1+1+1=14

***  Ridiculously long post warning ***

We took in two abandoned dogs, and thought they were younger than they were.  

We went to visit family in Las Vegas, and while we were gone our dogs had a visitor.  

9 weeks later Mama Dog Chloe had 9 puppies and Mama Dog Leah had 5 puppies. 

With puppies comes extra visitors and we loved it.  

These cute little friends loved the puppies, and 

the boys loved having an excuse to have the girls come play

12 puppies + 2 moms was quite the full house. 

As cute as these puppies were, 14 dogs was craziness! 

Their favorite activities were falling in window wells at 2 am (puppies cry very loudly at 2 am),
chewing every toy, shoe or garden tool they could get their hands on
(including a package from across the street), and leaving us presents all over our driveway.

The only problem with 12 adorable puppies?  You want to keep 12 adorable puppies.

Now for more cute puppy pictures...

This was Jackson's pouting face every day when we reminded him that we could not keep 14 dogs. 

When they were weaned and old enough we found them all good homes
(before our home went to the dogs!!!)

Happy Birthday Owen!

Owen three days old and just home from the hospital...  (How little were Jackson & Carter?!)

Owen at one year old, first birthday, first steps

Owen at two years old...

Owen at 2.5 years

Almost three!  Owen has been telling anyone that will listen for the last 2 months that he's almost three!  Now its official! We've got one more big kid at our house!

Apples, Apples Everywhere

Our apples got sent to a new processing company this year, so we got to go tour the facility.  We took Owen & Carter along for the ride, so they could see what happens to the apples after leaving our farm. 

When the apples are picked they are put into apple bins.  These are either wood or plastic and they have holes in them to keep air circulating around the apples, as well as help empty the bins at the plant.  

The bins are stacked up, and they wait until they are ready to process those apples.  

When ready, the bins are loaded up on the conveyor, and flooded with water.  

The water floats the apples up out of the bins, and starting onto the conveyors...

As they go up little elevations they are sprayed, washed and twigs, leaves etc. are removed.

They separate onto runs where ladies pull out any apples with blemishes.
Excited kids serve no purpose rather than just looking cute.

 

Conveyors turn into tracks that sort apples by size

The apples fall off when they get to the station that matches their weight. 

Then ladies pack them into the cardboard holders and into boxes. Then shipped off to stores.  

Then you climb a flag pole.



What?