2002 Carroll's Pumpkin Farm

Our move to St. Louis in September of 2000 and return to Iowa in the fall of 2001 kept us occupied and away from Carroll's Pumpkin Farm in those years. But when pumpkin pickin' time rolled around in 2002, we were ready.

Tracey, Matthew and Jessie came with us again. The hay rack ride took us all around the farm. We got off the wagon at the corn maze. I hadn't seen this corn maze on our first trip to Carroll's and don't think I had actually seen a corn maze at all before. We had lots of fun tearing through it.

I love this picture of Jessie. Her hair and the corn are both golden. Her dark shirt and eyes offer a striking contrast.

And that fabulous smile...


We'd invited our friends, Russ and Jane to round up their family and come with us to the pumpkin farm. They wanted to join us but were in the midst of packing for their upcoming move back to Pennsylvania. The adults didn't think they could break away and their oldest son, Luke had a commitment but they asked if we wanted to take Rachel and Mark, the youngest kids, along with us. We were happy to have some time with them.

Another stop along the route of the tractor ride was the notorious pumpkin catapult. This thing is so cool. Every few minutes or so, they load a pumpkin into it and fling it out, 300 feet into the air. It lands in the pond with a kerplunk and shatters upon impact. "Pumpkin Chuckin'" I think I've heard it called.

The boys have changed a bit since the last picture of them sitting in this car.

It is nice that these kids get along so well even though they don't go to the same school or even see each other that often.

That year, we got some good pictures of kids on the tire swings. They have two. Rachel is making good use of the tamer one.




They have another one with a long rope hanging from a tall tree with lots of open space to swing high.

Mark looks happy.


Jessie is having fun.






Matt is fearless.


Bliss.

1999 Carroll's Pumpkin Farm

The day I decided I was ready to let people at work know that I was pregnant with Sam, I made up my mind to tell as many people as I could, to their face so I didn't have to wonder about rumors, if they knew or not or what they were saying. I just ran around the office, popping in on people and saying, "Guess What?" Usually, they'd respond, "What?" and I'd say, "I'm pregnant" then run off and tell the next person.

When I asked my boss at the time to "Guess What?" She said, "Don't tell me you're pregnant." She was such a kind person.

Later, I was in the reception area playing "Guess What?" Several people were in the area so I would be able to share my announcement with multiple people at once. In response to my "I'm pregnant" line, the receptionist said, "I bet I know someone else who is pregnant" and put my friend Tammi totally on the spot.

She was pregnant. I had no idea. Her boss had no idea and she hadn't planned on making her announcement that day. I felt bad that her news was released before she was ready to release it but I hadn't been the one to release it so she wasn't upset with me.



It turned out three of us in the office were all pregnant. We had basically the same due date. Each of us was expecting around the first part of August.

Sam was born in mid-July, then Tammi had Trevor and finally Tracey had Matthew.

All of us
had baby boys.

Each of them
had a daughter
already.


It was wonderful being about to share the experience of being pregnant with coworkers who are also my friends.

We became closer through the experience.







It
was
nice
coming
back
to work
after a
doctor's
appointment and being able to compare notes, "Wasn't that sugary stuff we had to drink awful?"

Even though Tracey left the agency for another job, Tammi left Des Moines for Cedar Rapids and I ran off to St. Louis, Chicago and now California. We've done our best to stay in touch.

I appreciate the friendship and support each of them has shown. They both encouraged me to go for my dreams and have always wanted the best for me.

Both of them were with us on our first trip to Carroll's Pumpkin Patch in 1999 - when the boys were two. I hope you enjoy these pictures. I sure do.

How Tall This Fall?

Have I mentioned that Sam and I like going to the pumpkin patch? I guess we took a couple of years off while we were living in Chicago and missed a couple of years when we moved to St. Louis and back, but when we were living in Iowa, it was somewhat of a tradition.


Last Saturday, I spoke with my friend Tracey. She and her kids, Jessie and Matthew went with us to the pumpkin patch in Iowa a couple of times. When I told her that we were planning to go to one here that evening, she said Matthew had just mentioned that they should go to the pumpkin patch. Then he said he couldn't go to the pumpkin patch without Sam and that maybe he was outgrowing it anyway.

Cameron wrote about our trip to the Petaluma Pumpkin Patch. We agreed with Matthew to an extent and didn't want to go during the day with all of the little kids. We went after dark for their Haunted Corn Maze.

It was impressive. Shortly after entering, without a map, we were completely lost. We wandered and wandered and wandered and finally were happy to find our way back out the entrance. I sort of want to go back, pay the dollar for the map and make it through just so I don't feel beaten.

Aside from the maze, the pumpkin patch was nice but it made me want to look back at pictures of the trips we would make to Carroll's Pumpkin Farm in Grinnell, Iowa. I wanted to share some of those memories with you. This sign was important to me.

In 1999, Sam was 2 years old.








We moved to St. Louis in September when Sam was three and back the following fall. Guess we missed 2000 and 2001.

In 2002, Sam was 5 years old.







It looks like it was a bit warmer the next year, when Sam was six.

We were in Chicago for Halloween in 2004 and 2005.







Now
here
we
are
in
2006.