Avery Turns One

It's hard to believe that a year ago today I held my sweet Avery for the first time. On that day I thought no way could life get any better little did I know that each day gets better. The past year has been no walk in the park we have defiantly had our ups and our downs but I would not want to take a single moment away.

This is how we announced to the world that after two hard years we were finally pregnant.

 This is our first family photo as we headed home from the hospital. Too bad it was taken on a cell phone! I will never forget how scared I felt as I headed out the hospital doors. I just wanted to pull the nurse into the car with me and take her home.
 

We blessed Avery in Utah at Nate's Dad's house. We decided that it would be easier to drive up to Utah so we could have the majority of our family there. This was one of the sweetest days as we were surround by family.

On our trip for Avery's blessing I had to go to Pocatello to see my grandma. I love this picture of four generations. So many of my childhood memories are with my grandma; I always looked up to her for her strength, tender heart and her ability to always make others feel loved. Growing up next door to my grandma was amazing every one of my childhood memories has something to do with my grandma.

 This has to be one of my all time favorite pictures of Avery. Avery by far is the happiest baby I have ever seen. Avery's favorite thing in the entire world hands down is her daddy. Only Nate can get her to smile like this.

Here is Avery in one of her Christmas dresses.

 For Christmas, Auntie Kirsten gave Avery Mittens the kitten. Since that day they have been best friends and we don't go anywhere without him. Mittens has been through every surgery since he joined our family and Avery does not go to bed until she has given Mittens a good night hug.

 

 Tonight after work we had a small party where we opened some gifts that Grandma and Grandpa Vidrine sent down.

 Avery loves books and while she was looking at this super cute book that Grandpa and Grandma Vidrine sent down she would point at something and say, "ohhh." it was so precious to see her get excited as she would turn the pages. Avery loves books and would pick a book over toys any day.

Since I am a slacker mom, and it is only a bazillion degrees outside we decided that instead of making her another Birthday cake that we would let her have a donut. I think that she like the donut better then she liked her Birthday cake.

Here are a few things that I want to remember about her today.

 Avery loves to communicate through Sign Language. Avery knows and signs: clean, baby, food, drink, all done, more, swim, bird, chicken, dog, mom and dad. This makes for one proud mama, every day I sign with her and she picks up the signs so fast!

Avery started walking on Friday night. She will take a few steps with tons of encouragement but then gets too excited and drops. Avery prefers to crawl but when forced she will take a few steps.

Avery LOVES to swim, this girl is a fish! Grandma Deborah came down last week and taught Avery to put her face in the water. So now, Avery has zero fear and loves to jump into the pool and doesn't mind at all when she goes completely under the water.
 

Avery's Birthday Bash

It's hard to beleive that Avery will be one on Wednesday. It feels like yesterday that I was bringing her home from the hospital scared out of my mind. This past year has been the best year of my life; we have been through so much as a young family but I wouldn't change one day of it. Avery has brought such joy into our home and has reminded us what this life is really about. Last  Saturday we threw Avery's Birthday party because Grandma, Grandpa Christensen,Kirsten and her kids were coming down and we wanted to celebrate while they were here. My mom and Kirsten spent most of the week in Las Vegas and it was so nice to spend time with them.

How did we have cute Birthday Parties before Pinterest? I love just looking at all the cute ideas on there and when I found a few cute ice cream socials I just knew that what I wanted to do for Avery's party. You cant have a first Birthday party without a smash cake and this one is defiantly one for the record books. My good friend Miranda came over on Thursday and helped me make this beauty. It is everything I wanted and turned out so perfect I could hardly believe it.

 I found these are the cute little cupcake ice cream cones that I HAD to make! I took the cone dipped the top of it in chocolate then sprinkled sprinkles on it, then I made cake balls and put them in the cones,then I dipped the cones in chocolate and topped them off with a little pink chocolate, a red m&m and a few sprinkles. These little numbers are a ton of work but they just fit so perfect with the little ice cream social that we had going; plus they were pretty amazing!

 This is the super cute set-up that my sister and mom helped with. We served fruit cups, individual 7 layer bean dip, meat balls and jalapeno dip, all of it tasted so yummy. The pictures of Avery in the back was just so cute and I am glad that Kirsten thought of doing that!

I just love this picture of Avery and my mom. When I first saw this picture I instantly saw how blue my mom's eyes are and wonder if that is where Avery hers her blue eyes from.

 My Uncle Floyd makes these adorable little rocking chairs and when I was talking to my dad before they came down he asked me what Avery wanted for her big day. Without so much as taking a breath, I told him I wanted a rocking a chair from my Uncle Floyd. How stinking adorable is it? Avery just loves to sit in her rocking chair and look at her books. The rocking chair is just the perfect for Avery.

