Exploration Acres 2018

We have loved going to Exploration Acres every year since 2013 when Emily was two weeks old.  We’ve gone with many different groups of friends and family since then.  This year the kids and I went with a large group of friends from church (thanks Julie for the group pictures!)

The first experience was riding on a tractor through the pumpkin patch to pick out pumpkins.  This was our first time doing that and the kids loved it. I didn’t anticipate how crazy it would be to hold Laura and help the kids pick out pumpkins, so I was grateful for the friends who jumped in to help.

Nathan loved the hayride so much that he built a replica tractor (piano bench, boxes, and pot lid) connected to the wagon with hay bales (broom to the couch and pillows).  He has also built amazingly detailed tractors and wagons out of duplos this week that we literally have to drag him away from to do anything else.

We ate lunch in the barn and then let the kids play.  They rode the tire swing horse, played in the corn pit, explored the hay tunnels, and dug in the sand.  Nathan has really wanted to ride a horse ever since we went to the Indiana State Fair at the beginning of August, so this was pretty good.

Laura had missed her morning nap and it was encroaching on her afternoon nap.  Emily, Nathan and I decided to head into the corn maze just the four of us.  Usually Andrew navigates us through it and I keep track of kids and chat with friends.  We wanted to work together as a team and get our favorite punches.  Emily drew out the routes on the map and then led the way through the maze.  It was good we were working together because we absolutely needed each others eyes to find all the punch spots.  We got our favorite coupons for Dairy Queen, Pink Walrus, Once Upon a Child, and a rock climbing gym for Andrew.

As we were leaving the rest of our friends were just entering.  I paused to talk with someone and while we were standing there Nathan got stung by a wasp.  A friend gave him a band aid and by the time we got to the car he was fine.

Another great trip in the books!