An Apple a Day...

Last fall we made a trip to a nearby apple orchard and had so much fun that we decided to make it an annual family tradition. Avery had a great time last fall, but what a difference a year makes... she was really old enough to get into it this year and loved picking all her own apples (with a little help from Daddy reaching the high ones). With baby Norah due to arrive any time in the next couple of weeks, we are really savoring making memories with Avery while it's just the three of us. I know that adding another little girl to our family is only going to double the love and double the fun and we can't wait for her to get here, but there's also a small amount of mourning that comes with knowing that Avery's days as our one and only are coming to an end. What a blessed time this is for us!

Picking apples with Daddy...

...and Momma

Reaching the "way up high" ones

Not the best picture of me, but for posterity's sake it needs to be seen. 38 weeks pregnant!

Pretty girl in her apple shirt

Showing off the loot!

We have lots of apple dumplings, apple pie... apple everything!... in our future.

Up on the Roof

Papa Piland is at it again. He recently finished building a large (and beautiful) barn from the ground up and almost immediately jumped head first into another major project... re-roofing the entire house. I don't think I've ever been to the Piland house when he wasn't in the midst of a house project. I'm amazed at all of the things he knows how to do! Here are a few pictures from a recent visit to Stow. Erich and Papa worked on the roof while us girls played in yard below. Avery had a great time dancing, making food in the play kitchen, blowing bubbles with Nana, and reading books. Every few minutes she would stop what she was doing to wave to Daddy and Papa. She loved that they were up so high!

Erich and Papa hard at work. I was nervous watching them up so high, but thankfully everyone stayed safe!

I love this photo of Avery dancing with a string of pearls in the middle of a construction zone. She loved it.

Pretty girl

Blowing bubbles

All smiles while playing with Nana.

(Thanks Aunt Nikki for taking all of these photos! Considering how often we forget to bust out the camera, we are blessed to have a photographer in the family!)