I love squishy little ones, and Quinn here is no exception!  There are times in your first year of parenting when time could not go any slower. . .sleepless nights. . .changing what feels like a million diapers. . .dealing with teething (aka the work of the devil). . .figuring them out, only to have them change two weeks later. . .the list goes on and on.  Then, there are those times when your baby smiles at you, coos, reaches a new milestone and gives you a big squeeze.  You know, those moments that make all of the crazy times worth while?  Before you know it, they’re turning one, walking, eating cake and getting into everything, and you think, where did all of the time go?!  It’s true, time is in constant motion and you have to appreciate every moment, both good and bad.  Happy 1st birthday Quinn!  It was an honor getting to photograph this big milestone!

A secret? Well, sort of, but now that I have your attention, I want you to keep reading so you can learn all about this cool place in Woodstock called Grace Farm Studios (I’ll tell you all about the studio part at the end).  Don’t worry, if you like what you read and decide to take a trip out there, it’s an easy drive!

So we were on the hunt for strawberries, and once again, we made it out there at the VERY end of the season so that pickings were less than ideal.  We were able to get some strawberries, but we decided to try out a different farm.  And it’s this farm that I’m going to tell you all about because it’s special.  Really special.  You see, Farmer Mike and Farmer Ann don’t do all that social media stuff.  But don’t you worry; everyone is welcome.  These are the sweetest farmers you’ll ever meet.  This couple used to live in the city until they traded it all in to live out in the country, and “they’ve never looked back.”

This place is special for multiple reasons.  First, it’s not crowded because they really don’t advertise.  Secondly, Ann and Mike come out and chat with you, give you a tour, and teach you all about the things you are about to pick.  The farm is only about three or four acres and offers two different types of red raspberries, black raspberries (not to be confused with blackberries), asparagus and red currants.  Farmer Ann will even pop your pickings in the fridge to cool while you go on to pick your next selection.  This lovely couple even allowed the kids to feed their Icelandic sheep.  The kids loved it!  We were even told that we were welcome to come and picnic there before picking next time.  They have a very clean porta potty right by the patches.  As for the “studio” part of Grace Farm Studios. . .  Well, Farmer Ann weaves the wool from her sheep into yarn in her very own studio.  Pretty cool, huh?  She offered to show us the inside of her studio (red barn with quilt design on the side of the building), but I ran out of energy with my little guy running off and climbing everything he could get his hands on.  That’s okay.  There’s always next time!  By the way, the raspberries are plentiful and available for picking into November!

You’ve heard it before. . .”The Terrible Twos.”  Yep, I’m a proud owner myself of a little boy who is in the thrusts of “The Terrible Twos.”  It can be tiring and frustrating at times, but sometimes all you need is a change in perspective.  You see, when a little person becomes two a whole new world of independence opens up to him or her.  A little person at this age is now walking confidently, learning new words daily, stringing those words together to form intelligent conversation, and the realization that, “Hey, I’m my own person!” takes over.  How does this new-found realization manifest itself?  Hmmm. . . let’s see . . .one popular way to accomplish this  is to do the absolute opposite everyone asks me to do.  That’s right, “I’m my own person and I’ll do what I want” completely takes over.  Now, don’t get me wrong, little Joey here is an absolute sweetie!  There was nothing “terrible” about him, but I could tell early on he was the one in charge, so I let him take the lead on our little journey together.

Traditionally, at the start of summer I make a summer wish list with my kids.  We got one started this week.  We’d love suggestions of what you like to do over the summer with your kids!  Together, I bet we could come up with a great list of ideas of fun things to do with kids around the area!