Fifth and Final [trip to Kentucky]

I have been so lucky to have been able to visit Kathryn, Trevor and the kids in KENTUCKY 5 times in the past 2 1/2 years. Each trip has been memorable and I left feeling an increase of love for each of them! I am so grateful that I was able to take Avery with me the last 2 times I have been and am so grateful to Kathryn for her help with all the motherly advise that has made me a better mom and Avery a happier baby!

Avery and I love those kiddos so much and they LOVE her! It was so fun to watch Avery and Davis together. I am sure Davis was long past ready for Avery to go home as she like to love on him and always get in his space.

(notice Davis in the back ground)

No really, they totally love each other and I am sure they will be good friends when she a little older and is not trying to scratch his eyes out:)

I LOVE that we take a trip up to the Gap Clearance Center in Cinci every time! I love that we find great deals and that we get a chance to have a nice long conversation on the way there and back. But most of all I LOVE that my sister is my best friend!

We do a lot of hanging out and everyday stuff while I am there... which is what we all want to be doing!!!

Megan and Hallie loved holding and playing with Avery and she loved it too!

But mostly when Hallie would hold her she just wanted to get her hands on those cute glasses that Hallie was wearing! Attack!!

We HAVE to do crafts of course!

And I have to take advantage of Kathryn's amazing photographing skills while I can!

AHHH, what can I say??

I CANNOT WAIT TILL THEY LIVE CLOSER!!!

9 months (and 2 weeks:))

I love her more everyday if that is possible and I lovehate that she is getting so big and old!!

At her 9 month visit her stats were as follows:

weight: 16lb 11oz -> 12%tile

length: 29in -> 90%tile

head: 17 1/4in -> 45%tile

She is at such a fun age and it is so fun watching her start to discover the world around her!

She is still a spunky little monkey and is trying so hard to crawl. She scoots backward (while lying on her belly) and turns around in circles. She can get on to all fours now and wiggles her legs around but can't quite move herself forward. It doesn't take much of that and she gets really frustrated!

She LOVES her binky and I LOVE that she loves her binky and think it is so cute to watch her suck on it!

All that length helps her reach really far and grab a hold and tip over anything that looks interesting... like a freshly made pitcher of orange juice.

She has turned into such a good sleeper... I think she is making up for the first 6 months that she never slept! (4 naps a day... AHHHH!)

Still a mommas girl... OH MY GOSH, I CANNOT GET ENOUGH OF HER!!!

She is the happiest smiliest baby I have ever known!

Smiling, LAUGHING, talking, squealing, cooing, and (I am convinced) humming.

I kiss her 1 million times a day! She lets me!

The little love of my life!

-video to come soon to show off her new 'tricks'... smarty pants!-

I know it is all a little over the top, what can I say, I am a proud mom!

Crazy Mad Hornets, Crazy Mad Dad and WINDOWS!

Jeff, Avery and I where taking a nice Sunday stroll minding our own business when out of the blue (and the tree branches above) come swarming hornets, in full attach mode....

Then come the screams of the little one!

We were running and could not believe what just happened. They got Avery on the head (and her jaw-line I found the next day) and Jeff on the arm.

Luckily the screams didn't last to long, that was until I laid her down for the night and she would roll over on to her right side and the screams would begin again!... Poor little thing!

Jeff kept threatening to go back and kill all those angry hornets but I don't think that has happened yet!

Since we moved into our house almost 3 years ago...ALMOST 3 YEARS AGO {wow}!

We have desperately needed new windows throughout. All the seals were broken on the almost 25 year old windows. On one of the snowy days of the first winter here, I was shocked to see snow... yes, actually snow flakes blowing into my front room.

We literally could not see out of some of them! Pathetic!

We have had multiple quotes and even at one point put money down on getting them replaced but it never happened until finally, thanks to my wonderful dad, 2 weeks ago

WE HAVE NEW WINDOWS! ... Well, at least on the front of our house.

Keep in mind Jeff or my dad have never before installed windows. My dad did lots of homework and talked to all the window guys he could get to listen on how to do it.

I had no reservations that my dad could do it and that he would do a good job of it.

He did NOT disappoint!

We are SO SO SO grateful for all his hard work and for his love (he must love us for all the work he does on this house:)) and sacrifice!

Jeff and I are still stopping each other in surprise... "Oh my, look at our front yard, you can see it from the front room"!

