Latest News

Here are some of the latest happenings in our life all compiled into one post. I'm sure I'll highlight some of the exciting things with posts of their own in the future, but the list is all I've got at 0239 in the morning.

~We found out that Matt is deploying down range in May. So, along with the news came 1,000 new things to do before he leaves (both work and family related). As of today, we're at about 25 days and counting until he leaves us for the summer.

~April started with us going to Tennessee for a relaxing trip with my family. We all had a wonderful time and Ava really changed in the 7 days that we were there. Her vocabulary expanded and she seemed to grow up even more right before our eyes. On this trip, Ava got to watch Veggie Tales on a little portable DVD player for the first time and she was obsessed. All she wanted to do was sit on top of a giant pillow with Hambone the cat and watch Bob and Larry on a 6" screen. While home, Ava also got to participate in the giant Allen/Chambers Eggstravaganza at my parent's house. We had both sides of my parents' family over for dinner and a fantastic egg hunt. Fun was had by all and Ava L-O-V-E-D hunting for eggs. We were actually surprised at how good she was given that she was a rookie this season. In addition to the egg hunt, Ava got to dye her first Easter Eggs. Following the dying, Ava ate her first hard boiled egg (yuck). She loved the white part (yuck) until she got to the yolk (even more yucky) in which she gave a sour face and spit all the egg out of her mouth. I'm still disgusted. In the following days, we managed to spend some time at Starbucks (it's tradition), hit up the Nashville Children's Museum, go to the Nashville Zoo at Grassmere, ride my parent's Harleys (okay, so I sat on the back and did nothing), and visit with my all my grandparents a little. We also got to spend some time with my brother, Brent, and his wife, Julie, and their kids, Maura and Tristan, and we finally got to meet Tristan, which was so great...after all, he'll be a year old in May! Overall, it was a fantastic trip and we hated to leave.

~While in Tennessee, we also got the unfortunate news that Matt's grandmother, Mema, passed away. Although it didn't come as a total surprise, it was still hard news to accept. Mema was laid to rest on Tuesday, April 14, in Lewisville, Texas. Matt flew home to Dallas Monday afternoon to be with this family for a few days and celebrate the life Mema had lived.

~Now it's technically Thursday and Matt is coming home tonight from Texas. In addition to going home for Mema's funeral, Matt went to San Antonio for a visit to the altitude chamber at Randolph AFB. His trip to San Antonio has been planned for some time now, so the timing was a bit uncanny for his extended trip to Texas. Not that a family member passing ever falls under the column of "good timing," but Mema's passing over the weekend was almost a blessing..as this past Monday and Tuesday were the ONLY days Matt could have ever gone home to Texas before his deployment. Up until he leaves, Matt has to sit in mandatory pre-deployment training during the work week and each weekend has already been dedicated to a trip or activity of some sort.

~So, that gets us to the coming days and weeks. Here's what's on our plate and what you have to look forward to reading about in the weeks ahead:

• A weekend trip to Denver (Matt has to go up to the Buckley ANG for their drill weekend)
• A long weekend trip to Chicago
• The Garrison's are here to visit Ava (Matt and I have come to accept that no one really wants to see us...)
• My Iron Girl triathlon
• Matt leaves

It seems like April is already over and we're only barely 2 weeks into the month. I guess that is technically half way, so maybe it's all in the way we see the month: half started or half over.

Excuses...

a) I've been stuck in a giant abyss that has sucked me in...and after 5 months, has gotten so tired of me that it has decided to spit me back out.

b) Ava ripped off 2 keys on the laptop and has made typing an absolute nightmare.

c) Life has been incredibly busy lately and there seems to be no end in sight for the craziness (i.e. swim lessons, Gymboree, gymnastics, 3 story times, 2 playgroups, full time triathlon training--spinning class, swimming, running, and road biking 6 days a week, dance class, and endless swiffering of my floors).

d) Obama said that if he became president he would take care of me...and I thought that included updating my blog.

e) a, b, and c

What's your vote for the reason I haven't posting anything since the Revolutionary War? Well...it hasn't been that long, but it sure seems like it.

