Red Barn 2016

It just wouldn't feel like October without going to the Red Barn in Santaquin. (Last year's visit, and links to previous years—TEN years total, if you can believe it!!—here.) I don't know exactly what it is that keeps drawing us back. The pumpkin selection has seemed particularly poor lately, and there are so many other pumpkin patches now, closer, and probably just as fun, but somehow…this is just THE ONE for us. Tradition!

Actually, I know exactly why we keep coming: it's the donuts. The apple cider donuts. They just can't be replicated, and we would brave any inconvenience to get them. They were particularly good this year, as we snatched them up while they were still warm. YUM! And there's also the cider, and the plain apples. We love those too. But these donuts!

Usually our visits here make me reflect on how much everyone has changed during the year. Somehow this year, it seemed less…dramatic. The three little girls don't seem SO different. I remember saying last year, "Just think, next year Teddy will be running all over the place!" And he WAS, but he still just seems so…babyish.

All right, I guess he's a BIT of a little man. He was certainly pleased with this rock.

Marigold's delight with the slide was quite as apparent as it was last year.

I love these eeek-ing faces!

And this neck-less baby, all squinched up in Sam's arms. Poor guy.

The weather was actually HOT this year! We've had plenty of times where we've had to bundle up in coats and hats. But we were sweating and wishing for cooler temperatures this year.

Junie-bird

Goldie loved this dump truck.

Teddy thought it was a chair.

This picture happens to capture the very moment Seb started to throw a handful of hay at poor defenseless Malachi, who has no idea what's coming. You can see the dastardly deed written all over Seb's face, though. Bad!

What will this next year hold, I wonder?