Finished!

Yea! I have finished the Christmas facelift! You should have seen my mom and I trying to get pictures of Avery though-not fun! This is the best shot we could get-the profile pose! I'm so sad...I don't think I've gotten a picture of her full face since her first birthday! She's way too fast for me and my photographing abilities...Help Regina! Can I go ahead and book a session with you for next November?! :)

Facelift

This blog is in the middle of a Christmas facelift...it's not finished yet! Avery is requiring my immediate attention right now, so please don't judge! I'll finish it sometime before December 25th! :)

Monica's Bow Give Away-ends at Midnight tonight!!!

Bow Giveaway!!!

My cousin's sister-in-law, Lori, is hosting a giveaway of stuff from my cousin's bow blog (Monica's Creative Corner).

If you're interested in FREE bows, check out Lori's blog at
http://loris411.blogspot.com to find out what is being given away, and how to enter and win!!

Monica's bows are awesome..if you have seen Avery's Halloween and Tech bows, those are from her hands!

Our Special Day!

This blog entry is dedicated to my loving husband!!

Four years ago today I married, you, my very best friend! I wanted to take some time today to share some of my favorite things about being married to you!

I absolutely love...

*sharing the joys of having a daughter with you

*having someone to tuck me in each night

*watching you take care of Avery, and making sure her needs are met
(even at 2:00 a.m. in the morning)

*letting mommy sleep when Avery is wanting to be up at 2:00 a.m.
in the morning

*having someone fill up my car when it's VERY close to empty

*knowing you will go and get me an ice-cream or Dr. Pepper
(whatever my vice is that day) as late or as early as I may need it

*long car rides listening to you sing Johnny Cash, or whatever
else you are in the mood for :) as I try to sleep on the passenger side :)

*how you can make me laugh even when I want to cry

*your keen sense of humor

*your "Pollyanna" attitude :)

*that you asked me to marry you

*YOU!

There are so many other things I could list as I think about the last six years (including dating) that we have spent together. You are such a wondeful person and precious gift to me. I love you more each day. Thank you for being my husband and best friend all in one.

I love you!

P.S. If I can find a scanner and some time, I'll post some pictures of us from the past!

Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween (a few weeks late again...sorry...I can't keep up!)

This year Avery was a Texas Tech cheerleader for Halloween! Very fitting considering that our big game versus U.T. was the next day! Go Tech! I had lots of fun getting her dressed up...my personal costume favorite was the socks! Lots of fun...Avery thought so too! I'm amazed the little, dangling footballs and beads survived the hands of a very busy toddler! On Halloween, we had a very busy night! First, we met Nana and Papa at Nonnie's assisted living house. This was Avery's first time to trick-or-treat, and by the time we left she was an old pro!! Yeah right! Our biggest problem was that she wanted to hold on to her candy rather than put it in her sack. She couldn't understand why we would give it to her, and then make her put it away! Who can blame her?!



After trick-or-treating at Nonnie's, Avery opened her Halloween surprise from Nana and Papa. This pumpkin is one of the surprises she loved the most!



The balloons were a pretty big hit too!



We also went to our church Trunk-Or-Treat at the Civic Center. Apparently we should have gone there first because it was PACKED! We did manage to find Raider Red and take a few pictures with some friends! Unfortunatly our pics. with Raider Red are a little blurry...Mommy had the camera on the wrong setting...Oops again! Mommy was tired!

Get Your Guns Up!



Yea! Avery found her friend, Aiden, in the mass of people! He looked so cute as a little pumpkin!
(Cropping courtesy of Regina Penney..thanks so much Regina!)



We hope you all had a fabulous Halloween! Now Thanksgiving is like what...two weeks away?! :) Maybe I'll get that post up before Christmas...we'll see!!

The Fair

OOPS...this blog is about a month overdue, but oh well...I wanted to share Avery's first experience on the merry-go-round! It's the first time that we heard her say "Whhhoooa!" I think she was trying to say "Wow", but it came out "Whoa"! Good times!! Unfortunately, the rest of our pics. from the fair are on my mom's camera. I haven't had a chance to download them to my computer yet...maybe next month! :)

Apple Country Festival

Last Sunday Avery and I went with some of our good friends (Amber and her sweet boys) to the Apple Festival in Idalou! We had such a great time, and Avery got to know her boyfriends a little better! Here are some fun pics. that I took while we were there...

Braydon, Bryson, and Avery off to Idalou!
Avery had never sat by a car window before...she kept sticking her head under the pull down shade to get a better view!



