Vala's Pumpkin Patch 2010

We've been looking forward to this day since last year. Our 2nd Annual trip to Vala's Pumpkin Patch. You know those childhood memories you have of something that was massive and in retrospect the thing remembered really wasn't that huge. I cannot imagine a child's view of this massive pumpkin world because in reality it is HUGE. It goes on for eternity and we could basically move in tomorrow because they have thought of everything one could need.

Watch this video of Rose. Here is a little sampling of the amount of cuteness today. Good ole' Rose. Music moves within in her soul. She feels it. Anyway, read on below about the rest of our day.


Vianney was hesitant this morning to venture out into the cold for a pumpkin patch, but we coaxed her into it. I asked her if she was excited and this is how she looked at me. This is her pretend mad face, but what I do find cuter is her crossed feet enjoying the Cheerios just as much as she is. I guess we'll see how she does. What a girl!
Before heading out to the patch, we went to visit the Pink Sisters. Once a year, the holy Pink Sisters meet with us pilgrims face to face. They are an order of contemplative nuns that glorify God through their silent lives. I had to hold on to the children because they are so excited to see babies they might pull them in to keep.

The older girls are always in awe of them. Rose's face is cute.

Zellie knows God is calling her to be a Pink Sister. She is just in denial. God will get her.

After our lovely visit, we headed out to Vala's. It was a brisk morning so our teeth were a chatterin'. After a couple ER visits last year with pneumonia, I was a bit neurotic with Clairvaux in my attempts to shelter her from all bits of cold air. Zellie's face is cute.

He is always cute.

Nebraska Laser Eye Associates sponsors this annual event with much food and fun. We are grateful for their generosity.

We took the kid's picture here the last two years. It is fun to see how they (and me) have changed in one year.

Clairvaux-Fall 2010 First Time at Vala's 8 weeks old

Vianney 2009 6 months old

Vianney 2010 18 months old

Zellie 2009 2 years old

Zellie 2010 3 years old

Rose 2009 3 1/2 years old

Rose 2010 4 1/2 years old

Lillie 2009 5 years old

Lillie 2010 6 years old

Dominic 2009 7 years old

Dominic 2010 8 years old

This was absolutely precious to watch. I took about 40 pictures of this whole ordeal. Rose was completely enamored by this attraction. She couldn't decide if the characters were real or not. She studied it for a very long time.

Finally, she can't stand it any longer. She crosses all boundaries and must look as closely as possible. My heart hurts because of the cuteness. John and I were dying. Look at her looking at the little girl.


This was the thing he was looking forward to the most. High Fructose Corn Syrup Heaven. You make your own snow cone. Can you imagine this from a child's perspective?






This was to be avoided. He remembered this from last year and told me over and over that he is NOT getting Tiger's Blood this year.






Often, I watch John with our children and think how blessed they are to have such an incredible father. He makes everything fun. This slide is incredible. I think it is 25 million feet long and the best is the bottom. You don't just come out, YOU COME OUT. I am not well in the head when the highlight of my day was watching grown adults fly awkwardly out of this big red adult cannon.





They all went down together.

This touched me too! He remembered this from last year and couldn't wait to jump "all that way into the hay." I think he had one of those moments where his memory was different from reality because the hay wasn't so far away.

If Optometry doesn't work for Johnny, he has always told me he wants be a Country Music Singer. We took pictures here maybe for the cover of his first album "My Tractor."


My stomach hurt after watching this. You can't really see the full extent of the event. John was stuffed into this little kid cart pedaling the girls wildly around the track. His legs were up to his ears, but he had to go fast because people were behind him. He looked like a frog.

We had a marvelous day together. After this, we headed into Omaha to watch the Husker game. Go Big Red! The kids were slurring their words they were so tired and asking to ride the purple pony in their sleep on the way home. ha. ha.

She really was good. She just never resolved the fact I didn't let her finish her Cheerios.