Santa

I have been prepping Ava for our visit with Santa. I knew it wasn't on her list of things to do, but I had to have my yearly Santa picture. We have been talking about him and how she would have to sit in his lap so Mommy could get a picture. She kept saying no she didn't want to, but of course I had to take her. Luckily Geech came with us and I must say Ava did excellent. She didn't smile but she did stop screaming and looked at the camera. I thought she did really well considering she REALLY didn't want to see him. I was a little disappointed it wasn't the same Santa as last year. This Santa looked a little out of it. Of course I guess if I had screaming children sitting on my lap all day I might be out of it to.

Eating gummies waiting to see Santa
Not happy but not screaming

Okay Mommy get me outta here

Done!!

Hiett Christmas

Today we had our Christmas with the Hiett side of the family. Ava really got into opening her presents.

Blue jeans from Grandmommy and Granddaddy

Mr. Potato Head from Uncle Stacy and Aunt Angie

James, Daddy, and Ava

Mommy and Nicole

Ava's new hat from Uncle Tony, Aunt Kelly, Brittany, Lyle, and Landry

opening presents with Grandmommy

Ava and Hannah

Gingerbread House

Bone's

Tonight was our annual Christmas dinner at Bone's with Uncle Steve. Here are a few pictures to highlight our night of being with the family for a great steak dinner.

Shane and Kim

Me and Adrienne

The Embreys

Kim, Shane, Brandon, Adrienne, Rachel, Chris

Team Rachel

Move over Edward and Jacob there is a new team in town!!!

This year 12 of us got together to play fantasy football ( me, Chris, Mike, Eric, Brandon, Adrienne and some other friends). We are now in the playoffs this week and of the 4 teams left 3 are girls and 1 boy is left. Needless to say none of "my boys" made it into the playoffs. I, however am in the playoffs despite the ugly comments I heard from Chris, Mike, and Eric at the start of the season about some of my picks. Mike has been very upset that all the girls made it into the playoffs and not him, but to show his support for my team he came over Friday with his Team Rachel shirt he made. I am kicking butt so far so hopefully if I win this weekend I will at least get 2nd place, maybe 1st if I can beat my sister in law Adrienne next week who has kicked butt all season. Hopefully I will win and get all the money the boys put in!!

Christmas Spirit

Ava and Daddy putting the ornaments she made at school on the tree.

Not the greatest pictures but I wanted to show off her Christmas dress. This was actually her Christmas dress from last year but it still fits.

CIE Christmas Expo!!

I really wanted to practice sitting on Santa's lap before we ventured to see the real Santa at the mall. Saturday we stopped by the CIE Christams Expo to see Santa and make some Christmas crafts. WE started off having a waffle from Waffle House then tried to sit in Santa's lap. She didn't scream her head off, but she didn't like him either. She did want the candy cane so she sat with him for a minute. I got a picture, not a happy picture but a picture. Later after we had been there for awhile she went with her friend Dallas and they sat together. It looks like she is hugging Santa but she really was trying to get away.

Making an ornament with Dallas and Ms. Bonnie
Not happy

Get me outta here!!

Pretty cute picture!!

Ava's new Dallas Doll ( Dallas likes the Dallas Cowboys!

Thanks Dallas Ava is loving her Dallas Doll!!

It's been awhile

To say we've been busy would be an understatement!! This time of the year is crazy anyways, but between my school (classroom), my school( grad school), Ava being sick, and other daily happenings I have not had time to blog!! Not much has been going on besides Ava having a sinus infection and cold for the last few months. Finally Sunday I had had enough and we took her to the after hours doctor. Thank goodness we got an antibiotic and some eye drops and she is doing much better!! WE had a terrific Thanksgiving with family, but unfortunately I didn't take many pictures. Good news is my grad school is almost done for the year and only 12 more days until Christmas break!!!

Gooky eyes

Waiting at Doctor's Office

Thanksgiving

Powdered Donuts

Carving the pumpkin

Ava Girl liked it before it was cut. Once she saw the inside she would not have anything to do with it. Daddy tried to get her to stick her hand in it but she screamed her head off!!

Mommy and Uncle Mike cleaned out the pumpkin and collected the seeds to roast.

Uncle Mike getting the last of the goo

Uncle Mike carved this cool little monster!!

Woo hoo!!

I roasted the seeds with cinnamon and sugar. Not too bad considering I had no clue what I was doing.

Ava's pumpkin

Pumpkin Patch

Geech (Aunt Lindsey) and I have made a tradition of going to the pumpkin patch to pick out our pumpkins every year for the last 3 years. This year we had it all planned and had been looking forward to it all week. However the rain and cold weather put a damper on our plans. We left for the pumpkin patch and it started raining so we turned around and came home. Ava took a nap and Lindsey and I went and did some errands. Later in the afternoon we decided instead of going all the way out to the pumpkin patch we would just get a pumpkin from the church. I wasn't sure how Ava was going to do at the pumpkin patch so we figured if she was really into the pumpkin thing we old always take her next weekend. I really just wanted a pumpkin to carve tonight because we have a super busy weekend next weekend. Anyways she really liked looking for a pumpkin and we may still take her next weekend to the pumpkin patch.

Here it is!!

Alright I have my little pumpkin now let's get out of here!!

More presents from Geech and Uncle Grant

Geech got Ava a new outfit. Pretty stylish I must say. Uncle Grant got Ava a new car so she can take her friends Bear and Deer out on the town. Here are some pictures Ava dressed up and ready to go out for a Saturday night on the town.

Not sure how to get in the right away.

She actually walked really good in these shoes!!

You have to feed the birds when you get dressed up!!