Ava's FIRST Steps!!!

Of course, there's a ton of things I need to put on the blog, but I've been really busy with planning a squadron fundraiser ever since we returned from vacation (the auction is over now, so I should have more time to blog!). Anyhow, this is the FRESHEST thing on my mind and I wanted to share it with all of you.

As of tonight, October 7, 2008, Ava Holt is officially WALKING! For the past month or so, Ava's been taking 2-4 steps and then stopping to squat...standing back up and then taking a few more steps, then squatting again. To us, those steps didn't really qualify as walking...just step taking. So, tonight Moose and Matt were on the floor playing with Ava while I cleaned up the kitchen after dinner. Moose was holding Ava's wind-up frog toy and Ava started walking towards him to get it (she took about 10-12 steps). She knew she was doing something different and of course, we cheered her on along the way. She was so proud of herself and we were over the moon with excitement. Since I was doing the dishes, I wasn't able to get to the camera fast enough and only caught the tail end of Ava piecing together the art of walking for the 1st time. I can't complain though...at least I got something!

Hope you enjoy watching Ava take her first real steps walking as much as we have...

WHAT happened to our little infant? She's no longer a baby!

Uncle Moose

On Labor Day, our very, very, very good friend, Moose, showed up at our doorstep. I've known of Moose for a long time and have been able to really get to know him over the past three years in Germany. It's a LONG story, but at the Academy, he and my brother were in the same squadron their last two years--they were squadron commanders together. So, Matt and my brother were together for the 1st two years and Moose and my brother were together for the last two. Odd, I know. Anyhow, Moose is the most wonderful person and he just adores Ava. He thinks Ava is the funniest little kid in the world and Ava does nothing but flirt with him. It's quite funny. He's even given her a new nickname since being here...he calls her, 'Bulldozer' or 'Dozer' for short, as he thinks it's hilarious that she bulldozes through the house with wreckless abandon. The funny thing is that she actually responds to her new name.

Anyhow, here are a few pictures of Ava and Moose spending some time together. I'll be making dinner in the kitchen and look over to find Ava sitting in Moose's lap fascinated by his cell phone or a book. It's just the cutest thing.

Ava wasn't so fond of the new blow up penguin that we bought for her. We now know why it was on clearance...

But the bongo drums made for many smiles...
That penguin is still looking at me...

25 Years Later...

Today, August 30, 2008, marks a big day in the life of Ava Holt. It's not her birthday or any common holiday...instead, today Ava is the exact same age (to the day) that I was when I came to America to be a part of the Allen family. It sounds cheesy, but the reality of my adoption has really started to sink in lately. I've always known that I was adopted but I never thought about how significant my adoption was to all of the parties involved (to my foster family in Korea and to my loving family in America). I've always been extremely thankful to my birth mother for her selflessness and ability to see past herself and her needs, wants, and desires in order to give me life (i.e. not aborting me) and then going further by giving me away in order for me to have a better life somewhere else in the world. On the flip side, I've also always been incredibly thankful to my wonderful adoptive parents and brothers for their selflessness and ability to open their hearts and lives to the orphan that they barely knew anything about at the time. They have loved, cared for, and nurtured me since before they even met me, and they are the only family I know, love, and call my own. I couldn't have ever even dreamt of having a more phenomenal family than the one I was blessed to have been chosen by 26 years ago. I've been given countless opportunities, an education with 2 degrees, and I've been given more dreams than most people could ever imagine having.


Anyhow, the reason I've been thinking about my adoption lately is because of Ava. I can't even begin to imagine giving her away and never seeing her again and I can't even begin to fathom missing out on the past 9 months, 4 weeks, and 1 day of her life. Having her in my life puts my past in such a different perspective and makes me even more thankful for being adopted.
It hasn't been until today that I can ask my mom if Ava is anything like me...if she was the same size as me, had the same amount of hair or teeth, or if she had the same personality or mannerisms as me. As much as I haven't wanted Ava to grow up, I've really been looking forward to this day because I'm so excited to know if this little 20lb incredibly beautiful baby girl is anything like me. She's so much like her Daddy, which makes my heart smile, but there's always been a part of me that's wanted to know what characteristics I gave to her.


