A little walk through our neighborhood

The weather has been gorgeous!  Between unpacking and getting stuff for the house, we haven't been able to be outside to enjoy it.  This afternoon, Avery and I took a brisk cold walk around our new neighborhood!

Heading out for her first new neighborhood bike ride.  More to come.

One of the two neighborhood parks.  This one is a little closer to our house and has a basketball court.

Gorgeous sun on my gorgeous girl!




Creating snow tracks.


 Avery complained at first that we went all the way around.  Basically part of the neighborhood creates one big circle and we are at the back of that.  There are over 20 acres of wetlands and protected areas, so it feels quiet and there is a lot that we have to look forward to as far as nature and how this space transpires over the next few seasons.

Happy New Year - Happy New Home!

There is so much to update on, but we've been a little busy!  We moved into our new home on December 30, and for sure have a ways to go on unpacking boxes. 

Here is a picture of our new home, we are thrilled and so happy that this is where we will now call home.  It has been a while in the making looking for a new space and then everything just came together.  There are several more homes in our community still to be built, and when Avery goes to school in 1.5 (gasp!!) years, she will have a short two block walk to be at school!

At the start of 2011, one of the things I want to do is document our every day, every moment.  Not literally, but in one pic.  I will be posting (trying my best) one picture per day on the blog Every Day Your Way.  We have the chance every day to make it our day, our best day, our best moments.  So often people, including us are "so busy" but can't always share what they've been doing.  Most often it is the little things and time with family and friends that are the most important and are done your way.  So, take a moment to visit my new blog, no words, no explanations, just pictures of our days, our ways.

Happy 2011 to all of you and may it be the best yet!

Christmas Celebrations

As we were a week away from moving near Christmas this year, we were welcomed to "Valerie in-law's" home for a lovely Christmas Eve dinner.  Having a big house full of people always make the holidays seem more like the holidays for some reason!  



A rare good pic of just Chris and I.



Family Christmas Pic 2010

Auntie Amy's famous deviled eggs, Avery not so sure.



Taste Test




Ballard Family (plus A): Corbin 4, Amy, Ethan 2, Caelan 6, Phil, Avery 3


Everyone was way too generous with Avery, clearing out much of her Amazon Wish list, but she had a lovely time and so did we!!

A chef in the making

Chef Avery was busy in the kitchen today! She helped Daddy with Chicken Bean soup, made Pumpkin Muffins almost all by herself, except for reading the measurements and using the stove, and topped it off with crescent rolls filled with cheese and salami!  YUM! 

Snowflake Lane

What is better then getting candy from a real life toy soldier as you wait for Santa's arrival?  This has become our day after Thanksgiving tradition.  This year it rained and was really, really cold, but Avery had fun all the same!

Sometimes you have to go back to being a Kid

Thanksgiving is full of fun, traditions, family and food.  So, what better thing to do then introduce our kiddos to the silly fun of putting olives on your fingers?  We had a wonderful Thanksgiving and it is a true reminder of everything we have to be thankful for!

Kiddos getting ready for this (adult) silliness!

Who do we think liked this the most?  Uh, Phil?

Snow for Days

The snow came, and stayed and fell some more.  We had a couple of at home snow days for Avery to play and explore and she really did enjoy it!!  It is a rarity that it snows "in the city" around here, and when it does, there is no reason to venture out because people don't know how to drive and the city is not really planned for snow for days.

Walking through the snow!

Playing at the park with Hailey

When you are a kid snow is pure joy!

Trick or Treat!

It was such a fun Halloween!  Our Berry Fairy was super excited for all of the festivities, from dressing up at school for a parade, to visiting stations where mama and daddy work to actual Halloween Trick or Treating hosted by the Johnson Family!  Thank you again for a lovely time, I will let the pictures speak for themselves!

Ready for the School Parade

With her pumpkin

Smiles from a beautiful fairy!

Pretty smiles from pretty girls!

