a few more...

Her are pictures from Averi's louisville party this past weekend...we had lots of fun and were blessed that the rain held off just long enough for us to party!

Avs bday

Averi is so blessed to have so many people that love her and desire to celebrate her bday with her! She had a great party in TN...







We also went to dinner with some sweet friends on wednesday, her actual birthday!






...she has her louisville party on saturday...more pictures to come...

big fish

When we were in TN last weekend Kevin caught a 7lb fish! Thats as big as both our babies! Way to go Kevin, I am very proud! And yes he is kissing it... YUCK!

park

the best thing about our apartment is that it backs up to a GREAT park! I typically take the girls to it once during the day (unless we have something else planne) and we usually go in the evenings a second time when Kev gets home! We just love being out side!Last night Sofie got to swing for the first time, so fun!

SIX MONTHS OLD!

Sofie,
yesterday you turned six months! You are sleeping far better then you were, going from 830pm-4ish and then eating and going on until 730ish...they say you should be sleeping all the way through the night but we will take what we can get! You are eating all the fruits and veggies, you still arent to fond of the bottle... We started feeding you dissolvable puffs yesterday which you seem to like and we are going to start giving you a sippy cup to try out soon! You have the loudest cry and the sweetest grin! You laugh SO hard at your sister and are sitting up by yourself! You are mostly happy but the whole world knows when you are not!We love you and cant imagine our home without you in it!

Happy Two Years Averi

Averi Noe'l,
today you are TWO YEARS OLD I feel like you were just born, the last two years have flown by. You are one of the most sweet natured little girls I have ever met and I am blessed to call you my daughter. You are beautiful, you are spunky, you are head strong and you are so FUN! You love to "help" me get ready, you stand in the bathroom while I do my makeup and ask me to put it on you, you love brushing your teeth and washing your hands. You are a daddys girl through and through. You have grown up so much in the last six months since you became a big sister. You are so gentle and kind to Sofie, you love to make her laugh and you hate when she is upset! You win over most anyone you meet because of your kind disposition... you make friends easily and you have KILLER blue eyes! We praise God for you Averi, every day of the last two years has been a miracle, watching you grow and learn. There is nothing that brings me to praising our God more then being your momma, that God would choose me to raise you is an honor. We love you sweet girl!
Averi a few days old


Averi at six months




Averi one years old


You are a big sister...18 months old

2 years old...

Girls...

I just adore these two blue eyed beauties...

dinner time...

dinner is always an adventure at our house...with a soon to be two year old and a soon to be six month old, there is alot of "dada I want more", "all done", "Can you please...", "Averi DO NOT put that in your sisters mouth..."...It is a little chaotic but oh so nice!I just love these girls and this man, I wouldnt want to spend my dinner with anyone else!

Averi in her bathing suit...

A great find...five dollars at Once upon a Child... she looks so grown up!

wacky wednesday photo...moments

there are moments you just look at your family and wish time would just stop... Saturday I had one of those moments...

Averi is totaly and completely infatuated with her daddy... she is his little side kick these days, oh how sweet they looked walking hand in hand!

license

I typically work the alheizmers unit at the nursing home I work PRN at. I LOVE these people, are they combative, yes... do they yell at you,yes...do most of them lack the skills to care for themselves, yes. Do they constantly confuse you with family members, yes...in fact one guy thinks Im his son Mike! Do they forget things you told them just a second before...yes
Resident... how old are you
Me... Im almost 23
Resident... Really, Im 16.
Me... are you, I thought you were 86.
Resident... 86, your crazy...Im 16... how old are you?
I have this same conversation with the same lady every shift...atleast ten times!
I dont know why I am drawn to this unit, a lot of aids dont like it at all. I get frusterated with being hit or spit on but I love these people. They wander the halls of a small lock down unit with faces that are blank. Imagine not knowing where you are or how you got there, and only wanting to go home! Imagine not even knowing where home is or in some cases not even knowing who you are!
We have one resident, I will call him James to prtect his identity. James worked his whole life as a special detective in the police force. He is particular about where he puts things and will literally spend hours reorganizing his small dresser and closet until it is immaculate. He is stern when you first talk with him, but kind once you get to know him. He is an alheizmers patient.
Last night I was in a hurry trying to finish my round so I could chart and get ready to go home, I went in to James room knowing he was going to take a long time to get ready for bed as he is so particular. I knew I had to be patient and allow him to do it at his own pace as he doesnt want help but needs supervision! When he changed his pants he pulled out a wallet, he opened it for me to see what he had in it, it was his drivers license, and his wives drivers license, He didnt want me to touch it, he had a particular spot he wanted it to be put. This, to James, is a prized posession.
I teared up thinking about his life before living in the alheizmers unit. I began to look at his walls, He had awards, he had pictures of his family. He was a man with a career a man people admired for his knowledge. May I never forget that with each of my residents, they are more then sweet people, they are my elders, and even with alheizmers I can learn from them.

this is a picture from Averis first easter egg hut, 5 moms, 9 kids and one on the way equals alot of fun!

April...

So far this month we've been busily plaaning Averi's SECOND birthday, crazy huh?... Went to our first easter egg hunt,which Averi loved, especially when she realized the eggs contained candy!Took a trip to the zoo with friends! Went to Av's buddy Brocks birthday, which included another easter agg hunt and Sofie has almost mastered sitting up! It's been busy, but thats how we like it, go hard then, hopefully, nap hard!

At the zoo with friends...



Brocks birthday and hunting for easter eggs...



Sofie sitting up!Go sweet baby!

the perfect day...

We had a lovely easter... we went to church where we served in nursery, then spent the afternoon with our dear friends shawn and lindsay and then headed home for a nap! After everyone napped Kev took Averi on a date to his favorite spot, bass pro! Then we went to the park to eat dinner and play and let Averi play on the playground! What a perfect Easter! We praise God for his soveriegn hand and everlasting love in our lives... we pray daily that our children will come to an understanding of who God is and of his amazing sacrifice when he gave his son for our sins! We tried to emphasize that as fun as easter egg hunts are the real reason we are celebrating is because by the power of god JESUS rose from the grave and he has prepared a place for us! We praise the Lord for his victory over the grave and for his amazing love, may a day not go by that we do not glorify God for all he has given us!