The Apple Orchard

Today we went to Afton Apple Orchard to pick some apples. It was a gorgeous day with no coat needed. Madison helped pick the apples right off the tree that we are going to use to make apple pie and apple crisp with. She had to really tug on some of them to get them off (see video). They also had a pumpkin patch so she picked out a nice pumpkin and then we also got to pick and eat raspberries (we didn't buy any, just ate them :)

I like my pumpkin!

Mmmmm raspberries.

Picking Apples, Pumpkins and Raspberries just tires me right out!

Cooking and Painting

Madison has been quite the little Martha Stewart lately. She helped Mommy make cupcake ice cream cones one night, and she helped make a pizza for dinner tonight. She liked eating the pepperoni as much as putting it on the pizza. Of course the part she really likes best is EATING whatever we make!

This weekend we decided to paint the "blue room" in the house. This is the third bedroom upstairs that we don't really use right now and we thought brown was a little nicer color for it, plus it had some patches on the walls that needed to be covered and we didn't have any of the original blue to cover them with.

Daddy and Madison went to the Como Zoo this week and saw lions, tigers and giraffes. One of the lions was really roaring while we were there and Madison likes to imitate it. Inside the other male lion was standing right up to the glass looking outside to where the other lion was, it was a little intimidating to be inches from his face when we were the only ones in the building at the time. At home now when we talk to Madison about something and have to ask her if she is lying about it she says she is "lion" about it. We are still working on this concept of truth and lying.

Madison Rides a Horse!

Madison, our little girl who has been afraid to touch a kitten or baby bunny actually went for a horse ride. She didn't technically touch the horse of course, since she was sitting in the saddle though. Her friend Tabitha rode with her on Sparkles and Anna walked the horse around. Madison did really good at holding on. We were so shocked that she went for the ride that we even made a video of it for you to watch.

Madison's Uncle Mark

Madison's Uncle Mark (Jim's brother) was involved in a very serious car accident in North Carolina. Since a lot of you are praying for him right now we wanted to put up some pictures of him in case you had never met him.

Wyoming 2007

Madison with Jim, Great-Grandpa Levitt, and Uncle Mark, 2007.

Christmas 2006.

Going to School

Today Madison put on my backpack and told me she was "going to school". Then she tried to go out the front door before I stopped her!

Potstickers

Madison learned how to make potstickers (dumplings) the way our friends Gaofeng and Minya taught us to do it. It was a lot of fun, she got to wet the edge of the potsticker wrap and then Jennifer would seal it up. They did really good too, not one of them busted open when we cooked them (granted, they were not as full as Gaofeng can make them).

Then, because Jim was using chopsticks, Madison insisted on her having them too. She understood how she was supposed to use them even if it took two hands at times. She liked the potstickers and ate several of them.

Madison's First Pet

Okay it isn't much of a "pet" but a cricket is a good place to start! He didn't last very long between Madison squishing him up (I mean picking him up) to put in the jar and all. She loved walking around with him and looking at him in there (and shaking the jar too!). He was quietly laid to rest when she wasn't looking after a couple days. I spotted a little tree frog the other day in the back yard but Madison was napping so I didn't catch him. Maybe if we see him again she will get her second pet.