Community Supported Agriculture
Little did I know that Maryland was such a thriving farm state! I don't know if it is just because I have grown so accustomed to importation from Hawaii or what, but the sight of all these farm stands (not rinky dink on the side of the road farm shacks-I'm talking market size stands) providing us with delicious fresh produce sent me over the moon. I admit I got a little granola crazy at the first thought of joining a CSA as I grabbed my gloves and pictured our family out in the muddy field at harvest time, boys smiling from the wagon with fresh tomatoes in their hands. But after a lot of research and talking with many of the farm owners themselves we decided that it was cost effective and an opportunity that we couldn't pass up.
The basics of a CSA is that the farm sells a certain amount of "shares" to the public throughout the seasons. The share is a bountiful amount of different varieties of ultra fresh, organic, delicious produce that you are allowed to pick up weekly. My CSA is close by (less than 2 miles) and is set up market style in which you view the board with the looooong list of food you are allowed to bring home and you just pick what you like. I love that the boys are hands on and we can chat with the people that grow the food we bring home and eat. I love tasting the difference in freshness and experimenting with produce that I would normally steer clear of in the market. I am thankful for the opportunity.....I am thankful for the opportunity. That is what I have to say about our recent relocation to the East coast. Those of you close to us know the details, of which I will not discuss on this blog, but in the end the sudden...okay more like instant move to the state of Maryland has given our family a new array of adventures to embark on and I am so very thankful for the opportunity.
Did I already mention the farms here? Once again enjoying all the fruits of a farmers labor at Butlers Orchard. This was from this summer when blueberries were in season and the size of grapes! That entire bucket cost less than $5 and we enjoyed a full day of fun activities to include tractor rides, all you can eat blueberries while you are picking, and the super fun slides! We hope to go back again soon to enjoy the fall festival or do some apple picking!
Colin was great in the backpack as long as he was supplied with tasty blueberries every 30 seconds or so....
Another opportunity we have been able to enjoy are all of the professional athletic teams in the area. We live 20min from Baltimore, Annapolis, and DC so there is always an opportunity to enjoy a game during the season.
This summer we took in a few Baseball Games and cheered on the Oriels. The best part of their not so great season was the fabulous ticket prices!
The boat stops here.....
Enjoying a summer night at the Howard County Fair. We arrived and the clouds opened up with a flash flooding storm (Seems to be rather normal here) so we took shelter viewing all the livestock. We were walking by all the pig pens and many had a neon spray painted stripe on them. Jake was curious and I didn't know so I asked and was informed that they had been bought and were headed to the butcher. "Where is the butcher Mom? I want to go too!" Oooo boy.
Jake hit the magic age of 3 this summer and that opened the flood gates for sports and pre-K fun. He started soccer and LOVES it. The coach it great with the kids and they have a lot of fun. Swimming started a few weekends ago as well and with the range being 3-5yr old I was worried he would get discouraged....nope. He was the first one putting his head in and swimming in the shallows!
As if walking at the end of 10mo wasn't enough, Colin also preforms on the field with his soccer skills. He does tumbling too, if he lifts his foot a little high and lands on the ball instead of behind it. Go boys go!
On a day trip this summer we jetted up the Philadelphia for some reminiscing and of course we couldn't pass up another dino museum opportunity. Just before Chris deployed (2004?) I went to visit him on the East coast and we took a few days exploring Phily, Gettysburg, and DC. It was really neat to go back to the same restaurants and points of interest with our growing family.
First day of Preschool! Boy was he ready. He was counting down the days and couldn't stop grinning on his first day. Others were timid (and so were the parents), but not my Jake. One boy in particular was very shy and wouldn't smile for his mom trying to get the 1st day photo. Jake was squealing "it's our first day, smile!" . He tried to take this boys hand and kept telling him how much fun they were going to have at school. The boys was a bit hesitant, but by the end of the day they were best buds and talk non-stop about each other after each day now. I know how sweet, spunky, and loving he can be, but to see him interact with strangers in such a caring way made this mama so incredibly proud.
Our first camping trip!
A few weeks ago we embarked on our very first family camping trip at nearby Patapsco State Park. We had so much fun and after 2 short nights we felt like we had gotten away for a week in the mountains (we were only 20min away form our home). We were blasted by sudden Fall temps in the 50s and showers, but we bundled up and were no worse for the wear.
We enjoyed collecting firewood, playing soccer, and many other imaginative games Jake came up for us. We also went on a hike and it was quite challenging. Chris mastered it with Colin in the backpack and Jake mastered it solo....
until the last hill on the way back to the site. Thanks Dad!
The boys were so good and had a blast being outdoors. We are so excited to go again this coming weekend and will post again soon.
