Happy New Year!

It's hard to believe that this was us exactly one year ago. 

We had just brought Ava home from the NICU New Years Eve 2011 and finally had our little family of four together. God has been so good to see us through every step. Buying our home this summer was a three year long prayer request that starting with us deciding to sell our house in 2009, sweet memories in the ranch house, finding out Dave's company was losing its NASA contract, deciding I would stay home with Gavin and our impending bundle of joy, Dave then getting a new job, and Ava's two week early arrival on Christmas Eve. Most all of that was in 2011, so 2012 felt like a huge relief. It wasn't all easy adjusting to life with two little ones, but I can joyfully look back and see God's hand weaving the intricate details of our lives.

It's amazing how things have changed in 12 short months. Happy New Year!

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas!

Celebrating our greatest gift born in a manger ~ Jesus

Happy Birthday Ava Grace

Sweet baby girl,

  This time last year, it was just your daddy and I marveling at this incredible gift we had been given. You came into this world on the afternoon of Christmas Eve increasing our family and the love in our hearts. You are such a joy that is only matched by the joy that travels from your red hair bopping to your toes twirling. Happy Birthday our Ava Grace.

Awe and Wonder

Silent Night

Holy Night

All is Calm

All is Bright

11 Months Old

I  have been delayed with any new blog posts because apparently I reached my photo storage limit on blogger so I had to get that fixed. I didn't even  know that was possible.

Anyways Miss Ava Grace, it seems weird writing your 11 month post after we just celebrated your first birthday. I was a little late on documenting your 11 month but really early on the birthday celebration.  We wanted your family and friends to be able to celebrate your birthday with us my Christmas Eve baby, so that plus the fact that your newest cousin should be making his debut sometime between now and Christmas made us plan such an early birthday party. I'll post pictures of your birthday later but for now I want to focus on your precious 11 month.

You are a firecracker! Have I said that before? I feel like I tell you all of the time. You are usually very happy unless you are tired or have a strong opinion about something like when you want me or don't want your milk. You will happily eat anything solid such as cucumbers, edamame, tomatoes, cardboard. Just kidding about that last one, but you do eat it if we are not watching. However, it is such a struggle to get you to drink your milk now that you are weaned. Most of the time, I end up mixing it with baby cereal to make sure you get the nutrients. Weaning was also a pretty natural progression as you showed less and less interest. I'll miss those sweet times with you, but we will make more sweet memories my little one.

Your newest trick is to stand up from your froggy squat. Those little toes of yours scrunch up to grip the floor. Climbing is another new past time from boxes to the stairs but only if Mommy or Daddy is right behind you. We literally can't turn our eyes from you, but who would want to.

You got your first ear infection this month. It happened right after Thanksgiving and because we took you in to the doctor, I know you weigh 17 pounds at 11 months. You also wear 12 month clothes.

Music seems to be instilled in every inch of your body. You bob to even just a few seconds of music, your feet still twirl and just today you started moving your arms up and down when seeing the ballerinas on The Nutcracker Ballet.

You enjoyed several celebrations in November from Poppy's big birthday to your first Thanksgiving.

 

You not only ate your Thanksgiving dinner like a pro but you also tried to eat your great grandmother's face and share in your daddy's cheerios much like your brother used to do.

 

Your little personality is really shining. You are funny and spunky and oh so feisty. I love you to the moon and back and more my redheaded fireball.
Mama

Dallas

We took a very quick road trip to Dallas recently primarily to go to the Dallas Arboretum. We thought we might also throw in the State Fair, but a little thing called the UT/OU game got in our way by means of thousands of people. We thought that might work in our favor at the Arboretum, but that place was packed.

We took Gavin here when he was 16 months old and I instantly fell in love with the beauty of the grounds.

Can you believe this was 3 years ago???

 
 During the fall season, the Arboretum sets up an elaborate display of pumpkins of all sorts of shapes and sizes. We got an added bonus of the Chihuly glass exhibit.

 

Neither kiddo was too interested in taking pictures, but we got a few obligatory pumpkin patch pics and then took in the rest of the sites.

