We had a FABULOUS day yesterday. It really was about as close to a perfect fall day as it could be (maybe a tad bit warm, but don’t tell any of my friends in PHX or they will kill me). Driving through the Maryland farmland/countryside felt like we were in the pages of a fairytale book about autumn.
Our family, and two of John’s sisters and brother-in-law all loaded up in our van after church and we headed north to Rock Hill Orchard to pick our own apples. Very fun. They had all different kinds, so we had fun exploring the various rows of apple trees and trying out each kind. Thats one of the best parts about picking your own fruit out here…. eating them along the way!
After purchasing our nearly 30 lbs of apples, (14 lbs for our fam alone), we headed up the hill and picked a couple of pumpkins at the patch on the hill and then hopped on the wagon for a hayride around the property. It was just fun. Good, old fashioned, simple fun for the whole family.
And to wrap up the day, we hopped back in the van and drove to Comus to the heirloom pumpkin market. WOW. What a feast for the eyes and camera lenses! The color and textures and creativity of the heirloom pumpkins was just amazing. I will be headed out there again in the near future.
Hannah and Beth were gracious enough to spend some time taking some family pictures for us while we were there in the delicious late afternoon sunlight. I have been starting to feel very nostalgic and somewhat emotional thinking about how these are probably the last set of family pics of “just the four of us.” I guess there has been so much on our plate with moving, settling in, work, etc. that I haven’t even stopped to ponder the change that is to come. I have been spending some precious time with Sydney trying to soak in the last weeks of her being our “baby.” I am excited about baby #3 and the change and evolution she will bring to our family, but I don’t want to forget and miss these special times as “just the four of us.”
Also, I have been reading Ann Voskamp’s blog for some time now… continually inspired, challenged and convicted at times. Something she instituted a long while ago called “multiple monday” where you count the blessings in your life and list them with thankfulness. So, I start my own list today.
0001 – living near apple orchards, pumpkin patches and other farms where we get to pick fruit and veggies the old fashioned way
0002 – two precious daughters who come up with phrases like “apple orching”
0003 – family dinners (with all the fam within a 30 mile radius)
0004 – fall foliage and the good it does for my soul
0005 – hugs, back scratches and head scratches from my firstborn 
0006 – great neighbors to share life and carpooling with
0007 – a very hardworking husband and his blessing of a steady job
