Ava

Day 225 / Family Time

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My mom and brother came into town this weekend for my niece Lily’s 8th birthday.  This morning we all – my sister’s family, my mom and brother, his girlfriend, and my family – met up for brunch before they headed back to Houston.  As is typical of these traditonal Sunday brunches, it was good times and lots and lots of love.  I always leave feeling grateful for my family and the time I get to spend with all of them.

The weather was real crappy all day, so Donovon, the girls, and I spent the rest of the day in our living room watching movies.  I bathed in the bliss of the uninterrupted time with all four of us in one room.   I couldn’t have been happier on such a cold and rainy day.

I spent the entire day with family and I’m grateful for every minute of it.

Day 222 / Ava’s Dream

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Ava told me about a dream she had last night.  She said that she dreamed that her Lolo (My Daddy) came back.  And that all her cousins were there, and me, and that she was so happy he was back.  

I was not expecting that, but it made my heart both sing and hurt a little.

I told her that I miss My Daddy very much, but that I’m so happy that she got to see him in her dream.  Her grin when I told her that will be etched in my brain forever.  And I’m so grateful for it.



Day 212 / Mother-Daughter Day with Ava

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Ava’s school was closed and I had the day off work for President’s Day, so we got to spend the whole day together.

First, we took breakfast to her Daddy at work. Then we went to see Paddington and have lunch. I took her for her 5-year-old well check after that and as I suspected, she’s doing very well.

Later, we ran a couple errands and finally ended up at home to relax and cuddle on the couch. It was a great day, and I enjoyed my one-on-one time with her. I’m so thankful for a Mother-Daughter Day with My Little Princess.

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Day 205 / Precious Father-Daughter Moment

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Ava loves old school cartoons on the Boomerang channel. She watches them every night just before going to bed. If Donovon is in the living room, she’ll climb into his lap and they’ll watch together.

Tonight I snuck in a quick shot of Donovon kissing the top of Ava’s head while she was sitting on his lap watching her cartoons. It was so incredibly priceless. I’m thankful for capturing this candid, precious father-daughter moment.

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Day 197 / Ava’s 5th Birthday

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Needless to say, it’s been an All-About-Ava-Weekend, but my baby is now 5 years old! I can’t believe it. It hurts my heart knowing that she’s growing up and I can’t stop it.

My Little Princess Ava is a spark that keeps lighting up the world with all her personality and joy. I’m so incredibly grateful for her and her bright, bright 5-year-old light.

Happy 5th Birthday, My Little Princess Ava!!

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Day 195 / Ava’s “Pretend Birthday”

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Ava has been looking forward to her “pretend birthday” for weeks. Her “pretend birthday” is the day we bring cupcakes to school to celebrate with her classmates because her real birthday falls on the weekend. She picked out a very special outfit for this very special day.

We made strawberry cupcakes last night and I delivered them to her class this afternoon. The children in her class are so precious. I love talking with them and answering their questions and of course giving them cupcakes! Ava was so happy. It was a very sweet little celebration. I’m so grateful for her pretend birthday.

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Day 192 / At-Home Dinner and a Movie

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I’ve mentioned more than once my love of movies. We watch a movie with dinner at home at least 4 or 5 times a week, if not more. We have a collection of over 1200 DVDs and Blu-Rays. So needless to say, we haven’t run out of movies to watch.

The routine is Ava goes to bed around 8pm after which Donovon and I put on a movie and eat our dinner. Sometimes Alexa will join us and sometimes we’ll have our neighbor over. Sometimes we’ll marathon watch a series like Die Hard the first night, Die Hard 2 the second, etc. Sometimes we’ll choose an actor and watch a series of his or her movies each night.

We’ve been doing this for years and I just realized how grateful I am to have these At-Home Dinner & Movie Nights. They’re such an enjoyable and relaxing way to end the day.

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