Cabin Fever!

Winter is here and it is becoming more and more challenging to find things to occupy Ava during the day. Last week we actually had some warm days and went outside to play bubbles...Ava's favorite! I gave in one day last week and pulled out a playdoh toy that Santa brought. I gave Ava firm instructions that playdoh is to play with not to put in our mouths. She repeated it over and over but eventually snuck a piece in her mouth. I can't really blame her though because her playdoh icecream maker really looks like the real deal. She spit it out and then told David when he got home that playdoh doesn't go in our "mooouth!" Live and learn, uh?

We made cupcakes last week to celebrate....umm probably nothing, just wanted to eat cupcakes!

Ava loves "helping" me in the kitchen. I have to watch her very closely because on several occasions she will go missing and I find her in the bathroom with a tupperware bowl pouring water from the bathtub all over the floor! I cannot wait to be able to take her to the pool this summer. She won't need pool toys, just a few tupperware bowls and she will go to town dumping water on her head!

She is also really getting in to playing dress up. She has a Disney princess chest that has dresses, jewelry, and shoes.

I just keep reminding myself as I look outside at the slushy, cold, yucky rain that 4 weeks from today we will be in Disney World! I will have my little princess's hand in one hand and a Mickey Mouse rice krispy treat in the other! Let the countdown begin!

Snow Days!

Ava and David had a great time playing in the snow this weekend! I had a great time watching them from the window! We all enjoyed a weekend of staying in our pajamas and eating, eating, and more eating...

Happy Birthday, Caroline!!

Today is my favorite niece's birthday! Since we couldn't be there to celebrate with her I decided to share my favorite Caroline memory! Back in September we took a week long trip to Disney with my entire family. Caroline and I somehow got separated from the rest of the gang one afternoon and as we were walking around she spotted a wishing fountain. She asked for a penny and I searched for one to give her. Then I told her that she had to turn around, close her eyes, make a wish, and throw her penny into the fountain. She took this very seriously and closed her eyes for a minute and then in the loudest voice shouted, "I wish I could fly!" She threw her penny in the water and just smiled so big! As we were walking back, holding hands trying to find everyone else she looked up at me and said very seriously, "Susie, how do you know so much?" She honestly thought that I knew the secret wishing secret! I love her!! Happy Birthday, sweet Caroline Grace!!

Booooon!!!!!!!!

We went to the party store on Saturday to get lots of balloons for Ava's party. Since her party wasn't until Sunday afternoon the lady told us we needed to put some substance (we can't remember what she called it.."keep it up" "keep it high" something to that effect. And yes, David has made lots of inappropriate jokes about that) in the balloons so they would still float at the party. It has been 4 days since we bought the balloons and they are still going strong! :)

Ava managed to let one of the balloons go in the living room which has a really high ceiling. I had cut the strings to give the kids at the party balloons to take home. So really high ceiling + really short string = an unreachable balloon!

Today while I was trying to get Ava down for her nap she was really concerned about her balloon! I told her that Daddy would have to get it when he got home and even with her eyes closed and drifting off to sleep she was still saying "boooon, dada, booooon, dada"!

Here's the attempt to rescue the balloon....

David finally managed to reach it using salad tongs but not 5 minutes later Ava let it go again and it drifted to the ceiling out of reach. I think we will just wait for the "keep it up" to stop working this time!

2!!!!

Ava had a great time celebrating her birthday yesterday! She reminded us all week that she was "twwwwwo" Ava's birthday started off with a party at church. We are really blessed to have such an awesome group of ladies at our church who love our babies so much!A family portrait before churchI got a kiss from the birthday girl!Ava and Daddy making a funny face!Ava and her church buddies excited for cupcakes!

After church we rushed home so Ava could get some kind of nap in before the big party. She was so excited! Ava's Jojo cake!Ava doing what she loves best..."siiiide!"

Here's some of Ava's buddies who came to help her celebrate...

Ava's favorite person in the world came to her party and helped her slide down the big slide..."Matt-Matt"! Everytime she would get to the top of the slide she would call him over to hold her hand...Ava blowing out her birthday candle...she needed a little help from mommy...

Ava especially enjoyed the Cheetos...I'm sure she did the Cheeto dance a few times! :)

Then it was on to presents! I had to show off the Disney World gift card that my cousin and fellow Disney buddy, Abbie, gave Ava. They are going to Disney the week after us and knew it would be well spent...

David and I gave Ava a charm bracelet. She didn't care too much about it yesterday but one day I'm sure she will love it!

Happy 2nd Birthday, Sweet Ava!

Okay I know my blogs have gotten a little deep lately but I have to share one more thing... We had a minor disaster at the party yesterday. Somehow while trying to record the party our video camera erased the video of our Christmas this year. David didn't even want to tell me about it because he knew I would be really upset...and I was! But when we got home and started unpacking all of Ava's gifts I started thinking. David knew a girl in highschool who lost her 3 month old baby to SIDS last summer. She started a blog and I read it almost daily. Just before Christmas this year her house got broken into and her computer among other things was stolen. She appeared on her local news pleading for whoever took her computer to return it because she had so many pictures of her little Ayden on it. She didn't care about the jewelry or money that he had taken she just wanted her memories back. As I thought about it I realized how blessed I really am. I may not have the memory of this Christmas on video anymore but I have a happy, healthy 2 year old who I get to make more memories with. Talk about a new perspective, uh?

Bring on the Birthday!!

We are gearing up for Ava's 2nd birthday this weekend! I cannot believe that baby is going to be 2!! She is very excited about her party and knows that she is having a Jojo cake! We had to take the cake topper to the bakery yesterday so they could design the cake and Ava had a hard time parting with Jojo! I bought her a donut to make up for it! :)

This week I have really started thinking about how much our lives have changed since Ava has been born! I can clearly remember returning to work when she was just 6 weeks old and praying that God would make a way for me to be home with her. Last summer our pastor put out a CD and we had the single "Let Faith Arise" in our car and seriously played it over and over and over for weeks! One day after picking up Ava from daycare and driving the long 30 minutes home one part of the song really spoke to me...it says "You've given me a promise, that I am pursuing. I set my eyes on You...trusting" I knew that God had given me a promise that I would be a great mom one day back when I was a teenager. I called David and told him that I was going to trust God and quit my 7-4 Monday-Friday job and stay home with Ava. You know what he said..."okay, I know it will work out..." I was speechless and overwhelmed! 6 months later and I can tell you that by letting our faith arise God made a way where we thought there was no way! I LOVE being with that sweet girl everyday! It is tough sometimes being home all day and then working sometimes until 3 am or even 7 am...but I wouldn't trade it for anything in the world!! I'll sleep when she's 50, right??

"N mms"

I bought a huge bag of M&M's in hopes that we would soon be rewarding Ava with them for successful potty trips. She knows right where they are in the pantry and at least 3 times a day she will look at me so sweetly and say "N mms?" And then she will take my hand and lead me to them. I am the biggest pushover when it comes to that little girl and I usually give in at least once a day...

Who could say no to that sweet face??