Warning - long post --LOTS of pictures!
Saturday, we went for the day to Franklin, TN to go to the Gentry's Farm Pumpkin Patch. Yes, there are other pumpkin patches in the Memphis area, but all my closest college friends were in Nashville for our 15 year reunion. I was planning to go to the reunion, but that changed when Madeline's cath got scheduled for the 19th. I just wasn't in the reunion frame of mind so, I told them all I couldn't come - especially when Madeline would have had a cath 2 days before. Then, the cath didn't happen on the 19th, and I couldn't stand thinking that they were all just a 3 hour drive away, and I wouldn't see them. At the same time, I really didn't want to be away from my family either... so we all went!!!! Madeline did not just have a heart cath (as we thought would have been the case this weekend), so we could travel! We headed out early Saturday morning, had a great time at the pumpkin patch and then had the BEST LUNCH EVER with my girlfriends from college (scroll down for pictures)!
We didn't really know what to expect after a 3 hour drive, but we actually had a really good time at the pumpkin patch. There were so many fun things for the kids to do, and I think they were just excited to be out of the car!
We checked out the pumpkins under the tent...
Love Eli's hand in his pocket!
Eli loved this big truck!
There was a little well, log cabin and outhouse set up. The kids really liked all those things their size. They've liked listening to the Little House on the Prairie books - so they thought this was pretty cool. Madeline was very into pretending this was her house!
Susanna has just started putting up her hand wanting to hold your finger when you walk somewhere or when she wants you to come with her. It's pretty cute, and of course, she has the two of us wrapped around her finger when she does it!
She loved these chickens! No matter how many times we told her they were chickens, she kept insisting they were ducks! "Duck, duck, duck!"
There were seeds and corn to play with...
A playground....
Miniature tractors and a cool gas pump.
Susanna loved carrying around this little pumpkin the kids picked out for her!
We took a little wagon ride behind a big tractor. That was pretty fun. There were tons of cows and 25 calves! We all loved finding the babies... Susanna really liked pointing to them.
It's so hard to get a picture with all of them looking/smiling/etc.
Couldn't believe we got this one!
Picking pumpkins! The actual patch part was pretty much picked. We found a few, most of them were small and green.
Taking our pumpkins to load up! What a fun morning...
I say "the best lunch ever" not because of the food. You know how it is when you are with your good friends - was there even food? I know there was, and I know it was good (this great Caribbean food restaurant we used to go to in college, Calypso Cafe), but the best part was NOT the food - it was definitely the FRIENDS! You know the kind.... that even though years go by without seeing each other, it's like no time has passed, you pick right back up like we just saw each other yesterday at the grocery store. I see Fran a couple times a year when she's here visiting her parents, and I saw Kim and Susan and Fran at a girls' weekend the March before Susanna was born. But, I haven't seen Heather, Lesley or Annick in a very long time. Email is good, but this is WAY better!
Here are Annick (New Haven), Kim (Charlotte), Bridge (Memphis), Susan (Cincinnati)
Heather (Orlando), Fran (Atlanta) and Lesley (Chevy Chase)
After 15 years, it is certain these friendships will last forever. We have been there for each other through some pretty rough times and the absolute happiest of times! Can't imagine it any other way!
Love these old pictures ....
I'm going a little crazy, too many pictures!
Wow, from girls' weekends to weddings to kids! What a great group of friends!
Girls - I keep all those pictures you send me of your kiddos - you never know when they'll pop up on this blog! Love you guys!
Kim was right when she said Tim deserves an award - he occupied the kids so we could visit for a long time at the table and on the sidewalk outside and the parking lot - we just did NOT want to say goodbye. I was so glad they were able to carve out time for us... reunion weekends are busy, and sometimes it's fun not to have too much of a schedule on a girls' weekend - so thank you for letting me occupy so much of the afternoon!!! It was so wonderful to see you all! I loved that the kids got to see all their Vandy Aunts at the same time!
