apples and.....the beach, of course!

Can we just talk about this weather for a minute? It's September and we are having temps in the 90s, for multiple days and it's just warming up the next 2 days! For this mild weathered PNW girl it's all a bit much. I'm not one to rush into pumpkin spice season but 90s in September is just....hot. Really hot. 

Despite the crazy sunshine we kept with tradition and drove up to the apple orchards yesterday for our annual Labor Day apple picking. Because we don't like to break traditions in our family! (and with school, soccer and Seahawks all starting next week we knew we just wouldn't have time). 

We thought by getting up there a little earlier in the day it wouldn't be too hot. But, it was. Oh well, we made the best of it, played, rode the tractor and brought home a ton of apples! 

 This picture might just be my new favorite. They are always looking out for one another. Even with all the screaming and shouting that happens on a daily basis, they really do love each other.

 This apple farm grows 21 different varieties and is so beautiful. The tractor ride out to the orchards winds around the trees and many crates, over a bridge and by a stream. I love having these opportunities to really teach the kids about farm to table. Every year we pick out the "best" apples, bring them home and make homemade applesauce for the upcoming year. They talk about apple picking when we eat it and remember how we picked each one. I hope they continue to appreciate simple, home made food as they grow.

 And then, we'd had enough! It was hot and we needed to cool down. So, naturally, we went to the beach! Since we were up in Bellingham we drove back to the place that holds special memories to both Matt and I. Boulevard Park was where Matt and I got engaged and spent many nights going for walks when we were dating. Loved retelling our proposal story to the kids!

 They wasted no time and just jumped in, fully clothed! Ha! Parents were looking at us like we were nuts but I didn't care. They were happy!

 On the way home we knew the house would be hot, too hot for dinner. So we stopped at Cabela's to check out the animals and then went out for pizza as a special treat.

2 days left of summer break. Squeezing in a trip to the local pool and yep, 1 last beach day.