ezra, candice, avery & greyson

Avery & Lorenzo...the final party!!

2011-07-05T14:10:00.001-04:00

Avery and Enzo celebrated their last birthday together...tear. Zannah and I decided to throw them one more party before we went our separate ways. Since everyone was in the midst of packing, we kept it a little more low key this year with a Camping themed party. Even though it was much less work than last year, it still turned out adorable and the kids had so much fun.

The "Happy Campers" Dessert Table

The most adorable camping cake ever, made by Zannah. She never disappoints with her baking creations. She takes on the cake every year and I am getting a little nervous that Avery's future party cakes will be made my me...cakes stress me out!

Sign by me, Stick collection by Avery and Greyson.

"Lil Smokies"

No Camping Party is complete without a S'more Bar.

We are all about choice...Cinnamon, Chocolate and Gram Gram crackers

And more Chocolatey choices...

And Fruity Choices...

So Adorable!!

This year we had a couple of party games for the kids. Here is the bag for their Camping Scavenger Hunt. Avery loved it. We had to have a few more scavenger hunts over the next few day.

Searching for baby pine cones.

Making sure to find everything on the list.

"The Happy Campers"

Our Family by the Campfire...It was a great day!

PS. If you missed Avery & Enzo's THIRD and SECOND birthday parties, that might be because I just got around to posting them. I know, I'm awesome. Click on the links to check them out.

Our Little Graduate

2011-06-10T22:59:00.003-04:00

We had another graduation to attend last week. Our sweet little Avery graduated from preschool!! She is truly growing up so fast, I can't stand it. The graduation was sooo adorable! I really can't say enough great things about the preschool program we enrolled her in this year. Her teachers were so amazing, she made some great friends, and learned so many things from her ABC's, to writing her name, to her address and phone number, how to put on and zip up her coat by herself and so much more.

Ez and Greyson waiting anxiously for the graduates to arrive.

Avery making her entrance to the graduation song...tear...

Grey so proud of his Big Sis up on the stage!

Avery on stage with her classmates.

Accepting her diploma.

Each Graduate got to design the balloon above their chair. I asked Ave about her picture and she explained she drew a picture of herself holding a delicious doughnut from Paula's, with some mountains and a rainbow behind her. That's my girl...drawing a picture of food!!

Singing one of the several adorable songs they performed.

She did it!

Avery with her teacher Ms. Kim.

Avery with her teacher Ms. Patti.

Ave and I. Love this little girl!!

Avery and her favorite girl friend Samantha from preshool. I know she will really miss her when we move.

Avery enjoying all the yummy treats for the kids after the ceremony.

I made these cute graduation cupcakes just for the special occasion.

Dad and Grey cheesing it up for me.

Ms. Kim read this cute questionaire aloud before each graduate accepted their diplomas. Here were Avery's answers.

Each graduate recieved this cute Preschool Diploma and the most adorable personalized scrap book filled with picures of Avery all throughout the year. I love, love, love that scrap book. It is such an awesome keepsake for her to remember all the fun times she had with her friends this year.

It was a great day!!

Ouch!!

2011-05-30T14:00:00.023-04:00

Greyson had his first big crash last week. He tripped over a shoes and landed in just the right position to split his eye open on the back door. When I went to pick him up, he was bleeding pretty good. We went back and forth on whether or not we should take him to the ER for some stitches. It stopped bleeding pretty fast so Ez ran up to Walgreens for some first aid stuff. He cleaned it up and put on a butterfly bandage and some liquid band aid. This week it is almost completely healed up and looks great thanks to Ezra's handy work.

Greyson "The Italian Stallion" Boekweg

Graduation

2011-05-15T14:41:00.002-04:00

It's official, We have a Doctor in the house!! We attended the long awaited final graduation of Ezra's life on Saturday, May 14, 2011! It was surreal to think we are finally done with this phase of our lives.

Ezra being hooded and magically becoming Dr. Ezra Boekweg before our eyes.

Our Family, minus Greyson who thankfully got to stay at Deseree's house during the long ceremony.

Ez and his BFFs from Dental School (Ez, Chris, Beecher)

Ezra's Family flew/drove in to help us celebrate the big day!! (David, Linda, Us, Kent, Linda)

Our Buffalo Family (minus several kids), who will be so greatly missed...tear..ok...lots of tears...

Doctor and the Mrs.

Skipping rocks after the ceremony.

Avery all dressed up for the special day!

Avery and Lorenzo, BFFs since they met at 3mths old.

Our Family, on our front porch after the big day. Mission accomplished!! We are excited for our next adventure!!

Goodbye UB

2011-05-13T13:13:00.001-04:00

During graduation week the dental school held and open house for the friends and family of all graduating seniors. As if Ezra hadn't seen enough of this place after the last for years, I made him give it a proper goodbye with pictures of the kids of course.

Ezra's name on the wall in his operatory.

We took the whole fam, so Ezra's Dad and Linda could see the clinic where Ezra saw patients over the last few years.

Ave sitting in his chair.

Greyson lovin' getting sprayed in the face with the air hose.

A future Dr. Boekweg.

I made Ezra put on part of his "dentist outfit" and take a pic with Ave. She got a little tense when he lowered the chair back and put the gloves on. She's not a big fan of the dentist...even if he is her dad.

A family pic in Ezra's Operatory, for commemorative sake!

Senior Awards Banquet

2011-05-12T20:16:00.002-04:00

The dental school held an awards banquet for all the graduating seniors. It was fun to get all dressed up for an evening of fun with some of our closest friends. We have meet some awesome people during our four year adventure and it's sad to know our time together is quickly coming an end.

The Dentists, {Beecher, Chris, Ezra, Ryan}

The Dentists Wives {Kelli, Candi, Zannah, Rachel}

The Dentists with fave professor Dr. Brewer

Kelli & Beecher

Chris & Zannah

Ez & Me

Mother's Day 2011

2011-05-08T23:25:00.002-04:00

I had a great Mother's Day this year. When I woke up, I was greeted by this sweet girl with a Mother's day gift that she had been dying to give me since Thursday. This was the first Mothers day I have received something made especially for me by one of my children. So I was just as excited a she was to see what she made me at preschool.

This year I received a lovely hand crafted mirror to hang in a super special place. Avery pointed out it has "Beautiful Mom" written at the top, so I can remember that I am beautiful. What a sweet girl!

The Kids & Ez also planned a super surprise (because I live for surprises) bike ride (and family bike rides) to a local park where we dined on a chicken salad lunch prepared just for me. The perfect day!!

Grey lovin' the swings.

Ezra lovin' the frog.

...And Ezra even gave Avery a turn on his frog.

Greyson and his total fascination with wood chips. This is the face he make and says whooo as the chips fall through his fingers.

Snacking on wood chips and sticking some up his nose for fun.

I was showered with gifts from Avery all day long. Here is one of them, an awesome rock sea castle complete with pine cones and sticks she collected from all over the yard. It doesn't get much better than this!!

Yearbook Page

2011-05-01T14:03:00.000-04:00

Ezra got his 2011 yearbook a few weeks ago. The dental school yearbooks are mainly dedicated to the graduating senior class. Each senior gets a page to write a dedication and add pics of his friends and family. Its a fun keepsake to remember all the great people we have met during our four years here. If you are interested in reading it, click on the pic to make it larger and again to make it easier to read.

Easter 2011

2011-04-26T12:50:00.000-04:00

We had a great Easter this year. Avery and Greyson woke up to a trail of Easter Bunny fur (cotton balls)coming down the stairs. Avery knows the drill and quickly followed the trail to the playroom where she found an empty egg carton and two pair of bunny ears. She helped Greyson put on his ears and the Egg hunt began. Greyson wasn't much of a hunter, but he did follow Ave to find their final eggs in the kitchen next to their Easter baskets.

The kids with all their loot. Greyson was all about the chocolate eggs. We thought we had put all the candy away when the kids had had enough...but then Greyson kept coming up to us randomly throughout the day with colored foil in his mouth. Later we saw him pop a chocolate egg in his mouth foil wrapper and all, chew it up and spit out the wrapper after he had sucked it clean. Nice.

