The Birds

So, I owe you all a few blogs. But - since many of you have snow today. I thought I should let you know that your birds have arrived South and are fine. Now there is extra white stuff falling from the sky here too.

Yup, all the black dots in the sky and sitting on the edge of the overpass are all birds.










Lining the Howard Johnson.

Closer view of the lineup.













I hated this movie and hate it in real life!

My skin is crawling! Too many birds. Please take them back soon.

Super Sneak Peak

These are just a few of the pictures we really enjoy. The best of the best is to come later. We were working on our Christmas cards.

Julia and Mommy.





















Julia and Daddy. Check out those dimples!



















Just one day before she had a temp of 103. She is such a good kid and so amazing. God has surely blessed us.
















The photographer lady was just too funny! She had Julia cracking up the whole time.















Another goofy laugh and grin!
















She was laughing so hard that there were tears!



















A huge smile!



















So precious. It helped that they photographer had some ornaments/balls on hand.

















I love the inspection. This is when she first was handed the ornaments.


















Merry Christmas!

















"What? I didn't do anything. I was not hitting the backdrop at all!"

Our beautiful little trooper. She did such a great job that we went and took a carousel ride after this. Then she rode in an airplane AND a cop car. We were so proud and happy of how she did; it's a good thing she's too young to ask for her own car - we probably would have said sure!

16 Months of Joy!

Happy 1 1/4 quarter Julia! I can't believe how fast the time has gone. We've had to much fun. It's just amazing to see how much more she grows and learns every day. She's such a pleasure to be with and play with. She's really been into kisses and hugs lately. We've finally got the girl off of the bottle and so we are a bottle-free household. At night we lay down next to her while she falls asleep. She's been leaning over and giving a kiss until she falls asleep. Each kiss has more and more time in between. She is just so sweet and loving. She's been really enjoying all of her baby dolls too. She hugs them, pats their back, and gets them when they cry (Kath might help with that). When the baby cries, she says "Aww, baby." She's been pointing to her body parts (nose, eyes, and stinky toes). When you take off her dirty socks, she grabs one, smells it, then announces "Stinky". She's also been singing to her doll Violet and has learned to say "Ulia" whenever Violet does.

Loving her bike from Grandma Ortiz. Thanks again Grandma!




















Playing with Daddy's hat!
















Come on now, this IS the face of John Low!















Hopefully the first AND last time that Julia ever hikes up her own skirt. Daddy is really getting nervous for those teenage years. No short skirts allowed.


















mmm yogurt!






















Julia is so proud and excited that she can use a spoon all by herself!















Playing with Daddy's hat again. "at, at, at" She loves to take the "at on." or "at off"

















Julia feeding her baby before the bottles disappeared.

















Pointing to pictures of "Ulia"

Climbing through the tunnel at Cafe Au Play. I had to push the ball into it to finally get her to go through, but then she thought it was pretty fun.

Happy Halloween

We had so much fun with Julia this year. Dressing up is just so fun. John had to work so Kathy and Julia went trick-or-treating with our friends the Flanigans'. We had a great time. Julia loved walking the entire neighborhood and knocking on doors. Her bucket was too heavy to be carried at the end. Here are lots of pictures of all our dressing up and fun!

Our family of pumpkins!














Julia's pet piggy. She snorted every time she looked at this one.





















Julia in her airplane costume from Mema and Papa Low.



















The little ladybug had a photo shoot with Daddy.

















Waiting to see if she could come to the Fall Festival and ride a horse.
















"I'll just take this bucket..."




















"Put the candy in the bucket and no one gets hurt!"



















"Come on already, let's go."













1/2 of the kids at Dee Dee's. Julia really didn't care for the personal trainer costume (The South Park Mask did not help either!)











Climbing the stairs to one house. She didn't want any help.
















Smiling with Marcus while waiting for the door to open.











Julia leaned in and kissed Marcus instead! Reinforcing Daddy's need for more guns.
















"Trick or Treat!"


















The rewards of a job well done. Trying a sucker for the first time!

Church Fun

October is such a fun month at our church. Our church hosts a Pumpkin Patch and has two semi-trucks worth of pumpkins sent down. They host tours of the Patch for the local school children, sell to the public, make pumpkin bread to sell, and host a few big events. The first big event was a bonfire. Unfortunately, after a complaint from a grumpy neighbor, the fire department shut down the bonfire so we have no pictures. But Julia ate her first s'more before they put out the fire. The next event is a Flannigan's Dinner and Hootenanny. Our church friends the Flannigan's host a wonderful rib and bbq chicken dinner from their restaurant. Then there is music, dancing (with line-dancing lessons), games and activities for the kids.

Julia loved the dancing and music. She found another little boy who was the same age, walked up to him, grabbed his hand, and started to dance. She sure knows how to draw a crowd of attention and worry her daddy. John beginning to think that he needs to start increasing his gun collection before she's a teenager.

The last event is a Fall Festival and craft show. There were lots of great crafts and I got a couple new hair bows for Julia. I still need to take pictures of those. The Fall Festival was a busy day. Kathy sold pumpkins in the morning. Then in the afternoon and evening she was to host all the games. The day was rained-out though. But she helped to manage the teenage volunteers and help to clean up. John and Julia were able to sneak over for a little bit between breaks in the rain so Julia could check out the petting zoo.

October was so fun and busy - but we are thankful and happy to see November!

Julia was a bit overwhelmed by all the pumpkins!


















But she just loved running around and checking it all out!



















She was trying to pick up all the little pumpkins (she called them balls). She did manage to pick up 3 before they fell.




















Our adorable little pumpkin!















So excited and ready for the Hootenanny.






















I think she's mid-dance. She has some skills!














"More ball". Julia really enjoyed all those orange balls.





















I just adore this little bottom - even though she was running away!















First pony ride!












She just kept laughing and laughing. Even the little girl guiding the horse thought Julia was really funny.











Petting zoo. Playing with the goats and the teacup pot belly pig.

















After all the rain, those humidity curls came out to play!

Julia's 3rd and final ride! She made this man laugh too. He said he thinks she enjoyed the ride more than anyone he's even taken before.