The "Lowe" Down on the Lowes

3.5 Months and Eating Cereal

2012-01-26T11:37:00.000-08:00

I can honestly not believe how quickly the past 3.5 months have gone. This Sunday, Miss Alex started testing her eating skills. Anyone that knows her knows she has no problem drinking milk but rice cereal...it was an adjustment.

Here is how it started...

I don't think she could understand why she was such a mess and what the heck this gooey stuff was going into her mouth...She then gave me this look half way through the 1 tbsp of rice....

And finally at the end all was well with the world....

And what was big sister doing the whole time. No not helping, she had brought her bike in the house and was riding it all over. It was a very relaxing Sunday afternoon :).

"Look mom, this is how you balance!"

And if we aren't balancing on our bike, we are practicing our dance moves for dance lessons.

Unfortunately our house is all concrete floors, fortunately, she only likes to wear one tap shoe :). Life is not dull.

Life with girls

2012-01-15T14:47:00.000-08:00

Ava and Grace love to play dress up when they get together and boy can they put on a show.
Below is the wedding that we went to last weekend. Ava married Levi and Ava "married" Grace.

Quoting Grace - "I now pronounce Ava and Grace Best Friends." They are so fun together.

But when Grace isn't around and all seems lost....

Never fear,

Sweet Alex is ready to dress up,

Have tea parties

And make great memories with her big sister :)

Life with girls is simply wonderful!!!

"Life is a canvas furnished by nature and embroidered by imagination"
Voltaire

Christmas 2011 - What a Wonderful Time!!

2012-01-08T13:15:00.000-08:00

This Christmas was wonderful in every way possible! We started off the Christmas season with a dinner with great friends. Abby and Garrett, Ryan and Amanda, and Adam and I celebrated the holidays with a special treat to Bohanans. Don't think we will frequent this place because we would be broke but for a great night out on the town it was perfect.

Scroll back to last year's Santa picture...yep same Santa but different facial expressions. Ava is in love with Santa now. She feels the need to tell him all about what is going on in her world. This year, La Coste, a little town next to Castroville, brought in snow for the last day of school. Growing up, we almost always had snow around Christmas and I forget that Ava and Alex will likely never see snow unless it is brought in or we travel somewhere with snow. Don't get me wrong...I am not complaining, but it was nice to play in the snow for a few hours and then drive home safely.

Our sweet friends the Winklers, we love them so much! This is Ava's big bud Julia and her playing in the snow. They had a really fun hill for the kids to sled down on the other side. It was a little to big for the girlies.

She did not know what to think about this snow.

Santa again, we just love this guy! One funny story though. Ava told me, this is not the real Santa because he does not have gloves on. I told her that in Castroville it is too hot for Santa to wear gloves....makes sense right :).

Bubby and Alex. Alex loves to cuddle with anyone around

Our Christmas Angels. Cousin Connor, Ava, and Alex by Bubby's tree at the ranch

Santa was everywhere this year! We are so thankful to the George's for providing Santa with a map to all of our Christmas stops.

Bet this picture is a lot different next year when Alex realizes that Santa is holding her.

All the crazy cousins at the Ranch!

Christmas Eve, 2011

This is a random picture I know, but it is a cute story. Connor loves, loves, loves buses and when he saw the motor home in the drive way, he went crazy! Pancho and Harley took Ava and Connor out on a Christmas spin in the bus to search for Santa, unfortunately the river got in the way of Santa's house. They were so close.....so Ava called Adam at the store on Christmas Eve to ask him to bring the boat down so that we could get over to Santa's house. Silly girl.

Christmas morning cute PJs from Tee. Ava has her Bitty Baby on her back on Christmas morning because she had asked Santa for more clothes for Bitty. She was really hoping he remembered.... Alex loved hanging out with her two great aunts. They were great baby carriers.

Santa, you found us again.

And you had your elves make Bitty Baby a Dorothy costume too. How did you know Ava loved the Wizard of Oz so much!!!

She was so excited about her Bitty Baby's new duds!!!

When we got home to Castroville, Santa had been there too and brought Ava the rest of her list, a piano and Hello Kitty stuff. I am thinking I need to write Santa a little note and tell him to think a little harder about the presents he gives next year and make for sure they are quiet and not full of sticky sugar :).

Don't you love the outfit...sometimes you just go with whatever Ava wants to wear.

My mom's Christmas gift from the crew. I don't believe we will ever forget the trip this huge caterpillar took to get to her for Christmas. We love you mom and your love of whimsy.

How could you not love this sweet little face!!!

We took two trips to Sea World over Christmas. This first trip was with Connor and Katy then we went back with my family. Sea World was wonderful during the holidays; another thing to do if you have kiddos; it really puts you in the Christmas spirit!

Abby Cadabby and Connor and Ava

So excited to see Shamu

Mom, Dad, Ava, and Aunt Rosie hanging out after the Walrus show..... I got a fancy camera for Christmas so I hope that I will take more pictures now, I brought it when we went back to Sea World on New Year's Eve and am just loving the pics it takes.

Ha, I made it into one...no two pictures on my blog. It is a Christmas Miracle.

Ava could ride the Sesame Street Merry Go Round over and over again.

Hanging out in the stroller on our way to the next show.

Alex is just about three months now and it is just my favorite age. She loves to interact with people. She reminds me so much of Ava at this age. I cannot wait to watch them grow up together.

I mean don't you just want to kiss those little cheeks. Alex 2.5 months and 10 lbs 4 oz. She is 2 oz heavier than Ava at this age.

I love to buy crazy science experiments. This one was really nifty. It was pop rocks that turned into a super sour molten drink. Very retro, huh. Ava didn't try it after she saw our faces.

Ahhh, the end of Christmas 2011. Can't wait to see what is in store for 2012.

Christmas is a time to celebrate the love and joy families bring! We love you all and thank you for making our Christmas memories so remarkable.

A 3 Year Old - Where does the time go???

2011-12-10T17:41:00.000-08:00

Well Fall is as busy as the summer was and again I cannot get over how truly blessed we are. I am enjoying my time at home with the girls and especially loved celebrating another birthday for Miss Ava. We had so much fun this year celebrating Ava's birthday and did everything she wanted to do. Next year I think I am going to try one really big birthday with all her friends and family because this year she actually told me she was tired of her birthday. I think she was just tired but I could not believe she uttered those words.

Birthday # 1 was celebrated with KK and cousin Connor. We went to a fun indoor playground, to the Rain Forest Cafe, and then to the Imax Theater to watch a movie on dinosaur fish. When we came home, Ava and Connor painted and then we ate some yummy hamburgers and Pinkalicious Cupcakes.

Cousin Connor and Birthday Girl Ava - These two are the best of buds

Connor had a lot of fun driving the cars at the Little Gym

Ava loved the blow-up jumping gyms

And Alex had a great nap before...

The big Air Hockey game!

This game ended up with two hockey discs so that each could play their own game :). It was a great time!!!

At the Rain Forest Cafe, we had a great time checking out the animals. We were going to go to the zoo but the weather was a bit overcast so to the rain forest we went.

I think this was a great choice - Connor kept cheering on the elephants as they moved around. The quote of the day "Great Job Elephants"

And this little one was a big trooper the whole day!

Birthday #2

On November 18th (day after birthday) we headed into San Antonio again with Pancho and Tee. We had a great time at an old antique amusement park in Alamo Heights. It brought back great memories of amusement parks when I was a kid. Ava had a blast and she was the perfect age "3" for the park. Gosh I cannot believe it has been three year!!!