All the Hunters, lined up and ready to run!

I had a little pep talk with Avery before the hunt began, as Easter Egg hunts were kind of a big deal in my family. To my surprise she already had her strategy all figured out, and executed it perfectly. She reminded me that we count up all the eggs at the end to make sure each kid gets to take home the same amount. How sweet, I can't say she learned that from me...Easter just wasn't complete unless I beat my sister year after year...don't cry Nicki!

We celebrated our final Easter in Buffalo with the Kelli, Beecher, Chris, Zannah and the kids with a big Easter dinner. We made a ham, Grandma Janet's homemade mac & cheese and baked beans. It was delish! And Zannah brought over this most adorable speckled robins egg cake! So cute!

Dentists...aka Zombie Assassins

2011-04-20T22:53:00.003-04:00

This year for Ezra's birthday we went to dinner at The Outback with the kids, and it was slightly miserable. The kids were little monsters. Greyson refused to sit in the high chair, kept trying to crawl on the table, play with knives, drop chunks of bread on the lovely guests in the booth behind us, among other exciting things... We ate as fast as we possibly could and left. I told Ez we had additional plans for the night, he thought I was taking him to see a movie with the kids. He said he had had enough and just wanted to go home. He was pleasantly surprised when we pulled up to Lasertron and dropped him off for his Super Secret Surprise Man Date!!!

Ez and dental school buddies "Preparing for the Zombie Apocalypse" ...whatever that means...

After an intense round of Laser tag, they played something called Cybersport. It's like a cross between basketball and lacrosse played in bumper cars.

All of this fun was followed by a DQ ice cream cake after party at our house. It was the perfect birthday surprise, if I do say so myself!!

Girls Night

2011-04-15T21:39:00.001-04:00

While Aunt Nicki was in town, we decided to have a GIRLS Night out! The party started at the Cheap theatre where we saw Gnomeo & Juliet, with popcorn and a drink for only $6...man I'm going to miss that deal when we leave Buffalo!! Then we took Ave to a fancy restaurant (The Melting Pot) for a special dessert. She thought it was pretty cool, however she decided on a whim that she no longer likes chocolate in the melted form and won't even try it. Kids?!? She did feast on all the dippables w/o dipping them of course. That's ok, there was more for Nicki and I.

Nicki's Visit

2011-04-11T22:31:00.002-04:00

Buffalo, Ny is Aunt Nicki's favorite vacation destination and we love it when she comes to visit!! This time we had super special fun day at the roller skating rink. The local skating rink has Toddler Tuesday, where kids can bring anything with wheels to ride on while they rock out to there favorite Justin Bieber jams. The kids played while Nicki, Ez, and I laced up a pair of roller skates for the first time in 15 years. Let's just say I remember looking a lot cooler when I was a kid.

Greyson's First Birthday

2011-04-04T19:14:00.001-04:00

On February 20th, Greyson celebrated his very FIRST birthday! We had a small birthday party for him with some of his closest friends...ok some of our/Avery's closest friends. In usual birthday party fashion, I stressed over the food and decor all week...but I think it turned out really cute. Greyson LOVED it...ok, he had no clue there was a party going on, let alone that it was all for him. ...but I loved it!

Milk Glasses

Oreo Truffles

Chocloate Fudge Cupcakes

Mom & Dad with the Birthday Boy

Making his very FIRST Wish

Some of the Party Folk

Our Playroom, the aftermath of a party with lots of Boys...I guess this is what I have to look forward to :)

St. Patty's Day

2011-03-17T12:38:00.001-04:00

The kiddos all decked out in their matching St. Patrick's Day shirts and matching shamrock tattoos. Thanks Grandma Janet!

Greyson took the notion of "The Fighting Irish" a little to seriously and decided to have a dual with the dining room table. The Luck of the Irish wasn't with him today.

Ave with her class, in the midst of a Leprechaun hunt.

Avery O'Boekweg with her trusty "Leprechaun Looker", she informed me you need this special tool if you really want to spot a Leprechaun..."They're real sneaky Mom!"

We topped of St. Patty's day in true Irish fashion, with a Shamrock Shake from Mickey D's!

Thirty-One

2011-03-04T12:56:00.001-05:00

I had a great birthday this year. Ezra's mom, Linda, came up for a visit and so kindly took Greyson off my hands for nearly the whole day!! Avery and I had a girls day that started with two tickets to see Elmo Live and Buffalo's historic Shea's theatre. Avery thought it was pretty special of Elmo to come all the way to Buffalo just for my birthday. Elmo wasn't really at the top of my bday list, but I am glad we got to see a show at Shea's before we leave buffalo. It was built in 1926, and been completely restored and is definitely a site to see.

Ave and I near our balcony seats.

Then we had our own Elmo after party at Red Robin for lunch. Here is Ave thanking me for being on a sugar-free diet so she can devour my bday sundae.

Linda watched the kids again (thank you!) so Ez and I could go out. Like Elmo, Lady Gaga really wanted to hang out on my birthday this year. We had tickets, and in because I am the worst gift receiver ever, I decided to try and sell them on craigslist. Ez bought them for me as a Christmas gift since she was coming to town on the night of my bday, but I just couldn't stomach the price. I am somewhat of a Gaga fan, but FOUR HUNDRED dollars for OK seats was just crazy to me. Long story, short we sold them about an hour before the show to one excited teenage girl and her mom. We still lived it up with dinner at the Cheesecake factory and a movie at the cheap theatre...that's a little more my style.

Cake Smash

2011-02-20T11:57:00.000-05:00

Keeping with tradition, on Greyson's actual birthday, we picked up this awesome cake from Tops Supermarket who happens to provide all babies with a free cake on their first birthday. Greyson opened some gifts from his grandparents,we sang to him, and he blew out the candles with a little help. We then proceeded to let him dig in. At first he hated the frosting between his fingers, and didn't quite understand why we were urging him to make a mess. Avery didn't understand why we were just sitting there while he was ruining a perfectly good cake without giving her a piece first.

Soon enough Greyson got into it and Avery got her cake...hence the square chunk missing from the front.

Valentine's Day

2011-02-14T21:46:00.003-05:00

Valentine's Day was super fun!! Ez came home early from school and took us out to lunch at the Cheesecake Factory (my FAVE!!). Avery had tons of fun with her preschool class this year. She stayed up late the night before working hard on these valentines we bought for her class. It took her almost 2 hours off and on to print her name on 12 valentines, but she did it!! She still need a little help with lower case e's but she's doing great!

Ez and Ave also brought me home a Valentines gift from their last minute shopping trip to target. Avery was so excited for me to open it. She got me a necklace and earring set...and she quickly informed me that the glass slipper diamond necklace was for her, and I could have the earrings if I wanted. Awesome!!

Rachel and Ryan

2011-01-21T12:34:00.000-05:00

Our friends Rachel and Ryan are hoping to adopt a child! They are two of the most remarkable people I have ever met and will make amazing parents to one lucky little kid. Please click on their link on the right to learn more about them and help spread the word to anyone who can help!

Greyson 11 Months

2011-01-20T10:34:00.002-05:00

Grey's Sloth Smile

Ballet School Drop-Out

2011-01-15T11:39:00.001-05:00

Avery had been attending ballet at Miss Britta's ballet school, for several months and seemed to be loving it before we left for Christmas break. When returned from Seattle and back to our old schedule, she started complaining about going...I had to start bribing her with Paula's doughnut, etc. She said she really just wanted to do her own ballerina dance, and not really the choreographed one Britta was trying to teach them. After a month of Friday morning fights to get her out the door, we decided maybe she was a little over scheduled with preschool every other day of the week...so we let her quit! I know we are awesome parents, right?!?

I stole this pic of her with her class from Britta, her teacher. I wish I had more...

Buffalo Icicles

2011-01-12T16:36:00.000-05:00

Enormous Icicles & Snow mounds taller than the kids are definitely not one of the things we will miss most about living in Buffalo, NY.

