Apple Picking

Today we took a trip to the apple orchard where you can pick your own apples...your own absolutely delicious apples. Addison posed for me...
Here he is as a 'sour apple'...
These apples, can't remember their names, (something like matzu???) are absolutely delicious.
Seeing as Addison posed, Benjamin wanted to get in the apple too.



Addison, Lindsey, and Ron were picking and trying out a few apples... the owners had told us to try any we wanted.
Addison ate 7 apples! We each got an apple picking bag.
Donnie and Lindsey tried all different varieties...

After we had picked apples to take home and eat or cook with, we got a 5 gallon bucket to fill up.
For $8, you filled the bucket with apples that had fallen from the tree. Then the owners of the apple orchard will make it into apple juice for you at no extra charge...





Once we had our 5 gallon bucket filled, we washed the apples. The apples were dumped into this bucket. Lindsey and Addison are pulling them out, cutting out any bruises, and then putting them into the smaller buckets.
Dick, one of the owners, then poured the cleaned apples into this contraption...
We sampled the fresh juice as it came out...oh my gosh, is it ever delicious! We had several different varieties of apples mixed together for the juice.
Benjamin was enjoying learning all about apples...
He watched Dick press them...
Betty was filling our gallon...
We were all watching the operation...
It was a perfect time for a little family photo...

The apple orchard was absolutely beautiful!

Tomorrow: baking an apple pie!

Benjamin's photo shoot

Today, we were down to the last 6... Lindsey, Donnie, Benjamin, my guy, Addison, and myself. Lindsey decided it was time for a photo shoot! I have no idea how many photos we took...it was in the hundreds!

There are so many that are so good! I decided to post SOME of my favorites!

Friday...

Benjamin was missing his cousin Emerson. He had fun with him, and he was intently watching Emerson as he was sitting up. Finally, today, after he thought about it for awhile, Benjamin decided it was time to try it on his own.
His Mama told him to make a wide base...he listened, and he was sitting up all by himself.
He isn't sitting up as long as his cousin, but he's sitting by himself!
Linz and I went shopping today...at this adorable baby store in town. She and Emily had gone shopping before Thanksgiving and put some things back for my little men...for Christmas.
The boys weren't suppose to know...it's suppose to be a secret...but Lindsey tried the training pants on Benjamin...

and he peed in them...

Oh well....Lindsey doesn't think Benjamin will remember the pants...and I doubt if Emerson will be reading the blog...
Benjamin rested awhile after one of his photo-shoots...
When he woke up, he was ready to jump... and jump... and jump... It didn't make any difference that he wasn't in his jumper. His mama put his Santa hat on him...
He knew he was looking incredibly cute!

It might have been a little bit large...
"Get this thing off my head," he told his Daddy.
He was happy to leave it on so he could say bye-bye to his Aunt Patti...
He winked at her...
He wanted to tell his cousin, GRITS, how much he loved having her, Liz, and Aunt Patti here for Thanksgiving.

We all enjoyed having them here...

We enjoyed everyone being here...

It's so hard to believe that everyone is leaving...I was so excited for Thanksgiving to come...for everyone to be here...

and now we're winding down...

It went by so fast...so incredibly fast...

but it has been wonderful...beyond wonderful!