*Tis the Season!

For apple picking! FINALLY! To me, apple picking means fall. And fall means all sorts of wonderful things: apple everything (pancakes, pie, bread, tarts, fritters, butter, etc), Halloween, pumpkin patches, Thanksgiving..... *sigh* Fall is just the most wonderful season.

So we got to get a little taste of fall today! It was a gorgeous 70 degrees outside, Bill took the day off work, and we packed the boys up to go to the apple orchards. It was especially exciting because it was Jericho's first ever fall activity! He was completely taken by everything there was to see. From the trees to the tractor and other people; he just loved it.

I love that he's at the age where he is so awake and alert all the time. Now I don't *always* feel this way, especially when I'm exhausted and in major need of a shower, but days like today where he is completely entranced by all the sights and sounds are so wonderful. I almost feel like I am experiencing everything again through the boys. This was all stuff I did as a kid, and now I'm taking my kids to do it. How cool is that? Jericho was especially interested in the way the leaves felt...



You'll all be thrilled to know that I bought the most fantastic thing ever. It's a microwave baked potato maker. Yup, that's it. It's a fabric bag that you put your potatoes in, pop them into the microwave, and then enjoy. We tried it our for supper, and it's most excellent! For your viewing pleasure:


It's wonderful and I recommend it for anyone who adores baked potatoes but can't tolerate the thought of turning the oven on when it's 90 degrees outside and you don't have central air! You can do white potatoes, sweet potatoes and squash in it as well. It will come majorly in handy when I'm making Jericho's baby food.

We had a blast getting apples. Jakob was really brave.... more brave than I wanted him to be... and was climbing the ladders to get to the apples that were up high.



We got a ton of the little Empire treasures, and Bill has been in a baking frenzy. Already he's baked a pie and bread. He is such a baker. I like to bake when it's cold out. Bill will bake when it's 90 degrees outside and not mind at all!

Jakob was a little bummed that the apple ponies weren't there. But he made up for that by spinning the horse-guide-thing around by himself (what the heck is that spinning thing called anyways?) I'm sad I didn't get a picture of when he made Bill do it with him. That was hilarious.



The perfect end to our wonderful day at the apple farm came when we were on 81 North coming home. On the right, just before the Harrison/Adams street exit is Upstate hospital, and there on the roof, was a medivac helicopter. Now, I am in no way happy that someone was sick/injured enough to need a helicopter, but Jakob was pretty darned excited to see it there! We pulled onto a side street that gave us a direct view of the 'chopter' as Jakob calls it, and were lucky enough to see it take off. Jakob has watched this video at least 20 times since I got it. He is such a little boy!


And finally, we managed to get a sort of family picture. We all look a little crazy, but it's the first picture we've taken of the four of us all together. Bad huh?