Apple Orchard

After noticing all the orchards on our trip to Monmouth Battlefield last week, I thought it would be a nice little outing to go pick some apples. Chris was probably least excited about the idea, but he humored me and off we went to the Battlefield Orchard on Sunday afternoon.

It was a hot day, but so worth it! We found that we LOVE Honey Crisp apples...just enough tart and sweet to make the perfect apple...in my book that is. =) We picked a whole bucket. We have all been gorging on apples since then cause they are sooooo good! I thought we'd have trouble eating a whole bucket full of apples, but that is just not the case.

Will and Luke trying to pick up the full bucket!

After we were done at the orchard, we stopped at a orchard/produce/bakery shop to buy some apple cider donuts....and they were SO.VERY.YUMMY!!!

We had a little picnic in the park, let the kids play on the playground for awhile, then headed home. It was a delightful afternoon and I know it won't be the last visit we make to the orchard! I can already hear the apples calling my name...=)

An afternoon at Monmouth Battlefield State Park

One of the things we're trying to do while we're here is to see the local attractions. We have lived to many places where we haven't done this, and I regret it. So, last week, we decided to go to the Monmouth Battlefield State Park. Though we knew the kids were too young to appreciate seeing a historical landmark, we (Chris and I) wanted to see it for ourselves...and I knew the kids wouldn't mind because the weather was gorgeous!

We didn't get to see much of the battlefield (as the boys weren't quite up to walking that much) but we did walk across one of the open field areas. As we walked across the peaceful field, I couldn't help but wonder what it looked like and sounded like that June day of 1778....more than 200 years ago. I can't even begin to imagine the scene...and how drastically different it was compared to the peaceful, serene sight we saw.

It is humbling to walk the sacred grounds of a battlefield.

On that field, lives were lost.

Men were wounded.

Victory AND defeat were experienced.

You can't help but be THANKFUL to those who fought so hard for the freedom of our nation.

Here are the pictures from our afternoon there:

General Von Steuben

Luke standing in the battlefield

Luke and Will running through the battlefield

bridge across the battlefield

There are corn fields and orchards that grow there now.

Some views of the battlefield (it's hard to imagine a bloody battle here when it looks so peaceful.)

I had to put this picture in because Chris and Luke are walking exactly alike...these two guys are so much alike in SO many ways!!

The boys wanted to toss a few stones into one of the creeks on the field...

Will walking through the battlefield

Posing for a picture

I had the boys touch the ground. I told them they wouldn't understand it right now, but later they would see that they were touching history.

Luke took a picture of Chris and I...

Then, Will insisted on taking a picture of us too...the following pictures are his attempt...

Attempt 1: "Will, hold the camera higher..."

Attempt 2: "Will, the camera has to be a little higher..."

Attempt 3: Foiled by an attack from Luke...

Attempt 4: "Good try, buddy...now give the camera back to daddy and mommy, please."

Some more pictures from the day:

Some silly pictures of Luke in front of the cannon...

Checking out a pond near the park's playground

The boys and their shadows...

Luke loves bugs. He loves to collect them. We found this slightly crushed locust shell at the pond. After he played with it for awhile, I told him to leave it there...but he insisted on taking it home. Again I told him to just leave it there - we could find another one later...then he said, "but it's so beautiful!" So I figured, if he found this battered and bruised locust shell "beautiful" who was I to say he couldn't bring it home.

Playground!