As a surprise, my mom sent me a package filled with some of the things I came to America with on my Gotcha Day (the day I was adopted) and some of my clothes. However, the best surprise inside the package was the outfit that I flew to America wearing. Of course, given today's significance, I got the privilege of letting Ava Holt wear it over 25 years later. She looks so precious...

Here she is with 'Monkey Chee Chee,' my beloved comfort item as a child (she was in the package too)...

1-year Anniversary

Today, August 28th, marks Matt's, Ava's, and my 1-year anniversary of living in the US together. Can you believe it? We sure can't. It seems like it was just yesterday that we boarded that plane in Frankfurt and headed west. My belly seemed big at the time, but Ava was just a little squirt back then. We can still remember leaving Germany at 57 degrees and walking off the plane in Vegas and it being 106. Strangely enough, this year the temperature doesn't seem as hot as it did last year. Maybe it was because I was pregnant...or maybe it was because within the course of 12 hours, the temperature managed to almost double outside. Whatever the case, it isn't as miserable outside as we remember it being last year. But then again, we spend minimal time out in the sun these days. Only another month and we can go back outside before 8pm!

Now that we've been Stateside for a year, it really hits us that Ava is almost a year old. Boy, time flies. It's been a quick but eventful year and we have been very blessed. We miss our life in Germany so much, but can't complain about the sweet life we have here in Vegas. They always say that 'home is where the heart is,' but we see it as 'home is where Ava is.' She's made us a family and we can't imagine not having her in our lives. Speaking of...I'm beginning to hear 'mamamamamama' and 'dadadadadadadada' emerge from the hallway!

Here are a few pictures that we took 2 nights ago. They're of Ava 'fingerpainting' for the first time with some spilled pears on her high chair tray (we usually wipe the spills up before she can get pointer into them). Once the pears seemed to have lost their painting ability, we supplememented with some yogurt. Hence, the Hitler face Ava gave herself.

This one is for Matt's sister, Whitney. Apparently Ava has inheritied Whit's childhood hand squeeze as an outlet for her frustration and passive aggressive anger. It takes massive force to peel her fingers back to unfurl her fists. As you can see, she was mad at me because the pears were 'gone' and instead of getting her some more, I was taking her picture.

And lastly, the 'Yogurt Hitler face' that Ava gave herself...

...we're still laughing at Ava's unfortunate painting coincidence.

Passport to Adventure

Ava standing up all by herself without holding on to anything...except her new passport!

It's official...Ava's passport arrived today! Although you can't see the picture very well, it's highly entertaining. When I took Ava to get her picture taken at Walgreen's, I didn't realize what a task it was going to be (I had to hold her up against a white pull down background without being in the picture). Ava was great (as usual) and we were in and out of the store within minutes. However, the only picture that worked for the crazy passport photo rules (and the one that is officially in her passport) was of her looking dead at the camera sticking out her tongue. I thought it was hysterical and Matt thought it was the best picture ever taken of her. It just captures her so well. What do you think?

She thought it was so fun to look at herself...
She's ready to get her passport filled with lots of fun stamps...

...Ava giving her gangster signs

Snug As a Bug In a Rug

Ava LOVES her new crib bedding. It's fluffy, plush, and soft...not to mention the source of so much entertainment. Each night before we go to bed, Matt and I check on the monkey in her crib. Well, this is what we found when we went inside her room on night of the 25th...

Usually, she has an arm or leg propped up on the bedding, but this time it was her whole body. We've debated on whether or not to give her a pillow (she LOVES sleeping on ours), but now that she has her new crib bedding, it's as if she has pillows all along the perimeter. The pictures make it look like she doesn't have much room, but the bumper was just fluffed before she went to sleep. After she plays in there, the fluff is about half that plush!

