Last month we were at the beach...

I don't think that I ever posted any pictures of us at the beach, but at the end of last month, we went to the beach. We take this vacation with Mark's family every summer and LOVE IT! We drive to South Carolina with a wonderful stop in North Carolina to visit the Fam and drop off the dog. My mom insists that we bring her the dog so that we'll stop at her house on both directions of our drive...smart girl...but she doesn't know that we'd leave that little puppy if we needed to get home...just kidding doggie!

Ava really loved the beach. She loved the waves (bubbles) and the shells. She actually threw an Ava sized fit when we tried to take her out of the (toddler sized) crashing waves. She even bent over a couple of times to try to blow bubbles in the water. She loved it all - as long as she had shoes on. I suppose that it could be a yucky feeling to have the ground shift and move beneath your bare feet when you've only walked on floor and regular ground.

Ava's Darling Cousin Aaron

This is Ava's wonderful cousin, Aaron. He is darling and we love him. Thought you might like a chance to see him. The really cool new thing about Aaron is his neck! He didn't have one for a while, so now we think it is a really cute neck!!

Oh...and it looks like he might be a Michigan fan...but he's really not. His mommy is just teasing everyone!

Ava and Mama at the park!!!

Yes...Mama is still pregnant - as you can see very obviously from these pictures! When I carry Ava, she just sits right on top of her baby sister...we hope that this isn't starting some sort of habit!

Our friend, Becca, took pictures of us at the park, and caught some really good ones of Ava. Ava loved the new park. She laughed and smiled the whole time we were there!

I think that she was considering a jump from a high place in this one. Don't worry - her 'oh too careful' mama wouldn't allow such a thing to happen!!

Yesterday was GiGi's birthday!

Ava calls Mark's mom GiGi. It is really very cute. She sees things around the house that remind her of GiGi, and then we talk about GiGi for hours. Ava has a cell phone that GiGi gave her...we only call GiGi and Aunt Laura on that phone! Anytime Ava sees a sophisticated, petite woman with silvery blonde hair, she calls her GiGi. Just so you know, GiGi, these women are always beautiful!!!

Well, yesterday was GiGi's birthday, and Ava carried GiGi's birthday card around the house for about three days...talking about GiGi the whole time!

Happy Birthday, GiGi! We love you!!!

Baby Sister's Beautiful Quilt and THE PLAN!!

This is the beautiful quilt that my mother made for Ava's baby sister. (I used to call the new baby 'what's her name' until I got into trouble with my mother and my mother-in-law. Two women you don't want to mess with!) I love it so much and am thankful for a wonderful mother who invests her time in beautiful things for my children!!

I have had a couple of phone calls from people wondering whether or not we have had this baby yet. The answer is no. I have actually come up with a really good plan about the timing of this baby. Today my parents told me that they are coming to Cincinnati on Thursday. They are coming a little early to help out some family members with projects. My parents have also agreed to stay with us a week to help out, once the baby is born. Any of you who know me well, know that having my parents around is one of my very favorite things! So, I've decided not to have this baby until the last possible moment! That way my parents will stay forever! If I go two weeks past the official due date, then we'll have the baby on the 10th of September and my parents will have to stay until the 17th! To quote my little Ava, "Hooray!!" (Insert charming, yet slightly diabolical laugh here!)

Ava's New Best Friend and Her New Favorite Treat!!

Yesterday as I was working on dinner (no lie!), Ava made a new friend. She was rooting around in the cabinet as usual, when she comes out with a container of parmesan cheese. She carried that silly cheese around for at least 30 minutes, talking the whole time. Then, she's quiet for a moment, so I turn around to check her out. She is lying down on the kitchen rug with her arm wrapped around the cheese container, playing 'night-night'. Funny little girl. She should really get out more! Or it could just be that she is taking a page from the Tony Buxsel handbook - you can only truly count on cheese...and Jesus!

Ava and I are now soul sisters. We have the same favorite food - no, not peas or black beans! It's ice cream! I am the president of the 'Ice Cream Is The Best Food Ever' club, and now Ava is a member. Lately, I've occasionally been giving her a cone with about two tablespoons of vanilla ice cream in it for a snack. I sit on the bench in the kitchen and eat a cone at the same time. She watches me carefully to learn how to correctly eat ice cream. It is so cute to watch her lick the cone like mama, making her little tongue pointy to get around the corners and catch drips. She does, however, come by this love of ice cream honestly. When I was pregnant with Ava, I'd stop at UDF (United Dairy Farmers for you foreigners) as often as possible for an ice cream cone breakfast. I believed that the early morning shift made bigger cones because they didn't have to 'scoop' as often. I no longer believe that this is true. I would also stop for a Diary Queen dipped cone on the drive home from work. There was a drive-thru Dairy Queen at an exit off I-75, and while the service was horrible, I still did my best to keep them in business. I guess the horrible service finally killed them, though. They're gone...

Ava plays dress up

My mother's basement is a magical place for a little girl. There is an antique trunk that is filled with wonderful lacy, silky, shiny things to wear when you need to escape from your ordinary life. Ava discovered this place and had her first experience with 'dress up'. She was in love with the beads and the tutu...and this white 'dress' that was actually a slinky piece of lingerie.