Best of the week: Apple Picking

Shortly after we moved to Toledo in 2002, a friend from church told me about a local orchard that allows families to pick their own apples. We went that year to MacQueen's Orchard and picked apples and had a great time. It has become one of the highlights of our year as we have gone every year. There was one year when it was just me and the kids, but otherwise we have managed to all go every time. Last year, we were lucky enough to have a lot of my family in town when the orchard opened for picking. We all went and had so much fun that some of the family came back this year to pick again. Although, I found out that it wasn't so much the apples that they came back for as it was the apple fritters and donuts that they sell in the bakery. Here are some pics of our day. Rylee was pretty grumpy yesterday. The kids put change in my tape deck in the van a while ago, and it shorted out the radio this week. Without her tunes, she just can't cope.

Last year, we picked a little later than this year and had to use a ladder for most of the apples. This year, the kids could reach a lot of them, but Grandpa was still willing to lift Tanner up to get the really good ones.

We usually eat apples to the point of nausea, but they are sooooooo good.

Have I mentioned how cute I think she is? When was they last time you saw blue eyes like that?

This was our attempt at a group shot of the kids (...maybe yours was better, Joy?) Cousin Calvin doesn't love to have his picture taken. He has had to live in a hotel room for a couple of months while his dad is finishing some classes for the Marine Corps. He enjoyed to chance to run around a bit. We had a great day but missed those of you who were here last year. This may be our last time there since we will be gone before fall next year. But, Cincinnati is only 3 hours away. We could come back.....

Butterfly House

On Monday, our playgroup met at the zoo. This is no longer a picture worthy outing since I think we have been there 50 times since we moved here. This year though, they opened a butterfly house and this was the first time we got to go there. It was really neat (but REALLY HOT since it was 91 degrees outside) The girls really enjoyed looking at all the different kinds of butterflies. One little boy with particularly quick reflexes just reached out and caught one mid flight.

Best of the Week

I actually have two 'bests' this week, one is kind of silly, the other, really sweet.

• Lunch at Baja Fresh after the cannery with the youth. The Young Men's president took a vote (he really wanted to go to Baja Fresh) and Baja Fresh won over pizza 6 to 3. Why there are 7 of these restaurants in the Detroit area and zero in the Toledo area is a mystery to me.
• My little Sarah who has been so sick with fever and a frightening croupy cough, has been SOOO snuggly. She has never been one to sit on my lap for any length of time, but since she has not been feeling well, I have gotten to hold her for as long as I want. I would rather have her well but for now I will take all the extra love and affection that she will give out.

Canning with the Youth

Saturday, I went to the cannery with the Young Men and Young Women in our ward. We took orders from our ward and canned what they wanted. The youth worked really well together and had a good time (I think!)

This is Cortney and Kaitlyn. They were upset in this picture because we had just finished cleaning and sanitizing our area and realized that we had forgotten to do the powdered milk....probably the MESSIEST thing we had to do!

A Rough Week

Rylee got sick at the end of last week but seemed to be better over the weekend. By Tuesday night however, she was dehydrated and had a high fever, so Marc took her to the ER. He said that the doctor took one look at her and said, "I think we'll keep her here." So we spent a couple of days hanging out at the hospital. Rylee was significantly better by Wednesday night but wouldn't eat so they wouldn't let us go home. Thursday, even though she still wasn't eating, they said we could go home. Thank goodness...having a child in the hospital is exhausting. I'm not really sure what is so tiring about sitting in a room with your child all day but it was draining.

The kids actually thought it was pretty fun. For one they were mesmerized by the TV since it had cable and secondly, those hospital beds are so fun how they go up and down and up and down and up......

Unfortunately, on Wednesday, Sarah started with the same symptoms as Rylee. Fortunately, she is feeling better....no hospitalization required. Shortly after I took this picture of her snuggled up with her bear, she fell asleep on the couch (which I don't think she has EVER done!)

I think the girls are both feeling better and hopefully it won't run through the rest of us... isn't that just the best part of a big family? One gets sick and you get to look forward to several weeks of sickness as all the kids get the bug. Ugh!

Best of the Week

There has been an unexpected (although welcomed and positive) result of Tanner being gone at school all day for the last couple of weeks. When he comes home from school, he has been happy, kind, chatty and is always asking if we can do things as a family. Now, he has always been my child who struggles to play alone and has on countless occassions muttered the words, "Mommy, will you play with me?" He is also very kind-hearted and sensitive. He has not always been willing to involve his sisters in his chosen pasttime. And conversations between he and I have at times been rather one-sided with him always answering, "I don't know." or "I don't remember." I would like to think that this change is the result of my years of fabulous teaching and mothering finally paying dividends, but let's be realistic. He misses us and he appreciates us. It reminds me of leaving home when I was 18 and I couldn't wait to leave my parent's home and get out on my own. It took about a week before I really appreciated my mother for her wonderful home cooked meals and that clean laundry that magically appeared in my drawers. I think that is what has happened here. It has been so fun to see how it has changed his interaction with the whole family...and the other day, at the bus stop, I got a hug from him that I didn't ask for! (Pretty neat, huh? ;) )

The final first day (this year)

Today was the last of our first days of school. Ella finally got to start preschool again. She has asked me every day since Rylee started two weeks ago when her preschool would start. She is a bit disappointed that there is no big yellow school bus that will come to get her. I tried to hype my little bus but she was not buying it. I love, love, LOVE her preschool...great teachers, great activites and a positive environment. (Obviously they do a great job as Tanner did score perfectly on his kindergarten readiness test!) It will be one of the things that I will really miss about Toledo.Sarah realized that she was not getting any camera time and grabbed the sign and posed. She also chose a carpet square and sat down in the circle at preschool as if she were staying. I think she will have a hard time without Tanner and Ella all morning. We soothed our loneliness with a trip to Costco (yes, it just opened in Toledo!).