We have a unique style that is all girl!!!

I mean really....how fun. Don't you remember these boats in the water when you were little. It just made me smile.

Not the best pic of Ava but I just loved the quote on the airplane. I don't know what it is like to have a sister but all the sisters that I know are truly best friends. I cannot wait to watch them grow up!

Birthday #3/Thanksgiving

For Thanksgiving we drove to Spearman and had a wonderful time. Full of laughs...

Do you see this duct taped trash bag contraption...that is our turkey. Mom defrosted it for 2.5 days however the darn thing weighed so much it should have been defrosted for like a week. So we read the instructions on a quick defrost - but wait we read the instructions after we took the plastic off the bag. That is the first no no in the quick defrost method. So put mom, Miranda and I together and we come up with a new wrap. Two trashbags and a whole lot of duct tape :). I had to include it only for the memories. This was a great turkey once defrosted.

Alex had on a matching outfit but I didn't get a good shot of them together.

I always love to go home but this time was extra fun. Ava is in love love love with the Wizard of Oz and I had told her that we would go up to Liberal, Kansas for her birthday and see Dorothy and visit Oz. If you have a little one that likes the Wizard of Oz, this is a must do. You probably won't have a great friend that lives in town but you will have a great time. Lindsey, we had a wonderful time with you, your kiddos, and your mom. I am so glad that we could get together and catch up; even if just for a few hours.

Now to Oz....There is a funny story that goes along with this trip to Oz and it is narrated through the pictures below....try to contain yourself until the end

We are not in Kansas anymore...Glenda welcoming Ava into Munchkin Land

Oh my goodness, the Lullaby League and the Lollipop Guild!!! Mom, will you sing the song again....

Ava was not a fan of the black crow on the scarecrow...he moved his head and scared her :)

Sweet Bentley and the Tin Man

Scrub Scrub Scrub, Rub Rub Rub and a couple of La De Dahs...that's how we wash the day away in the merry ole land of Oz. This was Ava's favorite part, imagine that!!!

Do you remember in the movie when the whole crew heads down the narrow green hall in pursuit of Oz. It is kind of a scary part, and they recreated it so well in this land of oz...I mean really this is a great place to visit!!

Now to the funny part.

In the pic below do you notice two things that look the same.....

Dorothy the mannequin and Ava as Dorothy.

This is the Dorothy that Ava had in her mind.

The Dorothy that Ava drove 11 hours to meet.

The Dorothy that Ava watches everyday in her movie.

This was the Dorothy Ava expected....

Meet our Dorothy,

When you are 3 you just want things to be exactly like what you see in the movies or have in your mind

and it is tough to explain when things are a little different :) ....

She was a sweet sweet girl and a wonderful tour guide through Oz.

Just not exactly what Ava was expecting. It will make for great memories though.

Alexandra Lee Lowe

2011-12-01T12:33:00.000-08:00

Hello, my name is Alex and I was born on October 11, 2011. I share a birthday with my Uncle T-Ray and have stollen the hearts of everyone I meet.

Dr. Gallagher delivered me without any trouble at all. In fact, I heard mom sing "we're off to see the wizard the wonderful wizard of oz" to my sister so many times while we were in the hospital that I decided enough is enough and surprised everyone with my appearance into the world.

Mom and dad did not find out until I was born whether I was a girl or a boy. And it was a wonderful surprise for everyone...especially my mom. She would have no clue how to handle a little boy!!!

Everyone loves to hold me and tell me how cute I am. I agree with them 100%!

And my very favorite person is my....

BIG SISTER AVA! She is so much fun and loves to help me do everything!

She even threw me a birthday party when I got home from the hospital!!!
And the other person in the family that I have wrapped around my finger is my daddy. I might have been a surprise to my mom and dad, but I have stolen their hearts completely.

There is my cousin Connor, he thinks I am pretty cool to. I can't wait till his mom and dad have another baby so that I can play with him/her like Ava and Connor play together. They are big buds.

But I constantly remain in the spotlight!

August 2011

2011-09-25T18:57:00.000-07:00

Well the end of summer was as great as the beginning, except for the heat, but that didn't stop us from going and going. As I write this one month late, I am a bit sentimental, anxious, and excited.

In August, we saw the Wizard of Oz play - Ava's favorite movie of all time,

We saw the Pinkalicious play - Ava's favorite book of all time,

We took Ava on a trip with our favorite friends, the Wilsons.

and we took some incriminating pictures of Ava & Jeran.

If you notice a theme it is most certainly that the world has revolved around Ava for 2 years and 10 months and I wouldn't change this for anything. Actually, I am writing and Ava is sitting with me in the chair patiently sitting with her finger on "her button" which ironically doesn't work but all that matters is that she feels included.

As I mentioned my emotions are all over the place about Baby A that is to come any day now, but one thing I do know is that this baby will have a wonderful and creative big sister to always lead the way.

A few more sweet shots from the trip to Corpus Christi.....

Riding the ferry looking for dolphins

Checking out the big boats

Hanging out in the waves

Late night crab hunting

Blinding the crab with a flashlight and catching them in our hands

There was a professional sand castle builder on the beach making a castle for a wedding. Grace and Ava were really into trying to make their very own castle....all we ended up with was a really big hole :)

Summer vacation 2011 with the Wilsons.

Easter Through 4th of July

2011-07-15T19:19:00.000-07:00

I lost my wire to transfer pictures a few months ago and my mom "very politely" reminded me that I needed to catch up on all that has happened from Easter to the 4th of July. I don't think I can truly capture all that we have done but sure did like reminiscing through these photos.

Easter 2011

Trip to the San Antonio Zoo with Grandma

Easter Sunday Peeps

The tradition continues of the special $$ egg

The Easter Bunny filled the yard with tons of eggs - what a great time we had

Good Friday Trip to Sea World with great friends and Grandma. If you are in San Antonio and have kids in love with Sesame Street, they have added a great area dedicated to those fun guys. Ava loves spending time there; I think we have been 4 times already this year. This pregnant lady doesn't love the heat but it is worth it to see Ava have so much fun!

May Trip to Spearman

What a great time we had going home to Spearman. Not only did we get to see my brother and parents, we got to see the Butts and the Dunnihoos. It had been so long since I had seen them, but I am so glad we got to create new memories together at Blake's birthday....even if Ava introduced the most annoying nonpopping bubbles to Blake that weekend.

We love the Amarillo Discovery Center - It is a great place in Ava's mind. She wants to go back to Amarillo every week just so she can go and play there.

Grandpa taught Ava to drive the pick-up while we checked out the new babies

T-Bill and Grandpa endured the Panhandle winds so that Ava could play with Pete and his girls

When we were home for Thanksgiving, Dad bought a new tractor and Adam drove it home. Ava talks about that tractor about as much as she talks about the Discovery Center. So while at home, Grandpa and T-Bill let Ava drive the tractor too.

Perhaps she will be the next great tractor driver....

June Trip to Rockport

Ava "caught" this fish about ten times in a row :). Actually we baited the hook with it and let her throw it in and catch it over and over again. She thought it was great, but I am sure the fish had a different opinion.

It was so much fun to see the dolphins come up to the back porch - I think I was as excited as Ava was about that!

Trips to the Lake

Abby took Ava out on the intertube because I figured "Baby A" would not appreciate the bumping around much.

4th of July

Ava and Grace getting ready for the 4th of July Parade

My girlfriend Janna convinced Abby and I to join her on the Castro Garden Club Float - I am so glad she did we had a blast! It was really fun when when we rode past the 3 dads. The kids got so excited to show off their candy throwing skills!!!

