Avynlee is 3!

Our best little buddy is now three years old!

Av's party was the evening of the 12th.  She wanted it in the bug room at Kangaroo Zoo.  We decided to run with the bug theme.  She was very specific with her cake design preferences and ended up loving it so I'll call it a success!  Her party was pretty much pandemonium but so much fun.  I think we may have to hold separate family and friend parties in the future.

We spent Saturday afternoon at the State Fair with Aliese, Darrin, and Melee.  Av loved the little interactive farm display and the huge slide.  It was super crowded but so fun!

We didn't have church on the 14th due to Regional Conference so we spent the day having so much fun with Av.  We played at the park, at macaroni and cheese, played with Melee for a couple hours, and opened more presents.  We also watched the Chica Show wish Avynlee a happy birthday with a card we had submitted a few weeks before.  It was such a fun filled birthday weekend!

Av had her three year old check up on March 17th.  We thought she'd need shots so we kind if prepared her for being brave.  She was so stoic the entire appointment and responded to every question very seriously.  Then she didn't end up needing shots afterall!  She even seemed slightly disappointed when we told her she didn't need shots but then ended up wanting to stay longer (she really loves Dr. Duffy) so we sat in front of the building while she enjoyed her sucker.

This adorable kiddo is still enormous.  She is 40.16 inches tall (98%, more than three inches taller than average), and weighs 36.6 pounds (92%).  Her speech is fantastic aside from her inability to say "f" and "v" sounds.  She is super social and loves being in ballet and swimming lessons.  She can count to about 15 and counts things specifically (not just listing numbers).  She can identify the letter, sound, and a word beginning with that letter for almost every upper case letter and about half the lower case ones (mostly the letters which look alike).  I post her responses to her birthday questionnaire soon.  We sure love having this little buddy in our lives.  She is so sweet, funny, smart, and beautiful.  Happy Birthday, Avynlee!

4th of July

June

We managed to squeeze some fun, much of it not pictured, into our yardwork packed June.  Here's proof.

Slim to Win

Tonight was the finale for a weight loss program I started six months ago.  Spoiler alert: I didn't win. The guy who did lost over 80 pounds which is super impressive.  I lost twenty.  Which is also super impressive.  I'll take what I can get.   I have literally been working my butt off.  I still have a long way to go but this progress is encouraging.

I lost three inches in my chest (wah wah), three in my waist, five in the extra fatty bit between my waist and hips, and three in my hips. I also lost an inch around my upper arm and an inch around my calve.

My mile time went from over 13 minutes to under 11.

Here are my slightly embarrassing, super official before and after photos.

 Blue team started out as the smallest team with 7 members and just kept shrinking.  We lost Buffy after month one, and Cori amd Kathy after month 4.  Here are the strong finishers.

Kim, Tisha, Ramdy, Me, and our trainer Tiffany.  We lost more than 100 pounds combined!

I'm sure going to miss my team.  I couldn't have asked for a better group and I'm so proud of us all!

May

April was huge and will have to wait but here are some May pictures.

My birthday was awesome! I found this awesome dining room set I loved and Adam said he would get it for me for my birthday and Mother's Day.  I was so excited!  When it showed up it was just the table so I inquired after the matching stool and chairs and was told the description was printed incorrectly and the seating was not included. I was offered a discount but declined and asked when they would like to pick up the table.  The company told me they were sorry for the mistake, granted me a full refund, then told me the table is now out of stock and they have no use for it and I am welcome to keep or dispose of it however I like.  I'm still pretty bummed we don't have matching chairs but maybe I'll find something I love someday.  In the meantime, I have a beautiful new table that I got a really fantastic deal on!

I have spent so much time outside lately. My mom and I have logged about 60 hours working on my yard.  We put in my sprinkler system almost entirely by ourselves.  Adam, my dad, Natalie, and Jacob have all helped when they were able to as well.  It is such hard work and I am so glad we have had help and were able to do it ourselves.

