Apple Picking

We lucked out with a nice, sunny day for apple picking this year. Of course, we went back to our favorite orchard that we've returned to each year since we moved here: Harvest Time Orchards. There's not too much to say about these pictures for the most part. Just enjoy!

We tried really hard to get a good picture of Archer hanging out in the baby carrier. Only problem was that Ben and Archer both kept making the same odd facial expressions when we snapped the pictures. The apples were just too good to stop eating! Take a look at these next 4 pictures as proof that Ben and Archer both kept making the same faces:

Henry invented these cool overalls out of his jacket. He's a natural farmer!

This is what Archer really wanted to do: get down and crawl in the grass...

...and find rotten apples to chew on!

The apple eating did not stop when we got home. Archer was in heaven with all of this fruit to consume!

And here is the not-so-secret reason why we love apple picking: Apple Dumplings! Henry's getting the apples all peeled and ready for our first batch.

Grandma and Grandpa Come to Town

Our October was filled with beaucoup de visitors, probably because I keep telling people to NEVER come to Chicago between November and April, unless they want to FREEZE in completely unacceptable temperatures.  I am realizing that that is six months of the year, or in other words, half of my life.  I am working on my attitude (and my collection of wool socks and other warm, lovely things).

Anyway, yes, Chicago is lovely in the spring, summer and fall.  And we are so glad that people came to visit us in October.  It was my dad's first time seeing our home! 

The Chicago Botanic Garden was so lovely and enchanting that I bought a membership, so it can be my new nature retreat that I can escape to whenever I feel like it.  I am SO excited about this! 

The boys love running around here, and my Dad loved seeing all the different plants (and took pictures of many plants and their placards for his yard-planning purposes). 

Guys.  We played a lot of games.  Mostly Wizard and other card games, but we also enjoyed this game designed by my brother Tanner, our family's resident Board Game Geek.  The game is called "Hello My Name is Ernest," based on the play by Oscar Wilde.  It was really fun! 

 We had to visit the Bean.

 Yup, there we are!

 And I enjoyed seeing the Art Institute with my dad, who tutored me through every art class I've ever taken.  He was pretty disappointed that "American Gothic" was on loan for a few months.  We will have to go back someday!

 We went to Wisconsin to Oriole Springs orchard.  Apparently, missing school for an annual apple picking trip is becoming another tradition of ours.  We call it a "family emergency."

 I love fall and apple picking with my boys!

 Donuts from Harvest Time are pretty much the best thing ever.

Another highlight of the trip was that we got to put on yet another production of Newsies together.  Ellis insisted that I find a script of not just the songs, but "all the words" from Newsies.  "Just type it in!" he said.  And lo and behold, we found a script!  We shrunk it down to 26 pages (8 pt. font) and put it in a binder.  Which means, of course, we are going to have to do a live production of ALL THE WORDS AND SONGS from Newsies.  With Grandma and Grandpa.  We had auditions.  Ellis landed about half of the roles (he was the judge with the strongest opinion).  Grandma landed the part of "audience."  We got about 8 pages into it in the first hour, then took a break.  Don't worry, he didn't forget, and we got lots of chances to continue the play for a few pages here and there.  Trust me, it was a top-notch production!

Apple Picking, with or without Ben

Let's be honest.  Ben has been doing way too much of THIS lately:

He is getting down to the final push for getting his job market paper done.  He had his first big presentation last Friday, which was a big hurdle to get over, but he still has quite a bit to do through Thanksgiving.  

I cannot complain.  Ben's schedule has been really great for the last four years.  He has been home for dinner before 6:00 every night, and for the most part, he has had nights and weekends free.  But when it came down to finishing his research and the big paper -- the one that is supposedly going to get him a job -- he has ended up needing to sprint to the finish.  For the past two months, he has been trying to squeeze in as much work as possible into every extra minute.  He's been waking up and going into the office early, still home for dinner, but then he has been working nights and weekends as much as possible.  

I fully support him, since I definitely want him to get a job, and I want him to do as well as possible.  But what KILLS me is that our lives and the seasons are going on without him!  I used to be able to convince him to take a day off for a family apple picking trip, but it didn't happen this year.  So, we went without him!  I was just sick to my stomach, driving through perfect fall country towns that were absolutely stunning, just knowing that Ben was missing it all!  Still, we had a great time, and it was fun to go with Rachel and her kids.  And the cider donuts were good, as always . . . even without Ben. :)

These boys melt my heart.

Family Photo Shoot 2011

JoDee Yost did this wonderful family photo shoot for us.  We love JoDee and the amazing work she does!  She visits Boston often if you're looking for a sensational photographer.

We felt like an apple orchard shoot would be very fitting for our family, since it is one of our favorite things to do as a family in this area.  I love how they turned out!