Last Day For Now

Since January 30, 2012, Ava and I have had the pleasure of spending our weekdays with Little Miss Morgan (she was 3 months old at the time). Now, in the middle of June, we are preparing to say goodbye to Morgan... at least until school starts in the fall.

Ava and I will miss getting to spend our time playing with Morgan and watching her grow!

Fortunately, we will see Miss Morgan almost everyday this summer at the swimming pool! Ava and I are excited to get Morgan back in August. I can only imagine how different she will be... I better baby-proof my house all over again!

See you soon, girly!

City Lake Park

If you live in or near Greensboro, City Lake Park in Jamestown, is definitely worth checking out. In addition to the amazing and HUGE playground, the park also has a merry-go-round, train, miniature golf, swimming pool (with slides and diving boards), and a lake (complete with water taxi and paddle boats). Packing a picnic lunch and spending the entire day at the park is something I see happening a lot in our future.

My parents were in town for the day, and they accompanied us to the park. While Ava thoroughly enjoyed the merry-go-round, my dad was clearly less than impressed since he spent the whole time on his cell phone. In his defense, this was probably Ava's 20th time riding the merry-go-round. While each ride was equally as magical for Ava, when you get to be 60, a merry-go-round is a merry-go-round, right?

Ride #87.

Ride #173.

Ride #492.

In between rides on the merry-go-round, we spent a good portion of our time on the train. The tunnel was definitely Ava's favorite part.

Ride #612.

Finally, we moved away from the rides long enough to explore the playground. It really is quite impressive... I'm sure as a kid, the playground seems bigger than life!

Thanks, City Lake Park! We will be back soon!

One Final Lunch Date

For the second year in a row, Ava and I have had the privilege of having lunch with a local 1st grader, Ziya. This year, Morgan joined in on the fun, and we spent one day a week eating lunch with Ziya and talking about everything from 'Why tater tots are so good?' to 'Man, look at the rolls on that baby's legs (Morgan... just in case anyone was curious).' Ah, the simplicity of meal time conversations between a 7 year old, 2 year old and 7 month old.

I seriously need to work on Ava's 'show me your happy face' face.

My apologies for the blurry picture. After packing lunches for Ava and Morgan, loading up in the car and leaving on time, the only camera I had with me was my cell phone. And contrary to what you see in the photo below, no Morgans were harmed in the making of this picture.

Happy Summer, Ziya! We wish you a wonderful 2nd grade year! Thank you for letting us eat lunch with for the past 2 years.

Want Play With My Toys?

I have truly enjoyed every stage of Ava's short, but flying before my eyes, life. Really and truly. Every. Stage. What I enjoy most about Ava's current stage of development is seeing her imagination take off, her sense of independence grow, and her desire to play with me. Yes, that's right... her DESIRE to play with me. I am sure the day will come when playing with me will be embarrassing and an occasional (yet, accidental) eye roll will follow my questions, "Ava, would you like to go shopping with me? Go to the pool with me? Come to the store with me? Watch a movie with me?..." Ava, if you are reading this in about 10 years, know that at one point in your life, you actually asked me and Dad to play with you and your toys.

What is even more endearing than Ava wanting to engage with me and play with her toys, is the way she asks... She shrugs her shoulders, tilts her head to the side, scrunches up her face, puts her hands in front her of her palms up, and says, "Want play with my toys?" I am always amazed at Ava's vocabulary and sentence structure, but it melts my heart when her sentences are not always grammatically correct. It reminds me that even though Ava is growing like a weed, she is still my baby girl.

No matter when Ava asks if I would like to play with her... Tomorrow, a month from now, 10 years from now... I pray that I always step away from the business of life to not only play, but cherish such precious moments with my baby.

They're Engaged!

Congratulations are in order for my brother and his FIANCEE, Kayla! On April 29th, they got engaged!

We are so excited to have Kayla join the family! The countdown is on for the big day... June 1, 2013!

It Was Ava's Idea...

