Tuesday, September 29, 2015

Apple Picking!

Around here, we love to eat our way through the seasons.  Berries, apples, pumpkins - all of it!  Add to that, my preschool class spent several weeks discussing apples and apple trees.  So naturally, when my mom told me there was a new orchard open close to us, we had to go.

We picked a perfect fall day to go!  The warm weather really seems to be hanging around this September, but the day we picked apples the temps dropped and it was invigorating.  I love those cool temperatures this time of year.

Perfection.

Apples are just beautiful to view on the trees.

The orchard we went to is a young one.  I believe the trees are only four or five years old.  They are dwarf trees - perfect for the kids!

 
Apple picking cutie pie.

Two apple picking cutie pies.

These two ate their way through the orchard.  It was a lot of fun to try all the different types.  I think we ended up with ten or eleven different varieties and 31 pounds of apples!  Trust me, we've been creative with how to consume all those apples before they go bad.  We've had apple crisp, apple muffins, apple sauce, and apples with lunch every single day.  Now that we're almost out, I'm wondering if we can get in another trip before the end of the season!

Goobers.

We live in a beautiful place.

Stunning.  Just stunning.

Monday, September 28, 2015

Focusing

I love seeing my kids grow.  They never cease to amaze me with their creativity, helpfulness, and some days their ability to leave me utterly exhausted.  They were sweet and snuggly as babies.  Curious as all hell as toddlers.  And now just plain old fun as kids.

However, as much fun as they are becoming - and less of all that diapering, potty training, doing every single little darn thing for them all day, every day - I can't get over how quickly time is passing.  Time with them is like trying to hold water in my hands.  It doesn't matter how hard I squeeze, that water is going to get out.  Likewise, it doesn't matter if I hold onto them tightly or let them soar, the time with them is fleeting.  Most days I don't think about it, but every once in a while it hits me that before I know it, they will be grown and out of our house.  And while I will always be their mama and there for them, the days of "hands-on" parenting will be over.

So, I am determined to get back to blogging.  This space has been a great source of focus for our lives in the years past.  Writing about our daily life really helps me keep the vision on all our blessings, on all the little moments I want to cherish for years to come.  And I love looking back on the memories from years past.


These two blessings - so different, but so compatible - help make our life together
so incredibly rich and joyful.