A Pumpkin Patch Visit

Last Wednesday's trip to The Hunter Farm was months in the making ... my friends and I ordered these matching smocked pumpkin dresses back in the summer for our little girls to wear! (We got them from the Smocked Auctions Facebook page, if you are curious.)

You may know how Octobers in North Carolina can go -- it can be hot as the dickens or blustery cold. I was a little nervous about the puffed sleeves, but we ended up with a very warm day on our hands, perfect for these dresses!

We propped Classic Annie's sweet little Molly Anne up on pumpkins covered by a muslin blanket. But look at these older girls looking at each other. They are like "okay - now what?"

And then Camille gives a very cautious head pet as Gigi reaches for MA's hand. Warming up...

... and ending with a beautiful, catatonic stare in the pumpkin patch. Maybe next year will be our smiley year. ;)

(No really ... flashback to 2014: ..... see?!)

Humor me with one more from last year, because I just can't get enough of how adorable she looked.

Alright, present day. So, our trip to Hunter Farm started with a hayride over to see REAL animals ... Camille was so excited! She has been on a big cow kick recently (she says "mawwwwww" instead of MOO), so our first stop to see a cow actually getting milked had us all jazzed. There was also a sweet dog named Alfalfa who Camille loved getting to meet. 

We then went over to the barn where we saw all types of animals -- a calf, goats, sheep, pigs, ducks, roosters, rabbits. 

After spending a good amount of time with the animals, we headed back to the hayride to make our way back up to the front of the farm. 

Our last attempt at an adorable photo of friends was a big fail, so we all headed for our cars with promises of awesome afternoon naps ahead of us. And that we got!

Even though I've visited a different pumpkin patch the past two years, I have to say that The Hunter Farm takes the blue ribbon here. One difference is that my entry was paid, not free -- it was $9.50 (Camille being under 2 got her in at no charge), BUT that included our choice of a small pumpkin to take home. For the pumpkin that now sits on our front stoop and for the amazing experience of the hayride, the chance to talk to farmers, and the opportunity to meet all of those animals, I was so impressed. Definitely worth paying for entry. Plus, the owners were SO friendly.

They did mention that weekdays can tend to be busy with school tours until about 1:30 each day, so if you'd like to visit and are looking to avoid the crowds, you may want to shoot for a post-lunch weekday trip.

If you are local, you can find out more and check out weekend happenings on their Facebook page. Yay Hunter Farm, I like what you've got going on!