Applejack Festival

We are entering autumn! Nebraska City is famous for Arbor Day and rich with orchards. Each year, they host the Applejack Festival over a weekend. The parade was on Saturday and so Jeremy and I took the children and went with my father, his wife, my grandparents, two sisters, and a brother. My youngest brother and sister were marching in the parade with their high school band; my sister plays the clarinet and my brother plays the quads. They did well! The kids had fun catching candy and trinkets and watching the firetrucks, Shriners, clowns, floats, and bands come through. After the parade was over, we rested and then headed to a pumpkin patch just outside of town. It was just right for the kids; a petting zoo, pony rides, and fresh air. They were each treated to a pony ride and a balloon toy by their grandparents. They got quality time with their grandparents, aunts, and uncles, many shoulder rides, and had a great time. We had a family meal afterward and drove home at bedtime. What a day!The Heroes came through first: firefighters and volunteer firefighters, and ambulances, all with their sirens wailing and lights flashing. This is Noah trying to drown out the sound of all of the sirens; it was almost overwhelming for me, too!

Maddie, with her hearing recently improved (ear tubes) is now more sensitive to sirens as well. It was neat, though, and goosebump-worthy. This emergency vehicle had a tribute to the New York Fire Department on it. Others may have as well. More heroes came through next, for whom the crowd stood and remained standing. Our heroic veterans drove all kinds of military vehicles with flags proudly waving. Still more heroes came through with active military: Soldiers and these Sailors from the U.S.S. Nebraska.

Jeremy spent a lot of time cuddling, carrying, and coddling Isaiah so that I could enjoy the parade with the older children. The children were excited to find, during a break in the parade, that several of their friends were across the street! Claire, Dominic, Madeleine, and Ana pose together. Noah sat with Great-grandma and Grandpa for parts of the parade and is yelling at Aunt Sophie and Uncle Eli who are now marching by. Eli plays the quads. We did not get a good picture of Sophie, but the girls spotted her and were yelling for her. She isn't allowed to turn her head while marching, but broke into a grin before putting her mouthpiece up to play.

Jeremy stands with his boys.

Morgan and Noah pause for a picture between floats.

Isaiah was a little tag-a-long for Grandpa, too.

Grandma shows Noah something off in the distance.

Morgan wears my sunglasses and waits for the next barrage of flying candy.

I'm not sure what Isaiah's pointing at but it's cute. Isaiah sits with Great-grandma. When we got back to the house, Isaiah ate a whole (small) container of blueberries. He got his appetite back Saturday after being sick with little or no appetite for the last several weeks!
Madeleine shows off her candy tinted tongue before heading out to the pumpkin patch.We petted several farm animals. Isaiah was tired and in the sling at this point. He did well for a 16 month old with a very small nap.Noah visits with the goats.

Madeleine rests her tired head on Aunt Sophie's shoulder. Poor Sophie had just been marching on an 80 degree day in a very thick wool marching uniform but she didn't seem to mind!

Noah rests his tired little head on Dad's tired head (actually, I think Jer was just blinking).

The children's grandparents treated them to a pony ride.

Morgan is anxious to go on a horseback ride at Indian Cave this year.

Boy, the girls were in Heaven riding their ponies.

We returned to feed the farm animals at the petting zoo again. Grandpa and I pose together for a picture. Dad (with one of the boys hitchhiking on his shoulders), Eli, and Sophie look over a jam display. There was a craft fair at the pumpkin patch that we visited.

Noah rides back to the car on his Great-grandpa. The little balloon in his hand was a gift from his Grandpa and Grandma to him and to his sisters (they each had their own). The simplest things keep children happy: a little ballon with a rubber string tied to it and a little bit of water in it. They've been playing with them ever since!