I am really bad at this.....

Yep, as a teacher I understand that titles should be capitalized.  However, when you haven't updated in about 5 months, there is some shame there.  So, read the title as you choose.  I imagine it being read in a sad voice with puppy dog eyes.  We had a busy fall and winter is off to a similar start.  So, here goes our entire fall in one entry.  Enjoy!

Avery started her last year of preschool!  She is now in the afternoon 4 year old class and loves it.

We went out to Funks Grove and took our annual family photo!

We visited Papa and Ga Carrion and went to the pumpkin farm with Lucas!

My cousin Kris got married this fall and asked Avery to be her flower girl.  This was her dress.  This was also at the shower where Avery was feeling "too shy" to show everyone her dress.

 

It is wedding day!!  Avery's first time in the makeup chair....

Her first time getting her hair done.  She also made the maid of honor tell her a story the entire time.  Thanks Jamie for entertaining her!

Auntie Robyn and Ryen

Avery and her new best friends!

This girl and I stayed and partied until around 11.  At that point, she found my dad and said, Papa I am really ready to go home.  Then she did this in the lobby of the Hotel Baker.  Keep it classy girl!

We also went to some princess classes where Avery met some princesses, learned some lessons and became a real princess herself!

There was table manners with Belle....

Inner and outer beauty day with Snow White...

Kindness day with Cinderella...

Storytime with Sleeping Beauty...

And then coronation day with Queen Elsa!

Daddy built Avery a new art table.  It is now a lego table.

Halloween came.  Avery was a pegasus and Ryen was a monkey.

Then Avery was Anna and Ryen was a smiling monkey.

Ryen has always been a climber.  This fall she took it to a new level.  She climbed on a side table and her feet slipped letting her head smack the table on her way to the ground.  Yeah, that was pretty bad!

Dave and I went to Chicago for a night to hang out with Ashley and Patrick and to see one of our favorites in concert - Langhorne Slim.

Then we thanked him for a great show!

Avery and I took her friend out for a day of breakfast, candy and the movies.  That was an adventure.

Auntie Ashley and I introduced Avery to the world of pedicures.  She really loved it.  She keeps asking when she can go again.  Music to my ears!

Ryen also loves shoes.  And it doesn't matter who they belong to.  She loves daddy's gym shoes just as much as she loves Avery's bright pink boots.

Happy 4th Birthday Avery

We have gained a 4 year old.  A 4 year old full of sass, sweetness and spunk.  Avery brings us so much joy and happiness.  It has been really fun watching her be a big sister who loves playing with her sister.  As we have done for the past few years, we had Avery's annual pictures taken with Bridget and as always, they were so much fun!  Here's a small sampling of what we got!  

Happy Birthday sweet Avery, we love you!

Remember That Summer of 2014?

It dawned on me the other day that  I should post an update on our family blog thinking that it had been about a month.  Then I checked.  Nope, it has been almost 3 months.  That is a lot to catch up on.  So, I will attempt to sum up our entire summer vacation in as few words as I can.  I cannot promise that to be the case with pictures.  Here we go:

JUNE~
The night before Father's Day, I got to get away for the night to go and see two of our favorite bands in Indianapolis with Ashley and two of our friends.  I love having concert buddies!

Oh yeah, and Ashley and I got to meet Langhorne Slim.... seriously he is adorable!

Then we came home and it was Father's Day.  I really enjoy letting Avery loose in the Dollar Store or Walmart and let her choose Father's Day gifts.  The dads were also very excited.  Their gifts included some fireworks, candy, assorted nuts, duct tape, pink fruit punch, and some other goodies.

Ummm.. this happened.  It is a tunnel for our cats to play in.

We spent morning time reading to each other.

Avery learned to love playing in mud pits.

We went to swim lessons every morning for 4 weeks.  And Avery hated every moment of it.

Avery learned to fish from a friend.  These two are adorable.

We went zip lining with Dave's parents, cousins, aunt and her friend.  It was amazing.

 Yeah, we all crossed that bridge.

These two were like little kids!  So much fun.

Yes, my helmet is yellow.  It was a kid's helmet.  My children don't get their big head from me.

Yep, there I go!

~JULY~

July kicked off with Papa Dave's birthday.  Avery picked out a nice pair of pink and black (woman) slippers for him.  We also took this opportunity to set off some of the fireworks from Father's Day.

We celebrated the 4th of July

We read some more books.

Ryen survived Hand Foot Mouth (though never in her mouth)

Ryen received handmade outfits from Grandma

We snuggled on our cats

Avery read to some sweet dogs

We met our new godson- Knox David.  And fell in love.

And realized that Ryen likes to wear baskets on her head.

~AUGUST~

We hung out with some friends!

Story time with Papa

Avery bought a cowboy hat.

Daddy built the girls a swing.

We had a pretty successful garden.

Avery turned 4!!  She got a scooter from mommy and daddy.

Daddy pretended to be a unicorn for Avery.

We did some painting at the Children's Discovery Museum.

Avery opened some other presents from her friends and family.

I made and canned salsa for the very first time.

And this is how we let Avery finish her birthday cake.  :)

And our friends David and Dorota had their first baby- sweet Henry David.  

Phew....hopefully that catches us up and I won't be so far behind next time.