Cider Fest, Dracula & Bob

Nothing says fall like fresh cider donuts and hot apple cider...especially when you combine that with the annual Cider Fest, Live Music, Dracula Corn Maze, Pumpkin Patch and a scarecrow named Bob. We started the fun on friday night by raking up enough leaves to fill up some of Lucas' favorite clothes for our first ever scare crow. We tried out Noah's head and Eli's head on the body but ultimately decided to go with the red soccer ball. We did give him cool cowboy boots and a favorite straw hat before we knighted him....BOB...

Isn't the photo with Noah's head disturbing??!!

Since we went when the weather was still perfect for playing outside, we really got to enjoy the entire Cider Fest. There were hundreds (maybe over a thousand?) people at the Louisburg Cider Mill but that just made it more exciting! :) We started with our cider donuts and apple cider, listened to bluegrass and toured the red barn where they make the cider. The cider mill was awesome! The process is amazing and the kids loved it...they were in awe of the whole process. We made our way to the Dracula Corn Maze and got lost in the middle. They had signs posted every few turns but someone had taken off all the "you are here" stickers so after awhile I took over and randomly called out Left/Right and somehow we made it to the end. I got some great shots in the corn field and took them at extreme angles to help set the scary mood. It was fun. We let the kids play in the hay maze and then picked out pumpkins.

I really like "photo journalistic" type photography and I love it when I capture real life moments. Lucas picked out a pumpkin that was too heavy for him to hold for very long. He was really struggling in this next photo so I am loving his face. (not loving the fact that he was struggling though...just to clarify) I missed his smile and caught his "oompf" face...and I caught Sissy in a day dream I think...but it's one of my favorites from the day. There wasn't much in the way of vegetation out in the pumpkin patch so I had to drop the camera to the ground to get this shot.

Autumn went home on Sunday but the boys had a chance to decorate their pumpkins that night. When the kids were really little we used to draw on the pumpkins but then slowly graduated to carving...but last year we got these silly (mr. potato head type) faces and the kids really like creating their own look. This year, Noah wins the prize for most excessive....and weird...and gross...

Remember my attempt at scary? Here is another one I like. I know what you're thinking...put a shrub in front of the kids and suddenly its creepy....oohh, aahh.....spooky.....

And last but not least we have Bob....with his Pumpkin pals...