OH, We're Off to See the Wizard

2010-10-31T15:58:00.002-04:00

Pumpkin Night

2010-10-31T13:20:00.000-04:00

Trick-or-Treatn' with the BFFs

2010-10-30T12:44:00.002-04:00

We went Trick-or-Treating at the mall again this year with the Whiteakers and the Trockels. The kids get to run from store to store gathering tons of goodies without having to be all bundled up. Here's group pic number one...and I decided to include one more once the BOOgers had been successfully removed. :)

Greyson didn't quite have the courage for the Trickin' and a Treatin' this year.

Pinocchio, Jiminy Cricket, and Elmo. Rozannah was amazing yet again this year, with handmade costumes for Enzo and Solomon. It might be a good thing we are moving so my kids don't find out how I have no sewing skills and they will most likely never be sporting costumes as cool as the Trockel boys.

The Subway sandwich even got in on the Halloween action. Avery loved it.

A SpOOktakular Preschool Parade

2010-10-30T12:31:00.001-04:00

This week was filled with fun activities for the kids...including a Halloween Party at Avery's Preschool. The parents were invited to stay for the beginning of class to see their annual Halloween parade. She loved seeing all her friends dressed up. My personal fave, besides Dorothy of course, had to be the late King of Pop, Michael Jackson.

Avery's Class...notice the young man on the bottom right dressed up as Minnie Mouse?!? Interesting...

RIP MJ!

Her First Field Trip

2010-09-30T12:11:00.001-04:00

Avery's Preschool took a field trip to Kelkenburg farm. She had a great time with all her friends. The farm was really cute with tons of hands on activities for the kids to do. It was a little hard to manage helping her do the activities, pushing Greyson through the mud in his stroller (it was pouring), taking pictures and holding an umbrella all at the same time...but it was worth it.

Avery and her friend Samantha checking out the horses.

We got to go on a hay ride. The cutest old man pulled us in a covered wagon with his tractor down the road to the pumpkin patch. Every few minutes he would turn around and serenade us with some old farmer tune. The kids thought he was a little weird at first, but by the end of the ride everyone was singing along. He was so fun!

Greyson's first hayride...he was lovin' it!

Little stations were set up all around the farm for the kids to get the ultimate experience. They could ride a pony, milk a goat, brush a horse, mill some corn, and find their way through a maze. As you could probably guess, Avery wouldn't do most of them. ...but here she is brushing a pony. Yay!

Milling some corn, while Butters sat in the bucket.

It was a great day on the farm!!

We've Got a Preschooler!

2010-09-22T17:16:00.000-04:00

This was Ave on her first day of preschool. She has been going three days a week for 2.5 hours a day and loves it. There are 12 three and four year olds in her class, 4 girls and 8 boys. She is making lots of new friends, she usually can't remember their names...but tells me how much fun they have going on pretend bear hunts and dino digs. On the first day of class, each kid was told to put something they love in this brown paper sack and write 3 clues to help their classmates guess what's inside. She brought her Snow White doll, since she is still obsessed with all things princess. I was a little apprehensive about the first day. Would she cry hysterically when I tried to leave? Not this kid, Miss Kim opened the door, she said "Love you Mom" and ran right in with the other kids. Greyson and I ran a few errands, and I was so excited to pick her up to see what she thought of her first day. She was all smiles. When we got in the car I asked her what they did and if she learned anything...her response.."I don't know Mom, I can't remember." Day two, I asked her the same thing and she had a little more to say. "Mom, today a boy tried to kiss me!" Definitely not what I was expecting to hear. I asked her why a boy would try and kiss her, she said, "Mom, he thinks I am beautiful!" She said she was glad Miss Patti rescued her and told the little boy, there is NO kissing allowed at preschool.

Meet the Teacher Day

2010-09-13T13:17:00.002-04:00

Avery was so excited for "Meet the Teacher Day" at her new preschool. Her teachers, Miss Kim and Miss Patti, had a special activity planned to introduce the kids to their new classroom and fellow classmates. She has her own cubby to hang her coat and backpack and her own mail box...with AVERY on it (her favorite part). She got to play doll house with her new friends while I got to learn about what peanut-free snacks to bring, and the MANY fundraisers that the kids will participate in throughout the year. Super!

Greyson in Action

2010-08-23T10:47:00.000-04:00

WARNING: This is a video of our baby doing normal baby-like things and could be extremely boring to viewers with their own babies at home. Intended for baby hungry family members living in other parts of the country. Proceed with caution.

Six Months

2010-08-22T12:27:00.002-04:00

We took some quick pictures yesterday to celebrate Greyson's SIX month birthday. I can't believe how fast our little Butters is growing up. He is a professional roller, bouncer, and rice cereal eater...soon to be a master sitter! More stats on Greyson later.

As you can see I am super far behind on blogging...again. More pics to come!

It's a Hard Knock Life

2010-08-16T21:11:00.001-04:00

Today I sent Avery down to her playroom to clean up her daily destruction. A few minutes later she comes upstairs with a look of despair on her face and says, "Mom, I am real tired of cleaning my playroom. I want to go live with Daddy Warbucks!"

Looks like someone has been watching a little too much Annie.

We Got That BOOM BOOM POW

2010-08-12T22:39:00.001-04:00

Ez and I celebrated our EIGHT year wedding anniversary on August 10th. Yesterday he surprised me with tickets to The Black Eyed Peas concert! They were awesome and our seats were even more AWESOME! We took most of these pics and the sweet, sweet video with our completely worthless, but oh so convenient camera phones. Please excuse the phone/video quality :) Some takeaways from the concert were...

The Peas put on an amazing live show. Cool stage, dancers, effects, etc.
They attract a diverse crowd - as in smokin' hot cougars (older women not cats) on the arms of less than attractive Bill Gates looking old men, as well as a 70 year old Grandpa and Grandma that sat a few rows over from us, kinda weird but cool.
Buffalo has no love for T Pain. T Pain opened the show to an arena that was half empty. He was good..."I'm on a Boat", "Buy UA Drank"....come on people, everyone needs a little gangsta rap in their life.
Paper Confetti falling from the sky is as cool as I imagined. I don't know why, but I have always wanted to be somewhere like the Super Bowl or The Price is Right when you win both showcases...when they shoot confetti out of those huge gun things and it falls from the sky covering everyone. The last song of the night was "I've Gotta Feeling", the crowd was jumping like on Oprah, and confetti was flying everywhere...it was awesome!! Check the video...

Thanks for an unforgettable eight years, and a super fun night Ez! And...a huge thank you to Grandma Bev for watching the kids again, so we could have a good time!

Avery & Lorenzo's Rainbow Party

2010-06-19T09:52:00.007-04:00

Avery and Lorenzo had their third annual birthday party!! Rozannah and I had so much fun planning all the details for the perfect rainbow bash!

We went a little extra crazy this year and made the kids shirts to coordinate with the party. I made Ave this Rainbow Rosette adorned tee and Zannah made Enzo the most adorable rainbow bike tee with buttons for wheels.

Number Three Rainbow Pinata.

The finished dessert table turned out so adorable!!

Rainbow Cake and Sorted M&M Candies.

We wanted a beverage to go with the party. So we filled these cute water bottles with clear koolaid and hand dyed each one with food coloring to simulate the full spectrum of the rainbow. It looked really cool.

Rainbow Colored fruit Kabobs!

Candy Covered Oreos!

Zannah took on the cake and I made the cake decor! It was adorable!

Dipped Pretzels with rainbow sprinkles.

Sorted Gumballs & Super Jaw breakers

Enzo and Ave another year older together!

Ez grillin' the steak and chicken kabobs!

Avery blowing out the candles...minus the singing.

Cutting into the rainbow cake...The kids loved it!

Zannah and I trying to hold the cake together after we cut the first slice. So lets just say we learned not to let a cake sit outside in 85 degree weather for a few hours before you cut it. Opps!!

Pinata Time!

Some of the kids who came to Party with us!