Who would've thought there were so many fun things to do in Idalou, Texas? :)

The kids got their faces painted-they were so good! They didn't even touch their art work after it was applied!





We got our picture taken by a pretty, but kind of stinky waterfall....



We saw sheep (tried to pet them, but the sheep didn't like us very much...we were too cheap to buy food for them!)



We met Johnny Appleseed!!



We went on a hayride (my personal favorite even though I got swiped in the head by an apple tree!) :) Oh, and by the way, these are my back-up sunglasses...my other upteen pairs of sunglasses have either been broken, hidden, or ran over by Avery! These are not my favorite...so embarrassing!



And...last but not least, we picked out baby pumpkins (which the stem on ours has been biten off by a teething toddler)a pumpkin is a type of vegetable right?!

Gigi and Mu

Last weekend Ben's mom and grandmother (A.K.A. Gigi and Mu)came for a visit! We had a great time chilling at our house, and managed to get a few pictures...Avery's getting very hard to keep still during picture time!

Avery and Gigi


Come with me, Gigi!


Look what I can do, Gigi!


Unfortunatly I didn't get any pictures of Mu-Mu :( Sorry Mu-I'll do better next time! What's important is that Avery had a great time bonding with her grandmother and great grandmother! We were sad to see them leave.

'Twas the Night Before the 1st Day of School

I am sitting here wondering if I really have to get up by 5:30 A.M. tomorrow (and throughout May)...does that not seem ridiculously early?! Last year I could sleep in a few extra minutes, because Ben took Avery to the babysitter, but this year I am taking Avery to the babysitter. Our new babysitter lives about 5 minutes away from Rush so Ben says that it's really pointless for him to drive all the way to the other side of town so that I can sleep in a little later...I kind of see his point, but come on...5:30. That's crazy! On the positive side, I am really looking forward to meeting my new little group of 3rd graders...I will REALLY, REALLY miss my days with Avery, but it helps knowing that she is in a wonderful environment while we are apart! We have had such a fantastic first summer together, and I know that there are many, many more to come! I love you baby girl!

It's Official...

Avery is walking (well...toddling)! I'm not even sure when it happened..it seems like it was overnight. One day she was just taking a few steps, and the next she was full force toddling. As of today, she is walking about halfway across a room before falling down. It's funny b/c when she gets excited, her toddling becomes faster until she runs into something! My goofy girl! She is so proud of herself and getting more courageous every day! In fact tonight she had two accidents that brought on full force crocodile tears. We had to get out the owie lamb (courtesy of her first FBC Sunday School teachers) and try to ice down her forehead. Of course, she wanted to suck on the plastic ice cube rather than keep it on her forehead. What's a mom to do?

Cousin Time

A few weekends ago we drove to Austin to visit Ben's brother, Bert, and his family. Bert and Lara (his wife) just had a baby boy, Sean (two days before Avery's birthday and one day after mine!) We had a great time and Avery enjoyed playing with her oldest cousin Olivia who is 2 1/2. She tried playing with Sean, but was a little too active for a 1 month old! Here are several pictures of Avery with her family! We love them so much!

The Greene Girls eating breakfast~do you see any resemblances?



Bathtime with daddy~



Crazy cousins!



Beauty Shop-yes that is Ben playing beauty shop with the girls!



Avery and Olivia are giving night night hugs-they were so sweet to each other!



Gigi (Ben's mom) came to Austin to spend time with us! We love our Gigi! She is very special and fun!

The Champs

By now, most of you have probably heard that Ben and his partner, Tyler, did come in first at the Lubbock Stampede! Yeah!!! What surprised me the most, is how much fun I had watching them play-it was so amazing and very intense at times!! Of course I did have company with Ben's Aunt Judy and Dad. I might have felt a tad awkward out there all by myself!! It was also nice because Ben's dad narrated the entire round for me! I learned a great deal about golf in one afternoon...not that I will ever play myself, but I will definitely continue to cheer when I can find a sitter for Avery (thanks Nana and Papa)!

This is a picture from todays paper of Ben making a putt on the second hole-




I have many more pictures to post...so stay tuned!

We love you Benny!

The Stampede (AKA: Daddy's Golf Tourney)

Ben has been playing in the Lakeridge Stampede this weekend and is currently in first place! :) He still has to play this afternoon, so I am actually going to go and watch him (I only go when I know he's winning!) Just kidding, Benny! Avery really wants to go too, but we're afraid she might let out a squeal at a very inappropriate time! She has been known to do that! Avery and I are so proud of Ben...he is such a dedicated daddy and husband. He is also such a Godly example out on the golf course. Without even knowing it, he has been a strong witness for Christ. We can't wait to see how he does today! As Ben has said before, I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. Philippians 4:13

Go Daddy--we're rooting for you!!

