Trip To The Cider Mill

It was a gorgeous fall day today and ended up being the perfect weather for our trip to the cider mill! This was the playdate/outing I had planned about a month ago for Em, and her friends. Only two of her friends could make it today, Lucia and Maddie. This wasn't a normal playdate since we were going somewhere so we invited Dads and siblings too. So Evan and Greg came along with Em and I, and Lucia, her mom Carmen and dad Tony, and Maddie and her mom Dawn. We left about 11am and had a caravan out to the cider mill. Since Greg and Evan went camping last night they just met us there.

We went to Uncle John's Cider Mill in St. Johns. It's an annual tradition to visit Uncle John's at least once, but usually two or three times in the fall. We've been to a few other cider mills in the Lansing area, but Uncle John's seems to have the best donuts and cider so we keep going back there. This weekend was Kid Fest so they had some extra activities going on. We hit the play area where they had a little train ride for kids. Em was the only one that wanted to ride the train. I was really surprised she didn't want to get off after we put her in the seat or cry once the train started moving. She gave us all a good laugh because she went right to the first seat, sat down, grabbed on, and didn't move the whole entire time the train was moving. She wouldn't move her hands, smile for the camera, or look at any of us the whole time.

This was her pose when she started...

This was her pose when she finished!

It really was too funny. Finally we got this little smirk out of her! What a kid! After the train ride, we headed over to the bale maze. This was a maze geared for younger kids so it was perfect! The kids had fun running through the maze, bouncing on the bouncy balls, and walking along the bales of hay. Here's a few pics from the maze.

Emmaline chasing after her brother through the maze

Emmaline on the bouncy ball

Evan on the bouncy ball

Peeking through the haunted house

All the kids walking along the bales of hay

From there we hopped on the wagon ride and headed out to the pumpkin patch. All the kids thoroughly enjoyed walking around the patch and picking out pumpkins!

On the wagon heading out to the pumpkin patch

Em went right for the big pumpkin, but needed some help from brother. It was a no go. We said if they couldn't lift it we couldn't get it!

Later on Em found a pumpkin that was more her size

Evan picked out his very own pumpkin! He went out far in the patch to find it!

Em was having so much fun she was just picking up pumpkins and putting them in the wagon. (We didn't get all these, but it was just too cute so I let her pull them around.) Believe it or not, Emmaline was actually able to pull this full wagon...

...but then it got to be too much so she decided to push it!

We were out in the pumpkin patch for quite some time. By the time we got back up by the cider mill the crowd had increased! Lucia headed home because it was her nap time. Maddie & Dawn and Em & I grabbed a hot dog for lunch (the boys already had eaten) and then we got some cider and donuts and called it a day at the cider mill. The girls were ready for naps too so we headed home. Em fell asleep on the way home and then slept some more after we got home. We all had a great time and it was the perfect way to spend a gorgeous fall afternoon! We look forward to heading back probably one more time this fall!

This post got a little long, so I'll tell you all about Greg and Evan's camping trip tomorrow.