SUMMER VACATION!!!!!!

Our first big family vacation was a trip to sunny San Diego!!!! We booked a hotel right in the middle of all the action and invited KK's sister Kellie to join the fun. We purchased 3-in-1 passes that let us have unlimited visits to SeaWorld, San Diego Zoo, and the Zoo's Wild Adventure. Of course we enjoyed Sea World, but Ava's Favorite was of course the Zoo. We were gone six days and took over 500 pictures.
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.Our trip started on an airplane. Ava was a little nervous during take off, shown here, but she was a doll the rest of the time. She even made a couple of new friends.
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Ava LOVED the beach. She started each beach day by dumping a load of sand in her hair. We absorbed a lot of rays, Ava's hair is practically blonde.
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I wish they all could be Californian Girls...
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At Sea World, there is a Sesame Street themed area just for kids. Ava has this new look she uses when she is surprised. The cutest part with this expression is that it is preceded with a fast head twitch, very funny.

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Here Ava and the lion were staring at each other. Probably checking out each others impressive manes of hair.
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The lion's roar on the way out gave us another surprised look.
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CHEESE!!!!
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Ava's favorite animal by far was the hippo. She has a book called "kiss kiss hippopotamus" so of course she needed an up close encounter.
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Our visit to the Zoo's Wild Adventure Park proved to be pretty miserable. It was about 45 minutes inland and about 125 degree's!!! We just took a train tour and found this water park on our way out.
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Another day at the beach, playing in the sand, with her Ariel and ducky.
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Hydration always important when enjoying time in the sun.
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Well, we all had lots of fun and with enough baths, maybe we will get all the sand out of her hair.

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See ya next time.

FIRECRACKER BOOM BOOM BOOM!!!!

This year for the fourth I picked up a firework set from Costco ($50 not $180 like I wanted) and thought that Ava was going to be amazed. After lighting the first fountain, She gripped up to her mom as hard as she can and started crying, but at the same time couldn't look away. After a minute of loud pops, colorful flashes and screaming, she cried to her mom, "Mo Mo, pease." Loosely translated this meant,"Can I please see some more of what ever that was, even though it scared the S&%T out of me." She is a brave little patriot and enjoys her independence as much as we do.
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We have taught Ava how to say flag by pointing them out as we drive by them. She saw this dress in the store and said "WOW FLAG!!"
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We are enjoying the summer sun with plenty of bike rides. Ava's tolerance to her trailer is up to about an hour or so.
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Ava is obsessed with cars and trucks. She calls this her truck and she thinks the door opening action is pretty cool.
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AVA attended her cousin Sophie's Princess Party dressed as a Punk Rock Princess. I thinks she makes a good Dragon too.
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Today is KK's 22nd birthday (wink wink) So HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOM!!!!
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Thanks for the visit. See ya next time.
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PICTURE TIME!!!

Finally Ava had her 1 year pictures. She actually is 15 months but always had some bruise or scratch on her face thanks to her almost perfected walking/running/climbing skills. Our little girl is growing so fast and is starting to use words like: up, off, click, truck, tractor, Lola, flag, and WOW. She likes to dance to songs like 'Ring Around the Rosies' and 'If Your Happy and You Know It', spinning around and stomping her feet. Her first sentence was "LOOK AT THAT!!!!" We say that all the time trying to get her to stop crying in the back seat, I guess it's true what they say about their mind being a sponge.
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Her first outfit was a gift from her Aunt Kellie. She hadn't quite warmed up to the situation yet.
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Her second outfit was handmade by my Aunt Gay on my Mom's side. The knitting is amazing and she looks like a doll. No spaghetti or ravioli consumption in this cute outfit.
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This cute outfit is from KK's friend Kelly O. You can tell she's warmed up and in the moment.
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This opened mouth look we get ALL THE TIME!! It's almost like she just cracked a joke and is pausing for the audience to laugh, she gets this from her mom FOR SURE.
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By the end of the shoot she was saying "CHEEEEEESE." You can tell from this picture that she gets her looks from her mom too.

See ya later.

Sweet Summertime

Ava is 15 months now and more sassy than ever. She acts like she can do everything herself including get dressed. Her skills are not quite developed enough to get both legs in the pants but she's working on it. She has started to really enjoy outdoor activities and sometimes helps us with our yard work. She is really starting to use words but still prefers to use signs for important words like "cookie" and "please" and "more". We can't wait to go on bike rides and trips to the park all summer long.

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Ava has almost a full set of teeth to help her eat but WATCH OUT!!!!

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She has been known to BITE!!!!!
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Here is a picture of her in Sophie's old cowboy boots. They should fit her by now but she has the world's smallest feet.

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I love this picture of her first thing in the morning. Ava's hair is still very red, look out boys.

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At Grandma Ruth's, Ava was a duck.

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SEE YOU LATER.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME!!

Actually Ava is more like 13 months now. We have had a lot of fun celebrating with family. I am sad that my girl is growing up so fast but also exited because she is so much fun with all her one year old attitude. Ava Lolabelle likes to thrash wildly back and forth when she is taken from an activity she really wants to be doing, and sometimes throws a open hand slap to the face, especially when we try to take something out of her hand. (SO CUTE) I figure this will translate to a killer serve when she picks up a tennis racket. She signs for all kinds of things like: baby, ball, please, more, milk, bird, all done. Her first word (besides mama, dada, bram-pa, and bram-ma) is BALLOON thanks to the three birthday parties we threw her!!! I think every one year old should get a birthday celebration that last a week.
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Thanks to her Aunt Anna, she had a wonderful cake that she ate, well sort of ate.
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For spring break we spent a week at Betty's cabin in Dutch John. Ava filled her pockets with rocks. She is starting a collection early.
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Here Ava got her first taste of swinging solo. She didn't know what to think at first.
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Soon she decided it was fun and even laughed a little.
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She has taken her first few steps by herself but still prefers to cover long distances on the ground. I say whats the rush, she has the rest of her life to be upright.
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Here's one of my most favorite pictures so far. She was in the best mood this day and thanks to her mom, had a very cute pair of ponytails. This is her "I can get away with anything" look.

ALMOST ONE!!!

Our cute little daughter is quickly aproaching her first birthday and what a pleasure it is to be her father. She is so independent!!! She likes to play by herself and barely lets us spoon feed her anymore... I expect her to start changing her own diaper in the next few months or so. This last week Ava had spiked some high fevers and kept KK and I up at night tring to comfort her. She seemed to sleep the best while holding her in our arms. Holding her close I could feel her little heart beating away and was reminded what a miracle new life is. I thank god every day for blessing my family with such a beautiful spirit named Ava Lolabelle.





We have dragged Ava around for 11 months in this rear facing carseat. We all will be glad next month to employ a front facing seat.
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Obviously some of the food made it to her stomach, little miss 21 pounder.
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Even 11 month old redheads can have a bad hair day.
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Wintertime--> Hot Tub
Next summer--> Waterslides
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She knows she's about to get some food.


See ya next time!!!!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

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Ava has a present for everone this season. A fat smile and a flower. She will not be asking Santa for her two front teeth this year, she already has three.
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Ava had her 9 month pictures taken and she was a handfull. Pictures were much easier when she would just sit there. She thinks she is already a grown up and likes to walk around our furniture. Every once in a while she'll let go and stand for a few seconds. Look out, here she comes.
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We can't wait to see everyone this holiday!!