One Year Old!

What a surprise! Today we celebrated Ava Grace's birthday! Can you believe it? I can't. Even though some days I feel like I have had her forever because I feel like I have been ran over by a mac truck! Wow, she walks and CLIMBS! I told her on the actual day of her b-day that I had made it one year and I was gonna take my vitamins and make it another!! She is such a joy to me. Not easy, not passive. She is full of life. I find myself just dropping everything and sitting on the floor playing with her. My life just stops sometimes with her. What is so funny is she has the same effect on Dad and Brother! She is a mess!

So I guess you have seen the picture I posted. At the party, Ms Sharron (Noni) surprised me with a gift and this is what it was. A picture of the Avalon street sign! Yes I cried! Every time I come to this sign I wonder how I could get it. I wonder if the street people would let me have it if I told them the story? Well this is great, I now have it! Framed and everything! Now if you don't now the story about this sign, you will have to go back and read my old blogs. ....I guess I can give you a little hint. I always wanted another child and really felt God was going to give us one. After many years of praying. It never happened but I kept believing. One day I was going to Longview and I was fussing at God for not coming through for me and questioning where I was crazy for believing for so long, I came to this sign. I knew I wanted to name my girl Ava. I looked at this sign and knew right then that he had an Ava for us to love. I was to keep believing! Two years later we were shocked to find out that we were pregnant and of course it was a girls. One year ago November 10, 2010, Ava Grace McRight was born. She was promised to me and I just get chills every time I see my sign!!!!! Thanks Noni!

Growing sooo Fast

I can not believe how fast she is growing. Each day has been full of laughter! I guess one thing about being older parents is we seem more laid back. We find ourselves just sitting and watching her! "Did you see that?" "Watch her." She is so different from Ian. She does not like to give kisses and if you happen to get one, we make a BIG deal about it!!!

Our days and nights with Ava have not all been "rosie"! Especially the nights! Ok, yes she is in our bed. And we like it like that except she got in a habit of waking up several times a night and we would stick a bottle in her mouth. She liked that and developed a nasty habit. The only way she would go back to sleep is to have that bottle. Well, Saturday night we decided we had to break her of this. That was a long night. she threw a huge fit! We lived through it and stuck to our guns. Sunday night was a little better. So after four nights, she is getting better. Hopefully tonight we will sleep all night.

Another big thing that has happened is Ian got invited to go to Canada with People to People. I know it is a great honor but that would be hard to let him leave. We really are going to have to pray about this one. Ian told me last night that he thought God had brought this into his life and he thought God really wanted him to go. Oh my, when did he become so in tuned with God? Of course that is how I really want him to be! We will see how God works this one out!

Change the world

Have you ever wondered if your child will be the one to change the world in some way?? After trying to feed Ava yesterday and seeing her determination to not eat the vegetables but the peaches, I thought, girl, you could change the world. Your just that head strong. I asked James if he thought she could and he said well, she's already changed mine!
Last night at bible study, we are beginning to study the books of Samuel. I was reminded of what Hannah's name means ...Grace. Hannah prayed for so long for a child and God gave her Samuel. I know God gave us Ava Grace's name and he continues to remind me that. Bro. Tilley also said Eli the priest taught Samuel how to hear the voice of God. I love that. Oh how I hope we consistently teach our children how to "hear God's voice". I love hearing the voice of God and I want them to know that voice too!

A daddy's girl

This was taken at the Ball park. We are not sure we like the ball park yet. But brother sure does and that is why we are there!
Ian and I at field day!


(If anyone would like to spice up my blog for me let me know. I spent the whole day trying to make it better and add some personality. Well once I could figure out how to go back to the basic layout, I am leaving it! Nothing fit like I wanted it to and I could not make it look like those cutsie blogs. So I just left it look plain, just like me!)

Our Purpose

I know we all have a purpose in life. How many times do we wonder what it is? I know I do a lot! Well, today I was once again reminded of yet another purpose for the life of Ava Grace... I have a good friend that came into my life last year. Once we became more acquainted, I found out we had a lot in common. I know with out a shadow of doubt, God placed her in my life. She has a beautiful family. Two older sons and a daughter around Ian's age. She has kept Ava several times and told me how much her family loves and adores her. (don't we all!) They almost fight over her! My friends daughter has had some major health problems. Due to these problems it would be wise if the girl did not carry children of her own. As we talked about this today, I mentioned how it may be a good idea for them to adopt so the little girl could see how special it is and that she could love a child this way just as much. Well they have already thought this and plan to hopefully adopt in the near future. I said until then they could love on Ava! Then it hit me here is another way that Ava has had a purpose for her life. Used so this young girl could learn that love is unconditional. Oh, I wonder what the future holds!! :)

P.S. Today was suppose to be Ava's first haircut. The hair stylist talked me out of it, so Ian got his cut instead! Thank the Lord! He needed it!
I will post a picture later.

