Looking Back

Here is a picture of Avery at his first birthday last year. I've been thinking about his birthday coming up and just can't believe my baby boy is about to be two! I've been browsing through pictures tonight looking at how much he has changed and grown up. The past two years have gone by quickly. He is learning and changing by the minute! I've posted several of my favorite pics from the past two years.

1st Birthday

Christmas 2008

2 days old

Got the Giggles?

Avery could not quit laughing at me today! I would just look at him and make a goofy face and he was cracking up! Check it out.....excuse the enormous mosquito bite on his forehead!

PICTURE Perfect Weekend

We had a fabulous weekend! Thursday night, Avery and I went and picked up LuLu from the airport. She brought Avery an airplane that he absolutely loves! Jeff, Twana, Amber, and Kayla also came up for the weekend. We played, shopped, and played some more. We had so much fun visiting with our family.

The Kirkpatricks

Avery loves BASKETBALL!

He also likes wearing his Dad's cowboy hat.

Another Day at the Park

Our summer is coming to an end. I feel SO lucky to have been off all summer with this little guy. I love my job, so I am looking forward to a great year teaching kindergarten. Avery LOVES Mrs. Tonya so I know he will enjoy hanging out at her house with all of his friends. I tried to take Avery to the park every morning to walk and play this summer. We did pretty good. We were able to go most days. He will be two at the end of September. That is so hard to believe. Here are some pictures I took at the park one day last week.

Chocolate Cornbread

Brian, Avery and I usually eat at home during the week. I usually cook up something for supper every night. It might be something you pop in the microwave, but it works! So, Monday morning before I went to work, I put some pinto beans in the crock pot to cook all day. I worked, went to a funeral, went to pick up Avery, then made it home. We eat EARLY at our house. We are usually eating supper at 5 on the dot. I have that kindergarten schedule in me so I eat an early lunch and I am usually starving by 4:30 or 5. Anyway, I got home and started getting supper ready because I had a school board meeting to go to and had to leave the house by 5:45. So the beans are done, all I lack is the cornbread.....not a problem. All I need is eggs and milk. I open the fridge to get the eggs and milk and realize that I'm out of white milk! Avery will NOT drink just plain Jane white milk so we buy the premixed strawberry or chocolate. I sit there for a second contemplating on what to do. I really don't have time to drive to the store, and would cornbread be the same without milk?? So I think...strawberry or chocolate? Which one would work the best and most important, which one will fool Brian. If you know Brian at all, you know he is one PICKY eater. I mean picky of the pickiest. I knew in order to pull this off, he could not suspect that there was anything "weird" in the cornbread. So I decided to use the chocolate milk instead of the strawberry. I knew that the strawberry would turn the cornbread a pinkish color, and what would be my excuse for the pink?? I knew the chocolate milk would turn it more of a brown color and I thought of the best excuse....I could tell him it was WHEAT CORNBREAD! After all, he just got finished working out and he wants to start eating healthier. So dinner is done, and the cornbread looks great! A little on the brown side, but I think I can pull this off. I hear Brian open the door and immediately hear him say "What's up with the cornbread?" I cringe a little and say "It's wheat cornbread, and it's really good!" So that was that, surprisingly not another word from him. We all sat down for dinner. Brian and Avery were both tearing up their pinto beans and cornbread. During dinner, Brian even commented on how good it was. So, those of you who know me know that I have to come clean if I tell a fib....usually within minutes! So, when Brian got up to go get seconds on his cornbread, I came clean and told him the real story! He smiled and said it was good and just kept on eating it. Just know that if you are out of white milk and want to make some cornbread, chocolate milk will work! It's good and it even makes the cornbread sweet!!!

Just Goofing Off

I have pretty much started back to work for good. I have meetings all week this week, open house this weekend, and we get kiddos next Wednesday. The summer has absolutely FLOWN by. I must say, this has been my favorite summer yet. I loved Avery just as much last summer, but this summer he has been so much fun. He is only taking one nap a day now so we are able to go and do all morning long. I do love my job, but I'm going to miss spending the weekdays with this little dude. I'll just have to look forward to the weekends when we can get that good quality time together. Today I worked and then went to a school board meeting while Brian stayed with Avery. When I got home, we had some goofing off time together. Beware!! His smile is contagious!!

What A Week

We had a fun, but very busy week! We had company all week long. Aunt Amber stayed with us on Tuesday night. CC was here from Wednesday until Friday. Nana & Papa came to visit Friday night and part of the day today. We have such a wonderful family! This week I worked in my classroom a lot. I've posted a lot of pictures below. Avery loves to eat a snack with his Dad in the recliner after supper. They usually eat popcorn, but tonight it was Oreo cookies. Avery just eats the middle!

Avery discovered a new bug today! A bright green caterpillar! He took it to his pool for a swim and because of all the rocks and dirt floating around, he lost it.....LITERALLY...when the caterpillar got lost in the murky water, he lost it!

Digging for worms!

Our friends Christy, Makara, and Tylar met us at the park one day this week. It is fun to watch Avery and Ty play.

Tylar

Duck Calls & Basketball

Duck Call Video

Avery finally learned how to work his duck call!

BBall Video

We have a basketball player on our hands!!! Check this out. Before I grabbed my video camera, he had made about 3 baskets from the couch!

Trout Fishing

This weekend Brian and I went trout fishing up on the White River. My sister came up to stay with Avery and we left Friday morning, fished all day Friday and Saturday, and headed back home today. We wanted to get away for the weekend (just the 2 of us) before I go back to work. We had so much fun! Brian caught the biggest Brown Trout that he has ever caught. He rented us a cozy little cabin in the Calico Rock area. We got several pictures of some wildlife we saw. The weather was great! It rained pretty good on us for about four hours on Saturday, but we put on our ponchos and kept fishing. The sun was out and it felt great the rest of the time. Overall, the fishing was good. Brian did well....me, not so well. But it was beautiful and we enjoyed our time together. We are rejuvenated; Back to parenthood!

Brian's Brown Trout

20 inches

Here is a turkey Brian spotted while we were fishing.

We also saw a groundhog.

We saw this doe on our way to the cabin on Saturday.

This is what was waiting for us at home! Nothing better than seeing Avery's smile when we walked in the door. Brian and I debated on the way home whose name he would say first. Well, neither Mama or Daddy were said! He just smiled and gibber jabbered at us.