Our Annual Trip to the Elgin Pumpkin Patch: 2012 Edition

As you'll likely remember if you've been reading for any length of time, we are fortunate to be surrounded by pumpkin patches, corn mazes, farms and the like, which is funny, given we live in a major metropolitan area! As such, we've made it a tradition since Ava was born to take her to the Elgin Christmas Tree Farm to their Pumpkin Patch and Festival, and we LOVE it! There are many in this area (Sweet Berry Farm, church-owned pumpkin patches, and the newly opened Barton Hills Farms, but we just love the one in Elgin - more on that to come!).

As a comparison, here is Ava each year we've gone:

2010:

2011:

2012:

Oh my word, how she's grown up! I can't believe it!

Her supersonic growing aside, we had such a fun time this year. Last year she was old enough to enjoy it, but this year she was even more interactive, enjoying the "crazy maze" with us and favoring the hayride to anything else (she went on it two or three times!)! She didn't even want to get off at the playground stop!

Part of the hayride included a spooky, Halloween theme, but she wasn't scared (she's not afraid of ANYTHING!) at all, and enjoyed every second! 

And what would a post about a visit to the pumpkin patch be without the inclusion of the many photo ops provided?

Happy Autumn, everyone! We sure do love fall around here!!!