Grandma's Apple Tree

One of my absolute favorite things this fall has been Grandma's apple tree. There are several apple trees in the yard, but one of them is drooping with apples this year. It is full of sweet, green apples that the kids have come to love.

It has gotten to the point that anytime we go outside, both kids run straight to the apple tree before they do anything else. They each find a good looking apple (Lorelei finds one on the ground and Leo finds a low one he can pick) and happily start munching away. Sometimes, they even need one for each hand.

If I were to hand them an apple during lunch, they might take one bite and refuse to eat it. But there's something magical about picking your very own food. They are so proud of themselves and excited to show me their treasure. These kids cannot get enough apples! 

So far, we've enjoyed fresh apples, applesauce, apple crumble, and apple cider. If you have any favorite apple recipes, send them our way! We still have a bunch of apples to enjoy...

We've had a beautiful, warm October and enjoyed lots of lazy afternoons playing in the yard and munching on crunchy apples. These are the moments I want to remember.

Albion Basin

I've lived in seven different states and three different cities in France. That seems like a lot of moving but I am grateful for each one. I've loved each of them for different reasons but I've learned that you can find amazing people no matter where you go and anywhere can be Home. One of my favorite things about moving a lot is that you get to see how beautiful our world is. The sunsets of Indiana, the hills and trees of Pennsylvania, the huge blue skies of Oklahoma... they are all gorgeous.

And don't forget the mountains and wildflowers of Utah! This summer we explored a bit at the Albion Basin. For a couple weeks each year, the basin abounds in wildflowers. It is breathtaking and looks just like a scene out of The Sound of Music. Unfortunately, I think we were about a week late because a lot of the flowers had already faded. I have big plans to spend a day hiking and exploring next summer during the peak of the beauty. But we found some amazing spots this trip, too! The kiddos were not cooperating quite as much as I'd like (when do they ever?) but I still think we got some pretty great shots.

PS: I made that dress! Maybe it deserves a post of its own because it turned out so cute! It's not really ideal for hiking, but great for posing in mommy's pictures!

I'm grateful to live in a beautiful place and explore it with family who lives close. And I can't wait to find more gems like this one in Utah!

Thaddeus

This handsome guy is going to be a thinker. It seems he is always deep in thought and even though he's a little guy, I'll bet he has some big ideas and big dreams.

He made us work pretty hard for some smiles, but luckily his mommy knows how to get a few out. It is amazing to watch a woman become a mother for the first time and Natalie is a natural. I love that we live close enough to see her more often and watch him grow. He is such a sweet boy and I feel pretty lucky to be his aunt. Happy four months, Thaddeus!

Bubble Bath Photography

My sweet girl turned 11 months old this week. The first year is my favorite! There are so many firsts and so many cuddles. I love watching her explore her world and get excited about the things she sees.

Lorelei has started crawling this month! After a few months of some speedy army crawling, she's finally decided that crawling with her tummy off the floor can actually be easier. She zooms around the house these days and disappears in five seconds flat.

She LOVES to pull up on everything and is getting sturdier on her legs every day. There have been several times when she is so distracted holding a toy or watching something that she forgets to hold on to something and stands by herself for several seconds until she realizes it and grabs on.

We had to wrestle her big brother out of photobombing every other shot, but he's never too far away from his favorite little girl. When I asked him to smile for me, this cheeseball gave me this face:

Miss Mae grew her second tooth this month! Now she has two little teeth sticking out of her bottom gums for the cutest little smile you ever did see.

Our little sweetheart started waving to us this month, too! She likes to greet us with a little hand wave after naps and when Daddy comes home from work. She gets so excited to be around us and we kind of like having her around, too.

Happy 11 Months, Lorelei!

Photo inspiration came from this beautiful photo session. And, wow, I seriously mean inspiring.