Visiting a friend

Kylee playing princess dress up with Avery

Breakfast

Kylee reading to the kids at bedtime (so sweet)

The kids looking at one of the animals at the zoo

Nicole and her kids at the duck pond

This is how you feed the ducks here because the shore is steep

Self portrait of us at the flamingos

Avery telling me "orange tiger" and then growling

The best shot of all three looking at the Meerkats

Kylee and Colton

Avery being the turtle

Avery feeding Colton :)

So I went up north to visit one of my longtime friends. We stayed for 2 nights and had such a great time. This is the first time our kids have really had a chance to hang out for more than an hour because she lives far away (3hours). The kids all played really well together, which was so nice. Anyways, I tried my best to take pictures, but it is hard to capture stuff without having your spouses help. We played mostly at the house, but did take the kids to a local zoo, park and duck pond. We also treated them to some McDonalds ice cream cones and the playplace. We will def. be going back soon and can't wait to do it again.

Dress up

Dress up makes me tired

Smile

She is so proud of herself for getting everything on

Such a big girl

So Avery loves to play dress up with anyones clothes. A friend of mine brought me some clothes to go through before they ended up at The Goodwill. I was going through them and making a pile on the floor of the discards. Avery happily helped herself. I things that almost- two year olds do. I know this next year is going to be filled with lots of princess dress up. Sorry her hair is a mess because of the clothes going over it. She just makes me smile.

Avery's first fireworks

Avery on the scooter (wearing my niece's dress, hers got all wet)

The kids getting their hair spray painted in the back yard.

Some of the little kids eating dinner.

Roan, who never smiles for me. (That is just a shadow of a balloon on his face)

The family watching the fireworks

Avery and mommy

WOW!

A little bit of a brighter one.

So this isn't Avery's first 4th of July, but it is the first time she was awake for the fireworks. Every year for the past 8 years (except for last year) we go to my sister-in-laws mom's house for 4th of July. The fireworks used to be set off directly in front of her house, but two years ago they changed the location to a park near her house. We always have a great time with them and enjoy the wonderful food and company. There must have been at least 20 different desserts to choose from this year. :) yum. Anyways, it was good to spend time with family, especially my nephew Roan. Two weeks ago he was attacked by there family dog and spent three hours in surgery, praise God it was all cosmetic and he is well on his way to a full recovery. During the party Avery spent so much time with her cousins and friends. They played with the water table and rode bikes and scooters. When it got dark we walked to another friends house to watch the fireworks. Avery was a little scared at first, but by the end she was saying "wow." She was quite tired as it was really late for her, but was a trooper. Such a fun day.