Happy Birthday Number Four, AVA!

I have a grand daughter who just turned four. A Very Adorable child.

While they enjoyed a celebration of cake & ice cream everyone took a turn saying what they loved most about Ava. She was so thrilled, she requested a repeat performance. Insert (laughing out loud) here.

Gramie couldn't not be present for her birthday, but I would like to put my two cents in. First a look at the cake and what this years birthday celebration held for Ava.



Good choice, Mom & Dad, the cake is adorable too.



In years past the family has had a huge BBQ with friends and coworkers for Ava's birthday and another for her brother the next month, but this year they opted for something new, family oriented & fun for all of them. Here's a great combination - Amusement Park & Christmas combined, which spells Santa's Village in New Hampshire.



What I love most about Ava is her love for her brother & her gift of helping.

One day while I was visiting their house we waited at the end of the drive way well past the time Michael was suppose to arrive home from school. We watched bus after bus going by one way and then returning from the other direction. No Michael. I began to worry that he'd fallen asleep on the bus or been left behind at the school. I didn't know what to do. If I walked back up their long driveway to the house to get my cell phone his bus might come and wouldn't let him off because no one was waiting at the end of the driveway for him. So I asked Ava if she'd run back to the house and get Gramie's phone. I explained that I was worried about him because he was late.



Here's Ava running back with my purse. I dialed her Mom on the phone and as I touched the send button, here came the bus. I was so relieved. I gave him a great big hug. Ava did too after asking him the big question. "Michael where were you?"
She loves her big brother and is always looking out for him, making sure he gets his fair share and is never left behind.

Ava your a great sister and a very special grand daughter!

This is what you get when you make a comment like mine at a baby shower.

What was the comment? "I don't think I'm going to have any grand children this year" The next day the phone rang, it was Meghan. Then a few weeks later came an email from Mexico -- Guess who else is having a baby? Now we are the ones planning a baby shower.




Sisters expecting 6 weeks apart.



These two wanted in on the photo session too. The little leather purse and Sydney have been inseparable since she's been at Gramie's house. The purse is over 30 years old, it was her Aunt Amanda's when she was that size.


After the photosession we went to the Cast Away Cafe. First we tried the little slide and then the big one.

The Little Bed Comes Out Again

When Audra was just a little tike her Grandpa made her a little bed, so she could move out of her crib. He was a very handy man and owned his own woodworking tools, so it is sturdy and will last through several generations of kids, moving out of their cribs as well. So far we've kept it at our house and put it up for Michael to sleep in when he was visiting and at the appropriate age. Now it's Sydney's turn. It will stay here at Gramie La La's for the all the grand kids to use until Audra has children of her own.

Here's a picture of the Audra's little bed that Grandpa Korte made.



I miniaturized a set of twin sheets to fit it. Yep, those are the Smurfs. Remember those cute little blue guys. That was back when cartoon were still cute and they weren't so violent as they are now. Boo! Hiss! Sponge Bob! and all those other stupid cartoons they have now days. But I digress....



I would like to include a photo of Audra in the little bed, but that would involve climbing into our loft one more time and I've been up their countless times this weeks already for Ashley's baby shower photo project and other things we've had going on. Anyway, I'll leave you with a picture of Audra when she was little.



And the post would not be complete without a picture of the man that made this post possible - Grandpa Korte. He was one terrific grandpa, father and father-in-law and surely we could say the same about Grandma. They are missed by all, but we are thankful for all the wonderful memories we have of them, such as this one.

Month by Month - What a cool idea

I have run across this concept of photo documentation of baby's growth several times and I think it's a great idea. I wish I would have thought of that when I was a young mom with babies growing up.

Here's an example from Harper's Mom's Blog also known as Kelly's Korner. You'll have to scroll down to the bottom of the entry to see the month by month picture. And Harper's mom just put up some really gorgeous new pictures of her. I call her the Big Bow Girl.

And check this out. There are way cool ideas for photo documenting pregnancy, cool birth announcements, baby book and beyond. Click here to get started picaboo. Have fun creating.

You Can Have Your Cake - But You Can't Eat It Too!

The diaper cake is finished with a week to spare before Ashley's Baby Shower.

I tried to keep it unisex - but I soon found out that it's either girlish or boyish they just don't have much in the way of clothing that can go either way.



Ta Dah! Here it is and I'll list all the ingredients below, as I'm sure you'll never guess what I've managed to incorporate as decorations on this diaper cake.




A pair of Robez shoes from Stride Rite is the topper.
3 burp clothes
3 onsies
2 pair of socks
1 wrist rattle
1 pair of booties
6 spoons
2 pacifiers
1 pair of sunglasses
2 teething toys
3 travel size baby products
1 stuffed teddy bear



This would be the Mom-To-Be
She has a cute little baby bump belly at the moment



I even made it a point to get my picture with her. Vacations come and vacations go and I'm always the one behind the camera. I wanted to make sure Ashley has pictures to show the baby.




This is your Grammie and your Mommy

Waiting for Baby

A BABY BOY

A baby boy's a promise
of happy things to come-
Building blocks.... a rocking horse...
A baseball glove.... a drum....
Of lots of noise and action
Of a busy, loving, fun filled home
With lots of joy inside



Waiting for Griffin Sawyer. Mommy says he's not done growing yet.




If kisses could help him grow, he'd get here a whole lot quicker.

FINALLY! Canon Rebel Pictures HOORAY!

Sydney on the porch swing - Waiting for Grandpa to walk us to the bridge


Photo session on the stone bridge - We had so much fun she wanted to go back the next day.


There was plenty of running around between shots. We spotted a turtle, some frogs and sooo many dragonflies.



Can you tell it's a new camera, higher quality? You can bet I'll be taking a camera class if I can find one nearby.



I braided Sydney's hair. Many years ago I took hair braiding lessons when my four girls were young and I'm still getting my monies worth playing around with my granddaughter's hair. I tried to fix it different each day that I was on vacation at their house.