Summertime

This week Avery went to swim at her Nana and Papa's pool! Apparently her swimming lessons have really paid off because I caught her practicing a few of the moves that Mr. Jeff, her swimming teacher, taught us...splashing, kicking her legs...you know the basics! Way to go Avery!!

4th of July Fun!

This 4th of July was Avery's first second holiday....that means no more first holidays..very bittersweet!

Avery rode in her wagon to the parade...



She waited patiently for the parade to start...(no that is not her Diet Coke..it is momma's), she's more of a Dr. Pepper girl!



She watched most of the parade on her daddy's shoulders...



Then she decided it was time for a little snack!



Much later on that day, our entire family went to Mackenzie Park to watch the fireworks! We sat down at the park around 8:45 p.m. and waited, and waited, and waited...No fireworks. We had never gone to this park on the 4th before, so we weren't sure what to expect. Apparently, the people shooting the fireworks didn't know that children (and adults) have bedtimes! Ha, Ha! Anyway, we waited there until around 10:40 p.m. and then decided that they just weren't going to have fireworks this year. Then, on the way back to our cars, we saw the firework show beginning at 10:45 p.m. Just our luck! By this time, however, we were all so tired that we didn't even care anymore...we just got in our cars and watched the show on our drive home! No worries though...we had a great time bonding with our family members!!

Here we are waiting for the show to begin!



It's way past my bedtime!!!



Cousin Haley, I need some sugar!



I love Haley..she shared her push pop with me!



Happy 4th of July!

Avery's First Haircut

Well, shortly after Avery's first birthday came her first haircut! I was pleasantly surprised at how well she did...I was really worried that there would be a lot of screaming and squirming, but fortunatly I was proved wrong! She was very interested in the sharp, pointy things coming towards her face! Monica, who was referred to us by our dear friend, Rachel, was fabulous! She held Avery, loved on her, and even gave her a "First Time Haircut" certificate when it was all over! Next on the agenda-manicures and pedicures!!

Before Haircut:


During Haircut:





Unfortunatly, I did not get an after haircut picture...Avery's patience was fading. However, you can see the 4th of July pictures to get the idea! The big cut was just a few days before!

Yeah!!! Way to go Avery! I was so proud of you!

More Swimming Pictures

I know that the people in these pictures look like little dots, but if you squint really hard, you will see that they are of Avery and her friends (momma included) at swim class!

Mommy & Me Time

Okay..so I'm going to go back in time to re-create Avery's last day of swimming lessons for you! We had a blast together! Avery loved her class and her teacher, Mr. Jeff! She loved being in the water and even went under a couple of times...everytime I brought her back up she would look at me like, what were you thinking? She was a little confused, but then would push me away to try on her own. Yes...Miss Independent already...a little scary in the water!

Already Behind!

Okay...I've been really busy! We've had family in town for a week, so I've kinda slacked on the blogging...I haven't even checked my e-mail in a week! It's amazing how many fun things have happened in this past week...Avery finished up her swimming lessons, she enjoyed her second(and more memorable)4th of July, and we all bonded with lots of fantastic family members! I have so many pictures that I will post soon! I hope everyone enjoyed their 4th as much as we did!

Avery's First Birthday

Make a Smilebox scrapbook

First Birthday Bash

Avery's first birthday bash was this past weekend. We had it a week early due to one of Ben's very important golf tournaments. (There's no bitterness there at all...Ha, Ha!) Anyway, I thoroughly enjoyed watching Avery play with her friends. She didn't even want to stop to eat her cupcake! However, once she got started on the cupcake she didn't stop until it was gone! I am so proud of her! Each day it seems like she is doing something else new and exciting! Our friend Heather took pictures at the party, so I will post some as soon as I get them!

Hello Again!

Well, after finishing up another school year, I decided that it was time to update our blog. How embarrassing!! Has it really been that long?! To be honest with you, I kinda forgot I had even started a blog until a friend from church reminded me! She (Robin) went to look up our blog in April and found the last entry dated Halloween of 2007! Again..how bad is that?! Anyway, my personal goal is to try to keep our blog updated throughout the summer! After school starts in August; however, is another story!! I'll do my best!! My friend, Rachel, can inspire me as I read through her blog!