Ava had the pageant wave down pat.

Easter Part 1

2011-05-19T17:08:00.000-07:00

We had a wonderful Easter but I have not had time to upload the pictures from my camera. A 2nd post will be coming over the weekend full of candid shots. A few weeks before Easter we took some photos with a pro and they came out really cute....considering the "Easter Bunny" bit Ava on the arm the second we got there - thus the stoic look in some of the photos.

One thing that made these photos so special to me is the fact that it is our last Easter as a family of three. I was really okay with a sweet little family of three but God always knows best.....he will bless us with a new little Lowe on or around October 10th. I am verging on 20 weeks now and time will just not slow down, it is so much different this time around! We went in for the sonogram this week and the baby is 100% healthy and growing right on track. I made the decision for everyone that we are not going to find out the sex and can't believe I am finally going to get to keep a secret. Maybe this secret keeping thing will be a new trend for me....ha probably not but it is fun to drive everyone crazy while I can.

Christmas 2010

2011-02-20T17:30:00.000-08:00

Time flies in the Lowe family and even though it is February 2011, I am finally going to post our Christmas pics.

We had a few "milestones" this Christmas and the first was that we truly love Mr. Santa Claus now. Ava thinks he hung the moon. Thanks to a few little elves in the George household, Ava thinks Santa is AWESOME because he loves shoes and golf.

Ava had a great time this Christmas and while I know she doesn't fully get it, she is grasping what the true meaning of Christmas is:

1st - Celebrating the birth of baby Jesus - Here is Ava's tribute

2nd - Being with family.

The rest of the photos are just candid shots from the holidays. What a great way to end a wonderful 2010!

Christmas Eve celebrations......

Lotto Scratching Christmas Morning......

And White Elephant Gifts......

Connor and Ava feeding the deer at the ranch...they were fondly referred to as reindeer this Christmas Day

Hugs for Bubby......

Lots of great cookies.....

Crazy boys......

Sweet moments of reading books and....

loving on our cousins......

Eating lots and lots of food.......

Showing off furniture for the Big Girl Room for Ava ..........

opening so many presents...........

And watching my baby grow into a sweet little girl.......

Full of Love......

Laughter........

and Family!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!!!!!

The Customary Santa Pics

2010-12-22T14:35:00.000-08:00

Oh Santa, we really do love you.....but only from a distance.

Earlier this month, Santa came to visit Ava at school. As soon as we got to school, I went into where Santa was sitting and introduced Ava to him. She was okay with him on a name only basis but when it came to sitting on his lap - it did not happen. Santa could not even get within 3 feet of Ava. Thus no pictures were taken of Ava sitting on Santa's lap and I decided that I was not going to waste time at any store to get a funny Santa shot - just not worth it. Until.....

While out with the Wilsons,

there arose such a clatter

and we all turned around to see what the matter.

When, what to my wandering eyes would appear......

I knew in a moment it must be St. Nick!

Sorry back to the story, by this time we had trimmed the tree and talked about Santa each and every day, so Ava called out to Santa to say hello. Santa walked over to where we were to greet Ava and Grace and you can only imagine. Immediately, Grace went under the table and politely told Santa to leave; Ava just stood in awe of the power she must of had to get Santa to walk over to her table. Adam was determined to get a pic of Ava with Santa so they stood up next to the jolly St. Nick and asked me to take a shot.

The RESULT.....Of course it is a horrible picture where Adam is trying to distract Ava and Ava is crying like nobodies business.

So we decided I would give it a good ole college try.....nope not going to happen.

Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night!!!!

We are beginning our whirlwind Christmas trip to Del Rio this week, actually Ava left today to spend some time with Bubby before the hustle and bustle of Christmas sets in full force. As we do each year, Adam and I will be tending to the store on Christmas Eve and then arriving in Del Rio around midnight. I know when we arrive, we will be welcomed with open arms to a bunch of Lowes playing games and laughing at everything. I am sure Ava will be right in the middle of the fun.

Sometimes I get sad that we can't join in on all the Christmas Eve festivities but do enjoy the excitement of the store and spending time with Adam. Even though he only let's me stock the shelves and talk to people, I still enjoy being a part of it.

Busy October and November

2010-12-12T19:29:00.000-08:00

Birthdays, Birthdays, Birthdays.....

Oh and Halloween & Thanksgiving were in there too!

This is a long entry full of tons of pics...but October and November are just busy months. We started October out by celebrating two of our favorite people's birthday. Cousin Connor and Uncle Harley are "Birthday Twins" so we all got together to celebrate in Austin.

They may look harmless in these pics, but trust me they are going to be trouble as they get older!

Happy Birthday Uncle Harley and Connor; we love you!!!

I have tons of pics of these two running all over the place. They are so much fun together

Then we moved on to Halloween.

Growing up, one thing I loved about Halloween was going to all of my friends & families homes and getting tons of candy....I know that is what every kid loves, but in Spearman it was different. Every one knew who you were and were expecting you to show up. They had great candy ready for you and always invited you in from the cold to talk for a few minutes.

I wanted nothing more than to have that same wonderful experience for Ava as she grew up. Well, God is good and has sent us to an amazing town where we have so many friends that treat us like we are family. We set out with the Wilsons at 4:00 for Trick or Treating and by 8:00 we had made it to 7 homes and were pooped but so thankful for our great friends.

Levi is getting so big

Grace was the perfect Tinker Bell

And Ava was the sweetest Grape you have ever seen!

Let me tell you a little bit about our costume, at the first of October, Grace had the Halloween costumes planned. Both she and Ava would be Tinkerbells and Levi was Peter Pan. Obviously that was not how the Halloween costumes ended up.....Ava was on the phone with Pancho and Tee and Pancho asked what she wanted to be for Halloween and she said purple. By the end of the phone call, Pancho and Ava decided that a grape was the 2010 Halloween costume for Ava, and Tee was in charge of making it. Tee did a great job with the costume and she had many compliments on her grape!

The fairy and the grape ran around like Wild Indians until at 8:00 they were pooped and joined Stevie for some candy giving.

The funny part was that Ava & Grace were very selective on who they gave candy to. They did not like the big kids so those guys only got one candy and it was the "bad ones." No suckers or chocolate left there hands for a big kid, according to Grace.

November = Ava's Birthday!!!

This November we celebrated 3 birthdays for Ava; just like we did last year. We started off the trilogy in Rockport with Pancho and Tee. The Wilsons joined us down south and we had all these plans to watch the birds and collect seashells. BUT, of course the one weekend we go down to the beach it is freezing cold. Nonetheless, we attempted some sea shell collecting

And bird chasing

But in the end, took a quick picture and went to the local seashell shop and bought some seashells to remember the trip

While we were hunting the boys went fishing. They had about the same luck as us and were quickly back at the house settled in for the big party!

Grace and Ava are so funny together. Grace will be 4 in January and tells everyone that Ava is her "sister," and these two act just like it. One minute they love eachother to death and the next minute they are at each others throat about something.

When the car came out we had to do some negotiating on whose turn it was

But in the end we all enjoyed cake and ice cream

Happy Birthday my sweet baby - I cannot believe you are two. Time has passed so fast and I have loved every minute of it.

Birthday #2 - KK, Uncle Chunk, & Ava

Inside this envelope is the most annoying birthday card you have ever heard. It plays the chicken song over and over again. We probably listen and dance to the chicken song every night. Thank you so much KK.

Daddy just loves Ava's new rain coat and boots.....I, of course, fell in love with them the minute I saw them!

