Apple Picking on the Farm... We decided to go apple picking and we just started driving towards a popular orchard. We hit amazing traffic and couldn't figure out why, then we realized that the Renaissance Festival is going on in town. We sat in it for awhile and tried an alternate route (which everyone else thought of as well) and then just headed in the opposite direction and looked for one. We stopped at an apple house and got a snack of cider and apples and continued on in search of an apple orchard.

God is good, just as I was reaching my breaking point of time in the car (which I do love with my family - but it was a beautiful day and I wanted to be outside) we came upon a small orchard we had not known was where we were (because we were on a detour from a road we didn't know in the first place). But it ended up being perfect. It was actually a working farm and orchard that my home school group recently recommended and planned a field trip to that I could not attend.

There were chickens freely roaming and the kids got to hold baby chickens and feed a cow and goats. They really enjoyed their time with the animals and riding around the farm in a wagon. After thoroughly washing their hands we were off for apple picking. We picked Suite 16 (the kids sat and stood on dad's shoulders while the baby rode on the sling of course) and bought some honeycrisp and then picked out several pumpkins and a bunch of squash and of course some cider. We loaded it all into the van and headed home after a great family day (can't wait to get my pictures developed).

It was fun for everyone and I enjoyed having both the farm and the orchard experience in such a hands on way. We will do some follow-up this week on farm life and on apples and the fall season. Well I am off to make an apple crisp and oh yeah dinner as well (boca, squash and french fries).

Peace,
Tenn