Avery's FOUR!

Well, I'm almost a month behind, but our little gal turned FOUR on June 10th! I don't need to tell you that time is flying, because I know you feel it too. :)

We had an little gathering for donuts and fruit to celebrate, and Avery was very generous with the hugs this day as you can see below...

Avery's one request for her birthday was a park play date with a couple girls from school. 

Here she is with her best school buddies:

One her ACTUAL birthday, she was all smiles as she headed off for her first day of summer camp.

Birthday morning video:

We went out to dinner at Bad Daddy's for burgers and then to her true favorite spot, Menchie's, for some frozen yogurt. At dinner she drew the below picture of our family, including Lucy (far right) and baby brother (blue dude with the tilted head). She drew herself in the middle with Rapunzel-style hair. Gonna have to frame it; I love it so.

Avery's take on our family: Me, Jeff, Avery, baby brother and Lucy.

Grand Tour 2012 - Part 2

Part 2 of our Grand Tour: My parent's house in Ohio!

With Papa & Nana!
We were having fun hiking to find a letterbox. (If you haven't heard of lettering boxing, check it out HERE or HERE.)

Me and Ave at the Cleveland Zoo

Visiting with Grandma June

My great-grandma's name carved out of wood. We named Lucy after her, and it caught me off guard when I saw this at my grandpa's house. I remember loving this as a child and still love it today. :)

We had the honor of being at my friend Emily's wedding while we were in Ohio.
Such a special day for an amazing and dear friend.

Just catching fish

Another one!

Avery's first s'mores experience

Marshmallows are good...

S'mores are AMAZING!

So many fun memories made this summer on our big trip. The traveling portions really couldn't have gone smoother either. Avery may be the best traveler ever. Way more tolerant in a car than her father or I! Looking forward to our next big trip... DISNEY WORLD! We can hardly contain ourselves. Mickey, here we come!

Grand Tour 2012 - Part 1

Finally getting around to posting some fun pictures that we took on our big summer adventure to New Jersey and Ohio...

Part 1: New Jersey to Jeff's parents house

Fresh peach ice cream and berry berry pie - YUMM-O!

High School Buds

Avery with Uncle Brad

Fun with Hula hoops!

Amie teaching Ave how to hula hoop...

And - surprise - a hula hoop that is just her size!

With Beegee and Grand-Non

Swimming with her buddy

Ave's new doggy BFF

Chip clips are the latest fashion accessory. 

With Amie and Brad

Cheesing with Beegee

Gruuumpa! (I love this because he NEVER smiles in pictures!)

Me and Jenn

With Lily at Space Farms

Feeding the lemurs cookies

Feeding the deer

Friends!

Lots of time was spent reading her Tiny Titans comic books on this trip - she is obsessed,
and they kept her entertained for hours on end!