AVERY IS ONE!!!!

Well, it happened again....time flew and my little baby turned one!  I hate it when this happens....it just sneaks up on me every time!!  Avery has been such a joy.  Raising her makes me so grateful that I was blessed with one little girl!  Being raised in a house with all boys made my mom and I really close and she really is one of my best friends.  I really enjoy her company and miss her if too many days have passed.  I really look forward to sharing that same relationship with my sweet Avery girl one day!  She is totally a mama's girl already.  She is pretty sweet and will go to anyone as long as she can see me.  She will still snuggle into me still which just melts my heart and breaks it at the same time because I know those moments are going to be few and far between!  Here some things I never want to forget about our sweet girl:

• She is still a petite thing....wears size 2 diapers and 3-6 months clothes, slowly moving into some 6-9 month shirts/onesies
• she talks ALL DAY LONG - her favorite word is NO and she says it about EVERYTHING!!  She can also say dada, mama, didi(brady), poppop, dog and uh oh.
• She is cruisin' around furniture now - she will be walking within the month probably
• She loves food - she will eat anything and everything - including but not limited to strawberries, deli meat, pasta, peas, brocolli, hot dog, watermelon (she LOVES watermelon, she could live off of it alone) crackers, yogurt and cheese
• She is a sassy little thing with a sensitive little heart~a dirty look from Brady will send her into hysterics
• She can drink through a straw
• She can climb up the stairs-not down yet so it's a little precarious
• She ADORES Brady....he can make her break her day.

So we had planned a birthday party for her on July 30th but had to cancel it because Brady ended up being admitted into the hospital the whole weekend for an infection.  Read about that here.  Being that the food and decorations had already been purchased, we decided to go ahead and reschedule the party for the following Saturday. It was a beautiful day and we had a great time with family and friends.  I think birthday parties are great because I think it is important to celebrate the life of a person you love so much.  We definitely love Avery and enjoyed every minute of our celebration!  A lot of people couldn't make the rescheduled date so I was a little sad about that at first but it ended up being fine and we all had a great time!  I had planned a Luau party for her which was perfect for the weather and poolside party!  Here are some pictures from that day. 

 Here's our little sweetie pie.  I found an infant lei for her - it looks like it is choking her but it's not!

I love this pic of her because it really encompasses who she is right now - just a little sassy thing!

Not wanting to wear her bib AT ALL!

Loving the cake though!

Maybe loving it a little too much!

Everyone else got to enjoy these delicious cake pops that my mom and I made!
Friends that came (who we love dearly)

 The Watson Family
(Eric, Neelah, Savvy, Baby Keegan, Heather & Finn)

 Bill & Pam Medairy
(They are like family to us)

 The Cook Family
(Jake, Baby Connor, Amber, Savannah)

 The Bishop Family
(Jake, Denise holding the birthday girl, and Jack)

And of course Dad & Mom - our biggest supporters and the greatest PopPop and Grandma around!

One measley photo of the food table (all the food was outside by the pool by this point!)
Menu:
Chicken & roasted tomato kabobs
Ham & pineapple kabobs
Fruit kabobs
meatballs
chips
and for dessert...
cake pops (a pain to make but so yummy and very whimsical for the kids!)
Dear Avery,
You are one year old now.  After a year of loving you, it's hard to put into words how dear you are to me.  You are a part of the deepest corners of my heart.  You are part of my soul - I hold you and am amazed at your sweetness.  You bring so much joy to everyone you meet.  You are our little unplanned angel and I can't imagine our lives without our little sassafras - I mean that lovingly!  Avery, God has given you many gifts but the greatest of all his gifts to you is your sweet smile - it can light up a room in an instant.  I hope that you will always use that smile to lift those around you all your life.  I can't imagine what the next year will bring but I hope it will bring you closer to your big brother, who does love you.  Remember, boys only push girls they really like! :-)  I hope you will continue to thrive and grow in a home that is filled with love.  We love you so much and are grateful for all you have taught us about peace and contentment.  You don't like chaos.  You have helped us to be more quiet and more sweet to one another!  May you always know that we love you and that on the night of your party, as I rocked you to sleep, I cried like I hadn't in a long time because I was so grateful for the wonderful surprise you are to our family! 
To the moon and back my darling daughter,
Mommy