Lazy Weekend...

We are thoroughly enjoying the end of a very lazy and loooong weekend!  It's been so great to all be home again and we have really had a good chance to spend some quality time together.  I really don't want it to end!  Trav's mission's trip was a good one, he was very happy with how everything came together and with all of the opportunities they had on the reservation to serve the kids and love them with the love of Jesus.  It was a trip unlike any other he has been on, mostly due to the nature and culture of what they were doing, but it was an ordained one nonetheless.  Ava and I also had a wonderful time away at my parents, but we were more than ready to have Daddy home!  

I thought you would like to see a glimpse of one of the things we did while we were away...

I had Ava's 1 year photos taken, from a photographer that I LOVE!  She did both of my sister's weddings and we thought their pictures were amazing, so I couldn't wait to have her take Ava's too!

I tend to love un-posed, natural and artistic photos, so these were right up my alley!  

How about that crazy outfit??  I couldn't help myself when I saw it, those seersucker ruffles did me in :) 

I just love it!! 

Of course Ava was in "a mood" the morning we took them, so I had no idea what to expect.  She wasn't crying or whining, she was just wild and uncooperative!  She had a mind of her own and basically wanted to do the opposite of everything we tried to do :) You've got to love photos of a 14 month old!  Rose did a wonderful job of capturing her little independent spirit!

These are the 5 photos she posted on facebook, but believe me, there are so many more that are just darling!!  I am having the hardest time narrowing them down!  

This is Trav's favorite :) He loves her little half smile and that she's sitting like a big girl.  I'm very happy with all of them and for all of you Waterloo/Cedar Falls people, Rose is such a wonderful photographer!!  I HIGHLY RECOMMEND her for any occasion!  You can find her website here to see more of her work.  I hemmed and hawed about whether to pull the trigger and have these taken, but I am so glad that I did.  We will cherish her little 1 year old self for many years to come :) 

Yesterday, we celebrated the 4th in a very low key way.  We served in the nursery together at Church, which was good, we rarely get to do that, but so odd to be at Church and not in Church!  I really missed the worship and message and it's thrown my Monday off.  It didn't feel like a Sunday yesterday!  

Anyway, after some amazing naps for all 3 of us, Travis insisted we get some fireworks "for Ava" because we realized she was never going to make it until 10pm for the big show down the street.  We may have differed on the "need" for those or the safety of it, but there was no arguing with my pyromaniac husband.  He won.  

So we drug Ava outside after dinner for her own little show :) 

And like the good wife that I am, I did my best to generate some excitement!

Ok, that may have been a slight exaggeration...

No one was more excited than Travis!

It was amazing, spectacular, better than I ever dreamed of...or not :) 

It was however, age appropriate and cheap.  Which was at least one thing we agreed on!

Ava was not exactly sure what we were doing...

...But she played along to the delight of her Daddy.

And this is the look she had on her face, every time he lit another one "for her" :) 

It was just the low key, family friendly day that we've needed!  In my heart, I longed to be at some quaint small town festival, but these are not the days for that kind of stuff.  Ava never would have lasted and realistically, neither would I.  It was incredibly hot and muggy out all weekend.   We toyed with the idea of keeping her up for our neighborhood fireworks, but she quickly made that call easy and we got her in bed early.  We did watch the Macy's fireworks on TV, which were soooo good, but then to our surprise, after she fell fast asleep we got to sneak outside and watch our neighborhood fireworks live!  We have never been home on the 4th before, so we didn't realize that the city shoots them off, just 1/2 a block from us.  We had a great view of them right over our roof.  So, although it wasn't like I imagined, we did get that little slice of americana and we both loved it!  

AND the best part is that Ava slept through the whole thing :) 

Hope your week is off to a great start!  It's throwing me that so many things are closed today, but I guess it's a been a blessing in disguise to enjoy one more quiet day before this busy week really kicks off!  

Happy Birthday USA!!