Cherries, anyone?

Had my fill of cherries today. You do the math...

12 hours (9am-9pm)
16 gallons of cherries picked (Thank you Dad!) off of one awesome neighbor's cherry tree
5 bowls of fresh cherries shared
21 quarts and 7 pints of whole cherries canned
20 pints of cherry pie filling canned
1 Costco cheesecake topped with homemade pie filling, half eaten
Too many dirty dishes to count
Lots of fun memories with my parents

I wish I could have taken pictures today, but my hands were full all day! Grandpa spent a lot of the day holding and playing with Maddilyn. Kimee helped pick, wash, and sort the cherries. She spent a lot of time helping Grandma and me in the kitchen. Audrey kept everyone entertained and on our toes, including teaching us dance steps and one major meltdown (no nap!) At this point it seems like it would be a lot easier to just go to the store and buy pie filling. But this whole process is a good lesson for my kids and somehow, despite the mess in my kitchen, gives me a rewarding feeling. I conquered the cherries!