All About Avery (For a little bit longer anyways)

So I thought I'd have more time to do this now that I am SAHM, which I am LOVING, but time seems to fly with kids activities, (building forts, story time, playing dress up, going to the pool... rough life huh?!) my dr. appointments, grocery shopping, dishes, meals, laundry, and cleaning. I'm not complaining though I really do love it! Although I'm far from being on top of things, its a lot better than how far behind I always felt when I was in school!!! And now: The Update I've been promising (+ I'm sitting at the computer waiting on pics of my new nephew)... Back at Christmas Avery found Aunt Kimi's makeup and went to town... Once Joey and Aunt Kimi found her they could not get upset because they were laughing so hard... instead they decided to encourage her and this was the end product! When she saw herself in the mirror she was very surprised! I think this is mine and Joey's biggest weakness in parenting, sometimes its so hard not to laugh at some of the things she does that she ends up getting away with way more than she should!

In March we got a 6 inch snow storm, which is a lot for Athens! (I don't mind one or two of these a year... but that's about my max) Avery loved playing in the snow:)

Anytime Aunt Hannah leaves her purse and high heels out and then can't find them, there is a good possibility Avery has them! This became a habit with every visit:) (We miss them living so close!)

At Aunt Hannah and Uncle Jason's wedding Avery got her finger shut in the temple door and her nail came completely off! She milked this "boo boo" for weeks and had to tell and show EVERYONE! [I'll post pics of the wedding on another post]

One of our weekends with Jill's kids... We trade off with kids so we can get some good date nights in with our spouses! Every time we do this I am reminded how different boys are... Joey and the boys came up with this game called "bull rider". How it works: they clear the room and make a ring of all the blankets and pillows they can find in the house, Joey puts a belt around his chest (as a strap for them to hold onto) and they use a mouthguard. They each get a ride on the bull (Joey) and I time them. The one with the best time wins. The first time little Christopher got thrown off and bounced off the couch I ran to make sure he was ok (this game made me a lil uncomfortable from the beginning), but he bounced back up more excited and wanted another turn.

Avery decided she wanted to take a turn too!

Hanging with the guys

Avery playing dress up... not sure why she's not happy...

Block building has also become an activity Avery loves. She'll build a tower as high as she can, knock it over and giggle and giggle about it!

I love watching how focused and particular she is

More fun with blocks

Avery helping Daddy get stuff together to go fishing with Mr. Brian

This was one of those days she picked out her own outfit... she is Miss Independent

Fishing with Mr. Brian

They caught a pretty big bass!

Then Miss Claibourne took her to see her horse, Shadow! She kept telling me after we left that she wanted a horse...

Happy Easter! Avery in her Easter dress and wanting to play instead of let me get pictures of her

This was my life...always at the computer writing papers. That last semester I had 4 upper level English classes and a dance elective I had put off, but in that class we had to write papers every few weeks on different types of dance. I was always writing papers!!! This picture reminded me of one evening when I had put Avery to bed and was working on a paper. She came out with a pencil and paper and told me she would "write my paper, cause mom, it's too hard for you!" I couldn't keep from laughing because she was so serious. She still is always grabbing her backpack and telling us she wants to go to school!

Love this Girl!

Story time -- She lines up her stuffed animals and will read to them the same way the lady at the library does. With the books she doesn't know, it is funny to listen to the stories she comes up with. She has a very vivid imagination.

Little Miss "I don't want to go to bed" in her Lightning McQueen slippers

Daddy is her best buddy

Uncle Jason worked at Chuck e Cheese for a bit and would take Avery. She was so excited for her little dates with him... she'd come home, hang her pictures on the fridge and tell me, "Mom, we go to ChuckeCheese without you today!"

Princess Avery, when Dora is on TV I can never get her attention!

Picking strawberries with Great Grandma and Great Grandpa at Washington Farms.

Avery loves parties and I had been promising her a party once I finished school. We had an "ice cream sundae" party. She invited her friends over and we had lots of toppings for the kids to choose from and make their own sundaes!

Here is what some of them looked like

Avery and her cute friends!!! Little Logan with all the girls. Here in Arkansas it is quite different! All the kids Avery's age are little boys

Avery and Reese

Avery cheesing it up with Kayden

Giving Logan a hug, or putting him in a headlock?! The Beckstead's have already come to visit us in Arkansas and Avery was sad to see Logan leave!