Several days ago, Matt, Ava and I were eating breakfast... Out of no where, Ava said, "I want to go to the beach." Matt and I looked at each other, agreed with Ava, made a few phone calls and 36 hours later we were on our way to Garden City Beach, SC. Thank you, Brian and Jennifer, for letting us stay at your piece of paradise... And thank you Ava, for comping up with the idea!

We spent 4 wonderful days soaking up the sun, splashing in the waves, playing in the sand and spending time together as a family. One of Ava's favorite things at the beach is the Garden City Pier. Within 5 minutes of unpacking our beach towels and toys, Ava spotted the pier a mile to the south and she immediately wanted to go.

Ava loved playing hide and seek behind the beams of the pier.

She also loved running under the length of the pier. From the water, to the dry sand... over and over again.

When we weren't walking to or from the pier, we spent a lot of time digging holes in the sand, building sand castles, splashing in the water and collecting sea shells.

One particular evening, we changed the scenery a bit... Instead of running around underneath the pier, Ava ran around on top of the pier. More specifically, Ava danced on the stage on top of the pier.

When Ava's feet were tired of dancing, she reluctantly posed for a picture with Matt....

And me.

If you remember my last post, I mentioned that AVA IS POTTY TRAINED! That is exciting news all by itself, but it is even more exciting when you factor in that 1) I will no longer have to buy ridiculously expensive swimming diapers for Ava 2) I will no longer have to change nasty, sandy, aqua dump diapers on the beach! With all of that said, going pee was a breeze.... When Ava had to go, we would walk down to the ocean and, you know. Don't judge. You know you do it too. Going #2 however was another story.... There was a port-a-potty for public use, but... EEW! So Matt and I fashioned together a port-a-potty of our own and whenever Ava had to go, she went in the comfort of our van. Again, don't judge. :)

On our last night in Garden City, we went out to dinner at one of our favorite restaurants, The Gulfstream. The food is fantastic, and the view is unbelievable.

My heart over flows each time I look at these two!

God has blessed me beyond measure.

After dinner, we spent a while out on the beach breathing the salty air and playing in the sand. We probably would have slept out on the sand had it not been for... the sand.

Monday morning we woke up, Ava drove the golf cart (with Matt's help) and took us to the beach for a few more hours of vacation before heading home.

Ava hopped in the wagon for one last afternoon stroll to the pier...

Only, she didn't quite make it. Every other day we had been on the beach, Ava never napped, not even for one second. I guess by day #4, the lack of naps caught up to her and before we reached the pier, Ava was sound asleep. Don't you just love those adorable sandy toes?

On the way home, our back right tire exploded. And when I say exploded, that is exactly what I mean!...

Without getting into all of the details, just know we were on a very dark, very isolated highway when the tire blew. Thankfully, the Lord kept us safe and returned us back home to Greensboro.

No blown tire is going to scare us away from future beach trips! We are already so excited for the trips we have planned in June, July and September!

Transitions

There have been several transitions that have taken place in the Gardner household over the past month or so. Transitions that are so significant, they could even be called milestones. No matter what you call them, we're so proud of Ava for the changes that have recently taken place.

Transition #1: March 25, 2012

The weekend of March 23rd-25th, Matt and I hosted a group of 6th grade girls and 2 college leaders for our church's Boot Camp weekend. Matt and I planned on having the 2 college leaders sleep in Ava's bunk beds for the weekend. The only problem with that... The rail that is supposed to go on the top bunk was attached to the bottom bunk since Ava was still getting used to her big girl bed. I'm sure that the college girls would have been fine without a rail, but I didn't want to risk having anyone not only fall out of bed, but fall 6 feet out of bed before hitting a hardwood floor.

So, the rail was moved for Boot Camp weekend, and when the weekend was over, we never moved it back. Ava has been sleeping soundly, and safely in her big girl bed ever since.

