Apple Pickin'

Well, all I can think is thank God apples grow in the USA. There is no label, "Made in China." We've committed as a family to a 'Made in the USA' Christmas. It's really hard finding things made in the USA. I'm thankful for ETSY. Such a great online store with many treasures to be found and most of them made in the USA.

Okay, I'm not going to rant. I'm going to talk about Apple Pickin' with my favorite little people. Just because some may be bigger than me doesn't mean they're not little to me... (Ahem, Colby). The kids and I packed up the BRV a couple of weeks ago to set out on our Virginia tradition of apple picking. We were a bit late in getting out for apple picking season and you can see in the pictures that the apples were rotting off the trees. The boys thought this was perfect. They could nail the trees and each other with all of the rotten fruit. Think of it as a friendly game of 'dodge apple.' 

The troops set out to fill their bags with apples.

We paired up according to... well, I'm not sure what that according to was, all I know is there was a bit of quarreling and lots of laughter to be heard in the orchard.

The girls worked pretty well together. Due to the pervasive rot, finding firm, pest-free apples proved to be a chore. The girls had the bag with the most.

Little man did well. He and Benjamin shared a partnership. Sweet boys.

Hazel spent most of the time in the baby carrier on my back. She was loud and ferocious. Many attempts to rip the earrings from my ears were thwarted. She doesn't realize how many times I've endured the same maltreatment from her predecessors. 

There was some crying in the orchard. 

There was also some peeing in the orchard. Normally I wouldn't betray my kids with a picture of the sort, but I was laughing so hard, because clearly Silas hadn't put the belt through his loops that morning. Thus, the drag across his rear. Funny boy.

More Crying.

And of course, lots of apple eating.

Apple Picking was fun. Before Sandy came through we whipped out two beautiful, crusty, flaky, sweet apple pies from the earnings of that day. Thank you, Lord that we have apples growing practically in our own back yard!