I Heart Faces: Teens

This week over at I ♥ Faces (www.iheartfaces.com) it is all about teens. I took this picture of my niece last year right about this time and it is still one of my all time favorites. I love that she looks like she is genuinely having fun and when I asked her to jump, she jumped!

Letter to Ava - Daddy

Ava -

Today is Father's Day and you are about 2 weeks away from turning 3 years old with quite the little voice and personality. Over the past 6 months or so you have been very reluctant to want to be with your daddy. Plain and simple, you much prefer to be with me. I know you don't mean the hurtful things you say to your daddy (i.e. I don't like you, I like mommy better or I don't love you) and not even sure why you say them. You don't understand it now and while we know you really don't mean them it really does hurt your daddy's feelings. He doesn't understand why you don't want to be with him when quite frankly he is the cooler one of the two of us. You play music together (he has taught you how to play the drums), you go to the park together, go on walks together, he makes sure you have a bath and that your teeth are properly brushed twice a day, says night prayers with you and as I type this is playing kitchen with you. He loves you so much!

Tonight before we went out for dinner I wanted to snap a quick photo to remember this Father's Day 2010 together as a family and even for that you resisted. "No, I don't want to take a picture!" Reluctantly, you came down the stairs.....daddy grabbed you......and click. I got the shot. This shot. That when I see it, nothing but innocence and love. Even though you can be a little stinker to your daddy I know you love him.

Happy Father's Day Chris. Cherish these moments.....although few and far between now, I know that when she is 16 and not wanting to be with me, YOU will be her favorite person.

Tired

I'm so tired. I should be in bed. But, instead I am posting these cute pics of Ava I took yesterday while we played with sidewalk chalk and tonight after the rain. These of course are all in the wrong order - I need to remember to add photos in backwards order.

I Heart Faces: Babies

This week over at I ♥ Faces (www.iheartfaces.com) it is all about babies. The latest baby picture I have is of my beautiful niece Everlie Marcilyn Leon - isn't she gorgeous?

Happy

Today you brought me flowers. When I got home from work today (daddy picked you up from Jilly's) you had a surprise you couldn't wait to share. Here is how it went.....

Ava - mommy i had to put on a pull up today and I didn't like the pull up because it itched me and we went to the library and I got chicka chicka boom boom and.....

Mommy - Ava, can I ask why you had to put on a pull up?

Ava - because Jilly didn't have any extra panties at her house

Mommy - but Ava, why did she even need to pull out a pull up?

Ava - because I had a little dribble but I brought you a surprise and we went to the library and.....

At this point I knew you were bursting at the seem to give me my 'surprise' and there behind your back in your little hands was the most beautiful bouquet I have ever received. Thank you baby for the flowers. I love you!

Blueberry Muffins

I love blueberry muffins. I have NEVER in my adult life made them from scratch......until now. I had the best blueberries and blackberries in the freezer so Ava and I decided to venture out of the box muffins and make our own. They. Turned. Out. FABULOUS!! Gotta give credit to my favorite cooking blog www.fortheloveofcooking-recipes.blogspot.com. She has the easiest recipes and she definitely knows her way around the kitchen.....and kid friendly at that - check her out!

Old Shawnee Days

Just some pictures of the most recent family activity we did last weekend. This weekend we have on tap a concert for me on Friday with my sister and other girlfriends and then Saturday, Jazz in the Woods with Chris' family. Should be another fun filled weekend with lots of pictures!

Bubbles

I love summertime. I love bubbles. Ava loves bubbles. Ava and I sat outside last night for well over an hour just listening to the night time noises and we blew bubbles until our hearts were content. So relaxing.

I'm behind....

in blogging. In photo editing. In STARTING a digital scrapbook of my ALMOST 3 year old. In continuing to create my photography website. In clipping coupons to save money. In watching my beloved season finale of Grey's Anatomy. In finishing Ava's room (yes, I am still working on it from SPRING BREAK!). In getting a prescription filled I should have had filled 3 weeks ago. In getting my eyebrows waxed. In getting at least 1 pedicure for the summer. In coming up with a float idea for the class of '95 4th of July parade. In decorating my house the way I envision it (just can't get the vision up for some reason). I am so, so, so far behind.......

Yes, I'm that mom....

One of the best things about being a kid and having a mom like me??? You get to have a cupcake BEFORE dinner!! I couldn't resist her cute smile....besides.....life it way too short to not enjoy a treat before dinner every once in a while!

On our way to the mailbox this evening to mail cousin Kiley's birthday card

Ok, now what?

Bye, bye letter....please get there on time so she doesn't think we forgot her birthday. Love Ava

Weekend Pics

Here are some pics from the weekend (sorry they are in reverse, forgot I needed to add them going backwards from the weekend)....

Final pic of hair cut (above)

Haircut in the process.....

Sitting patiently waiting her turn.....she was so excited to get a hair cut!

And my hair....I love it but it looks so much better in person. This picture tells me I really need an eyebrow wax!

Not sure why I am tilting my head???

Weekend stuff

So, we have had a very active weekend.....hair cut for me on Friday, dinner with friends Friday evening, cabinet cleaning on Saturday, garage sale prep for next weekend, nap (had to stick that in there), dinner at neighbors house, finished cleaning out cabinets on Sunday a.m., massage, Ava hair cut, church and dinner out this evening. I also managed to get a pretty smokin' deal at CVS for what was supposed to be a quick stop for a birthday card and newspaper (honestly, that is all I was going in for).

2 rolls of CVS toilet paper - $2.30 ($1 off 2 coupon)

4 Crest whitestrip/toothbrush/toothpaste gift set -160 ($39.99 each but on sale for $3.99 each)

3 bottles of Nivea bodywash - $18 (3 $4 coupons for a savings of $12)

1 pack of cotton rounds - $1 (coupon for $1) FREE

1 birthday card - $1

1 bottle Folic acid - $6.99 (on sale for $.60)

Total spent $ 12.94!!!

*** The Crest whitestrip gift sets were on sale for $3.99 each!! It was crazy and I didn't believe it at first but sure enough they were and I bought all 4 that were on the shelf! I had a coupon for the CVS toilet paper and coupons for all the bodywash and a coupon for the cotton rounds! I also got back $5 for buying the body wash!!

Works for Me Wednesday

I have never participated in 'Works for Me Wednesday' but here goes.....

Ava is always bringing home artwork from Jill's house or wanting to paint or color a picture at home and our refrigerator was becoming literally plastered (sorry no before pics but don't tempt me) with her creations. After reading my new favorite magazine "Family Fun" I found the PERFECT solution and this folks, works for me on this Wednesday!

So, take a canvas (any size) and put colored rubber bands on it to adhere the art creations. Use decorative clips also to add some pop and fun to it. Now, this is just our first version of this as I think I might 'paint' it up a bit as it seems so white....any thoughts?

Dance Recital

Ava had her very first dance recital tonight and these little girls were so cute!! We got it on video too but I will let the still pictures tell the story for right now (video to come later).

Trying to get pictures before the recital....she was not cooperating.

roll call.....

stretching.....

touch your toes

now, let's get warmed up

you gotta jump, shake, shimmy them out....

now twist it.....

and twist it!

oh, I'm sorry....are you watching me?

stompin' out the spider