Transition #2: April 2, 2012

Ava stopped using her paci. No, that's not a typo... Let me say type it again... Ava stopped using her PACI! It wasn't voluntary, and to be honest, for the first few nights, it wasn't pleasant... But here's how it happened: Before bed, I noticed a small hole/slit in the part of the paci that goes in Ava's mouth. I immediately had thoughts of the mentioned rubber part of the paci breaking off in the middle of the night and choking Ava in her sleep. Instead of replacing Ava's paci with a new one, Matt and I showed her the hole, told her it was broken and took it away. Tears were shed... From Ava because her beloved paci was gone... And from me and Matt because this was yet another sign that our little girl is growing up.

The following day, Matt and I took Ava to Target where she was able to pick out a toy and 'buy' it with her paci. Ava picked out a Baby B'Jorn for her small army of baby dolls, then handed the cashier her paci in exchange for the toy (Side note: Matt and Ava walked out of Target a few steps ahead of me so that I could get the paci back from the cashier, without Ava knowing, so that I can put it in her memory box). I am happy to announce that after only a few nights of crying for her paci, Ava now goes to bed pacifier free.

Transition #3: April 9, 2012

This one, ladies and gentlemen, is the biggest and most exciting transition of all. AVA IS POTTY TRAINED! One of my friends told me about a 3 Day Potty Training Boot Camp and I decided to try it while Morgan was at home with her mom for a week. I am proud to report that Ava did not have an accident past lunch time on DAY ONE! Ava has been peeing and pooping (excuse my potty talk, but this is big news) in the toilet everyday since! She loves her big girl underwear and I love that she picked up on it so quickly, that Ava will never have another poopy diaper to change, and that I can carry a purse instead of a diaper bag when we leave the house! So proud of my growing little girl and all of her accomplishments!

  

First Hair Cut

For quite some time now, Ava's hair has been, long, tangly and out of control. There has been no real shape to it, and since Ava nearly bites my head off if I even consider putting her hair in a pony tail, I have been at quite a loss as to what to do with her golden curls.

So today, I got my hair cut, and I brought Ava along for the ride. While my hair was being washed, cut and dried, Ava sat in a stroller, played with some toys, ate some snacks, and kept an eye on what was happening to me. Then, when I was done, it was her turn. Leslie, my fabulous hair stylist, had Ava sit on my lap. Leslie then brought out a special cape, just for Ava to wear. As Leslie tried putting the cape around Ava's neck, Ava flipped out and all I could see in the mirror in front of me was cape fabric flying in all directions. We skipped the cape, and after that one freak out, Ava did just fine.

Although, she kept looking in the mirror, trying to figure out exactly what was happening to her hair.

When Leslie was finished, my little girl looked less like a little girl, and more like the big girl she is turning into right before my eyes.

What a cutie! It is hard to see the back of her new do in this picture, but just know it is simply adorable!

Easter Weekend, 2012

Easter weekend was packed full of holiday traditions, visiting with family, traveling and celebrating the resurrection of our Savior!

We started the weekend by dyeing Easter Eggs, or as Ava called it, "painting the eggs."

When the first batch of eggs was done, Ava wanted to examine each and every one. For the most part, she followed directions, and was very careful with the hard boiled eggs. The little orange egg you see pictured below, fell to the floor about 3 seconds after I took the photo.

Why not use this teachable moment to show Ava what is inside a hard boiled egg? So, I did. After peeling off the vivid orange shell, I handed Ava the egg that had been left inside. Ava had never seen a hard boiled egg before that morning, so she wasn't exactly sure what to do with it. "Eat it!" I said. But she proceeded with extreme caution. She smelled the egg. Pressed it to her mouth. And even licked it.

Then, finally, she took a bite.

And quickly realized that unlike me, but just like her daddy, Ava is not a fan of hard boiled eggs.

Like the southern lady she is, Ava politely spit out the egg and said, "I don't like it."

Not wanting a perfectly good hard boiled egg to go to waste, I took a bite and tried to convince Ava that it was worth giving another shot. To my surprise, Ava was curious about the yellow yolk now poking through the egg. I asked her if she wanted to try it, and was shocked when she said yes. Instead of taking a bite, Ava carefully licked the yolk... And I'm guessing you can tell by the picture, that she didn't like it any better the second time around.

