Smith Family Farm

Last weekend, we took the kids to the pumpkin patch.  Since we now live in an area where there are farms, orchards and open space, it was just a five mile drive to an actual working farm.  No parking lot pumpkin patch for the flock this year! 



The obligatory "face in sign" pics!

The bewildered honeybee, Gavin, and his big brother. 

Our pumpkin patchers!
I love this shot!

Love this because Gavin's looking at them with an expression that says, "Seriously, what are all these orange things? Why is daddy holding the back of my clothes? Why is mommy taking another picture?!"

Checking out the farm animals
(bottom right... Gracie is reaching for the chickens and just after, independently signed "chicken."

Beautiful skies looking toward Mt. Diablo

While Preston jumped and ran across an adjacent section of hay bales, I helped Gracie walk on these.

:-)

Our attempt at a family photo!  These make me laugh... we tried!  Gavin was less than enthusiastic!

What's really happening here... 
Gavin is about to lunge forward because he is super curious about the pumpkins and their stems.
Gracie is about to reach for Gavin in an effort to use him (along with Preston) to help her lay down.
Preston is about to scream in horror as he realizes he is sitting squarely on a pumpkin stem.
Good times... mamarazzi torture!  LOL!

The hayride out to the pumpkins was a comedy of errors. Because we had to leave Gracie's wheelchair and Gavin's stroller behind, John and I each had arms full of kids, suction and a diaper bag. This left Preston to carry whatever pumpkins we picked out... we were alloted four! Obviously that wasn't going to work out. Somehow, John managed to carry Gracie and a pumpkin while I carried Gavin, the diaper bag and suction bag. Preston managed a fairly decent sized pumpkin all on his own. Luckily, the driver noticed our predicament and said he'd help us get a couple more pumpkins when we returned to the front area of the farm. After he and John chatted it up for a bit (super nice member of the farm family), he told John to pick out a big pumpkin in lieu of two small ones - - if he wanted. When he said "big," he wasn't messing around.  So, Big Bertha is sitting on our porch. She is huge. And, John insists he is going to carve her...