KK bought Ava her own special tree for her room. Ava turns it on every day and loves to just look at all of the pretty colors. I think Christmas will be so fun this year because Ava is starting to grasp what everything is. She might not understand the meaning of Christmas but she certainly understands who the major players are.

After trimming the tree together, KK thought it would be fun to decorate a cake with Ava

This was the sweetest cake you had ever tasted.

Happy Birthday to you again, my sweet baby.

Birthday #3

We went to Spearman for Thanksgiving and celebrated birthday #3 with my family. Ava is the princess just about anywhere she goes but in Spearman I think Ava is the QUEEN. She ruled the roost up there so a crown was very fitting. Also, by this time celebrating Ava's birthday was expected by the Queen. My mom had a banner in the dining room that said Happy Birthday. Ava walked in there everyday and sang herself Happy Birthday.

Rosie had a great time playing beauty shop with Ava.....

and Ava loved her pretty fingernails too.

I love this picture because of the memories I have with it. My Uncle Peter made me this horse when I was two and mom brought it down from the attic for Ava to play with over Thanksgiving. Ava loved it so much and affectionately named it Woody. We might not be very creative but we are accurate.

Oh Charli Brown you have grown up so very much since the last time we saw you. I think this will be the last picture of Ava holding Ms. Brown. Next time I think it will be the other way around.

Now this cake was delicious, but don't be deceived, Ava did not help decorate it. Grandma did this cake all by herself. :) Love you mom - it really was good. I am so glad you bought a new oven after Thanksgiving.

Uncle T-Bill, Aunt Rosie and the Birthday Girl

Finally, THANKSGIVING!
This was the best Thanksgiving in a very long time. There was no rush and no expectations. My dad had his knee replaced the Monday of Thanksgiving and Travis and Miranda came up early to tend to the farm and cook the Thanksgiving meal. Tracy brought his very sweet girlfriend Kate in for the week and we got to take her out on an adventure ride with the horses. Mom and I had every intention of making for sure the horses were dead tired before we put Kate on one, but in the end it brought back hilarious memories of Kasey and Jenn riding Charlie during high school. Adam and I drove through the night on Wednesday night and got in at noon on Thanksgiving day. We stayed until the Wednesday after Thanksgiving to help around the house, and I think we both enjoyed the time away. Adam even dusted off quite a few of his old cowboy skills.

Spearman has changed some since I left but the memories will never die; it was very nice to take a few days off to just be home. I didn't get many shots of Thanksgiving but we all got together and for that I am so thankful.

Quick Trip to Abilene

2010-10-14T15:48:00.000-07:00

Ava and I took a quick trip up to Abilene this past week and had a blast. We enjoyed downtown Abilene's 2 museums Frontier Texas and the Grace Museum, we had a great lunch with Miranda's mom and sister, and then went out to Buffalo Gap and listened to some funny Texas "ghost" stories of long ago. Oh we also met the newest addition of the Brown clan, Charlie, a boxer puppy that Travis and Miranda will be adding to their family. It was so much fun and full of a lot of laughs.

I think the Grace Museum is ranking right up there on my museums to go and see. Travis and Miranda were married there 2 years ago and the boys were down in the Children's Museum and had told me how much fun it was. Well, they were right!

Miranda and I pulled a few pranks on my mom, which is customary, and of course competed on all of the little kids games, again customary. And Ava, she had a great time too. It is so funny how grandparents just decide to be the "fun" ones when they aren't the "parents" any more. Pay backs, right. At one point, Miranda was caught up in Abilene history, I was off in another part of the museum, and I hear my mom say, "Ava, I don't think you are supposed to be back there." Ava had just walked behind the bars of one of the exhibits and was rearranging the exhibit to her liking. Goodness. I don't think that would have flown when I was Ava's age but with Grandma anything goes.

I was so sad that I forgot my camera at home because there was a lot of fun shots. Thankfully I had my cell phone and Miranda (AKA Rosie) took a few shots with her phone also so a few grainy shots of the weekend.

Always stacking and sorting things.

A race to see who could travel across Texas the fastest

Ava and Charlie Brown

Mommy and Ava put on a dress up show for Rosie and Grandma

August and September

2010-10-05T17:28:00.000-07:00

Well what seems to be a recurring theme with the Lowe family - time travels too fast. Adam and I have been told by quite a few people that we are always gone, and well, we are. We enjoy seeing friends and family way too much to stay at home, however as September rolled in we have certainly enjoyed being at home more. Adam helps out with dove hunting around Hondo and in the world I live in, Gala season kicks off this month. It makes for some long nights for me, but I am always up for a party!!!! I think Adam enjoys the fact that Ava is a great excuse for him to get out of the whole gala thing anyway.

So now to the most important part, this months pics of Ava......

The Franke Birthday at the Little Gym of San Antonio

What a great time we had at the Franke double birthday with all of our friends

Especially Grace

While I do miss my friends from "home," we are truly blessed to have so many great friends down here in what is now OUR HOME!!!!

The Medina County Fair

Got our boots on for the Medina County Fair. Also, this is my new favorite brand of clothing - Matilda Jane!!!! It is a must for Fall don't you think?

Ava felt she needed to do the jumping gym maze like all of the big kids.

The Hondo Corn Maze

Fall is here and I am loving the weather, the clothes, and the decorations!!!

We had a great time at the corn maze on the "Corn Popper"

Playing with friends

AND......Getting lost in the corn maze

Finally, the latest naked shots of Ava and Connor in the bath........

Kisses for KK

July Came and Left

2010-08-18T19:51:00.000-07:00

Well July was a great month! There were many trips and lots of time spent with family. We headed down to the coast twice for fishing and relaxing with family, went to Austin twice for more family visiting, and played tourist in San Antonio....again with family.

I have a few cute pictures to recap the month but have to start with my very favorite part

Morgan's Wonderland.

If you are ever in San Antonio it is a must.

Morgan's Wonderland was built to be a park that is 100% accessible for special needs kids. From the moment you step foot on the grounds, you are inspired by the thought that was put into every detail and moved by the excitement that exudes from each and every child there.

There were so many swings to swing on and Ava had a great time playing in the water and riding the train. In fact, she even caught a fish while we were there.

I think this will be a place that we go to many times when the weather cools off a bit.

Speaking of weather.....we did a lot of sprinkler playing and running around without any clothes on during the month of July.

Ava might just kill me when she sees these one day!!!

While in Austin we visited their Children's Museum....it is not a favorite of mine, but we had fun playing with Cousin Connor Man

No matter how hard Katy tried to make this toy cool, the Jack in the Box is not something we will be spending our money on....

Connor had fun testing out the slide....even if he did go up the wrong way

The rest of the shots are a few sweet family shots that I just have to include.

First, our dear friends the Wilsons welcomed another baby into their family in July, Baby Lee. I am hoping that Lee will keep Grace and Ava in check when he grows up.

He is such a calm addition to the Lowe/Wilson Clan

They look sweet here......but when Lee is out of the picture it is trouble!!! By the end of this night, Ava had a huge band-aid on her head from running head first into a bench.

Oh these girls

Rosie and Ava having a great time shopping and talking,

We all went fishing together, even Ava, for half of the day and caught nothing. The second the girls got off the boat, look what the guys caught.

4th of July was a lot of fun watching the firecrackers over the ocean....not the best of pictures but the only family picture I have in this whole role.

It really was a great July!!!!!!

