Pumpkin patch @ Grandma/pa's town

This weekend we were finally able to go see my family in The Tri-cities. I have really missed my mom and Dad being gone and I have no idea how people survive without family around. I took the girls up on Friday since they didn't have school. We had planned to have everyone meet up with us-Caleb and his family along with Sheila and her family. There was plenty of commotion but lots of fun to be had. Saturday we headed to the pumpkin patch where there was plenty to do (with a fee of course)
The kids played in the wheat buckets a lot-They had a huge cow troft full of Wheat that the kids could do sensory play in. The sky was beautiful but the cold bitter wind was whipping around (check out some of the kids hair). Here are a few of the family members on top of the pyramid of hay.
They had a cute hay maze for the littler kids that was easy and fun for them to do (you can see the pyramid in the back ground)

I thought this was a fun idea-With little watering troughs they had rubber duck races- The kids would pump the water to get their ducks to race in the water against each other. I think this attracted the kids the most (water always does)
Taking a short break while we try and figure out what we are going to do next-too many choices. Here is me and my mom, Dad and Ambria and Rylan.

Some of you may know that since the beg. of September I have been trying to get back with the program of exercise and trying to loose weight. I have lost some poundage but have really decided that exercising has to be my focus. Running has always been the only thing that helps me shed some of the pounds. I was a good girl at moms and went out every morning-I love their flat landscape for this reason, you can run miles and not even know it. SO doing the next thing wasn't the wisest decision but I had to motivate the others.

I convinced my brother, My brother in law to join with me in a pie eating contest. We thought we would be lucky even if we got picked (the first 5 they drew out of the hat would be the ones who would get to compete.) I figured if nothing else we would get a yummy piece of Choclate pudding pie-which has to be my favorite, even now. The first person called up was my brother Caleb-I was second and then Ray was called up fourth. I knew I really didn't stand a chance between these 2 and planned on making it fun and enjoy the pie without getting too sick.

Yes we dived in the 3 minute timed event. We thought it was like most events where you couldn't use your hands-only half way through did we find out otherwise (no I am not sleeping in the pie-I was inhaling as much whipped topping to get to the good stuff)
OK I know I look hilarious and that is what made it fun. Every few bites I would come up and try to make Ray gag or Caleb laugh-it was the only way I could attempt to make a dent.

When the hands were incorporated I tried to stuff it as much as I could-but you can only swallow so much at a time.
The job was finally done-Yeah I tried and my kids were so sad for Mom because she didn't win-I explained to them it wasn't about winning it was about the journey along the way and having fun (A stranger won 1st, Ray 2nd, Caleb 3rd, Me 4th and a little boy 5th). They did win some Money for a grocery store-but I had already threatened if I won it was all going to dessert for the family (Choclate pie).

It was a blast and I would do it again-My hands were frozen from the cold pie but my kids loved licking the yummy pudding off my fingers.
Heck I even licked it after we finished-It was delightful. I guess that is why I was really motivated to run the next morning at 6:30am with below freezing temp. outside (I am typically a whimp with the cold.)

------This is what I have become. (Actually they had a lot of animals for the kids to look at and pet.-Notice the pigs chin and then mine.)

Off to the HUGE Corn maze. We split in to 2 teams to see who could return first without running or cheating. After 2 attempts we finally found our way out-Though the kids got a little tired of all the walking and dead ends.
At night they put scary people out there to make it even more intense (yeah I am not into that-I know I would have bad dreams and probably not eat corn for awhile)

We finally went on a little hay ride into the pumpkin fields to pick some pumpkins to bring home. Rylan fell asleep so I stayed behind and watched her and the other girls went with my family.

Good ones girls!!!
The whole gang (minus sleeping Rylan) at Pumpkin Patch Family Time 2008

-Oh yeah I had to put the little kitty's in since this was probably my kids favorite thing (They had wild little kitty's running all over and the kdis loved running after and catching them-Saige tried to talking me into keeping one "We'll keep it in our bedrooms"- Sorry charly NO CAN DO)
What a wonderful weekend. We missed April and her family, Jonathan and his wife and of course My brother in law and MARK. Maybe next year.