Meeting Brylee June

While we were in Arlington, we had the pleasure of visiting Tanna and meeting Miss Brylee June. She is SO SO cute and tee tiny. It is hard for me to remember Ava ever being that small. It was almost uncomfortable holding something so small. :) Ava had fun running around playing, and wasn't jealous at all of me holding another baby. Brylee was beautiful and slept the entire visit. It was neat getting to visit with Tanna, and just hang out with our little girls. We hope to visit them again soon!

Ava was very sweet when we sat her next to Brylee. She kept trying to stick Brylee's pacifier in her mouth even though she was sound asleep. Ava is OBSESSED with pacifiers even though she never took one herself when she was a baby...she likes to steal them from other kids and chew on them now.
Checking her out...very gently.


Giving Brylee a hug as best she can.

The Big Move

Last Thursday Ava and I loaded up and headed to Arlington to help Diana and Eric pack up and move. Since Diana couldn't take off of work, I packed up her house. I don't mind helping pack, move and unpack when it is not MY stuff. It was not stressful in the least. My brothers friend had a moving truck, and we had plenty of help loading and unloading. It was an easy move, and by the end of the day we were hanging decorations in the new house! We look forward to hosting Christmas in her new house soon.

Ava all bundled up ready to watch everyone load up the moving truck.

Loading up the old house in Arlington...

...Diana and Maddy getting ready to walk into their new house for the first time on moving day...in Heritage Trace in Keller.

Ava did her part helping squash old boxes after unpacking in the new kitchen. She was so proud of herself.

Ava watching me pack up the car getting ready to head back to Austin. She was making the funniest faces up against the glass. I wish I could have caught more of them, but I couldn't get the camera out fast enough. IT WAS COOOOLD!

CONGRATS ERIC, DIANA & MADDY ON YOUR NEW HOME!!!

Christmas Pictures

Well we managed to get a few pictures taken for Christmas cards with one teenage boy and a one year old girl. PHEW!! Neither one had a very long attention span or patience for taking pictures...but we were able to get some good ones!

Ava started out by giving us the evil eyes...I think she knew what was coming.

We started out trying to take some outside, but all Ava wanted to do was play...so we got a very fake smile out of her while Hunter was trying to hold her down.

I love Ava's smile in this one. We had to start taking them standing up because Ava would cooperate on the ground. :)

Out of all of the pictures, this is the only one where Hunter showed his smile full of braces. Ava was just trying to escape.

So we moved inside to the fireplace. Hunter was getting tired, but Ava had some great teethy smiles. She is so cute in this one!!

We ended in front of the Christmas tree. I love her 8 pearly whites....Hunter is DONE by this point!!
...but he posed for one final one...letting his baby sister kiss him on the cheek! Could they be any cuter??

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas....

WOW!! I can't believe I have gone THIS long without blogging! Bad bad bad!

I hosted Thanksgiving for Jamie's side of the family this year (around 20ppl), and I think the weeks leading up to preparing for Thanksgiving got me a little stressed and the blog got neglected.

It was a successful Turkey Day. I made my first ever turkey, and no one ended up sick. :)I would definitely want to host it again. We painted a football field on our front yard (the guys were in heaven), had a cornhole tournament, and hooked three wagons to the back of our lawn mower for rides around the neighborhood for the kids. It was a blast! Oh, and Jamie's little sister announced that she was engaged...to someone we have never met, nor knew existed before Thanksgiving, so that was interesting. ;)

Riding on the "Turkey Express"

My FAVORITE thing about the holidays....all of the desserts!!!!

Ava has also had another bout of RSV/Bronchiolitis this winter. She had it last winter when the weather changed, so I already had the breathing machine and medicine. It lasted about a week along with fever for a week, and if she even smelled or tried to eat food she would vomit because the drainage was so thick. Poor baby. It turned into an ear infection, and she had to take her first antibiotics. She is better now, but the breathing machine is still handy.

Hunter had another spot of staph come up again...this time on his arm. NOT FUN! We think he keeps getting it from school. Although football season is over, he still has athletics. They are lifting weights, and have to change into school provided work out clothes. Hunter has special permission to take his home every day and wash them, but every other teenage boy has to lift weights in clothes that only get washed once a week. YUCK!! So needless to say staph is brewing all around him, and he is very susceptible to it. More meds (for the whole family), more doctors visits, and more strict cleaning. :(

Ava is getting SO big. I can see her changing before my eyes every day. She can sign eat, drink, baby, more, ball, all done, and milk off the top of my head. She is obsessed with birds, and LOVES to watch My Friends Tigger and Pooh on the Disney Channel. She still loves giving hugs and kisses, and has finally starting giving kisses with her mouth closed. Woo Hoo!

We have really been enjoying the cooler weather. We have been reading outside in the hammock wrapped up in a blanket, wagon rides around the neighborhood, dinner and Smores out at the Hyatt Lost Pines, and Christmas Light shows around town.