Walk, Sit, or Stand?

It started with Ava finding an empty diaper box and pushing it around the kitchen. Pushing the box was one of the 1st times we saw Ava 'walking' on her own.

Then she realized that it was far more exhilarating to ride inside it than to walk behind it.

What started with the playmat moved to her mower then escalated to an empty diaper box. What can we say, the kid loves to be pulled around the house.

There's Something Stuck to Ava's Mower

Ava has been going through the stage where she wants to be pushed or pulled around the house. It all started with the playmat and has moved to the mower. While she thinks riding is hysterical, we think the pictures are even better.

Magic Carpet Rides

Who says that a playmat is only for babies who play on their backs? Here's Ava's new favorite use for it...

Needless to say, she wears us out pulling her around the house.

The Bottom of the Hole

Well, it seems as if I'm at the bottom of a really really deep hole called 'Blog Hell' and I'm not sure how I'm ever going to get out of it. The past few months have been really busy and I haven't had a chance to update this blog since June. Yes, June. I'm going to try to update it as quickly as possible since so much has happened since my last post. There are a few posts that I never finished, so I'll try to update those first. Ava has changed so much...it's unbelievable.

Although I don't know where to start or how to even begin, I guess I'm taking the first step--realizing that I'm at the bottom and that I need to figure out a way to get out of the hole that I've dug for myself. So, please be patient...it's going to take a while! But, it'll be worth it, I promise!

My Two Cents...

I know, I know, I know...I have about a whole month's worth of fun things, pictures, and videos of our little opossum to put on this blog--and I promise it's coming. I'm just really behind and haven't had the time to post anything. Anyhow, I came across this website and I think it's just great. I've been telling Matt that I wish there were something like it on the Internet (I've only known about websites that help track the best price for jet fuel, not automobile petrol) and low and behold, there is. So, check it out before you head to the pump. We could all use to save a few cents...

www.gasbuddy.com

Just input your zip code into the search box at the top center of the page and voila...the best (lowest) gas prices for regular, mid-grade, premium, and diesel in your area appear on the screen! It's glorious.

I've also put this website over on my side bar as a link, just in case you forget it.

Tired Girl

It all started after our day at the driving range on May 31st. The sun had exhausted poor little Ava so much, so as soon as we got home, we put her down for a much needed nap. About an hour into her nap, Matt came running into the kitchen telling me that I needed to go check on Ava. This is what I saw...

May 31, 2008

Then, a few days later she did it again when going to bed for the night...

June 2, 2008

And then a few days later, it happened again during one of her naps...

June 4, 2008

As you can see, there seems to be a pattern developing...

June 6, 2008

It is just hilarious to go check on Ava and find her sleeping like this. The only thing that Matt and I can figure is that while playing with her blankets and animals in her crib, she just gets so tired that she falls asleep sitting up and her body goes forward. It pains us to see her neck in that position, so after snapping the pictures we lay her down on her back to sleep comfortably. We catch her in this position every couple of days, so we've come to assume that she doesn't mind sleeping so awkwardly. She's just so darn precious.

Trip to the Orchard

On Thursday, June 5th, Matt and I took Ava on her first tip to an orchard. I know you're probably thinking, 'An orchard in Las Vegas?' and don't worry, we thought the same thing. Earlier that week while watching the news, we heard a snippet about a small local orchard finally opening back up to the public for the season. After doing a bit of research to find out more about the orchard, we found out that it happened to be about 10 minutes from our house! So, in accordance to Matt's and my goal to give Ava Holt as many life experiences as possible, we loaded up the Camry and headed to the Gilcrease Orchard (the cool weather (low 80's) was an added bonus).

Right now, the only things that we could pick were apricots and zucchini. The rest of their crops (apples, pears, tomatoes, melons, winter squash, and pumpkins) aren't ready to be picked just yet. When we got to the orchard, it was packed with cars and people. I'm not sure if it was due to the nice weather or the fact that the orchard had just re-opened two days prior, but it was full of people...not what we were expecting. Since we didn't really need any zucchini, we stuck to the apricot picking.

