Christmas with the Cousins

We headed to Gardner for a combo Christmas/business visit. We had Christmas in the morning and Brent and I headed to a fun hotel for a Kansas Electric Outing. Fun was had by all. 

Ava and her little Henny Penny. She sure loves her sweet baby cousins!

Joel, this says it all!

They start them young in the Sawyer family!

See what I'm saying!

Present time!

And now there is proof that Joel beats up on my kids!

And now we leave my bro and sis with our kiddos and head to our castle...

The Nature Walk and my three crazy kids!

Ava looses yet another tooth!

Ava loses a tooth...or two...

Ava has had wiggly teeth since right before Christmas. It was been traumatic pretty much since then because her father seems to think every night is tooth pulling out night. Well fortunately for Ava's sake, tonight it actually came out! She had the funniest/saddest reaction to the process. She cried harder once she learned that the tooth was out. She was SO relieved! Sweet girl.

Oh, wait, there's more? What?

Tooth #2!

Okay, okay, that is enough for one night, daddy!

Calling the grandmas and the grandpas!

Okay, tooth fairy. It's your turn now!

Eight!

Happy Birthday to our first-born. I cannot believe he is 8-years-old today. How can this be? We are so proud of this boy. He is growing up so fast, and growing into such a special young man. He is smart, cute (don't tell him that-it's not cool!), outgoing, theatrical, thoughtful, God-loving, high-maintenance, loving, goofy, energetic...I could go on, but these are a few of the big ones. This kid is going to go far. Can't wait to see where that may be!

chopped

I just had to tell someone about it, since I'm not on facebook anymore.
Ava broke my heart.
She begged and pleaded.
She made me cut her hair.
It is sUPER short! way shorter than we planned.
I'll show you what it looks like when she gets home from school. I was too sad to take a picture last night. I'm such a weirdo. I remember feeling this same way the last time she made me do this!

Well, what do you think? Ava giggles every time she passes a mirror!
(okay, so I maybe went overboard on the after pics, but seriously, how do you choose?!)