yesterday we had a day like that. we took a train ride to a pumpkin patch. we spent about an hour there, picking out pumpkins, of course. but there were also a few farm animals to pet, and a hay maze to go through, and a ring toss game (that isaac loved because he LOVES to win trinkets as prizes. LOVES it), and a hay ride to and from the fields. it was a very simple, no-fuss, back to basics way to spend the early part of our day.
the train departed from the transportation museum at the park in town. meagan was beyond excited to be going on a train destined for a field full of pumpkins! she was definitely ready to go!
while we waited to board, there were engines and cars and cabooses to peek at. they have a collection of old - some VERY old - trains that are waiting to be restored. i'm so thankful that someone cares enough to restore and maintain something that was such an integral part of our culture at one time. sadly, if no one does it, these giants of the past threaten to slip out of our awareness altogether. i love that our kids have had so many chances to see trains up close and to enjoy them and develop a love and fascination with them.
(don't you love how excited meagan is? she's great! and sebastian is always so serious. it's funny how different they are.)
it seems boys will FIND a way to see inside those compartments and cubbies they want to see into. *lol*
on the ride there, meagan made a simple, yet profound observation. she said the best part of the train ride is that you can just sit and talk, and you don't have to be distracted by where you're going like you do when you're driving. she really values quality time, and no other statement could have made that any more clear.
meagan was really the only one (besides grandpa) who got excited about petting the farm animals. but she was thrilled with it, despite her brothers' disinterest. she saw an opportunity to learn and enjoy, and she took it.
i swear this was this girl's dream come true - to have a wide open field full of pumpkins at her disposal. she took off running through the pumpkins, headed straight for the biggest one she could find (there weren't many big ones left, since we're so late in the season, and many of them had holes in them and were beginning to rot. but she did manage to find one that was big enough for her liking, so she was happy.)
the boys had a good time, too. don't get me wrong. they are just so much more subdued about their enjoyment. they no longer wear it out there for the world to see. i guess they're just getting too grown up to run around care-free all the time. :(
grandpa wore meagan's gloves while she was picking her pumpkins.
(i don't know what it is about these far away pictures, but i just love them)
riding home with the loot.... it was a good thing we had an extra seat in our section...
when we got back to the park, grandma stopped in the shop to find the kids each a t-shirt to help them remember the day (as if they could ever forget it). i snapped a few pics of them just hanging around waiting, and i was pleasantly surprised at how they turned out.
it was a long morning, and we were all quite hungry, so we made a straight line to logan's steakhouse for lunch before grandma & grandpa headed back home. what a great day!
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1 comment:
All of the pictures are fabulous. I don't know how you do it. I can't wait to share them with Carrie! We miss you all so! xoxo
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