Happy Halloween!

Sorry Dad, I can't look right now...I'm trying to get the paper off this sucker!!




Ready to go get some more candy!




Look at that little tail. How cute is she!?!




Off on her first candy quest. We practiced carrying the bucket before she left. As soon as we put candy in there she reached in, grabbed it out, and tried to eat it. I'm hoping she will be more distracted while she's on the street tonight!! She was trained well and could say trick or treat and thank you when she left. By the time they came home {to empty her bucket and head back out} Daddy had her working on Happy Halloween!

Our story begins...

Four Years ago today...we started our family! Happy Anniversary!!!

Having a snack

She was eating all over the living room because I was coming down with the flu and had no energy or desire to keep up with her... That's why children don't gain weight like adults, they burn it faster than they eat because they won't sit still. And we want to teach them to sit in the chair for the entire meal??? Ok for safety yes...but maybe we should follow sometimes? They all say we should eat like children ;)

She should've been a gypsy...

for Halloween that is. Ava loves to put all her *purses* over her shoulder, say *purse* and *bye-bye*. I ask her..."so, Ava, where are you going?". She looks at me with that simple almost 20 month old logic and says "bye-bye"...hehe

The Zoo in the Fall

Fall is alive and well here...I love the colors! This waterfall is at the Zoo entrance.



Ava has learned how to make a monkey sound so she ran right up to the monkey and started to "talk" to it.



Waiting to see the Sea Lion show {and have a little snack}.

Getting dressed...

...all by myself ;)

And she does pretty well I think. We had her dressed in the apple top. She went to the laundry and got the pink shirt...looks a little 1980ish I'd say...with the off the shoulder look :) She is such a ham!! (oh, she picked out the bow by herself too).

Celebrating Forest Park Forever

We went to Forest Park to enjoy a gorgeous afternoon. Ava got to take a pony ride, a bike ride, and a carriage ride. She is so blessed to have such a fun city to grow up in...she has had so many opportunities already in her first year and a half!


Ava got to ride a BIG pony named "Honey". It was the biggest pony there and she didn't shy away - as a matter of fact she pointed to it and said "horse". Guess she wanted to ride Honey. I walked beside her, I think at one point she tried to push my hand off her back...so I held her belt loop instead :) I bet she'll love visiting her cousins horses over Thanksgiving...hope they have one she can ride...







She got a ride in a trailer behind Grandpa on the bike. If we would have ridden around another 10 minutes she probably would have fallen asleep! We may be looking to invest in a gently used "trailer"...





Getting ready to ride the carriage~




I wonder if we should move to the country and buy some horses?? She LOVES them!