Christmas Pictures

This was the first year for a long time that we were able to get professional pictures done for our Christmas cards.  When Julianna was diagnosed at the age of 2, she absolutely refused to have her pictures taken at the studio.  Now that she's six and believes she is a princess, she was very excited about having her picture taken in her Christmas dress.  We all had a great time.  Here are some of the pictures...

Merry Christmas to everyone!!!

Cinderella

Because mommy was home sick with a cold, Julianna decided to use her "modeling skills" to brighten my day.  She wanted me to take pictures of her in her favorite "ballroom gown".  Here are a few of them...

Someday, my prince will come!

Fixing my dress....

Trying to be cute...

Striking a pose...

Ready for my pumpkin carriage!

Walden Farms

We went to Walden Farms in Smyrna, TN for some Pumpkin patch fun last month.  Julianna has so much fun inside the corn crib.  She also went through the kiddie corn maze 4 times!  It made Mommy and Daddy very, very dizzy!  

Inside the corn crib

Taking the corn maze very seriously...

We're lost!

Ready for a second round

With the pretty sunflowers

Feeding Mr. Goat

Trick or Treat!

Julianna had a bout with the cold this week but this did not dampen her Halloween spirit at all!  She was very excited to be a Snow Princess this time.  We started trick or treating at 6 pm and we went to about 20 houses in our neighborhood.  We went home just in time for dinner and for Julianna to help give out the candy to the trick or treaters...We had tons of fun!

Ready to trick or treat!

Daddy's little girl

Our Snow Princess

Bless This Mess

Julianna's room was an absolute mess this past Sunday.  As I was trying to help her clean up and make sense of things, I noticed something written on her little schedule whiteboard.  Also, when I asked her who was responsible for the mess, I got a very interesting answer.  I was very amused, and I thought it was really special...  But I couldn't show her that, and I had to be firm and managed to tell her in between chuckles that she had to clean up her room.  I am not sure who of you out there will not be amused by this...

Very messy bed

Closer look at her sign

Very messy dresser (no surprise there...)

Closer look at the guilty bear, Amelia 

This bear was renamed Amelia after Andy and Mary Beth's little princess.  Amelia left a very lasting impression on Julianna after she saw her at her birthday party.  

Jack-O-Lantern

Below are pictures of Julianna and Jeff making their first Jack-O-Lantern together.  They had so much fun!  We were even able to roast the pumpkin seeds.  They were yummy!

Hard at work

Julianna and Mr. Jack

Learning to Share

We were finally able to deliver Julianna's donations to the Vanderbilt Children's hospital early this week.  In exchange for her gifts, Julianna got a private tour of the Children's hospital.  She really enjoyed watching the patients hold a "Teddy Bear's Clinic" and the Koi pond in the garden.  It is kind of ironic that I work at Vanderbilt, but that I had never seen the Children's hospital the same way I saw it that day.  I really am glad that we decided to support her in wanting to donate her gifts to the Children's Hospital.  I could really see the efforts of the hospital to help the patients and their families have a comfortable stay during what are really the most trying of times for them.  

I always feel bad whenever I see or hear about a very young child diagnosed with a terminal illness.  I could never understand why they were never given the chance to enjoy life.  A lot of our patients usually are diagnosed shortly after they are born.  Most of them live for 2 years or more, but it is always a life filled with pain and suffering.  I always wondered why they were allowed to suffer like that.   During our tour, I promised Julianna that she could share her gifts with the sick children every year.  Maybe in our small way, we can help improve the quality of life for these brave little angels.  Julianna also told me, much to my husband's disappointment, that she wants to be a doctor someday...so she can help the sick children get better.  Jeff pretended to be proud of her, but I knew deep down, he wants her to be a computer whiz just like him...We may hope and aspire differently for her, but I know that we will be proud of her no matter what she wants to be someday.  

Preparing her gifts...

Julianna loved looking at the costumes from Swan Lake

She enjoyed this model of the Children's Hospital a lot

In front of the Koi pond