Cotton-pickin' pumpkins

Here are a few more pics from the pumpkin patch (which is in the middle of about 100 cotton fields, so it's called cotton-pickin' pumpkins!):


The girls were big enough to ride the corn train this year, which was about 10 of these little trains, pulled by one of the farmers on a tractor. Couldn't get much more fun!



Just checkin' to see if James has grown any.

Paige going on an adventure in the hay. The brown field in the background is one of the many cotton fields.

A lot changes in a year!

Yesterday, we went to the same pumpkin patch we went to when we first moved here last year, and when we got home, I noticed that I had taken some very similar pictures as the ones I took last year. They've both changed more than I realized this year. Paige has gotten a lot taller and Ashley's face is much more like a little girl than the baby face she still had last year. Here are the comparisons:



LAST YEAR: Paige was just over 2 and a half feet.





THIS YEAR: She's right at 3 feet!

LAST YEAR: Ashley wouldn't stand still for the picture, but it looks like she might a been a bit over 3 feet.

THIS YEAR: She stood nice and still and straight and is 3 and a half feet.

LAST YEAR: Paige liked lying in the corn.

THIS YEAR: She loved it!






LAST YEAR: Paige got buried up to her belly in the "corn crib."

THIS YEAR: James buried her all the way up to her neck and she thought it was great!

LAST YEAR: Ashley had a fun time in the corn.

THIS YEAR: She had a great time, but was a little concerned about the corn getting in her clothing.

LAST YEAR: Ashley liked riding the tractor-trikes, but it was pretty tough to pedal and steer with big kids in the ring.

THIS YEAR: She was one of the big kids and raced around and around!

LAST YEAR: Paige's feet just wouldn't touch the pedals.

THIS YEAR: She could reach the pedals and make it go (slowly)!

LAST YEAR: The girls liked getting buried together in the sand.

THIS YEAR: They liked it, again!

LAST YEAR: Ashley's favorite animal was the little pony.


THIS YEAR: We nearly had to drag her away from the puppies!

Botanical Gardens

We decided to take advantage of the 80 degree weather we're still having and went to the Botanical Gardens all day today. They had a really fun Children's Garden, complete with a butterfly house, lots of water features, and really fun places to play. We also walked around the whole garden, which was decorated for Halloween with over 100 scarecrows and had a corn maze, which the girls loved.



The aquatic garden (my favorite), which had gigantic fish in it:
(Ashley picked out her own outfit, as closely to match Daddy's as possible)

The reason Ashley's hair was stringy all day--the rocket garden with water instead of smoke:

The storybook garden, complete with a troll bridge, wishing well, and castle gate:

The last post wouldn't let me publish this pic for some reason, so here it is now:

We're Still Here!

We've been out of it for a few months--here's the quick recap: James' dad was in a car accident the middle of August and we flew out to Colorado to be with all of his family out there. After 6 weeks in the SICU, his dad was able to move to a rehab hospital and is currently growing stronger each day and recovering well--it's just a long process. We had intended to stay out there for two weeks, but ended up staying nearly two months since James was able to work out of the office in Colorado and the girls and I didn't have much pressing going on here. Besides all the stresses of the hospital and all, it was great to see all the Gillespies and have all 8 cousins play together and be able to visit for a long time.

Then, we were home for a few days and it just happened to be my dad's 60th birthday the next weekend. We couldn't pass up such a great occasion, so we piled in the car and drove down to Florida to celebrate with him and spent a week playing in their pool, visiting relatives, and having a fun time. Here are some pictures:

At Aunt Ducky's house:

With my grandparents out by my parent's pool:

With my grandad: