - reminding them they tried it last year and the year before and it never ends well). The fact that Jaden will want to spend the bulk of his time on the basketball court in the barn loft and that Brandon looks forward to that darn life sized hamster wheel more than anything else. I love most that I know they will one year be too grown for all of it, and gosh darn-it we WILL get a family picture this year just in case next year is that year.

I love how Brandon couldn't care much about playing football but put him behind this duck racing machine contraption and then try and tell me he doesn't have a competitive bone in his body. ;)

I love the over sized tire swing and that it calls to my boy every single visit, reminding me always of the countless hours spent pushing him in his baby swing under the big tree branch at our old house.

And this year, they added a slide to the lookout tower. What a hit - Brandon LOVED this thing. (And Jaden did, too, once my cautious nine year old finally agreed to try it). ;)

See? Picture of Brandon happily running. Told ya. :)

We've written our names on these walls so many times and have almost lost a cell phone in the hay maze once or twice. ;)

And then there's Cody. Who gives me constant grief for my pumpkin obsession and collection but then spots the biggest one in the patch and decides we just HAVE to have it for carving.

Last year...

This year.

Last year...

This year.

I love this time of year and all the traditional threads that weave themselves into the growing quilt that makes up the fabric of our family's foundation.

And I can't wait to see them carve that pumpkin. ;)