Oh yea, we also cut down that awful old evergreen that stood exactly where Jeff is standing in the above picture. (I have also had it out for that tree since we moved it!)

What a GREAT week!

Annual Summer Family Trip

It was just a small group of us this year, my parents, us and my brother Eric's family and

I didn't take nearly enough pictures!

We headed down to HOT Mesquite Nevada and had lots of fun playing with cousins, golfing (boys), facials (girls), and SWIMMING.

Skyelie and the boys got a little bling after tearing it up in the Arcade!

We also headed back up to St. George one of the nights did a tiny bit of shopping and saw Footloose at Tuacahn (good but a little risque..Eeehh).

should have gone to Annie- my bad

Our room shared a door with my parent and on several occasions they listened in for Avery while she napped and Jeff and I were even able to go get bite to eat on our own one night. What a treat!

We sure love these folks!

There were lots of first on this trip... we drove further then we every have, we stayed in hotel rooms, we ate out a lot, the boys golfed two 18 hole rounds, the girls went to the spa (my mom had her first ever facial and of course LOVED it) and we endured temperatures up to 108* that is CRAZY hot (if you ask me)!

I love that we have this tradition and that we make it a priority every year.

Big group or small we go every year!

MessMaker

While I was doing this...

Avery was doing this...

TA-DA!!!

And this morning she got a hold of a super ripe banana

YUM!!

"Look Mom, its squishy!"

And it looks like she might have tasted her dads ice cream... hmmm?!?

8 months

Sweet Avery is 8 months old today!

What a gift she has been to our family!

I consider it one of my greatest blessing that I get to stay home with her.

Avery adores her dad and we are so thankful to him for working so hard so that I can be a full time mom!

What Avery is doing right now:

Avery sits and plays with toys and can entertain herself for quite a while.

While she is on her belly she is starting to move her legs like she is wanting to crawl. (I am wanting to see her master this new skill but at the same time I am thinking...' we have too many stairs, crawling can wait'!)

Avery is such a good eater and wants to try every thing Jeff and I are eating.

She is still sleeping good and still waking up early (5:30ish), usually not to go back to sleep till her morning nap!!

Avery handles crowds pretty well and loves to see what everyone is doing however, still wants to be in Jeff or I's arms while she people watches.

Still no teeth and I don't see them coming any time soon.

She can do the baby sign for MORE.

Avery rarely cries but grunts and 'whines' to let us know she wants something or that she is tired.

She hasn't quite got the pincher grasp yet and anything she tries to feed herself ends up getting lost in her little fist.

She loves her Binky and takes it in and out and will switch it out for another one just the same while she is trying to go to sleep (so so cute).

Just can't get enough of this little one!

My Happy, Silly, Sleepy Splasher!

Everyday I am amazed a what a happy happy girl I have!

{she is constantly making me smile!}

{avery has such a fun personality}

{8:30 church takes a toll on the napping 'schedule'}

{splashing in the sink is fun to do, to do, to do, to do}

Cali 09

It seems like you wait forever to go on that fun vacation and then in a blink of an eye it is long over with {sad}!

I was a little anxious how Avery would do in on the 4, 5+hr car rides.

In a word, AMAZING!!!!!

She honestly did not cry for one minute the entire trip! There would be a little fussing and then she would fall asleep! {DREAM}

Jeff, Avery and I stayed in Mesquite from Tuesday night till his family came down and we left for the beach on Friday.
Jeff got in a couple rounds of golf, I had a delightful facial at a super nice spa and we hung out at the pool (well really the hot tub because the pool was FREEZING!!)
It was Avery's first time in a pool/hot tub and she LOVED it!

Then FINALLY we made it to the beach! We were so happy to be there, Avery was especially glad to get out of that car seat!
We had so much to do!

Sit on the beach of course.

Stories and songs by the camp fire.

A trip to Disneyland (I was a little leery about this with the little one but Jeff insisted)

It turned out to be really fun and Avery couldn't wipe the smile off of her face!

It was such a FUN day with the family!

A whale watching boat ride. Notice the dolphins behind us!

This was one of the highlights of our trip. We saw a 'mega pack' of dolphins (500-600)

and 2 blue whales. {AMAZING}

It was so fun to see those incredible animals up close and spend some time with Jeremy, Emily and little Mason!

It was a much need get-a-way and we still can't believe it is over!

Great Family Time! Great Memories!