 

It was totally worth the two day turnaround and countless pit stops because of a certain preschoolers pint-sized bladder. I'm hoping this will be an annual tradition.

Kats and Knights

We dressed up our chicakedees yesterday for a night of fun at our church's Fall Festival. This year the festival was taken to Farrington Mission near downtown to share with surrounding neighbors of the fifth ward.

The kids, or should I say Gavin because Ava had no idea where she was, had a great time. He played games, ate candy, jumped in the bounce house and heard a Bible story using glow sticks. We didn't take our camera with us, but took a few pictures before we left. Gavin was a knight complete with his sword and shield and Ava was La La Kitty Kat, the nickname Gavin gave her before she was born. Without further adieu....
 

 

 

 

 

10 Months Old

Sweet love, my favorite time of year is now. I am beyond delighted to see you experience this season for the first time from the cool temps to the plump orange pumpkins. I remember going to the pumpkin patch last year with eager anticipation of your arrival. And now you are here, all ten months of you.

It is really hitting me that in just less than two months you will be one. I have probably said it a dozen times, but you are hitting this mark way faster than I remember with your brother. Part of that is because my attention is divided between you two but you are also reaching new milestones so much faster. Two more teeth are coming in for a total of six. And you have stood on your own several times for a few seconds. Can I just say how fast you get around. Your knees never touch the ground when you crawl but you sure do boot scoot. It made me a little sad, but this past Sunday you were moved out of the baby class at church into the one year old class because as they said you can pretty much get into anything. I know, I have tried to sweep when you are on the floor.

One thing that is not changing as much is that you seemed to have slowed down in your growth. You are wearing 6-9 month clothes with a few 12 month items and at 10 months weigh 16.9 pounds. Maybe, just maybe your eyes will stay blue like your daddy's. Although in the below picture they look brown.

You and your brother are still two peas in a pod. It's fun being able to give you both a bath at the same time. And most of the time, he actually likes that you can play together. He thinks it's fun to help feed you too. As I'm typing this, Gavin leans over and asks if that's his baby sister in the picture. I think only you could pull him from It's the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown.

 

Now is that perfect time of year in Texas when we can comfortably enjoy the outdoors.  You squeal and wiggle your feet when we go outside. You just may be our little musician. We were listening to Gavin's choir cd in the car and I am almost certain you were shaking your rattle in time to the music. When I had to pause it, you stopped the rattle and started it back up with the music. No wonder you have always like to dance when someone sings a tune. 

 

We love you to the moon and back and more Missy Moo Who. ~ Mama

And Speaking Of...

I mentioned in the last post that Gavin was going to Awanas. It's basically a kid's program at our church that teaches kids memory verses and Bible stories. Gavin always comes home with a cute craft too. We've been working on his verses at home and it amazes me how many verses he still remembers about seven weeks in.

Here he is for the first Awanas' night. Lately, I can't get over how grown up he looks.

And here he is another night in his cute little Cubbie vest with his daddy.

We're really thankful for this sweet ministry at our church. I think Gavin gives his seal of approval too.

It's a Stretch

So the other day, I was searching through pictures of Gavin to create a poster for Awanas. It was supposed to show his growth from a baby to a boy to coincide with the story of Jesus as a boy. I came across his fourth birthday pictures. Yeah, remember that event I have mentioned several times before but have not backed up with pictures. Well, I figured it was now or never. And seeing how this was so long ago, I'll keep it brief.

It was actually Gavin's idea to have a Swedish Fish birthday. And how does one have such a party? It took some imagination and many hours on Pinterest to figure that out. One of the caveats had to be that the party should be fairly easy to throw together since we were moving the next week. The pool was the perfect activity except it rained the first half of the party, but some food and a craft project seemed to keep the kiddos entertained.

 

  

  

 

 

Two of my favorite parts of the party were the fruity shark attack and the school of Swedish fish we cut out of a flotation device for the pool.

  

  

But of course my absolute favorite part of the party was celebrating my sweet four year old with family and friends.