Fall... what's that?

NINETY. Yep, nine-zero. That's what the temperature was on Saturday, and Sunday. And again, today.... The pool has been closed since September 17. It is supposed to be Fall. Now, I think it's hot when it's 80 degrees. I know it's hot when it's 90. But even more so, do you know how I know it was hot this weekend? Well, because my Mother-in-law was hot. Dare I say it out loud? She. Was. Hot ! You will rarely hear her say it's hot. She prefers the windows open instead of the air conditioning in the summer. She's happy as a clam in the wide open golf course in July. And she's got the beautiful bronzed skin to prove it. Not me. I prefer pasty-white. Those that know me well, know that I am always hot. I am even hot in the winter. I rarely wear a coat, even. So there's no surprise that when it's 90 out, I'm complaining that it's hot! My mother-in-law however, is my polar opposite. (Love you, Judy!) I've been told one could hang meat in my home because of the central air conditioning settings. We joke to each other about our opposite internal body thermostats. Now, I'm not just picking on her, because others get a chill in our home as well. In fact, my husband does too. But he's from the same gene pool that my MIL (we'll shorten this mother-in-law to an acronym) was blessed with. So an occasional "Brrrr!" from him doesn't surprise me. So we compromise. He wears a sweatshirt.

Anyway - so we had our annual trip to the Stonycreek Farm with my in-laws this weekend. We love this excursion. We look forward to it every year. But you never know what weather you're going to get in Indiana in October. So we've braved The Farm to get our pumpkins in the cloudy, raw October chill, to the nasty, sticky October heat over the last 6 years. We all agreed that this year was by far the hottest we've faced at The Farm. When the van came to a stop and we slid open the doors to get out, it felt just like when you open an oven to check on a pie. Ew. There's something oddly wrong with this picture in my mind of how the trip to The Farm, in October, is supposed to go. It didn't include sunblock which I slathered on both unwilling kids before we left. It didn't include wrestling with Olivia to keep a sun-hat on before we left (she won). It didn't include shorts and t-shirts. It didn't include having to run from the bees. I had the cutest Fall outfits picked out for the kids to wear while snapping my annual Pumpkin Patch photos. I was daydreaming about a crisp day, a slight breeze, the gentle warmth of the sun to keep my mother-in-law from freezing. It didn't happen.

None of it went as I had thought it would. It was better. The pumpkin crop was bursting with all the best colors, shapes and sizes. The hayride to the Patch was the perfect blend of parents and kids smiling and laughing at the lumpy-bumpy ride. The sun was shining, and there was no mud (a plus for sure!). Carter got to use the sling shot to send some pumpkins into the pond. Climb in a bouncy house. Go in a 'haunted house' with his Dad. Swing and slide on the playground. Ride the train 2 times. Choose a pumpkin for himself and his sister. He ate their fresh cooked Kettle Corn and enjoyed a giant cup of fresh-squeezed lemonade. And we got to delight in Olivia's first trip to The Patch and see her touch the pumpkins. There's something special about seeing your kids laugh and smile, and experience all the things we so often take for granted because we're 'grown ups.' It's nice to have an annual outing with family and have a little fun with the kids. Even if the straw from the hayride sticks to your skin all day because of the humidity. It's worth it. We had a great time - and it helped to know that for once, I was not the only one complaining that it was hot. My mother-in-law and I were soul sisters that day. We were One with the miserable heat. Misery loves company, they say.... it was perfect.


On to the photos!