kitty cats in the pumpkin patch

We took two little kitty cats to our neighborhood Halloween parade and fall festival.  The Sadlers invited us to ride on their golf cart in the parade.  Emma Jane and Lily had fun throwing candy to the spectators.  We were allowed to choose two pumpkins from the pumpkin patch to take home with us.  Emma Jane found the "purr-fect pumpkins" and we let her paint hers on the front porch when we got home.  This was the first of many fun Halloween activities, so more spooky posts to follow!

ferris wheels and funnel cakes

We had a blast at the South Carolina State Fair again this year!

Emma Jane has been talking about riding the ferris wheel for months now, but she got a little nervous while waiting in line.

Paul said she loved it!  Meanwhile, I'm a basket case as I watch below!

I think Vivi might have been a little nervous, too!

Riding the kiddy cars with a new friend...wouldn't it be nice if we could all be this friendly with someone we just met?!?

This was Vivian's first merry-go-round ride.  She loved it and fussed when it was over!

Waiting for the Dizzy Dragons...

Here we gooooooo!

Gotta love fair food!

Flying high on the airplanes!

The highlight of the night for Emma Jane was her "prize" for being a good listener.  She got a $3 trumpet that squeaks when you blow it.  She was beyond thrilled!

 



almost one!

   Vivian turned 11 months old last week.  It's unbelievable that we will soon celebrate her first birthday.  This past month Vivi has changed more than any other, I think.  She's not talking yet, but she does say mama (yay for me!) and the babble is constant when we are at home.  She crawls like a champ...seriously, I have trouble catching her sometimes.  Vivi still loves to eat!  She will eat anything and everything we put in front of her and her temper flares when her tray is empty.  As most babies do, she loves to be held and cuddled, but also enjoys her freedom.  The BIG news this week is that she has started taking tiny steps.  She loses her balance pretty quickly, but she is working on it!  Sometimes when I'm helping her take steps while holding her hands, she will push me away so she can try it on her own. 

   I took Vivi to the pumpkin patch last week while Emma Jane was in school.  She loves to be outside and closely watches and listens to everything going on around her.  I love the way she likes to touch and study anything she can get her hands on.  Putting things in her mouth is starting to slow down (thank goodness!).  We finally had to baby proof the cabinets in the house since Viv's new thing is opening and shutting doors and drawers.  She pinched a finger in a drawer today!  Ouch!

Some of Vivi's favorite things are...

1.  mom, dad, and big sis, of course!

2.  blankies at bedtime

3.  pacifier at bedtime

4.  music anytime!

5.  photos of family

6.  being tickled

7.  laughing at us when we tell her "no!"

We adore our sweet, curious Vivi and can't wait to celebrate her first birthday!

It's the simple things that babies love best.  I put Vivi in this diaper box and pulled her around the house.  She loved it and giggled hysterically!

Here are a few pics from a recent trip to the botanical gardens.  She was so serious as she studied everything the gardens have to offer that I could barely get her to crack a smile!

Finally got one!

Vivi loves to follow me around and climb up my legs.  This is sweet, but sometimes a little difficult when I'm trying to get things done around the house!

This girl loves balloons!  She'll carry one around for ages, sometimes holding the string in her teeth while she crawls to her next destination!

more vacation fun

Although we hung out on the beach as much as we possibly could while in Panama City, we also had lots of other things to keep us busy....

On our first night at the condo, we were all exhausted and went to bed early.  Around 9:00 we started hearing loud booms!  We went out on the balcony to see what was causing all the commotion and were surprised to see a full-fledged fireworks display over the gulf.  Paul decided to wake up Emma Jane so she could see the show.  It was pretty spectacular!

On one of our first mornings at the beach, we took the girls to this old beach snack shop that's been around for years.  They have the best donuts!  This was Vivi's first donut experience and she was definitely a fan!

We got to spend some time with Grandma Di and Grandpa Ron!

Grandma Jane came out to see us at the beach and the girls even had a few sleepovers at Grandma Jane and Grandpa Bill's house!

Aunt Scott came out to the beach, too!

We were thrilled to meet Margaret and Brett's sweet baby boy!  Baby Collins slept most of the time, but that didn't stop Vivi from trying to make a new friend!

 

Bridget and Joe brought Mary and Santi for a late afternoon beach visit.  Vivi liked the attention from Mrs. Bridget and Emma Jane had a ball with the big kids!



Mrs. Marlene and Garrison came by to see us, too!

We were lucky to see Aunt Stacy, Uncle Paul, Vincent, and Daniel on our last night.  Emma Jane and the boys had fun watching the grown-ups set off fireworks in Grandma Jane and Grandpa Bill's backyard.  They also dug around like little moles in Grandma Jane's garden spot.

We spent a lot of time at Pier Park.  Shopping, lunching, and ICE CREAM...we couldn't ask for more than that!

Paul and I even managed to go out on the town a few times! 

On the night of our 10 year anniversary, Paul took me to the Red Bar where we had our first official date over 13 years ago!