Apple Picking!

I had been hoping that David and I would be able to take Isaac and Emma to an apple orchard this fall. I spent several nap times calling orchards all around Texas--I was willing to drive!  Every orchard near Lubbock had lost all their apples due to a late April freeze, and the closest orchard I could find was 4 1/2 hours away.  Even though I really wanted to go pick apples, I knew 4 1/2 hours away was definitely too far to drive.  There is an orchard in Roanoke that I called, but the owner said she gives her priority to field trips.  She said there was a small chance she would open to the public this last Saturday, so I'm sure you can imagine how ecstatic I was when she announced that she would open!  

It was the perfect end to my birthday celebrations.

I'm so thankful for my sweet family!  

During the years when we were waiting for a baby, going to the pumpkin patch and apple orchard were at the top of my list of things I couldn't wait to do with my children.

All of the trees were dwarf apple trees, which meant they were just the right size for little ones to pick apples.

Isaac insisted on wearing his hard hat.  "Mom, I don't want any of the apples that might fall off the tree to hurt my head!"

Isaac and Emma also had a lot of fun watching the chickens.

I don't think I've ever seen Emma laugh as hard as she did when watching the chickens.  She thought they were hilarious!

"Mommy, can we please be done taking pictures?" 

Isaac was a trooper and pulled our wagon all the way back to the car.    I had two very tired kids by the time we got home!  Now, we have a pile of apples to bake into some fall treats!

Isaac just looked through all the apple orchard pictures, and this is what he said:

"The apple orchard was great and we picked some apples.  Daddy came, and we had so much fun.  And, we could not even stop laughing!  I loved it."

I couldn't have said it better myself.  :)