A day in Avery's life: January 2018

Saturday, January 6, 2018

Christmas 2016

We had a brilliant idea to simplify our gingerbread making activity to a gingerbread waffle building event. (Think 50 First Dates meets a hobbit hole.) It was delicious and utilized one of Avery's favorites: whip cream in a can. I don't know if we can top this next year!

Waiting on the stairs to go get our stockings. We start Christmas morning with this picture every year. Some are more excited than others to be up early!

Avery is really into stuffed animals at this point of life. She is ecstatic to add new members to her "stuffies" family.

Avery told Santa she wanted an ipod. Alisa gave her ipod to Avery in a new case and you can see how delighted Avery is. She got busy loading all of the fairy tales we have audio recordings for, onto the ipod. She also has a collection of Piano Guys that she listens to all- of -the time!

For Christmas Avery got a new niece. Janie was born December 15 and Mom was in Utah helping Avery's sister Rachel when the baby was born. Mom got home just in time for Christmas.

November 2016

Avery's baptism day.

Stephen had his first piano recital the same day.

We went to Pei Wei to celebrate the special day.

Mancala and Pie! There is a reason the canned whipped cream is right next to Avery. She will eat the whole can if we let her. She loves it!

Avery's favorite puzzle

Avery made this "nativity" all by herself. We displayed it all through the holidays.

October- The best month of Avery's year- 2016

Visiting Janet's family. Chatting with Bubba (Janet's dad) with Uncle Rich in the background.

Madeline, Janet, Alisa, and Avery selfie.

October is perfect weather for camping in New Mexico. Alisa and Avery wear their beanies to bed. The morning will be chilly.

Halloween party at homeschool co-op. Avery is "Hermione Granger" and these are all the other magical kids.

Avery and Aaron joined their birthday party this year and had a "Hogwarts" birthday party. Avery is holding on to her "Dumbledore" hat while she blows out the candles.

Hanging out at home.

Halloween. We all dress up in a theme, except for Aaron, who always does his own thing. This year it is Harry Potter and the mimes!

Monday, January 1, 2018

Fall 2016

Sugar House Park, Salt Lake City, Utah. Avery and I spent an afternoon together while her sisters attended a school activity with kids from their online school in Utah. We went to lunch and shopping for fall clothes. But first we climbed on stumps at the park.

New Mexico State Fair. We had a great day looking at art, eating hotdogs, petting farm animals and riding kiddie rides with Avery's nieces. Well, Avery claims the kiddie rides weren't that fun.

Raining day playing in the puddles in our street. Napoleon, our dog, likes it too.

The sun is about to go down. It was a good day. :)

Summer 2016

Most summers the older kids attend some kind of educational conference for youth. This summer we went to Southern Utah University in Cedar City, Utah where we met cousins who live in Montana. The teens went to the EFY (Especially for Youth) conference and Stephen, Aaron, and Avery got to go sight seeing with mom. We saw "Mary Poppins" at the SUU Shakespearean theatre, hiked Bryce Canyon National Park, and visited Dixie National Forest and Frontier Homestead. We went to the nightly "Green Show" at the university's theatre, which was Aaron's favorite part. Every night was a different theme of performers singing and dancing. We ate icecream, bought natural stone jewelry for their oldest sister's birthday at a flea market, watched a county fair parade, and spent an afternoon at a used bookstore and went swimming almost every afternoon. Avery's favorite part was the Frontier Homestead. She spent quite awhile washing clothes by hand. Swimming was the other thing she really liked.