Home improvement phase two!

Nate has really been doing double time to get our yard and house ready for Thanksgiving. We have had some amazing help and I am so grateful that we have great friends and contacts that have been willing to help us get the project done.  

This is a picture of the back casita and sidewalk around it.

 Back pool patio and soon to be BBQ area.

 Casita, and back patio.  

 The pool after it has been resurfaced. 

 The front yard with plants and trees with crushed granite being put in.

 Nate helping put in the river bed.

 Avery helping daddy spray down the granite.

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 The almost finished front yard!  I am so happy how it turned out. I think we are going to put a little grass patch under the front window and then we need to add a few boulders. 

Swim Class

Avery has been a little fish since day one. I remember her first bath and how relaxed she was until it was time to get out. Last year I would take her to the Rec. Center and swim with her about twice a week and then throughout the summer we spent many hours in the pool multiple times a day.  This summer she has really become a strong swimmer and I didn't want her to lose that this winter so I called around and found Water Wings  a swimming school. At first I was a little worried because of the cost but after talking with Nate we decided that it was worth it.  

Last week Avery was tested to see where her skills are and which class she would be in. To my surprise she qualified for the three year old class which means that I don't have to get into the water with her this was AWESOME news!!!!! 

Today was her first class and she was super excited and a little crazy!  I was a little worried she wouldn't do it without me in the pool but she was a champ! She is in class with two little boys and I love the fact that it is such a small class.  I didn't take my camera with me and as soon as I got home and looked at the pictures I wish I had brought the big camera! Maybe next week.

This picture of her floating is HUGE! I have been working with her on floating all summer and she refuses. So to see her float on her first day without getting upset was really awesome to see.  I cant wait to see how she does in the next few months.

Home Improvements!

With beautiful weather here Nate has been re-motivated to get some of the home improvements done around the house that I have been nagging him about for the last year!  So last week Nate and his team poured the foundation to the casita, the pool resurfaced and we had the house painted. Let me just express how much I LOVE LOVE LOVE that things are getting done! We are hosting a large family Thanksgiving this year and I told Nate that the only way I was willing to do do it is if Nate got the back yard done. 

These are a few before photos. 

First coat of paint and its looking great!

TA DA!!!!!!

Nate and his team laying the foundation.

The guys kept telling Avery that she was the boss. She LOVED being in the middle of everything and making sure everything was done to her standards. 

 Yep, That's my kid... jammies a hat and her "cowgirl boots"  

Halloween

Nate and I had talked about dressing up for Halloween with Avery then I changed my mind because I didn't think I would have time to make the costumes.  On Tuesday before Halloween I was talking to Avery about Halloween and she was telling me about how she was going to be Minnie Mouse and Mommy was going to be Donald Duck and Daddy was going to be Goofy. She was so excited that I decided that we HAD to dress up.  On Wednesday I ran around trying to get everything to make the costumes,  luckily I was able to finish them up on Thursday afternoon. 

As soon as Avery woke up on Friday morning she HAD to get in her Minnie Mouse dress on. I thought what the heck its only Halloween once a year and if the girl wants to wear her costume all day then she can do it. I had to go to the grocery story and she was so excited that she got to be Minnie Mouse at the store. 

Daddy and Avery shaking their tail feathers. 

HA! this is Avery's kiss face! 

We had our ward party on Halloween so we went to that. I felt like it was perfect Avery loved going to all the cars and then coming back to the car to help daddy hand out our goods.   I got asked several times what I was dressed up as but when we were all together it was a little easier to figure out what I had dressed up as. My favorite part is that Nate was OK with the leggings that if found him to wear! Ha!!! What a great sport!

The Pumpkin Patch

I feel like this is the first year since Avery was born that we really got to enjoy Halloween. Last year she was sick and so we just stayed in and the year before I had just started at a new property and was working crazy hours. So this year I decided that we would go all in.  Avery helped me decorate the house and then we went to a pumpkin patch/petting zoo with some of our friends. I loved having friends come with us because we actually got a family photo which doesn't happen very often.

The pumpkin patch was super kid friendly and they had all these super cute rustic props and kid toys that were everywhere. They even had this little dress up station. The best part is that the owner told us that it is open all year and is FREE every  month except October... I think it is safe to say we will be headed back soon. 

Avery riding a pony.

She started to wave to everyone... and pretending that she was waving to people that weren't even there. I think this was defiantly a princess moment! 

Avery singing "Let It Go" on her little pony. I love that she will sing when ever she feels like it no matter who is around.

As soon as Avery got up on the hay stack she wanted daddy up there to dance with her.

Daddy teaching Avery the beauty pagent wave!  This was the "hay ride" half way around the loop it died! HA!!! 

Since she didn't get to finish the hay ride Nate talked one of the workers to let Avery ride the big horse. She was so excited and did not want to get off.