Today the girls and I made a trek out to a garden farm a ways away from here with the grandparents, some cousins and friends of the family. We spent the afternoon getting faces painted (butterflies and fairies, of course), digging for treasures (we found some lovely gemstones), wandering through corn mazes (we opted just for the child ones, which were still a-maze-ing), and most importantly, eating the most delicious, sweetest strawberries I have ever been fortunate enough to eat (yum, yum and more yum).

I was so impressed with how they had everything set up there, completely geared towards the kids. It is a you-pick garden, which I believe is open all summer, but they ran the festival for the kids this weekend. In addition to all the stuff I already mentioned, there was also a petting zoo, small (but wonderfully done) rustic play area for the kids, a not-so-haunted house and snack and ice cream stands. The kids loved it and I loved that they loved it. I also loved seeing my dad crouching in a row of strawberries with Baby Coole, engrossed in each other’s company and delighting in the sweet treasures they were enjoying.

I was so impressed with it, that I came away with some wonderful ideas to host a garden/yard party for the kids and their friends in the fall (perhaps a pumpkin party in October?). Now I just have to find someone with the perfect yard to host it…