The reason Matt was able to go with us was because he was night flying that evening and didn't have to go in to work until around 3pm (he didn't get home until 5am the next morning!). Both Ava and I were so excited that he could go with us.

Anyhow, we had a great time out in the orchard. Ava had a blast sitting on top of her Daddy's shoulders touching all the different trees and leaves and even managed to pull a ripe apricot off the tree all by herself. Matt opened up a few apricots for Ava to try (no skin, just the flesh) and she wasn't quite sure what to think about the new treat. Her outfit was a bit stained by the end of the picking, but we didn't care...it was a great life and family experience. I can't wait until all the other fruits and vegetables ripen and we can return to the orchard. As for the nature of the fruits and vegetables, the orchard only uses garlic water to deter insects, so they're pesticide free...which makes me happy.
Oh, and as we went to leave the orchard, Ava tried to drive us home. It didn't work out so well...she couldn't reach the pedals...

Ava and the Diaper Cake

Now that Ava's mobile, we forget that there are things down on her level that she can get into. In this instance, it was the diaper cake that was given to us when she was born...

Big Girl Pram

On May 30th, we finally converted Ava's bassinet into a big girl seat for her pram. Now that she's mobile, having her sitting up in her bassinet isn't so safe anymore, so Ava said her bye-byes to her bassinet and hellos to her new seat. The main reason it has taken us this long to convert her bassinet into her seat is because Ava has really loved being able to play in her bassinet and then when tired, lay down and play (or sleep).

Here is a picture of Ava during her LAST ride in her bassinet (on the 29th)...

And here she is during her FIRST ride in her big girl seat...

Gimmie A Mulligan...

On May 31st, we took Ava on her first golfing trip. Don't worry, we didn't go for 18 holes but for the driving range instead. Since the weather was nice and the course is just around the corner from our house, we decided to get out our golf shoes, clubs, and gloves and take advantage of the beautiful day. Ava had a great time playing on the grass. It was her first real time to play on grass, but we didn't want her playing on it too much, as we were afraid of her being around all the artificial fertilizers. As you can see in the pictures, the Neat Sheet wrapper and the golf ball bucket provided her with much entertainment.

Hmm...there are holes in this bucket...

I see golf balls...




Can I eat this?


Time to move on to better things...

The Neat Sheet wrapper...

Four...

Come And Get Me...

Now that Ava Holt has learned how to pull herself to a stand in her crib, there isn't a nap or night that goes by that we aren't greeted by her sweet face when we open her door to get her out of her crib. Here are a few pictures of Ava standing up in her crib. They were taken when she first started standing up by herself in her crib at the beginning of May and then again as the standing up became a constant activity towards the end of May. It's so nice to open her door and have her smiling at you. Matt loves going and getting her out of her crib, as I know he loves seeing her face beam with excitement to see him. We're still trying to figure out how she stands up in her sleep sack though (sorry, there aren't any pictures of her standing up in her sleep sack, as she only wears it at night and the camera flash would be way too much stimulation for her at night!).

Ava being caught red handed...

This was the 3rd time we had seen Ava standing in her crib...
And, this was the LAST time she slept in her crib this high...
Fast forward two weeks...

Peek-A-Boo!
I don't think they can see me...

I'm done with my nap now...

