Date Creek Ranch...

Over the weekend my family headed just a few hours out of town to an organic apple orchard.  Right in the middle of the desert.   What a treat to be out on a farm.  All of the sights and smells that one might find were there to great us!

I love these cow bottoms. (I accept that might be weird)

The trees were gorgeous and and heavy with fruit.  They offered us some shade from the extreme summer heat.  

 

I sat with Sol in my lap, the two of us resting under this canopy of fruit while the others were hard at work.

 

 

Towards the end of our stay Cyrus wandered off the path and found himself covered in pokey  seed pods.  Matt carefully and patiently removed each little offender.  Cyrus decided to gather sticks and eat apples, no longer interested in adventuring.

 

By the end of our stay we picked 15 pounds of apples. We certainly could have picked more, but I am not honestly sure how to use more than 15 lbs of apples. 

On our way out we enjoyed big icy glasses of freshly pressed (as in 3 minutes old) apple cider.  It was heaven in a glass.  We had a wonderful time at the apple orchard.  I am so grateful to have this opportunity.  A beautiful day sure to leave us memories for a lifetime.

Gratitude Mondays...

What I love today....

 ~A trip to the apple orchard...

~Long weekends...

~Watching bad movies...

~Starting our 2nd week of homeschool....

~A little five year old girl who lost her third tooth this week!

(more on that later)

~A little boy who tries to go everywhere in tights, a leotard, and tutu.  When told he should wear something else, so his pretty clothes don't get dirty, he opts for a 'baseball worker man' outfit instead.

~A little baby who lets me photograph his perfect fat little baby smile...

(more on that later..)

~A partner who seems to read my mind.  

(Often about the dumbest things too.)

I love being in sync with him.

~Playing "Eye Spy" and other games on long car trips with my family.


Here's to another week...  I wonder what it will bring

First annual Rainbow Challenge...

Its hot.  Like oh my.  Its tricky enjoying nature while its nearing 110*...
Enter our official Rainbow Challenge.
Here's how it works...
Each of us goes out to our backyard with the camera and takes a photo of something to represent each color of the rainbow.  Very simple!  (This is not about taking very pretty pictures.  It really is 110* outside, and its pretty miserable.)

Here's our results... (all 28 of them)

Red....

Ava

Cyrus

Matt

Me

Orange...

Ava

Cyrus

Matt

Amanda

Yellow...

Ava

Cyrus

Matt

Amanda

Green...

Ava

Cyrus

Matt

Amanda

Blue...

 Ava

Cyrus

Matt

Amanda

Purple...

Ava

Cyrus

Matt

Amanda

White...

Ava..

Cyrus

Matt

Amanda

In the end it was HOT, true.  But we all had fun.  It was interesting to see who thought of using the same objects, and who found something unusual.  As a bonus, Matt was home sick, so our whole family participated!  I am looking forward to the next time we do this.  In another season we will have a whole new rainbow in our garden.

Thank you to Magic Onions for bringing us together each and every Friday to celebrate nature.

Its unofficially- the official start of Autumn!!!

While our eight season rhythm says that we are mid way through Summer turning into Autumn,  and the Northern Hemisphere says we have about 20-ish days to go, and even if its still scheduled to be 108* on Friday....
September first marks the first day of fall decorating in my house!
Woohoo!
 Its time to pull out all the pumpkins.
(I seem to have a lot of varieties to use.)
Felted
Glass
Wire
red clay
70's hand made pottery
80's  hand painted ceramic
2000's certainly NOT handmade foam-type material
(I should have a picture post just about my pumpkins...)
 And now our newest variety.. Salt dough!
Today we painted our salt dough creations to go with our harvest vegetable theme of our homeschool week.
Its not all pumpkin love over here.
It was time to pull out my ever growing collection of fall banners.
It was also time to make cookies, decorate the house, and even to decorate my blog.
I love fall.
I love fall decorations.
I love fall foods.
I love fall desserts.
Getting out these boxes today is the official start of my holiday decorating season.
And I LOVE that.

Magic at Mom's....

There is something undeniably special about a trip to my mother's house.  I've mentioned it before, the magic I feel there, here.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I love walking around finding something new on each visit to my mom's house.  Maybe it will be a relocated plant, a new fountain, or a bowling ball stuck in one of her gardens.  Her home, and yard are her canvas.  I am a huge fan of her art.