Preschool!

I just dropped Ava off at school for her second year of preschool. She was sooo excited! All of her little friends from last year are in her class again and she couldn't wait to hug them all this morning!

We are so proud of you, Ava!

First day of Dance!

Last week Ava started her second year of dance. She is doing tumbling, ballet, and tap this year. She loves dance and shows us her new moves after every class!

7 years!

I'm a little late posting this but David and I celebrated our 7th anniversary on August 7th! Yay for us! I am one lucky girl!

I have a picture of us celebrating our anniversary this year but can't get it to post. So enjoy a picture of us on our special day....I love this picture because I look about 12. :)

UNITE Women's Conference

Can I just say that I have the best sister ever?? I am sooo proud of her and so thankful that God made me her sister! :)

This was the third UNITE conference that Sarah has hosted and it was amazing!! Our chauffeur, Grandman, drove Ava and I down to Atlanta in the middle of the night so we could be there for the conference. Martha Munizzi and Jane Evans were the special guests. Pastor Rachel and lots of women from my church even made the 7 hour trip to be there. We had the best time and Ava LOVES spending time with her cousins! I so wish they lived closer! :(

Tweetsie 2011

This has become a summer tradition. This is the third year we have headed to Tweetsie with my dad and this year my mom was able to go with us! I look forward to this every year because we always stop to eat lunch at The Daniel Boone Inn. That fried chicken is to die for!! Tweetsie is such a cute little park and we love it because there are no crowds and the weather is always nice in the mountains! Thank you Gigi and Grandman for another fun, memory making trip!

Summer Catch Up

I cannot believe how fast the summer is going by! My camera batteries have been dead for a few weeks so I got really behind...again! We have had a great, busy summer so far!! I have loved having Ava out of school and we have had so much fun going to the pool, the movies, the park, and taking lots of afternoon naps!!

David's grandad passed away a few weeks ago. Thank you to all of our family and friends for the cards and prayers!! In the words of Ava we know that "Granette is in heaven with Jesus and the goldfish!"

Last week was our annual Topsail beach trip with my mom's side of the family! We had soooo much fun just all being together! I didn't get a lot of pictures (I am determined to get a new camera soon!) but here are a few of our fun week!!

Lunchbox

Right after Ava's dance recital I signed her up for Dance Camp. It's everyday this week from 10-1 and she has been loving it!! Monday was her first day and since I worked the weekend I had stocked up on lunch things and snacks for her to take this week. By the time Monday morning came around most of the snacks and goodies I had bought were gone! I searched the pantry and since we just got back from Disney I had plenty of junk left. In her cute little lunchbox I packed a pb&j (can't go wrong with that!) and bag of goldfish, a pack of fruit snacks, and a juice box. I was excited because I knew she would love all of her little treats! When she came home from camp I asked her how her lunch was. Ava said, "I don't like those gummy-nacks! Can you pack a better one tomorrow?" She went on to tell me that everyone else had fruit and that's was she was supposed to take. I sent David to the grocery store that night to get fruit and the next day Ava said I did much better! :) That little girl keeps me on my toes!

Birthday Disney Trip!

Believe it or not this was the first time I have been able to celebrate my actual birthday in Disney!! This was kind of a last minute trip and it was sooo much fun!! We left on Tuesday night around 8:00 and drove into Disney at about 4 am (David made it there in about 8 hours...best time yet!) The weather was perfect (it was actually hotter in NC) and the crowds were not too bad. We stayed at Old Key West (our home resort) and spent plenty of time at the pool! We had a great trip and I had the best birthday ever!!

Bolin Visit!!

