Retzer Nature Center

It's been a month of chaos - finishing the basement - changing weather - school registration - runny noses and congestion - teething - and the list goes on! Yes, in there Ava is signed up for 4K and will be going to school FOUR DAYS a week! I can't believe it! Zac and I will need to figure out how to get along without her. And yes, we are just about done finishing our basement!!!! I'm so very excited to get Jon's office out of our bedroom and a playroom!!!! Thank you Josh, Tony, Vince and Dad. We are only wanting on our carpet, to be laid this week and we will be moving in.
Zac has a mouth full of teeth now, eleven total - hopefully he'll start sleeping better now too. This kid is getting to cool I tell ya. He is hysterical and although still only has a vocabulary of about nine words (mostly everything is a ball, or woof for dog or any hairy animal) he understands so much. So proud I am.
Ava is as witty as ever and a talker (I have no idea where she gets this from). I am constantly amazed at what she comes up with as she is always raising eyebrows and promoting laughter all around her. She going back and forth between this being a boy thing, a true identity crisis for me more than her. She asked me the other day "Mom, do you remember when I used to be a boy?" and then another time told me "I'm gonna turn into a boy today".

Valentines

We made Valentines cookies - Ava is getting very good at rolling out the dough and with sprinkles. Zac is getting very good at eating them too! He now has eight teeth - six front and two molars. He is getting much better with eating fruits and veggies - thank goodness. Before all he ate was bread and cheese! He loves edamame beans (green soy beans) and swallows them whole. He loves watching the beans POP out of their pods - just giggles and eats it right up! Ava loves them too, but no real surprise there as she is pretty much a good eater.

Got My Girl Back!

After a very difficult year, Ava is finally coming around to being a GIRL - and I have High School Musical to thank for it. Ashley Tisdale is her new hero (sorry spiderman). She loves to be her and has us call her Sharpay (Ashley's character in the movie). She even says her favorite color is pink - note her shoes that she loves now! I couldn't be prouder. She is as silly and excited as ever, just she is now silly and excited in pink - love it.

Waiting for Snow

more snow to start falling tonight and all day tomorrow - so we should have plenty more sledding to do! Ava and Zac have been playing and fighting more and more now. She often tells me "I'm playing by myself now" meaning keep Zac away! But before I know it, she is looking for him and when she does, it is too precious. She can be so incredibly sweet sometimes it leaves me speechless. She'll want to do all sorts of stuff with him and will talk away (I wonder where she gets this from?). It is too funny and Zac has no idea or interest is what she is talking about - but somehow Ava just doesn't seem to mind. This day outside, she must of pulled that sweet boy around the house a half dozen times, both of them laughing all the way.

Domes Christmas

Just a few pictures from the Domes Christmas display.

Merry Christmas

Ava just had to have a red scooter this year, and I'm happy to report that Santa did not disappoint! I'm sure Zac was happy as well, he seems to love his little tike bike as well. What a great blessing to be able to see such overwhelming joy and happiness on Christmas morning. So grateful with all we have been blessed with.

Warmer Days

These were taken on a much warmer November day. We were headed to an early Thanksgiving dinner at Christy and Johns, thanks for having us along with everyone else! Ava loves the snow but hates the cold. She told me "I wish Christmas and winter were in the summer."

We could not get Ava to take the hat off for anything here. I was just so grateful that she wore the white shirt in spite of the ruffles! I call that a score. Lot's going on the next few days, Uncle Tony's Birthday, Daddy's Birthday, and of course Christmas! Today we are expecting a quick visit from a very busy man in a red suit - I know Ava is going to love it! Zac is still a little scared of the strange man - but Ava, well all she has dreamed about since Christmas decorations started appearing is a red scooter. We'll see if Santa can make it happen!