Day One Hundred and Eighty-Five

Family day out...

We decided the fifth was a good day to venture out.  We took Ava out to lunch and then went over to St. Mary's City to walk around.  It is really nice to go by there on holidays because you can still walk around the museum area (just not in the buildings), it's free, and not very crowded.  Ava even got to go in the water but my camera was sitting on a picnic table then.  I had to concentrate more on holding on to her so she didn't walk right out over her head.  The child LOVES water.

This tree is HUGE...I have a picture below of Aaron and Ava in front of it...or rather on the other side of it.

 Look it's my Secret Garden...Again, one day

Isn't that tree huge?!?!

Back at home...and in outfit #2 since I let her get in the water in outfit #1...of course then she got in her pool

Notice the pink hair extension courtesy of Aunt Katie

 

 

We sat outside as the sun began to set on our beautiful extended weekend.

Day One Hundred and Eighty-Four

Fantastic Fun-filled Fourth...

Seriously we had such a great day and nope we didn't go anywhere.  I have a good amount of photos so let's see...I guess I'll start at the beginning.

The last morning in their nest...I didn't know it at the time though.

Love those ruffles...

Poor thing had itchy allergy eyes and kept giving us this piratey argghh... look all day.

I did a close up of the skirt so here is one of the shirt...

Ok these next ones were hilarious...we were playing a game.  Ava would hide in the pantry and we would yell where is Ava and she would run at us at fast as she could.

Now, part two, a second story from the 4th.  We had two birds nests this year.  The barn swallows come every year and the fourth was their last day in the nest.  These little guys aren't barn swallows.  I never got a close enough look at the parents to identify them but the fourth was their last day in the next.  Although for them the fourth was too early.  A bunch of them were pushed out of their nest.

Aaron tried to save them

Random photo...

Back to the birds...apparently one of them was evil and wanted the nest to himself.  So he once again pushed the birds back out.

This little guy was a trooper...he hopped all the was across the yard.

Here is his Momma checking on him...

Ironically enough the next morning the loner in the nest was dead along with one other one right below the nest.  However the rest made it through the night.  We lost track of them but I think at least one figured out how to fly.

I decided to give sparklers a try and Ava didn't seem to mind them.  I took a bunch and stuck them in the ground and her and I sat in front of them and watched.  It was like a mini firework display. 

After the sparklers Ava seemed ok with the rest of the fireworks.  She learned they wouldn't hurt us if we just sat and watched but not touch.  I told her they were HOT and she seemed satisfied with that.  I don't have pictures of the rest but we enjoyed the last hour before bedtime as a family setting of our small batch off fireworks. 

A box of our sparklers did turn up missing though and I know it didn't grow legs and walk away so someone owes Ava a box of sparklers.

Day One Hundred and Eighty-Three

Firework Fail...

We decided to stay home on the 3rd and just enjoy some quiet family time.  I have to say it was very nice.  Our weekends have been so busy lately that it was just nice to not have an agenda.  We had a big box of MD state legal fireworks.  Aaron had wanted to get up to PA for some better ones but it never panned out.  We picked a few to set off and this is what happened. 

Aaron was disappointed but it gave us something to do...

Ava enjoyed the first three or so then decided she had seen enough so I tried to distract her so Daddy could play...

When that didn't work I took her inside to try a cartoon distraction...

That still didn't work so Daddy had to wait until Mommy took Missy Ava to bed. 

Turned out she wasn't scared of the fireworks afterall.  Poor thing thought they were hurting her Daddy so she clung to him when he came in. 
 

Day One Hundred and Eighty-Two

Fun times...

My battery charged up enough for me to capture a few shots.  We spent a lot of the time sitting in the grass and Ava would just talk and talk...so fun.

I love moldy/mossy trees...

This face is just hilarious...

Checking to see if I'm watching as she runs to the tree...

Saying sshhhhh.....

Self Portrait...

Ava and I....

 Another baby bunny...

 This one was super fast...

 Don't even know...she just started lifting her shirt and touching her belly...

 

 Time to go in...

 

Crap!!

So remember yesterday when I said I would be kicking myself for not charging my battery?  Well, it's time to commence kicking because I just plugged the battery into the charger.  I don't know where the day has gone.  It seems like only an hour ago that Ava and I were at the local Amish market buying up their fresh yummy produce.  Now she is in her high chair eating her dinner.

Speaking of dinner.  It is just Ava and I here right now so I was able to cook a really healthy meal without having to worry about picky eaters.  I started by sauteing some of the zuchinni and summer squash we got today.  I just diced in up and threw it in the pan with some olive oil and lightly seasoned it.  Then boiled up and tossed in some gluten free brown rice pasta penne.  I added some chicken and cheese to Avas and some fresh diced tomato to mine.  Yum Yum!  She is still digging in to hers :)

Now I am hoping my battery will charge up enough that we can venture back outside again for a while and I can find something to capture.

These last few days have been absolutely heavenly.  Ava and I were able to spend almost everyday outside.  Now the temperature is going to head back up to ridiculous again.  In fact the a/c is still off and I am going to miss sitting inside and having fresh air blowing through and the sound of birds chirping all day.  I should probably turn the a/c on now since the thermostat is reading 80 but I just don't feel like shutting the windows.

Tomorrow I need to get up and hit the stores in the morning.  I need to get the stuff to make some sangria and Ava needs some more pull ups.  Then the rest of our weekend will be spent doing nothing.  How great is that?  I think this is the first weekend in a month that we didn't make plans.  Don't get me wrong...I am all for a great fourth of July picnic and fireworks but I am against the traffic.

Well, looks like my tiny little slow eater is almost done eating so I need to run and clean up the kitchen so her and I can venture outside for a while.