Red, White, and Blueberry Picking

June was a big month for a number of reasons, including the conclusion of Callie's first year of kindergarten.  But just as important was the World Cup.  John spent a fair amount of time watching the games and he was excited to get the girls involved in the fun.  For the first game the U.S. played against Ghana we were invited to watch the drama with some friends down the street.

Four years ago Ghana knocked the U.S. out of the World Cup.  It just so happens that terrible loss occurred on a wonderful day, the day that Suzy and Brian were married.  Still, we were looking forward to some redemption.  John led the girls in a quick USA! chant before we headed out the door.  And in case you missed it, the U.S. beat Ghana 2-1 in an absolutely thrilling match.  Too bad the rest of the Cup didn't work out that way for our boys.

June is also when the blueberries get ripe at Reed Valley Orchard, so we packed up a picnic lunch, hopped in the car, and made our annual trip to pick some berries and consume some wonderful slushies.  It was a great day, not too sunny and not too hot.  We made sure to build up our energy for the picking ahead and then we were ready to go.

It is fun to see the girls every year as they get into the picking routine.  They certainly know the lay of the land, and each one has had the experience of picking blueberries while they were in a baby bjorn.  Although they are fully capable of walking now, they still wouldn't mind being carried around like that.  Or at least that is how we interpret Reese's whining.

Callie and Reese have become skilled blueberry pickers, but they have expanded their taste horizons and picking skills in the raspberry bushes at the orchard.  These certainly are a little bit more difficult because thorns are involved.  But this year the bushes were full of great raspberries, and both girls did a great job of getting the berry without mashing it in the process.  Wish we could say the same for us.

If you ask them what the highlight of the excursion was, though, it might be the discovery of the farm cat.  She was pretty friendly and followed us around the raspberry bushes once she realized she could get some love from the little ones.  This is when all the motivation to pick great berries came to a halt and we had to turn our minds to the reward we had earned for our efforts.

Reese really enjoyed her slushy.  The smile says it all, doesn't it.  She smiles a lot for pictures, but you may have noticed that she has developed a kind of canned smile.  This one here is the real deal, and it captures the joy and energy she brings to our lives.

This picture is both good and bad.  It is good because it similarly captures Callie in a joyful moment, sitting on the porch at the orchard and indulging in the slushy.  Yet it is bad, because it makes it clear that Callie is growing up and getting older.  As much as we would like to keep her as our little girl, we cannot ignore the fact that she is maturing in leaps and bounds.