Life around our house

I am happy to report that I have made a full recovery from the "mystery illness". I am now back at work and Avery seems to be adjusting pretty good to being away from mommy and daddy for a few nights a week.

I was just going through some pictures from the last few weeks and thought I would share. We continue to be amazed by this little girl. She has come so far in the very short time she has been with us and has definitely captured our hearts. I feel pretty safe in saying she has both of us wrapped around her cute little fingers.

Here's Avery just chillin' out with her juice sporting some very fashionable dreadlocks!

For Father's Day we all gathered at Chris and Danette's for dinner and posed for the rare family picture
The whole clan!!

Kelby and Kolin have been the only grand kids on both sides of their family for many years now. Ironically enough they were blessed to have 2 first cousins come into their family very close together. Danette's brother became a father about a week before we left for China. Kelby now always says "man...I had to wait so long for a cousin and then I got 2 of them!"

Avery and Tripp: Kelby and Kolin's long awaited cousins posing together.

A couple of weeks ago we went with Erin and family to a local blueberry patch. We weren't sure how Avery would like it but Mollianne did a fabulous job of teaching her how to pick blueberries. We gathered and gathered to try to fill our buckets. Avery was fascinated with the blueberries and was eating them almost as fast as I was putting them in the bucket.

I did not get a picture of her in the blueberry patch but this was our worn out girl on the way home. Eating all those blueberries must have been very tiring!!

I just have to brag on this fabulous gift we received from one of Paul's coworkers. She took a regular bath towel and sewed a washcloth along the top for the hood. This towel is soooo much more absorbent than those infant bath towels and Avery loves it!
It even has her name embroidered along the top.

We recently got all the "new kids" together for a playdate and swim session. It was very surreal to look around and see that Valerie, Christie, and myself are all moms now while a year ago at this time we were just dreaming of this day!!

Trying to get 4 kids to all look at the camera at the same time!

Trying one more time!!

Valerie and Aubriana

Avery was very intrigued with the waterspout on the steps.

Quint loved hanging out in this little float.

K-man would just cooperate and look at the camera!

I can't wait to see all these kids grow and change together. We are also anxiously awaiting Meisey's referral which should come in the next couple of months and then of course Keira Joy will finish out the "clan" next year.

Wow girls!!!!! We have really come a long way!!!

Thanks for checking in!!

3 Word Sunday!

Thanks for all your suggestions about getting Avery on a sleep schedule!!!! We are slowly but surely making progress. The funny thing is what works for one or two nights doesn't work on night #3 and we are back to square one. Hopefully we are on the right track. And for the record: we are not opposed to letting her "cry it out" but were just leary when those episodes lasted over an hour!! Hey, at this point whatever works!!!!!

Thanks again for all the advice!!!

Have a great Sunday.

3 months ago today.........

We held our daughter for the first time. It has definitely been a wild and crazy 3 months but we can both truly say that on March 24, 2008 our dreams came true.

Avery on Gotcha Day while still at the Civil Affairs Office

And our sweet Avery now:
A couple of weeks ago Papa introduced Avery to red icing on a cupcake and of course a huge mess!!

Hey, this stuff if pretty good!!

Hey papa, how about some more??

Of course after the whole "cupcake episode" we put her straight into the kitchen sink for a quick clean-up.


Mommy and Daddy love you baby girl and we are so lucky to be your parents!!!!

Guess who called 911 today??

That's right this precious bundle of joy!! She has a habit of playing with the phone and usually it's a constant hitting of one number: 555555555 or 222222222 then I will shut it off when the operator comes on and kindly says to dial a number. Evidently I was not paying enough attention today because somehow she hit the magic combination!! After I had shut the phone off it immediately rang back, it was the local 911 operator asking if we had just dialed 911. Uh-oh!!! I profusely apologized and she told me she suspected a child had the phone because she heard the babbling in the background. Luckily she decided to attempt to call us back before she sent police to our house.

I guess we can chalk this one up to Mommy Lesson #965: Don't let Avery play with the phone!!!

Happy Monday!!!!

Sunday 3 word.....

I have 2 three word pictures this week in honor of the 2 big events in our life this week:

Paul and I celebrate our 17th wedding anniversary today, and yes we are:



and of course I have to acknowledge Avery's new "stage" of not wanting to sleep, but she is still pretty freakin' cute!!!!!


Hope you all have a great weekend!!!