Spending quality time together as a family is a priority. Work consumes my husband at times, and I can get so caught in all my to-dos and all that's going on in the world. This is when I find myself needing to slow down and just be in the moment.
For me, U-picking has been one escape from the busyness of my life. Over the past few years, we started going to U-picks farms, strawberry farms the most. It's nice to walk through rows of strawberries, the sun on my face and the sweet scents of the strawberries filling the air.
I like strawberry picking, because it's not hard for the children. They dart through the rows with their baskets or bags to fill up, their hands stained red as they pick ripe strawberries from the vine. For our littlest one, finding big strawberries under the leaves is such a thrill.
For me the best part is the laughter of our children. I love to see their smiles because I feel like they have the freedom to just be themselves. In some ways, this takes me back to my childhood in the country, picking vegetables in the field. This is not something we did for fun growing up, so I'm glad this can be enjoyable for my kids.
After getting home and tasting the strawberries, I felt like we hit a goldmine. The strawberries were so rich and succulent. So far, we've made strawberry lemonade, strawberry smoothies, and added strawberries to our pancakes.
So let me ask, have you taken some time out of your week to take your family to the nearest U-Pick farm? If not, I want to encourage you as much as possible to go. The sun will warm you, the laughter from your family will fill the air and the act of picking fruits and vegetables can remind you to slow down and enjoy the small pleasures in life. In a fast-paced world, nothing beats spending quality time with your family.