October Odds & Ends

We have this fantastic pumpkin patch here in our county…Stoney Ridge…it’s so much more than a pumpkin path. They grow apples & pumpkins and all sorts of fall vegetation. They have animals and corn mazes and cider and donuts and pie and wagon rides and field trips and it’s HUGE and so fun. My parents used to take Sarah & Bethany when they were little…and then when we first moved here it was an annual tradition to go apple picking and to Stoney Ridge with my friends. Then as we had more kids in the school and less at home, and more jobs, and so forth…that tradition fell by the wayside. But we went as a family almost every year and this year we made it a point to go because sadly, it was the last year that Stoney Ridge was going to operate. They plan to still have their Christmas tree farm, but the pumpkins and fall festivities are coming to an end after 25 years. And since next fall Sarah will be off who-knows-where, it was extra-important to me that we visit there one last time.

^^In the corn maze…

I have probably 10 years worth of pictures in front of this sign. When I told the girls, “Okay, I want you to humor your mother and stand in front of the ‘how tall this fall’ sign” I suddenly found myself crying! The girls all looked at me like I was crazy and quickly walked away, pretending they didn’t know me. The tears took me by surprise, but I wasn’t shocked, as the tears do come easily lately…has something to do with having a Senior in high school, I think.

We had a great afternoon at the pumpkin patch…ate pumpkin donuts and caramel apple pie, looked at the animals, rode the wagon, and took pictures in the apple trees.

Uh….I don’t know. I said, “Let’s take a picture by the pig water container” and they did this. I have no words. If Stoney Ridge weren’t closing, it would probably be a new tradition.

One must always take pictures by the truck full of pumpkins.

And Becca had to re-enact the time she was sitting on the pumpkins on the wagon and the pumpkins started to roll and she fell off. Yes. Bad-mother-of-the-year award goes to me for putting her preschooler on a pile of round objects high up off the ground. Who knew?

My sweet Minnesota bestie flew to WA somewhat unexpectedly and we spontaneously met for coffee at 7:30 in the morning! Talked and laughed for hours. So, so good for the soul.

We found ourselves with a Friday evening when everyone was home and we played Ticket to Ride. Guess who won?

For a second Friday night in a row we were all at home, so we played Apples to Apples…and whatever Bethany was saying was quite entertaining!

We enjoyed the high school fall music concert. Can you find Bethany?