Boo!

Halloween 2007:

We asked Lillianna for a few weeks what she wanted to dress up as for Halloween. She looked at us like "What are you all talking about?" We offered suggestions and still she said nothing.

Then all of the sudden, two weeks ago, she said...

a COW!

So one cow costume off of ebay later, she was the cutest cow ever.

I don't have the best pictures of all the festivities but we had a wonderful day full of fun and friends....

Remember in The Christmas Story when Ralph comes downstairs in the bunny pajamas? She has the same expression on her face as we walk to the first house.

Rehearsing her "Trick or Treat" line in her head

Lillianna saying Trick or Treeeeeeeeaaaaaat with Abby and Dawson

Waiting for some loot

Bibby having fun at our house after trick or treating.

Emma Hensely worn out from her performance as a carrot.

Pretty Maggie as the prettiest octopus of the evening.

Fall Festival - big whoop.

Last Monday, Lillianna had Fall Festival at school.

She really wasn't that excited about it, no matter how many times I told her that, "Mommy is going to come to school today and you're going to play games and get treats and prizes."

Key words in the sentence that I thought would spark some real enthusiasm:

Mommy at school, play games, treats, prizes. But nope, nothing.

Once we got going on the games, she got a little more into it.

She loved digging through the hampster shavings to find a buried treasure...

But then she was sort of hmmm. a snake.

She played along as her sweet teacher magically removed a treat bag from the "fishing pole."

And she shared her new prize with Bibby. That look on her face? That was there most of the morning....like, yeah, i'm trying to have fun, i'm going through the motions, but i just can't get there. She is so funny that atleast one of us was laughing.

where have we been?

Since our last post we have been on the move. Just going, going, going.

First, here are pictures from Kentucky.

Over a week ago now, we drove up to see Dandy and Wil and had a wonderful time!

Lillianna ran in circles inside their house, cheered for the UK Wildcats, visited a Wildlife Center to see black bears, deer, elk, buffalo, and bald eagles, and

enjoyed the gorgeous fall weather. We can't wait to go back!

Getting in the spirit

This is why my life is so wonderful...

Kute Kylen

MORE COUSINS!

Yesterday Lillianna took a trip to see newest cousin, Kylen.

He is so little and so cute! We are so proud his Mommy and Daddy and know they are very blessed with such an adorable bundle of joy!

We love you!

Cousins galore

Somebody special is turning ONE this week!

We went to celebrate nephew/cousin Bentley's birthday this past weekend.

We had so much fun with him and with his adorable, crazy sisters.

What's the little guy going to do with them?

Beautiful, blue eyes and very strawberry blonde hair...he's going to be a BIG knock-out.

Emphasis on BIG.

He really enjoyed his cookie cake...taking after his Uncle Brad

who LOVES to inhale those as well.

Lillianna was greeted by the most attentive, interested, active, and LOVING welcoming committee anyone could ask for. Ella, Daisy, and Leah are always so sweet to their cousin. Here, they are encouraging her up the slide...

And then to go back down.

Then it was time for some glamour shots...

Beautiful Ella was up first.

Then the Precious Leah.

And finally the Adorable Daisy.

GROUP PICTURE!! CHEESE!

Whew! Modeling is hard work! Time for a snack break!

Thank you Millers for a magnificent weekend! We love you!

Tate Farms

HAPPY FALL!

We celebrated last week - i'm very behind in pictures - by going on our first ever visit

to Tate Farms. Ya-Ya was visiting and we couldn't wait to share this experience with her. There was so much to do...

Lillianna volunteered to be the official greeter.

We concluded she has hope of being taller than her Mom one day.

They had the coolest pumpkins...just look at those colors.

And of course, take note of the beauty in the middle of them.

Lillianna would have made her Papa James proud, jumping behind the wheel of the the plywood John Deere as fast as she could.

Giddy-up horsey!

So this was the best moment. Lillianna froze, truly froze, in absolute adoration of the soft bunny.

She hasn't stopped talking about it and we just went to a pet store this morning so she could see some again. But this was the first time I think she felt that feeling of loving something smaller than you.

"Here you go goat. I don't understand why you don't want to eat right out of my hand."

"Wake up Piggy."

Tate Farms had 5 or 6 "CornCribs" which Lillianna thought were pure heaven.

Actually so did Mommy and Ya-ya. They were alot of fun.

We can't wait to go back next year!

a little break

Last Saturday, we took a break from re-arranging furniture and went for a picnic.

Although it still felt about 90 degrees, we caught a glimpse of fall:

As usual, being outside, Lillianna had a ball.

Spotting some birds, "flying home to her nest to feed his babies."

Throwing rocks in the river,

Shouting, "Hooray, I climbed the mountain!"

And of course, climbing over a mountain.

So much fun.

PARADE

Lillianna's first parade was a week ago. She LOVED it. You wouldn't know it by these pictures but honestly, you wouldn't have known it if you'd been there and seen her. She went into her somber, almost comatose, state where most people think she's unhappy or too shy to blink. Really, she's just taking it ALL in so she can talk non-stop about it days. Of course, she only talks about it after we've left and mainly to just me and Brad.

She loved, "the BAND, the walice (police) cars, and the CHEERWEADERS THROWING CANDY FOR ME."

Her favorite part of the parade was that it took place on her very favorite street in our town.

You know, the one with the largest radio tower on top of one of the buildings. Have I mentioned her OBSESSION with water towers and radio towers? It's intense. So I love that I have a picture to mark her awe and reverence for such a "beautiful" (her word, not mine) landmark.

So as for pictures of the actual parade, they were recorded on the video. I just have

a couple of Lillianna and Bibby eating and sharing snacks as we wait to the parade to begin.

As good as it gets.

I didn't intentionally take a break from blogging this week. We've just been so very busy! Life with Lillianna could not be any sweeter right now. I find myself thinking and telling Brad often that I wish she could stay this age, this stage - just as she is right this minute - for at least a couple of years. I'm serious too. She just couldn't be any cuter. Her little squeaky voice and her articulate words. Her hysterical sentences and her sweet sensitivity. They are what make her irresistible to me all day long. Except when, in a flash, for just a few seconds, all of that disappears as she hits her best friend in the head with a plastic golf club or refuses to move a muscle no matter how many times I ask (BEG) her to Please Come On!

But those moments rush by and my precious two year old is asking me, "You take a walk with me Mommy? We find treasures!" Even when it will make the third walk of the day, even when I really don't feel like it, I can't resist her little question that lets me know how much she loves me and just wants to spend a little more time with me.

Time is just going by too fast, especially now that we're entering the third trimester of this pregnancy and the holidays are approaching. So many other things to think about and do when I really want to be making memories and collecting moments with Lillianna while it's just the three of us. This time just couldn't be more precious to me in so many ways.