The Great Pumpkin Patch

One beautiful fall day, a little girl, her mommy and her daddy decided to drive north to celebrate fall. They had planned a picnic and a morning at a pumpkin patch. The autumn season was their very favorite time of the year, and they were going to soak some up.

They started out their day with a hayride. What fun it was to pile into a wagon filled with hay. They rode over cold creeks and among pumpkins growing in fields. The air up in the mountains was crisp and cool, so they wished that they had sweatshirts.

After the hayride, they went out to explore the pumpkin patch.

The rows seemed to go on for miles. Sophia couldn't contain her joy when she found out that they could pick some out to take home!

It was the perfect place to play, so she hid between the larger than life pumpkins,
and she ran around them with a giant grin.

She sat on them and squeezed her tiny body between them.

She chased her mommy and she chased her daddy.

They just couldn't help but smile at the beauty of God's creation. They could have played amongst the pumpkins all day, but they had business to attend to. Daddy grabbed a wheelbarrow. Daddy strolled Sophie in and out of rows of beautiful orange pumpkins.

Riding along gave her the opportunity to take in all the beautiful colors. She also had time to enjoy the spicy, sweet smells of fresh baked pie and bread that wafted from the concession barn. Her stomach started grumbling.

After the ride was over, Sophie realized that they had a lot of work ahead of them. Their wheelbarrow was almost empty and they had not yet chosen the pumpkins that would go home to decorate the front door step. She decided to get to work. Soon, her little feet carried her all over the patch, searching for the perfect pumpkins.

There were big ones...

and little ones. There were bumpy ones and white ones. Some with big stems, and some with bendy stems. Each one was unique and special, so it was hard to choose.

One by one, they were all dropped into the wheelbarrow with a quiet "thud".

Finally, when the load of pumpkins was large, it was time to push the wheelbarrow to the car. Sophia pushed and pushed with all her might, but it just wouldn't budge.

Luckily, her silly daddy was close by waiting to help.

On their way out, it made them happy to see rows of pumpkin butter,

endless breads, muffins and pies.

They picked up a slice of pie and headed off for a picnic under the trees. At the end of the day, as their car pulled away, they said goodbye to the pumpkin patch. They carry with them lots of special memories, and a plan to go again next year when autumn comes around again.

Delicious autumn! My very soul is wedded to it, and if I were a bird I would fly about the earth seeking the successive autumns. ~George Eliot