We had such a great time taking the babe to a local ‘pumpkin patch’ a few weeks ago before Halloween (yup that is how long it took me to get this post up-oops). I say ‘pumpkin patch’ because when I was little the pumpkin patches we went to were on farms, big dusty fields filled with pumpkins where we could pick our own soon-to-be Jack-o’-lanters straight from the vines they grew on. We would ride on tractors stacked with hay bales and visit the various animals that lived on the farm. We would pick apples and paint cornhusk dolls, and return home covered in the fine, powdery dust that hung in the air from so many tiny feet stomping around in search of the perfect pumpkin. So, to a country girl, the idea of a pumpkin patch sitting in the middle of an asphalt parking lot adjacent to the forever busy street of La Cienega is almost laughable but luckily the babe doesn’t know the difference and she had such a great time! We rode the train, visited the animals in the petting zoo, and scaled the hay bale maze. One of her good girlfriends joined us as well and the two had fun catching up, holding hands and squealing over the ponies. Little C is a girl after my own heart, she loves getting to engage with animals so petting zoos and pony rides are always on the agenda. Her face while riding the ponies was priceless (and explains why there are about 5 shots of her in a row – that face was just too precious). She also loved getting to pet the bunnies and the goats in the animal pen, trying to feed hay to the bunnies and demanding that I let her hold the chicken that I had scooped up into my arms; I grew up with chickens so picking them up is second nature, but here in LA it turns out that picking up a chicken will get you some strange looks.
I love the capturing these moments with her so that when she is older we can look back on them together. I am a perfectionist and totally OCD about everything, so I have to let go of the fact the lighting isn’t always going to be perfect golden-hour lighting, or that my hair is probably going to be a mess more often than not in the memories we capture. I have to remember that those things don’t matter. That it’s ok if there is harsh lighting or direct sunlight, that it’s ok that my hair is ALL OVER the place and that my eyes are closed in most of the photos. Because in the end it really isn’t about how the pictures look but what they make you feel when you see them. And when I look at these photos, I feel love. I feel the crispness of fall air and the excitement within our little girl who is anxiously awaiting the arrival of Halloween. I feel the joy and amazement and love from this day all bubbling together and leaking out through the photos. I feel Little C’s happiness as she reaches out to stroke a soft bunny ear, how proud she feels when she finds that perfect pumpkin to take home. I feel the memories that we created, and that, that is priceless….and it is all that really matters. Happy Friday loves – enjoy your weekend. Capture your memories so that you can treasure them forever in your hearts, and squeeze your loved ones extra tight. Life is beautiful.
