Our trip to Vala's Pumpkin Patch

We picked the MOST beautiful day to go to the Pumpkin Patch this year! It was INCREDIBLE! BUT....EVERYBODY else in Omaha thought the same way!! We couldn't park in the parking lot...it was full. Hmmm...maybe we should have skipped the pumpkin patch at that first sign?? NAH!!! You can't have "FALL", without the PUMPKIN PATCH!!! Although...since Vala's DID raise their prices to an UNBELIEVABLE amount...making it LITERALLY highway robbery...next year we will be trying something a bit more on the affordable side. BUT...I had been promising the kids all year we would go to Vala's...so I had to keep good on my word. Anyway, they rerouted us to the outlet mall, where we caught a bus. We actually GOT to Vala's at 2:30...but by the time we were rerouted and on the bus and GOT to Vala's AGAIN...it was after 4. Can you believe it??? INSANITY I SAY!!! THEN...as if that wasn't enough...by the time our bus got there...they were letting people in the lot!! UGH!!! There should be a law against making mothers with four children and a stroller go to that much of a hassle! Well...we did decide to NOT do the stroller because it rained for 4 days straight before that day, so I knew there would be mud in abundance. Instead, I used the backpack carrier...reminding myself that I need the exercise! So, at 4 when we got in the pumpkin patch it was still beautiful weather. We enjoyed our first couple hours there with tractor rides, haunted houses, storybook houses, a corn maze that we TRULY got VERY lost in...etc, etc. We watched scarecrows dance, we had a snack, then to the horses. The one thing that MaKenna waited ALL year for. I have to put in a side note here. In a MUCH earlier post this August I have a picture of MaKenna on a horse at Mahoney State Park. Those horses are the ones that go to Vala's. As soon as she saw Peanut, she said, "There's Peanut...that is my horse." I didn't think she really remembered...because I didn't remember. I just nodded my head like a good mother would. She rode it with a huge smile the whole time...

when she got off of, "Peanut", she hug her and the horse nuzzled her right back. The handler came over and said, "Ah...Peanut likes you, she doesn't like very many people." I said, "YOU MEAN THAT IS REALLY PEANUT!?" Apparently my daughter has an incredible memory. She is such a little horse whisperer! Remember another post...the one from camping, how she got the horses to come to her?? SUCH a horse whisperer that one!



Then we went over and saw the goblin and the cemetary. Notice the goblin with Jake in the picture below??

They even played miniature golf with black lights. Very fun! It was at that point that I had to feed Major and change his diaper, so I missed golf...but I watched the end!

I LOVE colorful mums...so I had to take the pictures below!

I got tired...so I passed Major off to Tini! By the way, Major was a little monster that day...notice the little spikes on his outfit! Silly I know...but oh so cute!!

Last stop was the hayrack ride. Time to pick our pumpkins. By then it was very dark. It was about 9pm before we caught a seat on the hayrack. We went out to the patch...Major fell asleep in my arms, so I carried him out there while everyone looked for pumpkins. We waited for the next hayrack to come back and pick us up. By then it was getting really cold. Once that sun dipped out of the sky the chill came out. Major was just plain pooped. When we got back to Vala's from the Pumpkins, Major AND MaKenna were both asleep, so the tractor driver had to help us out because I had Major in my arms, Tini had MaKenna in her arms, which meant the boys had to carry 5 pumpkins by themselves. So the driver helped us out and got us a pumpkin cart. The boys had to push that...it was very comical listening to "Curly and Moe" try to get along while "COOPERATING" in pushing this heavy cart.

We had to stand in line to wait for the bus...the bus FINALLY came and we were on our way to the outlet mall. En route, MaKenna, Major and Cam all fell to sleep...and/or stayed asleep. So...once we got to the outlet mall, we had to ask the bus driver to help us out...again. I failed to mention, Jeff wasn't with us. He had a hockey coaching clinic to go to...then he went hunting. No...he didn't get anything...again. He will though...I will just keep telling myself that...and him. Anyway, it was after 10 before we got home and we hadn't had dinner yet...so we stopped at Taco Bell for dinner. MaKenna and Major went straight to bed when we got home...and the rest of us chowed down hard on tacos from south of the boarder. Yum. So...that was our exciting day at the Pumpkin Patch. Aren't you glad you "tuned in"?

Halloween pics coming up soon!!!!