Last Friday, around 9:30, I put sunscreen on Av and myself and went for a walk/jog with a freind.   We went straight to a neighborhood kid party around noon.  It was so nice for Av to get to play with tons of kids and get wet and filthy while I talked to a bunch of the ladies in our neighborhood (I am loving the new neighborhood and we have already made so any friends).  We got home around 3 and both ended up burnt. Avynlee's sunburn is not bad at all, thank goodness. I got fried.  Friday night and Saturday was spent putting up a fence with our neighbors.  It looks so good and it was fun getting to know them better!  Adam baptized our niece Katie Saturday evening and then we hung out with our neighbors a little more to celebrate the fence completion.

I am really loving the new neighborhood and all the awesome people we keep meeting.  I am thrilled with the progress we are making in our yard and I am so excited for sod.  Hopefully that happens before June is over.

These days

Av had some fun playing with Melee when the Frys were here for a visit.  We also got to hit up the children's museum with Av for the first time. She loved it! I had to include some random pictures of her cute hair.  Who knew I'd love doing little girl hair so much?

Family Fun Time

Aliese, Darrin, and Melee came up and stayed with my parents for their Spring Break.  We joined them in some fun family adventures.

Sunday, my grandparents came for dinner and to play with their great-granddaughters. On Monday, we hit up the zoo. We went swimming and played at my house on Tuesday.  They were leaving Wednesday so we squoze in some play time at the park and at my parents' house.  We had so much fun, especially those cute cousins.

My Valentines

We never made a big deal of Valentine's Day but now that Av is a little older we tried to make it fun.  Most years we make heart shaped mini pizzas.  This year, we just ordered pizza and made heart shaped sugar cookies together.  I've been exercising and eating really healthy so born were a splurge but it was fun.  AK got me a water bottle, running socks and we are going to go to running corner to have my gait analyzed and to purchase legit running shoes.  I'm spoiled.  He knows how hard I am working to get healthy and he encourages me so much.  I just love him so much.  I am so lucky to have a guy like Adam.  I used to be a little...not even tempered and Adam is the only person I truly wanted to spend a my time with.  Now I am a lot nicer and somebody joined Adam in that camp.  If I could spend all day, everyday with those two I would be in heaven.  The nice thing is, I am halfway there.

Adam has had to put up with a lot from me and he sacrifices so much for me.  I have changed a lot since we started dating (9 1/2 years ago) and for the most part am much more agreeable but I am still really sarcastic and am terrible at making decisions.  Adam married a head strong and determined girl who was going to be a successful PA.  Then she grew up a little, life happened, she had a baby, and now nothing is more important than motherhood.  He has been such a trooper through they my phases of Jen.  Tom boy phase, girly (for me) phase, exercise obsessed phase, chubby kid phase, depresses phase, self confident phase, religious phase, inactive phase.  He stands by my crazy old side through everything and I appreciate him more than he knows.  

Adam is pretty much brilliant, he's hilarious, and he is so so nice.  His patience astounds me (maybe because I don't have much).  He is so giving  and caring and the least judgmental person around.  I think he is pretty awesome. 

My little buddy is just about the best Valentine I could ask for.  She is literally everything I dreamed she would be.  When I was pregnant, I thought about what she would be like and I wanted for her.  Nailed it!  She is beautiful, sweet, smart, witty, affectionate, and  precocious.  The only thing I passed on to her that I wish I hadn't is her eczema.  Poor girl.  Otherwise, she is pretty much hand picked perfection and I love spending all my time with her.  I love devoting myself to her health and her educations.  I love how she and I are so alike in so any ways.  I love that she loves being with me.  She is my sidekick and my shadow.  She would rather help me do dishes or fold laundry than play in her room.  When I tell her she can go play, it almost hurts her feelings, like I don't want her around, when really I just think she would be having more fun with her toys.  

This Valentine's Day, my sappy heart is full of love for my little family.  I never imagined I would have it so good.

I found some pictures from our first and second Valentine's Days together (8 and 9 years ago).  We were so young and adorable!

I got to spend today with Av and our buddy McCoy.  They were such a cute team.  Then I just have some ransoms from the past little bit of my cute little nugget.

Happy Valentine's Day to my Adam and Avynlee!