No Days till Christmas!

 We've been counting down the days untill Christmas, and today is the day! The above is the booty from Santa.

 Ellie and Emma always enjoy being involved, and they take their present opening very seriously! Thanks, Shelby!

 Very Festive!

 Aunt Tracy always impresses with her delectable and beautiful cookies.

 Pawpaw enjoying a Christmas Day massage.

Very competitve Wii competition to top off the day. AK is defintely a future ping pong hall of famer. We hope everyone had a very Merry Christmas!

Christmas Eve

 My famous pumpkin pie (turned birthday cake for Meme this year). This is the only holiday request Michael ever has.

 After church, before the big feast.

 Meme and Pawpaw were able to join us this year as well as Gigi and Granpa. We had such a good time.

 Happy Birthday, Meme!

AK's big Rapunzel doll...this is what she picked to open Christmas Eve.

Gingerbread House

This morning AK and I made a gingerbread house. I guess it has become one of our Christmas traditions. She definitely ate less icing and candy this year. Ellie even hung around...guess the smell of gingerbread was enticing.

Christmas Program

2 classes from Ava's school came to the hospital food court to perform Christmas songs on Friday. This is from their dress rehearsal on Thursday afternoon. This is just two of the songs, but they are two of her favorites. The ones in the santa hats are in her class, and the green elf hats are the class above her. She was so excited to sing at "mommy's hospital"! It was also great because I got to actually attend something for a change. (in case you can't tell...she is on the back row).

Short Disney Clip

A cute little video showing how excited AK was at Disney about everything.

Thanksgiving

 Thanksgiving morning, we left Callaway and drove to my meme and pawpaw's house in Columbus, GA. We had an absolutely delicious meal followed by a family bike rodeo on the river walk. I think a new tradition is born! I want to apologize for the lack of photos. I just didn't take many this week. There are more at www.tracyandmarkscott.blogspot.com.

Callaway Gardens

 When we left Atlanta, we drove to Callaway Gardens to see Fantasy in Lights. It is a magical light show for 8 miles through the gardens at night aboard the Jolly Trolley. I love it, and it was AK's first time to see it. During the day, we rode bikes on the trails and had a picnic at the lake. These poor unsuspecting geese were about to be so chased! Mark and Tracy joined us in time for the lights and dinner.

 Some of the Christmas touches to the gardens for Christmas. Photography courtesy of Ava Kathryn.

 No fair! I've been bike riding all day!

 "Look, no feet!"

This elf is kind of creepy!

Aquarium

 The Tuesday before Thanksgiving we stopped in Atlanta for a night to visit the Georgia Aquarium. We really enjoyed the largest aquarium in the world. Such cute peguins and a very entertaining dolphin show! Above is a whale shark (I think that was supposed to be the largest thing there).

 Of course, AK was able to find a mermaid!

this is the tail of a giant whale slide in the play area

Trick or Treat!

 It's become a tradition to Trick or Treat with the Swinneys (Autumn is one of AK's best friends). She has been so excited about Halloween, and they (Tinkerbell and Sleeping Beauty) had sooooo much fun!

 Chad was really scary! It made it even more fun for the kids.

Disney Randoms

The family at Epcot. One of only 2 family shots we got.

One of her favorite snacks.

They made sure you were filed into a store after every ride. This is AK's best attempt at Capt. Jack Sparrow. She called him her "sweetie".

At dinner prior to the Halloween Party

the cute mickey welcoming us to the halloween party (Mickey's not so scary halloween party)

Gotta have the ears!

Our last ferry ride to the hotel to checkout and leave...she was so sad to leave!

Characters Galore!



Ava Kathryn met tons of characters...these are just a small sampling. This, of course, is Cinderella.

A wicked stepsister

Ariel

Snow White



Buzz Lightyear...believe it or not she was really excited about meeting him...almost as much as the princesses.

Belle

Sleeping Beauty

Rapunzel...her favorite.

Small Break from Disney

We went to a Fall Festival today and Ava got to pick out (the biggest, of course) her pumpkin from the pumpkin patch at the end of a hay ride. Her friend, Darby Claire, was there and they were very silly and loud! She is sporting a lovely Halloween ensemble created by tracyscott designs!