Mother's Day Weekend

It seems like we have started a tradition of taking a trip Mother's Day weekend. Last year we went to Auburn to visit our good friends Casey and Katherine. This year, we took a much needed family vacation to Chattanooga. We planned it kind of last minute and then 2 days before we were set to leave, Avery started getting sick. She had a high fever and just didn't feel well. The doctor said it was a virus so there was nothing we could do. We decided to go ahead and go to Chattanooga because Avery started acting like she felt better. She ended up having a good time, but you can kind of tell in the pictures that she wasn't 100%. Also, she refused to let me brush her hair while she was sick and she refused to wear a bow or a clip...so her hair was a hot mess!

She loved riding the escalator!

Posing with the parrot





Petting the stingrays



Avery liked the penguins as long as they didn't get too close to the glass.



Jellyfish art



Touching some more fish.  I don't know if she actually touched one...she just loved playing in the water!



At the hotel room.  She immediately got comfy on the bed and snacked on some Sun Chips!  She loves to sit with her leg propped up.

We also went to the Chattanooga Lookouts baseball game while we were there.  We didn't stay for the whole thing because Avery was winding down but it was a lot of fun.  We were glad that they weather was so nice that weekend and we were able to spend some time outside. 

On Sunday morning, I could tell Avery really was not feeling well.  She hadn't really eaten anything since she had be sick (except the Sun Chips) so I got her some cereal and milk and she ate it.  Then a few seconds later, she threw up on the hotel bed (oops!).  We Adam cleaned it up and Avery seemed to feel much better afterwards.  Don't worry...we told the lady at the front desk about it when we checked out to make sure that the cleaning people knew.  Since Avery was feeling better, we decided to have lunch and walk around downtown Chattanooga before we drove home.  We had a great time and definitely plan on going back. 

On Monday, Adam and Avery met me for lunch and Adam surprised me with this beautiful plate!

He took Avery to a place that paints pottery and got this plate made with her handprint and footprint.  You can see in this picture that her handprint is on the left and her footprint is on the right.  I love it!

Avery is now back to normal and is as happy as ever!  I am also happy to report that she has starting asking to wear her "bow bows" (hair bows) again!

April 27th

One week ago today, April 27th, tornadoes devastated the state of Alabama as well as other states in the South.  We watched them live on television as they destroyed Cullman, Tuscaloosa and areas near Birmingham.  It was absolutely horrifying.  They also destroyed many areas close to us as well as areas around the entire state.  Our family is extremely fortunate that we did not have any damage or injuries.  My heart goes out to the many people across the state that lost loved ones and lost homes.  There is a huge relief effort going on across the state and people are really stepping up to help those in need. 

The video below is from a family in the Huntsville area (you have to log in to Facebook to see it).  They are members of The Brook Church where Adam and I were members when we lived in Madison.  It is unreal to see the before and after video of their neighborhood.  We do not know this family personally, but have been following their story through our friends at The Brook.  Please keep them and all of the many tornado victims in your prayers. 

http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=2000731544766&comments

Avery is 2!

Avery turned 2 today!  The past two years have gone by so fast!  Her birthday was on a Saturday this year, so we were able to have her party on her actual birthday.  We had the party at the Imagination Place in Gadsden.  It is a great place for kids to play.  Avery is really into watching Mickey Mouse Clubhouse right now, so we had a Minnie Mouse party!

The cupcake table.

I decided to do cupcakes this year instead of a cake.  I thought they turned out great!  I made the cupcakes and ordered the toppers from Etsy.  We made a special cupcake for Avery with no icing on it.  She just likes the chocolate cake and doesn't care for icing.

Shopping in the grocery store

I thought the kids looked so cute sitting at the table.  It was just their size!

Avery and two of her cousins

Avery covered her eyes while we sang Happy Birthday to her.  It was so funny!

Avery blew out the candles on her cupcake

Mmmmm...good!

We had a really great time with our family and friends at the party.  Avery is such a special, sweet little girl.  The past two years have been so much fun!  It is wonderful watching her grow and learn. 

Happy Birthday Avery!

Snow Day!!

Today, January 10, 2011, we had about 6 inches of snow! We had been hearing that a winter storm was coming our way, but you just never know what to expect. It started snowing last night and it accumulated really fast! Work was canceled for me so today was just a fun, stay at home day. Work is also canceled for tomorrow so we'll have another fun snow day!

Getting ready to play in the snow!

After getting tackled by Adam!

Sliding in the snow

Fall Fun!

Last month, we went to Tate Farms. We went last year and had such a great time that we decided to make it a tradition. I found the pictures we took last year and I can't believe how much Avery has changed!! Take a look...

2009

2010

2009...right at 2 feet tall

2010...a little over 2 1/2 feet tall.

2009

2010

2009

2010

She's gotten so big! We had a great time at Tate Farms and look forward to going back next year!

Avery's First Pigtails

Avery has always had a lot of hair. It has gotten long enough now that I can start to play with some different hairstyles. Avery really doesn't like me playing with her hair, but I do it anyway...it's one of the fun things about having a little girl! So about a month ago I decided to try out some pigtails. They were so cute! They also made her look so grown up. Here's some pictures.

Catching Up

Well...I know it's been a while. This blog has really been neglected and a lot has happened in the past few months! Here is a recap of our summer.

We went to the beach in June with my family. We all had a great time!

We went to Adam's family reunion in June. They have a 2 day golf tournament every year.

Avery hanging out waiting on Daddy to finish playing golf.

Eating pizza at the family reunion.

We had a church picnic one Sunday. There were a lot of fun baby pools and toys for Avery and her friends to play with. There was also a lot of great food...Avery particularly liked the chocolate cake!


We spent the 4th of July at the lake.

We had a picnic with friends at Monte Sano.

That's the short version of our summer!

In August, I got a new job and we moved to Gadsden! It all happened very fast and we knew that it was the right thing for us. We had prayed for so long for the right job opportunity to open up and we are so thankful! However, we miss our friends and family in Madison! We loved it there and will continue to go back and visit. This is a new adventure for us and I look forward to the future!