Baby Greyson, relaxin' with Grandma Bev.

By the end of the party most of the guests ended up cooling off in the pool...full clothed! It was that hot!

Avery opened a few birthday gifts after the party. She is all about Princess this year. She was so happy to get the Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella and Tiana dresses to add to her growing collection. It was such a fun day!!

June 16, 2010

2010-06-16T13:12:00.000-04:00

Avery began the third year of her life with tradition...breakfast at Paula's Doughnuts!! We brought Uncle Lij along this year so he could experience the amazing doughnuts.

We had a late lunch at Cheeburger Cheeburger. It was kids night and we were greeted by a clown at our table. The dressed up woman was making balloon animals for all the kids. Avery told her that she loves princesses, so the woman decided to make her a princess birthday crown. It had to be one of the sadest looking balloon creations I have ever seen...but Ave thought it was cool so that's all that matters.

After lunch, we suprised Avery with a trip to good ol' Chucky Cheese. She was slightly scared of Chucky and his robot friends, but had fun playing the games.

Ave blowing out the candles on her Belle cake.

All dressed up and ready to PARTY!

The Beach

2010-06-04T00:17:00.002-04:00

The weather has been super nice the last few weeks, so nice that we decided to venture out with a bunch of Moms for a trip to the beach with the kids. The idea of it sounded like fun....until we got there and I realized I was slightly in over my head. Biggest Mistake... I brought way too much stuff! beach umbrella, chair, sand toys for Ave, a cooler with snacks, 2 water bottles, Greyson's diaper bag, a bag with a change of clothes for Avery, towels, sun screen, etc., and a bag for my camera. Somehow I carried all of this, plus Greyson in his car seat from the parking lot down to the beach area. We made it down there, Ave was having a blast digging in the sand with her friends....and then Greyson woke up. Lets just say, we wasn't loving his first trip to the beach. I did snap a few pics of him, and then he screamed bloody murder for what seemed like an hour until I finally got him to sleep. He stayed asleep for about 10 minutes, when I realized I was in over my head and decided it was time to go. I had to convince Avery, who couldn't understand why I would want to leave such an exciting place as the beach, as her brother is again crying hysterically. Luckily, I had great friends around to watch the kids so that I could make 2 trips back to the car with all the crap I thought I had to have. By the time I got all the stuff and the kids loaded in the car, then Avery said "Mom, I have to go potty", I thought I was going to die. The only bathrooms were all the way back down at the beach area. There was no way I could carry Greyson and her (she decided she couldn't walk because there was sand in her shoes) back down there. I tried to convince her it was OK to go potty outside in the grass just this once. She refused because she is a girl and only boys go potty outside. I explained that she had no choice and she said she could hold it until we got home. Well five minutes down the road she is crying and telling me to pull over, she wants to go in the grass on the side of the road. So I did...and she did. I was proud of her...and completely exhausted. It was one of those memorable mom days that I will never forget.

....but Avery had fun, so it was worth it...right!?!

Greyson's first trip to the beach! He was lovin' it!

Not so much!

The Headband

2010-06-03T09:28:00.001-04:00

Every morning for the last week or so, Avery wakes up and immediately starts on a mad hunt to find this headband. She refuses to eat her breakfast until she has it on. I asked her why she needs it so...she said it holds her hair back "real good". I offered to put her hair in a ponytail, she said no.... "My pink headband makes me look HOT!" I guess I can't argue with that.

Greyson 3 Months

2010-05-31T14:29:00.000-04:00

Big Sis & Little Bro

2010-05-30T22:56:00.001-04:00

We took these pictures of Avery and Greyson when he was 4 weeks old. Avery loves being a BIG Sister. She has had her jealous moments, ok days, ok...maybe its more like jealous weeks...but we think she is really starting to like him. It was only a few months ago she was asking when he was going back to the hospital. or..."Mom, what's that smell? ( I smell nothing) "It's Baby Brother! He is stinkin' up the place!" or..."Mom, Can we get a new Baby Brother? Greyson cries TOO MUCH! I can't hear Dora!" ...or "Mom...tell Baby Brother I don't Love him when he cries"

It was pretty funny! He is starting to win her over slowly but surely. She asks to hold him now and loves to try and make him smile.

Easter

2010-04-09T10:39:00.012-04:00

Well its official, I am way behind on the blog again. But this time I have a good excuse...I have TWO kids! Life is crazy. I don't know how all our Moms did this. I have lots of stories to tell about bringing Greyson home, Big Sister Avery, life saving visits from my Mom and Ezzies Mom, Linda, etc....but we will save those for another post.

We had a great Easter! Greyson is six weeks old now and is looking more and more like his dad every day. Poor guy even lost most of his hair...just like daddy :). The Easter bunny came to our house again this year to hide eggs and baskets of goodies. (Special thanks all their Grandparents for sending Easter packages filled with treats that make the Easter Bunny's job really easy!) We had an awesome Easter dinner with our friends on Grandview street.

Greyson in his super cute Easter Tie Onsie...thanks Diana!

Avery loves her some Easter Egg huntin'...just like her Momma. Pretty soon Greyson will be big enough to knock her down in persuit of a colored egg, just like my little sis did to me every year. ...and yet she never won a single hunt. We will be sure to tell Greyson it doesn't pay to cheat, right Aunt Nicki!

02.20.2010

2010-02-28T18:23:00.009-05:00

Greyson Ezra ... finally arrived on Saturday, February 20th, 2010 at 6.01pm. He weighed in at 8lbs 4oz and measured 21.5 inches long. His story began Saturday morning when we checked in for an induction at 7:30 in the morning. I changed and they started my IV and hooked up all the heart monitors etc. My doc arrived, checked me and put in an order for pitocin to get the ball rolling. Just before they were going to administer it they noticed a few random decelerations in his heart rate. They figured his cord may be wrapped around one of his limbs or he might be squeezing it. So they decided to monitor him a little longer to see if it continued to happen. ...and it did, so they broke my water to see if he might change positions....no luck. So they had me do some super fun exercises on an exercise ball...no luck. Then they thought filling my uterus back up with water my get him to move...no luck. By this time my contractions were getting really strong and painful. I asked for an epidural to take the edge off. I continued to have contractions and his heart rate continued to randomly dip and come back up again. They tried EVERYTHING, but this kid wasn't giving in. My doctor came in one last time and broke the news...emergency c-section. I'm not going to lie, I was scared. Especially when they were rolling me down the hall to the operating room the anesthesiologist asked Ezra if he wanted to give me a "goodbye kiss"...I lost it a little. Once I was on the table he was out less than 5 minutes and they were stitching me back up. They held his head up over the curtain after they pulled him out, and he was so cute. He looked a lot like Avery, minus all the hair. In the end, the c-section wasn't that bad, and my doctor was awesome. All that matters is that we have a healthy baby boy!

40

2010-02-17T18:00:00.006-05:00

Well, I have officially reached forty weeks pregnant, and it is time for this little boy to come out. We are excited...and SCARED to have two kids...but excited! Avery can't wait to play with him. She is hoping he comes out wearing a red cape and singing Once Upon a Dream... just like Prince Phillip from Sleeping Beauty. Wish him luck...

Happy Valentines Day

2010-02-14T20:39:00.000-05:00

Disney on Ice

2010-02-10T13:41:00.011-05:00

Disney's Princesses on Ice came to town this year, and since our girl is completely obsessed with all things Princess...we had to go! She had been freaking out every time the commercial came on for weeks, so she was super excited when I showed her the tickets. However, she did want to make one thing clear...that the Princesses would be ice skating and she would NOT! Once I confirmed that she didn't have to do any of the skating, she was ready to go! Here she is all dressed up like Snow White.

She was all smiles the whole time, and kept asking us what's goin' happen next? what's goin' happen next? It was so cute and we are so glad we took her.

These were a few of her favorite parts...

