Temple Picnic

Yesterday we started off slow and lazy.  In order to get us moving I tried to bribe Ava with donuts.  She liked the idea, but made an even better offer.  She thought a donut picnic at the temple would be nice.  We agreed and decided to get ready, so we could run errands and enjoy a picnic at the temple.

By the time we all got ready it was getting close to lunchtime.  I tried to persuade Ava to have a sandwich picnic at the temple, but she was firm about the donuts.  Since I already made the offer I couldn't take it back.  Instead we had sandwiches and then donuts for dessert.

It was a beautiful day at the temple.  We enjoyed being together and walking around the temple grounds.  I am so grateful that Ava loves the temple as much as me.  I love that she often asks to have temple picnics and always calls it "my temple".  Ava truly is a sweet inspiration to me and keeps me focused on the importance of temple covenants.  I want to be with my family forever and know through the temple ordinances I can.

Ava and Rich eating sandwiches first.

Ava loves Angel Moroni.

Ava with her donut.

Ava loves her some sprinkle donuts.

Ava stopped right here and said, "I want to take a picture with daddy."

Harvest Festival

On Friday we had our ward harvest festival.  Ava looked forward to this party all week.  She was excited for all of us to get dressed up.  Ava was also excited about eating cornbread.  We had a lot of fun at the party and Ava got a lot of candy at Trunk-or-Treat.

The most beautiful Cinderella in the entire world.  She really did look beautiful and she was so happy.  Ava decided on the Cinderella theme for this year.  She also picked out mine and Rich's costumes

Ava with her fairy godmother.  I made this costume.  It is the first thing I've sown completely by myself using a pattern.  I know it wasn't hard, but it was a big accomplishment for me.

Ava with Jaq the mouse.  Unfortunately for Rich I didn't have much time for his costume, but it worked.

Ava excited to eat cornbread and cheese.  She picked out 2 kinds of cornbread.

Costume Parade.  You can see her glass slippers as she carefully walks like a princess across the stage.

Ava at the fishing booth.  Ava swung the fishing pole so hard she almost took off Sister Ensign's head behind the water.

Ava pumpkin bowling.  It took her a few pumpkins but she finally got them all down.

The big hit of the night was Whack-a-Priest.  The line was out the door.  Ava loved it.  She was funny because she was so gentle.

Ava won this delicious wormy cupcake at the cake walk.  She gobbled down the gummy worms right away.

There was a photo both, so we were able to get a nice family picture.  I'm grateful to Brother Jensen for volunteering to take pictures.

Little Chef

Last Monday Ava and I made brownie, pudding, and whip cream trifles.  I put on my apron, so she decided she needed hers too.  Ava also put on her chef hat.  She told me when she wears the hat she is the chef and I am the cooker.  As we made the dessert Ava reminded me over and over that she was the chef and I was just the cooker.  It was important to her that I call her Chef and not Ava.  When we were done and took off our aprons and hat we went back to being Ava and Mommy.

Goblin Garden Pumpkin Patch

Yesterday Ava's preschool went on a field trip to Goblin Garden Pumpkin Patch.  Rich took a half day, so he could go with us.  It was a lot of fun and we came home with some nice pumpkins.

The lady that owned the pumpkin patch had the preschool meet at the hay pyramid for information about the day.

The owner is in black trying to get the kids to come down and listen to directions.  I think she realized her mistake.  It was pretty silly to ask 40 or so preschoolers to sit still on a giant haystack that was meant to be climbed.  Ava is in the middle of the picture in blue.  She was almost to the top.  She didn't want to come back down.

All the kids and teachers went on a hayride first, so the teachers could talk about things they had been learning this month.  Can you see Ava?

Kids and teachers coming back from their hayride.  We got to go on a hayride with Ava later.

While Ava was on the hayride we played.  I rode a rocking turtle.

Rich the pumpkin robber?  I'm not exactly sure what it is.

There was a cool tractor seat teeter-toter.

Rich and Ava climbing to the top of the hay pyramid.

At the top looking down.  It was pretty high.

Ava and me at the top of the pyramid.

Ava and Rich entering the hay bale maze.

Ava loved the maze.  She had fun leading us through.

Ava made it to the end of the maze before us.

Ava and Rich heading out to the pumpkin patch.

Trying to find the perfect pumpkin.

The rule was we could pick any pumpkin we could carry.  Ava tried to find the biggest pumpkin she could pick up.

Disappointed she couldn't pick it up on her own.

Rich cheated and helped her a little bit.  She was able to hold it for a few seconds alone....does that count?

Searching for Daddy's perfect pumpkin.

Ava wrapped her shirt around the pumpkin stem to pick it up, so it wouldn't poke her.  She is a good problem solver.

Ava with all our pumpkins.  Not a bad score considering we each paid $5.50 for all the attractions and one pumpkin.

All done.  Headed back to the car.

"Baby, Baby"

Ava loves to play with her baby doll.  She often asks to me play, "baby, baby", with her.  She pretends to be the daddy and I am the mommy.  Ava tells me that she will get dinner ready for me and baby.  She also likes us to go shopping and to the ice cream store.  When we go to the stores Ava makes us use her bed or the couch as the elevator.  She is good at using her imagination.

Sometimes Ava asks me to play, "baby, baby, doctor, doctor".  During this game she is the "daddy-doctor" and I am still the mom.  I have to bring my baby to the doctor's office, so Ava can exam her and make her feel better.  It is fun watching her pretend to be like Rich and help her baby.

Taking baby's temperature.

Checking baby's ears.  Ava always finds bugs in baby's ears.

Listening to baby's heart?  Looks more like her stomach.

Ava giving baby medicine.

Ava giving baby a shot.

Fairytale Town

Once a month Ava's school goes on a field trip.  The first field trip was to Fairytale Town.  This was Ava's first time at this fairytale inspired park.  She had a blast and loved all the slides.

Barn slide

This was probably Ava's favorite slide.

On this slide Ava insisted that someone catch her.  I went to help, but she told me no.  She only wanted one of her teachers to help.  Miss Elena was kind enough to help her.  Ava loves her teachers.

Ava is pretending to shoot me with the canon.  She thought it was funny.  Ava's teacher, Miss Chaundra, is behind her.

Is that Cinderella?  No another beautiful princess named Ava.

Ava took this picture of me in the Japanese Garden.

Ava and I had a snack beside the duck pond before heading home.