Apple Picking

Our "Minivan Adventure" today took us to

Stover's Farm and U-pick

apple orchard in Berrien Springs, Michigan.

We do our best to make this a yearly tradition, and it's one of the best things about the fall.

We threw in A Prarie Home Companion CDs for the ride and it was a trip full of laughter and music. But most importantly, it was about being together and making memories.

The weather was just perfect, a little crisp and cool with a slight overcast.

We had a plan:

One bag of cooking apples

*Fuji

*Macintosh

*Jonathan

One bag of eaters:

*golden delicious
*Fuji
(Clearly we're big fans of the Fuji apple)

We get there and we're told that Fuji won't be available until next week.

That's ok...we're resourceful. It was time for a little taste testing.

It was like an apple smorgasboard!

We found that we weren't big fans of Mutsu apples. However, we L♥VE GALA! Oooooooooohhh....this is a wonderful apple. It's super sweet! So sweet the apples were sticky just hanging there! It was like eating apple pie right off the tree!

The smell of the vineyard was thick in the air. It was like someone opened the biggest package of grape Bubbalicious in the world and handed everyone a piece to chew. I wasn't planning on getting grapes and I really don't know what to do with them when I have them, but I'm thinking I should go back and get some next week. You know, when the Fujis are ready!

All in all, it was a really wonderful day hanging out with Mama and the crew. Morgan had a blast taking all of these wonderful pictures (except Maddie took the flying apple picture here...your welcome Maddie, I made sure they knew). Wesley helped Mama fill her bag and carry all of the other apples to the car. The plan is to go back next week and get the elusive Fuji....maybe grapes...those peaches really looked good...I didn't get a pumpkin yet.

I'd better go make a list!