Visiting Santa

All smiles for Santa.

We are here.

We are here, I promise.

Just enjoying life.

A TWO year old!

The holiday season.

And everything in between.

Fall PA Trip 2012

When Allen had a week of travel planned, I checked frequent flyer miles and booked a $5 ticket for Anna and I to go home for a visit. We had awesome weather and enjoyed a low key week hanging out with Noey (alt spelling No-ee) and Pop.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE PICTURES!!!!!

A Pumpkin Carving Tradition

We carved pumpkins with our good friends for the third year in a row. Lots of fun!! We don't have any finished product pictures because we had to leave to get to the airport for our PA trip. Speaking of which, more pictures coming soon!

 

Anna found a seat!

A first!

Pumpkin stew.

Look what I found!

Pretty girl.

 

 

 

And a blast from the past - yes, Anna wore the same outfit this year and last!

 

 

Happy Halloween

 

from our Owl to yours!!

 

She absolutely loved trick or treating and she absolutely loves Skittles.  "I eat S" she says.

Once we got back to our house, she had a blast giving out candy.  Only one costume scared her.

She took one look at him and walk past the door and into the dining room.  Ha, no treat for him!

 

"Pahkin Patch" Trip

Tis the season for pumpkin picking.  Or "pahkins" as Anna says.  She has really gotten into the season and loves seeing pumpkins where ever we go. Especially the big blowup one on top of one of the stores we pass!  She has been carrying around a pink plastic pumpkin she got a friend's birthday party at home.  She stores all her treasures in it.  We had our traditional pumpkin carving event scheduled with our good friends, we just needed pumpkins, so off we went to the pumpkin patch down the road from our house.  We wanted to be there early to beat the crowds, and we succeeded. It was just us and two other families on the first hay ride of the day.  The farm started picking in a new patch the day we went so we were the first pickers there.  It was a lot of fun!  The vines were taller than Anna in some places and I'm sure they were trampled down by the end of the day.  It was neat to really have to look for pumpkins in some areas.  Anna's favorite part of the day was the "milk" or apple cider.  I have no idea why but she just about refuses to call it cider or even juice. Just milk. Anyway, she loves it whatever she calls it.

 

Our pumpkins we picked right off the vine!

Anna's pumpkin pick.

Balloon Fest '12

We took Anna to the Balloon Fest again this year. Technically this was her third trip, since I was eight months pregnant when we went for the first time in 2010.  She noticed the balloons last year when she was ten months old but this year at 22 months was the best yet.

We told her where we were going and so for the whole 20 minute car ride she was looking for balloons.  She had no idea just what she was going to find when she did see the balloons.  Her reaction to the balloons was priceless.  She was so excited.  She talked about the "high balloons" for the next week while we visited my parents.  Anna loved when the crowd cheered as balloons lifted off the ground and always took part in the clapping and cheering.



Dada - Look!  Balloons!

Anna's Hawk

We (Anna & I) found an injured hawk on our front porch one day in late August. I didn't know what to do but ended up calling the Carolina Raptor Center.  They sent a volunteer to take the injured bird to their rehab facility.  The hawk ended up having a broken wing along with an old poorly healed broken hip.  Funnily enough, the hawk and my dad were on the same pain med since my dad had just had his hip replaced. Anyway, after just over a month in rehab the hawk was healthly enough to be relased back at our house.  It was a very cool experience from rescue to release.

Watching as the volunteer got the hawk out of th box.

Anna's Red Shouldered Hawk

Flying Free

Bye Hawk!

 

Asking for the camera.

Carousel Take 2

Anna's first carousel ride as in early August at the boardwalk.  I don't know if she liked it or not.  I think it was a bit much for her. She didn't cry or hate it per say but she was ready to get off and did not want to ride again.

Last weekend at the zoo she was VERY interested in the carousel, so we gave it a go.   Here's the happiest expression Allen caught on camera.

There were a few big smiles but only after many go rounds of not so happy faces so Allen had put the camera down. I think everything (lights, sounds, motion) was all still a bit much for her however she really did enjoy it a little this time. She also could not get her head around the fact that we would see Allen for a few seconds and then not see him again for a while, see him again, not see him, etc. She ended up calling for him most of the ride!

Anna's View

Anna's latest pictures.  She had more trouble with the point and shoot camera than she did with the dSLR.  Go figure.  The shutter button was tougher for her to push on the point and shoot.  I had to help sometimes at her request, "Chelp."  I don't know why she adds a "c" to that word but she does.

 

A Southern Beach

my favorite picture from the trip

 

I loved the weather while we were at the beach in September.  

Vacationing then may become a habit. 

We spent most of our time at the beach or Brookgreen Gardens.

It as a really nice relaxed week. Another reason it could be come a habit.

Here are a few pictures of Anna from our time at the beach. 

I love her different expressions in all these pictures.