The Great Goodman Pumpkin Search

I had a plan this year for pumpkins.  Last year we didn't go pumpkin picking or carve any pumpkins because Halloween was a day or two after my dad's funeral.  I really wasn't up for it, and Halloween hadn't really been on the top of my mind during the month of October.  But this year I realized Lizzie had never carved a pumpkin, and Anna really wanted to carve one, so I had a grand plan for Seth to get off work early during the week a couple weeks before Halloween, and we'd go to Ashland Berry Farm. 

Yeah, that never happened.  So I set a firm date for this past Wednesday... but too much ended up happening that day, and we didn't go.  So I said, definitely Friday!  Nope, by the time I got back from Charlottesville, it was cold and rainy.  Saturday?  Freezing and raining.

New plan: buy a pumpkin from WalMart!  When I had gone last week, there were two huge bins of pumpkins.  Nope, not one pumpkin left.  The cashier suggested Tom Leonard's.  Great idea!  Nope, no pumpkins left there either.  But they were selling the hay bales their pumpkins had been displayed on, two for $4.  Seth had been desperately wanting hay bales to set up around our house for Halloween, so that find was pretty awesome (especially since Southern States had them for $10 apiece).  Hay bales don't fulfill a small child's need for a pumpkin to carve, though. 

Back home with a van full of hay, Seth started calling our normal grocery stores.  Nope, no pumpkins.  So I threw up my hands and said, "We're going to Ashland!"  Yes, it was still freezing.  And yes, it was still raining.  And the wind was blowing like crazy.  But I was desperate.  So I called them to make sure they were open, and off we went.

We were the only car in the parking lot.  I took advantage of that and parked as close as possible to the stands of pumpkins they had on display.  The awesome woman working there said we could still do "all you can carry" for $20, even though we weren't picking pumpkins from the field.  Score!  We ended up with nine pumpkins of varying sizes.  While we were there, one other family with small kids came and picked out pumpkins, too.

When we got back in the van, we were filthy.  Thank goodness I had put the girls in their boots.  Seth and I had mud all over our coats and gloves from carrying pumpkins.  But we were successful!  Once we got home, each of us carved a pumpkin for the family Halloween party and pumpkin contest that night.  The kids had a blast.  You can see pictures of the pumpkins and the carving process here.

So next year I swear I won't wait until the last minute again to get the pumpkins.  At least, that is until Halloween sneaks up on me again :)