Happy 2nd Birthday Ava Grace!!

Well, out little girl has turned 2! It really is amazing!! These have been 2 of the best years of our lives!! She has learned so much in the last year and talks nonstop (where does she get that from?). I could list everything she has learned, but you would be reading for hours, so I will limit this to her birthday celebrations (and you can read about her accomplishments in other posts). At the end of June, we had her birthday party with friends and family. Unfortunately, most of our family could not come due to being out of town or on vacations (but we made up for that). Aunt Deb, Uncle Evan, Brittany, Drew, and Rebecca were able to come up from Spartanburg though. Most of Ava Grace's friends from Nanny's came as well as Nanny, PawPaw, Mrs. Marcie (Nanny's daughter) and her children. Also, Ava Grace's cousins (Davis, Fisher, Callie, and Carson - and their Moms) came up from Greenville along with our friends Kristen, Laney, and Jen from Charlotte. We are sorry that some people were unable to attend, but understand there is a lot going on in the summer time. Her birthday party was held at the East Flat Rock Park where there are lots of swings, a tire swing, basketball courts, and a huge jungle gym. We had pizza and cupcakes along with other snacks in between play sessions for the kiddos. Ava Grace had a ball and I think played with everyone that was there at some point!! She referred to her special day as "my birthday party day" and talked about it for weeks (still does sometimes). She loved when everyone sang "Happy Birthday" to her and definitely enjoyed the cupcakes!! It was a grand day and party (I must say)!! Thanks to everyone who came! You helped make my little girl's birthday special!! Unfortunately, some of Ava Grace's birthday pictures from her party have been erased off of the computer (we have been having issues with the computer for a while). So, these are the only two left on my camera (don't worry I have printed some out).

Ava Grace's birthday was actually stretched out over about a 3 week period. We had her birthday party early due to other planned activities, so we had another "mini-party" on her actual birthday!! For her birthday, we were in G

arden City Beach, so we all went to Myrtle Waves Water park. Cece, Uncle Doug, Aunt Stacey, Luke, Ben (friend of Luke's), Daddy, Mommy, and Ava Grace all went. We had a blast!! Ava Grace went down the big slides (well, big for kids). I wasn't sure that she would go to them (not sure what I was thinking there given her "no fear" attitude), but she surprised us all. She went down the slides numerous times and managed to learn (thanks to Luke and Ben) how to climb up this net to get to the top of the slides. Ava Grace also enjoyed playing in the small pool with Cece. It was a really fun day and we knew she would love spending her birthday at the water park!! That evening Uncle Doug cooked Low Country Boil for everyone. Ava Grace loves shrimp, potatoes, corn, and sausage, so this was the perfect bir

thday supper for her. I think she ate 3 ears of corn, several potatoes, and some sausage. She also ate shrimp as fast as Tim, Lee (cousin), and I cou

ld peel it. Needless to say, she said "I enjoyed it" to Uncle Doug after she ate and she definitely meant it!! We had a birthday cake (really a big cupcake) for her to enjoy. Thanks to Paige (and Price) for baking and fixing the beautiful and yummy cupcake!! A few presents were open and there ended her birthday celebration!!

WOW....it was quite the birthday for her, but she truly loved every minute of it (and so did we). Happy Birthday Miss Priss (Mommy's nickname) and Pumpkin (Daddy's nickname)!! We love you very much!!!

July 4th Fun

We had a fun 4th of July with friends. The fun began as we traveled to Columbia to visit with Mark and Jessica on Saturday late afternoon. We went to the pool in their subdivision (which has an incredible kids' wading area) and then cooked out at their house. It was pretty low-key, but so much fun to hang out and catch up. Ava Grace always enjoys seeing Uncle Mark and Aunt Jess and loves playing with their dogs, Coach and Boss.

On Sunday, we all headed over to Grammy's and Papa's (Mark's Mom and Dad, Larry and Susie to some of you) to eat, swim, and play with the Bonnette family. It is always a good time to hang out with all of them!! They are such an awesome family! Ava Grace swam all day only stopping to each a hot dog for lunch. The Bonnette's have a sliding board and diving board like we used to love when we were little. Ava Grace had no fear of either as she climbed by herself up the sliding board and came down by herself about 40 times during the day. She also jumped off the diving board to her Daddy. She loves to swim, especially when she has her swimmies on and we don't have to stay right with her. The Bonnette's pulled out a Slip-N-Slide in which the adults (Tim and Mickey) decided they would show the girls how it w

orked. Chloe (Mark's niece) was a little hesitant at first, but Ava Grace decided she could "hang" with the big boys. She walked over to it and dove right on it. She scooted down the slide until she reached the pool at the end. She loved it!! Grammy and Papa gave her a Dora Slip-N-Slide for her birthday so that she could continue to fun at

home. She was excited about that of course!!

We returned to Mark's and Jessica's house that afternoon for a cookout with some other friends. It was a fun evening filled with cornhole (excuse the Gamecock logo for you Tiger fans....can't help it that is Mark's and Jessica's team), ladder golf (again Gamecock stuff), yummy food, and fireworks from the neighbors. Ava Grace had a ball playing the games (her way of course) and watching the fireworks. She commented "how pretty" or "bootiful" after each one. Of course the fun had to end, but we are so thankful to have such wonderful friends that we could spend this time with!!

