Trick or Treat on the Lawn

 

Ava Kate is a Butterfly!

 You enjoyed a snack before we went to the Lawn for our Trick or Treat time.

 You were getting a butterfly painted on your hand, how fitting!

 You are so excited!

 Daddy joined us along the way for fun on the Lawn.

Our time was not complete without candy!

Gymnastics Fun

Dear Ava Kate, 

You very much enjoyed your gymnastics time. You often share how much you would like to go back. In the Spring we have you signed up for another class that you will enjoy! Love you! Mom

Happy Fall Ava Kate!

 Playing around...

 Very serious...

 Back to funny...

 Precious one...

 All smiles...

 Too cute...

 You love your "button shirt" because it has great buttons on the tree.

Sweet Ava Kate,

Fall has arrived in Charlottesville and we are so excited to bake and visit the apple orchard to get some apples and make apple crisp like Grama makes.  As the Fall comes and the leaves change, you continue to grow and change.

Some of your changes include the fact that you are now completely potty trained. I guess you just decided it was time when I put you in your big girl pants a few weeks ago. You tell us when you need to go and have had no accidents in the past two weeks. You want to do everything by yourself and often will even get up in the night and tell me you have to use the potty.

You are now singing your prayers before the meal. You sing"God Almighty", the prayer you sing at school. You close your eyes so tight and will sing with all your might. Then, after you are done you say "yeah"! You are so cute! The park is still one of your favorites and you still love the swings. Recently you have been watching football with Daddy and you will yell "get up" to the players when they fall down. You are already learning to cheer for the Cowboys and Seminoles! Yeah football season!

We love watching you learn, grow, play, dance to music and sing. There will be more changes to come this fall outdoors and in. We can't wait to experience it all with you as we pick out a pumpkin, eat fall treats and enjoy the falling leaves together!

Happy Fall Ava Kate!
Love, Mommy

Charlottesville and Change

Sweet Ava Kate,

You are growing up fast and things are changing around us almost as quickly. We have moved to Charlottesville from Richmond and are working on setting up a new little place as we get ready to start work, internship and school for you soon. You are adjusting pretty well. You are having trouble sleeping at night and want your mommy, but that is understandable with all the changes going on. You love your new room and said "thank you Daddy for my sheeps" painted on the ceiling (they were already there but it was too cute how you thanked him). Grama and Papa were here to help us move and they worked so hard to get us ready and help us pack. We had lots of friends that helped us the day of the move too. It was such a blessing.

We are busy exploring Charlottesville and today we visited your new school. You met some new friends but keep asking when we get to play with our friends from Richmond. Every time we pull up to our new house, you say "This is our new house in Charlottesville" and we appreciate the cute reminder. I often need to remind myself of where we are these days and where we call home. You remind me of how important it is in the midst of change to keep certain things the same. We will remember to say "I love you" often, stay connected with those we love, to call old friends and we all will remember that with each other we are truly home.

Life will change but this remains the same, Ava Kate, with us, you always have a place to call home.  I love you.

Love,
Mommy