Avery turns 2!

She got Avery has been talking of her "Owl Party" for months now! She picked to have an old party when the ground was still covered in snow! We celebrated her friend Emma's second birthday in May and that was the jump start to Avery's party planning! She was totally involved in her birthday party planning. She helped mommy choose the colors of the table cloths, napkins, and balloons. She choose weather we were going to have cake or cupcakes (she choose both), and gave me a list of who she wanted to come help her celebrate (which was only Andy and Jenna (but Jenna was asked to wear her fancy (wedding) dress if she wanted to come).

The party was great! It was a beautiful day, and it was all about Avery! 

We are so lucky to have so many friends and family in our lives that took the time out of their busy schedules to come and celebrate with us! 

Rachael made this adorable sign again for us this year telling us a little bit about Avery at 2 years old. She also made one of these for Avery's first birthday! 

Rachael also made this most adorable cake and cupcakes for us. When I told her I was on a budget this year and was going to order cupcakes from Target or Cub she about lost her marbles and said "ummm.... No! Avery will not be having Target cupcakes for her birthday!!! I will take care if it, just don't worry about a thing. I will show up early the day if her party and have them ready to go before the party starts" and sure enough she outdid herself as usual! 

Avery got so many wonderful gifts, this new rocking chair from Grandma and Grandpa Decker, the new "big girl" bike from Grandma Vicki and Grandpa Dave, the hand sewn owl from Rachael. She got a personalized owl towel from Andy and Jenna. A YBike from Grandma Becky and Grandpa Bob, a hand made elephant from Great Auntie Sherry Lais, her first piece if luggage from the Murray's , Books, hair clips, outfits Target gift cards, money and tons of other generous gifts  from everyone who was there and even some gifts from those who couldn't make it! Her favorite gift if all was the card she got from Andy and Jenna!!! She "read" it out loud to everyone. She kept on reading and reading it and didn't want another gift.i would ask her if she was done and she would tell me "no mommy I still reading my card" and go on speaking what sounded like Chinese. Everyone was laughing!

Happy Birthday Dear Avery, Happy Birthday to You! 

Avery's 2 Year Photos

We haven't had a family photo taken of us since Avery turned one last July. It has had me grumbling for the past 6 months, but I just couldn't get myself to pay someone to take them. We had a high school friend of ours take all of our photos up until then when she decided to close her photo business (which I am still sad about over a year later). She did such a wonderful job every time and her prices were great! She gave me some pointers and taught me a little about using our camera during our last session with her so I've been taking photos of Avery and of Avery with Brandon and he has taken a few of me and her together too -but we didn't have any of the three of us, so I asked Ashley if she could come and click away if I did the rest! Here is what we got:

This is seriously the best one as far as lighting goes and of the two of us... Avery isn't a chronic nos picker but she must have had a boogie that happen to be bothering her! Seriously, I about died laughing when I was going through all of the photos. There were about a dozen of this pose and this was smack in the middle! We of course had to print it and frame it. It's in the bathroom and gives me a good laugh every morning - what a good reminder not to take life too seriously right?!? 

Here were a few other photos from that night that I thought turned out cute:

Let my Blogging Adventure Begin...

Join us as we begin our new adventure of blogging all that's happening in the Thompson family! 

As many of you already know, I started a photo book as soon as I found out I was pregnant with Avery. I made her a book, recording my whole pregnancy and the first few weeks of her life. I promised to continue making her a book each year to document all of her accomplishments and our memories. It was a promise that I fully intended keeping, until I realized that after she was no longer sleeping 20 hours each day and I was back to working full time, that this promise was nearly impossible to keep up with! Brandon and I have kept a paper handwritten journal, that one day we will pass down to her... But as far as designing a photo book goes, she still only has one (the one I made almost entirely before she was born). 

I know a few of my friends blog, and I love reading them. Shanon, the mom of the children I nanny for, does such a great job keeping her blog up to date and she has hers printed into books each year, so after her telling me several times that I needed to jump on board (and me not fully agreeing, but liking the idea) she decided to spend a Friday afternoon signing me up and getting me started! That was 3 weeks ago, and I am finally sitting here while everyone is napping and getting this blog going! Thanks to Shanon, whom teasingly has mentioned multiple times in the past three weeks that she hasn't seen any updates in my blog. 

So here it goes!