Memorial Day

What does the day mean to you:

a day off of work
picnic with friends
swimming
extra day of sleeping in?

Well to me, it means that I can honor the men and women who give their lives, and their family lives so that I can be free!

My nephew Matthew, is a hero to me, along with the rest of the family who have served!

Thank you Matt for your dedication and your commitment to the USA.

Matthew on the left, with the Generals personal body guard.

Can't wait to see you soon!

Playing Hookie

I don't know if you can call it hookie if you own your own business, but none the less, Tom didn't go back into work one morning.

We took the opportunity to head to the Riverwalk.  We played at the playground and watched the geese spit at us, and took a nice walk along the river and had lunch.  It was wonderful to just spend time with my honey!

Ava almost fell asleep on this swing.  We have never seen one like this before.  I think she really liked the back and forth motion of it.

spying all the fun things the other kids are doing...

I look so giddy here...

so excited to have a nice day

taking a break with daddy

exploring...



on a bridge over the river on our walk



also,

we went to a breakfast held by the Rotary Club here in town to pick up Tylers Scholarship money.  It was really neat.  I had never been before, but it was nice and they do so much in the community that I didn't realize.  Tom and I both said, these were people just like Tyler.



Finish Line?

What does May mean for me?

End of year activities at school!

On one hand I am glad that school is almost over, on the other hand I am sad that school is almost over!

We went to an end of the year band concert for Andrew

and then we went to an award night for Tyler

We are so proud of all of his accomplishments.

Throw in some cuteness of Ava:

Samson and Cooper with Ava at the park

I bought a potty chair for Ava and I took it out of the box, and she instantly pulled her pants down and took off her diaper

in my kitchen of all places, I was shocked to see her do this.  I wonder if she was on a potty chair in the orphanage?  She knew exactly what to do, and she didn't want to get up.  NO she didn't do anything in it, but I found it interesting none the less.

So, I see the finish line a comin, where I will have Tyler graduating High School and Trevor graduating 8th grade, and then the flurry of activities in the summer.  HELP, I don't think it ends anytime soon!

Fun n' the Sun

 How I love thee o big beautiful Sun.  I forgot what you looked like, so I traveled to Phoenix AZ to see you again.  I so loved basking in your warmth and walking in slow motion.  Thank you Thank you Thank you for being in Arizonia when i was there.

Well really Ava Grace and I traveled to Arizonia to see my parents.  It has been since last May that my folks have seen Ava Grace.  We had a wonderful time just hanging out, going to the beautiful Phoenix Zoo and to the Mall to see my parents friends.  It was a short trip, but so worth it.

This is a statue they have in the childrens area at the zoo

petting the goats,

she kept saying

"hi" in her best high pitched voice she could do!

this is Dooper, he is helping with a childrens show at the mall

my parents were brought up on stage with Ava Grace

and they sang songs, Ava loved to shake Doopers hand

Papa and Ava Grace 

Photo shoot before leaving

that is my new doggie sister Katie 



Prom 2011

Tyler attended Prom this year, he had to miss out last year because we were flying home from Moscow on the day of it.  He was dissapointed, but happy it worked out this year.

He asked a really sweet Sophomore to go with him, and she looked beautiful.

I love her hot pink shoes!

beautiful wrist corsage,

love the pink sparkles in them

ummm, I think they are just having fun!

I love her hair, she has beautiful flowers in it!

What fun!  Oh to be young again!

Happy Familyversary, Happy Familyversary, laa, laaa,laaa

May 8, 2010

Tyler and I woke up early, we got ready and then woke Ava up.  We ate a little breakfast (Dunkin Donuts from across the street that had just opened the day before), and something like yogart.   We arrived at the airport and I was surprised in how new it looked, coming from St. Petersburg, where the airport was very very old, I was impressed by the Moscow airport.  We flew Swiss Air from Moscow to Switzerland and then we were supposed to have a 2 hour layover there.  Ava slept the whole trip to Switzerland, while we were waiting for our plane to board this time the Icelandic Volcano happened to interfer with plans yet again.  Our layover went from 2 hours to 3 hours then it went to 5 hours and at 6 hours we were starting to board the plane and Ava just fell asleep in the stroller, she woke up when we found our seats.  Well that 10 minute nap kept Ava awake for about 3 more hours of her not being satisfied.  She wasn't crying and she wasn't whining, she just wasn't happy.  Well I had it because I knew she was very tired and I took her in the back of the plane where the stewardess are and I held her in my arms firmly and rocked her, she cried loudly for just a couple of minutes and then boom, just like that she was sound asleep.  She slept the entire rest of the time.  What was supposed to be an 9 hour flight, turned into a 10 1/2 hour flight because we had to go around the Icelandic ash in the air.   I had to wake her when we finally landed.  She was home, and she was ours.  We finally met up with the rest of the family and that is why today is FAMILYVERSARY DAY.  Our family was all together and we could rejoice.

Tyler and Ava

Swiss Air

Moscow to Switzerland

hanging out in the Switzerland airport 

Home 

Happy 1 Year Home Ava Grace 

Austin putting Avas new scooter together