Peaches

There has been swimming, parties and even a cheap matinee for the whole family (INCLUDING popcorn!) but by far the MOST exciting thing about this summer so far has been the PEACHES!

The fruit trees we planted just last year were beautiful this spring but we didn't expect to actually harvest anything.  Especially since the cherry trees both produced exactly ONE cherry which we took 6 teeny tiny, delectable, divine nibbles from.  But the peaches- they blew us away this spring by producing a ton of babies which I dutifully thinned (be still my heart!) and the leftovers actually ripened into beautiful fruit!

We let Papa have the very first ripe one and I love the series of pictures above if only for the nearly-salivating girl in the background.  It is a series of close-ups of Matt's face but, had you been in that moment, you would have seen him entirely swarmed with children anxiously watching his face to determine how amazingly wonderful that first taste undoubtedly was.

Since generously giving the first fruits, the children and I have had PLENTY of peaches since- don't worry.  Two a day some days!  I couldn't bear to can any of our delicious homegrown fruits so we just ate and ate.   I bought a bushel of bruised 'seconds' to make cobbler and jam with and to freeze into wedges for smoothies.

The very best part is that of our two peach trees, one is an earlier producer and one is a later producing variety...so we have ONE MORE tree to eat from!

I've never loved juice running down my chin quite this much.