January comes to a close...

Ava was very excited to get a new pair of shorts and a new shirt from Grandma. She was so excited that she took off the clothes she was wearing, including her diaper, to try them on.

Needless to say, there was a bit of an accident, but she was a good helper and cleaned up after herself!

Cute bum!

Using Daddy as a bed, blankie and all.

We had tacos for dinner one night last week and made Ava one of her own. Tortilla, turkey and cheese.

She much preferred making her own taco. Tortilla, yogurt, and grapes. Yum!

The Anderson's came to play one night last week. Lyla and Ava got some good tent time in before bed.

Two cuties in a tent!

Leftover tacos night...a much better result! She really didn't want her own taco, but ate a lot of Mommy's - including salsa, sour cream, etc.

This is proper dining etiquette, right?

Yum-O tac-o!

This past Friday we had a play date at the playground. Fun on the swings, slides, and soccer field.

After school today, Ava and I took a walk/jog to the local park. She was a very patient rider, but wanted to bolt from the stroller as soon as she saw the playground.

She was a trooper on all the slides...even when her shoes got stuck and slowed her down.

We were even so lucky that Daddy stopped by on his way home from work to meet us and play for awhile. Ava spotted him walking toward the playground from a mile away and dragged him up and around both playgrounds. A great week!

The joys of January...in Florida

Here's a random assortment of pics from January. We've been keeping busy, or rather Ava's been keeping us busy!

Trying on Mommy's new pj pants.

Hmm, these fit, right?

It is of the utmost importance to look cool while one brushes one's teeth.

Thanks to the Colorado Irene's, Ava received a stroller for Dolly in the mail. It has made countless trips around our house (with and without Dolly) and up and down our street.

Practicing 'fish lips.'

A tandem ride on the plasma car. I think Ryan and I enjoy it as much as Ava does!

Playing with her toolbox, a Christmas gift from Lane. She loves it, Lane, especially the saw.

The always fascinating car...hazard button and all.

We made a trip downtown this past weekend to visit Brent (www.BAnature.com) at a local art show. His photography was, by far, the best, but there were tons of other talented artists. One guy had an entire intersection filled with these huge animal sculptures. The giraffes were the biggest...almost up to the traffic lights!

The weather was beautiful for our long weekend, so we made the best of it and spent a lot of time outside. We set up Ava's tent and tunnels in the backyard.

She has also been introduced to "get Daddy" and "get Mommy" games, which she loves. Here, she has most definitely "gotten Daddy."

And Daddy has reciprocated and "gotten Ava." :)

"Getting" requires lots of tickling and smooches - what a great game!

Out for a casual stroll down the street...if I could see where I was going, that is.

Helping Daddy pick weeds out of our newly planted garden. Note the super cute garden signs that look like bugs. Thanks Mariana and Marcus - we love them!

Checking out the basil bug.

What a beautiful day to go to Green Cay! Ava loved being up high enough so she didn't have to look through the railing. It was difficult at times to pry her away.

We saw THREE gators that day. They were all out sunning themselves and hardly moved at all. *Gretch, here's a teachable moment: Gators aren't 'cold-blooded,' they're 'ectotherms.' Raise some proper scientists, wouldja?!?

Snuggle time with Daddy, Dolly, and a DVD.

We've been enjoying beautiful weather and our beautiful girl this new year. We're in the process of finding a suitable replacement for Mom next year (read: daycare!), but things are looking good and we're excited for the next step. Hope you are all enjoying the new year as well!

Holiday Trip - Part 2 (PA)

We made it to Ryan's hometown in PA on the night of the 23rd. Ava quickly made herself at home.

Reading Christmas stories with Grandma.

Ready for church on Christmas Eve.

Cute picture, minus the finger in the mouth.

The wool coat was a HUGE hit. I got it for $14 at a thrift store in Fla. and it was the perfect piece of outerwear for a trip to church.

Checking out the beautiful ornaments on Grandma and Pop Pop's tree.

We enjoyed a late wake up on Christmas morning, enjoyed our breakfast and then opened gifts.

I made Ava her own jewelery, since she wears mine all the time.

A snuggly monkey from Grandma and Pop Pop.

Ava got a lot of new clothes that she wanted to try on - IMMEDIATELY! She makes quite a fashion statement over her polka-dotted pjs.

Layer 1 = fleece pjs; Layer 2 = dress and bloomers; Layer 3 = turquoise pants; Layer 4 = new pj top

Waiting patiently while someone else opened a gift.

Ryan's parents hosted Christmas dinner for his mom's side of the family. Great food and a great time had by all.

Playing with her new puzzle with Uncle Gabe, whom she flirted with our entire trip.

The Monday after Christmas there was a sledding party across the street. Ava wasn't a big fan of the snow (again) and didn't want to be put down - at all. She didn't even like riding with me in a tube down the driveway, but she didn't cry....she saved that for any time she was at all close to the snow.

Ryan stayed out with the kids for quite awhile. Ava and I lasted about 5 minutes, which is about a quarter of the time it took us to get ready to go outside! :)

Playing with Pop Pop.

Ainsley was fascinated by Ava and usually wanted to have a plate of whatever Ava was having.

"I'm SHOCKED!"

Another brief outing for Ava, but a great picture of the grandparents and grandkids!

That's a framer.

Waving to Daddy and Lane while they played football.

Making her own bed on the kitchen floor. I tried to catch her lying down and snuggling, but she didn't stay still for very long!

Walking on the ceiling was a big hit! Ainsley's turn.

Lane's turn.

Ava's turn, with monkey feet.

He caught a 22 pounder!

Being upside down became the theme of the night!

A worn out little miss. We had a phenomenal trip! Lots of great time spent in NY and PA, and we miss everyone already. It's been fun getting back into the swing of things here though. More pics to come.

Miss A fell asleep on Ryan with 10 minutes left on our flight into West Palm. She was a star traveler!