Avery and Ellie (Ellie's mom, Miss Shauna, babysat Avery my last year of school and she loves them and going to their house. It is so sweet because not once during this past year has she forgot their family {Mr. Dave, Miss Shauna, Eli, Ellie, and Baby Owen} in her night time prayers!)

Avery and her Brown Bear book. While my family was in town for graduation Avery sat in a chair in the middle of the room and read/recited this book to them verbatim! I have it on videotape, I'll have to post it. It is adorable, you can tell this book is read often. We got our library cards here in AR and her newest recitation is the book "Goodnight Moon 1, 2, 3"

Avery and Addi at the Jump place in the mall

This past Sunday Avery said, "Mommy, Addi and Kayden come to this nursery in AR?" I told her that they wouldn't because they were in GA. She got really upset and told me she wanted them in "Erkensas nursery". I felt so bad, it was the first time she has cried (with respect to the move) since we have been here :(

Avery and Cody at Burger King

Beautiful Lake Hartwell for Uncle Jason's birthday

More Avery and Cody... why do we buy kids toys when they have way more fun with a cardboard box? They played and laughed in this box for forever!

I love our complex here for lots of reasons... but one of the big ones is we have a pool and it wears her out! She takes some good naps:)

I've pulled out all the baby stuff for when the new baby arrives... Avery thinks she needs to use them. I let her eat lunch in the high chair and even though she is too big for it, she conked out in it!

We are settled in here and liking it A LOT! Joey likes his program and I'm loving the fact I have an ice maker, two bathrooms, and a pool! + we have already made some good friends:) Having the gospel makes moving a bit easier. Its like you get a built in network of friends instantly!!!

BLESSINGS

**Sorry no pictures, but as soon as we are moved I promise to post tons!!!
These past couple of weeks have been extremely hectic but there have been too many times during the chaos that I have been able to notice more closely the Lord's hand working in our lives and I wanted to get it written down.

Finals week: Joey was very worried about his Cell Biology class because he needed a near perfect score to pass the class. He studied like I had never seen him study before and met with his lab Professor a couple nights til very late (thanks Roslyn) trying to soak it all in! During the time he was taking his final I pulled Avery aside and we said a prayer for Daddy to do well. When he finished he called and said he had never felt better after taking a test than he did after this one. We tried not too worry about it because we had family in town for graduation. Its funny to me that schools allow you to walk before grades are posted (you can't fully enjoy the graduation). But, despite our worrying we did enjoy family and friends that came to be with us on our special day! We really appreciated all the love and support and could not have been more grateful:) Avery loved having all the family in town and was sad to see them go! By the following Monday all of our family had left -- & this was the day grades were due we checked Oasis (the web cite where grades are posted) no kidding every hour and were SO EXCITED and RELIEVED that he did well enough on his final to pass the class!!! Woo hoo!!! Apparently Cell Bio along with O-Chem 1 & 2 are the most dreaded Science classes as UGA... if you look at the key the average GPA for these classes is around a 1.7 !!! { I am so thankful I am an English major! }

The next week: We head to Arkansas to find a place to live and I was able to see UAMS. I'll be honest, I was not thrilled with the idea of living in Arkansas. I try to explain to my friends here that Texans make fun of Arkansas people as being Hillbilly Rednecks who marry their first cousins, the way people in Georgia make fun of people from Alabama & Mississippi. My generalizations of Arkansas were proven false during the visit. We drove in from Memphis, so we came in through North Little Rock over the Arkansas River and it was beautiful. As I was looking out the car window at how the looks alone had exceeded my expectations I knew this was where we are supposed to be. Unfortunately, we did not find housing in the area I want Avery to go to school, (but I still have a year before she starts Pre-K and two before kindergarten, so hopefully we'll be able to get in there). There was nothing available in this area for the first of June. However, we did find a beautiful apartment on a golf course with a pool, fitness center and double the size we are in now. The people in our new ward were very welcoming; there were TONS of kids, and lots of other pregnant women:) We headed back to Georgia pretty excited that things had worked out so well with the small amount of time we had! ( I know I am going to miss Athens so much-- It seriously has to be the best place to live and I cross my fingers we'll end up back this way eventually!!!)

