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Apple Orchard 2019

One of the things on our fall bucket list that we do each year is a trip to an apple orchard. We've bounced around to a variety of different orchards, and a few years ago, we discovered one that is just right for us...not so packed full of activities that it's overwhelming, but not so simple as to only have a store and not even allow us to pick our own apples.

The orchard we now visit is juuuuuust right! There's a little playground for G, a tractor/hayride to take us out to the apples, and even a small pumpkin patch to comb through. The little shop on site has plenty of treats and goodies, and it promotes a laid back atmosphere. Perfect for us!

We picked a variety of different apples....Honeycrisp, Sweet Tango, and Honey Gold. We discovered the Sweet Tangos last, and man, I think we all wish we had found those first. They are SO good!

When we got home from the orchard on Sunday afternoon, I used all of the Honey Gold apples to make a yummy apple crisp. I even had enough to share with some girl friends I met up with during the week.

I love the pic comparisons...the top one is from a few years ago, compared to the bottom one from this year. They've changed so much!


G thought the green pumpkin was funny!



Ready for the tractor/hayride!




Another tractor...fun!


Yesterday, I decided to make applesauce as well, so many of the Honeycrisps went towards that adventure. It turned out pretty yummy, and considering how much G loves applesauce, I figure it'll be gone in a blink!

On a non-apple note, Ava is doing so well in school! She's even doing well in math, which has always been a bit of a struggle for her. I asked her what class she liked the best, and turns out that science is her favorite. I'm surprised, but love that answer! I'm so excited to see how the rest of this year goes for her.

Neither of the kids had school on Friday (data day for teachers) so it was her first full day at home without us there...she survived and didn't burn the house down. Hooray! The only bummer was that our internet was out until about 9am, but she managed to fill her time with reading (much better than TV/playing online!)

G also had a great week at school - 4 days of behaving really well!! We're really proud of how hard he is trying...plus, we're all working through the triggers that really set him into high gear. I'm so, so happy that his teacher is keeping me apprised on a daily basis. It makes it easier for me to drop him off each day, knowing there's a strong support group for him there.

While Ava was hanging at home on Friday, G was on his first field trip with the Y. He headed over to an indoor playground and had a TON of fun meeting new friends, and burning off all of that extra energy he carries. I prepped them a little bit to let them know about his potential behaviors...another example where I'm so glad that I have gotten to know the staff over the years (from Ava being in the Y programs) and I feel comfortable telling them about G.

All around, we had a great week! I also had a fun night at a friend's house on Wednesday, and then had a 1st book club meeting on Thursday night with a bunch of neighborhood ladies. I'm so excited to finally be part of a book club, and I am looking forward to being forced to read something outside of my go-to genre. The first book up is "The Great Alone", by Kristin Hannah. I picked it up from the library yesterday and can't wait to dive in!

On the weather side of things, it snowed yesterday! It's all gone now, but wow, we haven't even had a proper fall with all of the leaves turning. This is a really confusing time of year. Ha!

Today we'll be decorating the house for fall/Halloween and working on getting G's birthday party invites ready to send out. Should be a great day!!

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