The Pumpkin Patch 2013

A week or so ago Autumn and I made our yearly pilgrimage to the Pumpkin Patch! Last year we had such a blast and this time Brody joined us! Since my friend Karen moved to Richmond last year, we met at the patch and it was so great to get to see her. We've decided after 2 years now, it's tradition! The girls got along so well and it was a perfect morning. It was forecasted to rain, but it held out until right after we got into the car to head home. 

Brody can find trucks just about anywhere...

They have a small corn maze for the little kids. Brody and the girls loved chasing each other inside of it.

Traffic jam in the slide!

Brody had no fear with the animals. I'm shocked they didn't nip at him!

After you check out all the animals, the farm has an area to wash up your hands. Brody saw this as more of an attraction than a sanitary stand.

Last year we didn't do the slides (I don't remember seeing other people do them either) but the kids loved them! Autumn was such a big girl and went inside the big tunnel slides all by herself!! I wish I'd had more energy to keep going up and down with her.

This was a big hit last year - the bouncy bubble. The farm is great about crowd control so there aren't 50 million kids on it at once. Autumn loved it. Brody did too, although he really just sat on it and enjoyed being bounced around.

The best part about Belvedere is that it's an actual working farm and very down home, as opposed to being very commercialized. You actually ride out on the tractors to the patch and pick your pumpkin off the vine. 

I gave Autumn a rule - she could get any pumpkin she wanted, but she had to be able to carry it. We bought two small pumpkins and carried them back to the farm in our backpack. For the two pumpkins we paid less than $3!

Laura loved, loved, LOVED Brody!

We didn't do this last year either and again, I can't remember why. Autumn was brave enough and did it all on her own. They took the kids through the corn as well - it was such a fun ride for the girls!

The best part of the trip - the exhausted kids that follow! Shortly after the farm we stopped at Steak 'n Shake and had lunch in the car while we watched Peppa Pig and Mickey Mouse. It started to rain just as we were leaving - it couldn't have worked out better!