Hay!

The Fall Bucket List has really kept me hopping!
I love it!

We already had four pumpkins ready and waiting on our front porch to carve last weekend, but we needed two more if we were all going to carve a pumpkin.
I was going to opt out.  I usually do.  My pumpkin-carving consists of hollowing out pumpkins and keeping a handle on the mess.
But this year, I wanted to carve!
I wanted a Jack 0' Lantern to call my own!

So...we decided to "kill two birds with one stone."
Yuck.
I don't like that saying, but it seems to get the point across.

On Saturday, while my brother Rob and my sister-in-law Brandy were visiting, we went to the local garden and mulch store.  They were offering free hay ride trips to their pumpkin patch!

Fall Bucket List Hay Ride...Check!

Matthew is giving us one of his growly smiles.

That faux hawk is quickly becoming his trademark.

Joshua's sweet smile and Hollywood hairstyle.

Pretty girl smile from behind the mirrored aviators!

My sweetie relaxing under a beautiful sky.

Can you believe those clouds?!

Sissy-in-Law Brandy!

Are we almost there?

Speaking of trademark...

William has completely embraced his shorts and crocks.

He claims to be taking cold showers just so he can condition his body to wear shorts and crocks during Indiana's winter months.

Hello Pumpkins!

We were surprised to see so many good pumpkins left in the pumpkin patch this late in the season.

Sorry Mr. Scarecrow.

You ain't got nothin' on my Phil.

Just look at the color in this picture! 

Brandy shared her pictures from the weekend with me.

The colors in her pictures were so vibrant...just like they were in real-life!

Buddies

My Feet

Hey Kids!

Everyone on a pumpkin!

Josh didn't want his picture taken.

And because of that, he got more than just one picture taken...

It would have been so much easier to just pose like that when I asked.

But not as much fun, I guess.

Punkin' Head Matthew

And Punkin' Head Carrie

William's idea for a series of pictures...

 

It's time to finish up our pumpkin selections and our photo shoot.

You should have heard this donkey!

It began its completely obnoxious braying at the horse in the next field. 

Then, when it saw us coming its way, it walked over to the fence to greet us.

Here comes the wagon to pick us up!

Hold still, Carrie, while I take a picture of myself. 

The hay ride back...

Can you see my find for the day?

Three little gourds!

Garden Center ahead!

Everybody gets a turn in the driver's seat!

Josh seems pretty excited about his chance to drive.

No-handed.

While Carrie is doing a Brady Bunch kind of thing.

So, not everybody made it into the driver's seat.

Matthew took Shotgun.

And so did Carrie at first.

But she quickly moved over.

Those driver's ed classes are really paying off!

I would really like to know what is running through Josh's head in this picture.

It's funny how when you're in your early teens, you just want to drive.

Then, when you've driven for years...and years...you really are pretty content to just let someone else do the driving.

Josh and Matthew found the jumpy houses...

The rest of the gang was hanging out 

at the picnic table nearby.

Carrie appears to be trying to convince Uncle Robbie of something while Brandy takes a picture of the beautiful autumn Indiana sky.

You're at the pumpkin patch!

Smile!

O.K.

The last picture makes it look as if you were at the 

PUMI PATCH.

Josh and Matthew...move to the sides.

Oh, the joy of cattails! 

Just look how fuzzy wuzzy they are!

So much fun in one cattail stalk.

Ah, yes, William.

The cattail is edible...just not this part of it.

The part you are about to eat is highly flammable.

Great tinder for a fire.

So, watch out around open flames while wearing that sweatshirt covered in cattail seeds.

A seed of another kind...

Sorry, Buddy.

It really is time to go.

What a beautiful autumn Indiana has enjoyed...and there's more to come!

With November comes basketball games and robotics tournaments.

Each season has its own specialness about it.

Enjoying the season,