Apple picking!!!

Today, after work and school, we decided to go Apple Picking!

None of the 5 of us had ever been before, so it was a fun 1st for us all :) 

The kids had a blast picking and eating!

 Looking for some good apple trees...

Picking!!!

Buddy got a good one!!!

Bigggg bite!!!

Reaching far into the apple tree!

 She just couldn't wait!

Even Monkey got to pick!!!

He ate the whole thing!!!

Babe enjoying his pick!

Adorable-ness

Apple picking with my babies :)

 On the way home we were trying to decide what to do with a whole bushel of apples!

Our 1st idea was apple sauce!

So, for the 1st time ever, I made homemade applesauce!!!!

Since I wasn't sure how much they would make, I started small with just 12 big apples!

Yes, i cut them all up myself (i really need to invest in that apple slicer thingy). Added about 1 inch of water to the pan, and turned the burner on high!

See how there's more water there?! That's from the apples themselves! Very cool!!!

After about an hour, the apples were ready to mush. I did that myself, too...well, with a wisk. We had been told that if you left the peels on it would make pink applesauce. Not so much. So...i spent a good amount of time forking the peels out. Joy.

Princess had her heart set on pink applesauce, so we added some food coloring!

Ta-da! Homemade, pink applesauce! For 12 apples - it made a really good amount! Depending on how good this is, it could last a good while!

 It was pretty simple making the applesauce!

I added some cinnamon and sugar for taste!

We haven't tried it yet (warm applesauce?! no thank you), 

so i'll have to try and remember to write about it once we do eat it ;) 

Sooo glad we decided to do this today!!!

Playdate!

Monkey had his 1st play date yesterday morning!

We met up with a new friend of his at MCD for breakfast, and then the boys played in the play area!

Monkey loved it :)



We're still fishies!!!

The more we swim with our friends in THEIR pools, the more we want our OWN pools!

But until that happens, if ever, we enjoy time spent with our friends and are thankful for them inviting us into their homes, and pools :)

I had off work last thursday and friday and spent the 2 days with Buddy :)

Thursday we went downtown with my mom and got my car detailed! Love that the car is so clean now...taking bets on how long it stays that way ;)

Friday, Buddy and I went over a friends parents house to swim. It was a lot of fun. Gorgeous house and huge pool! And lots of laughs :)

Buddy and his friend and his friend decided to do tricks off the diving board. So my friend and I were giving them things to do. Lauren told them to do the "dump truck"...which is where you fall on your butt at the end of the diving board then fall into the pool. If you don't quite get what I'm saying, Buddy can show you perfectly.

He won 1st place for that ;)

And we all got a good laugh from it, too :)\

Buddy doing a cannon ball!!!!

Scuba Bud!!!

We really had a great time! We were invited back later in the evening, but already had plans to hit up our small town carnival :)

Saturday during Buddy's baseball practice, we were invited by one of his teammates to come swimming over their house! And that we did! And we all had so much fun :)

This was taken near the end of the day, without a nap...Monkey was a little cranky!!!

Princess being silly!!!

Princess has *really* improved in the pool since the beginning of the summer. She will now go under all by herself :) So proud of her!!!

 

 

Sunday, we had a couple friends over for a small cookout! Got out the kiddie pool, bouncy water slide and grilled on the grill!!! Pics of that to come as well :)

Happy 4th of July!!!!

What a fun day today was! 

We started out the day at the Towson 4th of July Parade! 

It's our 3rd year going and the kids love it more as each year passes :)

After the parade we headed over to a friends house with my parents for a party!

A swimming party!

Kids had a blast! And of course, so did us adults!!!

(as i'm writing this blog, at 8pm, Monkey is already in bed, Princess is passed out on the sofa,

 and Buddy will be out in no time!)

Princess took a HUGE step today pool-wise!!!!

She decided, with the help of Nana, to go under water!

And go under water she did...several times!!!

GREAT JOB, PRINCESS!!!!!

And...some pics of my patriotic babies and myself :) 

And last but certainly not least...

THANK YOU to the men and women who helped get our USA where it is today!!!

We are the land of the free because of the brave!!!!