The Great Pumpkin Patch

Annually we go to The Great Pumpkin Patch in Stockton, MN.  It's in the river valley near Winona.  We happened upon it years ago before we even had kids.  We've gone annually ever since.  This year it was really warm outside and super sunny.  The warm part was nice, but the sunny part makes for bad pictures! (Or, just not as great of pictures.)

Apple Ridge Orchard--Mazeppa, MN

I love fall.  I love going to apple orchards and pumpkin patches.  I love the crisp air and football on the TV in the background constantly!  I love the colors and I love pumpkin everything!  So, mid-September starts our weekends of weekly "day trips" to local orchards and pumpkin patches!  Last weekend Jay's sister and her husband came down for a visit.  We invited them to join us at the apple orchard!

Tweite's Pumpkin Patch---October 2011

We invited Grandma and Grandpa Rickert to join us this year to pick pumpkins. We were all excited for our trip to Tweite's. The weather was perfect! We got there only to realize prices had gone up to $9 per person. Yikes! That was a lot of money for 5 paying people. (Luke was free.) We decided to partake in the free stuff such as pumpkin picking and a few photo ops rather than pay full price for the animals and mazes. We had a good time picking pumpkins and we only spent about $15 on pumpkins and gourds!

Apple Orchard---September 2011

Hands down, my favorite season is fall! I love the cooler weather; I love the beautiful colors; and I love going to apple orchards and pumpkin patches as a family! The last weekend in September we went on our first fall excursion of the season! We went to Apple Ridge apple orchard in Mazeppa, MN. Jay and I had been there years ago before we had kids, but this was our first time in recent years. It was a great orchard. We rode the wagon up the hill and picked apples. The weather was a bit damp and cool, but it was perfect weather for taking pictures! That morning Jay had taken the boys out for breakfast and he had dressed them himself....in their Gopher gear. They looked so cute and festive for the fall excursion!

The boys in their GOPHER GEAR!

Picking Apples

Photo Op

Hmmmm.....apples!

And finally....

Fall 2008

We've enjoyed some fall activities over the last couple weekends. Jack and I went to Apple Jack's Orchard with Kristy, Cooper and Ty a couple weeks ago, and last weekend we went to a pumpkin patch with the Wernau's. I got some cute pictures, and these will be some fun traditions we continue from year to year as Jack grows up. Looking back at the pictures from last year's trip to the pumpkin patch, it's amazing to see how much Jack's grown.