Mainstay Farm...

I love the fall and all that goes with it...the cooler weather, the changing leaves, the colors, the smells, the food...you get the picture.  Nothing says fall, to me, more than a pumpkin patch.  Being new to the area, I began looking for a local farm.  I was disappointed to find that the only pumpkin patch in our town was located in a parking lot.  This was not exactly what I had in mind.  So, I put my detective skills to use and went to my favorite website:  www.pumpkinpatchesandmore.org.  This is a great resource for finding pumpkin patches, corn mazes, hayrides and fall festivals in your local area.  (They also have links for pick-your-own fruit & vegetable farms, as well as Christmas tree farms.)

After taking a quick geography lesson of the Big Country, I found the perfect family farm just south of Ft. Worth.  Mainstay Farm has been owned by Jim and Marianna Wilson since 1989.  The farm got it's name because the Wilson's look to God as their "mainstay" and desire to share His love and abundance with everyone that visits.  They have hay rides, a 3-story tree house, jumping pillow, mazes, playground, a hay-play and jump barn, 100 ft. super chute slide, pedal kart race track, face painting, a gift shop and PUMPKINS.  We packed a picnic lunch and played all day.  The kids each got to pick out their own baby pumpkin and we brought home an orange beauty for the big day a few weeks later.  It was lots of fun and definitely a place we would like to visit again.

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