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.