June's adventures....

I'm sorry it has been a while since I have posted anything, but with the end of school and a busy last month, I just haven't had any time. Plus, our computer is on the blink. So, I am going to post a few things in this one day.

We made a flying trip (almost literally) to Myrtle Beach to visit with Cece and see Coastal Carolina play in the NCAA Regionals. We were hardly there for 24 hours, but it was well worth it to get a quick visit in and the see the Chanticleers victorious and head to the Super Regionals against South Carolina. YEAH!! GO CCU!!

Two days after school got out, we went to Columbia to celebrate the marriage between two of our great friends. Cece came to our house to play with Ava Grace for a couple of days. Cece and Ava Grace had a ball!! Tim and I had a great time celebrating our anniversary and hanging out with our friends for a couple of days. The rehearsal dinner/party, hanging out by the pool, and laughter with our friends began our fun weekend. Saturday was a day of wedding bliss! Jessica looked absolutely beautiful (as always) and she and Mark smiled the entire day!! The wedding went off without a hitch and the reception....well, lets just say we closed it down with lots of dancing and reminiscing. There was even an after party as McDougal's in the Vista followed by a late night meal at Waffle House. Who can resist that? The weekend was perfect and we are so thankful to have been a part of Mark's and Jessica's big day. We look forward to their new life together and the memories that we share in the future.

The next week was spent just hanging out. Ava Grace and I enjoyed a couple of moments by the pool (little bitty round green pool from Wal Mart). Although our water is extremely cold because we live in the mountains, Ava Grace is perfectly content playing in it during various times of the day (whether sunny or cloudy). We ran lots of errands which Ava Grace is always excited to do if it involves going to Wal Mart, Target, or the grocery store. She loves those places which works out well for me!! Ava Grace and I also enjoyed a couple of days at the park and story time at the library. It was a nice week to have off from school spent with my daughter.

We have also made a trip to Indiana to visit Meme and Pop Pop. Ava Grace, Aunt Deb, and I had a great time!! Rebecca has been in Indiana for two weeks visiting, so Ava Grace was very excited to have her to play with once we arrived. It was a very busy weekend, but very much enjoyed by all. On Friday, Rebecca went to her last day of Bible School while we got settled at the house. Ava Grace got to hold baby chicks at Hannah's house. Hannah is the daughter & granddaughter of some of Me Me's and Pop Pop's friends. Ava Grace touched the chicks, but would not hold them because the nails were too sharp. That afternoon we went to a small water park in Washington, Indiana. Ava Grace had a blast!! That is the first time she has ever gone to a water park with slides and a wading pool that she could walk around in. She literally played in the water for an hour straight before having a snack. We played for about three hours before heading home. Pop Pop grilled that night and we had a feast of marinated turkey (the best in the whole world), fresh corn on the cob, cantaloupe, etc. It was a great day!!

Saturday brought us a trip to Indianapolis to visit Aunt Ava. I am sure I have written it before, but Aunt Ava is Tim's great aunt that has always lived in Indiana. She will be 93 years old in August. Ava Grace is named for Aunt Ava in case you were wondering. The drive is only about 2 hours from the farm. Aunt Ava took us out to lunch and then we went back to her place for a visit. The girls enjoyed looking at all of the birds and singing for Aunt Ava. It was great to see her and hopefully we will get another visit in next year. Saturday evening was a new event for Ava Grace as well. We went to the Daviess County fair which is located in the fairgrounds very near the farm house. Ava Grace has been on merry-go-rounds before, but not many other rides. She enjoyed riding the whales, airplanes that soared in the air, choo choo train, and race cars that spun around with Rebecca. Of course she rode the Merry-Go-Round three or four times. It was fun (amid the mud and muck)!!

Sunday was father's day and it began with Ava Grace giving Pop Pop a card when she got up that morning. We all went to church and listened to Aunt Deb and Rebecca sing. The church is very small, so they do not have a nursery. Ava Grace was pretty good during the service since she was entertained by Meme giving her stickers to put on her coloring books. Whatever works!! We ate lunch at one of the Amish restaurants. If you have never eaten at an Amish restaurant, you are really missing out!! It is amazing! You are so incredibly full when we leave from eating all of the good cooking (country cooking as we know it in the South) and the fabulous desserts. I literally thought I had gained 5 pounds when I left!! The afternoon brought about laziness with reading books, watching baseball, and taking naps. During the evening, we all went to the Bethel Mennonite church for Rebecca's closing Bible school service. It was very nice!!

We left early on Monday morning to head back home. The trip was great!! We had a wonderful time with Meme and Pop Pop as always. We are looking forward to having them back in South Carolina come fall. Thanks for everything Meme and Pop Pop!! We love you!!

