Ava celebrates with her family

Since we went on a mini family getaway for Ava's birthday, we decided to have a very small family cookout/pool party.  So for the 105th time...we all gathered together and celebrated our sweet girls 6th birthday!

Sweet Lincoln came over too!  Such a sweet boy and what a good friend he is!

Cora, Ava, BB & Lincoln

Enjoying a cupcake

Again...Happy Birthday Ava!

Opening up a few gifts.

Uncle Chris and Aunt Julie came too!

G-Paws and his girl!

Today...you are 6!

                                               

6 years ago today....

6 years ago today marked one of the most important, biggest, spectacular, life changing days of my entire life!

6 years ago today...I became a MOM!

I'll never forget how scared, nervous, worried we were that day.  So ready for our long hard journey to have a happy ending...and it did! 

The moment you cried at 12:52am I knew that every minute of the past 37 weeks was worth it and we were blessed with a healthy baby girl.  I had no doubts that God was watching out over us and trust me when I say I put my complete faith that everything would be okay.  God never fails!

Such a true blessing you are!  Kind, compassionate, smart, sassy and funny.  Your love for learning and love for Jesus makes my heart swell with pride.  I know you are destined for wonderful things and could not be more blessed to be your mommy.

Today we celebrated YOU!

Wake up my sweet 6 year old!  Time to get ready for your big day!

 Happy Birthday to you...with oatmeal and yogurt!  Two of your favorites!

 I look at this picture and realize how blessed I am to be your mommy!  Two of the sweetest babies ever!

 Ready for school!

 Pizza is what you requested for dinner!  You picked out your outfit...getting so big now.  Thank goodness you have great fashion sense and I don't have to worry about what you put on!

 Time for presents!  You were so excited and waited all day to see what suprises we had for you.

 Yay!  Your very own barbie head...just like the one mommy had when she was your age.  Except with a strand of pink hair.

 Time to sing Happy Birthday!  I love this picture of you and your daddy.  Even though you don't agree sometimes the love you have for each other cannot be described.  You are his "first" baby and he is the proudest daddy ever.

We love you sweet Ava Nicole! We love who you are and what you will become! You are our "first" favorite, our little butter bean, our Ava Lou!  Happy Birthday Ava girl...now stop growing up so fast!

Wilderness in the Smokies

Normally, we always do pretty big parties for the kiddos.  After about 3 weeks of trying to find a place to have Ava's party indoors due to the out of control temps we've had this summer, finding out it was going to be at least $300 for just a room, and running out of time...we decided to take a little family getaway instead.  Ava was super excited!  We headed to the indoor/outdoor waterpark "Wilderness in the Smokies" for some family fun.

The kids had tons of fun playing in the indoor and outdoor parks.  Ava rode the big slides without any fear and BB had fun in the wave pool and lazy river.  Nick and I were a little apprehensive on the "germ" factor, but I do have to save everything was super clean!

 Bennett loved the water spouts that shot out of the ground.

 Chillin in bed...they were some very tired kiddos after playing non stop for 2 days.

 My 3 favorite people!

 You can't see it here...but BB busted his chin wide open on this thing.  We settled on a butterfly bandage and bandaid, since two EMT's said he didn't need stitches.  Never phased this wild thing one bit!

Another one "bites" the dust!

Well, her second tooth has been loose for which seems like forever.  This past Saturday, we noticed that her permanent replacement was coming in behind it....not in the right place.  So with a little help from Ava's tongue and apples at lunch it finally was loose enough for me to pull.

Bless her she was so brave, and I know it had to have hurt!  I think her adrenaline from all the excitement took over.  She was shaking afterwards and kept saying how excited she was and she couldn't believe it!

 Yep...so now we have a hole with a gangster tooth behind it :0  Oh well...guess that's what braces are for!

She wrote a sweet note to the tooth fairy, and the next morning "Fiona" her fairy had left her a note back and a nice crisp $5 bill! 

Now let's hope the top two don't come out until AFTER Uncle Chris & Aunt Julie's wedding in November!

 First Day of First Grade!

That's right first grade already!  Sweet Ava girl started school today, a little too soon on my opinion, but no one asked me so off she went.  We are so lucky to be able to send her to such an amazing school.  Ava was so excited and had been counting down the days until she got to go back.

All ready for her very first day!

 Bennett was super excited too!  He thought HE was going to first grade...

 Daddy got to walk her in.

Again...BB thinks it's his first day and didn't understand he has to wait until next year.  Poor thing cried all the way home.  He is really going to miss her.

So excited that Mrs. Walker is her teacher!  Once again, Ava has been blessed with an awesome teacher who's love for learning and her students shines in her big smile.

Time stands still for no one...so here's to all new adventures in First Grade!