Our last several days on the Eastern Shore in Maryland have been blissful, spending time as a family and enjoying fellowship and down time with old friends….not much better than that!  After the five children head to bed, we’ve spent time laughing and reminiscing, painting walls and distressing furniture. 
Sort of my dreamland.
Lisa and Jon took us to an adorable pumpkin patch and I couldn’t help but snap a few pictures of the beauty and some of my babes. 
Mostly shots of the babes.
They also had a fresh apple and vegetable market at the patch, and we had to grab a basket and a couple of gallons of fresh apple cider.  (You gotta have two when you’re providing for 9–btw, since we’ve been here, we all get the most awkward looks.  Haven’t people ever seen two families hanging out in the Smithsonian before? Just a funny observation.)

Ava was loving the knotty pumpkins…and so was I.  I wanted to take so many home with me, but alas I don’t think Delta would understand.

Ava is 75% adorable, and %15 this face.  That’s her in a nutshell.

Isn’t this just an explosion of Fall??? I just kept snapping pictures and smiling.  I’ll let you in on a little secret…I have only added one fall tablescape to the house, and this trip got me in the mood.  I’ve had my reasons for not getting on the Fall train just yet, but I’m about to jump on board this next week…I’ll show you as soon as I make myself get crafty!

Gray insisted on pulling the wagon with 3 of the 4 remaining kiddos.  Bless his heart; we walked 1/2 mile out to the pumpkin patch and back.

Grayson tries this every. single. year.  So cute.

This moment truly struck me…what a little person I am entrusted with…and what a big world there is out there.  I am humbled daily as I raise my little ones, and am thankful for moments like these that grab my attention and seem to say, “make sure you’re paying attention…it’s all happening right before your eyes!”

Beautiful state, beautiful day, beautiful families.
Not a bad way to finally kick off my Fall.