Pumpkin Grove

My mom has always and continues to make Halloween so much fun.  I can remember frosting my own heaping pile of sugar cookies, eating belly warming chilly out of a pumpkin, dipping carmel apples, and drawing my very own design onto my pumpkin, so that my dad could carve it out for me.  Each Halloween costume had so much thought put into it and more often times than not, were hand sewn by my mother.  Our house was covered inside and out with Halloween paraphernalia.  My mom has this thing for witches and happens to have the cutes witch that I have had my eye on for years.  My uncle carved and painted tombstones for her lawn and without fail every year she has a bail of hay covered with pumpkins and corn stock.  I can still remember the year my dad slipped into a scary costume, sat on the hay bail and waited for the kids to arrive.  He sat there frozen, until just the right moment, when out of no where he would stand up and scare the bagezees out of them.  My dad was an artist and would paint our faces for whatever that years costume entailed.  Every year we would sip on hot chocolate and devour dozens of doughnuts, before we went through the Haunted Forest in Murray Park.  Some of my fondest childhood memories stem from around Halloween. 

As a parent I hope to instill a love for traditions and family time with my own children.  I wanted this Halloween to be extra special for Penelope, seeing as it is her first.  I couldn't wait to watch her eyes light up, as we took her to her first pumpkin patch.  Pumpkin Grove had such a charming, kid friendly environment.  It was this beautiful piece of scenery tucked away in Sanger, CA.  I felt like I was in a movie, with all of the weeping willow tree's surrounding us.  The entrance greeted us with a cotton candy and kettle corn stand, from there on, I knew every little thing was gonna be alright.  Everything was well shaded well, which made for a perfect day.  We even got to have grandma and grandpa join in on the fun. 

^^^ The cutest punkin, I ever did see. ^^^

After making our way through the haunted forest and corn maze, we couldn't resist plopping Penelope into the corn kernel pit.  It was so fun watching her glide her fingers back and forth in amusement over the texture of the kernels.  She cried when we had to take her out.

^^^ She got her first taste of cotton candy, otherwise known as a soft fluffy pillow. ^^^

^^^ The hay ride has some fun characters.  Penelope wasn't sure what to think of them. ^^^

After all of the fun activities, it was time to enter the pumpkin patch.  Penelope was beaming with excitement, as she laid eyes on her very first pumpkin patch.

 

^^^ Cinderella pumpkins just so happen to be my favorite. The uglier the better. ^^^

^^^ She was beyond thrilled when she found, "the one." ^^^

^^^ Penelope couldn't remove her eyes from Billy Bob. ^^^

To sum things up, it was pretty much the perfect afternoon.  I look forward to the many years to come.  I never knew just how much fun it would be to relive all of my favorite childhood memories, with my own little one.
I'm dying to see Nellie all dressed up in her costume!