Happy Fall Y'all!

October 19 and the giraffe and I are still neck and neck (seems like she's got the upper hand if that's the metaphor we're going to use). 
We've spent the past few weeks enjoying fall, and pumpkins in particular. Ellie and I got to go with Eve's class to the pumpkin patch last week. It was so much fun! Then, Friday we went to Denver Downs just outside Clemson. It's pricey, but SO MUCH FUN! They have so many fall farm themed activities. John's class went to the pumpkin patch this Wed., but I couldn't make the trip because of a doctor's appointment. I hate I missed it, but he had lots of fun. They've been dying to carve/color their pumpkins, so hopefully when Daddy gets home this afternoon we'll have our carving fest. Fall is such a fun time of year!

 Eve finding the perfect pumpkin

 Found it!  We went to Stewart Farms, the same place we get strawberries.  They do such a fantastic job of making it a fun learning experience for the kids.

 Hayride!

 Ellie really did have fun.  She just didn't want to smile for the picture.

Denver Downs...

 Racing rubber duckies with a water pump.  We could've spent all day here.

 Behind you can see life-sized (for kids) lincoln logs.  It was so fun to see all three work together on a plan to build a house.  They did a really great job of it, too.  We just didn't get any pictures of that because it was really dark when we did it.

That's a HOG.  The animals were lots of fun.  There were baby goats, but we couldn't coax any close enough to pet.

 It's hard enough trying to make your way through a corn maze...much less with 3 kids that all move at different paces, and in different directions!

 Thank goodness we had a map.

 There is a huge "arena" with mountains of hay and rope swings.  It's so fun to climb and swing!

 John really got the hang of it!

 There's also a horse tire swing, which was Eve's favorite.  Had to get a picture of Baby Buck #4.  Look at that big belly! (Off subject, but Eve knows that every time I go to the doctor she measures my belly and listens to the baby's heartbeat.  Lately she's been saying she thinks my belly is big enough for the baby to come out.  I finally pieced together that she thinks that's why the doctor measures my belly...to see when it's big enough for the baby to be born.  Too cute for me to correct.)

 Ellie really enjoyed the toddler playground and playhouse.

 There was a long row of large, round hay bails...three wide, and probably 30 or so long.  Buck and the kids ran along it jumping from bail to bail.  It looked like lots of fun, but probably best that I stayed on the ground with the camera.  John fell into a few holes between the bails.  He didn't get hurt, but we heard, "Ummm, a little help here?" and this is what we saw.  Not intentional, but a convenient little trap. :)

 I told him to make a scared face like he was falling.  This is what we got.  Looks like he's puking up hay.  We eventually helped him out...I promise.

 And Ellie milked the cow.

A beautiful sunset on a beautiful farm.  We had so much fun.  Looking at this, you can't help but love fall.