Tag: pumpkin patch

Posted in Friday Favorites, Holidays, Traditions

Friday Favorites {#280}

Posted on by jgalvinwhite

Hello and happy Friday! …and happy Halloween!

Wow! I feel like this week flew by…and I’m not mad about it. Overall, we had a great week.

As always, I’m linking up with Andrea and Erika for this week’s Friday Favorites.

I have so many favorites from this past week. I feel like we actually did more than just be at home, sports or school!

Ok, well, “starting off strong…” last Friday night I was at home. haha!

Anyway, I was so excited to start the second season of Nobody Wants This. I was able to watch a couple of episodes, and I love it.

Saturday morning I couldn’t sleep, so I decided to get up and just read for a bit before starting my day. Last weekend really was the first time it started to feel like fall, so it was a nice cozy morning reading by candlelight.

Hadley celebrated a sweet friend’s birthday on Saturday…PJs and pancakes style.

While she was doing that, I ran quite a few errands…including going to Walmart. I don’t go to Walmart often, but I wanted to check out their fun ornaments. I didn’t get this one, but how cute?!

I did see this cute mini pumpkin cocotte by Pioneer Woman…and just knew it would look cute on my stove. I couldn’t decide between the orange or the white, so I picked up both.

The orange one provides a cute pop of color on my stove top.

I put the white one on the kitchen table.

It looks so cute in the tray.

Obviously, I can use them as cookware, but for now, I’ve used them more as decorations.

On Saturday, we also went to the pumpkin patch. Hadley drove us!

My happy place!

Travis said this was the first time we’d been in a while where the weather felt like fall. We appreciated the cooler temps.

I just love these fantasy pumpkins.

Hadley found the perfect pumpkin, and we picked Hayden up one since he was mowing the neighbor’s yard.

We saw people carrying a lot of pumpkins, and then saw this sign! This is a fun idea.

Sunday morning breakfast was elite…an apple cider donut and coffee in my cute pumpkin mug.

My mom went to Scotland with a friend, and she brought me home this candle. It certainly smells like fall.

Sunday afternoon, we went to see Legally Blonde, Jr…the musical.

My niece played Rufus, the dog…and of course she knocked it out of the park!

We gave her some flowers and candy after the performance.

Tuesday night was pumpkin carving night! First, we had mummy dogs and macaroni and cheese “brains.”

Hadley had a “vision” for her pumpkin…she wanted stars all over it, and she used a snowflake cookie cutter to trace her stars. Hayden carved his pumpkin within a few minutes, turned it around and said, “I’m done!” I just laughed because for whatever reason, the face just made me laugh. Simple and to the point. He went back in and added the little nose.

They looked perfect on the porch…

…and even prettier the next night in the rain.

Yesterday, at school, we had a “crocktober” potluck for lunch, and it was a great way to spend time with my teacher friends. One of my friends made this “boo sheet” cake which made me laugh. It was delish.

Favorite Mom Meme:

Maybe with the time change, the kids getting up will be a bit easier? A mom can dream!

Bonus Fave: Flashback Friday

Two flashback Fridays this week…in honor of our traditional trip to the pumpkin patch, here the kids are in 2010…their first time at the pumpkin patch…

…and their first Halloween. 2010 was a big year of wagon riding!

Weekly Recap:

Here are my posts from the week in case you missed one:

Monday Memes
October Books
Monthly Musings

I typically share my Monthly Moments post on the last day of the month, but I had too many other great things to share today! I’ll post an October recap tomorrow.

Halloween is actually on a Friday…let’s do this!

See you back here tomorrow for a bonus post!

Posted in Kids, Traditions, Weekend Top 5

Hello Monday

Posted on by jgalvinwhite

Hello and happy Monday! How was your weekend? Ours was one of the best ones we’ve had in quite some time.

I’m linking up with Sarah and Holly for Hello Monday to share my…

This weekend was a doozy! I feel like I need a weekend to recover from the weekend….but it was full of so many good things!

Hayden ran in the state cross country meet on Saturday afternoon, and it was the first race of the season with cooler temps! It was perfect running weather…or so I’ve been told.

Hayden had a goal of placing in the top 10, and he finished 7th! We were so happy for him!

His cousin Jacob, who runs professionally, was in town, so it was really neat that he was there to see Hayden’s race.

Travis has also put in so much hard work and dedication this season, and I’ve loved watching him coach Hayden.

