L is for Lion; L is for Loving Life

L is for Lion:

Last year our sweet little Ava was a Lion for Halloween, she was adorable and excited to be trick or treating. Ava's first Halloween she was a Bumblebee, very fitting since her nickname before she was born was Baby B. This year we decided to go back to the insect route and she will be a beautiful pink butterfly :) We bought her costume this weekend on our wonderful weekend getaway to the big city, I tried it on her and it fits pretty well, lets hope two months of growth won't change that :)






L is for Loving Life:

Life has been very good to us this summer, with lots of weekend getaways with family, and a few lazy relaxing weekends in there as well. Here's a few things I loved about life this summer:

-Big family gatherings: My sister' wedding at the the end of July and my nephew Kieran's 1st birthday party this past weekend in Maple Ridge provided loads of family time for Ava to visit with her cousins and for my parents to have all their kids together at one time :)

-Mini vacations: This weekend we went away to the "Big City" which although fun made me realize that I love our sleepy little town. I feel at home and much more relaxed in a small town than I do in the big city. Although I did love riding the sky train and I think Ava had fun too :) We are hoping to take another mini holiday in a couple of months, whenever we can get some much needed vacation time off for Derek.

-Quality Family Time: We had a few wonderful days here and there through out the summer where we spent the days just the three of us. One day we went to Campbell River and just got out of the Valley and explored. I love going for walks with my daughter and my husband. Seeing the joy on her face as she carefully runs outside, exploring the parks or throwing rocks in the water, I can tell she longs to be outside more often.

-On line shopping: Taking a bit of a departure here and one of the things I love is the ability to shop my favourite stores on line, especially if there isn't a store nearby, that's why I was so excited when I found out that Old Navy, now ships within in Canada! Love the clothes, and if its a clearance item even better, means I can buy that much more for Ava!

Finally, something a little sinful and decadent for my love list-Island Farms Butter Ripple Ice Cream with Chocolate sauce on top. Delicious!

K is for Kisses; K is for Kitties

K is for Kisses:

Ava is such a sweet and affectionate little girl these days, always giving us hugs and kisses. She likes her toys to kiss, and likes it when Mommy and Daddy give each other kisses too. She loves giving and getting kisses. Derek started a little game with her when she gets grumpy that usually sends the grouchies away, by giving her kisses and tickles. She always knows she'll get one of those right after she gets the other and loves the game. Most of the time she gives cheek kisses but sometimes she'll give you a kiss on the lips. Such a sweet little girl.

K is for Kitties:

Growing up we always had cats, at least 3, sometimes 4 cats at a time! They are and always have been my favourite animal. Giving love, and getting plenty in return. Sometimes they can be crabby and want to be left alone, other times they want lots of attention. I love that they are purrfectly happy left to their own devices and are not needy like dogs are. One of my favourite cats Morris used to sit by my side when I was little and if I was sick, he would vigilantly sit by my side guarding me to make sure I was okay. He was a good cat and lived a good long life. Another one of our cats, Casey knew how to use the toilet and to play pool, Morris was his mentor and he adored him. Though both cats are now gone, they will forever remain in my heart and always be a big part of my childhood.

There is only one cat left at Mom and Dad's, Fisher and he is a wonderful kitty. Ava loves him and giggles away at his tail and everything he does. He is a bit leery of my adorable shrieking little girl, but has grown accustomed to her. The other day they napped together on the bed :)

J is for Jeans; J is for Just Being Me

J is for Jeans:

Ava has so many pairs of jeans, plain ones, fancy ones, light ones, coloured ones and even skinny jeans. During the winter months they are a staple in her wardrobe, but these days she's happiest in a diaper and nothing more. We even found a pair for $1 a couple of weeks ago at Walmart, so we made sure to pick up a couple of those pairs.

One of my favourite pairs of jeans on her, was a pair of hand me downs from her cousin Maija, they had an apple on the knee and were adorable. I'm looking forward to the cooler weather to come in a couple of months so I can dress my girl up in jeans and cute shirts! But for now the most I'll be able to get on her is a pair of sunglasses.

J is for Just Being Me:

I've always been influenced by what my friends are doing, if one friend was getting married, I wanted to get married. If one friend was buying a house I wanted to buy a house, and of course if one friend was having a baby, I wanted to have a baby. To me the grass always seemed greener on the other side.

I was really lucky growing up and got to go on lots of vacations, had lots of Barbies and never felt like I was lacking in anything. It wasn't until I became and an adult and had to do things on my own that I started wanting what others had. Derek is a saint and puts up with me and my constant changing wants and needs, though I must admit I have had to learn that I can't have everything I want, all the time. I have to earn it, which I guess makes it better when I finally get what I want, it has also taught me patience.

In the past little while I have also started to discover more of what I really want in my life, opposed to what I think other people might want for me. In an earlier post I thought that I wanted another baby, but these days I'm happy with just Ava, and if it were just to be us three, I would be happy with that, if another little one entered our life I would be happy with that too. I guess what I'm trying to say is that I'm happy with what I have right now, in this moment, because right now is all that we are ever certain of, isn't it?

I is for Ice Cream; I is for I Thee Wed

I is for Ice Cream:

Ava loves ice cream, what kid (of all ages) doesn't? Today on the way home from running some errands we stopped by Benino Gelato in Comox and got a treat. Bubblegum ice cream in a cup for Ava and Dolce Latte in a cone for Mommy. It was delicious! The last time we treated ourselves was Ava's birthday. I learned my lesson last time and got her ice cream in a cup instead of in a cone.

I is for I Thee Wed:

Today is our 5 Year Anniversary. Five years ago today, at this very moment, I was just about to get married! It's amazing how fast time flies. We have gone through so many happy times in the last five years: wedding, house, baby! It just doesn't get better or more exciting than those first five years, but I can't wait to see what the next five years have in store :)

Last Saturday my sister got married, it was a beautiful ceremony held at the Qualicum Beach Memorial Golf Course. I was the Maid of Honour and Ava was one of the flower girls (my niece Maija was the other). My sister looked beautiful in her wedding gown, and we had a wonderful time at the salon getting ready for her big day. I wish that my sister and brother-in-law as many happy years to come as Derek and I have had.

To my darling husband, I would just like to say thank you for the last five years, and I look forward to many many more. Love you.
XXO