Sarah, Jay, and Caroline came for a visit this weekend (we really missed Jason but he had a busy weekend at church so he stayed in Georgia!) Ava and I went with my dad on Thursday to pick them up from the airport. Then we met my mom at Crabtree and had lunch at The Cheesecake Factory (yummy!!) We played at the pool all afternoon and then again all day Friday. Ava had a sleepover with sissy and bubba on Friday night and then played at the pool again all day Saturday (needless to say she is beyond exhausted today!) On Saturday night my parents had a birthday party for my sister and me at the pool. Sarah's birthday was last week and mine is Wednesday. We had soooo much fun with the Bolin's and can't wait to see them again very soon!!!

Pedicure

Ava is not a huge fan of getting her nails done. She likes having them painted but hates when I cut them or have to take old polish off. One night last week I got creative and set up a little nail salon in the kitchen. She got really into it and I finally got her nails done!

Catching up...

I feel like I always get so far behind on my blog. Life is busy! I just looked at my June calendar and it looks like it's not slowing down a bit so I need to catch up! Tomorrow is Ava's last day of preschool. She has had a wonderful year and her teachers have been so wonderful!! She had a little program last week and she did great! Apparently preschool moms are very eagar...we got there a good 20 minutes early and still could only find a seat in the back. Couldn't get any great pictures...That's her at the far left with the yellow dress. We got a great video but I have no idea how to post that here. Just trust me, she did great!

Today is also Ava's last week of soccer. David has been going with Ava to soccer but I did manage to attend one practice. WHEW....that's all I can say about 50 3-year-olds running around with soccer balls! Think I'll stick with dance and let Daddy handle sports!

I recently got a new job...well a new position I guess. I'm still working in the ER but now I will be WAS (weekend option)! It's more money but I have to work every Saturday and Sunday nights. I was pretty much doing that before so to get paid for it will be really nice. I worked this past Saturday night and when I woke up Sunday afternoon this is what I found...

David had been at the All Star race all weekend and Ava had been with her Nana! Apparently they were as worn out as I was!

The Bolin's are coming here on Thursday and then we leave for a little get away next week (bet you can't guess where??) Here's a hint...

That little green card is Ava's first Disney World annual pass!! Yippppeeee!!

Maria!!

I don't know where this came from really but Ava and I have a little joke about our cleaning lady "Maria". No she doesn't really exist but whenever the house is super messy I will ask Ava "when is Maria coming??" She will respond with a random day of the week like "on Sunday...on Friday" and I will say "okay good!" Somehow it makes me feel better about the mess just to laugh about it!

So Maria if you're out there, we have Bible Study in the morning at 10 so the house is ALL yours!! :)

Mother's Day 2011

This mother's day was really special for me! On Friday Ava and I took my mom out to lunch at a cute little grill downtown. It was a memorable meal...Ava tasted a piece of my shrimp, thinking it was chicken, and proceeded to the throw up all over the table! She was pitiful. Didn't phase my mom or I ate all, we cleaned up the vomit and then just continued eating our yummy lunch! On Friday night we went out to eat with David's family to celebrate his wonderful mom! On mother's day Ava woke me up and gave me a sweet card, a huge orchid plant (David said they tried to paint the vase but it didn't turn out too well. We are just not crafty in this house...we will leave that to preschool), and a huge chocolate covered apple (my favorite) We made it to church ON TIME, despite me working the night before and then went out to a delicious brunch. After lunch I was able to take a wonderful, long nap thanks to my wonderful husband! It was a fabulous weekend!
My mother's day reflection....God started speaking to me a few months ago that I had to start letting go of my "mommy guilt." I don't know why but as soon as Ava was born I thought my job was to make everything perfect for her. My entire focus was put on being the perfect mom and let me just tell you that is an impossible goal! Our Pastor was talking at church that our job as mothers is not to be perfect but to lead our childern to the One who is perfect. The One who, believe it or not, loves Ava more than I do. The One who holds her entire world in His hands, who has a plan and a future for her. There is such a freedom in knowing that I don't have to be perfect. Ava doesn't need me to be perfect. She just needs me to be me...and that'll be perfect to her! :) Happy Mother's Day!!!