It’s October and time to go to the pumpkin patch. We went to Cabalo’s Orchard, which is a pesticide free tree fruit and veggie farm. I felt it was important to take Porter to a real pumpkin patch for his first pumpkin picking trip, but Luke was more excited by going to dinner at El Gallo Giro in Kuna. It is far and away the best Mexican food in Idaho. I had the Tacos de Adobo and they were the best tacos I’ve ever had, mmm green chile sauce. Luke came around and had a good time at the farm too. Porter, who decided that napping was beneath him today, was not in the best of spirits but cheered up and had a great time at dinner. All in all, it was a great success. I’m REALLY excited to get to carve a pumpkin myself this year, rather than share the task of designing with a group of 5 year olds.

Cabalo’s Orchard & Gardens was a true orchard and farm. No pre-picked pumpkins stacked on hay bales here! We got to take our pick of beautiful pumpkins right off the vine, dirt and all. They’re prickly suckers. Note, bring gloves next year.

To get to the pumpkin patch we got to take a hay bale tracker ride.

It’s a bonafide tractor and Porter loved it.

On the way to the patch we crossed paths with the turkeys.

We made it!

There were pumpkins of all sizes and colors. These were the first ones I saw and they were BIG.

Luke and Porter acting as a scarecrow.

Looking for pumpkins was kind of like an Easter egg hunt, with bigger and more orange prizes.

The pumpkin in it’s natural habitat.

There were warty pumpkins too.

Lucy and the farmer.

Tessa thought it was very important to share her name, she was feeling very serious at this moment.

Ahh, there he is.

I had no idea pumpkin plants were almost as tall as a 3 year old.

Our pumpkin, right before I snapped it off it’s prickly vine.

She’s perfect!

Assorted shapes and colors.

For Chelsea, pumpkin picking is serious business.

On the tractor ride to purchase our pumpkins.

See how happy pumpkin picking can make a man?!

Our pumpkin weighed in at a whopping 28 pounds! Bigger than Porter, at least for now.

That’s Jack, Lucy and Tessa. The Lingo cousins are a tad loud for Porter. When asked if he wanted to sit on the back of the car with them (yelling) he promptly curled his lip and cried. I’ll take that as a no? Little does he know that someday he’ll be the screamy one!