The Wonderful World of Bananas

2010-07-02T07:41:00.000-07:00

How to Make a Banana Hair Mask
I heard on the news the other day that bananas are the perfect fruit for increasing strength, endurance and shine in your hair. Your hair can be dramatically improved by a hair mask the same way that you will see immediate improvement in your face following a facial, and bananas are the number one ingredient in this particular strengthening and volumizing mask.

Things You'll Need:

2 bananas, 3 tablespoons of mayonnaise, 1 tablespoon of olive oil, Blender, Spatula, Tupperware container

Steps to Follow:

Step 1: Peel the bananas.

Step 2: Puree the bananas in the blender. Make sure that there are no lumps left in the liquid.

Step 3:Add in the mayonnaise and olive oil. The liquid should become smooth and creamy.
Step 4: Mix in 2 drops of essential oils. This will make your hair smell a little less like fruit.
Step 5: Apply to head......save the rest in the Tupperware and store it in the refrigerator.

Now, when you have about 30 minutes to spare, you can moisturize and strengthen your hair with your own banana hair mask.

If you don’t have the time to follow all of these steps, just give me a call. Ava is happy to help any time, she has mastered the Banana Hair Mask technique !!!!

Weekend Excursions

2010-06-23T16:50:00.001-07:00

Each and every weekend we cherrish to the best of our ability. Of course the agenda revolves 100% around Ava and one thing we really love to do is go to museums or sites similar to a museum like the zoo or SeaWorld, etc. So whenever we have a chance we go. Here is a run down of a few of our weekends over the summer! Time is just flying too fast.

The San Antonio Children's Museum Oh so much fun!

Ava the sorter and organizer loved these little colored pegs and really did not want to share them with anyone. We removed every single peg and put them all back several times.

This little area was set up for kids to make their own jungle gym. I had to get involved at the beginning but she caught on pretty fast.

And then we were all over this little gym.

And one of the best parts - bubbles all over the place

Surprise Trip to Spearman
Each Memorial Weekend Adam goes on a fishing trip with his dad. My mom was very sad that she could not take advantage of the break between school and summer school because my dad had to take advantage of the good weather and get the hay cut......so on Friday morning Ava and I planned a surprise trip with my dad's help and on Saturday we were landing in Amarillo to surprise my mom. Even as I said Hi Mom as I descended down the escalator my mom still had no clue she was waiting for Ava and I. It was GREAT!

Amarillo Discovery Center

Now, you might think that San Antonio would have Amarillo's Museum beat any day of the week. I must say in my opinion the Amarillo Discovery Center is worth the trip. It was great fun and a lot of interactive games for kids.

Of course there were small bubbles

And really big bubbbles

And it wouldn't be a museum in the Panhandle of Texas without a tornado exhibit

The Whitte Museum in San Antonio

The Kid's Tree House was wonderful. I can't wait till Ava is a little bigger, she will enjoy it so much more.

But the river outside and all of the picnic areas within the grounds were wonderful

San Antonio Zoo with the Wilsons

Grace goes to the zoo quite often so she was a great tour guide for Ava. At this point we were in awe of the bears and making all of the bear sounds we could possibly think of.

No time for pictures when there are cheetahs in the background!

And Finally............

SEAWORLD

This is a little girl amazed by the whales at seaworld! It is the coolest thing for kids of all ages.

Ava has mastered her mothers fake smile!

And that is enough pictures, let's just enjoy the show.

SeaWorld was so much fun we have season tickets. There is no way with a child Ava's age that you can complete this park all at once. They make it so easy to get a season pass so I am sure that little by little over the course of the summer we will complete the entire SeaWorld experience.

The Dallas Aquarium

2010-04-23T07:26:00.000-07:00

A few weeks back, my little brother Tracy convinced me to run in the Rock and Roll Marathon with him in Dallas. I ended up running a relay with a friend of his and it was lots of fun. Most importantly, it got me back into the running mode. But before we ran, Travis wanted to take Ava to the Dallas Aquarium and IT WAS GREAT! It was truly on of the neatest places, but next time we know to plan for a weekday or early morning on the weekend.

The aquarium is set up like a huge tree house and looking over the bridge you see alligators, fish, ducks, and lots of crazy birds. Ava was in awe of all of the animals!

And then we went underground to the FISH!!!! The best part in Ava's mind.

They were all around her. Fish Fish and more fish
We are in HEAVEN!

I think we set on this ledge for about 30 minutes looking at the sharks, stingrays, and other scary fish. It took all the convincing we could to get Ava out of this room and then we got lost and ended up right back there again. So it was back to the negotiating.

Yes, Ava is wearing a leash. She loves to run from place to place so I let her think she has free range but in fact she is never more than 3 feet away.

Easter 2010

2010-04-04T17:49:00.000-07:00

We had a great trip up to Abilene to see T-Bill and Rosie's new house. It was beautiful and a perfect setting for Ava's first Easter Egg Hunt! We started the weekend off at the zoo and that evening had a practice run for the big day. With all the practice she got Saturday night, by Sunday, she was a pro and absolutely loved hunting all the eggs. T-Bill liked to make it a challenge for little Ava but she found all of the over 30 eggs that were hidden.

The Abilene Zoo is perfect for Ava. We are all about animals right now and this zoo is not too big and the animals are so close to you that you can even feed them.....

This little guy comes up to eat your crackers. Ava was not a fan of his big tounge, but I sure thought it was cool!

To Ava's favorite part, the Flamingos.

In the Lowe house, flamingos say "Ariba" right Ava? I guess it is always a party in the Lowe house

Easter Egg Hunt #1 .....the Practice

One little quirk about Ava is her need to round up, sort, and then put up again. Sometimes it is a bit obsessive, but I know she will always be tidy.

Oh I think she is ready for the big day!

Grandpa and Ava, Easter 2010, We are glad the weather cooperated so he was able to come to Abilene

We are off

And the 2nd Easter egg hunt begins!

T-Bill you sure are making it tough on Ava to find these eggs....
I was trying to help her find the eggs on the deck, but look behind me, I am definately in the way of a very special pink egg......

" Just get out of the way, Mom, I am on a mission "

Daddy always makes hunting Easter eggs much easier. T-Bill had put this egg in that hole. I mean really, how was Ava supposed to get that?

Taking out the eggs

T-Ray, Grandpa, and Grandma

T-Bill and Rosie checking out Ava's Eggs

Trying to balance with all of these eggs!!

Oh the special egg!!!!!
Ava was all about sharing this year. She is cutting molars so is not in the best of moods and food sometimes hurts her, so we all got to enjoy Ava's PEEPS!
We had to have two bags for the Easter Egg Hunt. Thank you everyone!
>

Where did February Go?

2010-03-22T09:56:00.000-07:00

This weekend marked the start of Spring and the Lowe family is so excited! We kicked off this wonderful time of year with Spring Cleaning - can't you just feel the excitement :). Somehow our garage became an absolute mess over the winter and I could not stand it any longer. Once we finished that, we were so inspired we moved to the inside. While I love concrete floors, they can get so dirty. So on our hands and knees we scrubbed our floors till we could see our faces in them. Ahh it felt so good.

Sunday reminded me of being home in the Panhandle as it was windy windy windy and a bit chilly. Because it was not quite South Texas Spring weather, Ava had on one of my favorite winter outfits for church - I had to get one more day of wear out of it because she is growing way to fast.

She is such a ham at 16 months. I mean really she is too much. We cannot imagine our life without her. Sometimes I have vague memories of picking up and going to dinner and dancing or meeting up with friends at a local dive for cards and nachos. Vague memories that are quickly squashed by my daughters sweet voice saying "No Mama No, Down Down Down."