Avery's Big Girl Bed

2009-12-27T17:14:00.007-05:00

By September, Avery had become highly skilled at jumping out of her crib, so Ez decided to take the rail off the front and convert it into a toddler bed. It took her 5 seconds to learn she could crawl out of her bed and into ours...every night for the next 2 months. So, we decided it was time for an upgrade. I found this antique twin bed on craigslist, and thought it would be perfect in a creamy off-white. I also thought it would be a great idea to spray the bed for a store bought finish...what a nightmare. Ten coats of latex, oil primer and paint later Ez finally conquered the annoying yellow-brown tannins that kept bleeding through every layer. Ez finally finished it and Avery loves it! Here is the before and after of her new Big Girl Bed.

Merry Christmas

2009-12-25T23:29:00.001-05:00

Halloween Night

2009-11-16T23:20:00.002-05:00

Halloween Night was super fun, but super FREEZING cold. I didn't really get to take any pics of Avery all dressed up trick-or-treaing because she was so cold Ezra had to carry her from house to house. It was so cold, we decided to hit 15 houses with the Trockels and head back to our house to hand out some candy.

Ave really wanted me to dress up too, so here is the prego witch.

Ez was a last minute Skeleton. I think Avery was a little scared of him at first. She kept reminding me that Dadda was a NICE Skeleton, not a mean one.

Halloween Activites 09

2009-11-15T22:12:00.012-05:00

Avery was a WiTcH for Halloween this year. She made it very clear to us and anyone that asked, that she was a SCARY witch not a nice witch. She loved her costume, and begged to wear it before, during, and after halloween. She also loved to watch You Tube clips of various witches with Ez and quickly picked up lines like
"I'll get you my pretty and your little dog too!" Thoughout the month we tried to go to every Halloween activity we could find. We attended a few Story times' at Pottery Barn and Barnes and Noble. Below are pics of Ave decorating a pumpkin and a little craft at our local mall kids club. The invite said the kids would be painting pumpkins in their halloween costumes?!? Sounded a little scary/messy. When we arrived the paint was replaced by sharpie markers and glitter glue. I'm not sure which is worse, but we made it out of there without any permanent damage. The also had free face painting...1 Scary witch on her arm, she was a happy girl!
We also attended the church Halloween party. Avery had a great time. The mummy cupcake she won in the cake walk was the highlight, until she went trick-or-treating door to door at the end of the party. It was so cute! At each door she would say the magic words and then stick her Halloween bucket right up in the persons face and wait for her candy. They thought it was pretty funny too, and I think she scored extra candy. What can I say the girl knows how to work it.

Ave and her BFF Lorenzo at the party.

Mission Accomplished

2009-11-14T10:58:00.004-05:00

For the last month or so, I have spent every morning on the phone and internet in search of the H1N1 vaccine for Avery and I. Since we are both "high risk", I really never thought it was going to be so hard to get our hands on. My OBGYN decided since he never gets the flu or flu shots, that his patients didn't need to have the vaccine. So he didn't order it and refused to offer it to his pregnant patients ?!? After many failed attempts to get it from other offices that where saving their supply for their patients only, I let my OB know that I was considering transfering to another office to get the vaccine. I suggested he call in a favor to one of his OB buddies who did order the vaccine, and the next day I got from the office letting me know they had located one and were holding it for me at an office in Niagara Falls.

It was a bit of a drive, but getting the vaccine makes me feel a lot better about flying home for the holidays. Getting the shot for Avery was a whole other issue. Her Ped office had it for a fraction of a week, never offered it for her age group and then ran out. Luckily Ez was watching the news on Thursday night when they announced a Swine Flu vaccine clinc that was being held 45 mins away in the neighboring county. They urged people to not arrive early. I didn't listen and neither did the 300 other people that were standing outside in line before me when I showed up. After 3.5 HOURS of waiting outside...we are both vaccinated!

Keeping Avery entertained for almost 4 hours standing in line wasn't the easiest thing. I am lucky she loves Sleeping Beauty and Snow White so much, she sat happily in her stroller watching her DVD player for the most part. There were so many parents that had it worse than I did. The worst part was definitly when we neared the end of the line where the shots were being given. You would have thought kids were dying in there with all the terrified screams coming from the shot room. It was hard to convince the kids still waiting to get closer to that room they were in line for a good reason. Slightly tramatizing for all involved.

Dr. Avery

2009-11-12T15:47:00.007-05:00

Now Accepting New Patients Every Night Around her Bedtime...

This is what our nightly bedtime routine has come to. The only way she will brush her teeth is if she can dress up in Ezra's "Dentist Shirt", clip on his clinic name badge, and give him a thorough tooth tickling. Once his cleaning is complete she will let Ez be the Dentist and brush her teeth. Super Annoying...but Super Cute at the same time.

Tooth brushing is usually followed up by story time. More often than not she will turn down the couple of books she has picked out for a chance to look at pictures on Ezra's laptop. Pictures of what you might ask?? Oh just detailed photos of people with black rotted out teeth, missing teeth, crowns, fillings etc. He initially showed the gross pics to demonstrate why she should brush her teeth. Well now she is hooked.

SpOOkY Dinner Party

2009-10-31T14:06:00.014-04:00

So we decided to have a little last minute Haunted Halloween party. I made a Pumpkin Veggie Tray
...and some Mummy Dogs.

Here are some of the tasty treats or ghoulish guests came up with on last minute notice...I was very impressed. Fun Times.

Nacho Cheese dip (not pictured) with GraveYard Toppings by the Trockels

Halloween Tortilla Chips by the Trockels

Chocolate Covered Mice by the Trockels

Spider Web Guacamole by the Sowells

Ghostly Rice paired with Eyeball Meatballs(below) by the Sowells

Ghost Cupcakes by the Sowells

Mini Mummy Pizzas by the Kings

Devilish Deviled Eggs by the Kings

Frozen Eye Balls by the Kings
Halloween Pumpkin Bread by the Bennions

RIP Micheal Jackson Pudding Cups by the Whiteakers

BONEy BFFs

2009-10-31T12:44:00.014-04:00

These two rubbery skeletons and little Ave are attached at the hips'. She takes them everywhere and talks to them like real people. Poor girl, since I am pregnant and slightly paranoid about contracting the SWINE flu...these are the only two friends she is allowed to play with on a regular basis. I know I am mean, but she didn't seem to mind. ...Until yesterday when I heard her yelling "BAD SKELETON" and throwing them against a wall. I don't know what they did wrong, but they must have apologized because ten minutes later I saw the three of them cuddling on the couch watching Sponge Bob together.

Hanging out in the kitchen.
Watching a little TV together.

A SpOOkY HoUsE

2009-10-31T11:18:00.008-04:00

So this year since Avery is completely obsessed with Halloween, I decided we should probably decorate the house. I usually consider decorating for every holiday a bit of a waste of money, but Avery was so excited I couldn't resist. She absolutely loves it, I'm scared I may have to leave it up year round. We also happened to watch HGTV's Halloween Spooktaular Show last week. And lets just say it has sparked her interest in interior design. I have caught her several times trying to wrap my dining room table legs in toilet paper. "Mom, I am making our table into a mummy!"

She also decided our white couch would be much more festive if she drew her version of a pumpkin on it with a black ink pen. Yeah I tried hairspray removal, didn't work...so it will be there next Halloween...SUPER!

It's Alive

2009-10-29T15:10:00.006-04:00

We found out a few weeks ago that Avery will have her very own baby brother. That's right, I have 6 storage bins of girl clothes, two pink strollers, dollhouses and princess dresses galore....and we are having a BOY!! Awesome! So I guess we are living the dream...one of each and then we can be done...or at least that's how I feel right now being prego. But I really can't complain too much. As of a few weeks ago, I suddenly stopped throwing up everyday. Now its only a couple times a week in the morning, big improvement since I threw up everyday, multiple times a day with Avery. These are the ultrasound pics from my 19 week appointment. He looks perfectly happy and healthy so far, kicking me like crazy. We are excited and scared, but EXCITED!!

and....about NAMES...we are open for suggestions!! If you think of anything that flows with our LAST NAME!?! Like Bobby or Billy Bob...Just kidding...but seriously we need help!