 Uncle Eric got put on snuggle patrol with these two little girls! Both girls just crawled right up on his lap and cuddled right in he doesn't seem to mind.

Dallin was holding baby Ainzley and asked me to take this picture because he thought it was so cool that he was the oldest grandchild and Ainzley was the youngest. Dallin is such a great big cousin and just loves to help out with his littlest cousins the entire time he was down he was Avery's personal entertainment and she just could not get enough of him. 

It's not a party without a pinata and boy did the kids just love this!  Everyone got a turn and then the big boys showed them how to really smash a pinata, I think Eric, Justin, and Nate were more excited then the kids were!

It's not a party without a pinata and boy did the kids just love this!  Everyone got a turn and then the big boys showed them how to really smash a pinata, I think Eric, Justin, and Nate were more excited then the kids were!

After the kids picked up all the candy someone saw Uncle Landon eat a fireball so they all went through their bags and gave him all the fireballs, it was super sweet! I am so glad that Emilie and Landon came all the way done for Avery's party. It was a fast trip but it was so nice to have them here.

You cant have a ice cream social without ice cream; here is the ice cream bar that we set up. I thought I would be smart by per-scooping the ice cream the per-scoops did get served fast but they also melted really fast.

When we started singing "Happy Birthday" Avery she got very concerned. She didn't cry or fuss she just kept her eye on mom and dad to make sure we were there and smiling! When the song ended she gave everyone a little clap for a job well done.

This little princess did not want to dive right into the cake but who could blame her with as cute as it was. At first she just took her finger stuck it in the cake and lick it off. after a few minutes of this I took her hand and stuck them straight into cake...whoops bad idea, that's when Avery got upset and tried to get it off by smearing it all over her head.

When daddy came to rescue her she decided to share her yummy cake with him, he didn't seem to mind at all.

When Avery was opening her little presents she was really sweet you could tell she was really excited with each of the gifts that she got. When she opened her little dolly she instantly started to rock the baby and gave it loves. Avery is so loving with all her little stuffed friends it just melts my heart to see.

The party was such a hit and everyone seemed to enjoy it. I am so grateful for everyone that came near and far. We are really blessed to have such good friends here in town to step in and be family when ours are so far away.

Bonnie Springs

Avery, love love loves her daddy but if there is one other thing that she loves it would be animals. If Avery even sees an animal the squeal that comes out of her is hilarious! On Saturday we went to Bonnie Springs which was not worth the $20.00 that we got charged but it was worth the smiles and giggles that came from our sweet girl.When we first got there, we walked through the little town and into the little stores and then made our way out to the Petting Zoo.

At the Petting Zoo they had a few animals that just kind of roam around waiting for people to feed them. Well, little Miss Avery and the piggy became fast friends. The pig was by far her favorite. I think that if she could walk she would have chased it all over the zoo.

 When Avery saw this little fella, she was so happy. At first she was really nervous about touching him but once she did she started to laugh and and did not want to let go. She even got a concerned little look when he walked away from her.

 

This is little Miss Avery making sure her Mama captured it all!

 When we got to the bird cage, Avery had the biggest smile of all! This little girl loves birds. If Avery even thinks about a bird, she will sign bird and then she lights up like Christmas morning.

Speaking about birds, we now have a pet bird. Well, not exactly a pet bird but we do have a bird. About a week ago, a bird landed in our back yard with a broken wing and  now the bird is here to stay. Avery  loves it!!! She has to go out and check on him at least five thousand times a day and Avery's favorite thing to do is to feed and water him (at least we think its a him). Nate has even named our little bird friend Petey, needless to say Petey isn't going anywhere anytime soon.

 

Here is when little Miss Avery and daddy were waiting for "The Big Show" to start. The show was so sad and by sad I mean horrible!  We waited around for a good 20 minutes for the show to start and when it did start all they did was get all the little kids together and have them chase "the bad guy" out of one of the stores and lock him in a jail. Yah, lets just say my explanation is about as long as the show was; what a huge disappointment!

 

 

 Okay, I know this picture is horrible, and the shadows, don't even get me started about how bad they are but how adorable are these two? I swear Avery and Nate are just two peas in a pod. Avery adores her daddy and never cries when she is with him I am sure it is because he is fun all the time. I don't know who was more excited about going to Bonnie Springs Nate or Avery. Nate always makes what every we are doing into a game or a song and Avery just eats it up. All I know, is that I have the best partner in the world and I am so glad that I get to call myself Nate's wife and Avery's Mama.