A is for Apple.....

.... pie, fritters, turnovers, carmel covered, baked, muffins, cake, cobbler, sauce, rolls..... It is perfectly wonderful the savory things that can be made from this little round fruit. Because the Young's are apple junkies we go picking every year.  Our favorite place is on hill in the Mountains of Virginia called, Stribling Orchard.  We love the smell of the crisp air and view of what seems like the never ending apple orchard.  Not to mention the trees in full autumn color and the knowledge that when the picking is done, we get to enjoy apple delicacies from the orchard kitchen. 

View from the orchard

Kate takes a picking break to enjoy a yummy crisp apple... this is one of four or five she ate...

mmmmm....good!

Alexa finds the perfect apple...

Since Alexa is a little shorter than the big kids she gets the job of taking the apples out of the apple basket and filling the bags.

Madeline takes an apple break too...  the boys must be doing all the work!!!!

... i guess Madeline can multi-task..eat and help.

Robb at work...

Robb bonds with the orchard wildlife.  "Home to the Wooly Caterpillar"

All done!

What can you do with a great skein of orange yarn....

So first I "LOVE" the color orange, since I was a little girl I would pick it out of the color crayon box, one because no one else used it, and it just made me feel happy to cover a piece of empty white paper with it... to me it is warm and homey and well, I love it.  

...but to the story about the hats...my friend Amy surprised me with an orange skein of yarn and in my excitment I just had to turn it into something...

(pumpkin)

... it was so fun making the first one that I made this other one... 

(kitty)

BOO...TO...YOU!(Happy Halloween)

We had a pretty scary bunch, there was a wide variety of characters, everything from southern belles to ninjas.  Too fun.

HERE'S THE YOUNG BUNCH UP CLOSE .....

First we have Alexa modeling the most original of fashions, being a beautiful "Princess Ballerina".....

...while Madeline gets scary with black lipstick and missing teeth creating a perfect touch to her very own original "Spider Queen" outfit...

...watch out for Robb the "Ninja" with sword, he is capable to attack at any moment...

...at last but not least on the runway of costumes we have Kate the Kitty.....Meow.

Hope you all had a HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

Birthday Madness...

...I can only get pregnant one season of the year...can anyone guess what season it is?  What a fun and crazy time for our family.  Madeline turned 10, Robb 8, Alexa 5 and Kate will be 3 in Nov. 

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MADELINE......Madeline and her speedy new birthday bike.  I spent at least and hour trying to figure out how to put the streamers on the bike tires.  I obviously lack in my parade decorating experience.  She loved the Happy Birthday streamers and rode around the neighbor hood in her p.j.s.  What a great kid. Madeline shared her birthday with Robb since his baptism was the same day.  Truly they don't come much finer.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ALEXA....For Alexa everyday is a party, I would love to get into her little mind, just to experience the bliss of it all.  Alexa is one of those kids that would be thrilled if you gave her a pile of dirt or an old sock.  She would make it into the greatest thing that ever existed, whenever she receives  a gift she exclaims that it is what she always wanted and that it is her favorite.   Alexa wanted to go to Chuckie Cheese for her birthday, and I have to admit that it is the first time I have ever taken my children.  All I can say is FEW....glad to have marked that off the list of things to accomplish.  She had a great time and I was on my best behavior.  I didn't even mention the word germ the whole evening (I just offered hand sanitizer often) 

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ROBB...Birthday parties with boys are so different than ones with girls.  Robb was so lucky to have his two best friends come and spend the day with him.  So anyway about the difference between the two sexes, once all the party guests were in the house they started wrestling and running around, jumping,tackling and then it was time for cake, when the burping and armpit noises started, followed by jokes and hysterical laughing...all I could do was join in the fun. Indeed I laughed...until my face ached.  We took everyone for a game of mini-golf, then home to play kickball.  Fun was had by all.

Group wrestling!

Happy Birthday Everyone!!!

A Beautiful Day for a Beautiful event.....

Robb's baptism turned out wonderful, we were blessed to have family, Dwane's parents and brother drove up from North Carolina and my parents flew in from California.  Many friends spent the day with us celebrating Robb.  The program was simple and beautiful, Madeline played a special piano piece and Dwane and Robb's sunday school teacher gave the talks. Our thanks to everyone for making the day so wonderful.

ROBB'S BIG DAY!

THE BAPTISM OF OUR SON

Robb A. Young

WILL BE

OCTOBER THE 11TH 2008, 2:00 PM

AT 

THE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST OF LATTER-DAY SAINTS

GARRISONVILLE BUILDING

Just me and Kate!

It's been over a month now and Kate has decided that just being in the company of mom is not all that bad.  

Kate's to do list:

Have Mom carry me into stores and around the house

Hiding so Mom gives up on doing my hair

Wear my p.j.s for as long as possible

Lick both frosting spoons

Play with Alexa's Littlest Petshops

Sneak into Robb's legos

Have picnics with mom

Watch movies in the middle of the day

Snuggle mom to read 20 books

Endless snacks

Play, Play, Play

Life is pretty good!  

Note from Mom:  It has taken a little adjusting and I realized that two home is easier than one. Alexa can think up the craziest games and she and Kate play so good together, I've had to research my creative play side again, which has been fun.  I can't believe that I only have one at home, I used to look at these Mom's with their three year olds in tow and think, can't those kids walk.  And now I have no problem being the one to snuggle mine throughout the stores while indulging in wifs of clean hair and soft kisses. Those smart mommies realized before me that time goes by much to quickly.