Thanksgiving

I'm not quite sure how to explain our thanksgiving this year. So many emotions, sadness, emptyness, anixety, overwhelmed, happy, and of course thankful. Sadness and emptiness of missing my dad. I've spent all but one thanksgiving with him, that's a total of 27 and i'm sure to have more thanksgivings without him and that leaves an empty spot in my heart. I miss him, plain and simple, I'm thinking Christmas will be harder and I'm looking forward to it being over in a way, but also looking forward to watching Avery enjoy it. Anixety and overwhelmed began the morning of Thanksgiving...everyones feelings were a little shattered with my niece and dad missing, plus we were at my sister and bro in law (who is a cop and lost a best bud the week before in the line of fire) and people were calling to wish us a happy day. My nephew called to tell us that my brother, who lives in Panama, was seriously injured the week before and had been laying in a coma all week...um seriously are you kidding me? Just what we need!! So long story short, the guy with the information leaves us with no contact info and says he will call again that night...so we wait...and wait...and eat...and wait...and finally I get sick of waiting and start calling hospitals in Panama City (all 15 of them) and they tell me they either can't speak English, don't have my bro, or just polietly hang up on me...I email his company and a few more hosptials and go to bed, hoping that the next day would be a fresh start...the next morning I'm finally able to get a hold of his boss and find out that he was run over by a dump truck and is alive, but injured badly...I also was able to talk to him on Sunday for the first time. The happy emotions were that it was thanksgiving and I was at my sisters. Avery and her cousing James were in love with each other and I have the best husband and cutest little girl ever!! I hope your Thanksgiving was a little better then mine and with only happiness as your feelings!!

Us Lately...

Here's a few things that we've been up to lately...




Pumpkin Patches..I love them!! There's something about the color orange and little girls in pumpkins!! I can't believe the difference a year can make...we love to go to Bates Nut Farm for our pumpkins, but this year it was crazy packed....thinking of finding a smaller one next year!!



Pool Time in October....I love living in San Diego and enjoying summer a little longer!! Avery loves her kiddy pool and Tucker loves the hose...they are a great pair together!!




Charger Time!! We love going to the games...we've been to two so far and hopefully three after tomorrow!! Avery's went to one and was wonderful. She loved watching the cheerleaders and pom poms. Now if you ask her what you do at games she will tell you that you dance, wave pom poms, give high fives, fist pumps, and clap...its super cute!! Also if we are anywhere and she sees a bolt she will yell football...all she wanted to be for Halloween was a charger cheerleader..silly girl!!

Hiking...we love it and don't do it enough!! These three are cooling off and having fun!!

My Dad

I've been wanting to write about my dad for the past few weeks, but haven't had the strength to actually do it...I don't want to accept that he is gone, cause I'm not ready for my dad to be in heaven. Last month, my dad lost the battle to cancer and passed away in his sleep. I'm so thankful that he is no longer hurting or in pain, but I miss him terribly. I'm only 29 years old and feel like I'm too young to loose a dad and had so much more to learn from him.

Dad,

Thank you for everything you taught me. I was and will always be your little girl. Dads and girls have a special bond and you showed me how to love and find a man who would love me and my daughter. I'm so very thankful that our love will continue through memories as I watch Avery and Dana play and grow together. Loosing you has been the toughest thing I've ever had to deal with, but I'm trying to focus on all the good times we had together. The day you "taught" me how to buy a car and said that I couldn't have one until we wheeled and dealed multiple car lots, however I left the first place with a car, cause your little girl couldn't drive down the hill in an unsafe car. Or the day you walked me down the aisle and told me how lucky you were to be getting a wonderful son in law. The day I had Avery and you were there and how her second word was papa. She has been calling you on the phone everyday since you left us and now she kisses your pictures non stop...she won't kiss anyone elses picture, only you...I think she misses you too!! I'm going to miss our lunch dates and phone calls and the way you introduced me to others as your baby, even as I grew up. I love you dad and I hope you and Sandra are having fun together. I miss you so much...

