Tate Farms

On our way to Tate Farms, I had visions of grandeur in regards to the wonderful and heart-warming pictures I would take of my family...of my children having fun and being beautiful. As life shows daily, the best intended plans don't always come to pass. But as I learn from life on a daily basis, you make the best of your situation and find the fun in it no matter if your face shows it or not. So what if I had one hyper (to the point of annoyance) child, one emotionally on the fence child, and one grumpy to the point of irrationality child. So what, indeed. I took a deep breath, decided we were going to have fun no matter, and took my camera out to click away.
The following 30+ pictures are my compensation for the lack of "pretty" pictures of my dreams.
We had a couple of minor issues, but the kids had fun and, as always, the memories are priceless.

B immediately jumped on the tire-horse, YeeHawing and being a goon.
(Can you guess which one was hyper?)


The YeeHawing ended when I pointed out the animals.
She started yelling: "Animals!" and running toward the pens.
I'm sure she scared the mess out of some of the little kids, but not her brother...he took up her example and started yelling: "Ameenals! Ameenals!" (We're hoping they let us back on the property next year.)

Once enough "ameenals" had been sufficiently traumatized, the kids took off...

(She's 'queen of the world'.)

Little man couldn't figure out how to bounce, so he kept bobbing his head harder and harder. It never worked for him, but it sure was fun to watch.

Little man freaked out in the maze, so we enjoyed watching everyone else from the "tower".

Little man loved this ride, but for some reason going backward was a lot easier than going forward.

Aahhhh...the pumpkin patch.

K found several pumpkins she really wanted, but was determined to find one she could carry all by herself. This one was not it. :) Although she did get a good solid 16-pounder. She was very proud of her mad muscle skills.

B was just happy looking around. She found "the best pumpkin" but was outweighed by her sister. She got over it.

I made a few trips back and forth from the trailer to the patch. I found my perfect pumpkin. It really is a beauty. It weighs almost 30 pounds and at least 3 people coveted it on the hayride and back at the weigh station. Someone asked: "Where did you get that?!" My answer? "Uh...the pumpkin patch." What? Did they think I shlumped it over from Kroger? :)

Anyhoo...it took a trip for my beauty of a pumpkin, a trip for Steve's, and a trip to "help" K.

Where is Steve and little man?

Oh, little man didn't necessarily enjoy the hayride and enjoyed the patch even less, so Steve and little man walked back to the play area while the girls and I enjoyed "patching" for our pumpkins. We did get little man a cute pumpkin perfect for him and I just had to get an awesome blue pumpkin...just because.

We found Steve and little man at the tractor slide after the hayride.

The kid must have gone down the slide 20 or so times.

We finally told him it was time to move on and that he could have one more turn. So he climbs back up...and does not come down. He spent the next...forever...running around the top. And I literally mean around...and around...and around. Other kids were just watching and waiting for him to stop. He must have looked like a crazy person.

And what trip to Tate Farms is complete without a swim in the corn beds?

K really wanted to be buried, but B got a little carried away. I am still pulling corn kernels out of the carpet beside K's bed.

We finally made it to a photo-op area on the way out. Not my dream pictures, but the kids have happy faces so why would I wish for more?

I HAD to have pictures with these! I have a weakness for this stuff.

Can you tell B isn't happy to be a boy? Fortunately, she got over it.


Little man LOVED this! A boy after his mother's heart.

Aahhhhhh...another one to make me smile. Thanks family.

To home again... and little man rides into the sunset.

Pumpkin carving on Monday night!
I'm already resigning myself to the fact that "dream" pictures are subjective. They don't have to be frame-worthy. They simply have to hold memories.

We can handle that.