Pumpkin Hunting

We are not big hunters at my house until October rolls around and then we are searching for the perfect pumpkin!  Our hunt usually takes us to The Great Pumpkin Patch in Arthur, IL (made famous by Martha Stewart) where we can search for pumpkin and squash and taste all the yummy treats available for purchase!

This year we loaded up the whole family and made the trek on an unseasonably warm Sunday!  We had a wonderful time and, yes, we found the perfect pumpkin(s)!

We ran into this friendly guy!  He had his period tools and cooking items laid out for all to see.  He was busy scooping the pulp out of a squash and putting them on the fire to make a yummy sweet treat!

I love all the displays!  They are lovely and just by looking, you can tell how many man hours went into setting everything up for us to enjoy!

I never get enough of this!  I love to watch the Diva and her daddy!  She loves him so much and the feeling is quite mutual!

As much as I love them, I also love this grass!  I really want to plant some in my yard but I know that the Knight would mistake it for weeds and mow it or pour weed killer on it!  So, I have to settle for pictures for now!  Sigh!

She loves her ice cream!  It was pretty warm on Sunday so she got chocolate and I think it got her too!!  The Moody Teen and I got pumpkin ice cream and it was yummy!!

We found the perfect pumpkins!  We got a big one, a medium one and a Diva sized one too!

Sigh..........do I really need to say anything more?  Be still my heart!  I love my babies!

Since I had some great Diva helpers along, I could just kind of wonder and play with my camera!  Funny how much things have changed in a year!  I know so much more about my camera and light compared to last year!

So here is what happened to out perfect pumpkins!  The Diva and the Knight plus a knife and an ice cream scoop equals.........................................................................................................................

This guy and his two little friends!!

I have pictures of the Diva dressed up in her costume but they have to wait until later cause I am in need of a nap!  Have a great weekend and remember to be safe!

Apples and Pumpkins and Gourds, Oh My!! A Weekend in Pictures.

We were on the go from the moment we got out of bed on Saturday until late Monday afternoon!! Talk about sensor overload for one little Diva, but she had lots of adventures along the way!!
Running on the prairie while I took pictures at Lincoln Log Cabin. The Diva and daddy had a great morning together!!
Sunday after church we headed to The Great Pumpkin Patch with daddy! She started out in the wagon but did not stay there for long!
She made a new friend!! I think the two daddies were playing matchmaker!! LOL! They know each other and now the two year olds are best buds!!
I just love this grass stuff!! I really did not know that it gets that tall!! I am trying to convince the Knight to put it around our fence line for privacy but he is not buying it!! Sigh.....
I just adore fall! Look at these gorgeous colors!! I could live in fall all year round!! LOL!
Monday morning found us at the Curtis Apple Orchard and I could not resist this picture! Look at the size difference between my two babies!!
The Diva loves to stick her head in these cutouts and get her picture taken! I wish you could hear her during this photo because she is buzzing like a bee! Too funny!
Wondering which way to go next. There was so much to see and do that she could not decide.
Playing and posing in an apple crate. Then she decided she was playing hide and seek and that she was "it" first!!

The Chief statue at the orchard! He was huge and no, there is nothing under the loin cloth!! We checked!! LOL!
This little cutie was in the same spot the whole time we were there. I wonder if he knows the guy he is curled up with is just some mechanical dude!!
The forgotten wagon! I just liked the shot so I took it! Kind of nostalgic don't you think?
By the end of the day we were all exhausted but the kids wanted to trek out to the actual pumpkin patch so the Diva caught a ride and off we went (apple sipper in tow).

Wow, what a weekend!! Now it is back to editing and laundry and shopping and house work and cars that have been hit by buses while parked at the moody teen's place of employment!! I will save that story for another day!!

Weekend Wrap Up!

I know the weekend has not officially started and to some it may be too early to wrap it up but this is a busy one (like the next three in October)! First, I am praying for the rain to stop so things can dry up a little, after all, it is really hard to ask 6 kids and two parents to smile when they are posed on soggy ground!

This weekend is full of photo antics! Tomorrow kicks off with the lovely family of 8 that I just referenced! We are headed to Lincoln Log Cabin for a fall shoot in the early AM (can you remind me why I do this to myself)! I cannot wait to see what madness occurs during this shoot.

Next, there is the possibility of a shoot with my friend's 18 month old! They will be in town from Nashville tomorrow so we will have to wait to see what transpires with that little guy! I hope it works out so I can see my long lost friend! I could tell you lots of stories of the antics we used to pull in our radio days but then your image of me would be tainted so I will leave those in the deep dark recesses of my brain (and hers) for now.

The afternoon holds another shoot with a cute little family of four! The mom is super cool and has sent some cool ideas of some poses she would like to try with her little gang! Another shoot with young boys should, again, prove to be fun and exciting.

Is it Sunday yet? Well, Sunday will be the normal church activities followed by a trip to The Great Pumpkin Patch in Arthur! The Diva has been begging to go so Daddy and I will take her to roam the patch, see the animals and pick a pumpkin for our yard! With Daddy along it will be easier to drag my camera (and new lens) to get some great shots.

Whew, I am worn out and I have not even mentioned Monday yet!! Yup, another school holiday so I got the brilliant idea to do a family shoot of my niece and her two boys at the Curtis Apple Orchard and Pumpkin Patch in Champaign. Really I just want the apple donuts! But toss another bloggy buddy (Diana) into the mix and I am sure that the fun will be ginormous! I owe her some photo tips and she was going to the Orchard anyway so it worked out great! By Tuesday I will need to stay home and rest because my old bones can't take all the excitement anymore!! Look for lots of photos in the coming week!