On her way and on her own

Avery, Caelin & Charlie

Trick or Treat at our hosts!

Oh a Pumpkin Picking We a Go!

We headed out to Remlinger Farms for I think the fourth straight year!  While it does get crowded, the pumpkin patch is usually just great and is pretty easy to get to.  Those this year was SUPER crowded as we had two really rainy October weekends and two quite sunny ones, gotta love October in the PNW.

As usual Avery had so much fun running through the pumpkin patch, and this year attempted to go to the very end of the patch - which I think she managed for the most part.  We had a glorious day of sunshine, not too cold weather and still enough pumpkins to make some good choices!

Picking at a pumpkin right away!

Off with Daddy and a wheelbarrow ready to fill that up!

Hmmm, where to go next.

Attempt at sitting with a pumpkin.

I just really love the color of the sky here.

Princess chariot :)

Family photo, not the best, but what we got.

Twinkle toes and tutus!

Dance classes started and there is no doubt we have a little ballerina on our hands.  Not only did she enter this with a fierce love of pink, but she is very intent and focused while in class - a complete change from soccer, we are so happy. 

Stretches

Toe touches

Stretching back and torso

Leapfrogs

Watching the moves intently

Tap shoes!

Little girls gathering :)

After three classes, she is still as enthusiastic as at the first class - now, if she could only understand that ballet is not a race as she keeps trying to get across the floor the fastest! 
P.S. I am not that bad of a photographer - most of these photos were taken through a glass door.

Girly time at the nail salon

It is not unclear that mama likes her time at the salon.  And, you usually don't see my toenails without paint.  Every time I have come home from getting a pedicure, Avery has asked, "I go to salon with you?"  I knew at some point we'd go, and while we certainly don't need to make this a habit now, I looked forward to this fun first between mama and daughter and do look forward when Avery is older and this is part of our "girl time."

One excited girly who has already had her manicure and is getting ready to soak her feet for a pedicure.  Does she look super happy or what? 

Watching intently what the nail technician is doing to her feet.  Manicure and pedicure color chosen was a pink sparkly color - went right to it!

So fun!  Mama and Avery definitely enjoyed our time at Julep and can't wait to do this again.  (Side note for mamas around, they do have a Mommy Monday, we didn't know this but happened to go on a Monday I was off work and there was two other kids as well as a kids movie on the TV.)

Budding Photographer? Oh, and a Seahawks fan!

Seahawks Sundays are a fun time here in our household, snacks, fun, friends.  Steve comes over and Avery loves the additional attention.  She is getting quite good at cheering on the team and doesn't mind the raucous that usually happens.

Last weekend, we pulled out a couple of items that would be new - her very own camera and she LOVED this.  Was taking pictures of mommy, daddy and Steve. 

She might have had more fun looking in the view finder then actually taking pictures!

Following the unexpected Seahawks win over the 49ers, the "boys" had to head outside and mark the house.  One, because this was so unexpected and two, because our neighbors are huge 49ers fans. 

Drawing intently, notice there is no kid in this picture!

Happy with their work!

Avery joins in for the first win of the Seahawks season!

Lil Kickers Season Begins

Avery's second season of Lil Kickers Started this weekend!  She was so excited to wear hear new soccer clothes and go to something every week with her friends Jackson and Mason!  The last time she did Lil Kickers was the summer of 2009 when she was two, that was an outdoor class and I think all the parents agreed, way too distracting at that age!  So we are hoping this will provide a bit more focus and she has fun!

Avery starts out happy and excited!

Avery started to warm up after a bit and participated in class most of the second half.  We are hoping that next week she is a bit more used to things and has a wonderful time running around with all the other kids and that soccer ball! 

She finally warmed up and started to participate when there was more activity going on!

Team cheer at the end!

Three musketeers, Jackson, Mason and Avery.  We're missing Tyler today and can't wait until he comes to play next week too!