The Garrison Family: Trip to the Orchard

Thursday, June 05, 2008

Trip to the Orchard

On Thursday, June 5th, Matt and I took Ava on her first tip to an orchard. I know you're probably thinking, 'An orchard in Las Vegas?' and don't worry, we thought the same thing. Earlier that week while watching the news, we heard a snippet about a small local orchard finally opening back up to the public for the season. After doing a bit of research to find out more about the orchard, we found out that it happened to be about 10 minutes from our house! So, in accordance to Matt's and my goal to give Ava Holt as many life experiences as possible, we loaded up the Camry and headed to the Gilcrease Orchard (the cool weather (low 80's) was an added bonus).

Right now, the only things that we could pick were apricots and zucchini. The rest of their crops (apples, pears, tomatoes, melons, winter squash, and pumpkins) aren't ready to be picked just yet. When we got to the orchard, it was packed with cars and people. I'm not sure if it was due to the nice weather or the fact that the orchard had just re-opened two days prior, but it was full of people...not what we were expecting. Since we didn't really need any zucchini, we stuck to the apricot picking.

The reason Matt was able to go with us was because he was night flying that evening and didn't have to go in to work until around 3pm (he didn't get home until 5am the next morning!). Both Ava and I were so excited that he could go with us.

Anyhow, we had a great time out in the orchard. Ava had a blast sitting on top of her Daddy's shoulders touching all the different trees and leaves and even managed to pull a ripe apricot off the tree all by herself. Matt opened up a few apricots for Ava to try (no skin, just the flesh) and she wasn't quite sure what to think about the new treat. Her outfit was a bit stained by the end of the picking, but we didn't care...it was a great life and family experience. I can't wait until all the other fruits and vegetables ripen and we can return to the orchard. As for the nature of the fruits and vegetables, the orchard only uses garlic water to deter insects, so they're pesticide free...which makes me happy.

Oh, and as we went to leave the orchard, Ava tried to drive us home. It didn't work out so well...she couldn't reach the pedals...

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About Us...

Matt and I met on April 14, 2001 in Glendale, Arizona. I was in college at Pepperdine University and he was in F-16 pilot training at Luke AFB. We met through my brother, Matt (Goat), who was also going through pilot training at Luke. The two Matts met their freshman year at the Air Force Academy where they were assigned to the same squadron and lived next door to one another. Despite Matt being friends with my brother since 1995, we had never met one another before 2001. I fell in love with Matt at first sight and he fell in love with me shortly thereafter. We were married on October 4, 2003 in the Cadet Chapel at the U.S. Air Force Academy-it seemed only fitting. God has blessed us with almost 5 busy, exciting, and wonderful years of marriage. In that time, we have lived in 3 states, 2 countries, run in over 20 races (combined) in 6 different countries and 5 different states, traveled to almost 30 different countries, and have have been blessed with the most precious and beautiful little girls.

Ava Holt was born at 3:05 AM on November 1, 2007. At 2 weeks early, she weighed in at 7 pounds, 11.4 ounces and was 20 inches long. Ava Holt is a dramatic yet easy going little soul. She loves attention and is always happy. She is incredibly observant, freakishly strong, very independent, and a very fast learner. Her curiosity fuels her day, as she fills her hours getting into anything and everything under 5 feet in height. As much as she loves me, she loves her Daddy even more. She is the epitome of a 'Daddy's Girl' and the highlight of her day is when Matt gets home and she gets to perform, laugh, and squeal for him. Then, when her Daddy gets in her way, her favorite person in the world is her baby sister, Myla Grace. From the moment she met Myla Grace at the hospital on the day we came home from the hospital, she was smitten. There wasn't a jealous bone in her body, only pure love. We are beyond blessed to have the miracle of Ava Holt in our lives. Oh, and did I mention that 'You Are My Sunshine' is her FAVORITE song? The apple didn't fall far from the tree, as it's mine too.

Sweet Myla Grace was born at 5:04 PM on December 2, 2009. At 3 weeks early, she weighed in at 7 lbs, 0.4 ounces and was 19 inches long. Myla Grace is so disgustingly sweet. She is our cuddly little one who prefers to be carried and or held when at all possible. While sweet and cuddly, she also loves to destroy, dismantle, and disassemble most things within her reach...all while flashing the most precious of smiles. And through all of her sweetness, she has the uncanny ability to make you laugh all day long. Maybe it's the mullet she's had since birth, the gummy grin (which is starting to blossom with teeth), or her serious smirks, but whatever it is, we can't get enough. Although Myla Grace was a complete surprise, we can't imagine life without her. She is absolutely Ava's little buddy (whom Ava affectionately calls, 'the little one,' 'Mywa Grace,' and 'Mah-la.'), Amy's cuddle bug, Matt's giggling partner, and the most beautiful little blessing.

Harper Lee was born at 3:28 PM on May 31, 2013. Also arriving 3 weeks early, Harper weighed in at a hefty 6 lbs, 15 ounces and was 19.5 inches long. From the moment she entered this world, Harper has been the happiest, calmest, smiley-est {if that's even a word}, sweetest, and easiest baby we've ever had. She NEVER cries and is so incredibly easy going...to the point that I thought something was wrong with her. And unlike her big sisters, Harper has always been on the tiny side of small. After several rounds of tests when she was 6-months old to make sure she didn't have any development or growth problems, the Doctors came to the conclusion that she is just going to be "petite." So despite being in the 5th percentile for her age, our precious Harper girl is absolutely perfect as the tiny little package that she is. Oh, and did I mention that she is the BEST eater in our family? This sweet girl can mow through food like a 10yr old! I am a believer in miracles and Harper further confirms my faith. Her existence is a pure miracle (not to mention an ultimate surprise) and we thank God all the time for giving her to us. We thought our hearts were complete but we had no idea how big of holes we had until she joined our lives. Her laughter, giggles, rambling babbles, smiles, and 2-finger sucking are constant reminders that we are recipients of so much undeserved grace. At 21-months old, Harper's favorite things are cats (she calls them "nows"--her way of saying meow), dogs ("uf-ufs"), Ava ("aw-buh"), and balloons ("boons").