Visiting Santa......

So today I took Austin to see Santa at a little party our library had here. I figured it would be a good low key environment for his first time visiting Santa. Since we see Santa everywhere these days, Austin definately knew who he was when we got there and you could tell he was excited, but a little scared....he did really good- he didn't want to sit on his lap but he would stand next to him and give him a high five and take candy canes from Santa's bag! Austin also showed off to santa he knows how to say "ho ho ho!".....needless to say Santa was VERY impressed!


Santa with Austin- once again Austin is giving his "handsome face" for the camera!


Running off with his cany cane and VERY proud of himself!


Here is Austin giving Santa a high five on his way out!

Making Cookies....

I had lots of christmas sprinkles so I got some sugar cookie dough and let Austin go to town decorating this morning......


I think he gets this from me.....look at the tongue sticking out while he is concentrating VERY HARD on cookies!



So here, check out the pile of red sprinkles he is putting on this cookie! This one will be for dad.............


This is what Austin did AFTER he put every single sprinkle I had on a cookie- he stacked up all the containers and gave me his handsome face!

Putting up the tree....

So we let Austin help with putting up the tree this year and here are a couple pics....


Austin directing Aunt Amanda on where to put the lights.....


Austin directing Dad on where to put the ornaments.....


And my most favorite of all-- Austin cleaning up the mess!!!

Just had to post this one....

My mom sent Austin this santa visor with some stickers to put together and here he is showing off his finished project.....plus a little chocolate icing on his face!

Downtown Tree LIghting

Some pics from a tree lighting downtown we went to last Friday night....


Me and Austin with tigger......


so they also had some small animals from the zoo there, and this was the owl- austin and the owl were just staring at each other and he now loves to make the "hoo hoo" noise!


just taking it all in....


not a great picture, but here's the big tree.....


They had horse drawn carriage rides.....here's austin, dad and the horse!

And Finally Halloween......

Here's Austin all set for his first real halloween- he dressed up as a rays player this year!


All of us before we went out for trick or treating....


Aunt Mandy the cowgirl and Austin.....


Austin and I made halloween cookies this year and this pic just about shows how it all went- a big mess and lots of licking the bowl!


Dad and Austin carving our pumpkins....


Austin feeling those pumpkin guts!


Austin and Bailey gave up on the carving very quickly and this is what we found the doing....


John's finished products.


Squash hunting at the pumpkin patch....


He found the perfect one....


Checking out all the pumpkins.....


The perfect little pumpkin!


These were just some halloween pics I made Austin take so I could make the grandparents cards....is this not the perfect "i didn't do it" face??

Music

I just had to post this picture of Austin rocking out with this guitar John's brother had at his house when we visited a couple weeks ago.....


Also this one to show Florida's ridiculously warm weather at this time of year!

Going Backwards.....

Going back through some pictures and found some I wanted to post....Due to the Tampa Bay Rays going to the world series this year, everybody here had baseball fever! We got the chance to go to a couple of games, a rally for the team downtown, and John and Aunt Amanda took Austin to his first baseball game....we can't wait for next season-- go rays!!!


The big screen for the rally downtown....


So all the players got mohawks before the playoffs started, so "rayhawks" were all the rage....here's Austin's!


Dad and Austin hanging out....


Dad and Austin in front of the Rays hummer in the parking lot at the stadium before the game. John said he was totally into the big truck- can't you tell?


Dad and Austin in front of the field before the game.

Happy Thanksgiving!

We hope everyone enjoyed their Thanksgiving holiday! We had a great day here with lots of guests at our house for dinner....we spent the day with my brother in law, Mark and his daughter Olivia, our friends Chris & Katia and their son Tyler, Katia's parents visiting from France, and of course Aunt Amanda. It was a really beautiful day yesterday so we enjoyed our dinner outside on the deck and John smoked a really, really good turkey on the big green egg. Here are a few pics......


The three of us......


austin and his cousin Olivia....


The chef and his smoked turkey....


Austin trying out some turkey and all the sides!

Gustav evacuation.....

So end of august-beginning of September my parents came down for about a week to evacuate for Gustav and Austin got to have another good time with his grandparents. I had to post these pictures because he just looks like he is having such a good time....they were playing with all his little instruments and listening to a kid's mardi gras cd we have......


Playing my instruments with grammy.....


Here is Austin really getting into it with aunt amanda.....


Shaking my tambourine.....


And shaking my backside!

LA Visit- Part Four- Kayden's Party

While we were at home we also went to my friend Shannon's son Kayden- big summer olympics birthday party. She had all these great little olympic games set up for the kids....Austin mainly watched the big kids and everyone had a great time! Shannon- I hope I sent you this picture of Kendal because I think it is so funny- love that camera attitude!!


Kendal the poser!


Luke and Austin- the observers...........


Austin trying out the hula hoop.