Guys, Augustine loves strawberries. Like really, really likes them. Like, picked them off the vines and ate two buckets worth likes them. This was news to me. Sure, sometimes she would eat them but not like this. It was as if she had never taken a bite of a strawberry before or as if she had been lost in a desert and was finally seeing food for the first time in weeks. It was a massacre. She polished off so many strawberries and the stained mouth, shirt, shorts and shoes were the undeniable proof that she ate before she bought.

But let’s back up.

A few weeks ago, Bob, Augustine and I packed our bags and flew across the country for #InstameetVABeach, a meet-up of Instagrammers, photographers and bloggers to explore a new-to-them area. Bob had just been in Virginia Beach to film a fun 360 Degree video project for iExplore and we’ve partnered with the team over there many times. Over the years, Virginia Beach has become like a second home and it’s been so exciting watching the transformation from casual beach town to all around cool town (with a beach, of course).

On the Saturday of our #Instameet, we drove out to Cullipher Farms for strawberry picking. Bob and I have picked peaches and apples before, but never strawberries and I was stoked to take Augustine and see what she thought of the whole process. She has started getting really inquizitative about where food comes from and this was a gentle introduction into farms and forging her own food.

Cullipher Farms has strawberry picking in the spring and early summer and blueberry picking in the summer. The farm is very famiy friendly, with a large “playground” out back with haystack slides, kid-sized farming equipment and swings. So before we even started picking strawberries, Augustine was in heaven. Plus, there were a lot of other kids and Augustine loves making new friends wherever we go.

At first she didn’t totally get it- although she did like pulling the strawberries, she didn’t get the concept that she could then eat them. It wasn’t too long though before she saw other people doing it and tried to taste her first one. It was love at first bite.

I’m pretty sure she could have spent all day at the farm and it would have been the best day ever. Right now she is saying all these new words and phrases, with the newest one being “That’s my favorite”. As we were laying down for a nap later in the day, she said, “I love strawberries, mommy. That’s my favorite food.” With the ring of strawberry juice stained around her lips, I kissed her forehead and knew she had the best day ever.