We love the Zoo and our Cousins!!!!

First off, sorry, there are alot of pics in this post. I just stuck them all together.

I have this week off of work and wanted to have some fun with Ava, so we headed to the Zoo...her favorite place! And that creature behind her would be her fav animal there...the alligator or crocidile...she calls it both. And she makes up good stories about it.

Just a couple monkeys.

A little too fascinated with the tongue and teeth of this statue.

Ava wouldn't pet the chicken, but she was all over this sweet bunny.

Super cheesy, but adorable!

We loved the polar bear, it was it's lunch time. So Ava got to watch it chow down

a couple dead fish and she didn't mind at all.

This past weekend we went up to WA to see my family, it's so

fun getting these 3 cousins together, they play pretty well.

Trihs, Melissa, Andrew & Brian...4 of 6 siblings.
Last time together for awhile!
My Sister left this past Monday to go start teaching school in Provo, UT and bro Andrew

will be heading back to college in Prescott, AZ in a couple weeks.

Aren't they cute??? My SIL got them matching shorts!

My poor hubby, this is a common occurance when we visit.

He's a great play toy!

The big boys built some little styrofoam planes and later built model rockets which

they launched in the backyard.

And lets not forget this cute little man, Liam!

He is just too sweet and has the most adorable little laugh when you tickle him.

I got lots of snuggles and kisses in with him.

Kiera, Me & Ava....just hanging out!

I should find the other pic I have that looks almost exactly like this, but it's with my nephew Kael at about the same age, now he is 5! Jake loves to snuggle the babies, they are a little less rough then the older ones.

We are adjusting back to normal life without my sister here, it was sad to see her go,

but she has lots of exciting changes ahead.

But Ava doesn't like to be left with me too much, she's totally anti-potty training with me around and is a bit more defiant. It'll be a long 3 months when I'm on maternity leave! But I'm excited for the time off to spend with my girls. Only 3 weeks and 6 days!

Now I just have to move Ava into her new room and get it all decorated, then after all our company is gone when baby comes, we'll set up the babies room. Fun stuff!

Complete randomness...but lots of fun!

32 Weeks and 2 days...only 6 weeks and 1 day to go!!! Sometimes I don't feel "that" big, so I'm always a little taken back when I see pics of myself, OH MY!
Ava being just one of the boys!
My second to youngest brother Andrew was up for this past weekend, Ava kept
calling him Uncle Mark, because we recently saw him at the Reunion.
She loves any attention she gets from her Aunts & Uncles.

Wearing Aunt Melissa's BYU hat...too cute on her.

My cuties!

Trying out the papasan chair at World Market, we were just window shopping.

Well potty training is a NIGHTMARE that I wish would go away. She'll have a good day, then a bad and back & forth. When we were at the Reunion, she was PERFECT and would go every time we asked and stayed dry during the many hours of driving. Well, the next week I was home and she was refusing to use the toilet. Now it's on and off. But the other night Jeremy was getting her bath started, then he walked out of the room to get something and my sis & I heard Ava saying she had to go potty (never happens). She preceded to get her pants and pull-up down and get on the toilet and go with noone watching her. Well, we were spying, but she didn't know it. So my sis grabbed the camera and took this pic after she went.

But the past couple days have been bad again...we are losing this battle!!!

I'll have two kids in diapers soon, too bad!

Notice Babydoll in Spiderman's lap??? Yep, she had a good ride too.

One day she went in my room and came out with my socks on and had put her sandals back on over them. Silly girl.

Okay that wraps up our randomness, but we've been having a pretty good summer.

We are sad for Aunt Melissa's departure back to UT in 2 weeks, her 2 month stay went by way fast, but we wish her well in her new adventures as a Full-time Teacher!!!
(Below are 2 more posts I added today, just trying to catch up)

Swim Lessons with Aunt Melissa!

Because I'm a loser Mom and have to work, I had my Sister take Ava to swim lessons for 5 weeks this summer. They are more just playing in the water and doing fun songs and blowing bubbles, but Ava loved it still.
I had the 1st week of July off and got to go to one of the classes, but I only wanted to watch.
She was pretty cute in there and now loves to sing the Hokey Pokey!

After she turns 3 we'll try to keep her enrolled in regular lessons, were she'll learn "real" swimming techniques.

On the downside, the room was 85 degrees and I was DYING watching the class, way too hot & humid for this pregnant gal!

Detroit Lake, OR....last camping trip for the summer, hooray!

So a couple months ago I booked this camping trip thinking I'd still be in good condition

to camp, well when it came time I was dreadidng it after our family reunion trip the week before. But it's much better when you have a husband who is willing to do it all.

We had fun, found a decent beach area to play at and even though the water was a bit chilly, Ava loved swimming in it.

And it was such a gorgeous lake surrounded by trees and mountians, the weather was also

very agreeable after a hot week in Portland.

