bates - dos

pumpkins galore!   and just beyond the piles of medium-sized pumpkins are the monstrous pumpkins, all wonderful, weirdly shaped and whimsical.  one year we actually bought one of the huge ones.  er, correcting myself, my dad bought us the pumpkin, and with that purchase came the obligation to come carve it.  it was fun!

grandma and mike were brave enough to join us in the rain and mud.  glad they brought their over-sized umbrella, or "barella" as chloe calls it.  the rain didn't really let up, so we ended up leaving without any fun photo opps at the bates pumpkin sign, and without heading up to the little general store to get a treat.  bummer!

how mom feels about the rain today...

stephen trying to find his ideal pumpkin.

the girls being cute in the barella together, but really, for the most part, they were running around in the sprinkles/rain.  they loved it!

i love the gourds, dried corn and other such things they have lying around too.  usually i'll get some for thanksgiving decor, but this year things are all around just a little different.  it was kind of nice to not worry about that.

afterwards, per my request, we headed to starbucks to get some hot chocolate.  the weather was pushing me to starbucks, as was my hunger.  mom and her cute donut...

...chloe and her kids hot chocolate. in case you didn't know, i'll tell you that starbucks heats up the kid's hot chocolate to a lower temperature so as not to burn their cute little tongues.  isn't that thoughtful?  this little tidbit of information brought to you by brooke, an ex-starbucks employee.

although normally half closed eyes aren't my thing, i liked this one of sienna.  maybe she's praying to bless her hot chocolate?  ahem....anyway.

it was an almost perfect day at the pumpkin patch.  next year, these are some things i will request of myself and other circumstances:

* no mud in the parking lot.  i'd rather not get stuck again.

* rain just as we're leaving, so we can still enjoy it, without having to actually get wet.

* to not pre-buy the circlebuzz coupon to go in the cornmaze and on the wagonride, since it might rain. 

just some thoughts.....

....yay for pumpkins!!