The Fam Bam

My sweet family.

These children make me happy!

Jenny, Hu, Amanda, Maggie, Susan, Ellie and Dad

Mommy and her babes.

Going to the Chapel...

My younger sister Maggie is now a wife!!! Ava had her first flower girl gig and I was a bridesmaid for the first time in 10 years (when my older sister got married). Ava was ecstatic leading up to the big day, though I think that she somehow thought she was getting married. To her cousin Sam (who was a ringbearer). Hmmm...

We had a wonderful week visiting with family, enjoying a bridesmaids luncheon, decorating for the reception, eating way too much at the awesome rehearsal dinner cookout and of course the WEDDING and RECEPTION!

All expert flower girls get their hair and nails done.

With mom and my sisters.

Leave it to Ken to plant a photo bomb at his own wedding :)

The pater familias.

Bridesmaid and Flower Power! (and a spray tan)

Ah, Spring...

My sweet family.

First t-ball practice!

At Dancing with the Stars Baton Rouge to cheer on Matt!

At Sam and Honey's wedding in May.

Wacky Wednesday at school!

Our friend Addison moved away in June; this was at her birthday party before the big move.

Happy Easter!

We had a relaxing Easter week with Nana and Gramps, who visited from Iowa. They got to spend tons of time with Ava and we had nice quality time together. We miss them so much!

At the class Easter party at Addison's house. Ava is in the middle of the top row.

Giving Gramps love.

Our handiwork.

Waiting on eggs.

The Easter Bunny left some loot!

Funny bunny.

Before church Easter morning.

Egg hunting in the afternoon, with Katy's assistance.

Reading with Nana and Gramps...

...1000 miles away! We have recently become aquainted with the magic that is Skype. This online video chat system allows us to chat with our parents and siblings hundreds of miles away. While talking to Nana and Gramps on the computer, Ava decided to read from her favorite book...

We love chocolate.

In my attempt to be the Best Mom Ever, I decided to make treat bags for Ava's class on Valentine's Day. Last year, when I just bought cheap fold-over cards (with heart stickers to close), and signed them all "Love, Ava", I (incorrectly) assumed that was sufficient. Imagine my surprise when she came home that day from her TWO YEAR OLD CLASS with treat bags, cards, candy, stickers, etc. So I/we looked like cheap losers. This year, I vowed to be different. We bought all of the goods pictured below and made the cutest frickin' bags in the history of the world. And OF COURSE, no one else did much of anything. So my overkill was for nothing. Boo. But Ava and Ryan enjoyed eating the leftovers...


After church on Sunday (Valentine's Day), the Jones Family went to lunch for Ryan's birthday! The Big 3-3. Ava was super happy about Dad's cake, er... birthday. :)

Goodnight Moon and The Runaway Bunny

One of the perks of my job is that I work in an arts facility that has a theatre complex. Ryan and I have not taken proper advantage of this luxury, which is ridiculous, because I actually have a husband who enjoys theatre! We are trying to start doing more things with Ava on the weekends, so when there is a children's show at Manship Theatre, we try to attend. We recently saw a great show called "Darwin the Dinosuar" which was really cool. This weekend, we saw "Goodnight Moon and The Runaway Bunny", which was fabulous!

These are two of Ava's favorite bedtimes stories. The show began with The Runaway Bunny, and as a narrator read the book, the story was acted out on stage with puppets, props, backdrops, etc. The "illustrations" were EXACTLY like the book, and it was so neat. I really felt like a kid; I kept getting so excited at my favorite parts! The second half of the show was of Goodnight Moon, and the set was lit with a black light, so the items in the room glowed while the actors moved around in black, making the parts of the story come to life. It was amazing.

After the show, the actors answered questions on stage. This was the only time during which we could take photos, so I don't have any of the Runaway Bunny set. But we had a great time and it was a super day!

The little old lady who whispers, "Hush".

In the show, the cow jumping over the moon leaves the framed portrait and jumps over a big moon.

Goodnight Moon set.

It was all exactly like the book! SO cool!

Ava in the great green room. Mommy has friends in high places. Or, more specifically, Mommy has friends backstage that let us go on stage after the show.

"And a picture of... the cow jumping over the moon. "

"And there were three little bears sitting on chairs..."

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

We celebrated a couple of Christmases this year; one at our house in Baton Rouge on Christmas Eve morning, then we drove up to Bastrop to see my family and had another celebration on Christmas morning. My mom's birthday is December 24, so we wanted to be with her on her big day this year. On the way to Nana's house, I asked Ava whose birthday we were celebrating. She replied, "Jesus!" Too true, my child, too true.

Our home!

Some Christmas goodness.

The sleepy walk from her room to see what Santa brought.

Santa ate his milk and cookies (on the shelf to the right), but Ava was upset that he left a few bites.

At Nana's house on Christmas morning with her new Tinkerbell dress up outfit. She seems less than thrilled to pose!

After TWO Christmases and a big lunch, Ava needed a nap in Nana's sunroom.

Time to go back home.

Goodbye, Disney. We'll miss you dearly.

We did NOT want our week in Orlando and at Disney to end. All of us remarked how amazing it was that we got along so well all week, considering 9 of us lived together and did almost everything together for 7 straight days! The trip was amazing. What a fabulous celebration of my beautiful mother-in-law's 60th birthday and my awesome in-laws' 40th wedding anniversary!

At the Playhouse Disney show. We saw Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, Handy Manny, Tigger and Pooh AND the Little Einsteins!

Me and my prince at Cinderella's castle! :) Yeah, I said it.

3-D cousins!

"Is it REALLY you?"

Meeting Belle.

Ava told Belle that her favorite princess story is the Little

Mermaid. Belle said she reads it to the Beast every night!

Princess Aurora! Briar Rose! Sleeping Beauty!

Ava was SO excited to see Tinkerbell. She loves her movies. Ava hugged Tink for a good, long while. Tink said it was the best hug she'd had in ages. :)

Tinker Fairies chatting.

Happy girl.