Traditions, traditions! What is there to write about the apple orchard that I haven't already written? With our whirlwind summer and fall, we still made it a priority to visit our orchard, and this time even Uncle Tony and cousin Isaac could join us! Sadly, Alexander wasn't well so the rest of the family stayed home. But our kids loved being able to share the fun with their cousin this year! Apple cider donuts, a wagon ride, lots of picking and tasting and examining to find the best apples to fill our bag. My dad built his apple towers again, and the kids got a huge kick out of his "pine-apple" tree. Then they wandered the rows and ate a bite or two of a countless number of apples. They know well by now that the orchard is the one place I won't lecture them about wasting food.
We rode the wagon back to the lodge, and the kids got a quick ride on the kiddie wagon. The sunflower maze was a sad sight this year, but that didn't stop the kids from running and hiding amidst the tall, dead stalks for a good half hour! Lunch was followed by a visit to the animals, and then we left to make our traditional stop at the Big Yellow Barn for a candy treat. This building... there is pretty much nothing I like about it, but the kids think it's heaven! Row after crowded row of candy treats, and each year- only once a year- they get to enter and pick a treat from Grandma and Grandpa. It's a ridiculous place, and the contrast between its chaos and the peace of the orchard struck me especially hard this year. Oh the things we do for our children!
Surprisingly I only made one apple pie and one apple crisp with our take this year. The rest were munched down as snacks before I could blink an eye! I guess four kids who love apples will burn through a peck pretty darn quick. Maybe we'll spring for two next year?
All in all, it was a fun, successful, exhausting day... I wouldn't change a thing!
I love these two photos next to each other!
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| Cousins, and good buddies |
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