Edgefield Fun

About a week and a half ago, my mom's family got together for my cousin's wedding. It was one of the best weekends ever!! My aunt and uncle from South Florida drove up and my cousins and great-aunt from Alabama came. We all stayed at a place called Turkey Ridge, which is in Edgefield County. The place was amazing!! The house was beautiful and the scenery was to die for!! It was so quiet...I definitely enjoyed hearing birds, geese, crickets, and frogs as opposed to airplanes, motorcycles, and cars. We arrived on Friday a little after suppertime to find everyone sitting on the porch enjoying the nice weather. Caroline and Henry were waiting on Ava Grace so they could play! That is really all we did....sit on the porch, enjoy cocktails and all the yummy food that was made, and watch the children play.

On Saturday morning, everyone went to tour my great-grandmother's house. This is a house that I have heard about my entire life. My great-grandmother died the year before I was born, so not knowing her, I never got to experience the house my mom talked about. The couple who own it now opened their house up graciously for us to see the renovations. It was beautiful!! I could tell that the memories overwhelmed my mom and her sisters. I really can't put into words how neat the house is and how well preserved it is. It is so wonderful to think that the owners are taking such good care of a place that means so much to other people.

Thomas and Casey got married on Saturday afternoon. It was a beautiful wedding and they are so happy!! Congrats again to them!! I, on the other hand, was stressed out since I had Ava Grace in the church with us the WHOLE time. Now, I understand why children are not usually invited to weddings. She really behaved very well and thank goodness we are Methodist, I couldn't have made it through a longer ceremony!!

The weekend was so much fun!! I am so happy that our family far away were able to come for the weekend. I wish we could have stayed longer, but of course we all had to get back to work and reality.

Happy Mother's Day!

Happy Mother's Day to Cece, Meme, Great Grandma, all of our aunts, cousins, and friends!! We hope that you had a very special day with your loved ones!!

On this Mother's Day (or day after Mother's Day), I wanted to share the talents of Cece. I have always thought she was one of the most creative people I knew. When it came to school projects, she always new the cool things you could use, she is a wonderful cook, and very crafty. Cece always has a "project" that she is working on and these projects vary in nature. One of her particular "projects" was making Ava Grace 2 outfits. I only have pictures of 1 of them, but the other one is just as cute. Check out the top that she made for her while knitting. Adorable!! I just hope that I inherit some of this talent!!

Let me add just one more picture. Being a mother is really indescribable to me. How can you not love something so miraculous and wonderful!! Although Ava Grace is good at trying me, I am so blessed to be a mother and blessed to have her as a daughter!! Now I know how my mom has felt all of these years!! :)

She loves picking dandelions!! The neighbors like it too!! :)

May Birthdays (June too)

This past weekend was a busy one with many birthdays to celebrate. Ava Grace and I went to Davis' and Fisher's birthday party on Saturday afternoon. They are our twins cousins who just turned 2 years old. It was a fun time with pizza, cupcakes, and playing in the backyard. Ava Grace is looking forward to playing with Fisher and Davis at the beach this summer!!

On Saturday night, Tim and I went out for sushi!! His parents watched Ava Grace (I think that is one of their favorite things to do) while we celebrated my upcoming birthday. Wasabi's has become a favorite place of ours (thanks to Deb and Evan). They have the best sushi around (at least in Spartanburg...although it would be hard to beat it elsewhere)!! We had planned to go to a movie too, but we really were not that interested in anything that was playing. So, we met up with Deb and Evan after eating dinner for a bit. We had a nice time out and Meme and Pop Pop had a great time playing with Ava Grace!!

On Sunday, we celebrated 4 Perry birthdays!! Meme, Brittany, Pop Pop, and myself were celebrated at a park in Duncan. Everyone was there, even Uncle Steve who had to travel the furthers to celebrate! We had a great time eating lunch and watching Ava Grace and Rebecca play all over the park. Brittany and Drew were so great to play too!! Ava Grace loves them all and has the best time when they are around. This was one of the nicest parks I have been too. It is next to the new water park in Duncan. I know to some of you that might sound funny....a water park in Duncan? Yes, there is a water park. It is nothing big or fancy, but it is a water park nonetheless. The weather was beautiful and it was a great time hanging out with family!!

Uses of Paper

When you think about paper, most of us think of the material that we use to write on, color on, cut things out of, fold airplanes with, etc. Well, for the Shaw grandchildren (not me and Doug...talking about Ava Grace and Luke here), paper has 2 other uses. We have always laughed about Luke's use of paper. When he was younger and we went to eat Mexican food, he would always order cheese and paper (aka...a quesadilla). He was too cute about it and we laughed every time he said it as if it was the first time. Now, Ava Grace has created another use for paper. After supper tonight, she wanted some strawberries. Before I could take the stem off of them for her to enjoy, she pulled the green leaves off and handed them to me saying, "Mommy, here's the paper". I kind of dismissed it at first thinking, "Did she just say paper?" I didn't ask her, but when she wanted another strawberry, I listened carefully and sure enough, she referred to the leaves of the strawberry as "paper". I laughed out loud and she looked at me strangely. One day, she will think it is funny too (just like Luke thinks his paper and cheese story is funny), but until then, I think I will just let her call the leaves of a strawberry "paper". It gives me a chuckle and of course she is so darn cute when she says it!!