These three seasons of middle school cross country went by in a blink!

Hadley and friends had their first 8th grade cotillion dance of the year. While I was at Hayden’s race, Hadley was at her friend’s house getting ready with her girl friends.

So pretty!

A beautiful group of girls, on the inside and out!

After Hayden’s race I stopped by before they left.

They were both excited and nervous for this dance, but they ended up having so much fun.

Hayden was supposed to be at the dance too, but since he had his race and was excited about the UK game, we let him go to that.

I told him that he will be at the December dance with (jingle!) bells on.

The CATS were playing my Tigers…and Hayden definitely “bleeds blue!”

Jacob was at the game, and Hayden hung with him for a bit too.

A combo of it being a busy day, iffy weather, and I didn’t feel like being heckled, I went to my brother’s house to watch the game.

Shew…it was a rough start for MIZZOU, but once they turned it around, they were on the road to victory!

I was lowkey about the win 😉

At the end of last week, I realized if we didn’t go to the pumpkin patch on Sunday, I wasn’t sure if we’d ever get there this season. So, yesterday afternoon, we headed to Evan’s Orchard per tradition.

I can’t remember the last time we were there on a sunny day! The temps were cool, and it was overcast, but we still got our apple cider donuts and…

…pumpkins to carve!

Let’s just say that I’m thankful for Hadley’s loyalty to this tradition.

While we weren’t home much this weekend, when we were, I caught two favorite movies that I hadn’t seen in a while.

Friday, night Karate Kid was on, and then Saturday afternoon I watched Troop Beverly Hills. I love both of those movies.

We truly had a wonderful weekend, and it was very much needed.

This week, our evenings are less hectic, and I’m so very thankful for that! I hope everyone has a great start to their week.

Posted in Holidays, Traditions

Pumpkin Patch Time

Posted on by jgalvinwhite

Hey there! On Sunday, we went to the pumpkin patch which is one of my favorite days of the year.

Simon Holland cracks me up, and his pumpkin patch quotes are the best. On Sunday, we kept it pretty simple…no corn mazes, hay rides or sign purchasing happened, but we did have a great time.

We used to spend hours at the pumpkin patch letting the kids run around, go down the slides, pet the animals, jump on the inflatables, and more. That being said, right around Covid time, they probably aged out of those things anyway. So, the past couple of years have been more about enjoying the scenery on the drive there, walking around a bit, buying all the seasonal snacks, picking out carving pumpkins and heading home.

We go to Evans Orchard in Georgetown. This is the same place where we picked strawberries a couple of summers ago.

The weather was overcast (I remember going so many times when the kids were little and sweating in the hot temps!), and the temps were pretty cool. We actually had a few raindrops fall on us during out time there.

Can’t beat this sight:

The front porch is always so festive and cute.

There were a few raindrops right as we arrived, so we headed inside for our favorite snacks. We picked up some apple cider donuts, Hayden got a cold apple cider while the rest of us got hot apple cider, and then Travis always falls for the “buy 2, get 1 free” fudge. So, we wandered around the store a bit and then purchased our items.

My favorite part is looking at all the different kinds of pumpkins.

Hadley saw the muted colored pumpkins in the top left photo and said they were my “vibe.” She’s not wrong!

Every year, they always organize the pumpkins in different ways which is always so fun to see.

I was tempted, but I didn’t pick up any more pumpkins for the porch!

This carved pumpkin caught my eye:

The kids obliged for a photo by one of the set ups they had…

Then, they picked out their pumpkins to carve.

We paid for the pumpkins, walked around a bit more, and then headed home!

So it was a quick trip, but I still enjoy this tradition so much.

Then, I immediately inhaled two donuts when I get home 😂 and relaxed the rest of the afternoon.

Through the years…

I’ve shared this collage before, and I still love it so much. Travis and I have actually gone to the pumpkin patch every year we’ve been married. So, of course when we had the kids, we had to continue the tradition. (or at least that’s what I told him…😂)

Here they are in 2010–2018:

2019

2020

2021

and… this year…2022.

(Hadley’s getting a lot of wear out of her pumpkin sweatshirt I got her last year.)

Other Favorite Memories

In 2015, I went with the kids on their kindergarten field trip to Boyd’s Orchard. I loved going with them, seeing them run around, learn, hang with their friends, and pick pumpkins.

In 2016, Hadley’s Daisy troop went to Evan’s Orchard, and that’s when we made the shift as a family and started going there. It’s a little more spread out than Boyd’s, and when it’s crowded, that really makes a difference.

