Pumpkins...

...not necessarily in a patch

Shannon & I decided it would be fun to take the kids to a pumpkin patch this afternoon for some pictures. We got them all dressed up in their Fall gear, packed up in the car, camera gear in tow and headed to a church that has a great set up for pumpkins. They have tons of pumpkins all piled up, with hay and scarecrows and all kinds of Fallish things. We were told the pumpkins would be all set up and ready this past Sunday. can you see where this is headed? We arrive at the church to find, you guessed it, no pumpkins. Apparently there was some crazy sand storm in New Mexico and the pumpkins they were having shipped to the church could not be picked.Who knew pumpkins grew in New Mexico? Anyway, needless to say, we were a little distraught having just taken the time and effort to get the kids ready Anyone who's ever gotten kids ready for a photo shoot knows exactly what I mean and haul our gear to find we had no where to take their pictures. This is where we decided to get a little creative. We had them dressed. We had fresh batteries in our cameras. We were going to TAKE their pictures SOMEWHERE. We thought, "What if we just go buy some pumpkins at HEB and take them over to the park across the street, set up the pumpkins and create our OWN pumpkin patch!" So off we go to HEB. When we arrive, we discover an amazing display of the greatest, most unique pumpkins. These were not your typical orange, Jack-o-lantern pumpkins. We're talking COOL. And not only were the pumpkins great, but they were all set up on stacks and stacks of hay. While we're deciding which pumpkins to purchase for our make-shift patch, Reagan jumps up on the hay and says, "Mommy, are we going to take our pictures here!?" A momentary pause....Shannon and I both look at each other.....light bulb! Shannon skips on into HEB, finds the nearest manager, and asks him if we can take our kids' pictures on their pumpkin display in front of the store. He says yes! Score! So we proceed to get in everyone's way trying to get in and out of HEB, our kids are running in front of their carts, we're blocking the pathways and the entrance, our kids are knocking pumpkins off the display, Shannon & I have broken into a full-on sweat and people are looking at us like we're crazy, but we got our pumpkin pictures dog gone it! If you happened to be driving by HEB this afternoon and saw a bunch of people darting back and forth with their carts through the entrance, now you know why. 

After the HEB photo shoot, we decide it would be just so much fun and our kids would love us and sing our praises if we still took them across the street with the pumpkins we purchased to take MORE pictures. We are gluttons for punishment. But I had this idea I just could NOT pass up being right there and ready with our super cool pumpkins. Again. Glutton. For. Punishment. 

Now, onto some pictures. Here are our "pumpkin patch" pictures taken at HEB and my "idea" that was worth bribing the kids with any candy they wanted in the store to get them to go across the street and pose for. 

We are SO excited about pumpkin pictures!

I am MORE excited about pumpkin pictures!

If you wanna check out more of our pumpkin pictures, check out Bella Bleu's blog here.