The following week: The fun begins... Packing, Cleaning, and did I mention Joey now has to take a GA Constitution test to fulfill a state requirement to officially graduate!!! His Political Science class from UVSC transferred but since it was in Utah it did not cover some of the GA material the state requires. Joey called earlier on and talked to the lady in charge, explained his situation about how there is not time for him to take a summer or Maymester course to complete this requirement and wants to know what he should do so he can start grad school by June 7. Luckily, there is a test that you can take to test out of taking the class. Last night I stayed up quizing him til 1am to help him prepare for this test. In the mean time I got a fax from our new complex wanting to finalize and sign the last pages of our lease. They wanted to have it all to them by today! The testing center told Joey they would not have the grades back until tomorrow, so we were a little worried about our housing in Little Rock and his grade on this test. I know there is someone watching over us because the lady at the testing center graded his test and sent it to us by noon today. He passed with flying colors:) Another huge relief. I forgot to mention the Director of the Microbiology/Immunology program at UAMS had emailed to remind the grad students to have their transcripts sent to the school. Joey emailed her to explain why his was not there yet. She was very understanding and told him he would be fine and how excited they were to have him as part of their program. Then yesterday (which was a Sunday) he received an email from her wishing him good luck on his test today and that she and the other Professors he had met with would be thinking about him! Joey and I both could not believe that she remembered the day he was to take this test and that amongst her busy schedule she took the time to send the email. (I am excited to meet her, she completed her Ph.D. at Yale and her Post-doc at MIT and everyone in the program has nothing but good things to say about her) Lastly, only 20 minutes after Joey had called me telling me he passed this GA constitution test, the Relief Society President of the ward we will be attending in Little Rock called and asked for the exact date we planned to arrive in Little Rock, the address of where we will be living and told us the Elders Quorum there would be notified to help us move in! I know Heavenly Father is watching over us; Things could not have fallen into place more perfectly despite all the obstacles and I'm am extremely grateful for him!

Amidst everything going on we have had more time to spend as a family, since school is out. & some of my favorite moments are when we are just simply sitting on the couch laughing with Avery for no reason or sitting on the floor in front of Avery as she has "storytime" with us! There are so many more ways we have been blessed but I've almost written a novel as it is...

Quick Update

So.... YES I have been a huge slacker when it comes to my blog but all for good reason! Lots of new and exciting things are in store for us this year. There are some really exciting things I wanted to post and share with our family and friends:

First- Joey and I are FINALLY graduating in 37 days!!!! Joey with his degree in Biology with a minor in German and mine in English Literature. It feels like its been a long road, but well worth it:)

Second- We are expecting another little GIRL in July! I think Joey was crossing his fingers for a boy, but we are both excited for Avery to have a sister; hopefully they'll be the best of friends:)

Lastly- Joey has been accepted to a Ph.D. program in Microbiology at the University of Arkansas Medical Sciences in Little Rock, AR! He makes a trip out there in a few weeks to take a tour of the campus and meet with the Professor(s) he'll be working with. If all goes well and he decides this is the program for him, we will be relocating to Little Rock the beginning of June! I am so proud of him :)

Lots of exciting changes and lots more work to do before graduation. Hopefully I can get on here very soon and update pictures of our growing family. (I only have 3 more papers and 4 tests left... not that I'm counting)

Thank you to all our friends and family who have helped get us to this point! & A SPECIAL THANKS TO DR. (Bro) BECKSTEAD FOR HIS ADVICE AND ALL HIS HELP (from taking Joey into his research lab for 3 semesters now, a letter of recommendation, help on his application and in preparing for his interview!) We feel so blessed :)
( I wanted to throw in a pic of Avery and the most recent one I have uploaded is this one from New Years... that just shows you how far behind school has put me!) I love this picture because as much as Joey hates to hear it, he is the perfect daddy for little girls! (& of course I'm a little biased)

Family Pictures

Here are some of my favorites from the family pictures Joey's Dad took for us! We are so spoiled to have such a talented photographer so close and willing to do pictures for us:) In the beginning Avery was not cooperative and refused to wear her shoes. Desperate for some good pictures I said, "ok, fine she doesn't have to wear her shoes." (Independent 2 year olds...)

While Avery was calming down we got a shot of just the two of us

Not a perfect picture, but definitely an honest one...here is Avery's ok fine I'll take a picture face

Such a cutie!

I love the scenery!

My little dare devil

The one below is my favorite... the reversal of what people do for pictures---Everybody frown... hahaha :)

I loved this bridge

& another of my FAVORITES!!! ....Daddy's little girl!

THANKS GARY FOR THE PICTURES!