How do you like them apples?

On Friday, we stole away for an afternoon at the apple orchard. My mom came with us this time and I think the fresh air and fun with the grand-kids did her some good. I know it did my heart good to know that I could still laugh and have fun and not feel guilty for enjoying life.

Emma Krumbees was a great choice for lunch and some fall fun.


Look at all those kids!


A pair of goofy girls.



They were SO ready to run and play with each other.
And it helped that we practically had the place to ourselves.



They had fun playing "pirate" on the big wooden pirate ship.
Here is Sam yelling "the pirates are coming!"



Then it was time for a wagon ride around the orchard.









Next a little train ride.









Then off to see the goats.







And of course there was the scarecrow contest. This little scene was my favorite.



Then it was time for a little tri-cycle riding.



Betcha didn't see this one coming!







We all got to act like kids again. :)









Then it was time to pick apples.

















The only thing that could have made this day any better would have been a little golden sunshine through those trees.

Wrap up

That first day, pulling up to the airport and then making my way inside with the girls to meet our friends, I was so excited and nervous. But then I heard Jessica calling my name (with what little voice she had left) from behind me. They were already outside waiting for us. I can't even tell you how fun it was to see them all in person for that first time. Everyone was so warm and just as lovely as I had expected them to be.

I have had the pleasure of getting to know Jessica and her heart through countless e-mails (and of course her delightful blog) over the past couple of years. And I was pretty sure her Mom was equally delightful. This was indeed true! We became fast friends. I loved getting a call on my drive home that last day, from her mom, because with all the commotion of getting the cars and car-seats unloaded at the curb and tickets checked-in, we hadn't had a chance to say good-bye. What a sweetheart!

So, that first night after they arrived, we helped them get settled into their hotel and then they came over for dinner. The girls had already become fast friends and of course enjoyed opening gifts. So funny that anytime travel is involved, so are gifts. That's probably pretty universal I think.

David loved the fun creole seasoning and there were goody bags for all the kids (the contents of which are all over the house by now). Jessica made the girls chalkboard mats and the brown one for Sam came all the way from Canton. They are awesome! She promises to have a tutorial on how to make them over on her blog soon so keep an eye out for those.

And I love, love, loved this sweet necklace she brought me. It's by Madison Reece on Etsy.



And, because they came all the way from Louisiana to Minnesota to see little 'ole me and my family, I made her something very special, a thank you for such a huge gesture. I'm pretty sure she loved it. ;)



If you remember this story, you'll know why this inscription was so important. I conspired with her mom to get the words correct to say "In loving memory of my great-grandfather" in Spanish. It was driving Jessica nuts not to know what this surprise was going to be, but I think the wait was worth every minute.

I even took the time to make the little pig on the left, a red stripe dress, like one of them from the fabric, and the one on the far right is wearing a boutique dress similar to this one. That's what I love about drawing your own iron-on transfer, you can customize it to your hearts content. I'm only wishing I had redrawn their faces to be like the pigs in the fabric design, but that part didn't occur to me until the apron was all done and there was no time to re-do it. Oh well, these sweet little faces definitely give it a vintage feel and they are adorable just the way they are. :)



You can read more about the trip here and here.

Thank you Jessica, Virginia, Grace and Hudson for coming to visit us in Minnesota. We hope we get the chance to see you again. ((HUGS))

Family photos are always a challenge...

...even when you have a beautiful setting, the right camera and coordinated outfits. I had no idea that most of us matched, clothing wise, until I saw these later that night. That was fun to see.

Thank you Jessica for taking these! Even though no one wanted to cooperate, it still captures who our family is right now. Playful and independent.













*And thank you to my sweet friend Amber for making Emily's bow. More on that later. ;)

Mall of America

Ok, I'm not doing this in any real order. I'm saving the best for last. My mind is all over the place, I can't think quite straight as I'm still recovering from the massive had cold I started getting the day the Little Pumpkin's family arrived. Oh and Jessica started her trip out by losing her voice. What a pair we were! And I'm pretty sad that this is the only good picture of the two of us that ended up on my camera (of over 400 pictures!!!). I'm hoping she has a good one on hers. You can see what's she's started writing here and here.



Our day at the Mall of America was really fun. We started with a quick ride on the Hot Air Balloons and then off to lunch at Rainforest Cafe. I really love that place, but my sweet and very sensitive Emily, cried through most of it and plugged her ears through almost all of it (even asking me to feed her). We were sat right in the middle of the gorilla room and boy was it loud and evidently scary too. Kind of funny to see Allison and Grace across the table from us loving every minute and pretending to be monkeys themselves. They had a blast!



Taking pictures in Lego Land. The Lego sculptures are enormous!



Two of a kind.



I love that at this age we can walk right past American Girl and no one even notices.



All aboard!



We were pretty surprised that we both fit in there with all five kiddos.
I think this was Hudson's first ride.





I never got a good picture of it, but Hudson loved to grab at Sam's hair, and Sam would just giggle the whole time because it tickled.



Hudson is a good on-the-go napper. This little boy is just precious!



Couldn't resist a picture of my big guy. :)



The Merry-Go-Round is always a favorite.



And the roller coaster was hilarious. I sat with Sam and my little daredevil thought it was great fun. Even Virginia (aka Noonie) enjoyed it.



Allison sat in the front row all by herself. What a big girl!
Of course Emily wouldn't get near this one.
Someday...



We finished our time with the Ferris Wheel. I still have yet to go on it, but I'm sure the view is great from up there.



I've got at least one more post about our week-end, but bye for now. I'm about to go catch some sun in the backyard with the girls, sip some lemonade and nurse my poor arms and hands that were butchered at the Dr.'s office this morning. Just the normal cholesterol and glucose test (now that I'm over 35). Five pricks later, and lots of digging, they finally got what they needed. But the bruises are already starting to show up and man does it hurt. Ouch!

Oh and a little teaser for you. Amy and I are going to a book-signing this Saturday night. And we will be giving away a signed copy of "___________" on the blog next week. Can you guess which book it is and which amazing woman we are so excited to meet? Never a dull moment around here!