Just checking to see if thing is sturdy or not... You probably noticed a crib bumper change from the first few pictures to the last ones. The bumper that you see in the first few pics was actually a 'make-shift' bumper that we were using until Ava's crib bedding was made. It's the bumper to a boy's Pottery Barn Kids bedding set that a friend gave to me (in the case that we had a boy) before we even got pregnant. Since I couldn't find any bedding that I liked, we decided to have Ava's made by a friend of ours. But, with Ava as active as she is, we had to put something in the crib so she wouldn't knock her head on the rails. Anyhow, we had to stop using the 'make-shift' bumper because it was not strong enough to hold itself up on the ends of the crib. Since Ava's crib doesn't have railing on the ends (the sleigh part is solid wood), the bumper would droop in the center (you can kind of see it in the 2nd and 3rd pictures). It wasn't a big deal until one night Ava woke up SCREAMING bloody murder. It was a cry we'd never heard before, so Matt and I both flew out of bed and ran to her room. Little Ava had managed to get her body underneath the bumper on one of the ends and woke up 'stuck' underneath it (envision the bumper going perpendicular to her body over her chest). She was so terrified. It scared us to death and realized that our 'make-shift' bumper was now a complete safety hazard. So, I went to PBK to look for another 'make-shift' bumper to use until Ava's was finished. It ends up that 95% of their bumpers are all like the original one we were using (thin and floppy). The PBK staff was like, "I never thought about that" in response to my safety concern with their bumpers not having the ability to be tied taught on the ends. You would think that they would make a bumper that would actually fit snugly in their cribs. Brilliant idea, right?

Anyhow, I found another bumper to use until Ava's set is completed. It was the only bumper that I could find that had at least 1-1.5 inches of padding in it (so that it's sturdy enough to not collapse in the middle). Ava seems to like it, although it took her a few naps and nights to get used to the fact that she couldn't kick her bumper down on the sides and ends to see out. So far, the new 'make-shift' bumper (#2) is working great and we haven't had any problems with Ava getting stuck underneath it. She's strong enough to move this bumper on the ends and sides, but she hasn't figured out that she can do it yet. We just pray she doesn't ever figure it out!

New Hobby...

Ava's new hobby involves tearing apart her floor tiles and chewing on them. It's quite the hobby, we know...but she loves it. Here are a few pictures we took of her last week while in action...

Yes kids, she has the dog's bone in her mouth...

Don't worry, the floor tiles get Clorox Everywhere'd multiple times per day...and the pieces she aren't small enough for her to choke on!

Thursday Levity

If this doesn't make your day better, I don't know what will...

Crawl...Sit...Crawl...Sit...Crawl...

Around the week of May 11th when Ava started to crawl, she also started to sit up on her own. I guess the two (crawling and sitting) go hand in hand for her, so as soon as she figured out how to crawl, she figured out how to sit. We really noticed her new ability to sit up on her own on May 13th. She started off on her tummy and moved to a sitting position by twisting her body, bending one of her knees, extending her opposite leg, and then throwing her lower body over to the side with the bended knee. It was quite amazing to watch (I'm sure all parents think their kids' new feats are all amazing) and we were so proud of her. Watching Ava learn something new is always so fun, as you can look into her eyes and see her brain working 150 miles per hour.

Here is a clip of Ava moving to a sitting position all by herself. This marked the beginning of Ava's countless daily routines of crawling, sitting, crawling, sitting, crawling, sitting...

In three short weeks, Ava's mastered her sitting down skills quite well. As much as she keeps us on her toes, she does manage to crawl about and then sit down to entertain herself with whatever she finds amusing at the time. It's been quite a gift to not have to sit her up all the time like we used to have to do before she could do it on her own.

Mommy's Little Helper

Now that Ava is fully mobile on all fours, our house goes from picked up to remnants of a cyclone in mere mintues (sometimes seconds). However, on May 21st, I did catch Ava being a helper. It took her a while to get what she was doing accomplished, but she was persistent and her efforts paid off. She's just so fun and adorable. The video speaks for itself...

Welcome Home Uncle Matt

On Saturday, May 24th, while out on a walk to the park and to the grocery store, Matt, Ava, and I ran into my brother, Matt in the shopping center parking lot. He had returned from his deployment a few days prior but we hadn't had the opportunity to see him yet. Well, Ava's Uncle Matt was so excited to see Ava and she was happy to see him too. Here are some pictures of Ava meeting her Uncle Matt after being gone for 6 months. She did get to see him when he came home for a few weeks in February but that was a long time ago too!