Super Special Fun Day Part 2

2009-10-28T22:30:00.005-04:00

SSFD Part 2 took place at THE Great Pumpkin Farm...you know the one from the Charlie Brown special.

Not really but is was still Super cool, especially because Avery is absolutely obsessed with everything Halloween. There were rides, a spooky magic show, hayrides, cornmazes...and possibly the highlight of Avery's life...FACE PAINTING!

Watching her get her face painted had to be the most adorable thing ever. She sat there so still, with a glazed look over her eyes...like "I can't believe this is really happening to me." The lady saw little Ave and immediately asked her if she wanted a cute puppy or maybe a butterfly. She said no way, she wanted a SCARY witch! She is in love with anything remotely scary. Skeletons, Spiders, Dead Zombies with their guts hanging out in the Haunted House...oh yeah she is all over it.

Ave making her way through haymaze custom made for the small ones.

Super Special Fun Day Part 1

2009-10-28T22:13:00.007-04:00

Last week Ezra had a break from tests so he planned a "Super Special Fun Day" for Ave and I. It was a surprise and we LOVE surprises! He took us to lunch at a new pizza place that serves all you can eat- pizza, garlic knots, soup & salad for lunch. Add a little Zantac 75 and this is a pregnant girls dream. Next we headed downtown to Fowler's Fine Chocolates for a VIP factory tour. Holla!! All the Chocolate you can eat while learning how they make it. It was a golden ticket moment.

Free HAIRNETS...almost as cool as free chocolate!

That's right folks, what's a Buffalo Chocolate factory without a little Pizza and Wings. Don't forget the Bleu Cheese Chocolate dipping sauce!

We're Back!

2009-10-28T21:41:00.008-04:00

So we went on a short 6 month blogging hiatus. How did I ever let this happen? I am such a slacker! Well we are back and in a big way. I am going to attempt to back date every post until June. That's right dedicated readers you're not going to miss a moment of our lives because I care that much. ...not really, I am just turning this blog into a book. So gotta do, whatcha gotta do. Wish me luck...

June 16, 2009

2009-06-16T13:49:00.000-04:00

Avery's second birthday was filled with fun. She woke up to her favorite breakfast, a plate full of Paula's doughnuts and chocolate milk.

We picked up Dad for lunch and some fun at the pirate park.

She spent the afternoon with her favorite friend Lorenzo jumping on his tramp and swiming in his private pool.

We came home to a special delivery from the local flower shop. It was a great day!

Avery & Lorenzo turn TWO!!

2009-06-13T21:45:00.001-04:00

Happy Mother's Day!!!!!

2009-05-10T01:00:00.005-04:00

Ok, well I am not too sure how to do this but I am giving it a try.... Candi you have been such a good Mom to Avery that I had to let you know one more time! It is women like you that make this one of the most deserved holidays. The most amazing part of it, to me, is that even with so many motherly duties you still have been able to remain an amazing wife. I will always love you and when Avery is able to fully understand how great a Mom she has, she will thank you too.

Love,
Your Hubby

purple.

2009-03-01T16:14:00.004-05:00

We thought Chubbs was the only crayon chewing culprit....meet Avery, his partner in crime.

She came into the room saying, "Purple Mama, Purple"...how could we get mad...at least she got the color right!

the after party = bath time.

Randomness

2009-02-24T13:47:00.013-05:00

I know I have been really slackin' on the blog lately, but the truth of the matter is there just isn't much to blog about. It is still FREEZING in Buffalo, and we rarely leave the house other than to hit the gym or the grocery store. So for those of you who are emailing and calling me to prod a new post, here's a look into our daily reality. Be warned that the following pictures are sure to contain lots of homeless hair, and crusty booger snot faces. ...Elmo, Mickey, and the Backyardigans prefer us in our natural state...minus makeup, and showers, etc. :)
Since the title of the post is Randomness, this pic was sure to fit. We decided it was high time we break our Thanksgiving wishbone, since it is February and all. I set it on top of the fridge on Turkey day, and there it stayed until last week. So we introduced the fun little tradition to Avery, 3 months late but she didn't care. I think she thought it was a little odd that we were encouraging to break something. It ended in a tie...so they both got their wish.

In more exciting news...Ezra and Avery took a little trip to the pet store and came back with a FISH. I didn't realize we needed another pet, but Ezra reassured me it was only 11 cents and Avery loved it! I asked if he bought it some fish food, and he said $3.50 was too much to spend on food for an 11 cent fish. So...we were just going to let it starve? That seemed a little inhumane. But Ez said " No, we can just feed it Chubb's dog food." I was sure this fish was destined for the toilet, but "NEMO" is alive and well after 3 weeks of puppy chow.

Avery has been a puzzle machine lately. She will dump all the pieces and put them back together several times a day.

Other indoor fun includes, pushing around virtually anything in her little stroller. The stroller was initially reserved for babies or stuffed animals, but lately she will push just about anything. Can't find the Tv remote, not to worry Avery has taken it for a walk in her stroller. Yesterday, she was pushing it around saying, Eeww, Eeeww. I didn't really think anything of it until she strolled into the kitchen pushing a giant dust bunny from under the couch. Awesome.

Last week was extra fun, because Avery got lots of Valentines' gifts and cards in the mail from the fam. She loves to open things and this was definitely more exciting than the junk mail that I usually give her to open. Thanks again everyone for making her V day special!

Avery with her favorite Valentines' treat...Chocolate.

More Chocolate, Sweet!
Everyday includes watching cartoons with Elmo and Mick-mee.

Football Fans

2009-02-24T13:07:00.004-05:00

We had a small Super Bowl get together this year since we love FOOTBALL {Ezra}and we really love an excuse to eat super fattening snacks {Ezra..ok me too}! We enjoyed the game with some great friends from Ezra's dental class, of whom I took zero pics of...oops. But I did snag a pics of the two BIGGEST football fans. They were later joined by L.B., baby Kai, and baby Maddie. Good Times.

A small selection of the Football feast.

Sledding in Seattle

2009-02-03T17:02:00.003-05:00

While we were home for Xmas, the Seattle area got record snowfall. Even though we were a little bummed to be house-bound on vacation, we did a lot of fun playing in it. Ezra introduced Avery to the sport of sledding and she loved it. We all took turns pulling her up and down, and up and down, my mom's street.

Building a Snowman.

Happy New Year!

2009-01-08T21:25:00.005-05:00

We are home from our holiday vacation, and back to the daily demands of Dental School and parenting. We had a fun and relaxing break in Washington. Avery was spoiled by her relatives, and Ez and I had some much needed fun...just the two of us. I know I have really negleted the blog lately, so here are some pics of little Ave just before the holiday. I also have lots of Christmas pics that yet to be uploaded from my camera, so stay tuned!

Bubb Os

2008-12-01T15:10:00.003-05:00

Since its officially way to cold to go the the park, Bubble Baths have become a new form of entertainment in our house. She loves to play in the water and walks around the house saying Bubb Os, Bubb Os!

Big Girl Fork

2008-11-13T13:11:00.003-05:00

Yep, she's doin' it!! Avery loves to eat with her big girl fork. So far she has mastered Sponge Bob Mac & Cheese, and Cheerios. Every time she manages to land something in her mouth, she says Mmm Mmm, and smiles from ear to ear. So cute, its fun to watch.

We Found NEMO!

2008-11-03T21:17:00.000-05:00

We had a great Halloween week. Avery dressed up as her favorite clown fish, Nemo. Since she can watch the movie 3 times a day, we knew she would love it. I have had the costume sitting in her play room for nearly a month, and she would carry it around like an other stuffed animal. We she found out she could wear her "Memo", she was in a whole new kind of heaven. She has been wearing it around the house ever since.

