Its SPRING TIME---finally!!!!!

Daddy and Lidi Lu enjoying the sun

After what seemed like a snow filled winter its finally getting warm out and the kids can go out and play!! They have been in the house for so long that it seems like new territory for them and they just dont know what to do first; park, ride bikes, roller blade, sidewalk chalk, etc!!! They are staying busy thats for sure!! After dinner last night John and I took the girls outside to burn some energy before bathtime!! We practiced some soccer, ran around the yard, and rode bikes!!

Lydia swinging at the park

Ava with her big stick she found

Zoey with her soccer ball

A GREAT Saturday evening with NO kids!!

We got the opportunity to go out with some good friends last night!! After a week of the stomach flu in our house and puking for days straight it was a much needed night out! After waiting anxiously for the sitter to get here we headed up to Clay Terrace to just look around and kill sometime before we needed to eat and make it to Crackers Comedy Club for the 10:30 show!! As usual John and John are always up for entertaining us as you can see from the picture above!! Tara and I decided that we would do some window shopping while the boys went to have a drink at a bar. After walking to a few stores it was time to pick the boys up and head to dinner! Im not much a follower for college sports and forgot that the Butler game was on-- we finished watching the last 6 minutes of the game and what an AWESOME finish and off to the final four Butler goes (hopefully I will remember to watch that)! So we headed to a place called the Journey for dinner, which is a very fancy China Buffett! I'm a very picky eater but there was American food that I did find that I like, John on the other hand will try almost anything so "Tara's John" took advantage of that when he asked John to try some kind of crazy looking food-- OCTOPUS!!!!! YUCK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! and John's face was sure to let us know that while the rest of us tried to not pee ours pants!!! After filling up on food and the chocolate fountain we headed to Broadripple!! I haven't been down there since I had Zoey and that was 4 years ago so let me say that sometimes I wish I was young again but on the other hand I'm SCARED TO DEATH to let my girls grow up!! We sat in the Wild Beaver Saloon for awhile till it was time for the show!! I'm still not sure what was more entertaining the girls and guys at the bar or the comedians!! But I will have to say that I had one of the best nights out that I have had in a long time and some much needed overdosing on laughter!!!!! Can't wait to do it again!!!! and I need to start remembering to bring my camera!!!!!!!!!!!!!

She keeps me on my toes!!!

For those of you that keep up with my pictures on Facebook know that my little Ava keeps me on my toes!! She has since she has been able to crawl and she WOULD NOT walk until she was about 18 months old!!! I thought that I would share my daily experiences with Ava!! She defiently gets our money worth out of a camera!!

Last Summer Ava was always sitting in the fridge or the freezer

Dumping girl scout cookies all over the floor

Cleaned up the cookies and she moved on to crackers
She just climbed

Found her upstairs with a new bottle of Johnsons head to toe in her hair!!

Climbing to play on the computer

Dumping her beads out-- she usually just dumps them and then moves on

Whole big bag of fruit snacks and dipping them in ketchup
GROSS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Shes so proud!!

LOOK AT HER!!!! Shes a monkey Joys of being 2!!

Now eating a WHOLE package of ham!

and then covered with yogurt

and she is now eating a stick of butter that I needed for brownies!!


I love Ava to death but I have to say that sometimes when she falls asleep I just take a deep breath!!! Tomorrow will be a new day and different adventure! I LOVE BEING A MOM!!!!

A BIG Birthday for the BEST mom!!!!

I have to say that I probably have one of the BEST moms anyone could ask for ( well both of my parents are the GREATEST) but this is about my Momma!!! She does anything and everything I ask her and is the best ONNIE that any little girl could ask for! So I thought since she does so much for me that it was my turn to surprise her for her big 60th birthday coming up at the end of the month!! Since she was taking Lydia to a birthday party during the day on Saturday I thought it was a great time to have the family here when she got back to drop Lydia off for dinner!! I got with my sister in law and we got dinner together-- some AWESOME pulled pork!! Everybody was here when she got back!! Since she is turning 60 shes not as witty as she use to be so she couldn't figure out why all the cars were in the driveway and in front of the house!! We yelled Happy Birthday when she walked in the door and all she did was cry!! I think that she was very very surprised and I have to say that I am very proud of myself for not telling her or slipping up in a conversation!

