Innes: Quest for the Perfect Pumpkin

This year, we experienced Schnepf Farms for some "Farm Fresh Fun".

We expected some rides, a maze, and a cute little pumpkin patch where Dom could find the perfect pumpkin. This place was HUGE. Much bigger than we expected, and much harder to find... it turns out. After getting lost for 1/2 an hour, (probably just because Rich and I can't talk and drive at the same time) we finally reached our destination. This is what they had to offer...

...hay rides, miniature golf, a 4 acre maze, country road rally, honey bee adventure ride, carousel rides, petting farm, Hillbilly Bob's Pig Races, Swing Ride, mini-roller coaster, pumpkin launch, Witch Mountain giant slide, straw bale maze, rock climbing wall, live entertainment, bon fires, marshmellow roasting, lil' farmer's play yard and town, the Schnepf Family Museum, the Sweet Shop, and a fireworks display. Whew!

Needless to say, we didn't hit a fraction of it. We arrived, waited patiently (or not so) in line for 1/2 an hour to go on the Honey Bee adventure Ride...

...finally it was our turn. Dom rode with Daddy and Dame rode with me. Pardon the poor pictures. It was dark, and I was trying to hold the camera still while Damon energetically yanked the bar in our bee back and forth, making the bee rise suddenly up and down, up and down, while holding him and simultaneously trying to not to fall out of the thing. This is the best I got...

I thought Dom would burst into tears when it started moving. But to our surprise, he LOVED it... you can tell by his not-so-eager-to-get-off-faces here:

After determining that Dominic wasn't big enough for the mini-coaster or the swings, we headed to the straw bale maze. About 6 steps into the maze Dominic had a panic-attack and we had to carry him out. Maybe next year... straw/hay makes me sneeze anyway ;)

Then we headed to the petting barn. This made him happy. I think his favorites were the chickens...

Or maybe it was the donkey...

There were little goats too...

...and sheep, cows, horses, turkeys, etc.

Next we wandered over the the corn maze, but it was too hard to navigate the stroller over the rows, so we opted for the hayride instead.

(Damon is strapped into the stroller in this photo... I wasn't about to get him out while he sat there happily, you just don't push your luck... but now I feel kinda bad he's not pictured.)

The boys loved the hayride. Although in this shot, Dominic appears to be so bored he's picking his nose. Really... they liked it. And again... it's not drool on Dame, it's the blasted sippy.

Dom even got to sit on the tractor driver's lap. He was so excited.

(Dominic, not the driver... actually, I think this guy felt a little awkward because I pretty much just sat Dom on his lap before I even asked if we could take a picture. 'Cause I'm a crazy camera-lady like that.)

Dame scored a glowstick/whistle from one of the grandmas on the hayride who was taken with the boys... it kept him occupied.

After the hayride, Dame made it clear he was ready to go, so we made one last stop... the Pumpkin Patch.

This (and the bee ride) was the highlight of Dom's night. He was soooo excited. He ran through the patch as fast as his little legs could carry him. Crawling on all the pumpkins, pointing here, pointing there, gasping "Whoa Mum! Whoooaa Mum!" and picking up (or trying to) pumpkins and then dropping them and running for the next one.

Here's our excited little guy, living it up in the pumpkin patch...

The quest for the perfect pumpkin began.

There were great big round ones...