What kind of apples did you pick?

To celebrate the start of fall, my favorite season, we made a trip to Crane's Apple Orchard.  When we were there we picked mostly Honey Crisp, a personal favorite, but we also picked some Cortland and Golden Delicious.  The place was packed so we basically drove in, picked apples, paid for them, and then drove out.  Our adventure took less than an hour.  While the trip was short, the delicious taste and smell of autumn's apples will linger for awhile.

Did you have a good first day of school?

Every year after taking their pictures on the first day of school.  I ask the girls about their dreams for their lives.  The questions are always the same, but their answers change as they grow and mature.  This is what they each said this year.

What would you like to learn this year?
E:  How to talk to animals
L:  Cursive

What job would you like to have when you are older?
E:  Coach
L:  Work at a zoo

Will you get married?  If so, how many children will you have?
E:  Yes, 2 (twins)
L:  Yes, 4

If you could go anywhere in the world where would you go?
E: Where kangaroos live
L: Scuba diving in the ocean

What's one thing you wish you could do?
E:  Fly
L:  Whatever I want

Did you enjoy your party?

Last week Sunday was Elizabeth's 6th birthday (I'm only a week late posting this).  She had to have a dog themed party complete with stuffed dogs all over the house.  My mom wondered if having a dog party meant we were getting another dog.  To Elizabeth's dismay we did NOT get another dog.  However, she had a tail wagging good time celebrating and everyone enjoyed chowing down on her dog shaped cupcake cake! 

Could this picture be any more adorable?

Obviously I am biased when it comes to my children, but I absolutely LOVE this picture of Leah and Elizabeth.  I can't wait to get it printed in a 12 X 12 and frame it so I can look at it all the time!

How was the trip west?

For 10 days Tim and I had the chance to explore and enjoy nature in Seattle and the surrounding area.  We took in the sights of downtown including Pike's Place Market where the fish are famously thrown around.  We also watched the Blue Angels perform over Lake Washington, observed the ships go in and out of the locks between that lake and Puget Sound, and went up 520 feet to the top of the Space Needle.  The main part of our journey was spent backpacking near Mt. Rainier.  For 6 days we hiked up and down trails with gear strapped to our backs.  While many of the paths were covered in snow pack which resulted in alternate routes, we still enjoyed all the beauty.  I took literally hundreds of pictures, but these are some of my favorites.

Kerry Park - overlooking downtown Seattle

Near Glacier Basin - the location of our first campground

Crossing the waterfall on a day hike to Sunset

Close to the river on the way to Summerland

Mt. Rainier at Relflection Lakes

The view from our tent at Snow Lake

After finishing the last hike from Camp Paradise

High above Seattle from the top of the Space Needle

What was your favorite part of the zoo?

Yesterday was an absolutely gorgeous day and Leah, Elizabeth, and I took full advantage of it.  We made the trip to John Ball Zoo and enjoyed every minute! Leah was a risk-taker and helped pay the extra cost to do the ropes course.  That was her first time and her favorite part.  Elizabeth's favorite part was looking at the monkeys.  I enjoyed watching my daughters walk around the zoo taking pictures of all the animals with their own cameras!

Did you pass your swimming level?

Leah and Elizabeth finished 2 weeks of swimming lessons at Camp Geneva last week.  Both girls really enjoyed their time in the water.  By the end of the lessons I could see improvement in their swimming which made me proud.  Elizabeth focused on working on her front crawl and is starting to get the breathing down.   Leah spent most of her lessons learning all the different strokes.  She glides through the water and picked up on all of the strokes quite easily, even the butterfly!  Each of them passed their individual levels and are looking forward to next summer's lessons already.