Pumpkin Patch 2011

We couldn't let another year pass by without a visit to the Pumpkin Patch! This tradition started when Cameron was about 8 weeks old and I use the annual photos to measure the girls' annual growth and visual changes.

We put off taking a photo this year until after Douglas arrived. Since he was almost two weeks later than originally expected, I was beginning to wonder whether we would be able to pull it off before the pumpkins disappeared. However, this Sunday afternoon turned out to be a beautiful day, although a bit overrun with mosquitos. We managed to get some great photos of the kids. (How strange to say "kids" instead of "girls" now.)

This is Cameron's first Pumpkin patch photo since she began wearing glasses in August, but they don't hide her beautiful blue eyes at all!

Another year older, Brenna still has her confident smile.


Welcome Douglas! Only nine days old, this will be the first of many years of "birthday" photos for him.

These girls really love and dote on their baby brother, sometimes to the point of arguing over who gets to hold him and rock him.

While at the CLUMC pumpkin patch, a lady offering "free photos" asked if she could put my son in a basket. We didn't know at the time that she is a kids photographer just giving back to the church. These next two photos are from my camera at an off-angle from her, but you can see how she carefully placed him in the basket.

I must say that in other photos, his little ears have never stuck out like they appear here! It must be the angle I took the photo. I never would have thought to put him in a basket like this. How creative!

I can't wait to receive the actual pictures taken by the photographer tomorrow or the next day. Depending on how she captured the image, I may consider using one of these for his official birth announcement.

Pumpkin patch

Another year at the pumpkin patch, but this year they don't look like little girls anymore at all.

Pumpkin Decorating

Both girls wanted to decorate pumpkins for the school contest this year. Last year, Brenna won first place with her incredibly simple design called "Mom didn't want to do anything." This year they both put a little more work and thought into their designs.

Cameron found this idea in a magazine. The original idea called for carving the larger pumpkin with an open mouth and skewering the smaller pumpkins. Unfortunately, no carving is allowed for the school display. So she had to improvise.

I don't remember where Brenna got the idea to do Peas in a Pod, but it came out really cute. Both girls did 90% of the work by themselves with minimal help from Bryan and I.

Neither of them won, but they had a lot of fun.

Another Pumpkin Patch

On Sunday after the annual Messina Reunion, we took the girls to the local Pumpkin Patch for their annual photos.

We've been going to this pumpkin patch for at least the last 7 or 8 years. Look at last year to see how much the girls have grown!

Pumpkin Decorating Contest

Today was School Picture day, Pumpkin Decorating Contest, Crazy Socks (Spirit Week) day, and report cards. (Whew.)

Here is Cameron's decorated pumpkin.

Here is Brenna's.

Now here is our FIRST PRIZE winner from the 1st Grade. Boy was I surprised. Boy was Cameron jealous. ;-)

ps - Cameron earned all A's on her report card (writing was her highest grade, see her essay below) and Brenna had a row of "SD" (steadily developing) on hers. Looks like we're off to a great start!

Pumpkin Patch

Last weekend after Jeff Dunham, after the Messina Family reunion, we took the girls to the Methodist Church pumpkin patch. It's an annual tradition that we've been doing since Cameron was 8 weeks old.

You might notice that Brenna has an odd scrape on her chin. About two hours earlier, she was running in the parking lot at the reunion and fell. She scraped her chin, elbow, and one knee, and she bit through the inside of her bottom lip.

Pumpkin perfect

Sunday between church, birthday parties, playdates, grocery shopping, and laundry (whew) we ran over to the annual Pumpkin Patch. I can't get over how much the girls have grown - and I suppose I use these photos as a benchmark each year. (Click on the above photo to see it better.)