Fall is in the Air

After purchasing hay bales, pumpkins, mums, Indian corn, and gourds at a local home improvement store and Rader Farm, we decorated our front porch. We also picked up some Halloween yard decorations, which Emma helped me stick into the landscaping. She had a great time lining up the gourds on the bales and playing in the mulch while I finalized the arrangement.

Pumpkin Patch

One Sunday afternoon we ventured to a local family farm to search for more pumpkins and enjoy some traditional fall activities. We ran into several different friends who were also visiting the farm, which were nice surprises. Emma's favorite activities were playing in the corn crib, seeing the animals, and selecting mini-pumpkins in the patch. We also took a hayride, sat on a tractor, "rode" a wooden horse, and listened to folksingers perform. There were several other attractions aimed at older kids. It gives her something to look forward to when we go back next year. By the end of our trip, Emma was tuckered out. You can see in one of the final wagon pictures that she had her fill of fun for the day.

Pumpkins Creations

It's pumpkin time! Scott did the official carving, but Emma was a great assistant scooper. She liked the texture of the slimy seeds and stringy innards. We also used plastic "Mr. Potato Head" type jack-o-lantern pieces to create funny faces on three other pumpkins.

ISU Homecoming Parade

We took Emma to the ISU Homecoming parade in mid-October. It was a bit chilly, but warmed up considerably during the 2 hour event! Emma loved collecting the candy and seeing the different marchers.