and a happy new year!

Hallow's Eve

Here are the Joyschool kids in their Halloween Parade. Who knew a parade of 3 could inspire so much joy? They were all dressed like cats, of sorts. We did not even plan that!! (Lydia, Ian, and Ava)





On the real Halloween Ava was a piggy. She has been insisting on it for weeks, but I couldn't find a costume for her. It came down to me spending all day making felt ears, nose, and tail. I was really annoyed when she wouldn't wear the nose after all the effort...so ryan and I wore it and took pictures. Ryan looked really creepy in his pictures, like that twilight zone where the people have pig faces, so I am not posting his. Asher was a dinosaur.
Also, check out my new newphew, Darwin. Isn't he the cutest little vampire you've ever seen? I wish I could see him in person, but he lives in Utah.

My cherubim

This weekend we updated our family picture. As always, it was hard to get a picture of all of us looking good. But Asher was a winner in every shot, even when he was not smiling. Here are a couple of him. And yes, he is as sweet as he looks.



I'm not posting the entire family pics, because maybe I will actually send out my Christmas card this year and you can see it then. Or maybe I'll just do a "Christmas post"

Never before caught on film

This smile.

Marie-Therese Gown GIVEAWAY !!!!!!!

Marie-Therese Gown GIVEAWAY !!!!!!!

wow, kathleen has outdone herself. look at this costume!

Dollhouse Frock GIVEAWAY !!!!!!!

Dollhouse Frock GIVEAWAY !!!!!!!

Dudes! I won this! hooray!


and I didn't even know it until my friend liz saw me on the winners list. THANKS, LIZ! I can't wait to see it on Ava. I will post pictures.

also, while I'm at it- Liz, can I be invited to your blog? I haven't talked to you in so long I think last time we spoke your name was Elizabeth.

Shenandoah Costume GIVEAWAY !!!!!!!

Shenandoah Costume GIVEAWAY !!!!!!!

Last year's birthday

Here is Ava on her 2nd birthday! How she's matured!

Ava's 3!

Now Ava is 3! Here she is on the day of her Painting Party. We had a lot of fun. She is such a sweet little girl and she's matured so much in the last year!

In contrast with last year, Ava now goes to sleep at night and for naps without anybody (me) sitting next to her. She is a big helper around the house unloading dishes, wiping up spills, and cooking. She is a very loving big sister and she is first to cheerfully greet Asher when he wakes up from a nap. She is into painting, drawing, learning letters, and computer games.

Red Riding Hood Jacket GIVEAWAY !!!!!!!

Red Riding Hood Jacket GIVEAWAY !!!!!!!

Angel Loaf

We just can't get enough of this guy. He is so happy all the time. Plus, his thighs are deliciously enormous.

Asher's latest feats are sitting up, eating a lot, and almost crawling but face-plowing into the carpet instead. His babyhood is flying by!

modmom

http://modmom.blogspot.com/2008/09/modmom-breast-cancer-awareness-giveaway.html


If you don't read modmom, you probably should. Especially if you want to win a the breast cancer awareness Dyson. I do.

A bee

Ava: "Look Mom! I'm a bee! I want to climb that. " (as she points to the wall, in her costume from Halloween 2005)

First Day of Joy School

Ava loved Joy School and she was so cute, answering questions in her little language of meows and clicks.

more beach pics

Beach!

We finally made it to the beach this summer! I get this craving for the beach every year around February, and it usually doesn't go away until I get to the beach. This year I wasn't sure if I would make it, because it is kind of a pain to bring a newborn to the beach. We decided it was worth it to make a vacation out of it and get a hotel room on the beach so Asher could still get enough naptime in and we could get enough beach time in.

This is Ryan and Ava on our boat tour around the sound. It was really a fun tour, and we enjoyed dreaming about owning a beach house someday. Someday when we have a few million $ to spare.
Here is Ryan boogie boarding. The water was perfect (81 degrees) and the weather was perfect, too (overcast and 80's, not too hot!). Look at that beautiful water. Have I converted you out-of-state people to the NC coast yet?
Ava met a friend, Olivia, at the beach. They are only a few weeks apart in age and they happen to live in the same town as us. Here is Ava, Olivia, and Olivia's Pop. Ava was ready to join their family.
I have always been in love with the beach, but seeing Ava splash in the water or holding asher as he gets lulled to sleep by watching the water and sea foam swirl around my feet is incomparable sheer joy.

Ava and Asher

Ava's been really good to take care of Asher while I blow dry my hair or gather laundry. Her new favorite thing is to cradle him, which looks hilarious as he is nearly as big as she is.

Asher is such a good sport.

new haircut

Ava's Vacay Round-Up

I have a million pictures of Ava from our trip to Ryan's family reunion. Here is a sample of Ava's reunion activities.

Here, she was so exhausted that she fell asleep in the car on the way to the community water park and actually transferred inside and continued to sleep beside a very loud indoor pool. If you know anything about Ava's sleeping habits, you know that is a miracle.


Vogue-ing in the living room.
bubble bath with the cousins
And just being her adorable self.

WHO TOOTED?

I was strolling the kids around the drug store a few days ago, and suddenly Ava says, loudly "GASP! Who tooted?"

As far as I know, there was no tooting. Maybe our cart made a noise.

so I tried to shush her with "Nobody. That was nothing"

Ava: "Was it you, mommy?" (still very loud)

Me, sounding mighty guilty: "No. I don't know what you're talking about. Shh."

Ava: "Was it Asher? Who tooted?"

Me: "Fine, yes, it was Asher."

Uncanny

I was checking out this blog, Creative Soup, as I often do, when I spotted this pic
which Creative Soup spotted at THIS site which is dedicated to fanny pack antics. Does that guy look familiar? You may not know him from this angle as well as I do, but this looks exactly like my husband. In fact, I was sure it was my husband when I first saw it, as Creative Soup was created by Ryan's Brick House roomate's wife (Brooke, who I love, and wish I knew in real life.) There were a lot of speedo-wearing occasions in the Brick House, and Ryan was always first to don the speedo. But how did Fanny Pack Antics get this picture? And also, though there were many speedo-wearing episodes during his college yearss, I don't think ryan ever sported a fanny pack.

correct me if I'm wrong, ry.

On a kind-of related note, Has anybody else seen the Malcolm in the Middle episode where Reese tells Dewey that everybody has an evil twin, and Dewey meets his? It's one of my favorites. I love that show.

Ava, loudly as she tucked asher into my bed: "TUCK! TUCK! TUCK! TUCK!" (and then very quietly as she stroked him) "Relax. Relax. Relax your arms. Relax your head. Relax your binky."