Cherry Picking

On our last day in North Carolina, we took a trip up to an orchard and went cherry picking.    It was a lovely drive, and the view from the orchard was awesome.  The trees were covered with fruit.  They gave us buckets, pointed us in the right direction, and we got to work.  Ela had a partner to help her pick.

The brave folks climbed the ladders to get the fruit from higher up. 







Lily and I stayed firmly on the ground, though we did pick a few cherries from there.  Between us all, and not counting what we ate to keep our energy up while we were picking (yum!), we got four gallon-sized bags worth.  I have one in my freezer now, waiting for some attention from Zack, who promised to pit them if I would then make them into a cobbler.  I can't wait to see how it turns out!

Summer Travel Begins

Last week, we headed off to see the grandparents.  It was a very pleasant and relaxing week.  We spent a lot of time hanging around the pool. It took awhile, but Ela warmed up to the idea of being in the water for the summer.

When she wasn't in the water, she enjoyed the fact that parks in North Carolina actually have swings.

Grandma and Grandpa took the girls to see the ducks at Tanglewood Park.

And we even got to visit with some friends from high school and college. 

Now we're home again, and enjoying a little down time before July heats up again.  We had a great time. 

Lily's Baptism

We were very busy this weekend.

We had lots of company.

And we had lots to celebrate.

 So we threw a party!

Smiles

This afternoon, when Ela's "quiet time" was over, I went up to get her out of bed.  I've learned the hard way that allowing her to sleep past about 3:30 is bad for bedtime, so I go hassle her around then most afternoons.  Today, I was carrying Lily, who was fighting her afternoon nap with all her little strength.  When I got into Ela's room, I sat down on the end of her bed to help her wake up gradually.  She sat up for a minute, then she took my hand and lay back down.  She was still half asleep and her eyes closed right back up, and then she smiled a little in her half-asleep state.  I looked over at Lily, whose eyes were opening and closing at random as she fought sleep.  Her eyes closed involuntarily, and she smiled the exact same smile that Ela had just smiled. 
I smiled too.

Daddy's Girls

We had a quiet Memorial Day weekend this year.  There's not much to say about it, but here are some cute pictures.