We did a little Trick-or-Treating on Halloween night with the Trockels. Ezra was exhausted from tests throughout the week, and I was feeling under the weather, so we almost stayed inside. ...but I am glad we hit the streets because the kids were so cute! I really didn't think they would understand what was going on, but they were pros. We couldn't get Avery to say Trick-or-treat, but as soon as they dropped a piece of candy in her bucket, she said MORE-MORE! ...And a couple of times they gave her more. Nice work Avery! Don't worry, we made sure she said "Tank EWW"

Lorenzo the Mad Scientist sharing some magic potion with his fishy friend.

The Mad scientist with his Mad Momma Zannah.

Avery checking out her loot.
Enjoying her first KitKat.

House Guests

2008-10-30T22:28:00.008-04:00

Two weeks ago, we had house guests! Ezra's Mom, Linda and husband David, drove up from Virginia to visit. They treated us to some great BBQ on Friday, helped us wrangle a house full of pumpkin carving kids on Saturday, and watch some serious football on Sunday. We had a lot of fun and really enjoyed their visit. We are excited for them to return for Turkey Day!
Avery with Gma Linda and Gpa David.

Ezzie trying to convince Avery that Pumpkin guts are cool...she believed him.

L.B. was the only kid brave enough to stick his hand in the slime.

Take 1 -The whole gang.
Take 2 - L.B looking a little happier

The finished Jack O'Lanterns. Ezra's left, Chris's middle, Beecher's right. ...and don't let Ezra's pumpkin fool you...he did make try to make me happy with the classic pumpkin face, but turn it to the side to reveal his infamous cyclopse. This is one family joke I don't think I will ever understand.

Location Hunting

2008-10-27T14:59:00.009-04:00

While out location hunting for upcoming photo shoots. Rozannah and I attempted to have an impromptu session with our own kids. Smiles were few and far between. As soon as we busted out the cameras...they busted out the tantrums. We managed to get a few.

Not the best pics of Avery nor I, but since pics of us together are so rare...I had to use them. :)

Pumpkins

2008-10-23T23:17:00.006-04:00

We are getting excited for Halloween! Here is Avery with this years pumpkin.

She has grown up so fast. Below is sweet baby Avery this time last year at 4 mths. old. So cute!

Saturday Farmer's Market

2008-10-23T21:35:00.006-04:00

The last few Saturdays we have woken up early (well, early for us) to go to the local Farmer's Market in Tonawanda. It has to be the coolest little market, short of Pike in Seattle. It is just big enough to have every fruit and vegetable you can imagine, and the best part is the prices. 25 Apples-$5, 25 tomatoes-$5
Much cheaper than the grocery store!

Last weekend we took our house guests, Linda & David, to the market to pick up some last minute pumpkins. She snapped this pic...I don't think we were quite awake yet :)

Aquarium of Niagara

2008-10-23T14:23:00.006-04:00

We went to the Niagara Aquarium a couple of weeks ago, thanks to some FREE tickets! Shout out to Jason & Britta...thanks for inviting us!

It was a great little aquarium, the highlight was definitely the Seal show...or were they Sea Lions?

L.B., Avery, and Enzo.
{Yes, this is what children look like when they are having so much fun that they just can't contain themselves.}

4mth old Brielle-so cute and asleep for the photo opp.

Avery and Dada....and an extra large Sea Turtle behind them.

Shark fights in the gift shop...so fun!!

When in Seattle...

2008-10-15T22:22:00.003-04:00

Wear your RAINBOOTS!

Sweetness x 2

2008-10-13T10:04:00.005-04:00

In Washington, we went to a farm near my mom's house to take some pics of Avery. Well...being the great mom that I am, I kind of forgot the snacks and she was not happy! ...but we managed to get a few smiles.

Sweetness

2008-10-03T17:28:00.002-04:00

PEARadise

2008-09-06T00:00:00.003-04:00

Our PeArS are Ripe! Having a big fruit tree is so fun. I think Avery and I were in Washington last year for the big Pear Harvest...and this year we are in heaven. I am amazed that something that grows in our backyard, with zero maintenance, can produce something so tasty.

Avery with a big mouth full. She is definitely a pear fan!

Chubbs waiting patiently for the perfect chance to steal Avery's pear. He has gone crazy. I catch him sitting outside under the tree looking up waiting for them to fall.

The ULTIMATE Lions Fans

2008-08-30T16:56:00.005-04:00

Anyone who knows Ezra, knows of his undying love for the Detroit Lions. I'm still not sure why he has stuck with this winning-challenged team for so many years...but I think that it may be hereditary. Love for the Blue & Silver has officially doubled in our household. Our 6 year Anniversary was a couple of weeks ago and I surprised Ez with tickets to the Lions/Bills pre-season game. We went to the game on Thursday and the Lions were victorious. Ezra and Avery have assured me that this year Detroit is destine for the Super Bowl.

I'm not sure if they are saying the Lions are #1 or...we hope the Lions win at least 1 game...either way these two will be cheering them on!

Its Official...

2008-08-18T23:16:00.002-04:00

Summer break is over. Today was Ezra's first day back to school. We will definitly miss him being at home.

Let the games begin...

Virginia Beach

2008-08-17T15:13:00.006-04:00

We recently took a road trip to Virginia visit Ezzie's family. Ezra's mom, Linda and her husband David live in Norfolk and his brothers and sister flew in from Salt Lake for one big family vacation. We had a great time and got to stay at David and Linda's awesome little beach house which is right on the water. We took the opportunity to take a family pic since everyone was together.
From the top is Ezra's older bro Elijah and his wife Analia, second row-David's son Adam, David, Linda, Ezra's little sis Ariel (but you can call her Air :), bottom-Ezra's little bro Israel, and us.

We had tons of fun on the beach. I know that we will definitely be back soon!

Busch Gardens

2008-08-17T14:13:00.000-04:00

Ezzie's mom treated us to a fun filled day at Busch Gardens. It was a blast and I have 1 million pictures to prove it.
Here was our close encounter with one of the Anheuser Busch Clydesdale horses.

Ezzie, Ave, Linda and Ariel chillaxin' on a bench.
Everyone was nice enough to take turns watching Avery, so Ez and I could ride all the coasters too!
Avery having some fun of her own on the carousel. So cute!! She squealed with joy the whole ride.

One of the highlights of the day had to be Ezra's attempt at winning the infamous ring toss game. Early in the day Avery spotted this giant pink gorilla and it was love at first sight. Those who know her well, know of her slight obsession with monkeys...not to mention PINK monkeys!! Ezra, being a semi-pro ring tosser, thought he would try to win his little girl the monkey of her dreams. Being the penny pincher that I am, I denied him the 5 bucks to play. Lucky for Avery, her Uncle Issie fronted the cash....and well two tosses by Ezra the SUPER DAD and the rest is history! Avery was officially the happiest girl in the world... for about 45 minutes, then we realized there was absolutely NO WAY we could get this thing home in our over packed car. ...so we took some pictures, let Ave kiss him and then gave it to another little boy. I'm pretty sure it made his day.

Avery ridding on the kiddie swings and the first official..."my daughter is a big girl moment." Tear...
Before we exited the park, we got Avery's characature done. She didn't want to sit still, but the artist/kid did a great job. Do you think it looks like her?

7.04.08

2008-08-17T13:11:00.001-04:00

We stayed in Virginia through the holiday and BBQ'd at David's sister Julia's amazing house. Then we watched fire works at the beach house. Fun!

Summer Fun

2008-08-16T19:48:00.000-04:00

Well it is high time I update this blog. We have been having lots of fun this summer and I have been just too busy/lazy to get it done. ...so stay tuned for the blogupdateathon!
Avery LOVES to kick her feet in our pool. Which is fun and yet slightly scary for her parents who have decided that a pool fence is going to be a must for our time here in this house.

Avery loving her new ball house!
Ave opening her birthday gifts. We wanted to thank everyone again for all the thoughtful gifts from all her Grandmas' and pas' from coast to coast and Great Aunts' and Uncles' in California and Washington.

Niagra Falls

2008-08-16T18:16:00.000-04:00

While my Mom, Jim, Sis, Aunt and Cousin were up for Avery's birthday in June we did some site seeing around the Buffalo area which included exploring the quaint little town of Niagra-on-the-Lake. It was a cute town of expensive little boutiques and outdoor cafes.
Avery's favorite way to see the sites... Dada's shoulders!!

