Pumpkin Hunting

The kids and I went to the Gilcrease Orchard pumpkin patch today!

I took them last year and had a few meltdowns during that trip, so I was hopeful that since they were a year older this time that we would be ok.

I.was.wrong.

The fun yet tough part about the orchard is that once you grab a wagon you have to walk along this long dusty road to get to the pumpkins. 

It's kind of a trek for little people.

Jojo did great!

Not one negative peep out of him the entire time!

Bellamy, on the other hand, didn't want to walk.

She wanted me to hold her pretty much the entire time.

You'll see in the pictures she cried alot...like everytime I put her down.

Got my workout for the day!

OH WELL.

 We still had fun.

To me, all of the emotions and tribulations are what make traditions memorable.

Taking my kids to the real pumpkin patch every year is important to me.

It's an experience.

Whether it be good, bad, or a little of both...

I hope it's something Jojo and Bellamy will look back on and remember with warmth in their hearts.

Jojo was trying to comfort her

The pumpkins were pretty picked over if you were looking for "perfect" pumpkins.

 I was searching for unique ones though.

The ones that were "perfect" because they had a funny stem, oddly shaped, or were super wrinkly.

The pumpkin below I absolutely loved not only for it's oblong shape and medium size, but also because it had some of the vine still connected!

I had always seen cartoon drawings of curly pumpkin vines, but had never seen it in real life!

Isn't that gorgeous?!

 It's so fun finding beauty in the unsual.