Apple cider family fun

This year Misty and Rachel wanted to come help make apple cider with their families. So we had a papa, ga ga (me), 2 pregnant women, 2 nursing women, a diabetic, kids from newborn to 10 years old and Matt who came and eventually replaced all the kids, the pregnant and nursing moms. Which was a big help:) But no one got a picture of Matt helping this year.:(
We did some things on Friday before we started picking apples. Mae and I had talked on the phone before she came and I asked her what she wanted to do with Ga ga when she got here. She told me that she wanted to buy candy. So I took her to the candy store and this is what she picked out. Rachel told me she had been wanting one of these for a long time. She has a book that has a sucker in it.

Nathan wanted to go fishing and it didn't take him very long to convince Papa to take him. So Nathan, Larry and David went fishing and caught a big fish. They BBQ'd it too and Nathan said it was tasty. This was a special fish. Nathan said a prayer on the last cast so he could catch a big fish and this is what he caught:)

Apples, apples and more apples.

To get all the apples we had to pick them all first. We had 15 trees that still had apples on them to pick. Everyone got in on the action. Gabe was such an awesome apple picker. He was so cute and he worked the longest out of all the kids. Nathan was a close 2nd. Gabe would climb up the ladder and pick an apple and then climb down to put in into the box. He kept saying "I'm such an awesome apple picker". Then one time he said "I didn't know I was such an awesome apple picker" It was cute. He was a very good awesome apple picker.

Nathan was a big help and he would pick and pick and pick.

Misty took this picture of April as she was picking. I like this picture. She was an awesome apple picker too:)

Jessica and Aria came out and helped for a bit.

Lots of trees to pick. We appreciated the help of everyone.

Clara was wandering around exploring as we were picking. She looks like little red riding hood.

Jessica up in the tree all smiles.

After the trailer would get full it had to be dumped. Papa had Nathan help him drive the tractor over to help dump the apples to get ready to fill it up again.

April took this picture of Mae eating the apple. Isn't it good? Mae is loving the apple.

Jovie helping to throw the apples in the bucket to wash.

After the bucket is full the apples need to be washed. Mae is taking care of that job. I'm glad she had the sprayer pointing the right way or she would have had a surprise.

This picture looks like Jovie is being the supervisor. Grandma Jean would always say that was her job.

Mae has two apples. One for the bucket and one for eating. A lot of apples got eaten this weekend.

After the apples were washed the bucket would need to be carried over to the press. Jovie is trying to carry the bucket. She knew what to do.

Nathan and Aria came to her rescue. Good work kids!

Larry's main job was to turn the crank.

Rachel, David and Larry working together.

David showing Nathan, Aria and Gabe all about the pressing of the apples.

Misty, Rachel and Larry working together here.

Clara tasted the cider. Did she or didn't she like it?

Linda showing off the cider that's being pressed. All that work is going to be rewarding.

Shannon and Jess came over for the day and here is Papa holding his youngest grandchild Ethan. They are watching football together. Gotta start them young.

After the hard work of the day a nap was needed. At least they got a nap. Not everyone did.

Gabe and Mae are having a birthday this month and so Papa and I gave them their gifts early. I got a picture of Gabe and his dinosaur puppet we got him. He loves it! We got Mae a play pizza set. I didn't get a picture of Mae with her present but as soon as Rachel takes one and sends it to me I'll include it in here.

2 days after all the apples were pressed and the sediment settled in the cider jugs I started the process of siphoning off the cider (leaving the sediment on the bottom of the jug) in big pans to bring them up to the temperature of 185 degrees to pasteurize it. I cleaned out the jugs and poured the cider back into the jugs. It takes me as long or longer to do that as it did to pick all the apples and press the cider. The final finished count of cider was 66 1/2 gallons. We have a freezer that is only for cider and our kids will take some home when they come to visit.

It's a lot of work but it's important to take care of what we have been blessed with. I feel if we take care of what we have, then Heavenly Father will be more apt to bless us with more. Plus we do share:)