Her latest "treat" is to explain to us every sound she makes. She informs us that she just burped and loves to "toot toot" all of the time. Unfortunately because she is attempting to "toot toot"all of the time, we go through diapers a lot quicker than before. Oh my little princess! (Now that is a story that I am sure she will want me to elaborate on when she gets into high school)

More photos to come but here are a few from this past Sunday.

We were trying to get some cute shots of Ava outside and as we are running after her trying to get her to turn around, she walked over to the big rock, climbed on top of it, and started laughing. Perfect!

And then she realized we were taking photos so I got this look.

Finally, I couldn't help but laugh, she propped herself back like this and just set there as if to say "Oh ya, I know I am cute!"

Baby Its Cold Outside

2010-02-09T13:33:00.001-08:00

When we moved to Castroville, I was reminded of how hot it was going to be down here ALL YEAR LONG. Over the years, I might have complained about the weather and on an occasion even wished it would just cool down. But we in the Lowe family are all praying that this cold weather would just go away and bring back the heat.

Christmas 2009

2010-01-24T17:14:00.000-08:00

What a wonderful Christmas we had. This was Ava's 2nd Christmas but the first one that she could truly enjoy! We are blessed with so much, but most of all we have a wonderful family. I thank God each day for the joys that he has bestoyed upon us and look forward to many years of memories.

This entry will be full of pictures and not words (I can't believe that I could even do this) but I think I can capture all of the Christmas festivities in photos much better.

Ava was not the only baby at the Lowe Family Christmas. It is so great that Connor is here now but I don't know if Ava has quite accepted that she is not the center of attention, though.

Merry Christmas Everyone! Let's get to these presents....

Sweet Connor with T, Aunt Pat, and Aunt Pam

Merry Christmas Ahma!

Another shot of the duo with their Great Aunts

Oh wow, the red wagons. Our first of many Christmas "projects" from Pancho and T

Thank goodness Tio and Chris put together Connor's wagon. It took us about 2 weeks to finally get to ours.

Christmas #1 was just too exciting for Pancho and Ava

I love this picture of Bubby, Ava, and me!

KK and her little kids

Ava got to take part in Will's first deer! Very exciting.

The family shot over Christmas out at the Ranch

Christmas #2 was full of kids, cameras, powertools, and most of all family

Ava's best bud!

Christmas at the Ranch would not be the same without the trivia game. I do believe that team Katy, Greg, Bill, and Ashley were the winners!!!

I like this tradition of boots for Christmas

Hey Will, Merry Christmas

Christmas #3 and Daddy got some new boots too. I think I am as excited as he was about this!

We love our bunny Aunt Jeanne

Nothing is better than clothes!!!

Finally, she got this present opening down!

Thank you T-Ray for the ball shooting, music singing, toy o'fun. It is great exercise chasing after all the balls.

I guess all the rules go out the window when Grandma and Grandpa are in town.

Happy 2010!

Thanksgiving and Birthday all in one month

2009-12-23T08:58:00.000-08:00

I have a feeling November will always be a very busy time for us. Hunting season is in full force thus the store is humming, Ava celebrates her birthday on November 17th, and then Thanksgiving is right around the corner. This year, we had a very eventful November and I think the theme of this month was party.

We started the birthday celebration on the coast with Pancho, T, Uncle Harley and Aunt Pat, and Uncle Don and Aunt Pam. Our dear friends the Wilsons came down with us for the festivities. Pancho and T have a beautiful home in Rockport that has a great dock to fish off of. While I don't think it is a norm, I successfully caught my first salt water fish and it was a RedFish. Needless to say, Adam spent the rest of the night fishing for something that could beat me, but alas, he never did.

The Infamous Red Fish

The second birthday was in Castroville with KK. We went to a great steak house and then back to the house for a banana pudding cake. If you have ever been around Ava you will know that bananas are her favorite and when you add them with vanilla wafers.....oh boy you have made her day!

Ava spent a few days at home with KK and was not excited at all to return to the daycare. But when she walked into her class and saw the balloons and the cupcakes and presents her mood quickly changed. We are truly blessed to have the sweetest daycare that Ava attends.

Finally, the 4th Birthday, yes 4th Birthday was spent in Spearman with Grandpa and Grandma, Uncle T-Bill and Aunt Rosie, and Uncle T-Ray. Not only did we have cake at this birthday, we had a green jello salad and lasagna. Life could not get any better.......until a fancy pink four wheeler came around the corner.

Ava is not only walking, she is driving.

The bad news is she takes after her mother. She drives as fast as she can into every wall in the house and then just keeps on driving until you turn her around so she can do it again. Good thing we have insurance.

I don't know where she gets this, hopping onto her car prepared to make a phone call....

All in all November was wonderful and it was nice to go home and see my family and good friends Jenn and Lindsey and their kids. We are truly blessed! I know Christmas will be just as fun and cannot wait to celebrate every moment.

Happy Halloween

2009-11-07T15:23:00.000-08:00

This year for Halloween we decided to paint pumpkins - well at least one pumpkin. It was so much fun but a bit of a mess.

I also had every intention of finding the perfect Halloween costume for Ava, but it ended up that we went to Austin for Halloween and had a pretty full agenda. Trick or treating was not in the cards this year, but I am sure she will not let us miss another Halloween full of sugary goodness.

We did, however, have enough outfits to last almost every day of the Halloween Week....

A Few Trips in September and October

2009-11-04T17:12:00.001-08:00

Well ,the past two months have been a whirlwind. Between work and Ava, life just does not stop no matter how much I wish it would. I was looking through my camera at the photos and videos and truly cannot remember where the time has been.

We did have two very fun trips over the past two months. One was a trip to Spearman and the other was a trip to Concan. Just a little recap on our travels:

A Trip To Spearman
Jenn, Jeran, Ava and I took a trip up to Spearman the first week in September to visit Kasey and Blake and Lindsay and Bentley. Oh what fun we had playing with the horses and the tractors and of course catching up on lost times. IT HAD BEEN FOUR YEARS SINCE WE HAD ALL BEEN TOGETHER.

Jenn and Jeran on the Tractor

Ava just stood in front of the tractor. There was no way she was going to attempt sharing the tractor with Farmer Jeran!

The whole crew for a shot on the couch. It didn't work that well but at least it will be something to remember the trip by.
Introducing Mr. Blake Butts!

Ava and Jeran saying good bye to Spearman. Little did I know what was in store for us the rest of September. We successfully caught almost every type of flu imaginable. We dodged the H1N1 but caught the stomach bug (evidence was left in the isle of the Southwest Plane) and then it was just downhill from there. Thank God for immunity and I am glad we are done with that fun.

A Trip to the Frio River:
We also took a trip to Concan in October. Concan is a sweet little place nestled between Hondo and Uvalde on the Frio River. It has a beautiful golf course, wonderful people, and most of all great atmosphere, oh and did I mention cell phone service is minimal. IT IS THE BEST.

Ava loved watching the fish in the river but hated the fact that it was a little to cold to play in it. I tried to take a few pictures of Ava by the river and I am sure you all can imagine how well that went, but just in case, let me narrate -

Ava saw all of the rocks stuck in the mud and felt it very important that she check them out.

So after much work she pries a rock out of the mud, checks it out from a distance,

........and then (and there is no photo because I am screaming no...so you can guess) she sticks it in her mouth.........

So, after we get the rock out of her mouth, she decides to offer a taste of the rock to me....do you see the mud smeared on her cheek..... Just an absolute mess.