Here is a picture of Ava's Easter Eggs.

And the batch of eggs I dyed after Ava lost interest.

Friday afternoon, we hit the road and headed to my parent's house for the night. Ava enjoyed some time snuggling up with Oma while Opa serenaded her with her favorite songs.

During the day on Saturday, Ava got to take part in her 2nd egg hunt of the season. This hunt, unlike the one at Marc and Lauren's house last week, had only one participant... Ava. She did not have to fight other kids for the eggs, nor was she rushed for time in collecting all 40+ eggs. That's right folks, 40+ eggs. There was some major bribing happening toward the end of the hunt, just in an attempt to get Ava to finish finding the eggs.

Wouldn't you think that after all of the eggs had been collected, Ava would have wanted to see what was inside? That's what I thought, and clearly I was wrong. Instead of looking through her egg basket, Ava threw one of the most epic screaming fits I have ever seen. Why the fit, you might ask? Because I wanted to take her picture. Sheesh! Oh, and in case you're wondering, Matt got every second of Ava's fit on camera. I have a feeling that video will resurface at some point in say, 13 years or so. Muah ha ha ha (evil, blackmail mom laugh)!

Ava's fit resulted in time out. Which clearly did not make her happy either. Live and learn, baby girl. Live. And. Learn.

Eventually, Ava pulled herself together, and we spent Saturday afternoon celebrating my Dad's birthday. My mom did such an amazing job putting together a fantastic dinner for my dad, she forgot one of the most critical parts of a birthday celebration... the candles. Look closely at the cake. Yup, that is most definitely a tea candle. Doesn't my dad look thrilled to blow out the vanilla scented, home decor candle?

After spending great quality time with my family, we headed back to Greensboro Saturday night. Sunday morning, we headed to our amazing church to worship our resurrected Lord with friends and family. It never ceases to amaze me how quickly and how much Ava learns from the Bible. As a family, we read several pages in Ava's children's Bible each night before bed. We have already made our way through Ava's Bible, beginning to end, several times and she becomes increasingly familiar with each story each time we read it. I know there are many more details surrounding the Easter story than Ava is aware of right now, but what a refreshing reminder that while the details are significant, the most important part of the story is able to be recognized by such little children. Jesus died on a cross. He died for my sin and yours. Jesus was buried, but the story does not end there. 3 days later Jesus rose from the dead, conquering sin and the grave! Praise God that Jesus is alive and lives in me today!

Following church, we headed over to Tim and Kathy's house (Matt's aunt and uncle) for Easter lunch. Tim and Kathy have a beautiful backyard, so we took advantage of the scenery and took a family photo.

Ava may not have appreciated the beauty (and no doubt, the hard work) of Tim and Kathy's backyard, but regardless, I was able to get some pretty adorable pictures of her taking everything in.

Got to love a cheek smashing shot.

I love the following picture of Matt and Ava. I love everything about it... except the fact that while looking simply adorable, Ava is gesturing that she would rather be doing anything other than taking a picture. What is even more frustrating is that I took about 7 pictures of Matt and Ava, cheek to cheek and Ava has the same gesture in every. single. one. Happy Easter, everyone!

Fortunately, Ava got her fingers back in line and managed a precious, and non-profane picture with Mimi and Poppy.

There is nothing classier than a little girl wearing a beautiful Easter dress, fancy shoes and dolled up hair. Oh wait, there is something classier... Take said little girl and watch her dig for some Easter gold.

Sunday evening, Ava got to dig through her Easter basket. She found the "Alvin & The Chipmunks: Chipwrecked" movie (the first movie we took her to see in the theater), a chocolate bunny, a new pair of sunglasses, and the thing one thing she had been asking for, "frip frops."

Mimi and Poppy came over for a sunset picnic and egg hunt. Ava searched the backyard, while wearing her new frip frops and my latest sewing creation.

Thanks to 3 egg hunts in one week, Ava officially has more chocolate candy than she knows what to do with. I guess Matt and I will have to pitch in and help her get rid of some.

We hope you and your family had a wonderful Easter!