Patches? We don't need no stinkin' patches!

Name that movie......


Troop Beverly Hills!!

It's been a busy few months here.  Lots of traveling for everyone.  Cayce's been going in and out with his ship, family trips around the region, and finally one loooooong trip home for Lily and me.  Now we're all home, and going to live a slowed down life for a while... as slow as the holiday season allows that is.

One of the things we've done recently is make a trip to DC to visit friends and meet their super cute new baby, Kyrie.  On the way home from said visit we made a family stop back at the Queen Anne Farm in Mitchellville, MD.  Last year we made this very same trip, and loved the pumpkin patch.  So while we were in the area we thought we would try to capture some of that joy again. 

It was a whole lot different this year.  The torrential rains the east cost experienced this summer drastically cut down on their crop.  They raised their per lb price to help make up for the loss, from .49 cents to .59 cents a lb.  A totally justifiable price hike.  The staff at the farm were just as pleasant and friendly.  The only big complaint was that we apparently showed up a week early because they didn't have their sheep there or the pumpkin houses set up, yet.  :-(  It was still fun, and Lily loved running through the knee high (on her) grass.  Smiling, posed pictures are so hard to get of Lily, as friend also mentioned in her blog.  At this age (17 mos at the time) stopping and standing (anywhere) is just not an option.  Lily being a late bloomer to the walking world apparently has created an intense drive to run and explore everything.  In other words:  enjoy the action pictures. 

We stayed at the same hotel on Andrews Air Force base.

Pumpkins!

Chicken!

"Lily, don't you want to pose with a sunflower like you did last year?"

"Nooo."

Look, standing still, smiling, and with mommy! BONUS!

"Alright, enough of this I'm out of here!"

"Is she still following me??"

'Freedom!"

"Can I sit on this one?'

"No!" Did I mention she's not a fan of hand holding?

Off again!

Captured!

"How can I get all these home?"

While Lily and I made our trip home we went with the family to another pumpkin patch.  Growing up we always went to Carmichael's patch in Bixby, OK.  I can still see myself climbing all over the piles of pumpkins hunting for that perfect gourd.  I wanted to take Lily to play and share that tradition with her.  The operation has grown a bit since my childhood.  What was simply a roadside stand with mountains of pumpkins and a few petting zoo animals is now something closely resembling a county fair.  While pumpkins were to be had we focused on the animals!  Lily is the biggest animal lover.  She has no fear of them, and must love and cuddle them all.  We have to be very watchful of her with strange animals, but the joy she gets from interacting with the animals is worth any anxiety on my part.

Llama Llama Red Pajama with her cousin Benny. (my goal is to convince Al to add a llama to the barnyard at home)

"Hey sheep, how can I get in there with you?"

"Ooooh goats.  You're friendlier than the one's at Oma's and Grampa's house."

Hungry. With Great-Aunt Randy taking a picture from the other view.

Benny'll help ya.

The trip to Carmichael's had a dramatic beginning.  We stopped at the original road side store first, and crossing the parking lot Lily fell and skinned her face.  It was pretty bad.  She actually got over it quickly, but mommy didn't.  Once it all got settled and got to the right place it was fun, and Lily loved the animals.  Lily and Benny got pumpkins and, this little experience was great for me to share with Lily.