Monday, November 30, 2009

it's beginning to look a lot like christmas...

We were able to decorate a little earlier this year. Normally, we would wait until Thanksgiving weekend to decorate, but since Uncle Thomas & Aunt Lindsey got married that weekend, we decorated the weekend before. It was so much fun! After we decorated the house with poinsettia's and other Christmas decor, we decorated the tree. Here is the before picture...
And, as tradition since Daddy & Mommy got married, we put on our Santa hats in order to decorate the tree. Here we are with Daddy...

...and with Mommy.


Here is the "after" ~ We are super excited about Christmas. We hope you are getting in the "Christmas spirit" as well...ready to celebrate Jesus' Birth and being with family and friends.

Mommy also enjoyed making gingerbread houses with some good friends this year. It took them about 7 hours to do it, but that also included a lot of talking...a lot of laughing...and a lot of eating!! We loved the house when Mommy brought it home. Brady has been pointing and saying "candy" for a few days at it...finally, the temptation got the best of him and grabbed one of the candy cane trees...but didn't eat it! After Mommy "talked" to him, he hasn't touched it again! We just love looking at it...and it smells good, too!

And, this year, Mommy added poinsettias going up our stairs. It looks so pretty...and we haven't touched them yet! :)

we give thanks...

I had a Thanksgiving Program and Feast at my preschool right before Thanksgiving, and Daddy & Mommy were both able to come and watch me since and have lunch with me. Here I am right before preschool...ready to go!

We dressed up as little pilgrims, and I must say...I looked pretty cute!

And, I sure loved the singing...


Daddy & me

Mommy & me

We give thanks to our Jesus for all His blessings to us. We are so thankful to have each other as family...and thankful to have Him as our Saviour! Happy Thanksgiving, Everyone!

Monday, November 16, 2009

goodbye 3...today, i am 4! happy birthday to averie!

November 16th was my birthday...yes, MY birthday. And, I used that line, "because it's my birthday," a lot! :) But, what a great day it was. Actually, we celebrated all weekend long, and we had so much fun! Daddy & Mommy can't believe I am already 4. I told Brady the day after my birthday, "I will never be 3 again, Buddy." And, Mommy realized how true and bittersweet that statement was. But, I had a whole lot of fun being 3, so I am super excited to see what 4 will bring! Enjoy the pics!


Me...the morning of my birthday. I went to preschool that morning. (I am pictured with my bear, Lexi, who I made at my friend party...pictures in another post!)

Just me...the birthday girl

Daddy picked me up a little early from preschool (so exciting to have Daddy there!), and we met Mommy & Brady at Chic-Fil-A for lunch. Then, we came home and I got to open my presents from Daddy, Mommy, & Brady. Before opening gifts, I had to take a picture of me with our special birthday hat...bought by Daddy & Mommy in Disneyworld for us to wear on our birthdays!

Opening gifts...I LOVED doing that!

This one is from Brady!



My "big' gift...a changing table for my baby dolls! I LOVED it!





Me with an outfit for my baby dolls!



Mommy likes to wrap everything very individual rather than grouping them together. That way, I am opening lots of presents.

I love board games!

Daddy & Me

Mommy & Me

And, the look Brady gave Mommy when she said it was time to take a picture with the birthday girl. He has this new look...and it's rather funny!

The picture didn't go well...Brady was obviously too busy cooking!

That night, we went out to dinner at Kabuto's Japanese Steakhouse...otherwise known as "Big Fire." We went with all my family! Here I am...ready to go!

Me with my Opa & Oma

Me with my Poppy & Nana

Me with my Uncle Blair, Aunt Blip Blip, and McKinly

Me with my Uncle Todd, Aunt Helen, Brayden, & Carter

Me with my Uncle Art, Uncle Michael, Uncle Abe, & Uncle Thomas

Me with my Aunt Courtney, Aunt Kelly, and Jackson

Me with my Great Uncle Arie (Opa's brother) & Paul

Me with Sam, Kaitlyn, Zach, Eric, & Grant

Me with Daddy, Mommy, & Brady

The waitress got tired of filling up Eric's Diet Coke, so she brought him the biggest glass they had!! Hee! Hee!

Uncle Michael & Aunt Courtney drew my name this year (for the VW family), and they got me a high chair for my baby dolls...and a purse...and some princess dominoes!

Me with Kaitlyn & Stephanie


After dinner, some of the family came back to our house for cupcakes, pound cake, cookies, and coffee. I really like Hello Kitty right now, so Mommy decorated the table with Hello Kitty stuff, the desserts, and my gifts that I had already opened!

The cupcake of my choice...funfetti cupcake...with 4 candles on them!

"Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday to Averie, Happy Birthday to you." I loved listening to everyone sing to me!


Making a wish...

...and blowing out my candles!I said, "Hey, what's going on here" as I saw 2 of the candles re-light by themselves!


So, I blew them out again...and again...and again. It was making me laugh!

Now...time to eat my birthday cupcake!

YUMMY!

Opening my gifts...I got pretty excited when I got a bathtub with shampoo and conditioner for my baby dolls from Poppy & Nana!

"Ooh...what could this be"

"Ooh...it's twins!"

These are the twin babies I picked out of a catalog a few months ago and kept telling everyone I really wanted for my birthday. Thanks, Opa & Oma, for giving me Kate (the brunette) & Carly (the blonde). And, thanks to everyone else who gave me all the fun accessories to go with them. And, thanks for all my other great gifts!

Me with Kaitlyn...and the twins!

Oma played "babies" with me, and I paid her $80 to watch my babies for me while I ran errands. Thankfully, she told me that she wouldn't charge me and I could keep the money! We had fun together!

At the end of the night, I was completely wiped out. And, since "it was my brithday," I could stay up as late as I wanted. But, by 9:30, I was snuggled up next to my Daddy in my new Hello Kitty (Christmas) jammies (thanks to Poppy & Nana) and fell fast asleep in just a few minutes! What a great day I had with my family!