Just for fun...

These are a few of my favorite pics of Ava lately...

First Day of Spring

The first day of spring we actually got a touch of spring weather and when we got home from preschool that day, our new spring accessory was waiting for us! We got a kid's picnic table to enjoy snacks on this summer. (Of course, Ava had to take the only adult seat on the deck so I stood.)

Signs of Spring!

Last weekend the weather was warm and so we decided it was time to get started on the garden we had been planning for so long! I am growing everything from seeds inside until the threat of frost is gone but we prepared the plot and planted some flowers. These are the before pictures and hopefully we will have some afters very soon! I suppose it all depends on this schizophrenic weather. Bella has since added some things to her fairy and butterfly flower garden that I don't have pictures of yet, but she is one happy girl working outside! We also let her go ahead and plant her strawberries in the raised garden bed so that is what you see at the end there.

Impromptu Valentine's Day

We started out with heart pancakes of course. Luckily, the sun was out that day and the snow began to melt.

Randy took Bella on their annual Valentine's Day date. They went to Chuck E Cheese and I'm not really sure where else. She always looks forward to her dates with Daddy!

Randy and I had plans to go out but with the roads likely to freeze up again we ended up having a date at home after the kids went to bed. I have to say it was quite nice actually! It was like being in a private restaurant. I made shrimp scampi and chocolate covered strawberries. After we ate, we watched a movie and the best part was not having to drive home!

More Snow

This was a few weeks ago now but it was a pretty big deal. We don't typically get this much snow. It snowed on and off for three days and covered the roads. We weren't able to drive but no one seemed to mind. I think we all liked having an excuse to stay in our pajamas and hang out together with nowhere to be!

Ava had the same feelings this time around.

Ava's Second Birthday, February 4th

Ava turned two and we decided to do a family party to make it easier on all of us. She loves Minnie Mouse and Elmo, but since we did a Minnie theme last year, we went with Elmo and Abby. Ava was full of herself and loved all of the attention. She loved the Elmo cupcakes but never ate one (and Bella had a special request of cupcakes with no frosting- what is wrong with our kids?!)

We had chicken salad sandwiches, mac n cheese for the kids, lots of goldfish b/c Elmo loves his Dorothy (a goldfish), and some other random things. I made a little game for the kids to play with a box we had and Randy brought home some bean bags to throw. Ava got her favorite things: books, puzzles, money and Minnie Mouse stuff plus a new baby doll, a bathrobe and some other fun stuff. She really had fun and so did we!

here lately...

I have some pictures and posts that I am behind on but here are a couple things going on around here.

I had to put Ava in time out today for the first time. It was the longest two minutes of my life. She is typically a good listener and I just have to ask her once if she wants to go to time out and she straightens up but today she tested me. The strangest part is that I have no idea how she learned about time out and how she knew she had to stay there. I was prepared to have to work at it.

We also recently discovered that Ava can't say truck and I will leave it at that. You can imagine what is comes out as. Yikes.

Bella has been full of herself, as usual. She talks about listening to your heart and Jesus giving her some of His power and it just amazes me. The other day we had this conversation:

Bella: When people say things, you need to listen to your heart. ..after they talk, you listen and see what your heart says.
Me: That’s right, Bella. You need to do the right thing and sometimes people don’t tell us the right things. You are wise. Is that why you didn’t run off with your friend after school today? Because your heart said not to?
Bella: No, my heart said to but I knew I would get in trouble. It kept saying, “yes. no. yes. no.”
Bella: (A few minutes later, getting out of the van) Mommy, my heart is saying to go to my fairy garden.
Me: Okay, that is fine.

She keeps me on my toes with her questions and comments.