Onnie and Ava singing Happy Birthday
That is 60 candles

We didn't even burn the house down

I think that the birthday surprise was well worth it and on top of that we are heading to St.Louis for the weekend in a couple of weeks for her Birthday!!!

HAPPY HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOMMA!!!!!!!!!!! I LOVE YOU!!!!!!!!!!!

She used a little help!!!

Time to celebrate Ava's 2nd Birthday!!

While most people are celebrating St. Patricks Day and drinking green beer we are eating cupcakes and drinking milk!! WOW!!! How does time go by so fast?? Just seems like the other day I was pregnant with little "Baby Ava" and now she is 2!! Honestly its hard to even think she is only 2 because she acts SO old!! Ava is very very independent and doesnt need help doing anything!! She LOVES to play babies and be outside. She wants to call her "Onnie" on the phone at least 4 times a day ( Im glad that Onnie is such a good sport about it and it doesnt drive her crazy)! She wants to play with Hannie every chance she can get. She is always wanting to go Bye Bye, cries when we get home and lets me know when the light is green to go! She loves to eat any kind of meat! Ava is always climbing on something or into something!! Ava has a personalitly of her own and has no problem keeping up with her sisters!! I posted some pictures that I took on our big day!!

Our good friends the Teany's stopped by to drop of a Shamrock Shake for Miss. Ava on her birthday!! ( I guess this are a big thing and I have never ever heard anything about them but they are GOOD)
Ava Enjoying her Shamrock shake and a cupcake with her friends

Poppie and Onnie came by to help open presents and sing Happy Birthday!!

Poppie with his girls!! Looks like a proud Grandpa

Ava and Natalie in Ava's new Rose Petal Cottage

This is the cutest little house but a pain to put together!!

She got her own trike so she can be like her sisters (Her feet dont reach the pedals though)

She was SO EXCITED!!!!

Its a NEW BABY!!!!

On her second cupcake for the day

Blowing the smoke away-- they were HOT!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!

She finally crashed on the floor at 10:40!!

Looks like she had a GREAT birthday!! Now if we can only get her to say she is 2 and not 3 it will be a success!

Zoey's First School Pictures

For those of you that know Zoey know that she usually is not clean and her clothes are usually a mess so her she is all cleaned up and PRETTY!!!!

SO PRETTY :-)

She was so excited for her school pictures

Posing for the camera

Hopefullly her shoes dont show in her pictures!! Looks like shes ready for some new sandles!

What an awesome way to celebrate being 4!!!!

We werent sure how to ring in being 4!! So after thinking long and hard we decided what is better than swimming since it has been forever since everyone had been swimming!! So we went with it and booked a swim party at Plainfield Indoor Aquatic Center!! Zoey didnt really seem to worried about her party until we went and bought new bathing suits! What is more exciting at 4 but having a birthday party with your best friend!! We had great friends join us to make the celebration extra special!! I decided that I would post pics to tell about our day!! (too bad we didnt get many in the water since all kids had to be with "arms reach")

Some of the best made cupcakes around from Happiness in a Bite

Zoey showing off the back of her new shirt that she got!

Natalie and Madelynn

Look at that smile--looks like a happy birthday girl

Kaden was a master at blowing out his candles! Zoey took her time!

Ava was ready to swim!! ( Look at that suit--I couldnt resist)

Zoey is full of cupcakes and ready to go swim

We decided to get as much swimming time in that we could so we opted to open presents at home!! Zoey couldnt wait so she picked one to open in the car!! Look at the AWESOME lipstick full of stickers!!! and her face tells it all!!
Zoey was very very tired but we had to get all our present open before she would even think about sitting down!!



Nothing better than a tinkerbell lantern!!

I had just went upstairs to gather PJ's together and Nat was out by the time I got back downstairs!! And there is Zoey all tuckered out but not before she put on her new Tinkerbell nightgown from one of her favorite people--Karie!

Looks like Ava and Daddy had a great time too!! Daddy even brought his pillow in to share with Ava!!

We had a GREAT time and I hope that everyone else did!! Zoey is enjoying being 4!