Sweet Perfection

Some days just feel perfect, and today was one of those days. Maybe it's because I absolutely love autumn and I love introducing Andra to new things I know she'll enjoy...but I just felt overwhelmingly content and happy today soaking in a beautiful fall morning with my little gal. I'm so lucky my days off afford me some one-on-one time with her...I feel so blessed.

Once I saw the perfect weather forecast for today, I knew we had to begin our tour of all fall activities within about a 40 mile radius of our house. Hehe. Thanks to one of my mom-friends (thank you, Havilah!!), I'd heard about a nearbly apple orchard I'd never been to and knew we had to make a trip. And so began our perfect fall day together...

They had a great little playground, hay piles to play in, mini corn mazes, which Andra loved...but she kept saying "App-pul Orch!" (apple orchard)...this girl wanted to get down to business.

Andra loves apples, and not surprisingly, loved getting to pick her own apples off the trees in the orchard! It just made me want to go home, put on an apron (which I don't have) and bake an apple pie (which I don't have a recipe for).

Putting our bounty in the basket...

Loading it onto the wagon...

And wheeling it home so Mom can figure out what the heck she's gonna do with about 30 apples because I didn't have the heart to tell her to stop picking. :)

Mmm...the fruits of our labor...

What's a trip to the orchard without a carmel apple?? Andra didn't take a single bite...just licked the carmel off the entire thing. Smart girl. :)

I really feel like I'll always remember today. Just a simple day enjoying the new season (my favorite season!) together, but for some reason, it just felt...perfect.

So this was the first of what will be many fall activities for us I'm sure. Someday, the kids will probably groan when fall arrives, because they'll know Mom gets a little crazy and drags them to every orchard, pumpkin patch and pretty autumn trail in the city. I just can't seem to help myself.

So...Anybody got any good apple recipes?

My Kind of Sunday

Nothing on the calendar. No obligations. Just me, my girl, my hubby...and a perfectly lazy Sunday.

Sharing Dad's pancakes (they both are wearing clothes on their bottom halves. I promise. :) )

Taking time to play in the rain.

Birthday Girl

It's hard to believe...as of 12:27pm on Saturday, our little gal turned two years old. I have to admit that my heart aches a little...TWO sounds so much older than one!...but I wouldn't turn back time even if I could. She's so much fun right now...talking lots, showing more of her personality and becoming more of a little person with each passing day. I'm so proud and so blessed to have a healthy, growing, beautiful little girl...which calls for a party, of course!

So party we did on Saturday. Dave and I gave her a toy drum for her birthday so she can finally put away the Easter basket (since Easter this year, she's been putting the Easter basket around her neck and pretending it's a drum. We decided it was time for a REAL drum!). Needless to say, she took a special liking to her drum, and I think she might have a future in the drumline! Doesn't she have excellent form? :)

"Helping" mom get ready for the big party...but I'm pretty sure drinks are supposed to go in the cooler, not the birthday girl.

Andra also LOVES trains, and has become very attached to any store (ahem...Von Maur) that has a train set on display to play with while Mommy shops. Well, thanks to her Ma and Pa (Grandma & Grandpa), Andra now has her very own train set to play with!

The party theme was Curious George of course, her favorite buddy. Check out the gigantic balloon that her other Grandma and Grandpa got her. It takes helium to a whole new level and will likely last 'til Christmas!

Her Curious George birthday cake that was so cute and oh-so-yummy! (made by the baker who also made our wedding cake!)

"Uncle J" hanging out at the toddler table!

Andra daintily eating her birthday cake. This is as messy as it got, folks. She was quite the little lady.

So that makes it official. It's been exactly two years since a little blonde-hair, blue-eyed angel changed our world forever. We couldn't be luckier.

Summer's End

If you know me very well, you know fall makes me giddy. It's my favorite season for thousands of reasons! So lucky for us, when last weekend FELT like fall, we had a bonfire scheduled with my good friend Katy from my college days. Her son, Tate, is just a few months older than Andra, so they'll have an arranged marriage in about 25 years. ;)

We headed to her family's house waaaaaaay out in the country, and I think Andra thought she'd died and gone to heaven! She got feed some nearby farm animals...

...and ride a school bus! Which I think made her entire year. Katy's mom drives a school bus for the local school system, and she offered to take the kids for a spin. Andra LOVES school busses, but has never ridden one... and you should've seen her eyes light up when I told her she could RIDE the school bus. Needless to say, she enjoyed the short trip around the countryside. Hopefully her legs will be a little longer when she starts school and she won't have to crawl up the stairs. Hehe. :)

"Yay!! On the school bus!"

On another unseasonably cool day, I decided to take Andra on a pony ride at a nearby state park. She was grinning ear to ear as soon as she was in the saddle! I love discovering little things around town that make her smile!