November/December News

There is no doubt about it. We have so much to be thankful for this holiday season and so much to share with everyone. So let's get to it...

A few weeks ago we met photographer Hailey Haberman at the Olmstead State Park for family photos. Hailey is such a pro! She did a great job and we are thrilled with the way the pictures turned out. What a joy to know that we will have these cherished photos to look back on for years and years to come! Here are just a few of the pictures she took:


We spent Thanksgiving at Laura (Fred's sister) and Rob's house in Snohomish. Cousins Maggie and Anna had a great time playing with Avery! That night, it was off to Jody and Ryan's house. We left early Friday morning to catch a plane to Hawaii! Traveling with a one year old is challenging at times but it was worth it. Avery loved the plane and was a perfect angel on the flight. Coming home was a little different but still not horrible.

So our first few days were spent on the Big Island at the Hilton Waikoloa Village in Kona. What a great place! Oodles of pools, a kid-friendly beach area and even dolphins! We took a day to drive around the island where we saw beautiful waterfalls and craters from one of the two active volcanoes on the island! We also walked through a lave-tube. Fascinating stuff!


Then it was off to Oahu to spend our last few days at our favorite hotel, Hale Koa (which is Hawaiian for "The Warrior"). The Hale Koa is a hotel for active and retired military and their families. It sits right on Waikiki Beach and we absolutely love it there! We took a snorkeling excursion to Hanauma Bay where Avery had her first taste of the Ocean. I'm pretty sure she loved it. We went out to dinner at another favorite place which is on Hickam AFB called The Sea Breeze. Outside seating and a view of runways and beaches!


We were sad to come home but we had to get ready for a party for a very special little girl. Avery's party was the day after we got home, on December 5th. We were so thankful for Jody and Ryan to host the event! Many of our family and friends came to help celebrate. Avery is truly blessed to have so many people around her who love her dearly. She has changed me in so many ways and has taught me that life is what you make it! Fred and I are so lucky. She brings such a tremendous amount of joy to our family. I simply can't explain it in words. I have SO MANY pictures from this day but here are just a few...Happy 1st birthday Avery!

Good Kitty...uh-oh!

In this video, Grandma Ceil and I are playing with Avery and her new "kitty".  It's amazing how fast kids pick up on things!

Our Little Butterfly

We had a great time Trick or Treating with Avery in down town Ellensburg.  We went with our good friends Craig, Candice and their new little one, Chase.  Kevin, Nikki, Crystal and Joycelyn also came along.  It was so cold and windy but we'll always remember our little butterfly on her first Halloween!

Some Sneak Peeks...

I have had Avery's Halloween costume for a month and a half and never tried it on her. I told myself I was going to wait until next week...I came close, but I could not resist. Isn't she just the cutest butterfly EVER?



Also, we are so excited to be heading to Hawaii next month. It was a spur-of-the-moment trip and we are really looking forward to sharing one of our favorite places on earth with Avery. We are also going with my parents and my sister, Ryan and Grayson. The kids are going to love the pools and the beaches!! I think Avery is ready to go! Actually, she just wanted to show you her new swimsuit and sandals (that I got for 70% off!!).

FUN FACT:
Technically, Avery was in Hawaii this time last year when we went to Maui with Fred's family. We had a blast! This was the day that we saw dolphins and the first whale of the season!

Here we all are! Nik, Fred, Ceil, me (I was 31 weeks pregnant) and Freddie

Our Little-Big Eater

Avery is trying all different kinds of foods lately. And she's loving it all, I might add! She loves cheese, pancakes with maple syrup, sweet potato french fries, taco meat, macaroni and cheese. Oh, and we can't forget Pirates Booty! We're really trying to expand her eating horizons and she seems to enjoy the new textures and flavors. Even with her one tooth, she manages to gum through her food like a pro. We really are very proud of our little-big eater! Here she is in all her dirty face/messy hair/cheese-eating glory...

Harvest Festival

It was 32 degrees at the Harvest Festival at Suncadia this morning! But we had a great time with Grandma, Grandpa, Jody and Grayson. Avery rode her very first pony, walked through her very first straw bale maze and sat in her first pumpkin patch. After the pumpkin festivities, we met Ryan at the lodge and had a wonderful lunch. What a great Sunday!

Avery Leist, Pianist

This might be her calling, with 2 sets of great-grandparents who were very musically inclined, you never know! She has the piano fingers down pat...and a little help from Grandpa while she sits on the stool. :)

Grayson's 2nd Birthday

Today we celebrated Grayson's 2nd birthday a few days early. Jody did a great job with the Wall-e themed party, even making Wall-e cupcakes. It's hard to believe Grayson is 2! It seems like just yesterday when Jody called me to tell me her water broke while she and Ryan were shopping at Macy's!! It wasn't but a few hours after that that we got in the car to head to Spokane to await the arrival of my little "Biggles"!! Here are just a few of my favorite pictures of Grayson from the last two years. It's so much fun watching him grow to be such a smart, sweet and caring little boy. We love you!

Here are a few pics from the party today