Avery's Chair

For Christmas, Avery received a very special gift from Nik and Lilian. They painted a little rocking chair with her name along with shapes and beautiful colors. She loves to get out and in, and can rock back and forth all by herself. You can tell she's pretty proud of herself!

She's out again...

...but then decides to get back in.

Wait...a slight pause before getting back in.
The rocking begins. Back and...
forth!

New Family Ride!

I shed a few tears saying good-bye to my trusty Subaru, but oh, I love our new car!! Poor Fred has been sitting/driving my car with his knees to his chest for the last four years. Then add all of the necessities one aquires with a 13-month old and you've got one cramped car! So, after many test drives and a few should we/shouldn't we discussions, we took the plunge. Here is our sporty little SUV:

It's a 2007 Mazda CX-7. We went to the dealership with two other vehicles in mind, but after driving this, there wasn't any comparison. It's fully loaded with low mileage, AWD, navigation and back-up camera, too. It has a nice little turbo for those get-up-and-go moments. All of this within our budget made it a pretty easy decision. Best of all, Fred fits perfectly in this car. Even with Avery in her HUGE convertible carseat.

Lots of room = happy family. Zoom-zoom!

New Year, New Post

With the new year upon us, I wish for my family love, joy, laughter and happiness. May loved ones be blessed with new beginnings, fulfilling days, and open hearts. Other things may change us, but we start and end with family.

With that, here are a few pictures from Avery's 2nd Christmas. Although she is more aware of the world around her, she has yet to grasp the idea of opening presents. I can only imagine that next year will be a completely different story!! Avery was lucky enough to spend Christmas with the Bull side of the family and also the Leist side of the family. She's one lucky girl!

Grammie reading to her grandkids on Christmas Eve

Jody's beautiful tree


Avery and Grayson in their Christmas pjs


Uncle Nik with Avery on Christmas Day


Grandma and Avery

Avery with her Steiff Panda Bear - a special gift from Grandma and Grandpa Leist!