Rolling Along...: The Punk Patch

Each year we make a trip to a local farm where the pumpkins are still on the vine. This year we took Nana, Papa, and Auntie Trish along. While there, Bill and Ash hold an unofficial competition to see who can find the biggest, heaviest pumpkin. The no. 1 rule for their contest is that each individual must be able to lift his/her pumpkin into the wheelbarrow all by themselves. As soon as we got to the field the two of them went at it. Bill found his first and Ash hurried over quickly to size up the competition. She then took off through the field to out due Uncle Bill. Meanwhile, the rest of us scoured the fields searching for the perfect pumpkin. We found HER! -standing in the middle of the patch! This year, for the first time, Emmy was able to stand next to the pumpkins and sit atop them unassisted. It melted my Mama heart to see my little girl standing there, just like all the other kids. She quickly picked out a huge pumpkin and told us that it was "My big punk." We moved her next to it and she had a great time just standing and leaning on it. After a few pictures, we scooped both Emmy and the pumpkin up and placed them in the wheelbarrow. Ash then announced that she had her pumpkin. Here she came, rolling her pumpkin down the path toward the wheelbarrow. Out came Emmy in order to make room for Ash's giant. She lifted it into the wheelbarrow (all by herself) and off we all went, back to the barn (and the scales). One by one out came the pumpkins, first Carol's, then mine, then Emmy's (weighing in at 52 pounds), then Bill's (weighing in at 53 pounds) and last but not least... Ash's pumpkin (weighing in at... 63 pounds). She had done it! She found the biggest, heaviest pumpkin for 2008! We had a great day together as a family. It was wonderful to have Nana, Papa and Auntie Trish with us to share our Pumpkin Patch tradition.