Avaree's First Swim Lessons!!!

The past two weeks Avaree has had swim lessons every evening! While we are happy to not have to wash hair every night now, we are so happy that we signed up! Not only did Avaree get to take lessons with one of her very favorite friends, but she learned SO much! She loves to practice now, and she is doing so well! We are so very proud of her!!!! It is amazing what her teacher was able to do in just eight days!! She was very cautious at first, but she was swimming on her own by the end of week 2, and she has progressed even more since then!! :) It was also neat for us because we got to visit with our sweet friends every night!  Day One: Ready to go in the pool!  Of course, she insisted on wearing a bow every night! The second day, I forgot to put in a bow, and her teacher commented on it. From then on, she requested one. ;) 

Sweet Amelia was such a little encourager to Ave and Phillip!!! Avaree just adores her!!!!

 They loved playing on the swings before their class started every day! :) Amelia is such a little Mommy!

And little sissy was such a trooper. It was hot, but she slept just about every day! If she wasn't sleeping, she was just taking it all in! Such a good baby!

After practicing putting her face under water for the first time! :)

Sitting in her spot listening to her teacher! :)

Talking to Pip! They only had to be "redirected" a few times! :) I'm so glad that she got to take lessons with him. I think it would have been a much different experience if she didn't have him with her!

Going down the slide on Day 1!

Waiting on lessons to start for the last day of swim!

Sweet little friends!!!

Swimming!!!

All by herself!!! (Head down, picking apples with her arms, and daddy long leg kicks!)

All the way to the side by herself!!!! SO PROUD!!!

 She always looked at us for a thumps up and cheering!!! :)

 Pip's turn!!!!

 She swam to Mrs. Ruhde, and now she gets to swim back! She's excited!!

 Swimming so well!!!

 pretty girl!

 Excited for her turn to jump in!

 She jumped in all by herself!!!

 ...and swam to the side of the pool, and got out! :)

Big slide for the first time!!!!

 She did it!!!!!!!!!!! It just took a (little) Daddy push! :)

Avaree,  Mommy and Daddy are sooooo very proud of you! :) :)  We love you!!!!

Avaree Grace and Fun with Friends!! :)

We have really enjoyed spending time with all of our new Arlington friends lately!!! We have had much more fun than these pictures even document, but as you can imagine, my hands are a little more full than they use to be, and sometimes that camera bag just doesn't make the cut! :) 

A couple of weeks ago, Phillip (Avaree's favorite boy friend: Brandon wants me to point out the space between those two words!!) and Mrs. Josie came over and hung out with us while Amelia was at school! The kids play so well together, and we love their company!! :) Phillip is a month older than Avaree, and she talks about him all the time. Two Sundays ago, after we got home from church, Avaree (out of the blue) said, "Mommy, Phillip got a haircut, and I like it!" :) Brandon almost spit his drink out! ;) Phillip is in Ave's Sunday School class, AND they are currently taking swim lessons together, so you will see more pictures of them soon! :) 

They had fun riding "Bullsye" and pretending that they were Woody and Buzz! :)

Sweet Licy loves Mrs. Josie! :) 

Love this happy face!

Silly boy!

Happy faces!!!!

Isn't this PRECIOUS??? I would be fine if we went ahead and arranged the marriage. We can set the date for when they are 30! ;) hehe!

And, of course, booty shot swinging is necessary! :)

She's going to thank me for this one day, right? :) 

Silly goose!

We also went to a little park by our house to play with Mrs. Holly and Kendall, and Mrs. Carrie and Cora! It was so fun! The whole play area was shaded, and I nursed Licy on the swing! :) The funniest part of this day was that after I got everyone loaded up and we left, I had to turn around. We were a few miles away when Avaree announced that we had left "baby brother" (he is pretend, was birthed by Avaree, is named "Uncle Spencer", and apparently he likes to swing) on the swing! ha! 

After we got home, Avaree got a surprise visit from one of her favorite First Hurst teenagers: Cheyann and her big sister Brittany! :) I thought Ave was going to lose her mind with excitement! 

Look at that happy face!

I wish I could fully express how amazing our new community has been. We already have precious friends, and we are looking forward to making more memories together! :) I even started a bible study on Sunday nights with a few amazing women, and Licy gets to come with me. Love our church, and the biblical community it develops, oh so much! 
Blessed.