Apples, apples, and more apples

Last year I learned that when it really feels like fall and you want to go apple picking...it's the end of the season. So this year, we started early. At the beginning of September Zack and I went and picked a half bushel of Gala apples. We're just finishing our last few.

Gala's are great eating apples but the good baking apples weren't ready to be picked quite yet. Zack and I headed back to the orchard last week and this time we brought our friends!

Zack, Evan, and Kelly with the baskets. These guys were worn out...we did a lot of walking that morning!

Zack and Evan

Kelly

With the help of my wonderful friend Cathy (Kelly's mom), I canned most of this second batch of apples. We now have fifteen pints of yummy, natural applesauce. It was surprisingly easy...thanks to the fact that she has this amazing (and low tech) contraption that does all of the work! We used our apple corers to section the apples, boiled them, and placed them in the funnel on top. Then you just turn the handle (over and over and over) and this device separates the skin and any stray seeds (or other yucky parts) from the good stuff! Once the first batch of applesauce was made, Cathy showed me the magic of canning. So many people I know here in Lebanon can some sort of fruit or vegetable that this is something I've wanted to learn how to do for several years. I couldn't have asked for a better teacher!

I think we'll have to make one more trip to the orchard next week. We've run out of apples and we haven't gotten a chance to make any sweets! What is fall without an apple pie...or maybe some crisp...or bread...or...yeah, we're definitely headed back!

Cousin visit

Since the day that we found out that my brother-in-law and sister-in-law were expecting their first child, my boys have been absolutely thrilled to finally have a cousin. They had heard of these elusive family members but with two parents who are the oldest children, who got married first, and who had the first children, they had yet to actually have one of their own.

We hated to be the bearers of bad news...specifically that their new cousin would start out as a tiny baby and that it would be a few years before he could start to run around and really play with them. Jacob seemed to grasp this idea fairly well...but it did modify his excitement a little. He was still thrilled to have a cousin. It's just, as he told me yesterday, "I'm not really into playing with really little kids."

Zachary on the other hand is incredible with younger children. This trait may have something to do with the fact that many of our friends have children 2 1/2 and younger and he is around them more than his big brother is. However, it's not just that. I think he enjoys being the big kid for once and that overall he is a really compassionate individual. For example, while driving on a relatively long trip with my friend Maggie and her two kids, he willingly gave up his balloon when I asked so that Travis, who is 11 months, "wouldn't be sad anymore."

On Saturday, September 5 we were finally able to get to Maryland to visit with our new family member. Benjamin Arthur Marsh was born on July 28 and was six weeks old. Jacob's main focus was on getting to play with Uncle Jon Jon's Playstation 2. Zachary, on the other hand, wanted to see his cousin. After weeks of, "He's so cute." when I showed him pictures on the computer, here he was in person. Zack made faces at him to make him smile and talked to him. It was incredible to watch my baby with his baby cousin!

Again, I forgot my camera. Luckily, Mary Katherine had hers and we were able to get some great cousin photos! After trying to get Jacob to hold Ben (since he's bigger and more predictable) and striking out, we asked Zack. He jumped at the chance! What a kid!

Zack and Ben (with a little help from Mommy's arm!)

We switched Ben to the other side and Zack was able to hold him on his own. (I'm right next to him, just out of the camera's range. However, I never needed to step in!)

The newest generation of Marsh boys!

Brockton...the next generation

I need to back up just a little and blog about two more vacation related topics.

Toward the end of our trip, we made a day trip to Brockton, MA. Not exactly a hot vacation spot but definitely a place full of memories.

Growing up, my grandmother's pool was a favorite summer destination. I have six cousins on that side of the family and they all lived within minutes of the house. (My sister and I were the only ones who didn't live close by.) That meant that when we visited, there were always playmates! A definite treat!

My aunt Lori and her husband now live in the house that she (and her three sisters and her brother) grew up in. There have been some changes to the landscaping...for example, the cabana of my childhood is gone but the canopy and comfy seating that replaced it aren't too shabby. ; ) However, the pool hasn't changed a bit! I can't imagine that there hasn't been quite a bit of maintenance in the last twenty plus years but it is exactly how I remember it.

This is only the second time my children have gotten to swim in the pool. My grandmother and my Aunt Janice were there to greet us when we arrived. Although most of the cousins no longer live in the area, my cousin Courtney still does. She and her three children came to play for the day. We invaded Lori and Bruce's backyard until they finished with their work day and were able to join us. Court's husband Ben made it about the same time they did.

It is such a blessing to share one of my favorite things about my childhood summers with my children. The day was perfect and the boys still talk about playing with their "cousins." (After trying to explain the second cousin thing once, we didn't spend that much time on it this time around!) The pool and playmates, who could ask for anything more!

Zachary "swimming"...his word, not ours!

Zack and Janny

Daddy and Jacob on the rafts.

I love the Daddy and boy pictures! If only I could get Zack to look at camera!

Griffin (the youngest of Court's boys) and Meme

Water guns were a big hit

Showing off the skills Aunt Janny taught him.

Daddy got in on the fun. It was an all out battle there for a while!

Owen, Courtney's middle son, who is older than Zack but not by too much

Warming up to one another...it took a little while for the boys to get comfortable enough with each other to actually interact. Luckily, we had the whole day!

Watching Jacob do his cannonball...the favorite dive!

Cole, Courtney's oldest. He and Jacob are just a few months apart in age.

This is Griffin's car. When Zachary saw it, his eyes lit up. He patiently waited while Griffin had his turn but once Zack changed out of his suit, he was dying for a ride. Meme was happy to oblige.

The boys doing their thing.

Jacob the shark. The shape of the kickboard inspired him!

"Cousins"

After dinner they made up some sort of game. I'm still not entirely sure what it was but they enjoyed themselves!

Mommy, Meme, and the boys at the end of a long...and wonderful...day