In the meadow we can build a SNOWMAN!

Ava and Tony built the cutest snowman today!!!!! I used my old camera as my new one needed charging, hence the pink snow!

Christmas Morning 2007

The girls enjoyed all of their gifts. Some more than others and Gia is still at the age where the paper/boxes are more fun. Just realized I have no pictures of Gia opening her gifts! Doh! She was too busy running around.

Christmas Eve 2007

A few shots from our get together with my family at our house.

A few shots from our get together with my family at our house.

Holiday Shots

These were taken December 22nd, at our house and at my in-laws. We got together early to open our gifts to avoid rushing all day on Christmas day.


I love this picture! Ava looks so calm and quiet and Gia is screaming like a banshee!!!

The two of them on our kitchen island. Gia holding one of her many toothbrushes.

How cute it this little one?!

This cradle was made by Tony's late Nonno Chuck. Papa Tom refinished it and Nonna Yo sewed some cute new bedding. This is supposed to be for her baby dolls, however she fits in it quite nicely too!
Proof that Ava can take a bad picture!

Testing, Testing, 123

Here are some new pictures of our holiday decor with a working camera!!!!
Yippee, no more rose colored skys or frames! Also, I have been checking out my other friends blogs and mine is sooo elementary. If I ever have free time I wi ll try to fancy it up for you. (meaning when the girls are grown and move out of here!) anyway thanks for bearing with my technical difficulties. Ava's Christmas Program is tomorrow night so I am thrilled to have a working camera and will post those shots soon.

Village Tree Lighting

Ava's preschool sang at the Village Tree Lighting ceremony. Santa showed up at the end and I was able to get some much better shots than the overpriced picture I posted a while back.

Gia Kay 12/6/07

A few shots of our little firecracker. I didn't think God would bless me with another child with this much energy...I was wrong!

Our decked halls

Took some pictures of the house decorated for Christmas. I did a little more this year than last. I would love to do more outside, but Tony does not do outside lights, so I do what I can. One of the pictures is the view from the floor of our foyer ceiling. I hung large ornaments with fishing line from the chandelier. Kind of looks like the solar system from this perspective! Sorry about the bad pictures,my camera is still broken and likes to give everything that "rose colored glasses" kind of look.

Hello Gorgeous!

Tony and I are in love with someone new...the Margaritaville Frozen Concoction Maker. It is our Christmas Present to us from us with love!

If you haven't experienced it yet, I can only tell you as far as I am concerned it is worth it's weight in gold! We are experimenting with different recipes. We are loving fresh mango margaritas...gasp...almost nightly. Hopefully the novelty will wear off or we could be in serious trouble. It should be a fun Christmas Eve celebration at our house this year!

Memory Lane

My girlfriend since Kindergarten, Michelle Haro, sent me these pics of us as children. How precious it was to see these and how scary to see how much Ava looks like me as a child. What's more wonderful is to have a friend with whom I have this much history, we have so much to reflect on when we get together. We are currently planning a 20 yr grade school reunion, that should be a blast!

A visit to Santa

At our local mall on Nov26. A rip off for 2 3 1/2 by 5 photos at $19 something with tax, but they won't let you take your own anymore, so what are ya gonna do. Now I find out Santa will be at Ava's tree lighting ceremony tomorrow night. The problem is my camera is broken...so I can take some stills with our camcorder but they won't be the greatest.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN

Four!

Our last October birthday has come and gone. Ava is a big 4 year old now. The day of her actual birthday she was already telling me things that she wants for her "5 birthday!" She is obsessed with numbers. She wants to know what size shoes people wear, their clothes, their ages, their heights...she has to make sure her clothes say 4T, if I try to put a 3t on that still fits her she will make a big fuss about it. She is such an independent girl now, so creative and artistic. The artsy part is definitely from her Daddy. She was recently promoted to level " Little Starz" at her gymnastics class. Most of the kids are 6 years old and tower over her. Her coordination is another thing she got from Tony. I am proud of her!

One!

Gia's birthday has come and gone. Over the last month she has gotten her first 6 teeth. It seems funny to see her toothy smile. Along with the teeth came a killer appetite. She is eating everything in site and then some. At her 1 year appt last week she weighed in at 18 lbs 10 oz (10th percentile) and 29 1/2 inches long (50-75th %) Long and lean like mama---HAHA! We are hoping this growth spurt will get her to 20lbs so she can move into a carseat and out of the infant seat . She is hilarious...walking and trying to talk a lot. She and Ava make quite a team around here.

Parting is such sweet sorrow...

I am waxing on the passing of Gia's babyhood. Her 1st birthday is next week. I remember balling my eyes out when Ava turned one. Some wise friends told me that each year will bring more amazing memories and milestones and while I have learned that this is the case, and have witnessed it as Ava has grown into an independent preschooler, it doesn't make it any easier this time around. In fact, I think it's tougher because I have such an appreciation for how quickly these years fly by. I can honestly say I have savored every moment of this year. Most people that see me with her everyday are surprised to see her detached and walking all by herself. I never set her down until now, I was holding her as long as I could.

Ava's First Field Trip

Ok, so I may never catch up on the old posts I promised, but here is something recent.

Friday was Ava's first preschool field trip to a local pumpkin farm.

She enjoyed hanging out with her new BFF Catherine and held hands with a boy named Alex.

It was a gorgeous fall day. The pictures came out so nicely. I am excited to be able to experience all of these things all over again as an adult!

A whole month...

has slipped through my fingers without a single post...
I have no excuse...but we have been plenty busy with milestones.
Ava began preschool, Gia began walking, Gia sprouted teeth. I went to Las Vegas with my sisters and mom...w/o kids....or the hubby...Tony stayed with the girls! (what a guy!) I have photos of most of these that I will post soon.
Plus we have the girls birthdays next month, so I am busy planning the festivities.
Anyway, I will try to be better at this.

She's on her way

Gia is standing unassisted now, she is thinking about taking steps, instead she just throws herself your way! It won't be long before she is walking.

Prayers

We have recently started nightly prayers with Ava. I couldn't have imagined how much this routine would add to my spiritual life. It is so cool to hear her thank God for the littlest things that I don't even notice or take for granted...and as is often the case with Ava there is no shortage of humorous moments. Here is a quote from last nights prayer.


"In the name of the father and...what's his name again? pause ...Dear Lord...Thank you for everything in the world and all of my bee-utiful dresses. How did you make it all??? you are really fabulous!
Amen"

Lambs Farm

On August 3rd we met up withour friends at the Lambs Farm in Libertyville. Hailey and Ava are both October 2003 babies. Her mom and I became friends on a Expecting in October web board back in 2003.

Since they live in Wisconsin, Libertyville is a nice meeting point. They girls pick up where they left off every time. The adorable little guy is Hunter, Haileys little brother who is almost 2 and as tall as Ava!

Hair!

Gia is getting a hair-do! It doesn't hurt that it is in the 90's and humid as can be, nevertheless, she is sporting a cute new do. It looks like she will have the curls that Ava used to have.

I love being a princess!

Ava was excited to have her friends Carly (3) and Corinne (5) over this afternoon. As usual the gowns were out in full force. I took a picture of the girls once they were done primping.