We also took them to see the falls. Even though we go to Niagra Falls every time we get a visitor, we always find something new to see. Our initial trips to the falls were lame compared to this one. Sorry Linda, David, Poppo & Denise...we have since become better tour guides...I think we owe you another trip! :)
Grandma Bev, Grandpa Jimbo, and Aunt Nicki/Ang.

Great Aunt Barbara, and Cousin Ashley.

I Heart New York

2008-08-16T17:54:00.006-04:00

We also took a little trip to New York City via good ol' Amtrak. It was an 8 hour train ride each way to the City, which is a little longer than it would take by car, but it was much more enjoyable enjoyable to be able to get up and walk/crawl around...especially for Avery.
In the city we subway'ed/walked almost everywhere. Avery was a trooper confined to her stroller for nearly 4 days.

...this was her chosen way to ride.
We hit up most of the tourist traps for meals...we figured out they really were traps...as soon as you sat down after a long wait to get in, we usually paid premium prices for just so-so food.

Here is Avery at the famous Carnegie Deli...why is it famous?? I don't know...but "guess who eats together at the Carnegie Deli....Bowzer from sha-na-na, and Arthur Fonzerrelli"...according to Adam Sandler in his Hanukkah Song.
Here was my roast beef sandwich. I was glad I only ordered a half.

We also toured the city on the double-decker guided tour bus. Which was awesome!! We got to see and learn so much more that we would have getting lost by ourselves.
Avery and I seeing the site on the bus tour. We hopped off on Canal street to get some sweet knock-off goods. (Which was one of the most exciting parts of the trip, however I have no pics from this...I was scared they might think I was a cop or something.) If you haven't heard of Canal Street, it is infamous for having really good fake designer purses. Who would want fake Coach or Gucci purses...oh...every female 12-65, and they are all willing to go to drastic measures to get them. ...like getting in the back of moving vans, going underground,or behind secert doors with scary people off the street. All crazy stupid things to do...but seemingly well worth it. So we did it too!

Highlights of the trip for Avery included riding on the 4 story ferris wheel that was inside the ToysRus in Time Square.

Photography Blog

2008-07-13T23:15:00.004-04:00

Well, my friend Rozannah and I decided to start up a little photography biz. So come check out our photog blog. We would love to get some feedback!

http://ellemenopeephotography.blogspot.com/

Avery is One!

2008-07-09T18:44:00.001-04:00

Avery turned ONE on June 16th! We had a combination 1st Birthday Party with her BFF Lorenzo, who was born just one day before Avery. The cake smash was definitely entertaining... Lorenzo dug right in...and well, let's just say Avery wasn't a big fan of her giant cupcake cake.

Hours of planning, shopping, baking, decorating...and the look on Avery's Face....PRICELESS!!

More Party Pics!

2008-07-09T18:27:00.004-04:00

Mute the Blog Music at the bottom of the page, and check out these pics!

Party Grub

2008-07-09T12:47:00.003-04:00

Well, everyone knows I'm all about the Party FOOD pics {its the Jeffcoat in me}...so here you go!

First up was Martha Stewart's cupcake bites. So adorable!! ...So I watched her toutorial and according to Martha they were "easy as pie" to make....What a JOKE!! These things were a nightmare!
Martha's Cupcake Pops
Seven hours later...My Cupcake Pops
Definitly not as cute as hers, but it was an experience, and everyone thought they were delish!
Avery's Giant Cupcake Cake....it turned out cute thanks to my Mom and Aunt. They picked up the slack for me when I was over my head in Martha's Cupcake Pops.
Ezzie Grilled Kabobs...Yummo!!

My Very Own Day...Sweet!

2008-05-19T23:37:00.002-04:00

This was my very first real Mother's Day! I awoke to breakfast in bed, catered by Ave and Ez. It was delish! I especially loved my waitress's adorable shirt. ...I think she was working me for a tip.

Swimming Lessons

2008-05-19T23:27:00.003-04:00

Avery has officially started swim lessons!! She will be splashing around at the local YMCA every Saturday morning for the next 7 weeks!! More pics to come!

Cinco-De-Mayo

2008-05-19T23:05:00.003-04:00

Avery celebrated her very first Cinco-de-Mayo...and boy was it a fiesta to remember! The party started early with lunch at the local Puerto Vallarta mexican restaurant...where she dined on a chicken chimichanga, rice, and beans complements of her mother's plate. Two Senioritas at the door gave her a sweet Jose' Cuervo balloon for the ride home. Avery was a very happy girl...for approximately 20 minutes until she remembered how much she hates riding home in her car seat. So like any good grandpa, Poppo sped up a little to make the trip slightly shorter for his little chica. ...And that's when the fiesta went sour!! Flashing lights in the rear view mirror...el Crap-o! What kind of cop would give a speeding ticket to an old man driving his daughter and granddaughter home? I think Avery's Jose' Cuervo Balloon is what did us in!! Sorry Grandpa!!

Gig Harbor Waterfront

2008-05-19T20:28:00.002-04:00

While we were home, we hit the new shopping plaza in Gig Harbor with Auntie Anglea. We were impressed! They have a new baby boutique that is super cute...the true religion jeans for babies was a little much, but still adorable. We hung out with Great Grandma and Grandpa on the waterfront before cousin Ashley's birthday dinner.

Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium

2008-05-19T19:58:00.004-04:00

We went to the Pt. Defiance Zoo with Grandma Bev, Aunt Barbara, and Auntie Ang. Avery saw an interesting Anteater, a hot tempered peacock, and had her first carousel ride with Nicki. It was fun!

A Little R-n-R in Seattle

2008-05-19T19:33:00.003-04:00

We did it again! This was Avery's 4th cross country flight and back in her short little life thus far. Every time I get on that plane with her, alone...for a SIX HOUR flight, I ask myself the same question...WHY?? Why do I do this to myself? Is it worth all the screaming, kicking, biting...ok, so I only bit her once. Ok...Yes, it is worth all the agony to have two whole weeks of fun with our family and friends!
There was lots to see and do. Here are a few pics from our trip!

We walked to the park with Grandpa!

A Much Needed Update

2008-05-19T19:22:00.002-04:00

Yes, we are still alive...I know I have been slackin' on the bloggin' lately. So my goal is to get this thing up to date in the next day or two. So get ready dedicated readers, aka Grandma!

Happy 28th Birthday Ezzie!!

2008-04-20T10:21:00.002-04:00

We love you! Thanks for being such a great husband and father!

Love hurts!

Buffalo Botanical Garden

2008-04-18T21:22:00.007-04:00

Last weekend we went to the Botanical Gardens with some friends for DOLLAR DAY!! Sweet...all the rare, exotic plants you can pick and eat/destroy for only a buck!! ...at least that's what Avery thought. I am surprised we didn't get kicked out of the place. It should have been $100 dollar day for us, to repair all the damage she caused. What kind of parents are we?? We tried to pin her down, Ez even decided to carry her on his shoulders. She loved it...that gave her closer reach to the tropical planets hanging from above...Yep she pulled those down too!!

Chris, Rozannah, and Enzo
Jason and Britta

Avery on the path of destruction.

Bontanical Gardens...The Exit

2008-04-18T21:05:00.000-04:00

Yet another group of satisfied customers leave the Buffalo Botanical Gardens...Who thought looking at plants all day could be so fun?

Color or Black & White...I can never decide.

2008-04-14T09:37:00.006-04:00

It is starting to warm up, so I have been taking Avery outside to play more often. This was Avery's first experience with grass. She had a great time EATING it! This girl will put anything in her mouth.

Ouch!

2008-04-13T23:31:00.002-04:00

Well Avery got her first big Boo-Boo and this pic doesn't really do justice to the huge knot on her head. She was rolling around with Chubbs and bonked her head on the dining room table. I felt horrible...but I sure this is the first of many more accidents to come.