Oh My could you be any slower!

Hurry up computer I am about to bust! I know that this is suppose to be an uplifting blog, but I have three sisters and I am the only one that lives away. I know they are tired of me texting and calling them and I just have to vent! All was going well today, I came home from school and of course Ava was crying but not too much. My house has been a wreck so I had planned to meet a housekeeper at 4:30 to give me an estimate. (if she only knew that at that moment i would pay anything!!) I finally called her at 4:45 and she said she would be there at 4:30!? That should have been my sign. Ian had told me he wanted to go watch his friends bball game at 5:30. I really did not want to go because I needed to go get groceries. He started reminding me every 15 min what time it was. Like I did not know. Finally at about 5:15 the lady calls to ask me what road to turn down. I realized she was taking the wrong road and tried to tell her but she insisted she knew where she was going. Time passed and I tried to call her twice. I left messages. Oh and, during this time I was trying to rock Ava, when my new iphone dropped to the floor!!! The back shattered! I wanted to cry. I had ordered an otter box cover this morning! It just kept going down hill....Ian keeps reminding me of the time. I hated to tell him he was not going because I had to get groceries and now go by Verizon and a little lady from church called and wanted me to stop by her house. She had a gift for Ava. I broke the news to Ian then thought "what the heck", who knows where the cleaning lady is. Lets go to town. "Ian grab your phone I am going to drop you off at the ball park then I am going to Verizon". Did I just leave my 10 year old at the ball park by himself????? Yes I did!!! I ran to Verizon to find out for $169 I could have a new phone. Man, insurance is good!! I decided when I got that otter box no body will ever see my shattered back! So, I ran by and got the precious little dress for Ava then headed back to the ball park to wait on Ian. Of course, once I stopped, Ava cried. Got her out and held her while I tried to cancel the otter box using my phone. (I needed one asap) I got Ian and we headed to the grocery store....half way there I forgot I did not have my wallet! We went home. I did not want to go to the store on sat morning because I was expecting Edward at6:30am and Ian had to be somewhere at 9 and I WANT TO GO SEE MY MOMMA!!!!!! One guess what starts playing on the radio?...You got it! This is the stuff that drives me CRAZY!! Don't we just love God! Thanks for letting me vent-Julie

One year ago!

Can you believe it! It was one year ago today that God revealed to me a promise he had made me two year earlier. I am still sometimes in shock that we have a little girl. And she is all I have ever dreamed of! Attitude and all!!! Well, I dream of a brown eyed girl but God gave her gorgeous blue eyes that pop! He is a wonderful creator! Any way it has been a long year. One that has been full of excitement. And one of the best years of my life. I just want you to know that God is BIG. He can do anything. Trust in Him. Believe Him! Look for Him each day! Thank you all for sharing this wonderful time with me. I will post from time to time, when I have a chance. I am finding that it is really hard to even get on the computer! I love you all!

We are still alive

Yes we are still alive! It is really hard to find time to post! I will admit it that this mommy business is not like I expected. This little miracle baby is making it a miracle that I am still alive! I will try to post a picture of our sweet doll, if I can find one of her asleep! No she is not sleeping through the night and yes I have returned to work. I think I needed to go back to work so we both could enjoy each other. When I am home with her all day I keep finding this that could be wrong. Like thinking her formula is not the right kind, is she breathing ok.. and so on. She is a tooter from sun up to sun down and I can not seem to find a formula that will take care of that. I don't think she has gotten any better like everyone said she would.("She will grow out of it") I think she has just learned to deal with it and I went back to work!

Yes I am loving being her mommy and she has began to smile! That is worth all the long nights! She does love her daddy. In fact the week I went back to work, she decided he was "it"! He was the only one who could make her happy except when I feed her. Once again her timing was way off because I really did not need her to not want me that week! But she does love her mommy and smiles at me all the time now.

Sorry if it seems like I am rambling, it must be the lack of sleep. I heard a song today on the way to church. It was by Francesca Battistelli called "this is the stuff". That is my song! I lost my keys about five times last week! Check it out.