It's time for Apple Picking!

It's been a year and therefore, enough time has passed since our last family outing to go apple picking.  Our memory is a bit fuzzy on how miserable we can get and since I am stickler for keeping traditions alive, we loaded up the car and headed to our favorite apple orchard in Purcellville, VA.

This time we actually got there on the first try.  There was no getting lost.  No heated 'discussions' on which turn to take or what exit we should've gotten off at.  We actually had a very enjoyable drive to our destination.  I believe this is the first time in our 6 years of going that we all were speaking to each other up arrival.  How refreshing!

Good friends met us and I got a silent chuckle knowing they had a tough time finding the orchard too.  Jeff was able to get on the phone and help direct them to the right spot.   We headed out to the apple trees and had a wonderful time picking apples.  That is until Ian had enough.  It wasn't Jeff this year.  It wasn't Sam.  It was Ian!   He went from happy-go-lucky to get-me-out-of-here-as-quick-as-possible within 2 minutes.  Crazy, right!  It's always someone and I guess now, it was Ian's turn to be a Mr. Cranky Pants.  The only thing Ian ruined for this trip was our snack afterwards at one of the picnic tables.  We high-tailed it out of there after paying for our apples, rather than listen to Ian complain about how he didn't want to be there.

I think what happened was that Ian was spending most of his time climbing in the trees and got bitten by little nats on his legs.  All of sudden, he became very itchy.  And when he's had enough, he's had enough.

Ian loved, loved, loved climbing the trees.

Look Ma!  I got apples!!!

Is that a monkey in the tree?  No, it's just Ian.



Now, let's get down to business and pick some apples.
 

Sam and her friend, Ruby being silly.

This is the beginning of the end for Ian.

Walking out to the exit with smiles on most of our faces.

Will we go back next year?  You betcha!  Odds are at some point, all of us will be happy arriving and leaving.