Happy Christmas!!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! All our love, always!

Keith, Jen, and Avery

Love to Grandma Fran

My grandma passed on October 3rd after a long, hard fought battle with cancer.  Through it all she was strong and positive and tried to comfort those around her.

I learned so much from her. Every time we talked I learned more about her and her life. She motivated me from a young age to wait on marriage and a family and to live, to push myself to succeed, and to work hard for my goals. 

My grandma was a top life insurance producer when there weren't women producers. She went her own way and carved her own path, often going against social norms.  At various times she owned her own insurance agency, a strip club, a bar and restaurant, a car dealership, and 9 rental homes.  She was a model and singer and a centerfold in a magazine, 

all while raising two of the hardest working most honorable and respectable men I've ever met.

Definitely a woman worth admiring and emulating. I love you always and forever and I hope to one day be 1/2 the woman you were.

22 months old

I can't believe that we are in the final count down to Avery's second birthday. Where has the time gone?

Her party is scheduled for Nov 16 at our house, on Ascolano Way.  It's a shabby chic theme with the colors being coral, teal, navy, and hints of grey and yellow.  It'll be beautiful and youthful and fun.  I'm so excited.

Avery is growing so fast. She's so smart and quick. She has a wonderful sense of humor and she parrots everything we say. She has a huge vocabulary and loves to make us laugh. If we laugh at something she says or does she'll do it again and again.  

Growing up

I'm on the road again for the majority of the next three weeks. As always I start to miss my family and reflect back on how our lives have changed since our little girl joined us.

Avery is a light, a stubborn, comical, brilliant light. She makes everything better; she can make anyone smile, regardless of they may be feeling. She can get people to do things they would never normally do. A few weeks ago she and I went to visit my grandma at Kaiser. She had gotten a tracheotomy (due to cancer) about 5 days before. She was doing great and was just waiting to be released. Anyway while we were there Avery wanted to sing songs. So while sitting in the room we all (my mom, Grandma, Avery, and I) sang the Itsy Bitsy spider, Row your boat, ABC's, Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, Popcorn Popping, and Give Said the Little Stream.  

About 30 minutes later we are getting ready to leave so my grandma walks us all to the elevators and we were standing and talking while we waited for the elevators to open. Avery decides she wants to do 'Rosie'. So there we are, three grown women and one adorably precocious little girl, holding hands and spinning around singing 'Ring Around the Rosie' (probably not the most appropriate song for a hospital, but I digress) in the middle of the hospital hallway in front of the elevators....with doctors and nurses getting in and out smiling at us. 

Yep that's my girl. She's so grown up and so well spoken. She's emotional and loving, independent and dependent, comical and serious, demanding and polite.  Everyday is an adventure and I thank heaven everyday for her and her daddy.

Morning sprinkler fun

Blue Lakes

Last Saturday we went up and visited Pat, Chris, and Zoe at Blue Lakes. We had fun swimming and just hanging out. It was a nice relaxing day, much needed.

Avery was tired after playing all day. She was a trooper though, no fits or freak outs or anything! 

Sick girl

Got a call from daycare today that A is running a fever. Picked her up and took her to the doctor. Sore throat and red splotches. Poor girl. Today she slept a lot and of course wore her sunglasses.  Who can be sick without awesome glasses?

20 months old

Our girl is 20 months old and so precocious. She is a do-er and very independent, some days it feels like its bordering on obstinate.  If you tell her to not do something, such as jump on the couch, she'll just look at you right in the eyes and do it again. Can you tell who's daughter she is?  She can go from being a little diva to angelic in the blink if an eye. Here's a picture of the angelic.

Cindy-Lou Who

Do you see this hair style? Cuteness exemplified.

Family fun weekend

We spent time together, we went on a bike ride, played blocks and in the pool. Avery became a fan of her 'g-yass-ess'

and carried them with her everywhere.