ready for Halloween!

Julia has been asking everyday if it is Halloween.  She is ready!
Thanks to Uncle Todd for the awesome Minnie Mouse costume from the Disney store.  Thanks to Aunt Stacey and Uncle Will and Miss Marie for the cool cat pumpkin.  Julia is a huge fan of turning on its electric candle.

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.

Day out with Thomas

 

We all had a great time going to Calera to Day Out with Thomas.  Julia got to have a picture with Sir Topham Hat, stamp and color, get a Rosie train tattoo, play with trains, play putt-putt golf, eat Dippin' Dots, hear a Thomas birthday story on a train car (and help sing Happy Birthday to Thomas), blow bubbles, play in a sand pit, ride a train car that Thomas pulled, jump in a jumpy house, pick out a souvenir (a stamp), go through a maze, and see a baby goat and other animals at a petting zoo.  And we are glad the camera wasn't lost forever and that I got it from the lost and found the next day. (I made the pictures smaller since there are so many - to see the pictures bigger, click on one and then click through the filmstrip at the bottom.)

 

Galaxy of Lights and Rockets and Light Sabers

We've made a few trips to Huntsville recently. Just before Thanksgiving we made a trip so that we coudl do the walk-thru at the Galaxy of Lights at the Huntsville Botanical Garden. I really enjoyed doing the walk-thru instead of riding in the car. We also saw the rockets at the U.S. Space & Rocket Center (we are saving the museum for a later trip). And during Thanksgiving, Julia and Uncle Todd had fun play-fighting with light sabers.

PS Excuse the picture quality- most of these are from my phone.

Happy Birthday, Uncle Todd!

Happy Birthday, Uncle Todd!
My mommy said she wore this dress and probably terrorized you in it, but I promise I won't do the same.
Love, Julia

family weekend

We had a great weekend (read Thursday night through Saturday night) around here. Uncle Todd came to visit during a continuing education class he took. We went to McWane Center with the Sandlins on Friday. Saturday morning we walked around Samford's campus with Uncle Todd and saw two water fountains and a dragonfly (I love that she signed 'book' when she sat on the bench, and don't miss the student prank of the lipstick and painted nails of Mr. Beeson). Saturday night we went to Pa's birthday party, and saw lots of family, including cousin Catherine who Julia really enjoyed playing with, and Uncle Martin, who caught a lightning bug.

summer fun in Hunstville

Julia and I recently spent most of a week in Huntsville with my family. We had a great time. She enjoyed splashing in the pool, picking vegetables in the garden, trying to ride her tricycle (for about 30 seconds), playing with the train set, the wheelie ramp, and the doll house.