I finally finished putting up the Christmas decorations that were strewn all around the house. I actually have most of the presents wrapped and under the tree which is pretty amazing even to me. I have a few more things to buy, but mostly gift cards. I am beyond excited for Ava to open gifts and participate in Christmas this year! It is going to be so much fun!

Such a cutie in Winter clothes!

Ava LOVES books. She prefers "reading" a book over playing with toys....

especially reading in the hammock!

"Go faster Mama!"

Getting ready to go eat some Smores...mmmmmm

Our Christmas tree with a few of the gifts underneath.

"The stockings are hung by the chimney with care..."

Ava is obsessed with the dancing Santa! As soon as it comes on she starts dancing too!

Ava has her own Christmas tree...complete with pink bird! She has to see it every day.

Hope everyone is enjoying the holiday season!

We hope to see you all soon!

Places I am finding Ava

Ava is really enjoying climbing on and into things. This particular morning I found her playing IN her toy basket. When I found the camera she gave me a big cheese smile!

The next thing I knew she was crying because she got herself stuck in the drawer of her little oven. The drawer was only open about 6 inches, and I still can't figure out how in the world she got herself in there! It is the tiniest drawer, and it was filled with all her pots, pans and bowls.

I can't turn my back for a second!!

Jamie's Birthday in Lexington

Yesterday we went out to our land in Lexington (Texas) for Jamie's birthday with his side of the family. His three older brothers and their families, his parents and little brother were all there. The first time in years that we were all together out there. All that was missing was his little sister.

Ava had so much fun. She got to..... visit with the cows- (which she found out she DOES NOT like. They are too big and when they moo it is just too loud. She clings to you tightly and is almost in tears.)

Checking out the cows with cousin Jessica from a safe distance.

...Play in the dirt...

....take a walk down by the pond with Aunt Pam...

....and most importantly she got to ride around with Momma on a 4-wheeler. Girlie LOVES anything motorized! 4-wheelers, go karts, lawn mowers, you name it she wants to ride on it and try to steer. Daddy is in trouble!!
When it got dark we celebrated with cake, smores around the camp fire, and a fireworks show.


Happy Birthday again Big Daddy!

Little Milestone

Ava ate for the first time ever in a booster seat! WOW. She did great and didn't try to get out once. So proud!

GO AGGIES!

The day after Halloween, we all got up and got ready to head to College Station to attend the A&M game. At the last minute Stacey called and offered up tickets to Michelle, Heather and I to go! Jamie and Hunter found some seats online, and so we couldn't pass up the opportunity to go.

Before we left we went and had breakfast with Damon, Tara and Gavin. D&T both attended UT, so they of course dressed in their Longhorn attire and us in our Aggie gear. I think every single person in the restaurant stopped by and asked how in the world we were friends. I wish we could have all taken a picture together. I guess you could say opposites attract.

Ava in her Aggie cheerleader outfit. I know they don't actually have cheerleaders, but isn't she cute?

Look at those cuties!

Don't look too closely...no makeup on yet :(

With the girls before the game...eating a little grub.

Michelle, me, Stacey and Heather.

Finally in! Michelle and Heathers first ever A&M game! They are in for some fun! I could actually see Jamie and Hunter from our seats. What are the odds!

WOO HOO the Aggies won!

After the game out on the field being silly!

Aren't these ladies gorgeous?

After the game we went to pick up Ava and then all went out to eat. Afterwards, Jamie and Hunter headed home with Ava, while I got to have a girls night slumber party in College Station. I think it was the first time ever to stay away from Ava. It was SO MUCH FUN!! We got coffee, watched a chick flick, and stayed up way too late talking and laughing until we cried. We all four tried to sleep in one bed, which really didn't work out. The next day we all went shopping before they took me home. I can't wait until January when we all get together for another Fabulous Five Weekend....this time WITH Katrina and her baby belly!

Frightfully Fun Halloween

We had so much fun on Halloween. Damon, Tara and Gavin came over to go trick or treating with us. It was so neat to have Gavin and Ava go out in their costumes together. They had so much fun!!

Ava in her chick costume getting ready to leave.
Gavin was SO cute as a turtle!

What a family picture! I went as a farmer with Ava as my chick. Jamie found a wig at the store and had to have it, so he went as a disco guy. Huner was a redneck...complete with dirty blonde mullet , pork chops and tattoo arms! Telling eachother ghost stories with their flashlights.
They started off trick or treating door to door in the wagon with Big Daddy......but we had to let them walk up to a couple. Aren't they so cute from the back?

When we got home we let them have one sucker from their bags. I have NEVER seen so much drool come out of two small babies. Their mouths must have been going CRAZY with that much real sugar!! My floors were covered with stickiness! Literally...like two faucets of drool!

Damon and Tara stayed for a slumber party!! We all played Wii and ate candy until we were all sick! It was a BLAST!

I can't wait until next year when the babies will understand more of what is going on. Hopefully our Halloween slumber party will become a tradition!! Tara-your house next year? ;)