A Trip to Galveston

2009-07-28T19:10:00.000-07:00

July has been a busy month, but we are truly blessed with great friends and family. This month, we took a trip down to Galveston for an early "Happy 1 Year Jeran Butler Weekend." We went to the beach and watched the kids play in the sand, in the water, and with all of the wonderful toys Jeran has. I am so glad that Josh, Jenn, and Jeran live so close to us; I can only imagine the trouble we will get into as the kids get older. I especially enjoyed Saturday night eating fresh seafood and playing board games until we were all simpled out and laughing at everything. I had forgotten just how much fun Scattegories was! Well, it could have been the people we were playing with or the fact that I won the game :)!!!!

On another note, if you haven't been to Galveston in a while, you must go! The beach is clean, they have done a great job of restoring the homes and the well...pretty much everything else on the island seems to be getting back to normal. And did I mention fresh seafood. It was a great weekend and while we were there I actually saw rain. I could not believe what I was seeing - there was actually water falling from the sky. I feel like it has been so long since that has happened around me. I just cannot get over how hot it is outside. My family all loves to be outside but it is unbearable right now. We decided to take a leisurely stroll on Saturday at around 4:00 (my first problem) and by the 4th mile (my second problem), I had my head glued to the road praying I could make it up the last hill (my third problem). I am so ready for some rain or at least some days that stay in the low 90s. I had to laugh yesterday, there was actually an add on TV about a local Nissan Dealership that was running a special from now until August 8th, here was the deal "Buy your car now and if it rains on August 8th, we will pay you car in full." I mean seriously. I am almost tempted to go out and buy a Nissan just to give me hope that it might rain!!!

A Fun June

2009-06-28T07:32:00.000-07:00

One thing that the Wilsons and the Lowes both love to do is eat good food. While Vegas food is not cheap, it was delicious. This restaurant had the best steaks (since I am one of those that eat my steaks rare - it has to be good for me to write a review about it). Plus at this restaurant (Manamegabee - or something spelled like that) you get to sit and watch the water feature at the Bellagio. It was a great way to kick off our trip to Vegas.

Don't ask me what we are doing....I just had to include it because it has the Cirque Du Soleil in the background. We saw "O" and it was a great show. A little too late at night for me but it was truly amazing!

This is a terrible picture of Adam and I but if you look in the background, you will see the roller coaster that Adam, Garrett and I went on. It was so much fun!!!

While the boys played golf, Abby and I had a day at the spa. Some of you might know that spas and Ashley don't usually go hand in hand. I did my best to relax but even the lady giving me the massage was laughing at the end of the session. I think I was named the one that it is least likely to relax by Spa Mandalay. Well at least it was a pretty place.....

An excellent seafood restaurant in Vegas...but the most interesting part of the meal was the dessert that Garrett got - Bananas, Peanut Butter, and Bacon inside of a cinnamon pastry.

It was delicious.

Mom and Ava are saying hello to Rufus

Only John and his 7ft. arm span could wrap his arms around both Ava and Ryan's car seats with ease. For those of you from Lubbock or that just love Lubbock like we do, the new, smoke free Cap Rock Cafe is GREAT

Ryan Charles at 2 months old and almost 15 lbs

Ava Nicole at 7 month old and almost 15 lbs.

This little boy has his daddy's height and his mommy's looks

Ava is clapping because everyone is taking pictures of her - whatever it is it is a celebration

Happy 81st Birthday Bubby

Grace and Ava are ready for the lake

There were no lifejackets that would fit Ava so we just made do. Thank goodness we did not get stopped. My new mission is to find a life jacket that will fit her.

Playing at the lake can be hard work.

Daddy and Ava both where stupid looking hats to keep away the sun.....

The good news is that we don't use a pacifier....the bad news is that we love our thumb

We had so much fun in June. Adam and I went to Vegas (and 1/2 of us had a successful trip); we survived being away from Ava for 4 whole days, went home to Spearman to see my family and all of the baby horses; we watched two of our dear friends get married (Adam had to make a speech ....... most of you know what happens when a Lowe makes a speech); we met the sweetest baby boy, Ryan, and caught up with his parents while in Lubbock (I miss it so much); we celebrated Bubby's 81st birthday in Horseshoe Bay; made our first trip of the summer to the lake; and for all that care - we still don't have to budget for formula :)

Ava was 7 months on June 17th and this little girl is a busy body (I have no idea where she gets that). We have perfected the army crawl and love to receive applauds for any little thing that we do. I have a feeling that on my 8 month report of Miss Ava I will be begging for her to go back to being that sweet little baby that laid in the middle of the bed and talked to mom while she got ready....time just won't slow down. We also learned this month that Adam's sister Katy and her husband Chris will by having a little boy in November. I am very glad that Ava will have a little cousin so close to her in age. I was really hoping that I could hand down all of Ava's clothes and hats and bows and hats and bows but am so glad that Baby Davenport is healthy. So now I just hope that He grows up to be big like his dad and strong willed like his mom. If this happens, I certainly will not have to worry about anyone messing with Princess Ava.

First Time Away From Mom and Dad

2009-06-02T15:19:00.000-07:00

Over Memorial Weekend, Adam played in a golf tournament in Uvalde and we had a fun night planned in Concan listening to Gary P. Nunn. So Frank and Teresa (still working on their "names") reluctantly agreed (as they clicked their heals in jubilation) to take Ava on Saturday so that Adam and I could have some adult time.

Ava had a ball! She swam in the pool, set on the patio and watched the sun set behind the sleeping lady, and entertained all that came to visit her. I have decided that we now need to build a pool in the backyard because being in the water seems to be Ava's favorite thing. We are in search of that oil well or golden ticket if you know where I can find one.....

Ya know, I never thought that having a night all about me would be something I would dread but leaving Ava for one night, not even 24 hours, was one of the hardest things I have ever done. I knew she was going to have everything she ever wanted and more, but I just missed her so much. I hear it all the time but I can honestly say that there is no greater love than the love you have for your children. How cheesy I must sound because I am not the lovey dovey or over emotional person at all, but I cannot believe how much this little girl has a hold of my heart and will for the rest of her life. Why can't time just stop for a while so that I can savor every moment and every little thing she does!!!

Next week will be the true test of survival. Ava is heading up to Spearman to become Farmer Lowe while Adam and I take a much needed vacation with the Wilsons. My current stress is how am I going to possibly pump for 4 days while being a tourist. There is no way that I am going to take that silly pump with me around Las Vegas - wouldn't that be a site - ya know what, I probably won't look too out of place pumping at the craps table.

Fun in Horseshoe Bay

2009-05-18T10:28:00.000-07:00

Lots and lots of kisses

We went to Horseshoe Bay this month to visit KK and Aaron. Adam and Aaron played lots of golf while Ava and I spent time with KK. I quickly learned that all of Horseshoe Bay knew of the newest addition to the Lowe family and were very glad to finally meet her in person. KK is a very proud grandma.....I had to use the "G" word at least once.

Ava is 6 months now and while she is a tiny little thing (weighing in just over 13lbs), she is full of energy. I have learned that an unwatched Ava is a recipe for trouble. I won't go into any more detail but can only imagine what will happen when she starts crawling. She is starting to lift up on her front arms so it will not be long.

But in the mean time, she has figured out how to get anything and everything her little heart desires. She will just roll over there and pick it up her own self.

Drama Queen

2009-04-13T18:36:00.001-07:00

Well, I received the cutest outfit in the mail today. Mom, you really outdid yourself with this one. Thank you for the snazzy new duds - they are just unreal. If Ava wasn't the center of attention before, this will definitely put her in the running for the Queen Bee!

