Fall joy: Apple pickin'

I love fall, and just about everything about it.  I love that it's nice and cool, that things are crisp, that the rush of the summer is over and the delectable smell of baking apple and pumpkin-ey goods, soup, and bread.  This year I'm determined to live this sweet little season to it's fullest.  I'm not always good at getting my homebody self out of the house, especially when pregnant, so it takes a concerted effort to make sure we take advantage of the fall loveliness before it's too late.

Luckily, when wonderful friends and crisp apples beckon... it's pretty easy to say, "Yes, please!"

We managed to squeeze in on the very last day of apple picking (it didn't even cross my radar until last weekend that it was a possibility!) at a little organic farm hemmed in by mountains and tended by Farmer Ralph.  Farmer Ralph made the experience worth it, no matter what.

Oh, and then there were these sweethearts.  Anni took the apples pretty seriously and Miss Lucy thought that the whole process was pretty hilarious.  I would bet their favorite parts were wagon riding and chowing down.

Because there were so few good apples left, the daddies had to work pretty hard to fill up our little wagon.  Luckily, they were up for the job and managed to net us a pretty good amount (the girls certainly thought they were tasty)! 

We mamas sorted apples and played with our sweet apple-lovin' girls.  (See, even Lil' Bit is there!  After being told by random people all weekend that I don't 'look' pregnant', I suppose I'll just have to make do with looking chubby and trying to point out that there really is a baby in there!  In fact... we're nearly half way there!)

I loved that farm was organic: when the girls just wanted to bite right into their goodies, we didn't have to worry all that much about it.  We made sure to count cores when we payed for our treats at the end.

It was good, really good, to do something just for fun, family and friends.  After an insanely busy weekend and a long day of wedding shooting that left me pretty worn out, apple picking was just perfect.

We're already planning our corn maze outing and I'm planning chili, soup and pumpkin bread into our upcoming menu.

Oh, fall, we love you.