Happy Birthday Ava Grace

We are so blessed to celebrate Ava Grace and just let her know how much we love her!

First Breakfast:

Ava learning how to do "2" on her fingers

saying "2" 

Then we went to the Doctors for her 2 year check up:

Then we had a Party at Pump It Up:  It is an indoor playland of blown up slides and things:  She had a blast:

look how sweaty Trevor is (yuck) 

getting air blown on her 

trying to play baseball 

After that we came home to have cake and ice cream:

Sara and Kaitlyn

Ava loved the cupcakes! 



Then presents:

These slippers are so cute:

she loves them

Cooper thought that there was something for him!

He was trying to get to Avas new slippers! 

Mickey Mouse!  Couldn't go to Disney without

picking one up! 

The day was a blessing filled with a little girls laughter and quite inquesitiveness.  We are so glad Ava Grace is here with us to celebrate her special day!

Austin Turnabout 2010

While I was away in Florida with Trevor and Ava, Austin and his Girlfriend had Turnabout.  I just got the pictures yesterday and I wanted to share them with you.

I think this is pretty with the snow falling

and the Christmas Lights on

her little sister loves Austin also! 

Christmas Wrap Up

Christmas Eve started with the boys and Ava making their sugar cookies.  I have gone away from cutting them out myself now, and I just end up buying the pre-cut cookies from our Market Day at School.  It has turned out to be the best thing for our family.  No more frustration over the dough sticking and whos going to roll and whos going to cut the cookies.  Tyler really had Ava do a lot of the decorating of the cookies, so the sprinkles ended up all over, but it was fun to see her sticking her toung out and eat the sprinkles right off the cookies.  Later in the evening we went to church.  It was beautiful and they do a candelight caroling at the end.  It was beautiful to be in the church and see the candels all lit.  He really is the "Light of the World".  After church we went to Toms moms house and had some appetizers and fellowshiped with some family friends. 

Later we painted nails to look pretty for Christmas

some pictures before heading out to church

loving my biggest big brother 

4 boys and 1 princess! 

our crazy family of 7! 

at Marilyns house we have a time of singing Christmas Carols! 

Ava LOVED the music and the singing

Christmas Day, was so different this year.  We let Ava sleep until she was ready to get up, and the boys were sooooo excited to see her celebrate her first Christmas.  We cleaned up and then family and friends came for lunch.  We had 23 this year and it was another wonderful time of just being relaxed with those we love.  Later we did a "white elephant" gift.  This was something new for us, and it sure was funny.  Some peoples ideas of "white elephant" are sure different than the rest.

Ava got this from Santa, she loves it! 

Brothers, finally loving each other! 

Tylers "white elephant" gift!

I think he looks good!  Maybe we will have to go to Hawaii now! 

My dining room ready for Christmas

we were able to fit all 24 of us in there (including Ava) 

This beautiful santa is a gift that I bought for myself while in Russia

It is a hand carved Santa with beautiful detail.

They have many wonderful scenes, but I chose

to have the manger scene. 

We have now cleaned and put away the decorations and we are ready to celebrate Avas birthday.  She will be 2 and we are so blessed to be able to share this Birthday with her.

Christmas

What a joy to be able to share Jesus with my daughter this year.  As she takes baby Jesus on walkabouts thru the house, and humming Jesus Loves Me, I stare at her in awe and I thank God for this beautiful daughter he has let me parent.  She helps bring some Christmas "fun" into our house again.  Seeing everything thru those beautiful eyes of hers for the first time is truly a Joy!  I pray that everyone will be able to remember this season as a Gift that God gave us, by sending His one and only Son for me...for you...for all who believe.  Amazing.  I was at Church on Sunday, and I just started to cry, with the beautiful songs and the beautiful message, it just hit me.   I have once again started to do everything on my own, me this, me that, I'll do this, I'll do that, but never once did I stop to ask what God wanted me to be doing.  I failed again, and again, and again.  Yet, He reminds me that He still Loves ME?  Loves Me, and wants Me to be HIS!  Rejoice in the magesty of Christmas, Love your family.  Give all Glory to God!

Santa at Bass Pro, First Snowman

I went to the mall the other day to have Ava "see" Santa.  I wasn't sure if it was going to be busy, but I had other things to do so we got there early.  There was no line, so I went in, right away I saw these signs that said "no cameras or cellphone cameras beyond this point".  I was like really?  When the boys were younger, you could take them to see Santa and take your own pictures if you wanted!  Ava walked right up to Santa and shook his hand, looked at him but wasn't afraid.  Santa picked her up and she sat on his lap, it was really cute.  Mrs. Claus asked if I wanted a picture, and I said how much?  I was blown away, that the price of the picture was $20.  Well call me cheap, because I laughed at her and said NO WaY!  Ava took her candy and we left.  I was disapointed that I couldn't take a picture of her with Santa.  Well later that day, I told my hubby and he said, Bass Pro has Santa and I believe he is free.  I called over to them, and sure enough, HE IS FREE!  Well we went the next day, and low and behold, it is absolutely wonderful.  They take a picture and give it to you for free, and you can take your own.  The one they took is wonderful! (I haven't scaned it yet tho)  The ones i took, ahh not so great.  Ava was wanting her candy by the time I took a picture, but all in all a Great experience!

It snowed a little Monday, so Ava Grace and Trevor went out in it.  First of all I have to tell you, that I bought Avas snow outfit last year, before I even saw her, or her size.  I was just guessing what size she would be this year.  Well I guessed a little wrong.  Her snow suit is a 2T and she is only wearing an 18 month size.  So suffice it to say, it is big on her.  She looks like a walking marshmallow in it. 

They stayed mostly on the driveway, and I was able to get her on a sled and she loved going fast down the driveway. Trevor also taught her how to do a snow angel.

Last night Tyer and Ava went out when it was snowing again and they built an Ava Grace size snowman...

Then Ava thought she wanted to see how it tasted....

Later she justed wanted Frosty as her friend...

the boys are having so much fun with a little sister!