Pumpkins and Apples

Fall is one of my favorite times of the year. I love the colors, the scents that accompany the season, and I love the crisp air (which is totally here in O'Fallon). For me, Fall and thanksgiving go hand in hand. I find myself constantly giving praise and thanks to the Lord as I see the beauty of the season unfold. I see His amazing handiwork all around me, and I think it's a great time to teach the kids about creation and celebrating God's creation.

Another thing I love about fall is pumpkins!!! I was thrilled to find that we have a beautiful pumpkin patch (and apple orchard) near us. The name of it is Eckert's; it's the coolest place. They have a market there with delicious meat, pastries, fruits, veggies, cookbooks, homemade fudge and much more. There is also a restaurant.We've eaten there twice now. The food is just all-right. But the show stopper is the fried biscuits and home made apple butter that's served with your meal Seriously, I could eat a million of those biscuist! Between the market, restaurant, pumpkins, and apples, we made a day of it!

We took a hayride to the apple orchards. The kids were so excited to have their own bag and to pick their own apples. Jamison picked most of his from the ground (they were all bad ones); I had to weed through his bag! They told us we could try apples and eat them as we picked; I think my family ate a minimum of 20, no kidding. I suppose there is nothing better than picking your apple right from the tree and eating it! When we got home, we unloaded the apples into a bowl, and what do you know...there were at least 5 apples that had been bitten into in just one place; I think Jamison was to blame! That's okay though, at least he does love apples. We are still eating our bountiful supply of apples, and we even made a crock pot of applesauce. We've discovered it's super good mixed in oatmeal and on peanut butter toast!