Christmas 2009

It has taken me a while to get things posted as Ava Grace has had a viral infection for about 2 weeks now. We have had a busy month as well. Tim and I went to Mark and Jessica's engagement party in North Augusta. We are very much looking forward to their upcoming wedding!! We also attended Shaw Christmas in the 'boro with MANY of our cousins. Ava Grace wasn't feeling well, so she wasn't her usual self, but it was fun for me to see everyone. I have such a wonderful family!!

Before Christmas, I decided to bake some cookies for the neighbors and Ava Grace helped. Well, she helped with the sprinkles. She wanted "more" every time the sprinkles left her hand. She seemed to like it, which means that next year baking cookies will be even more fun (and messier).

Christmas Eve service was nice as the children did a GodPlay of the story. We were in the play last year, so it was nice to watch it this time. Ava Grace did great as she played in the pew with anything she could find. Cece was with us on Christmas Eve which was extra special since we haven't spent Christmas Eve with her in several years. Christmas morning brought about much excitement and fun!! Ava Grace started to feel a little better, but still didn't have any idea what was going on. She did walk right over to her new wagon to see what it was and what was in it. I think Christmas 2009 was a big hit for our little one as she experienced Christmas and most importantly Jesus' birth!!

Dress Up

Ava Grace didn't really play "dress up" like most of you are thinking, but she did enjoy walking in her Mama's shoes and putting rings on her ears as earrings. It was so funny!! She has asked to place the rings on her ears several times since and she attempts to walk in my shoes (or any shoes that she finds) daily.

Let it Snow......Part 3

Ava Grace and I have been outside playing for a while. We built an Ava Grace size snowman. We tried to find all of the things to put on it, but we couldn't find a mouth that would stick. Oh well!! I will try again later since it isn't going to melt anytime soon. We made snow cream and ate it as a snack - it was yummy!!! We also shoveled our driveway (it isn't too long) with a plastic dustpan. Hey....who says you can't make a shovel with a little creativity!! The neighbors have been out walking the streets, so it has been fun to visit with everyone. It is kind of like having a block party - without the food and fun beverages.

Let it Snow...Part 2

Here is the afternoon version of this snow. We haven't heard an accumulation total yet, but it has to be at least 4 inches.

Let it Snow

We woke up this morning to a beautiful blanket of white. Yes, it snowed early in the morning and it hasn't stopped yet. These pictures are from early this morning. Ava Grace and I bundled up and went outside for her to walk around in the snow and slush. She slipped, laughed, sat in the middle of the street, and ate ice. She loved it and laughed as she watched some of the neighborhood dogs run around in it. Here are a few pictures of the snow in the early morning. We have several inches that has accumulated now. I will try to post those pictures later. Until then....

First Snow of the Year

This past Saturday we saw our first snow of the winter. It was pretty as always and the best part was that it didn't stay around too long. It was extremely cold though!! Ava Grace kept pointing outside saying "aining" which means raining. I tried to explain that it was snow because it was white, but I'm sure she didn't get the concept. She did, however, enjoy the snow hitting her in the face as we played outside for a bit. She laughed and laughed - too cute!! Also, she wore this toboggan for two days straight. Our cousin in southern California sent it to Ava Grace last year, but it was too big for her head at the time. I am thinking we are going to get LOTS of use out of it this year though!!

Once the snow stopped, we went to Johnson Farm (Historic Farm that our school district owns) for their annual Christmas. Ava Grace and I rode on a horse drawn buggy (hay ride really). So, she got to see some horses and got to pet a donkey. She didn't mind petting the donkey, but as "Chelsea" (the donkey's name) would turn her head and nose, Ava Grace wasn't too sure about the animal being that close. She never cried or anything, but held on tightly to me. So, as you can imagine, there was no way she was going to sit on Chelsea for a picture or anything. We watched other kiddos make crafts, but she was too young for that just yet. There was a Christmas tree representing every school in our county, so we looked at all of them. They were all very creative and made me proud to know that I worked with some of those children. We went on a tour of the old house on the land, but that didn't last very long as Ava Grace doesn't quite get the concept of "Do Not Touch". Ava Grace also got to sit in Santa's sleigh although Santa was missing and a teddy bear took his place. She liked it nonetheless. After our fun, we ventured into the main building where she enjoyed a big cookie and I enjoyed some hot apple cider. We have the best apple cider that is made at our numerous apple farms. YUMMY!!!

Thanksgiving Fun

Ava Grace and I had a great time at Cece's for Thanksgiving. The trip is always so short, but so much fun. We played in the backyard, went to the park, put up the Christmas tree, ate lots of yummy food, and got a first haircut!! Here are a few pictures of the fun....

Fun at the park...beautiful weather!!

Helping Cece put up her Christmas tree

Ms. Karen gave Ava Grace her first haircut. Ms. Karen actually gave me my first haircut when I was a little girl and cut my hair until I went to college. She actually cuts it every time I go home too!!! Ava Grace did pretty well. She wanted to tear up at the beginning, but when she realized that I was going to hold her, she was OK. She squirmed and wiggled, but Ms. Karen managed to trim it up a bit. Hopefully now it will grow thicker and longer!!