Lisa: The Big Red Barn

Every time we drive down to Spring City to visit my parents, I see the sign for the Big Red Barn and its "world's best ice cream." This time we finally stopped and checked it out. It was packed with people, and was a little more of a commercial operation than I expected (I guess I thought it would be a more rustic mom-and-pop situation). In addition to fruit, fudge, and baked goods, they sell old-fashioned candies and the sort of country-cute tchotchkes you might see at Kneaders or Gardner Village. Of course, we did get some tasty fresh creamery ice cream cones.

They had a little area on one side of the barn set up with hay bales and pumpkins, and there was a whole family camped out on the bales, getting holiday photos taken. I couldn't resist snapping a few of Nora before we left.

Lisa: Pie Day

My mom had us come up to Spring City to put all of the apples and plums they had left at the end of the season into pies. Nora was such a great sport, stirring bowls and sorting apple peels all through our marathon day of baking. Grandma even made her a tiny pie of her very own.

Lisa: put up your dukes

Nora put together this battle suit for herself: her Hulk gloves (a Christmas gift from Mallory) and the hunny pot helmet.

Lisa: potato face

I think every kid with a Mr. Potato Head has done this. It's a rite of passage.

Lisa: Hulking out

When you find a combination this good, you just keep going back to it.

Lisa: and now I'm jealous

I had to do SOMETHING to keep the brush-averse Nora from looking like a rock chewer every day, so we went back to Cookie Cutters and got her an adorable baby-sized bob.

Lisa: Fall

A new haircut and a giant pile of fall leaves.

Lisa: High Jump

You would think with all that buildup, there would be a little more height to Nora's hops. You would be mistaken.

Lisa: Trick or Treat

Princess Nora gets the Halloween basics down.

Lisa: This is Halloween

Between putting together costumes for Jillian's birthday party, Voices rehearsals, and starting all the homemade Christmas gifts, this was not the year for making Nora an incredible hand sewn Halloween costume. The princess outfit (complete with accessories) that my mom bought for Nora fit the bill perfectly, and she loved it. No bad-mom guilt necessary.

Also starring: Blake, in his goth funeral outfit, Jami and Alex (looking adorable as a tiger), and E--who became Alex's favorite walking buddy.