Our girls trip to Vegas!

Farewell my old friend!

As I take a big step in my life toward eternal happiness I am forced to say goodbye to my favorite article of clothing. This week I'll be going into the Temple for the first time, which means I will be wearing a garment after that. For anyone who reads this and is not familiar with the LDS garment... it is a type of modest under clothing that is worn to remind us of promises we've made to God, and is symbolic of Adam and Eve covering up in the garden of Eden. We believe they'll help protect us from temptation, and be an outward symbol of an inward commitment. The downside is that it does limit certain clothing choices available to the rest of the world.

Tank tops in the summer were always essential for me....especially since I have never thought much of wearing shorts. I have been trying to slowly work them out of my wardrobe for the last year, but still wear them on occasion. As of this coming Thursday I will have to say good bye to tank tops forever...I will be a garment wearing LDS girl!! As my good friend Serenity says "it is a small sacrifice for heavenly blessings," but in the heat and mugginess of summer, as I feel multiple layers of clothing sticking to my body it may be hard to think of it as a small sacrifice! I will do my best to stay positive about it and try to remind myself that I am setting an example for my girls to follow, and in the end it will all be worth it! So at this time I will have a moment of silence as I say farewell to my old friend--you will be missed!

Ava's First Birthday

For Ava's first birthday we just had a simple get together with Clint's best friend Justin and his wife Brianna, Grandma Brenda and Grandpa Rudy and of course her best friend /sister Mayah, Mom and Dad. She was completely unaware of the fact that it was her birthday but very excited when a GIANT cupcake (seemingly twice the size of her) was placed in front of her and no one stopped her when she slowly dug her little fingers into the frosting! She didn't really eat any of it, just played for awhile and then wiped the remaining frosting where she could. After singing Happy Birthday, she finished destroying the cake then went in for a bath before opening presents... I think she thoroughly enjoyed each gift. As Ava is always looking up to big sister, she wanted a piano...simply because Mayah got one from Grandma Brenda for her birthday! So of course Grandma Brenda also got one for Ava and she plays it everyday! Her favorite note is "yellow". She got her very own cell phone which was a huge hit when we visited Grandma Darcy and Grandpa Mike in Utah. All of the older girls, including Mayah, were fighting over whose turn it was to play with Ava's cell phone. She also received a magnet set and a slew of clothes...all in all, I'd say she had a good day!

I thought it would be fun the add some of the tricks Ava can do at her year mark...

• She can wave (a pageant wave) hello and good bye
• The itsy bitsy spider
• Head shoulders knees and toes
• Paddy cake
• blow kisses
• give high five
• play peekaboo
• tell you what a fishy says
• Ava loves to play games and is pretty much always in the mood to laugh. She will let you know she wants to laugh by doing this forced laugh out of no where and will keep doing it until you start playing with her.

• My personal favorite at this moment is this funny face that she makes and does pretty often now because she knows that we find it hilarious. It's kind of like the wide eyed, open mouth look when McCaulley Caulkin screams into the mirror on Home Alone.