Dear Summer,

Hello old friend, We've been eagerly awaiting your arrival! We are doing our best to celebrate your return this weekend.

We started the festivities Friday with me and Ava going to lake Hefner for a picnic. It was windy but Ava loved it, Made me real excited for our beach trip at the end of June!

We spent some quiet time at our house, Ava loves the flowers in our front flower bed.

I just love this little summer outfit we got at a consignment sale this spring. Its so fun dressing her for the summer time weather.

Then Saturday we made a quick trip over to the zoo to see Malee the newest cutest littlest baby elephant you ever did see. Ava kept pointing at the elephants. The big elephants are the momma and the aunt and they both didn't let the little baby stray much at all, they were so watchful.

tomorrow we plan to cook out & continue enjoying the most wonderful time of the year!

Thankful Thursday

Joining fellow blogger and friend AM I will be doing a weekly installment "Thankful Thursdays", gathering little gratitudes each day and posting them weekly.

While mostly I am gathering small gratitudes this first installment carries a giant one. Knowing there is a family not terribly far from my own community who will be burying a child this week close to Ava's age after yesterday's Tornadoes and who still has another child still missing, the same tornado that I was racing home from work as they projected at one time towards Edmond puts a knot in my throat, tears to my eyes and makes my heart ache in different and deeper way then before I was a momma. I am deeply grateful for my family's safety this week. Each day with Ava is a gift that I want to embrace and appreciate the big, the small and each space in-between.

More of the small and in between to come next week but tonight just sticking with the big and consuming gratitude of my family's health and safety. Each day God gives me with them is truly blessed and a gift that I don't thank him enough for.

Warm Weather Weekend!

We had a fun weekend full of fun!

Our Saturday started with a family walk:

Then Ava and I were off to the bloom brunch at church:

Saturday afternoon I met some girls from book club to see Water for Elephants a book we read last year. (really liked the movie!) That evening I really wanted a good cheeseburger so we ate at TGI Friday's.

Sunday afternoon Ava played in her pool with her cousins, it was nice and hot! and we welcomed the heat! loving the summer time weather!

13 months!

Well her birthday sign is still up as I can't bring myself take it down but she is 13 months old today! Here's run down of the last month developments:

• Just this week she's started walking as much as crawling.
• She has a new word "hi" to go with still popular "uh oh".
• This month her new thing is to wake up at 5:45! we had a lucky day today where she finally slep till 7 for the first time in very long time.
• She still takes two naps a day most days.
• She HATES milk, she has no interest in most drinks besides water. We are still nursing in the morning and evening. Reading up on other ways to get her Calicum and vitamin A & D since the milk thing is going no where fast.
• Favorite Foods are Yogurt, Bananas & Gold Fish. Her appetite has picked up big time this month.
• She got a book that does the little piggies song for her toes for her birthday. She brings us the book now and will start grabbing her toes. She is also very interested in everyone else's toes too these days, she loves to try to tickle them and look at you to see what you do.
• Her favorite songs are this little light of mine & fuzzy caterpillar (she can make the little catepillar with her fingers and can do the little light with her finger for that song, she laughs & laughs when you hid it under bushel part).
• She loves to share with her friends. A few Wednesdays ago in our mommy and me bible class she crawled over to another little baby, cocked her head to the side and kept saying "hi". She loves to share her toys with others, When Izzy is with us on Mondays, I have to watch she doesn't share her toys too intensely as she will wave them enthusastically close to Izzy's face, but its still so sweet to see her interacting with others this way.
• She has some top teeth now to go with her bottom teeth.

7 Years ago today....

Ryan and I got married. There are many reasons I chose Ryan as my partner. Just Friday I was reminded of one of the biggest ones. I feel like I get to know Ryan and in a way no one else does, his softer side, his care taking side. This year I look back and know as I think most mom's do, I needed much more taking care of than any other year of our marriage. As I adjusted to my new role as mom, ironically I needed some care taking myself. I am so thankful this year for all the ways Ryan took care of me through labor and delivery, sleepless nights, 3 different stomach bugs... Just this past Friday, I went to leave the mall and could not find my keys, after much frantic searching and trying to manage a cranky baby ready for her nap I called Ryan to come get us. It was right in the middle of the work day. While he could of extended me frustration, he immediately came to our rescue and arrived with kind words and a positive attitude. He helped me retrace my steps, which ment covering the entire mall from one end to the other the very last stop where we asked if keys had been turned in we finally found them. Another reason I'm glad to call him mine, not just he's willingness to come to our aide at moments notice but to come bringing what we really needed just then a smile and an encouraging spirit. After 7 years of marriage its clear neither one of us is perfect but sometimes we have moments of perfection of the relationship being just what we needed at just the right time. I think many have concerns as to what ways a baby may change marriage, I am happy to say as I reflect on the past year, in the overall scheme of things I think our marriage not only survived but thrived with the adding baby to the mix. Is there anything more afirming to love then to see it walking around and talking. Half of each of us, one of the many reasons I know we were ment to be. She is for sure one of my favorite parts of "us".

Couldn't leave you with out some Ava news and pics...

We've had one cranky baby girl this weekend and a crazy night last night, I don't know if its teeth or what but we had to get creative with her. She and Ryan worked on the yard together today. Something about the sunshine still has a magical effect on her, just like when she was a newborn.

Happy Weekending...

We spent Friday and Saturday enjoying the arts festival downtown. The first day was all about the food and the second day we enjoyed more of the art. The weather was just perfect both days.

Here's the girls on friday:

We shared a philly cheese steak and french fries with "cheeseburger sauce" on top. Yum!

Then we had hunks of ice cream dipped in chocolate for dessert, despite the windy walk back and our hair flapping into it at times it was still totally worth it.

We took more art in on Saturday. Ava enjoyed the kids area and playing with Quinn as they were in town! It was a fun weekend, hope yours we fun too!

Easter!!

Well it rained most of the day but we still made the best of Ava's one and only first easter.

She started the day with opening her easter basket goodies, she got a bunny book, an outfit and some hair accessories.

Then we went to church where she did an easter egg hunt at church with the other kids.

Here's the 2010 baby crew, Isabella, Milo and Ava! they were all born in the same 5 month period and all were so sweet all dressed up for easter: