Happy Holidays!

Happy Holidays to everyone! We have been having the best time this holiday season. My godkids are here visiting and I am counting the seconds until my best friend, Mel comes for her visit starting on the 1st. Christmas was such a great time, mostly because we got a chance to see those that we love dearly!!! Best wishes to everyone!!!

Ava had a blast for her first Christmas!!!

Malia is taking it all in!

Momma and the girls!

Hard to believe there was a time when she wouldn't take the bottle!

The crew! Me, Aaron, Malia, Ava, Godsis Jazz, and Godbro Andre'.

She is such a wonderful girl!!!Growing up so fast...

Ahhh....such great kids!

Malia loved dressing like her cousins in their Christmas jammies!!!

Meeting Santa!

The girls went to meet Santa today. Ava wasn't sure about it...not upset really, just trying to take it all in. Malia of course is not shy at all. She told him she wants a tool set (funny girl!) and a baby...with a medicine kit. Afterwards the excitement had her exhausted.

Let The Good Times Roll...

Ava is 8 months old now and quite the character. She is a funny, even tempered baby! She loves to get a reaction though. It is not quite as easy to get her chair pics each month as it was with Malia. Ava is learning to crawl (Malia believes she is teaching her) and we are busy with all of our holiday activities! Life is great.

I wonder what mommy will do if I try to get out of my chair?
Oh yeah...this is funny.

Bye bye mommy...see you later!

She finally took pity on me and took a picture:-)

Family Fun at Zoolights! Brrr....

Malia had to get some allergy testing done at the doctor...she was such a champ!!!

This is Malia teaching Ava to crawl...so cute.Malia LOVES to wear Aaron's shoes...it is hilarious. This is one of those that when she grows up she will beg... "please don't ever show anyone this" ...so I thought I would put it on the blog:-)

Update!

Here is an update for you on mom...they were able to remove the tumor. Her cancer did not spread and they were able to get it all. She does not even need chemo. She checks in every few months but other than that...she is GREAT!!! God is good...thanks to everyone for your thoughts and prayers. They worked!

Life is Precious...

My mom was recently diagnosed with bladder cancer. Even now, this seems very surreal. Last week she went in to have her tumor removed. They are hopeful that they got it all, but we are awaiting results. This post is not so much about that, as it is about how amazing my mom is. She has faced every step of this with faith and humor. She is an inspiration.

This picture is my favorite. We are cracking up about how crazy she looks with all her stuff on. I did ask the nurse," can we be 86'd from a hospital?" at one point. This truly proves that my mom and I can have a good time anywhere...and I mean ANYWHERE.

Here is Michelle...God bless her. She takes such great care of my mom. She has worried so that we don't have too. Love her.
I added this picture to remind us of our blessings. Two years ago this month, I lost Baby Dos. Now, I look at my life and am so blessed. This was the first time I truly looked and saw my girls playing...how amazing is that? This is what I think of when I think of having a sibling. Someone to share life's moments with. I am so glad my girls will have each other.

Happy Birthday!

I feel so lucky to have had such a terrific birthday!!! We actually had two parts...going to the Tulalip for our first overnight (kid free) and spending a Saturday up at Amvets!

Here is my cousin Cory (Doozer) and I singing a song. We talked them into opening up the karoake special for us!

This is us at the Tulalip! The rooms were incredibly beautiful but the pictures wouldn't take...we finally broke down and took one in the bathroom mirror:-)

Here are some of the amazing Cook cousins with our infamous grandma! Her lust for life is inspiring!

Hard to see but it was so fun to have everyone come out for my birthday!!!!

7 months old!!!!

Our girls are growing! It seems like just yesterday, I was taking Malia's 7 month pic in her chair...now I am taking Ava's and Malia wants to take one with her camera as well! We feel so lucky to be experiencing this time in our life.

What a happy girl!

This is her..."I didn't do it face!"

This is more likely...this is her "yeah I did it and you love me anyway" face.

Her is info on Ava's development:

By now, you may have already told your baby that the telephone isn't a toy, or that rattles aren't for throwing, or that her sister's hair isn't for pulling. (Uh...this is SO Ava...always pulling Malia's hair!) At this age, your baby may begin testing your authority by refusing to follow your simple directions. She's not really being disobedient or willful — just curious. (I don't know...she really enjoys being curious then...she even laughs out loud about it!)

Keep in mind that she simply can't remember things you tell her for more than a couple of seconds at a time. The best tactic is to use a simple "no" and then distract her.
Here is some info about Malia's development:
Your child's growing world now includes everything from time in the dentist's chair to playdates with friends — and maybe even preschool. A better grasp of manners comes in handy now, as does a patient parent to teach fun new skills and help with potty-training backslides. (Uh...I don't know about the patient parent part. Potty training has been actually very easy...once she made up her mind, she mastered it pretty easily. She still wears a pull up at bedtime though. Manners however is another story...she spends a lot of time on the fussin stool with her tot clock set to red for two minutes....but she is VERY well behaved for others. I guess that is the way you want it:-)

Three-year-olds are beginning to learn colors. They can usually point to a color when asked and may be able to name four or more by midyear. (Malia can name so many colors that my head spins...she also mentions things like "that's green...grandpa and Kenzie's favorite color!)

Your ever-more-independent child is probably starting to develop some friendships. But don't be surprised if, when you ask who her friends are, she recites her entire preschool class list. She doesn't fully understand the meaning of friendship yet. She may have favorites, but to her a "friend" is pretty much anybody she spends time with. (She does recite her class for sure...but she recently started the "best" friend thing. She said Brooklyn was her best friend. But Brooklyn moved away. I was worried she would be so sad. When I picked her up from school I asked her if she was okay. She said Madison was her best friend. When I asked about Brooklyn, she said...oh...she moved, and on she went about her day. I guess friendships really are fleeting at this age!)

Happy Halloween!

Here are the girls with their cousins! Malia and Ava got to go trick or treating with their cousins, Claudia and Makenzie! They were so happy!
Here we are as a family of four! I was having flashbacks to last Halloween when I was pregnant and wondering what our baby would be like. Ava is such a gift!!

There's our girls! Here is Malia singing "I'm a Little Ghosty" at her Open House. We were late and didn't get her in her costume in time...she didn't even notice. She just loved singing for everyone!!!

Ava LOVES this walker...Malia loved it too...she went in it for the first time yesterday and is already a pro!!

It's a Wonderful Life...

What a crazy and wonderful thing this journey is! We are loving life! Our girls are not sleeping all that great (both have colds) but on the whole we feel lucky. We have been so busy but are trying to take time out to just enjoy our family!
What a superstar. Aaron and I watch her dance for hours...she is really into the pointing thing:-)
Ava and I have ended our breastfeeding journey. I would have loved to have been a mom to feed until she was a year but I just couldn't keep up with her!

What a wonderful and exciting party! I haven't been to a Halloween party in years!

Good times with growin' girls!

We can't believe how our girls are growing!!! Malia just had her 3 year check up and she is in the 91st percent for height and they project her height to be 5'9! She weighs 34 pounds which is healthy. Malia still struggles in the sleep department but we recently bought her a Tot Clock which has helped. It is yellow when it is time to get up and blue when it is time to stay in bed...also red for time out...you set it like an alarm clock. It is pretty wonderful! Malia loves being a big sister and is never mean or upset with Ava. Ava has her check up on Fri and we will find out all the details about her!!! She took a bottle this weekend from me for the first time! She also is a great sleeper for a baby...she usually sleeps better than Malia ! :-) Life is crazy busy on our end but this is such a wonderful journey!!

My college rommaye drove all the way over to stay the night with us and go to Northwest Trek. It was such a treat to spend time with her, her hubby, Justin, and beautiful daughter, Emma!!!This is us at NW Trek...Emma wanted to be included too!!!

Here's the girls!

They loved standing and looking out the windows!

Daddies loved it too!

Ava didn't see much but she still had fun!

Here is the goat thast loved walking IN FRONT of the tram...the moose wasn't afraid either!