The next day after church, Uncle Matt came over for lunch to see Ava again. He just loves his little niece and can't believe how much she's changed since he left for his deployment only a few weeks after she was born.



Don't worry...the gash on his head didn't occur during his deployment. Instead, it happened when he got home--the kid managed to stay unharmed in Afghanistan but somehow managed to "run into" a ceiling fan while installing blinds into one of the windows of his house. Sad, huh?

Ava's High Chair

On Sunday, May 25th, Ava Holt got to sit in her high chair for the first time. We have been meaning to transition Ava to her high chair from the Bumbo but haven't done so due to the high chair still being in its box in Ava's closet. The high chair was a gift from our friends, Keith and Jen, and it's a gift that will be used several times a day for the next year or so...thanks again for the wonderful and useful present, Keith and Jen!

Ava sat in her high chair with us as we ate lunch outside on our patio with my brother. She kept entertained with some of her toys and a few baby utensils and we were all able to eat lunch without having to juggle her around the table. It was marvelous! That night, Ava got to eat while sitting in her high chair for the first time. She did so great...although she kept trying to knock the spoon out of our hands so that her purees would spill onto the tray. Now that she has a tray in front of her, playing with spilled food is quite the pastime and she really enjoys running her fingers through her purees and making a mess.

Now that Ava's eating solids for dinner each night, she gets to sit in her high chair and eat at the dinner table like a big girl. We keep her high chair strapped to the chair all the time, so it's never in the way like traditional high chairs are. We are so glad we chose the Space Saver High Chair for Ava, as she gets to eat at the table with us and not off on her own like she would have to do with the big monster high chairs...not to mention it takes up very little space and is very easy to use.

Hiking Mount Charleston

On Friday, May 23rd, Matt had the day off (it was a 'Family Day' for the Memorial Day weekend), so he and two friends, Bohdi and Wedge, decided to go hike Mount Charleston. Bohdi needed to hike the mountain that day for his training schedule (he's going to go climb Mt. Ranier in early June), so Matt and Wedge went with him. The weather wasn't the greatest at our house that day, but the guys were going to hike rain or shine. They only assumed that there would be rain up on the mountain, but it ended up that in addition to the rain, there was also snow--and LOTS of it.

Matt said that he would be done in the early afternoon (they left the house at 6am sharp) but the hike ended up taking 10 straight hours (6 hours up and 4 hours down). I started getting worried about him at about 2 or 3 in the afternoon, as I hadn't heard from him yet. At 6:30pm, I finally got a text message from him saying that they were getting into the car to come home.

When Bohdi's truck pulled into the driveway, it was still covered in snow. All three guys were shiverring, cold, wet, and tired. Once I saw these pictures I got a bit mad at Matt, as they should have turned around when it started to snow (logic would tell you to do that). Had they not had a GPS (because the trails got covered in 6 inches of snow) or had it snowed a bit more, they could have gotten stranded up on the mountain. But, they had their manhood's to defend. I'm just glad they all made it back home safely...although Wedge still hasn't regained feeling in one of his hands.

The ascent...

(Left to right: Wedge, Bohdi, and Matt)

Almost to the top...

After 6 straight hours of hiking uphill, they made it to the top...

Time to descend...but where's the trail?

The trail is around here somewhere...



Ava Holt was waiting in the driveway for her Daddy when he got home. She was sad that he was gone all day and couldn't wait to play with him. Since Matt was half frozen, Ava Holt got to play with her Daddy while taking a nice hot bath to help him thaw out.

Bulldog Face

On Friday, May 23rd, we fed Ava mango for the first time. Well, in response to the mango, Ava gave us a new face that we had only seen once before...we call it 'Bulldog Face.' It's pretty self-explanatory and quite hilarious. Neither Matt nor I can manage to make the face (by sucking in our lips and frowning while puffing our cheeks out) ourselves, so it must be Ava's special talent. Lukcily, we managed to get Bulldog Face on camera for once...