Tis' the Season to be Jolly

Thomas the Engine train set... check!

Baby doll with stroller... check!

Grocery cart with Cash Register... check!

Mickey Mouse d.v.d.'s... check!

Rocking horse... check!

I don't think I've ever seen the trunk of our 4-runner as packed as it was on Christmas Day.  Adisson was blessed with a truck load (literally) of presents.  I must say, this year she seemed to enjoy unwrapping her presents so much more than in previous years.  Last year she was more interested in playing with the boxes the gifts came in as opposed to the gifts themselves.  But this year she thoroughly enjoyed ripping off the wrapping paper and playing with her brand new toys.  The look on her face when she opened her gifts was one of sweet surprise.  Thank you so much to everyone that was so generous to our little princess.  And thank You to Jesus for this day!!!!!

A Spirit of Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving: turkey, pumpkin pie, good company, football, and the spirit of gratitude.  Every year we look forward to this time when generous helpings of Thanksgiving cuisine are blended with family & friends.  Adisson gobbled down turkey for lunch at the Miller home in Vacaville, CA, and then continued the feast for dinner at the Galapate home in Vallejo, CA.  Although the turkey at both homes were juicy and superb, I believe that Adisson's favorite portion of the day was the pack of M&M's that her Great Grandma Miller gave her.  Note that she is holding them in the picture above.  Happy Thanksgiving!

Avid Reader

For the past few weeks, I have noticed that Adisson loves to read.  One particular book seems to be her preference: a children's Bible.  A couple times this week, I found Adisson laying in her bed thumbing through the pages of her children's Bible when she was supposed to be napping.  Yesterday she fell asleep for a nap with her Bible lain atop her legs.  And this evening, I walked into her bedroom and found her asleep with her Bible flipped open next to her on the pillow.  I suppose her enthusiasm towards reading can be stemmed from daily story time with Mommy or our bedtime routine of reading the Bible and praying the "Our Father."  Either way, Adisson is on the road of becoming an avid reader.

MOO-ore Candy, Please

To celebrate the harvest, Adisson grazed along Main Street in full cow-gear for the downtown stroll in Vacaville, CA.  She mooooo-ved her way down the street and received many treats from participating merchants.  She also went trick-or-treating in the evening around our neighborhood.  Now we are enjoying a pumpkin FULL of delicious treats.  Unfortunately, our little cow is limited to one piece of candy a day.

Ode to Pumpkins

"1, little 2, little 3 little pumpkins," I chanted.
"4, little 5, little 6, little pumpkins."  Adisson rocked her head from side to side in rhythm to Mommy's made-up song.
"7 little, 8 little, 9 little pumpkins," Adisson looked at me for the finale.
"10 little orange pumpkins!!" I screamed with hands raised in the air.

We were getting ready to visit the Silveyville Pumpkin Patch in Dixon, CA, and I was prepared to get Adisson as excited about it as possible.  Word around town told me that the pumpkin farm included hay rides, a petting zoo, corn maze, and lots of other fun Halloween stuff.  The temperature was 70 degrees with chilling wind gusts but that wasn't going to stop the Serb Patrol from having a good time.

Upon arrival it was evident that we were the only brave souls that were going to tough out the wind- our car was the only one in the parking lot.  When we entered the pumpkin farm, there was no one in sight except for lonely scarecrows sporadically pinned on the fields.  But, whatever!  That didn't matter to us.  Adisson had Daddy and Mommy at her side and that was all that mattered.  We had the entire pumpkin farm to ourselves and we enjoyed every moment of exploring the variety of pumpkins, climbing a pyramid of haystacks, and riding on a hay horse.  No crowd, no lines, no nothing.  Just the Serb Patrol having a grand ol' time with a bunch of Jack O' Lanterns.

Potty Success!

It is official.  Adisson is successfully potty trained!  It took about two weeks of constant monitoring, asking, worrying, and just sitting, sitting, and sitting on the potty.  And all of the work paid off.  At 2 1/2-years-old, my daughter uses the potty.

I have to say, though, no one told me potty training a toddler would be such a workout.  You'd be surprised how many retailers do NOT have a restroom.  So I frequently book it, frantically trying to find the nearest restroom with Adisson in my arms as she freely announces aloud, "pee pee, wait!!"  That's my cardio for the day.

Nest at Newport Coast

Nothing compares to a day at the beach in 80 degree weather during the month of October.  I'd say we're perfectly spoiled by California living. 

Adisson had a fun-filled vacation at Newport Beach in Southern California.  She played at the beach every day, went on a boat ride along Newport Harbor, and saw sea lions up close and personal.  Not to mention she spent mucho quality time with her Papa, Mama Pinky, Auntie Mitell, and cousins Jonah & Jordan.

We stayed at my parents timeshare at the Newport Coast Villas which is perched upon a bluff overlooking the Pacific Ocean.  We got a wonderful view of the sunset every night we were there.  On our first day, we took a shuttle to Crystal Cove to have lunch right on the beach.  At first, Adisson tip-toed along the sand because she considered the sand stuck to her feet as "dirty."  But she got used to it and by the end of our trip she was happily making sandcastles with Papa and cousin Jonah.

We are already looking forward to flocking back to Newport Beach next year.  In the words of Jonah & Adisson in their splendid imitation of the sea lions, "Uurp!  Uurp!!"