(Speaking of getting wear out of a shirt…clearly, I had a pumpkin patch outfit in 2015 and 2016. Actually, I still own that plaid Old Navy flannel. It’s a fave, for sure.)

I feel like we are so busy, but I told the kids and Travis that the pumpkin patch in October and Christmas lights at the Kentucky Horse Park in December are two traditions I want to make happen for as many years as possible! Even if we have to squeeze in a time to make that happen, I’m going to do it.

What’s your favorite fall tradition?

Posted in Meals and Recipes, Weekend Top 5

Weekend Top 5

Posted on by jgalvinwhite

Hello and Happy Monday! I hope you had a great weekend. Ours sure seemed to go by so quickly.

Today, I’m linking up with Sarah and Holly for Hello Monday…

to tell you about my:

Here’s a peek at our weekend:

It’s probably a lame #1, but the fact that I was able to come home straight after school on a Friday with no errands or other things to do was a highlight of my day. I was home by 3:45 and had time to workout, tidy up, and get ready for the weekend. The kids had an after school activity, and I picked them up at 5:30. While we were out, we went ahead and picked up dinner to eat at home. Unfortunately, we didn’t get to watch a movie as a family because Travis worked really late. Instead, the kids and I ate dinner and watched a few episodes of The Goldbergs. We’re almost caught up with last season. Anyway, it was just a great way to start the weekend.

The weather on Saturday was perfection, and there were touches of fall everywhere.

I had a few minutes to eat lunch after running some errands and decided to sit out on the front porch and get some fresh air. I had the best fall view.

It was the state cross country meet in Paris, Kentucky on Saturday. Travis had a long day because his 6th graders ran in the morning, and then the 7th and 8th graders ran in the afternoon.

Hayden hurt his IT band while playing on the beach, and he’d been to PT and stretching all week. He didn’t feel 100%, but he felt good enough to run. While Hayden was disappointed with his finish, he still had a PR for the 4k and scored points for his team. The boys finished in the top 10 in the state which is so amazing. They’ve worked so hard, and Travis has done a fantastic job training them this season. I’ve loved watching Travis coach Hayden and the team. We had a fantastic group of 8th grade boys that we’ll miss next year! Overall, it was an amazing season.

Hayden will continue to rehab his injury and run in the post season with Travis as one of his coaches. (More on that, I’m sure as that season gets going!)

We made it to the pumpkin patch yesterday. The weather was overcast, but we headed there right after church and beat the rain. The kids went straight to get hot apple cider and apple cider donuts.

Then, they picked out their carving pumpkins before we headed home.

I remember when we used to spend hours at the pumpkin patch, so they could run around and do all the activities. Now, we probably spend more time in the car getting there than wandering around, but I’m still glad we can make this tradition happen.

Besides the memories, the second best part of the pumpkin patch is picking up the apple cider donuts. Ugh…I had two yesterday, but they were worth it. Back on track today!

This week, I’m trying three new recipes, so I thought I’d go ahead and share those too!

  • Amy inspired me with her lasagna cups. I used to make an appetizer (recipe courtesy of a friend) that used wonton wrappers, and thought I’d give a new recipe a try. I found this Muffin Tin Lasagna Cup recipe on Pinterest, and we had it last night for dinner. They were delish!
  • I saw this soup recipe on Instagram, and I’m going to make it tonight or tomorrow.
  • On Wednesday, I’m going to make Andrea’s One Pot Bow Tie Pasta recipe.

This week’s meal planning feels a little “carb heavy,” but ’tis the fall season.

How was your weekend? Let me know a highlight! Also, what are you eating this week?

I hope you have a good one!

Posted in Holidays

Pumpkin Patch Trip and More!

Posted on by jgalvinwhite

Hello! Today, I’m sharing one of my favorite posts of the year: a recap of our trip last week to the orchard to get our pumpkins + a bit more pumpkin fun.

This meme is me every year:

We never leave the orchard without spending less than $70 on pumpkins, donuts, cider and more!

We usually go to Evan’s Orchard in mid-October, but Travis was busy working, and we had friends in town. I decided to give it a shot right after school last Friday. Even though the weather looked gloomy, I still figured it was our one chance to go. To be honest, there are many years we’ve been so hot at the pumpkin patch, so I was happy to actually have to wear a jacket!