I just had to capture Adam's face as he and Ava opened up this outfit. The timer cut off at the end but I am sure you can imagine his reaction!!! Priceless......

Happy Easter!!!

2009-04-12T09:45:00.000-07:00

I just love Easter, the weather is beautiful, flowers are blooming and everyone has a reason to dress up (my favorite thing to do). This year we were very blessed, Adam and I woke up to the sound of rain (always a good sound); walked into our daughter's room where she woke with a smile; and as we got dressed and headed to church, the rain stopped and the sun came out - making it a perfect day to spend the afternoon at the golf course.

We went to sunrise service this morning and then had a lovely breakfast at church. Well everyone else had a great breakfast, Ava decided she needed to help me eat mine and flipped my eggs on the table and my orange juice went in the jelly. Oh well, orange juice and strawberry jelly were a good combination and I didn't need anymore eggs.

Ava will be 5 months this week and is so much fun. She talks all of the time (just like mom) and can never sit still (just like dad); I know we have our hands full but I look forward to everyday with her.

Easter will most certainly be fun for the next 10 years (don't they get tired of hunting eggs by then). I will spend weeks searching for the perfect Easter dress which will look "prefect" for about 10 minutes.

Happy Easter to everyone, we love you.

2009-04-12T09:41:00.000-07:00

Ava went for her 4 month appointment on March 16th and the doctor told us something we are pretty sure we will never hear again....she is above average height. Above average by 10%.

So Miss Ava at 4 months is:

12 lbs 10 oz (35%)

24.5 inches (60%)

It's already been 4 months!!!!

2009-03-15T16:45:00.001-07:00

We are getting used to eachother

Tech vs. OU (BOOOOOO)

Ava, 1.5 weeks

Merry Christmas Ava, just about 2 months

My favorite part of the day...Ava 3 months

Baby Blue, Ava 4 months

I wish I could have started this 4 months ago so that I could have done a better job of logging my Little Princess. I cannot believe that I have been a mom for 4 months - what the heck am I doing - seems to be my everyday statement. I am blessed with the best baby on the planet and through her have grown so much. We go tomorrow to the doctor for our 4 month checkup and will begin a diet that consists of more than just milk. MY BABY IS NOT OLD ENOUGH FOR THAT? I wish I could just stop time or make the nighttimes and weekends last forever.

Here are some fun memories of the last 4 months......

At 1 week we were just getting to know eachother
At 1 month we were adapting to a 3 hour schedule (which we now stick to 100% and no matter what is going on will not adjust this schedule - after all Miss Ava comes first right :). )
At 2 months we were celebrating Christmas and New Years with family, seeing mom off to work while spending time with our new friends at daycare, bidding Dad a fond adue as tax season began, and we were sleeping through the night. CHEERS to Happiest Baby on the Block (the best book ever)!!!!
At 3 months we learned that we had a voice and we know how to use it. Ava can carry on a 5 minute conversation with anyone that wants to listen and most recently will throw a few "rasberries" into the conversation. We have also begun using our legs to roll over, hold our head up to see all that is going on, and our hands are a source of entertainment and frustration.
At 4 months, we can only imagine what is in store but one thing we do know is that Ava only has 8 more months of being the only grandchild. We can't wait for her to have tons of cousins!!!!

Ava Goes to Washington

2009-03-15T16:27:00.000-07:00

Remember boys....

I love hugs

A surprise for Daddy

Look at all of my luggage!

The Amazing Glen Gary and Adam's $100 Bill

Bundled for the trip

I had to travel to Washington DC for my annual meeting (which was wonderful this year) and since Ava and I are still attached at the.....well no need to continue. Anyways, Adam and Ava joined me for the trip. It was a first time to DC for both of them and while their first objective was not to meet the President, they did have some fun adventures as I set in meetings all day.

We flew into Baltimore, because I am el cheapo, and decided to take a bus to the train and then the train to the depot and then walk what felt like 10 miles to the hotel in the freezing cold with 3 suitcases, 2 carry ons, a stroller, carseat, oh and Ava. It took us almost 4 hours to get from the airport to the hotel thus I only enjoyed one museum.

The next day Adam and Ava spent time in the Air and Space Museum and the Natural History Museum. I asked them to take tons of pictures and Adam took some but they were of Ava in her carseat, and Ava in her carseat, and Ava in her carseat. Well, I guess there was one of Ava on her changing pad just so Adam could remind me that YES he even changed diapers. And the only other picture Adam took was for Ava's future suitors, the Hope Diamond is the only diamond that would be suitable for his little girl. Ava is his little princess.

So as I am calling Adam to meet him at the Mall for some sightseeing he and Ava are arriving back at the hotel from a 1.5 hour trip on the train. Evidently the train Adam was on met head on (literally) with one of the hundreds of crazy people in DC. Needless to say the train was stopped and all passengers had to find a new route to their destination and my trip downtown was not going to happen. So instead we went to see The Amazing Glenn Gary. A parlor magician that proved to be another one of "Ashley's Adventures." The next day, Ava and Adam spent most of their time in the ESPN zone enjoying 14 tv's of greatness.

Ava was a trooper throughout the entire trip. We were thinking back and she cried a total of 30 minutes in 4 days. We are so lucky!!!!!

The Little Diva

2009-03-15T16:26:00.001-07:00

Well, Ava has figured out that soft, silky things are her cup of tea. She loves momma's scarfs that she wears and could carry them with her at all times. This is my little Princess in all her glory.

Fun Times with Aunts and Uncles

2009-03-15T16:01:00.000-07:00

What a great family we have!!!

Uncle Chris and Aunt Katy

Uncle Greg and Aunt Staci

Cheese Balls

Always having fun!!!

Adam and I enjoyed a wonderful night of laughing with Staci & Greg and Katy & Chris. It might have been one too many flights for me but it was an adventure. Katy I hope you enjoyed it because it will be some time before you get to "take another flight" and we are so excited about that!

Aunts, Uncles, and Cousins Continued

2009-03-15T15:57:00.000-07:00

More pics from our weekend in Austin

Aunts, Uncles and Cousins

2009-03-15T15:40:00.000-07:00

I just love this little Priss.

Gotta show off the complete outfit, thanks Grandma

Look at all those fish Dad

I love my Great Aunt Pam

Happy 1 year!

The Lowes had a great weekend in Austin celebrating cousin Miss Abigail's 1 year birthday at the Austin Children's Museum. We had the best cupcakes, enjoyed some fun sites, and of course lots of laughs. Great Aunt Pat was the ultimate babysitter and Ava had so much fun meeting her cousins Haley and Ian. I think Haley was enjoying the basketball game as much as Ava since they both fell asleep at half time. Thank you so much for letting us come and visit!

Miss Grace

2009-03-15T15:27:00.000-07:00

Ava has so many little friends down here and Adam and I can't wait to watch her grow up with all of them. Ava's favorite little babysitter is Miss Grace Wilson (Abby and Garrett's 2 year old daughter).

2009-03-15T15:17:00.001-07:00

Josh, Jenn, and Jeran came to see us in February and we had so much fun. We are so lucky to have them so close to us. Even though Ava had a stomach ache for half the weekend, she cheered up by Saturday night and joined in on the partini games.

Jeran is the cutest little guy ever and never without a smile. I look forward to watching Ava grow and test out new and different things just as Mr. Butler is.

To the Butlers, we love you and can't wait until the next visit. Sounds like we are Houston bound.