Sunday Donuts

Matt has picked up donuts the last few Sundays almost making it a tradition (Yeah, I love donuts!) This Sunday Ava woke up early and Matt took her with him to get donuts. She came racing in my room when they got home saying "Mom wake up, donuts with sprinkles and coffee for daddy, and you sleep good?" all in a one sentence blur. And now everyday she has mentioned wanting to go get donuts.

Corn Anyone?

Ava wanted to help me husk the corn this weekend. She kept asking "where's the popcorn?" Keep peeling............ And she finally got to it. She was so excited and I was able to capture the moment. She was even excited every time I "found" the corn.

Labor Day with the Nelson's

The Dads and kids hiking at Devil's Lake

Kate and Ella in a Bear cave, okay not really
Grant, Paul, and Dallin on Paul's back
The four of us............of course one is in my belly

Picking up rocks

Ella with a millapead that Matt found. The kids loved it and wanted to take it home. I frankly found it a little creepy......oh those little legs, ewe.

Ava in mid jump.

Kate and Dallin at the pool

Ella riding the snake. I should have gotten pictures of the kids coming off the big water slides. By far a big highlight for them as they were the first big water slides they had been on ever. Ella even braved one by herself.

All of the kids at the cottage. We put strong Grant at the bottom to keep all the kids on.

Grants legs gave way after we had all the shots we needed............and they all came tumbling down.

We were lucky enough to have my sister and her family in town for the Labor Day Weekend. We packed it full of fun. We started with a nice hike at Devil's Lake. We came home got our swim suits on and went swimming. We had banana splits after the kids went to bed. then we went to church on Sunday and after church went to the cottage to hang out with Matt's family. The kid's all played well together. We got home in time for a late dinner and the Nelson's left Monday and stopped at Lego Land in Chicago.

Louiville Kentucky in August

Emma and Ava's matching jam jams and her new glow worm.
Lacey, me, and our kids. I'm only 4 weeks over due on getting my hair colored.........I should refrain from being in pictures when it is in this state. Yikes (photo courtesy of Lacey) Yummy ice cream cones. Ava has borrowed one of Emma's many princess dress ups. She didn't want to take off the dress and Lacey assured me that it would clean up like a charm, and it did!
A fun car at the bouncy house. They had straps to wear on your shoulders so you could pretend you were a car on a race track. I just missed her wearing the car and she refused to put it back on.
Here is Ava on the airplane going back home. I brought her carseat on board and traveling was like a dream. With out it she wants up and down and opens and closes her seat belt and basically can't sit still. In her seat she just knows she has to stay in it just like the car. Well worth schlepping it through the airport.

So we then drove from Cincinnati to Louisville to see my cousin Lacey and her adorable family. I hadn't seen her in almost 10 years. She is an avid blogger, so I felt like I already knew her kids. Anyone who has stayed at Lacey's will say it is like staying at a hotel........ummmm I have to say even better. She had a gift basket for Ava and one for me too. WOW. Ava's included a cute glow worm, princess jammies, a princess sippy, lots of treats, and a cute purse. I don't even think I got this nice of a basket when I was in the buying world being wined and dined. Mine had some amazing chocolate treats and tantalizing lotions and some other stuff I can't think of at the moment. We of course stayed up way to late every night and did a lot of fun stuff. The best is when I lost my keys and I almost parked Lacey in. The neighbor guy was laughing watching us trying to get Lacey's van around my rental car. He lent us a hand and got us out of our predicament. WHEW. Where were the keys you ask........under the bed. Apparently Ava was playing them the night before and even set off the alarm. She did this when she was supposed to be sleeping. I really wished that Lacey was my neighbor or just lived in the same town. I would want to hang out with her and her kids everyday. So maybe next time we won't wait 10 years until we see each other. Oh yeah and she has a really cute new baby too. Only 9 weeks old. It really got me excited for my new one in December.

Cincinnati Ohio in August

Ava and Baby Johnathan at the pool. It was hot that day.

We went for ice cream at "The Cone". A famous place for ice cream.
Ava enjoying sitting next to baby Johnathan. Ava riding on a stuffed animal dog who looks just like one of their real dogs.

Ava in one of the dogs kennels. She had so much fun playing in there and shutting the door herself. She put some books and her blanket in there and then yelled "Good Night"

Ava and baby Johnathan look out the window.

They are both sucking there finger/thumb.....so cute!

From Columbus we drove to Cincinnati to visit some other friends. They have a baby who is 4 months old that Ava just adored, and two dogs she couldn't get enough of. She has named all of her babies "Baby John" (his real name Johnathan, but she would just cut his name short) when we got home. We had a great time and hope to visit them again when they move to Charlotte NC or maybe a girls trip to Florida next month........

