Pumpkin Patch and Fall Fun

Our family does not 'do' Halloween, so we try to find alternatives. Each year is different and we always have fun. I am a spontaneous person, and so this year on the spur of the moment I decided to take the boys to the coast to a pumpkin patch.

I wanted to take them before the girls came home, since when the girls are here we will have a problem finding seating in our van!! Unless God decides to see fit and provide us with a 12 passenger van, we will be commuting in two cars to church and restaurants, movies and such. Colt is learning to drive right now and we don't often go as a group places, so hopefully we will be okay.

But in the meantime, I decided to get as many fun trips in as I can before we are limited for space.

So with a day's notice, I decided to do some internet research and found a ten acre corn maze. Each year this family does a different design on their corn field and apparently there are only 2 in B.C.

I thought that sounded like a blast so we decided to leave the next morning early, go shopping on the coast and get some much needed supplies, visit a few friends, and see a pumpkin patch. We would be gone for a mere 30 hours, since we were leaving on Saturday after the boys had done a couple hours of selling poppies for Remembrance Day (for Cadets) and only spending one night and would be back in time for Colt to go to school on Monday.

We drove down to the coast late the following morning. My first stop was SHOPPING!! Colt was amazed at how much stuff I get throwing in the cart. But what do you expect when you live in a town where there is basically one clothing store!!! I keep my list and keep adding to it and when I finally get to a town - watch out!!

The boys all got new clothes and boy was that *fun* - said with great sarcasm!! You try clothes shopping with SIX boys!!! I NEVER shop with six boys!!! I am smart enough to leave some of them at home!!! *laugh* But since I needed them all with me on this trip we had to do the clothes shopping for them all at once. I was ready to leave that store when we left!! Two shopping carts later...

We dropped Colt and Cassidy off at a friend's house for the night and then I took the rest of the boys to a hotel to the night. We found one with a pool and the boys had a ball.

Briton was *determined* not to wear swim shorts since the only ones I packed were not his!! *grin*

These kept reappearing in the hot tub. Luckily there was no one in the pool with us or I would have had to leave.

Saucy Little Guy!

Because we had only the four boys with me (and two staying at a friends) we had to squeeze into one hotel room. Briton, being the littlest and lightest one, always gets the 'makeshift' bed, but he doesn't seem to mind. When we are all together as a family, we have to get two hotel rooms. The big boys like that cause they get to have their own hotel room, while we take the little ones in ours.

All Tucked in and Ready For Bed

Breakfast in Bed

The next day, we met up with the two boys who had been visiting their friends, along with the friends and the boys' mum. We all then went to the corn maze.

Reading the Clues to the Maze

Aerial View of the Maze

This maze is designed for Big Brothers and Big Sisters this year. That little round thing down by the white rectangle is a sand box, so you can imagine how big it all is!

While the big ones took on the challenge of the maze, we took the little ones into the petting zoo and to see the pumpkins. The boys were told that the maze would take about 1 1/2 hours; they ran and did a fabulous job, getting out in 45 minutes!

The little ones loved the animals. We also visited the hay maze in the barn. Austin and Cooper were wild in that place running all over the hay bales and having a blast.

Austin had a blast on these trikes. He *so* wanted to ride them and before I knew it he had taken off, grabbed a trike and was racing all over the place. Short little legs and all!

Little Maniac

The boys loved making faces in the farm animals. Check out Austin - our family clown. Mind you, he seems to be running a close race with the newest clown: Briton!

After we had fun at the corn maze the boys basically had to strip down and remove all their muddy clothing. We were not prepared for the mud, and there was no way the mud was getting all over my van! *grin* Colt, being the oldest, was smart enough to keep himself mud free, so he was able to keep his jeans! Austin on the other hand, was the filthiest!! He was covered all up his back and down his pants. He was basically rolling in the mud!! Suffice it to say, he came home a little lighter dressed! *grin*

Briton Enjoying His Customary 'On The Way Home' Milk Shake

Big Boy Toys

Colt Enjoying His New IPod that he bought while on our coast trip. His shopping included buying his IPod, some new clothes, and seeing a friend, so he was quite satisfied when his 30 hour 'holiday' was over!