It’s been a rough season for the Pumpkin Man. So rough, in fact, that I haven’t gotten the same pleasure out of mocking his favorite pastime.
Don’t get me wrong–I still did it but it just wasn’t as fun.
He generally grows two plants and he lost one early in the season to disease. His other pumpkin “Christine” (creepily lovingly christened after my mom) never really took off with Denver’s record-breaking heat.
Though this pumpkin will likely weigh a couple hundred pounds less than last year’s, she never stopped slowly growing and he was just relieved to have a pumpkin he could take to the scale.
Before our pumpkin party, we posed for annual pictures in the patch.
Because doesn’t every family take pictures with their oversized gourd?
This is the kids’ pumpkin, which I think will be a personal best. Unlike Jamie’s pumpkin (which started out white), theirs is a nice lovely orange. Hadley and Bode are already plotting how much money they can make selling it off.
They’re obviously not the sentimental types, particularly when they’ve been saving for a trampoline for over a year.
As usual, my friends delivered with some fabulous pumpkin recipes–everything from pumpkin strudel to pumpkin dip to cookies to krispies to muffins to cake pops.
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| Delicious spinach dip in a pumpkin |
I’m not one to toot my own horn but I was repeatedly told my “Better than s&x pumpkin cake” was a huge hit. I needed something quick, easy and delicious and this bad boy delivered (recipe here).
Also, don’t judge me for the name. Because I clearly labeled it so everyone else could.
Of course, the main event of our pumpkin party is the vine cutting and pumpkin hauling. Everyone made their way to the back and stood enthralled.
It cracks me up how our friends keep coming back year after year but I’m sure glad they do. Several rookies were present and duly impressed.
If you’ve never been to a Great Pumpkin Par-tay, the first step is to tie a rope around the bottom of the pumpkin and make sure the lifting straps are positioned just right before the forklift lifts it off the bed of sand.
As soon as it is airborne, Jamie needs to check underneath to ensure there are no cracks (which mean disqualification in competition). I’ve heard horror stories of growers who slaved all season long, only to finally lift the pumpkin to transport it and realize the entire bottom had rotted out.
Fortunately, that has never happened to Jamie; it would be ugly to see a grown man cry.
Because the kids’ pumpkin weighs significantly less, a few guys were able to transport it with a lifting tarp.
Though this picture is fuzzy because it was taken with my iPhone at night, it needs to be included. Why? Solely because there are FOUR GROWN MEN hauling it to the car and Jamie will make ‘lil ‘ol me take it out with just him.
Translation: I am equal to three grown men.
I was grateful so many friends came out for the party because I know many had conflicts. Earlier in the day, I tweeted out:
The school’s fundraiser or travel are NOT good reasons to miss our infamous pumpkin party. Pregnant neighbor getting induced? She gets a bye.
Because I’m generous like that.
P.S. Baby’s middle name had better be “great” or “pumpkin.”
Stay tuned for details of the big weigh-off, my better than s&x cake trauma and the explosion that happened mere moments before the party started.
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Can’t get enough of the Great Pumpkin Parrrrrr-Tay? It has greatly evolved over the years.
Check out:
* 2011
*2010
*2009 The Year That Wasn’t (when the tornado took out The Great Pumpkin)
* 2008 Our 1st Annual Fete!
I'm a Canadian-born mom of two, former Denver Post columnist, family travel writer, editor of MileHighMamas.com and 9News contributor. Expert on all things Utah, Denver, family and travel. Lover of laughter and life. Happily married to a man obsessed with growing The Great Pumpkin. 