Colombus Ohio in August

Bo-Doodle the dog.
Making Cookies.
Blowing bubbles while the cookies cooked and cooled.
Eating the cookies they frosted after their baths.......umm we should have frosted and ate before the baths, they were sticky.We went for a walk and the girls all wanted their babies to go to. And yes all 3 rode in the sit and stand stroller.

Dance party in the girls room
On the Nice Neighbors swingset.

Ava and I were on the road a lot in August. I guess I am trying to squeeze as many trips in before number two arrives. It all started with some friends who needed some help while there teenage son, who got hit by a car, was in the hospital with a traumatic brain injury. Of course his mom was at the hospital with him and Dad went back to work after 3 weeks. I went to help watch the girls for a few days. Ava was in seventh heaven. Of course they had amazing toys because they are older than she is and she loved being one of the girls. Every morning she would wake up and the first thing out of her mouth was "Girls awake?" She did okay at sharing me for the four days we were there. Oh and she loved their 3 cats and their Dog Bo-Doodle, I on the other hand was allergic to one or all of them. It was great feeling to help a family in need and I hope I get to visit them under better circumstances next time.

Boise Family Reunion

My Grandma and her sister Gwen


4 generations of hands (My sister Jess took these-great idea!) My Grandma, my Mom, my hand and Ava's hand.
My sister Kate and her adorable little boy DallinAva found a pet rock that she almost dropped on her foot twice. I finally said he needs to take a nap. That was all we needed was a broken toe while we were camping.
My Mom at my Grandma's house pulling all of the kids in the Garden wagon.

My Second Cousin Missy's daughter and my Ava. These two would be pea's in a pod if they lived closer. They are both two and very tall for their age.

My Uncle Marvin and My sister Lori's Daughter Maya. Our daughters loved him and we joked that we wanted to hire him as the nanny because he was so helpful all the time.
My sister Jess who is a Mastermind at doing girly hair do's.
Grandpa, Maya, Marvin, Grandma, My Mom, Chase, My Aunt Diane, and my sister Michele.

Ava is smelling a flower she picked.

My Grandma fell asleep while holding Chase who was asleep.
Ava, Maya, and Tally. Jess had just done there hair. Ava would not let me take it out for bed that night. i was sure it was going to give her a head ache. In the morning it still looked good, so I didn't take it out the next day either. Even a month later if you ask Ava "who does your hair sooo cute" she responds with a big smile and says "Aunt Jessie". She will sit still for Jess but not for me.

Last month (yes I seem to be a month behind these days) we went to Boise for a family reunion. My Aunt Diane planned an awesome get away at Cascade (about 1 1/2 hrs north of Boise). Ava and I flew in early and Matt met us out later in the week. It was so great to catch up with family that I don't get to see that often. I would name them all, but that would be a long, long list. The best was meeting family I had never met. Anyway we stayed with my Grandma for the first few days, and then we drove up north and slept in cabins at the camp. Matt enjoyed playing ping pong, bad mitten, pool, and cards with the old guys and my cousin Isaac who is 14. Maybe next time my favorite girl cousins and my other cool Aunt (you know who you are.....) plus there husbands will come too and then Matt will have some competition with guys his age.

Clean Kitchen Goodies (my pay it forward)

Everything always looks better with ribbon, right?

So I am sure everyone is wondering what they missed out on by not signing up for my PAY IT FORWARD. I did a theme of the items I use in the kitchen to keep things clean. My 3 packages will leave this week for the winners.

From L to R

1. Viva paper towels-the softest, most absorbent paper towel. My roommate Suzie got me hooked on these.

2. My favorite dish scrubber from XOXO. It doesn't leak soap, the button that dispenses soap is easily depressed, and it looks kinda sleek with the stainless steel handle. I thank my mom for cluing me in on this little prized possession.

3. Face cloths for my messy Ava. I use one washcloth a day to wipe her up after meals. This keeps her little greasy, sticky, messy hands and face from messing up my furniture and walls after meals. She knows the drill and often wants to get her fingers cleaned while she eats. Am I raising a child to possibly become a little obsessive compulsive.....yeah probably. You laugh but I even travel with a stack of my handy dandy wash cloths.

4. A microfiber dish cloth. It is so good to to capture food and spills and leaves the counters almost dry after you wipe them down.

5. A silicone pot holder from Kitchen Aide. It is small and can be washed or thrown into the dishwasher when you are done using it.

6. A microfiber hand towel. It gets your hands sooo dry, but if you have rough hands it can feel like it is sticking to your skin.

7. Flour sack dish towels. I use these towels strictly for dishes. They absorb quite well and because they are only used on clean dishes, they stay nice and white.

Well there you have it a little package of "Clean Kitchen Goodies". Enjoy winners!