Here are our bathing beauties (oh to be able to lay on ones tummy...6 weeks 1 day).

It was supposed to be some Sailboat event, but we saw maybe 10 or so, still a cool sight.

Mommy & Ava

Ava did not want to leave, we spent Saturday and a couple hours on Sunday at the water playing, it was a good weekend.

Just hate having to pack it all and then unpack and clean it all up!

Fun times!

(This all happened last weekend, I'm trying to catch up!)

DELIVERY DATE....

I'VE GOT 6 WEEKS AND 6 DAYS TILL D-DAY!!!

COULD NOT BE MORE EXCITED....

BABIES BIRTHDAY WILL MOST LIKELY BE

AUGUST 31ST!!!

My Doctor said the earlist I could have my c-section would be Sept 3rd,

but she's leaving for South Africa (lucky her) on the 1st. She had another Doc lined

up to do the surgery, but after talking about things, like starting school at 5 yrs old in

OR is Sept 1st.....

She came up with a new plan. The 30th I'll have an amnio done to check babies lung function,

and if all is well, deliver baby the 31st before Doc leaves! Woot woot!

And yes, we know we are cheating, Doc fully admits it. But by then, I won't give a dang, I'll just

want her out!!! And she'll be 38 1/2 weeks, good enough, she'll be cooked and ready to come.

It's sooooo nice having an end in site, goodbye Sept 10th.

And I only have 16 more days of WORK LEFT...ahhhhh....can't wait.

My boss fully agrees that I'm the worst pregnant lady and laughs at how much I hate being pregnant, even though I should be grateful for this miracle. Well, I am grateful (just in case you've had to hear me complain)! I can't wait to hold this little one and watch her grow...just don't like growing her inside me! But I do love feeling her wiggle and squirm and push her hands & feet out. It's amazing and taxing all the same.

NOW FOR NAMES.....WE ARE STILL WORKING ON THIS.... BUT LEANING TOWARDS

"MYA"

THOUGHTS ANYONE???

I THINK IT'S QUITE SWEET AND SHORT LIKE AVA'S NAME!

(Sorry no photos today, too lazy to get off the catch to get my camera)

CRATER LAKE-OREGON

On our LONG drive home from NV (see last post), we decided to go a different way home and see Crater Lake. I've been, but Melissa hasn't, so we went.

And it is still BEAUTIFUL!!!

And last time I went, there wasn't snow around it, so it was a different view.

Oh my, haha! My Sis was posing, so I hopped up there too and struck a pose.

Not too sexy though!

There is the real poser. :)

Silly little girl! And no, she isn't cold. It actually felt great up there even though

my car temp said 50 degrees.

Soooo very blue and awesome! This was a volcano that erupted 7,700 something years ago and then filled with water from snow runoff and continues to replenish itself. I wanted to do the boat ride around the lake (the only boat allowed in), but it's a difficult climb to the bottom and back up, not happening in my state.

Ava hugging her baby sis!

And lets not forget the ride home, Ava worked along time to get it on her head, then she fell asleep! Cute girl, she was a real trooper!

FAMILY REUNION=CRAZY BUT GOOD TIMES!!!

On our way to Northern NV (near Elko) for some good ol' family time...

with all 100+ members!
Ava was kind enough to occupy her Baby and read her stories...it took us about 11 hours
to get there, but we broke it up in 2 days each way.

Let the good times begin! Ava and my cousins' little girl. They didn't always

get along or agree, but I think they still had some fun.

One of my fav cousins, Audra, making my sweet nephew Liam laugh & smile!

My nephew Kael & sister Melissa!

Haha! They didn't even know I took this! My sis was an angel and let Ava

sleep with her everynight. I was afraid she'd get cold and I move WAY too much at night, so they cuddled together and stayed warm. Me, didn't do too much sleeping anyhow. Pregnancy and camping really don't mix well (and for some reason I'm going camping this coming weekend...I'm crazy).

Baby Liam & Miss Ava! She is a baby LOVER!

(I took this pic with them on my lap...be grateful I edited out the cleavage that ended up in the pic! :) )

Big Uncle Mark and the ladies, Kiera & Ava!

Uncle Mark was a good help with Ava and she misses him already.

And thank you Mark for the awesome massage, I was kinda sore for a couple days, but it was good!

Brian (oldest bro), his wife Shanda, Liam, Melissa (sis) & Big Mama Trish

It was GREAT seeing all my extended family, they are awesome!

I was a party pooper and left a day earlier than I was going to, it was hard not sleeping and then being stuck in the heat all day with little relief, but we still had fun while there!

Other note: I'm 30.5 weeks preggo!!!!! Rock on!!! Only 8.5 weeks to go since I'll be doing a C-section at 39 weeks (but hoping I go into labor before then)! Ava hugs and kisses her baby sister everyday. She is still an unnamed child, I'm just baffled. Don't worry, I will share when we decide. Counting down though, the hips are KILLING me!!!!