We arrived right around 4:30 and headed straight in to get our donuts and hot apple cider.

I always love the chairs and mums as we enter the store.

Besides the donuts and cider, Hayden (and Travis) couldn’t resist the buy two get one free fudge! We ended up with peanut butter, chocolate, and cookies and cream fudge too.

With our hot apple cider in hand (we needed it!), we walked over to the pumpkins.

Then, I saw a mom propping her kids up on the pumpkins, and I said, “Oh…I remember doing that with you all!” I then turned around to find Hadley lounging on the pumpkins saying, “Take my pic!”…followed by…

“Hayden, sit on the pumpkins for mom!” She gets me 😉 and even dressed appropriately for the pumpkin patch in her favorite fall sweatshirt!

I love this view.

We wandered around for a bit. Evan’s Orchard has a couple of displays for photo ops, and the kids obliged for a photo at this one. We usually get a family photo, but honestly there weren’t many people there to ask, and the wind was blowing!

They picked out their carving pumpkins, and then…

Hadley hopped on the swing for a bit while I….

snapped a few more gourd and pumpkin photos! This is my happy place.

And at precisely 5:15, we were back in the car!

It was a quick trip, but I’m glad we did it.

While there are times I’m sad about the fact my kids are growing up so quickly, I’m also embracing that we didn’t have to spend two hours on the slides, climbing hay bales, and feeding animals in the petting zoo. Those things are fun, but I’m happy that they are content with the scenery, the goodies, a few pics, and picking out the pumpkins.

Bonus! This was my breakfast over the weekend!

Speaking of pumpkins…

The kids painted pumpkins on Tuesday night with a few friends. These are porch pumpkins that will be delivered to some of our church members.

Then, last night, we had our “spooky” dinner of bloody finger hot dogs, green grape eye balls, and macaroni and cheese brains.

After that, the kids carved their pumpkins.

Of course, this has been the case most years 😂:

But, for the second year in a row, they were able to do most of the work! #andallthemamassaidamen

This week sure has been full of pumpkin fun!

See you back here tomorrow for Friday Favorites.

Posted in Family, Traditions

Pumpkin Patch Recap

Posted on by jgalvinwhite

Today I’m recapping one of my favorite days of the year…our annual trip to the pumpkin patch.

On Friday, Hayden’s baseball practice was canceled which gave us an afternoon after school off from activities. Travis even got home a bit early, so we were able to leave right when I finished my school day. We go to Evan’s Orchard in Georgetown, and have been going there for four or five years.

I love the mix of activities, pumpkins, photo ops, and apple cider everything 😊

Of course, upon arrival, I headed straight to the pumpkins…

while the kids headed straight to the apple cannon! I don’t remember them having this in the past, but the kids shot ten apples at the various targets (a truck, a ghost, etc), and we were all laughing at the hits and the misses.

I was impressed with how the orchard was set up. The area with most of the pumpkins, the apple cannon, and this corn stalk photo op is an area that typically isn’t used. So, this provided more space for people to spread out all over the orchard.

This cute pic of the kids is very 2020 with the masks around their necks, but I sure do miss the days where they let me dress them in a bright orange jack-o-lantern or boo shirt. At least they still like this tradition of going to pick out our carving pumpkins.

Family photo.

This little swing photo area was also new this year. Hadley couldn’t resist.

All the pumpkins you could ever ask for…

These are the pumpkins they picked for carving:

Mini pumpkins on the way inside the store…

where we also purchased two packs of apple cider donuts.

Hadley and Travis had ice cream as their treat while Hayden and I had apple cider slushies. It was the first time I’d had one, and it was so delish and refreshing.

I also picked up these mini wooden pumpkins to add to my ongoing collection.

We enjoyed our treats while sitting by the big pumpkins.

I swear they look 10 going on 16 in this pic!

Then, Hayden talked us into a bag of kettle corn for the road. We figured “why not?” since we all could share it. A medium bag is plenty big and lasted the rest of the weekend.

This is the second year we didn’t pay for the play area …1. because of lack of time and 2. because of Covid. That’s why I obliged on a few extra treats and pumpkins when it was all said and done.

Again, it was definitely a good outside outing with masks, social distancing, and protocols being followed.

The pumpkin patch and this front porch view are two of my favorite things about this season!

I can’t wait for tomorrow’s Let’s Look link up. It’s all about…pumpkins. My fave! I couldn’t miss out on that!

Happy pumpkin season, y’all!