Third Saturday in October

 We had fun this weekend getting to see Uncle Todd (and Grammie and Poppy), celebrating Uncle Todd's birthday.  Julia made sure we had a real invitation from them for the party.  

We stopped by 'the country house' on Friday afternoon to play and plant some irises.  Julia got to see the tractor, which she thought was cool but really loud.

Pumpkin Patch!

 

 Julia has been so excited about the pumpkin patch at her school.  She knew the pumpkins were coming and would ask everyday if they were coming that day.  She's been learning the days of the week at school, so we had a big time trying to tell her, " the pumpkins are coming on Wednesday and we'll go as soon as we can.  What is today?  How many days until Wednesday."  She was telling everyone about the pumpkins at her school and they were coming soon.  She wouldn't think of getting them anywhere else, and decided they had to go on the porch.

After school today, we stopped in and picked out five pumpkins.  Julia loved it, as you can tell in the pictures.  Julia said Daddy had to carry his and Mommy's, Mommy had to carry Julia's and Uncle Todd's (who is getting one since he is visiting this weekend), and Julia would pick out and carry the one for the baby (we are expecting around March 1st). 

fun everyday

Julia has fun everyday, even when it is allergy season like it is now (not sure if she is crankier because she's three, because she is having allergies, or because she is taking allergy medicines).  She went with us to vote on Tuesday.  Hopefully, the stickers don't mean much, or there is some serious voter fraud going on (see Alieno). 
She had a great visit with Grammie and Poppy complete with a trip to the Botanical Gardens and the merry go round at Bridge Street.  She posed for a picture in her new elephant roll tide shirt made by Nana, and she enjoyed playing in the laundry basket.  She wanted me to join her inside it.  I had a hard time convincing her I wouldn't fit.

cutie pie

beach fun with Nana

 

 

 

matching jammies

Nana Betty made Julia a great pair of flannel pajamas, as well as a pair for 'Baby Woody' (or 'Baby Jessie') and a cradle bed and blanket.  I forgot that I hadn't taken a picture of it all until Julia picked it out to wear again the other night.

presents, presents, and more presents!

We spent the day after Christmas with Nana and Pa and Uncle Martin and Aunt Andrea.  The day included lots of new toys, new pajamas, and, once Julia warmed up to her, playing with Clara.

Reindeer food

Julia enjoyed putting out 'reindeer food' (someone brought it to Peter's box at the church) on Christmas eve.  She put it in little piles in a straight line leading up to the porch.  We also put out milk and cookies for Santa.

Santa's Village

We had a great time visiting Santa's Village in Huntsville with Grammie and Poppy again this year.  When I told Julia we were going just before we left Birmningham, I was listing off the things we had done there last year, like see the elves' toy workshop and dancing with the the penguins and snowman.  She said, "and I can go see the candy cane garden!"  I did not remember any candy cane garden, but of course, when we got to Santa's Village, there was one.  She remembered it over a year later, even though I don't have any pictures of it from last year for her to have seen since then, and we haven't talked about it at all.

She enjoyed the mascot-type characters - this year we saw a soldier bear, a gingerbread boy, a snowman, and a penguin - but she would not touch them.  We wrote a letter to Santa that she gave to an elf to deliver to Santa, and we listened to a story read by Mrs. Claus.  Julia like her, so we got a picture of Julia with Mrs. Claus instead of waiting out the line for Santa, who Julia proclaimed herself to be scared of at the first mention of visiting Santa's Village.  We also visited the toy workshop and decorated a wreath ornament, went to the kitchen to decorate a gingerbread cookie, looked at the elves' areas including their wrapping centers and toy train, and saw real reindeer, some funny snow, and the candy cane gardens.

The only bad part was not having spare batteries for the camera!
(Thank goodness we got the following pictures from Peter's phone)