Love, Your little girl

June!!

So glad the month of May is over...it's a hard month for our family and it seems to get worse every year!! My dad is not doing well and we've had a lot of emotional stress in our family...but now that I got that out of the way let's focus on this girl...she is walking...oh my goodness how different our lives are now. She doesn't want to be held (unless she's sleepy and of course I love the snuggle time when I get it) she wants to run...everywhere...its fun and exhuasting at the same time!!

We went to Bates Nut Farm for a play date and Avery loved feeding all the animals. This place is so packed in the fall, however in the spring no one is there...it's lovely!!

Oh how she loves watermelon and being a big girl...she is talking and adding new words everyday...she loves her dog and throwing his ball for him...they are great friends!!

We went to the Wild Animal Park on Sunday...we love it there and I love having passes and going for a few hours each time...we also were able to squeeze in a few dates without the baby the last couple weeks and it was heavenly...Monday is our anniversary and we are spending the whole day away from her...it's going to be wonderful...a day with just me and my hubby!! I love being a mommy, but we all need our breaks!!

Lack of Blogging...

Someone told me last weekend that they read my blog and I thought wow how boring is that when I never post...I've concluded that I'm not a good blogger, but I'm hoping to change that...I've had a hard time finding time to sit in front of the computer and write. The babes was refusing her crib for a few months and only taking naps in my arms, however I'm happy to write that she is back in her bed for naps and I'm a free mama for a couple hours each day. What a difference that makes!!! So on that note it's time for some catching up!!! Avery turned 1 in March and seemed to grow independence over night...she isn't walking on her own yet and I'm in no hurry for that, i'm loving that she is still my little baby. She is saying mama and dada and signs please, thank you, eat, more, and drink. I think she's learning that when she signs please she gets pretty much anything cause she looks so cute doing it!! She also blows kisses and waves hi and bye and growls like a lion, sticks her tongue out for a lizard and makes a ssss sound for a snake. She melts our heart everyday and we are loving watching her learn!! We had a wonderful birthday party for her with family and friends and she got tons of toys (I'm still trying to figure out where to put them all). She's getting over her clingyness to me and more willing to play with other people especially kids. We went to a child's play place in Temecula a few weeks ago and she had a blast with the kids. We've also been going on playdates and she loves them. She's becoming a beach girl which makes her daddy very happy. She loves the water and I'm sure the hubs will have her on a surfboard as soon as he can. I will be happy watching them from the shore!! We are hoping for a vacation soon, but not sure where to go, but we want to take advantage of free flying until she's 2. Any suggestions?

1 Years Old

WOW...what a difference a year can make!!!

What we've been up to...

We have had some wonderful family time...we love the weekends and try to get out and do something every chance we get...this month we have been going to the Wild Animal Park, hiking in Mt. Laguna, going to Fiesta Island with our doggie and hanging out at home...being together is so fun and we are soaking up this baby time cause we know that soon she will be a toddler and we will never have the baby time again!! Here are a few pics from our adventures!!

Our doggie at Fiesta Island for a Corgi meetup...so fun about 50 Corgis all playing together!!

Wild Animal Park

Box Riding is so fun!!

Hanging out with my daddy!!

This Girl!!

She melts my heart everyday!!! I fall more in love every morning during our snuggles and she's getting more and more fun all the time...she loves me to chase her around the house and she crawls faster and faster, but then has to stop cause she's laughing so hard....oh so fun!!!

Avery's 1st Christmas!!

Going through my stocking!!
Yummy, wrapping paper tastes good!!

Our little family on Christmas!!

Christmas was wonderful...we spent the morning just as a little family of 4 (our doggie included) and opened presents and made a great breakfast...Avery loved opening her gifts and eating wrapping paper...by the end she was a pro...in the afternoon we headed over to Dana's sisters house and spent a few hours with family there and then went to Dana's moms where my parents were at and had a quiet dinner with the grandparents. Avery had an adorable dress that my mom made and she couldn't have been any cuter!!